Last Saturday (1/21/17) was a day that I’ll never forget. Most of you already know that Tony proposed (and that I said yes!) but I wanted to write out not only our engagement story, but our love story right here, so that I could keep it forever.
About two weeks ago, Tony asked if I wanted to go ice skating in Wicker Park and spend some quality time together, you know, just the two of us. It was natural that we wanted to do something chill in the city because we’re basically obsessed with Chicago (even though we already live here). During the Summer months, we spent each weekend walking 25,000 steps around the city and exploring little shops — Wicker Park was always one of my favorite places to hang around. And to be honest, since moving and launching the Healthy Glow Co, my life has been insanely busy. Our date nights have been spent in my office, while I type away and he hangs out next to me with Milly. Quality time together NOT WORKING was exactly what we were desperately craving.
Anyway, I was thrilled to go ice skating because it’s something I’ve loved to do since I was a little girl; however, we checked the weather and our plans immediately changed because the app said it was going to be 50 degrees (in January!). There would be no ice!
Our plans shifted and we talked about walking to a museum we hadn’t been to. As Tony started talking more about it, I realized I never had been to the Shedd Aquarium. Since we both LOVE (NO WAIT, WE’RE OBSESSED) with animals, we decided to make it an adventure.
Shortly after we made plans for the weekend at the aquarium, I remembered that I had contact at Shedd and told Tony I wanted to reach out to her to see if I could get us a few free tickets, because hey, why not?! I reached out and a day or two later she replied that she, indeed, could get us the hook up. Whoo hoo! Our weekend date was all set.
Then on Friday (1/20), I recieved an email from my contact at Shedd, stating that she had arranged a special behind the scenes tour for us. I got a little bit of a weird feeling in my stomach; I didn’t know why, but it just happened. I text my bestie Sarah right away, asking if she thought Tony might propose. She said she thought so, BUT I rather thought my mind was just playing tricks on me and quickly forgot about it entirely.
Saturday came and we did our usual morning routine: I worked out, Tony watched the news, and then we both got ready and headed out for brunch, exploring and the Shedd. At this point I really didn’t have any idea what was about to take place. As far as I knew, we were just having a wonderful day in the city; the sun beaming on our faces and our spirits delighted with happiness and each other’s comfort.
After exploring the aquarium for a little over an hour, we walked over to meet a trainer who was going to take us on a behind the scenes tour. She led us to the top of the caribbean tank where several sharks, stingrays and fish were swimming about. I still had no idea what was happening.
All of a sudden, she told us about this remarkable sea turtle named Nickel, who had become caught in a boat propeller and was later rescued by the aquarium.
Suddenly, Nickel popped her head out of the water and said hello to us. She was divinely beautiful and oddly sweet. I was able to feed her bok choy and pet her back, which by the way, she absolutely loved being played with and petted.
As I was doing all of this, Tony was next to me, watching me talk to Nickel and feed her. H He started saying all of these beautiful words to me and I couldn’t help but get a funny feeling in my stomach, almost like when you’re riding a roller coaster and your stomach goes up and down. I turned to the side to look at him and there he was, looking as handsome as ever, and holding the most beautiful ring I had ever seen in my life. I just started screaming, “WHAT?!” and “OMG BABY”.
Then I said, “Yes, of course I’ll marry you.”
And that was that. We left the aquarium immediately and walked 3 miles down the lakeshore path and all the way to a bar over on Rush street. Everything about that day was perfect. From the happiness in Tony’s eyes and the way his hand shook when he put the ring on my finger, to our moments hugging and kissing each other until we couldn’t anymore. From the sun beaming down on our skin, to the ring, to the proposal.
I am so blessed to have this incredible man in my life, for the rest of my life, forever and ever. I love him wholly, completely, without knowing how or why. I just love him for everything that he is and will ever be.
And for those of you who don’t know our incredible love story, here it is:
Tony used to play baseball for the White Sox and damn, was he good. I met him in March of 2013 in Arizona while he was in spring training. I was wearing black pants and a see through greenish top. I still remember it to this day because I would never wear that outfit again. Little did I know I would meet the man I would marry.
I was in Arizona with one of my friends Laura on a girl’s vacation. She just so happened to love sports and was good friends with one of the guys who played on the team. Somehow we ended up with spring training tickets, which didn’t really please me because I was never into sports, but I rolled with it.
