Building a Foundation of Love

Alison and Mike met at a baseball game in junior high.

Mike was playing baseball with some of Alison's guy friends one day and Alison attended the game.

"We met after the game and began to talk," Alison says. "We 'dated' in eighth grade for a few months. We kept in touch throughout the following years, even though we never went to school together."

In 2004, Mike and his brother went to a football game at Alison's college.

"Mike and I met up that night, and really, the rest is history," she says. "I knew that we would end up together ever since eighth grade. He was the guy who, over the years, always gave me 'butterflies' and someone I always wanted to be around.

Mike and Alison had been officially dating for five years when they began having a house built for themselves. They stopped by during the construction to see how everything was going.

"He told me to look around the house and see if there were any flaws," Alison says. "We got up to the master bedroom and he had written on a wood beam on the ceiling 'Ali, I love you. Will you marry me?' I saw it and by the time I turned around he was on one knee. I was so shocked that I couldn't get my answer out. Of course I said 'yes.' I wrote my answer on the wood beam and shortly after, they dry walled over it. I love knowing it's part of our house!"

Alison and Mike married in tasteful, elegant simplicity at St. Isidore Parish in Bloomingdale, where they both attend church.

Alison wanted to wear a "form fitting" gown for the occasion, and chose a classic strapless gown that made her mom cry the first time she tried it on.

"I wanted something different—with a 'wow' factor," the bride says of her dress.

Her hair swept up, Alison carried a combination of ivory roses, calla lilies and stephanotis that was similar to a bouquet she'd seen online.

Bridesmaids wore smoky amethyst-colored chiffon dresses with straps that draped over one shoulder.

Alison loved the feeling of turning around during her ceremony and seeing all of her family and friends.

"It was a packed house," she says.

Some brief confusion during the vow exchange gave everyone a good-natured chuckle.

"In the middle of Mike's vows, I was trying to talk to him and he missed hearing his lines from the priest," Alison recalls. "It turned out he didn't hear the fidelity part. The priest got a kick out of that one!"

The nearby Eaglewood Resort and Spa in Itasca provided a choice location for the reception festivities. Alison and Mike loved the venue's helpfulness and flexibility, as well as the room where they would celebrate.

"We saw the room and thought it was gorgeous," Alison says. "We loved that the hotel was connected to the reception site. Loved the golf course. Loved it all!"

A stylish mix of round and square tables adorned with custom linens, flatware and glassware helped set a clean, sharp tone. Centerpieces included purple hydrangeas, ivory roses, lavender roses and white calla lilies in clear glass vases and crystal pendants scalloped around the edge. Cylinder vases featuring orchids submerged in water, with shorter vases boasting purple hydrangeas and floating candles created a dream-like, romantic scene, along with a mix of purple hydrangeas, orchids and ivory roses in square vases.

Custom lighting on the dance floor with the letter "C" and pin spotting on the cake table completed the reception décor.

A dinner of wild mushroom ravioli, organic field green phyllo purse, Absolute Vodka lemon sorbet, filet mignon and Atlantic sea bass was served to guests. For dessert, the couple's vanilla and chocolate cake with Amaretto butter cream and devil's chocolate ganache made for a scrumptious treat.

Guests also were treated to chocolates from Anna Shea as favors.

"We chose those as favors because we have been getting chocolates from there the past couple of years and love how they look," Alison says. "They had paint their chocolates and were willing to incorporate our colors into the chocolates."

For their first dance, Alison and Mike danced to Honey Bee by Blake Shelton, sung live by Standing Room Only Orchestra.

"We thought the day went perfectly," Alison says. "It was better than we could have ever imagined. We received so many compliments about the food, the look of the room and the band. Everyone had so much fun."

Don't worry about every little detail!

If something goes wrong, just go with it!