Forever Foodies

An old friend of Matthew and Tabitha’s introduced the couple after having an inclination the pair might be a good match.

Turns out, the friend was right. Six months into the relationship, Matthew had his own inclinations about a future with Tabitha.

“It was kind of interesting,” says Matthew, an owner of Cork Catering & Special Events. “The more time I spent away from her, the more I wanted to be with her. I knew I had something I had to hold on to and take very seriously.”

In September 2009, Matthew took Tabitha on a surprise vacation in West Palm Beach, Fla., where they rented an apartment in a high rise. During the vacation, he sent Tabitha out of the apartment for a “spa day.” While she was gone, he decorated the room with rose petals and set a romantic scene.

“She came into the room and there were flowers, roses, chocolates and candles,” Matthew says. “She didn’t know what hit her.” It was there Matthew asked Tabitha to be his wife. Although Tabitha definitely was caught by surprise, she didn’t hesitate to say “yes.”

Delicate blooms, romantic candlelight, and magnificent architectural views helped set a spectacular scene for Matthew and Tabitha’s ceremony.

The couple exchanged vows in the Chicago Cultural Center’s GAR Hall, which overlooks Millennium Park. Using alluring white colors throughout their décor provided an amorous feel to the space. “It’s a gorgeous room,” Matthew says. “It’s very ornate.”

Wearing a stunning strapless gown and her hair swept back, Tabitha carried an arrangement of green calla lilies, beautifully contrasting with her bridesmaids’ white bouquets. Floating white candles glowed in Lucite boxes lining the aisle, completing the polished ambiance.

“As far as the ceremony, we wanted a very elegant, white wedding,” the groom says. “When it came to the party, we wanted it to be more swanky.”

Following a cocktail hour in the rotunda beneath a breathtaking Tiffany glass dome, the newlyweds’ reception took place upstairs, which featured more stained glass and mosaic detail. Using touches of green and black, the couple was careful not to take away from the unique elements in the room.

“Since the room is green, we went with black and green as the main colors for the reception,” Matthew says. “We wanted the focus to be on the room.”

Equally important to the couple was the reception food. Stations featuring Matthew and Tabitha’s favorite cuisines gave guests a fun opportunity to eat and mingle. Among the stations available were a French station, Asian station, raw bar station and, celebrating the newlyweds’ love of Chicago Mexican food—a Latin station. There, Cork Catering’s head chef made specialties such as bacon-wrapped dates, tacos and fresh guacamole and chips, which were served all night long.

“We didn’t want to do a plated meal,” Matthew explains. “We found that it was just so stuffy. It took too much time.”

The couple’s gluten-free cake included delectable flavors of vanilla, chocolate, butter cream and fresh strawberries and bananas.

Although Matthew and Tabitha hired a 10-piece band for the reception, the evening’s entertainment also featured a surprise performance by a famous guest. Jim Peterik, a family friend of Matthew’s, and member of the band “Survivor” sang “Eye of the Tiger,” which he co-wrote.

Peterik’s brief show, arranged beforehand with the band, came as a complete surprise to Matthew and Tabitha.

“It was kind of cool to get [to see] a rock star perform live in the middle of the wedding,” Matthew says.

Instead of traditional favors, a photo booth at the reception allowed guests to go home with souvenir pics of themselves with Matthew and Tabitha’s wedding date at the bottom.