After the game, Laura said she wanted to meet up with her friend for happy hour, and that we would be giving him and his a roommate a ride back to the hotel they were staying at.
We rolled up in a red convertible and there was Tony, with bronze skin and sun kissed hair. Tony just so happened to be the roommate. As soon as Tony jumped in the car, I remember thinking how freaking hot he was. Like I want to have your babies hot.
Somehow, Tony ended up coming out to drinks with us, and as soon as we got to talking, we immediately hit it off. It was like we had known each other for years. We liked all the same music, movies and laughed until we couldn’t anymore.
After a few drinks, we said bye and I thought I’d never see him again because doing the long distance thing was weird to me.
A few days later, he text me seeing what I was up to and asked if I wanted to go on a real date before I went back home.
I said yes.
He took me to the animal sanctuary, then to a cheap Italian restaurant, where we drank a bottle of wine. He couldn’t pronounce merlot; I thought it was adorable.
I left Arizona and told him that I probably wouldn’t see him again, but that I really had a great time with him. He told me that of course I would see him again. And that was that.
I sent him 5 boxes of homemade cookies to the locker room. He told me he fell in love.
We talked for 6 months straight, then he came to Minnesota (where I was living at the time) and stayed with me for a week. I literally took vacation time for it. Evidence here.
In 2014, I quit my job at General Mills and moved to Chicago.
In 2015, Tony quit baseball and we moved in together.
In 2016, we purchased our first home.
And NOW WE’RE GETTING MARRIED. OMG IS THIS REAL LIFE? I’m honestly still beaming, by how incredible it feels. And of course, I can’t stop staring at my ring.
Now we’re onto wedding planning! Well not really, but I feel like I should get started. I’m terrified.
We have yet to decide if we want the wedding to be in Chicago, or if we want to do a destination wedding somewhere epic. The good news is that my mama was a wedding planner for 10+ years, so that’s certainly helpful.
Last, but certainly not least, I have some questions for you:
1.) Best wedding planning advice?
2.) Does anyone have recommendations on photographers in Chicago?
3.) Does anyone have recommendations on videographers in Chicago?
4.) Does anyone have suggestions for a venue in or near Chicago?
5.) If you have any really epic Pinterest wedding boards, leave your link so I can follow you!
6.) Anything else I need to know?!
Thanks for being here! And THANK YOU for all the congrats on social media. I love you guys.
59 comments
Steve Koo is an amazing wedding photographer. He did my engagement pics and he’s shooting my wedding photos in July 🙂 Congrats on your engagement, Monique!
So excited for you! Enjoy every moment on engagement and best wishes for a wonderful marriage and many happy years together.
I could leave so many pieces of advice for you but this one, I find the most important and almost overlooked… don’t forget to include your fiancé in the wedding planning process… ask him about colors and decor… talk to him about what his dream wedding would be and compromise with him. Many people forget the day is about both the groom and bride. Even if he says he doesn’t care (my husband always said that), check back in cause they always almost do have an opinion but are just trying to make us happy!
Aaah so excited for you!
Congratulations! I’ve been following you for a few years and was wondering when the proposal was going to happen. Very happy for you. 🙂
I’m not much of a party person, am an introvert, but have been happily married for 13 years with 2 kids, so here’s my take on weddings: it will always be perfect for you no matter what the outcome because the ONLY thing that matters at the wedding, the ONLY thing you will ever remember with distinct clarity, is that other person standing across from you saying they’d like to share their life and die with you. Nothing else matters. Keep perspective. All you really want/need is the love of your life, the rest is just icing on the cake.
SO EXCITING! I love reading about your story and eeee CONGRATULATIONS!!! I’m a wedding planner soo lots of potential advice but here’s the one that I wish my hubby had listened to when we were planning:
You cannot make everyone happy. Don’t try to. Just make yourselves happy because you’ll never look back and regret that and your happiness is the only thing you have control over. Make your wedding the perfect expression of you 2!
