Kleinfeld Love Stories

Engaged:

Marc and I had been dating for 10 years when he proposed to me.  We met freshman year of college at an incoming student reception hosted by the Purdue Alumni Association.  Interestingly enough, I met Marc’s parents and he met my dad on the same day as we met each other.  We learned we were both living in the same dorm at school and saw each other again on-campus during move-in.  From there, we became fast friends and the rest is history.  Marc proposed to me while we were abroad in London.  Unfortunately, the proposal did not go as planned.  We were supposed to get engaged in Scotland, but our flight from the US kept getting delayed and delayed until they ultimately canceled the flight at 2 a.m. the night we were supposed to leave.  This meant that we were going to have to cancel the part of our trip in Scotland.  Marc was so devastated, and I had never seen him this way.  He is usually a pretty easy-going guy.  Since he overreacted so much, I had a thought that something might be up, but I wasn’t sure.  Anyway, we got on the plane the next afternoon, and made it to London.  After walking around for most of the day, we ended up in Hyde Park.  Marc found a very private place surrounded by only a few people and a lot of gorgeous trees.  He got down on one knee and asked me to marry him.  Of course, I said yes!  It was a beautiful and unforgettable moment.  At this point, I knew for sure why he was so upset our flight was canceled, but I think he chose the perfect moment in Hyde Park to propose to me after all those years.

Kleinfeld Consultant:

In picking out my dress, I did a lot of research prior to starting my search.  I read bridal magazines, browsed online at designer websites, and followed countless Instagram accounts to get ideas.  One thing I knew for sure was my desire to go to Kleinfeld to look at wedding gowns.  After watching Say Yes to the Dress for so many years, I was convinced that I wanted to have the Kleinfeld shopping experience.  I knew I would only be a bride once!  In order to prepare for my shopping experience at Kleinfeld, I did schedule two appointments in local salons around Chicago to begin to narrow my search.  I thought it would make my experience at Kleinfeld more targeted.  It certainly helped.  By the time I got to Kleinfeld, I knew I wanted more of a ballgown silhouette with a very detailed top – something with lace, beading, and a little sparkle.  I also knew I wanted a long train and veil.  After all, I was getting married in a cathedral!  What I wasn’t sure was if I wanted a tulle skirt or satin for the skirt and exactly what designer would be perfect for me.  My consultant, Rachel, listened so well and brought me some options that I quickly liked.  We started with a gown that I had seen and liked in Chicago to give a baseline.  From there, we knew that wouldn’t be the one, and I tried on two more before putting on the one I chose.  My mom, sister, and fiancé’s mom knew the moment I walked out in that Danielle Caprese dress that I had a different confidence about me.  It was perfect, and the more I wore it around the salon, the more I knew I had found my dress.  The dress was a perfect mix of modern and classic with a full satin skirt and train with a beautifully embellished lace bodice that had a right mix of pearl and crystal beading.  The veil Rachel chose for me was cathedral length and the beading truly complemented the dress so well.  I was also so happy to learn that the cost was slightly below my budget, too.  When Rachel asked if I was saying yes to my dress, I emphatically said yes and the entire salon clapped for me…even other brides!  It was an overwhelming moment for me, and I actually shed a few tears.  This is uncharacteristic of me, but I was just so happy.  I was now a Kleinfeld bride!  Coming back to Kleinfeld for my alteration appointments was a wonderful experience as well.  My seamstress, Maria, was fantastic.  She did a great job making sure that everything was perfect for my big day.  If I had to describe my overall look in one word, I would say regal.  That’s exactly how I envisioned I would look on my wedding day, and the Kleinfeld team played a major role in bringing my vision to life.

Married:

Location:

Venue:

Marc and I got married on April 28, 2018 after about a year and seven month engagement and a twelve year relationship by that point.  It was a long time coming for the 186 friends and family who shared with us in our special day!  Our ceremony was at Holy Name Cathedral in the River North neighborhood of Chicago, IL.  This is the Church where Marc and I are parishioners and where we attend Mass every Sunday, making it the perfect place for us to get married.  We hosted our reception at The LondonHouse Chicago hotel following the ceremony.  The LondonHouse ended up being our favorite venue of the places we explored in Chicago, and ironically tied our wedding to our engagement in London.  Similar to my dress, we were going for a look and feel that was both classic and modern.  Our venue aligned well with this vision, but we also incorporated this into the decor, music, and food.  First, we were very thankful to have a Rolls Royce transport Marc and I between the ceremony and reception.  Both Marc’s parents and my parents had a Rolls Royce as part of their weddings, so we were excited to be carrying on this tradition.  Additionally, our flowers provided by Steve’s Flower Market, were very colorful and we used a variety of tall and short centerpieces along with some candle arrangements.  We chose a lively band that had our guests dancing all night called The Spoken Four.  They played a wide variety of music that appealed to both older generations and our younger friends.  We had traditional dinner food like steak, pasta, and salmon, but also had late night walking fish tacos in Frito’s bags and all of the classic homemade Italian cookies you could imagine.  We also mixed in Polish tradition by singing Sto Lat, a song that my family sings at birthdays, weddings, and anniversaries to wish the person or couple 100 years.  It meant a lot to my family to have this tradition included in our reception.  Marc and I approached our wedding as a generational event for our families.  We tried to keep all of our guests in mind in making our decisions, and we were so pleased to hear that our family and friends had an unbelievable time.