Lisa & Perry had a beautiful wedding situated near Oak Brook on a wooded property .. filled with love and beauty! But first, we’ll start with their engagement photos …
Tell us a funny story relating to your wedding day or relationship!
On the day we got engaged, Perry proposed to me under a banana plant at the Chicago Botanic Garden. We were walking around a tropical greenhouse when we happened to see an exotic banana plant and Perry said he wanted to take a photo of me under it. I looked up at the banana plant and when I turned around, he was down on one knee holding the beautiful ring! Getting engaged under a banana plant was quite apposite to our relationship as we had a funny conversation about how bananas grow upside down on trees early on in dating, which has since become an inside joke in our relationship.
Describe a hurdle you had to overcome in your relationship or during your wedding planning.
Because we were planning our wedding during the COVID-19 pandemic, one of the challenges was ensuring the health and safety of all our guests. Although the pandemic was improving and many restrictions were loosened, it was important to us that our guests felt comfortable and safe celebrating our special day with us. We carefully monitored the conditions of the pandemic during our wedding planning process and asked all our guests to be fully vaccinated. The weather was beautiful on our wedding day so we were able to hold a lovely outdoor ceremony to reduce the risk of infection. Ultimately, we were grateful that the pandemic did not affect our wedding and we were able to celebrate with our family and friends as if there were no pandemic.
from the bride: “We had a beautiful summer wedding celebration with our family and friends at Oak Brook Bath & Tennis Club. Situated on twenty acres of natural woodlands, we chose this venue for its secluded location as well as the multitude of indoor and outdoor spaces in which guests could mingle. Our ceremony was held outdoors with a gorgeous pond and fountain in the backdrop. I chose a color palette of porcelain pink and ivory to complement our overall wedding style of romance, elegance, and timelessness. Our wedding invitations and stationery were designed by one of my bridesmaids and featured hand-painted flowers and a pastel color palette to match our wedding theme. For my wedding dress, I wore a custom-made Winnie Couture fit and flare lace gown with an illusion neckline and extended train. After many weeks of extensive alterations and fittings, my completed wedding dress was a perfect fit!
Special wedding moments included our first look where we got to share a very touching and intimate moment that we had both been highly anticipating. I remember being both excited and nervous as I tapped Perry on the shoulder and he turned around to see me in my wedding dress for the first time! Another emotional moment was walking down the aisle and seeing Perry’s face. Our wedding also included some very special family moments—the music for our ceremony and first dance was performed by my relatives, Perry’s father served as the officiant, and Perry’s aunt-in-law recited a poem she wrote about our relationship during our ceremony.
Other fun elements of our wedding included the delicious four-tier wedding cake, which was the most beautiful cake Perry and I had ever seen! For wedding favors, we gave each guest the traditional Italian wedding favor—a candy bag filled with five Jordan almonds to represent health, wealth, happiness, fertility, and longevity—as Perry is Italian from his father’s side. It was a beautiful day and we are so grateful we got to share it with our family and friends.
After our wedding, we spent two weeks in Austria and Germany for our honeymoon where we visited Vienna, Salzburg, and Munich. And most importantly, we became new parents and welcomed our son!”
Any special ways you incorporated your family or family history into your wedding day?
My relatives on my father’s side of the family are professional musicians and they performed the beautiful music for our ceremony and first dance. Perry’s aunt-in-law is a published poet and wrote a poem about our love story that she recited during our wedding ceremony, and the ceremony itself was officiated by Perry’s father. We were extremely touched to have our family play such important roles in our wedding. It made our day all the more special!
What part of your wedding day was/is most important to you?
We wrote our own vows because it was important for us to express our love and commitment to each other using our own words. We kept our vows a surprise and shared them with each other for the first time during our wedding ceremony. Saying our vows to each other and hearing each other’s vows was a moment that we will forever cherish.
What is the best thing you’ve learned from one another?
Lisa: Perry exemplifies what it means to be a loving husband. I have learned what makes an exceptional partner from his deep respect and appreciation for me. And for practical skills, Perry taught me the basics of cooking! We like trying new recipes and baking desserts together. During the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, one of our favorite bonding activities as a couple was making home-cooked meals.
Perry: I have learned how to be a better life partner. Lisa is a considerate and thoughtful planner of events to celebrate our relationship and other important life milestones. She is a compassionate and mindful partner when I have long days at work. She models grace, and I have learned so much from her as her boyfriend, fiancé, husband, and now father to our son.
What is your favorite thing about each other?
Lisa: Perry’s patience, sincerity, and devotion makes him a wonderful husband. He always strives to make me happy and loves me for who I am. Most importantly, I love seeing him in his new role as the devoted father to our son.
Perry: Lisa’s sense of adventure! She is the best travel partner one could have and finds hidden gems to visit in Chicago and when we travel. Even in a city I have lived in for years, she is an expert at finding fun activities for us to do as a couple as well as new restaurants to try.
What was your favorite part about planning your wedding?
Taking ballroom dance classes and practicing our first dance was one of the highlights of our wedding planning experience. Perry’s mother gifted us dance lessons in preparation for our wedding so we spent several weeks working with a dance instructor who choreographed a waltz to one of my favorite Disney songs Beauty and the Beast. Our first dance was inspired by the famous ballroom scene from the original Disney animated classic and we loved performing the waltz that we had rehearsed for many weeks in front of our family and friends on our wedding day. In addition to our first dance, trying on my wedding dress after all the alterations were completed and seeing how perfectly it fit me was a moment I will never forget.
If you had one piece of advice for other couples, what would it be?
As far as wedding planning goes, do not sweat the small stuff. As cliché as it sounds, the important thing is to enjoy your wedding day with your spouse and celebrate your love for each other with your family and friends. Imperfections and small details really do not matter. On our wedding day, we could not find the mothers’ corsages (we did not realize we had left them in the hotel room), so one of my bridesmaids sprang into action and went to a local florist to buy last-minute corsages for the mothers to wear for the family photos. Looking back the missing corsages served as a memorable wedding moment that both Perry and I will remember fondly.
What is the most honest thing you can say about love?
Love is when someone else’s happiness becomes your happiness. Love is putting someone else’s needs and desires before yours. Our relationship, marriage, and the birth of our son has shown us what it means to love someone.
Wedding Photographer: Joshua Harrison Photography
Engagement Photographer: Shelby Lea
Venue: Oak Brook Bath & Tennis Club
Floral Designer: Phillip’s Flowers & Gifts
Dress Boutique: Winnie Couture
Dress Designer: Winnie Couture
Cake Designer: Toni Patisserie & Café
Makeup Artist: Diem Angie Co.
Hair Stylist: Diem Angie Co.
Mens Formalwear: Men’s Wearhouse
Rentals: A Posh Production
Stationery: YMCho Art & Design
Videographer: LEAP Weddings
Bridal Shoes: Badgley Mischka
Bridesmaid Dresses: Bella Bridesmaids
DJ & Photo Booth: A Posh Production
Wedding & Engagement Rings: Tiffany & Co.
Wedding Gown Tailoring: Sew Bridal Chicago
Catering: Tasty Catering
Getting Ready Space: Chicago Marriott Oak Brook
Publisher at The White Wren and Bajan Wed, Award Winning Photography + Videographer at Live View Studios, Dad, 80s music lover, crunchy health advocate
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