Of course, he fell in love after cookies! The way to a man’s heart is through his stomach. 😉
Wedding planning advice: No matter how much you strive for perfection, something may go wrong on the day of and that’s ok! Whether it’s rain (which is good luck so who cares), or maybe the table runner is wrong, or the flowers aren’t what you pictured… in the end all that matters is that you’re marrying your best friend. So take it day by day, try not to stress the details, enjoy the planning (it’s fun!), enjoy the big day and live happily ever after. I wish you the happiest and healthiest marriage EVER! Xoxoxoxo
This is SUCH a beautiful proposal story, and I could not be happier for both of you! I remember reading on the blog when you first started dating Tony and now look what happened! 🙂 AHHH I love people’s love and I know you both will have an incredible wedding. <3 I've got a bridesmaid's dress Pinterest board if you want to follow it! 😉
I am so excited and happy for you guys!! Enjoy every moment of this very special time and I wish you both many wonderful years of love and happiness together!
On your wedding day, make sure to sneak some alone time together during the day to take it all in. The day goes by so fast, so it’s really important to get away for a few little moments to enjoy it all. Many blessings and congratulations to you guys!!! <3 <3
When you get stressed out with planning, which you will at some point, take a deep breath and remember why you’re getting married (because you’re so in love) and that it’ll be one of the best days of your life even if things do go wrong.
You should check out Danielle Aquiline Photography. My friend has all her photos taken by her. She’s amazing!
http://danielleaquilinephotography.com/
For starters, Congratulations! You guys are so cute together and I loved hearing about your love story. 🙂 The best wedding planning advice I can give is to not get swept up in what you think you should do or have to do. The goal is for it to be personal to you guys… where people will be saying “that was so Monique and Tony,” when they think about your wedding day.
I got married 8 months ago and Weddingwire, https://www.weddingwire.com/, was my lifesaver. You can plan everything online, and have it organized all in one place. I went for an “epic destination wedding” in Ireland and it was the absolute best! All 100 of my guests were able to sleep at the castle that we got married at and our wedding literally ended at 5 am. (The prices are also a lot more reasonable than here in the states. 🙂 )
LOVE your love story. So happy for you two. Cannot wait to see what you guys do for the wedding. Congrats!
Crying. Love you both.
Congratulations on your engagement! Check out the following Chicago photographers:
http://www.tenlittlebluebirds.com/
http://www.amyboylephotography.com/#bio
congratulations!!! what a beautiful proposal & relationship story you & tony share!! there is truly nothing better than marrying your best friend, i can attest. wedding planning advice? do it your way. don’t be afraid to break the rules & focus on creating a day that will be totally true to who you & tony are as a couple. as far as wedding photographers go, you cannot beat Ren Davis of Studio 29 in Milwaukee (http://foto-29.com/). she also shoots lots of weddings in Chicago & is SO FREAKING talented & SO FREAKING great to work with (& plus she’s obsessed with animals too). cannot recommend highly enough! congrats again!!!
Oh my goodness how incredible adorable Monique! I can totally relate to my husband coming upstairs in my office when he gets home from work to “hangout” because I get so busy.
But tou guys are too cute. (LOL at the I want to have your babies comment). Wherever you decide to get married I am 100% sure it will be very epic. Congrats again!
Congrats!!! I’m so excited for you guys. I got married in June and I think my only “regret” is not having a planner/day of coordinator. I planned the entire thing myself, a lot of it was DIY (even made my own wedding cake!) but when it came to the day of the wedding, I didn’t have someone to oversee outside making sure my vision was being made a reality. I’m sure with your moms experience you will have no problem planning and coordinating though! 🙂
Congratulations to the both of you! My one piece of advice..don’t stress yourself out. Enjoy the day that two become one.
Gah, so many happy feels for you!! You are an adorable couple and you seem so happy and balanced with each other. I wish you all the best with your planning–you are going to make a gorgeous bride!!!
Congratulations, Monique!!! I’ve come to realize that being engaged is such a special time because it only lasts so long, so I hope you enjoy every second of your engagement 🙂 As far as wedding planning advice goes: try not to get too caught up in the ‘wedding’ part, but rather focus on the ‘marriage’ part. Wedding planning is so much fun and you can get totally consumed by it, but the wedding only lasts one day. While it will be an amazing and wonderful day, it doesn’t make the marriage! I can recommend Joe Hang (JoeHang.com) for wedding photography! He’s ah-mazing. He’s located in Milwaukee, but he is willing to travel. He actually recently posted some beautiful photos of a Chicago wedding! One final thing: if you like to write details down and have them all in one place, I highly recommend The Knot’s wedding planning binder. It allows you to have all of your wedding details together and keeps you organized! Wishing you all the best for a happy and healthy marriage. I’m looking forward to reading more about your engagement journey and more about your love for Tony!
