A Classic & Intimate August Wedding

The Proposal

of

Maureen & Nick

Nick and I were both living in Cincinnati at the time and met the old-fashioned way – on a dating app. Our first date was a Wednesday night and turned into a bar crawl in Columbia Tusculum. At the time of the proposal, we’d already been through a year of long-distance after Nick moved back home to Chicago for work and then about 9 months of my own living in Chicago. Feeling a little homesick after the move, nothing made me happier than a trip back to Ohio. We had just finished the 6-hour drive home for a weekend spent with family and friends when Nick stopped me halfway up the driveway of my childhood home and pulled the ring out of his suitcase. My parents were waiting inside with a bottle of champagne and the champagne flutes from their wedding night. We spent the whole weekend celebrating with my family and friends – including a bar crawl in Cleveland on Saturday.

The Wedding

of

Maureen & Nick

Our original wedding date was set for Saturday, June 13, 2020. As an event planner by trade, I tried being on top of the ball at the beginning of April when it sounds like the end of summer would be safe enough to postpone until. As summer went on, we realized that wasn’t the case but didn’t want to wait longer to tie the knot. So we re-imagined our 250+ guest wedding and had an intimate 35-guest wedding with just the bridal party, parents, a few close friends, and those who were a part of the ceremony.
And it. Was. Absolutely. Perfect.
It was a Friday evening wedding, so we spent the day getting ready at the hotel and made it outside just in time for a first look and a few bridal party shots before it down poured for the rest of the evening. So what else do you do when you can’t take photos outside, and all of the pretty indoor photo-ops are closed to the public due to COVID? You stop under the awning at Akron’s famous Swenson’s Drive-Thru for a Galley Boy before walking down the aisle.
Our ceremony was a full Catholic mass, and lots of relatives and friends in the area could attend mass safely at a distance, wearing masks. The ceremony was also streamed live on YouTube for those watching at home.
Then we headed back to The Sheraton for dinner and dancing for the rest of the evening. Everyone could take their time hitting the road on Saturday, and the rest enjoyed a beautiful day outside at Sarah’s Vineyard.
The best part? We’ll be able to celebrate our first anniversary with all 250+ of our original guests next Aug 28 – which will be a Saturday!

Maureen’s

Bridal & Formal

Experience

Having lived in Cincinnati for 5 years before moving to Chicago in 2018, I planned a girls’ trip on Labor Day weekend of 2019 for my mom, sister, godmother, and few closest friends to shop in the Reading Bridal District. Bridal and Formal was my first stop on Sunday. Norma was our sales associate, and she had everyone pick a couple of dresses for me. I tried on 15 dresses that day – and the very last one was the one Norma had chosen for me. None of the dresses I tried on that weekend had given me any reaction (besides knowing it wasn’t the one). This dress happened to be the only size they had in store – and it was only there for the weekend as part of a trunk sale. I teared up as soon as Norma started buttoning it up. And I canceled all of my appointments and headed to Braxton’s rooftop for some celebratory beers! I’m so glad Norma listened to what I wanted in a dress – and found just the one!