black and yellow wedding table |

It was Memorial Day weekend. The sun was shining in Chicago. It was the day I married my best friend. Tom and I got married after years of friendship and more years of dating throughout college and medical school.

I relished every moment of planning our wedding and every second of the actual day. I am happy to be reliving it through HAP wedding month!

Our wedding took place at my home church of St. Paul Lutheran in Mt. Prospect, IL and the reception was held at the Doubletree Hotel in Arlington Heights which I chose for its modern but blank canvas room.

I wore a Tara Keely dropped waist, sweetheart neck gown with sheered lace and silk organza with a simple cathedral length veil.
The bridal bouquet was made up of yellow roses and green orchids while the bridesmaids carried a spring green bouquet filled with hydrangea, spider mums and looped bear grass.

The bridesmaids donned yellow and black chiffon gowns in three different styles while the boys looked red carpet ready in their all black tuxes and spring green ties.

The fan-shaped programs were handmade with the help of my family in a labor of love. Cutting and tying ribbons took some time but it was worth it.

In between the ceremony and the reception, the wedding party stopped at our favorite Italian beef joint, Johnnies. We enjoyed a beef (dry, not juicy) and Italian ice and took some great pictures!

The tables were covered in yellow and black linens and the chairs with black slip covers and yellow sashes with a kimono knot tie.

Tall centerpieces with yellow roses, green hydrangea and spring greens decorated the table along with wine bottles with a personal monogram as table numbers.

Green and black name cards were inserted into cut wine corks, cut by the groom himself. Yes, he really does love me.

We honored all the wonderful marriages in our family’s history by displaying photos on the guest book table.

Tom and I cut into a fresh strawberry and banana cake while the rest of the guests enjoyed yellow and green cupcakes.

We enjoyed the talents of our friends by dancing our first dance to “In the Moment” by Sister Hazel, played and sung by the wedding party and walked in to the stand-up comedy of our great friend Jack.