What a wonderful story–gave me chills and a few tears!
Congratulations! What a beautiful, heart warming story. I really needed it this morning! For photos, please check out Alisha Siegel photography (http://atsphotography.us/). Her photos are raw, real and amazing. We went to high school together in Detroit. I’m in awe of her photos and think she really gets to the heart of every couple she’s worked with!
How exciting – congratulations! Check out Architectural Artifacts in Ravenswood during your venue search – they have 2 BEAUTIFUL spaces to choose from. I’m in the midst of planning myself and one thing i’ve found is so helpful in keeping my sanity is to have weekly “wedding calls” with my Mom. She is so excited to help plan, but sometimes its an overflow of information! This way we aren’t constantly running through random wedding to-do’s when we talk, instead we cover it all in that weekly wedding chat call.
Enjoy this exciting time!
If you have a planner you’ll be fine!!! But set expectations up front – between you two, and course parents!!!
yayayyay I love hearing people’s engagement stories! My husband and I were married in Chicago 3 years ago and I did an ABSURD amount of research, so please let me know if you have any questions.
1. My best advice is to make decisions and move on. When Pat and I were planning our wedding, we said that we didn’t want to spend the next year of our life planning our wedding and only talking about that… we still wanted to have a normal life and a normal relationship and talk about things other than the wedding. So make decisions and move on to the next thing.
2. I used Megan Saul Photography (http://www.megansaul.com/) and loved her. I cannot recommend her enough. But I also have two friends that used Stoffer Photography (http://stofferphotography.com/blog/) and I am pretty much obsessed with all of their pictures.
3. For videography, I used Claire Bira from Imageclairity (http://imageclairity.com/) and again cannot recommend her more!
And please feel free to email me if you have any specific questions! xoxo
Such a sweet blog post! My best recommendation is to definitely splurge on a videographer! We LOVED seeing our trailer and short film. It’s a great way to relive your wedding day.
I love this story!! I am such a sap when it comes to other peoples love stories. Thank you so much for sharing yours! Congratulations to you!!
So so happy for you and Tony, Monique! The ring is so beautiful and I could tell through your blog and social media how in love with him you have been since day one. Can’t wait to follow along as you wedding plan! xoxo
Hi! I’m engaged rn too, so this is my best advice: make your guest list first. Do it JUST THE TWO OF YOU. Make the list that you two want, with no outside input 😉
All of your other decisions (venue, date, caterer, etc) will be based on how many people you’re inviting.
congrats!!!!
There is an awesome Minneapolis-based stationary company called Champagne Press. It is a husband and wife team, and they are amazing. They have designs on their website, but they will design anything your heart desires. I had no idea what I wanted, and Julie created the most beautiful invitations and stationary. I cannot say enough good things about them. You can find them at champagnepress.com
Congratulations to you and Tony!! Engagement is such a magical time that goes by too quickly – don’t forget to pause every now and then to enjoy it!
The best thing I did for my wedding was hire a coordinator who also did the decor set up and take down. It was such a relief not having to personally worry that things were running on schedule the day-of, and that everyone was where they needed to be when they needed to be there. We also didn’t feel comfortable asking our family and friends to lend their time to help with set up/take down. Our coordinator was worth every penny to us!
So thrilled for you!
I hated using Pinterest to help plan our wedding. My sisters and mom were annoyed, because they thought I wasn’t planning. But my fiancé and I had an idea of what we wanted in our heads, and once I started showing them, they were really enthusiastic. I guess my advice that fantasy wedding Pinterest and real life wedding Pinterest we’re two different things.
Congraulations on the engagement!
Congratulations! I def. got a little teary eyed ready your story- it’s a real life fairy tale! I wish you nothing but happiness together and hopefully we’ll be hearing more as wedding planning commences 🙂
Congratulations-this story gave me goose bumps!!! I’m so happy for you two. AND, your ring is so friken gorgeous
Congrats!!! When the day arrives, let everyone else deal with things that pop up. You two just need to enjoy your day. People will love everything and cherish the memory of your wedding no matter how perfectly things go according to plan.
We are so happy for you guys! Kyle and I have LEAP Weddings as our videographer (Holy S***, they’re ammmazing!!). Our photographer is out of the suburbs, but they shoot in Chicago all the time. They are Two Birds Photography. Let the fun begin!!
