After a lot of thoughtful planning done by Sarah and her then-fiance, Matthew, last March, Sarah walked down the aisle looking stunning in her timeless gown. We are so glad that she entrusted us to alter it for her. To find out more about their big day, we asked Sarah to tell us about her story and experience planning their dream Chicago wedding. We know you will love her recommendations for the best spots and vendors in the city. They are great whether you are planning a wedding or not!

Before the wedding – tell us a little bit of your love story?

My husband’s name is Matthew, and we met through mutual friends in summer 2014. We were immediately inseparable, and I knew he was “the one” very early on! We moved in together in 2016 in Bucktown, and shortly after, we adopted a puppy Joanie together! We loved exploring the city, trying new restaurants, and traveling! Before we got married, we had attended more than 30 weddings together, so we’re pretty much expert wedding guests and were always the first on the dance floor! 

What was the proposal like?

Because I had always wanted the engagement ring to be a surprise, we didn’t go ring shopping or anything together, so I had no hints as to when a proposal was coming! In early December 2017, my best friend Becca was in town – we had a whole weekend planned of activities together! That Saturday, we spent the day at the dog park, bar hopping around Wicker Park, playing games at Tapster, and eating dinner at Small Cheval. We then went back to our condo where we were hosting a party with all of our college friends. Before guests were scheduled to arrive, Becca asked if we could go on the roof of our condo building to take a picture. I got up to the roof and was immediately stunned – there was a path of lights and candles leading to the corner of our rooftop (with skyline views!) where Matt was standing with the ring and a bottle of champagne! I was so shocked and surprised! He got down on one knee, I of course said “yes!”, and then we went back down to our condo where our families and friends were waiting to celebrate with us! It was such a fun and memorable night! 

Tell us a bit about your wedding! Venue, vibe, favorite detail. 

Because Matt and I had been to so many weddings, we had a pretty good idea of what we wanted! We knew that we wanted to get married in Chicago (since it’s the city where we fell in love!). 

At the time, we had celebrated three anniversaries at our favorite restaurant in the city, Untitled Supper Club. We loved the cozy, yet energetic, atmosphere, and we were so excited when they said they also hosted weddings! Untitled is a 1920s speakeasy, so it’s the perfect winter wedding venue. We had been to so many summer and fall weddings, and wanted to do something different outside of the typical wedding season, so we booked March 2nd, 2019 as our date. 

We wanted to fully embrace a party atmosphere, so we hosted pre-ceremony cocktails at Renaissance Chicago to set the tone for the evening, and then everything flowed perfectly into the rest of the night! 

We also were so excited to accessorize for a glamourous, winter wedding; I wore a pink fur shawl, Matt wore a custom Velvet tux, and we had a dramatic color palette full of deep reds, gold, and black! Our florist, Life in Bloom made the most stunning arrangements for the ceremony and reception! 

Music and dancing are such huge parts of our life, so finding the right DJ was one of our highest priorities. We met Jason and immediately clicked! He had everyone on the dance floor literally all night!

What is one moment of your big day that will last with you forever?

In between the ceremony and reception, Matthew and I took nighttime photos downtown. It was SO much fun because we were just married, and any nerves were completely gone! We had a blast with just our photographer, Allie, and videographer, Alex, goofing around and taking the most beautiful photos in our favorite city! In the chaos of the day, it’s so important to find moments alone with your new husband/wife, and truly just enjoy yourselves and celebrate your love! 

What do you wish someone had told you when you first started planning the wedding?

Be flexible! I’m a planner by nature, so it was sometimes hard for me to go with the flow and to not get disappointed when issues came up. Changes are inevitable, and at some point, you have to just let whatever happens, happen! 

What were your absolute "must haves" when it came to the wedding?

Weddings can be extremely expensive, so we tried our best to use our budget to support small + local vendors throughout the wedding process (rather than big name/national brands!). For example, GBD cakes made our wedding cake, Pun Dulce Studio designed our invites, Goddess Baker catered our breakfast + lunch, we got ready at a stunning Airbnb rather than a hotel, our favors were made by local candle maker, Eugenie and Wells, and of course, dress alterations at Ette Tailor! 

Tell us about your gown! 

I actually went gown shopping in the city shortly after getting engaged. During that first trip, I fell in love with a beautiful A-line, satin gown that made me feel like a princess. Fast forward a year, and I had my first fitting at Ette. After I put the dress on, I knew that something didn’t feel quite right. Two months before the big day, I ended up purchasing a new, more simple + timeless dress from BHLDN.com (risky!). I tried it on, and immediately felt at ease because I felt like myself. If I could go back in time, I would tell myself to slow down and not feel the pressure to choose a “the” gown right away – you hear so many stories of people finding their dream dress early on in their search, so it can be easy to feel rushed! Because the engagement period is usually more than a year, styles and personal preferences change, too, so it’s okay to take your time! Luckily Ette was beyond accommodating to the dress swap, and we were able to alter it in time for the wedding!

What was the biggest surprise to you about the gown purchasing and alterations process?

You see so many TV shows and movies where they portray every dress fitting as a grand event where your family and friends are by your side for every second. While I did bring friends to the first fitting at Ette, I actually found myself much more relaxed when I went alone to the next one. Having a quieter environment where Ariana and I could have an uninterrupted conversation about my goals and preferences with the gown alterations was so enjoyable. When too many people are offering their opinions, it can sometimes be overwhelming. At the end of the day, your decision is the only one that matters!

What was your favorite change we made to the gown?

Ette made my dress fit like a glove, while also ensuring that it was still comfortable so that I could eat, dance and enjoy the big day! One of my favorite changes was actually to the hem! As Ariana knows, I must have brought in at least 5 pairs of shoes to try with my dress, and I was so thankful I found “the” shoes right before my last fitting! Because my dress was simple, I wanted my sparkly Jimmy Choo flats to be visible, and Ette made sure that the hem showed off the tips of the shoes perfectly! It was also so fun trying on all of the accessories (jewelry, veil, hair options) with Ariana and getting her professional opinion on it all!

How did you tame your wedding nerves?

I loved splurging on beauty treatments, like facials by Ana Ibarra, massages at Cowshed, and mani/pedis by Chamin Chicago! I tried to have a “spa outing” to myself at least once a month to relax!

Any other tips for future brides?

I truly didn’t realize how close we would get with all of the vendors and individuals helping us prepare for our big day. When you think about every moment during the wedding planning process, the people you surround yourself with leading up to the wedding truly have a lasting impact, so you want to be selective with your partners/vendors and make sure they share the same values! Everyone from my photographer, to my beauty squad, florist, wedding dress team, calligrapher, and even Etsy creators, were such a positive influence! It was so much fun collaborating with a variety of people, and the relationships you make during the planning process are lasting! I met so many talented, creative and supportive people, and am still friends with many of them over a year later! Social media has been so helpful for staying in touch and continuing to cheer on one another!

Now that you’re a newlywed, any advice for the transition from Ms. To Mrs.? 

The wedding planning process can of course be stressful and all-consuming, especially at the end! Once the big day arrives, it is truly so rewarding to see your vision come to life and to be surrounded by the people you love the most. Once the wedding and honeymoon are over, it can be tough to transition back to “normal” life; but with the person you love by your side, there is always another adventure ahead to focus on!