Blake and I met in Iowa City so it felt very natural for us to celebrate our love there with our immediate family where it all started. We initially crossed paths at yoga – my mom actually owned the studio at the time so I was a devout goer. Blake started going to my mom’s classes, and she told me that I just had to meet him. I may or may not have adapted my schedule (just a little!) to fit the classes he frequented, and the rest is history. Though we moved to Chicago 3.5 years ago for Blake’s job, Iowa City will always feel like home – it’s where I grew up, where we met and where our relationship blossomed almost 8 years ago.
Blake proposed on April 21, 2023, in Big Sur. It was absolutely magical: we’d just arrived at Ventana and, while out for a walk, discovered a hidden garden overlooking the ocean. Blake proposed at dusk, and we spent a few beautiful days there, followed by a weekend in Napa. A year and a half later, on the 21st Night of September, 2024, we were married. At our wedding dinner, we toasted with Far Niente wine—a perfect choice, as we’d celebrated our engagement at the Far Niente estate. And now, as I write this, we’re about to return there—a little touch of fate, wouldn’t you say?
Both of our parents are deeply rooted in our hometowns, so when it came to our wedding, we felt we had two options: invite everyone or keep it intimate. We chose the latter! We hosted a small ceremony for immediate family only at a picturesque chapel on the river, followed by a dinner party at my father’s restaurant. The entire process felt so true to us and our love—back when we lived in Iowa, we would take nightly walks by this very chapel before cooking dinner, and we’ve shared countless meals at the bar at Joseph’s.
Our ceremony was simple yet deeply meaningful. The chapel was adorned with candles, including a special touch from one of my favorite shops in Chicago, Wilderhouse. They used to carry a candle called The Gathering Table, which we loved, but it’s since been discontinued. Michael, the owner, kindly worked with me to create a custom batch for the ceremony. He even hand-threw the ceramic holders and engraved each with “A Night of Love, 9/21/24.” We had extras made for our guests’ welcome bags, so they could take home the scent of the chapel.
My father walked me down the aisle to Pachelbel’s Canon in D, the same song that accompanied my mom down the aisle. Blake’s mom read the poem On Marriage, which we’ve cherished for years, and our priest delivered a beautiful sermon inspired by it. The priest who guided me through both First Communion and Confirmation officiated our ceremony, and the pianist from my childhood church’s choir played throughout. We wrote our own vows, framing them as letters to each other—there wasn’t a dry eye in the chapel. The whole evening felt profoundly sacred and timeless. For our ceremony, I drew inspiration from the timeless elegance of CBK and JFK Jr.'s secret wedding—candlelit, intimate, and beautifully unforgettable.
For attire, I wore the Khaite Marca dress. I first spotted it before we got engaged or even had wedding plans, and I knew I had to incorporate it somehow. When we decided to host an elevated dinner party, I immediately thought it would be perfect for that night. Tracking it down was quite the process, but eventually, the stars aligned, and I was able to get my hands on it! I paired the dress with ivory Bare sandals and a Dalia bag from The Row. The final touch was a pair of diamond studs that my father gifted my mother years ago and that I’ve admired for ages.I absolutely loved Blake’s looks throughout the weekend, but especially on the day of. He wore a custom Loro Piana suit in dark navy, complemented by chocolate suede loafers from Carmina. He fell in love with the brand during our vacation in Mallorca last September, and it’s easy to see why.
The weather was impeccable (thank goodness), so after dinner, we strolled over to the restaurant for cocktails and hors d'oeuvres al fresco. Our menu featured classic dishes with an elevated flair, including shrimp cocktail, crab cakes, and onion rings to kick things off. After enjoying our cocktails, we moved inside for a leisurely dinner at a long table adorned with candles. I drew initial inspiration from a dinner Armani held in France, and with the help of an amazing team, we transformed the room into the most intimate setting for our Night of Love.
We enjoyed a long, candlelit dinner accompanied by jazz music. To keep speeches meaningful, we asked Blake’s mother to read On Marriage at the chapel, his father to toast at cocktail hour, my father to pray before dinner, and my mom to share a few words before the cake cutting. Blake and I chose to toast with a Chianti we picked up during a class in Chianti last October instead of traditional champagne.
Here's the interesting part: the glasses we used for the toast were from that same festival in Chianti, Italy. During our trip, I mentioned to Blake how special it would be to bring the glasses home. I have a habit of collecting fragile items while traveling—ceramics in Mexico City, Astier de Villatte in Paris, and now wine glasses in Chianti. Even though we were early in our trip, we decided to carry the glasses with us.
After arriving in Porto Ercole, Italy, we were eager for lunch, but most places were closed, except for “A Casa Di Mara.” When we entered, Mara was hosting a family gathering. In my broken Italian, I asked if she was open, and although she wasn’t, she kindly offered to make us lunch. We enjoyed a lovely meal and then spent some time by the sea.
