Betsy & Jamie

Betsy and Jamie had the perfect weather for the perfect day! We met them at the Cheney Mansion in Oak Park, where Betsy got dressed. The grounds were in full bloom, all the cherry trees were a perfect pink. From there we went off to St Luke's Church in River Forest for the ceremony. There was a surprise bag piper to lead the bride and groom from the church and into the beautiful evening. The reception was held at the Butterfield Country Club, where the room was transformed into a spring garden, filled with tulips and flowering trees. We were so happy to be able to work with some of our favorite vendors, including Ken and Mike from Poetic Productions, Heather and Katherine from Greatest Expectations, and Natalie Walsh from Hello Darling.
 

Thanks to all the great vendors for making the day go smoothly! Click here to check out their slideshow!

Sarah & Dan

Sarah and Dan had an incredibly fun and sunny wedding last Saturday.  Sarah got ready at the Sutton Place hotel before she met her groom for their ceremony at Old St. Pat's Church.  After saying their vows, we walked around the city to take some photos of the newlyweds and their wedding party.  To celebrate, Sarah and Dan had a party at Gibson's Steakhouse to serve their guests some of the best beef in Chicago!  At the end of the night the sparks were flying when the guests light sparklers for the couple's exit.

Check out their slideshow here - you'll love it!

Love the Love: Chicago Style Unveiled

      

Chicago Style Unveiled, a fantastic wedding blog, has featured one of our fall weddings! Laura and Daniel were a pleasure to work w ith, and we are excited to see Chicago Style Unveiled spreading the love!

Click here to see the full spread

Oksana and Kevin

Kevin and Oksana just came into town from Florida, and it seems like they brought the warm weather with them! It was literally the perfect day to do the session on, if not a little windy. We actually worked with the wind (something you need to learn to do when living and shooting in the Windy City) and treated it like an industrial fan used for film productions.

We can't wait to see them again for their wedding in October!

Wendy & Tim

Sticking with their Irish roots, Wendy and Tim got married on the Saturday closest to St. Patrick's day. The couple made a pit stop on the way to the ceremony: they went to have a pint at the Kerry Piper where Tim proposed. Wendy and Tim got married at Carriage Greens Country Club, where a bagpipe band played and streams of whiskey were flowing! See it happen in action here!

Wish Upon A Wedding

Last night Kurt, Nick, Belen, Lizz and Maggie attended an event to kick off the Chicago Chapter of Wish Upon A Wedding. Wish Upon A Wedding is the only wedding wish granting organization which connects people who have cancer with wedding vendors willing to donate their services to give them an amazing wedding on a very short timeline. 

Gerber + Scarpelli is happy to be donating our services to this worthy, worthy cause. We'll be working with Beth and Nick on the Chicago Chapter's first event! 

Beth and Nick first crossed paths over ten years ago, at a small party just outside Chicago. It was Beth who first noticed Nick and looked on with admiration as he came to the defense of a fellow partygoer, who had unwittingly become the brunt of a practical joke. She thought he must be a compassionate person to so quickly defend someone else and after they struck up a conversation that night, Nick asked Beth out on a date.

Despite a memorable first date that ended (quite literally) in fireworks, Beth and Nick spent the next few years dating only casually. Their relationship was always a special one and the two were committed friends, but it wasn’t until they saw each other through some hard times that they realized they were meant to spend their lives together. Beth and Nick talked in the abstract about one day getting married, even going as far as to pick out an engagement ring together, but there was no sense of urgency.

In December 2009 Beth, who is the manager of a 9-1-1 call center for a local police department, began having unusual symptoms that ultimately led to her diagnosis of urachal adenocarcinoma. A few short weeks later, as she was about to undergo surgery to remove part of her bladder, her navel and several lymph nodes, Nick quietly returned to the jewelry store they had visited together and purchased the engagement ring. That evening, Nick proposed.

Beth and Nick understand each other on a fundamental level, and they share an inspiring sense of humor. They have each been a constant support system for the other, while coping through Beth’s diagnosis and subsequent treatments. Beth says that, “Nick is there, even if just to hold my hand, rub my back, or suggest foods that fit into a liquid diet.”

When Beth’s Aunt heard about Wish Upon A Wedding through one of their board members, she passed along the information to Beth and encouraged her to apply. Next month, Beth and Nick will finally say “I do” and are most excited about spending a positive and uplifting day with their friends and family. Beth emphasized that, “We want to put all illness out of our minds for this day, and share our joy and our love of LIFE with those who love us.”

Wish Upon a Wedding is proud to grant Beth and Nick their wish of a very special wedding, which will take place in Chicago on April 18, 2010.

And here's a great film featuring the couple from the great video team over at I Do Films:

Beth & Nick from I Do Films on Vimeo.

Many thanks to our Wish Upon a Wedding Wish Granters, who are donating their services and products to make this wedding wish come true for Beth and Nick. Without you it wouldn’t happen; thank you so much from all of us! So far, the list includes:

Renny, Bliss Weddings Consultant

Bill Pollack, Bill Pollack Music, Inc.

Jane Skarosi, Bridal Mansion of Lisle

Amy Blumen, Event Design

Lillian Toma, Starlight Makeup

Anita Vaughn, Officiant

Kurt Gerber, Gerber + Scarpelli

Carol Woldhuis, CWdesigns, Stationer

Deirdre Sheahan, Chicago Trolley, Transportation

Vicki, Giovan’s Restaurant, Venue & Food

Lori Roche, I Do Films, LLC, Videographer

Again, we're so excited to be on this project with so many wonderful vendors. It's great to be able to use our talents to help give such an amazing couple the wedding of their dreams. If you'd like to find out more information, or make a donation to Wish Upon a Wedding visit their website here:

http://wishuponawedding.org/

A big thanks to them for letting us be a part of this extremely rewarding event.

Colleen & Eric

Colleen and Eric got married in February, bearing the winter weather like true Midwesterners would!

They had their ceremony at St. Ray's Cathedral in Joliet. The bridesmaids' beautiful dark fuchsia looked amazing with the dark woodwork and details in the church.

Not to mention that Colleen and Eric looked great as well! They were absolutely glowing; you can see the happiness within them and expressed on their bridal party's faces!

It was so exciting to find out that we were going to make a stop at Harley Davidson! Eric drives a Harley, so it was only appropriate.

Their reception took place at the Arrowhead Golf Club in Wheaton. It was a classy, elegant affair. An added bonus was the bagpipe player!

Thanks a lot, Colleen and Eric. It was a blast burning rubber with you! Check out their slideshow - road burn excluded...