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Megan and Dan’s wedding day, spent mostly lakeside at Meg’s parents home in Oconomowoc, was a joy for all involved – from the wedding party to the band, the photographers to the bride and groom. Everyone, and I mean Everyone, had a ball. I want to write about how sweet and happy Meg & Dan were, about how they joked with friends and shared sentimental moments with their parents, about how they were at turns grateful, impressed, smitten and totally happy. But first I have to mention the amazing team of people who made their wedding day look and feel and move the way it did. I’ve been a part of some big, elegant, lovely weddings, but nothing as detailed, hard to pull off and perfectly done as this one. I was lucky enough to have my friend Molly from M Three along for detail shots and David and his team at Dynamic Events managed a schedule that started on Tuesday and involved crews of people setting up tents, lighting, stages, furniture, fabrics and florals for days. It all sounds so fussy and difficult but on Saturday the 8th of September it was simply magical – it felt easy and breezy and clean and modern, loungy and comfortable and elegant and a little bit like the woods and lawns around the slate roofed residence were always filled with people and music and laughter. It felt like home. Meg wore accents of gold – a thick bangle that was her great grandmother’s and her Jimmy Choos come to mind – and Dan a custom navy suit, and they stuck by one another all day and all night. They shared a first look on the front steps of the house and the ceremony at St. John’s Northwestern was flawless. Cocktails flowed on the front lawn and big tents, one each for dining, lounging and dancing, rose tall on the back lawn overlooking the lake. It rained at some point during dinner, but the piano player and the superb soloist just harmonized a little louder and the guests danced their hearts out on the color changing dance floor. Wrapped in gifted pashminas to stave off the light chill in the night air, guests noshed on homemade cookies and cupcakes made respectively by Meg’s aunt and her mom’s book club. The feeling was joyous and a little raucous – everyone a bit giddy with so much love and fun and beauty all around.
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If, after seeing all that loveliness you need just a little more, check out Meg & Dan’s wedding album online. And here is the list of vendors who made this day so gorgeous. I call them the A Team:
Event styling and coordination: Dynamic Events, David Caruso, Kim Caruso, Kara Kempka
Catering: Lee John’s
Tents: Canopies
Furniture: CORT
Linens: BBJ Linen
Bartending: Bartenders on The Go
Hair: Studio 890
Florals: Impressions by Esther
Lighting & Sound: Majic Enterprises
Cake: Brookfield Wedding Cakes
Guitarist: Joe Wray
Pianist and Soloist: Mark Thierfelder and Janet O’Mahony
Band: Larry King Orchestra
Cookies: Julie Thorsen
Pashminas: Fashion Unic
Bride’s dress: Romona Keveza from Belle Vie Bridal, Chicago
Bridesmaid dress: J. Crew
Bride’s sash: Vera Wang
Bride’s shoes: Jimmy Choo
Bride’s earrings: Ippolita
Bride’s hairpiece: Leah C. Couture Millinery, New York
Bride’s veil: The Dress Doctor, Chicago
Groom/groomsmen suits: Studio Suits