Days later, while having dinner in Rome, we realized we had forgotten the wine glasses. After some tracking, we discovered they were still at Mara’s, four hours away. Blake, resourceful as ever, contacted her via Google Chat, and surprisingly, she responded in Italian, despite not speaking English. Thankfully, I could communicate that if she dropped the glasses off on a train to Rome, we could pick them up at Roma Termini.
She did just that, Blake retrieved the glasses, and we toasted with them on our wedding night—an ode to teamwork, the power of community, and the beauty of unexpected connections.
As for our cake, my dear friend got married in the mountains of Northern Italy this past February, and we had the most delightful Millefoglie. We knew we had to recreate that exact cake for our wedding, not just something similar. It was perfectly nutty, creamy, and crunchy in all the right places. Our dear friends, who are from Italy, connected us with the local baker who made their cake. After some back and forth and translation (thank you, Marco!), our baker was able to obtain their recipe and recreate the cake to perfection. It was truly magical!
Our invites were brought to life by a collaboration between the incredibly talented calligrapher Cheryl Jacobsen and artist Carly of Clementine Studio. It was so special to incorporate our wedding cake!
We went a bit untraditional and since it was immediate family only, kept the invite to one piece of thick ivory card stock. Simple is best! In this photo, the invite is laid with linens that I inherited from my grandmother. Thank you, Mimi!
Our welcome bags were individually painted by Cheryl, so each was a bit different, which I loved. We opted for our favorite treat from a the Bread Garden (I literally batch order these and bring them back to Chicago, my fridge has at least 50 at a time… they are that good), the Wilderhouse candle I mentioned previously as an ode to Chicago, matches, and the weekend’s Need to Knows, also by Cheryl.
Blake and I walked down to the chapel hand in hand early to light the candles together. We opted for this instead of traditional photos or a first look. We lit each candle while our pianist played softly — it was a special experience that I’ll never forget.
Half lit candles & Clair De Lune
The magic of Danforth Chapel, drenched in sunlight before our guests arrived.
I carried a bouquet of freesias by Kennicott Chicago, wrapped in fabric from my wedding dress. They complimented the Khaite Marca in Ivory so nicely.
My love. Blake opted for a navy suit by Loro Piana and chocolate suede loafers by Carmina. He looked dashing!
Stephanie also captured our wedding on film, and the photos turned out so ethereal—exactly the feeling I was hoping for.
Final touches before greeting our guests – Blake’s collar was embroidered with a simple “M&B” for the occasion.
My oldest sister, Lauren, and I. I’m the youngest of three girls—and the first to get married! It was really important to me to personally greet each guest upon arrival and thank them for being there.
My family—my mom actually moved from Iowa City to Palm Beach the week after our wedding, so in a way, our wedding became a bit of a farewell. It was bittersweet, but incredibly special.
Down the aisle with my dad to Pachabel’s Canon in D, just like my mom!
We wrote our own vows and said them aloud, which was such a special experience. Since we often write each other letters, we decided to forgo the traditional format and wrote our vows in letter form instead!
Our entire night was spent with just our immediate family, making it even more special. During the ceremony, we were able to share the traditional Catholic Sign of Peace with each guest, creating such an intimate connection with everyone there.
Our ceremony was filled with both laughter and tears!
Finally. Bliss!
Our cake-cutting table was adorned with vintage silver and pewter pieces, gifted by Blake’s grandparents!
Millefoglie by candlelight—a recipe straight from Torino, Italy.
Cheryl created such beautiful menus, and we chose to personalize each one instead of using note cards—it truly elevated the entire place setting.
Our team at Joseph’s did such a beautiful job adorning the table, it turned out just as I had pictured.
A night of love..
My husband! With an Old Fashioned in hand, made with Blanton’s, just like always.
Blake’s Nani and Papa—together for 65 years and still going strong! She’s from Italy, and they met while growing up on Taylor Street in Chicago’s Little Italy.
We dined at a long, beautifully set table, served by staff my family has known for years—it was wonderfully intimate and special.
Our menu featured classic favorites: spinach salad, Caesar salad, or French onion soup to start; petit filet, steak frites, or salmon for the main course; and sides served family-style. Simple, delicious food—no frills.
We were able to share intimate moments with every guest—and, most importantly, with each other.
Forever sharing our meals.
Cin cin!
That’s amore
Our cake was a hit, more decadent and delicious than we could have ever imagined.
And that’s a wrap! We ended our night with warm chocolate chip cookies for our guests to take home—because a host never lets their guests leave empty-handed.
Your wedding was so beautiful! I hope to have the same intimate experience for mine🤍
Beautifully descriptive 🤍 thank you so much for sharing the details of your special day