I don’t know you but that story left tears in my eyes. I think it’s because you can just FEEL the insane amount of love that you have for him and how happy you are all through the simple words on this page. Thanks for sharing with us and congrats! ❤
Not gonna lie I started tearing up reading this!!! It brought me back to when I got engaged – just the best day!!! Until your wedding that is! I don’t know anything about Chicago but as for wedding advice, it will get stressful at times – like planning the list & the whole budget thing – but remember that it is just one day and he and your marriage will be the most important thing!! Also plan a bomb ass honeymoon where you can relax after all of the stress and fun!! CONGRATS LADY!!!!!
Congrats! The best wedding planning advice somebody gave me is about the actual day – just breathe and take small breaks throughout the day to soak everything in, it goes by so quickly! Check out Lisa Mathewson Photography (http://www.lisamathewson.com/), she is based in Milwaukee but will travel to Chicago. She is so sweet and does some AMAZING work!
Congratulations! This is very exciting for you!
We got married in Chicago almost 10 years ago….and I highly recommend Riverbend Photo Studio (riverbendphotostudio.com). We absolutely love our photos and she was reasonably priced! We’ve been using her associate photographer for all of our family photos since!
Congrats! So exciting! I absolutely LOVED being engaged! (I love being married too!!) My husband and I got married here in Chicago and had out reception at Fulton’s on the River – now River Roast. The outdoor balcony on the river with the views sold us! We had amazing photographers – Matt (and his wife Sara) Haas Photography and loved them, their style, and candidness – they really tell a story! Enjoy being engaged and always do what makes you both happy – is will be your day! http://www.matthaasphotography.com/
SO exciting! Congrats to you and Tony, it’s such a wonderful time of life! My wedding photographer just opened a studio space in Chicago and she was WONDERFUL to work with. Her style is natural and lovely, plus she’s a gem! http://www.daniellesimonephotography.com/
As for video, we had a close friend do ours and he actually works for WGN now, so let me know if you want his contact info! He did such a great job and is a sweet guy to boot! xo https://www.facebook.com/abby.thompson.754/videos/vb.501552649/10153786843212650/?type=2&theater
Aw congrats! That’s so exciting to see you’re engaged- I just recently got engaged as well, and my photographer that will be doing my wedding is from Chicago! http://www.kathryngracephotography.com/?m=1
She’s a wonderful natural light photographer and is positively a dream to work with.
First of all congratulations! I’ve read your blog for years and make one of your recipes almost every single week. As for wedding planning…i actually had my wedding reception at antique taco in wicker park and would 100% recommend it if you’re looking for a place to throw a rehearsal dinner, bridal shower, or any other wedding event. Their event space is called the guest room and it is the cutest space with the most amazing menu and drinks! I mean, I had churro donuts for dessert… can’t get better than that! Look on Instagram for #eventsatantique or just follow antique taco to see pics!
Congratulations!Adorable couple and story!!As a Momma to 4 daughters,yikes!!So,1 of them is married,planned and paid for most all of it!Is very crafty and had awesome success with Pinterest ideas.I have a board called simply Parties/Wedding Related.ubermomy is my username.Have a lot of rustic ideas,as my hairstylist is engaged.I pin a lot from Camille Styles and Kara’s Parties.Best Wishes,and you 2 will make BEAUTIFUL babies!!lol😉
Venue-Harold Washington Library
Florist-Me! White Daisy Design (I have an Instagram and Facebook page)
Photographer-Tara Etrheim Photography
I’m moving back to IL and I would love to design for your wedding!
Please contact me at
Whitedaisydesign@gmail.com
Congratulations!!! I don’t have much advice for you, since I’ve never been married or engaged, but from other’s experiences, I’d say to just enjoy the planning process and have fun!!
I’m more of a lurker than commenter but I had to say congrats! You two are so cute. I don’t have any advice but I’m sure you’ll get more than you want when it comes to planning your wedding.
Congrats!! So so happy for you and Tony. Your journey has been so wonderful to follow and you have inspired me in countless ways to be a better me through your blog. My boyfriend’s brother in law is an amazing videographer in the Chicago area. Here is his website: http://www.anthonyalanis.com
Good luck planning!
