Lisa + Tom : August Wedding at Ruffled Feathers

Lisa and Tom’s August wedding at Ruffled Feathers Golf Club : A note from the couple – “Our venue was the first thing we needed to secure after getting engaged. Lisa, being a teacher, wanted a summer wedding. This gave us a limited timeline since our engagement was in late August. Tom also has a huge extended family, so we would be inviting at least 250 people. We also knew we wanted an indoor ceremony and everything to occur at the same location. Tom’s sister, Kelli, had gotten married at Ruffled Feathers three years ago. Her wedding was beautiful, and the venue seemed to check all the boxes that we needed. When they told us they had an opening on August 9th, everything else kind of fell into place.”

This sunny day was exactly what the couple wished for. All in one place, we had ample time for photos and found shade when needed under the trees lining the golf course. The backlit ceremony space created a lovely glow and the blue bridesmaid dresses were a perfect contrast with the red and green florals.

The Wedding Creative Team:

Venue : Ruffled Feathers

Florist : Naperville Florist

DJ/Band : Non-Stop Entertainment

Hair/Makeup : Patty McGuire

Cake : Orland Park Bakery

Shoes : Stuart Weitzman

Dress : Bijou Bridal – Casablanca

Suit : Formally Modern Tuxedo

Congratulations friends!

A little about Lisa & Tom:

• Q. When did you meet? Where?
  A. We both grew up in Naperville, attended the same elementary school, middle school and high school. However, our four year age difference prevented us from ever knowing each other. We first officially met in summer 2015. We were both were out with their respective friends at a bar. After meeting, we spent the entire night, talking laughing and enjoying drinks together. However, the romantic aspect of our relationship did not occur immediately. We remained good friends for about a year and then decided to finally make things official.
• Q. When did you get engaged? Where? How did the proposal happen?
  A. Lisa is a bit of a control freak and had already designed the engagement ring of her dreams. She then decided that her 32nd birthday would be the perfect occasion for me to pop the question. I had already planned a romantic birthday dinner in West Loop. Before leaving, I got down on one knee and asked Lisa to spend the rest of her life with me. Lisa, of course, said “Yes!” The rest of the night was filled with excitement, celebration and alcohol.
• Q. How did you start your wedding planning process? Through referrals, planner, own research, etc.?
  A. Both of us were really overwhelmed with wedding planning. Luckily, we had plenty of friends who had just gone through the same process. Our venue and many other vendors were largely based on referrals. Once the venue was official and we had a specific date, the rest of our timeline was set in motion. We did research on the side as well, google and yelp reviews were extremely helpful as a deciding factor.
• Q. What was the most important aspect for you two when planning your wedding?
  A. When planning, we tried to think about what our guests would enjoy. We wanted a fun night that everyone would remember. We definitely succeeded, our family and friends all had an amazing time! We were so happy that all our hard work came together.
• Q. What was your favorite thing about your wedding day?
  A. It was so amazing for us to see all our hard work and planning come together. We could not have asked for a smoother wedding day. Every single person we worked with was so professional, kind and accommodating. It definitely was a relief once the ceremony and pictures were over so we could finally let loose and have fun with our friends.
• Q. What were the first dance songs? (Newlyweds & Parents)
  A. Bride and Groom – Our Song (Ellie Goulding)
  Father/Daughter – Somewhere Only We Know (Keane)
  Mother/Son – Remember Me Young (Thomas Rhett)
• Q. Where did you (or plan to) go for your honeymoon?
  A. With the school year starting, we did not have time to take our honeymoon right after the wedding. Instead we compromised on a minimoon to California. We spent four days in San Diego and four in San Francisco. It was so much fun to get some quality couple time right after the wedding. Next summer, we are trying to plan a trip to Italy for our official honeymoon.
• Q. Can you give any advice for future couples planning a wedding?
  A. As stressful as the wedding planning process can be, try and enjoy it. It’s super overwhelming making all these huge decisions, but it’s also exciting. When you finally see everything come together, it’s really rewarding. Trust that people know what they are doing and will do their best to make your day perfect.
• Q. How did you hear about/find your photographer (ME!) Elizabeth Greve Photography?
  A. We were referred by Tom’s sister, Kelli. She had a good friend who used Liz several years back. We met with a few different photographers (all referrals), but we definitely felt the most comfortable with Liz. She was easy to communicate with and also listened to all of our questions and concerns. Plus, all of her photos looked amazing!