<3 Katie
CONGRATULATIONS! I’ve been following your blog for a couple of years now, and your muffin recipes are my favorite. 🙂
But the important stuff! Almost 10 years ago, I had my wedding reception at the University Club in Chicago, and I STILL get comments from friends about what a great party it was (we had semi-eloped a month earlier, so the ceremony was out of town). It was a beautiful venue, and the proximity to Millenium Park is nice for Chicago-specific photo (I was afraid photos in front of the Bean would be lame, but they’re pretty dang cool).
It doesn’t sound like you’re looking for a wedding planner, but if you and Tony change your minds, Frank Andonoplas of Frank Event Design did my, my sister’s, AND my brother’s wedding, and he’s SPECTACULAR.
Best wishes, good luck, and ENJOY the process as much as you can. 🙂
OH, and I forgot to mention my photographer! Diane Alexander White did our photos, and they turned out lovely. She specializes in museum photography, but does events on the side. She designed my album, and it’s so beautiful. And if you want to see photos of a wedding at the University Club, look at her galleries, and mine is the last (!!!! {sigh} I’m getting old…} gallery.
Congrats!! This is very exciting!!!!. Those feelings after getting engaged are sure amazing…I still remember it, and it was 6 years ago for me. Your man sounds like a quality guy and he sure adores you. I dropped off rhubarb cake to my husband after our second date and he said that was clinch for him 🙂
I will pick one piece of advice. Spend some time once a week at least NOT TALKING about the wedding. whether its one hour or a whole day. This time is important to prepare for your marriage as well as the wedding. Listen to or read this book together. It covers so many important topics we don’t always cover and I think it saved my hubby and I a lot of fighting….because we had an understanding of where the other was coming from.
http://www.audible.com/pd/Self-Development/Things-I-Wish-Id-Known-Before-We-Got-Married-Audiobook/B0040GV4FK?mkwid=DSATitle_dc&pcrid=158258695635&pmt=b&pkw=_cat%3Aself%20development&source_code=GO1GB907OSH060513&cvosrc=ppc%20dynamic%20search.google.97175169&cvo_crid=158258695635&cvo_pid=5075902449&gclid=CLPI6rjp5NECFcm3wAodhT0O1g
MAJOR congrats!!!! This whole story was LOVELY. He did incredibly with that ring. You two are a beautiful couple. Happy Wedding planning! Woohoo! xo
congratulations! so incredibly excited for you and i LOVE your love story..seriously though…where do you get all of your fabulous dresses?!?!
congratulations! or rather, “best wishes,” which is what i think you are actually supposed to say. in either case, i’m so very happy for you two! my biggest piece of advice is don’t forget to enjoy your engagement. it is a really special time. being married is wonderful, and you two will be married for the rest of your lives, but you’ll only be engaged for a little while. so don’t spend all of your time on wedding details, make sure that you savor this beautiful moment of love and excitement!
AH Congrats! I’ve been wondering when Tony would propose and I love your story! My advice on wedding planning is don’t take too much advice. Decide what is important to you and use that as your guide. You don’t need everything that everyone tells you you need and your wedding is about you guys! Too much advice becomes chaotic and confusing, I wish I had known this when I was going through it myself- I was so overwhelmed.
best wishes and happy planning!
My best friend lives in Chicago and got married at Elawa Farm this August. It was BEAUTIFUL! Also, I don’t know if you’re tuned into flowers yet but her flowers were astonishingly amazing and the couple whose farm it was are just doing very very cool things. Check it out here if you’d like! http://www.thistleandtwineatelier.com/blog/lydia-brian
Best wishes to you two! My biggest advice is for the day of- make sure to eat!! You spend so much time talking to all of your wonderful friends and family that it is hard to take the time to eat. Assign some people in your wedding party to bring you drinks and water and make sure to have some food in your room for afterwards. You will be starving!
Enjoy your day and know that it is just the beginning of your lives together. I love my husband so much more now than even when we got married. It’s hard to believe, but it’s true 🙂 Enjoy all the planning and try on tons of dresses! It’s so fun!
Congratulations! Can’t wait to hear more about the wedding plans!
In regards to advice, make it about the two of you. And if you decide to have guest, make it as convenient as possible when it comes to having the ceremony, cocktail hour and reception located in one place. I have attended a few weddings were the action was at several locations, and all I wanted to do was go home because I didn’t enjoy driving all over the city nor the wait time to eat dinner (I once waited three hours…I went to the local grocery store and snacked). Just saying.
Again Congratulations!