It started with Hockey

Phil and Jill got to know each other while watching their children play hockey. Although they didn’t start dating immediately, they easily became pals.

“I thought he was so much fun,” Jill says. “He was a blast. He was just a riot and a half. It was so much fun hanging out with him and the other parents. He’s spontaneous and he’s crazy.”

For their first date, the couple, who have six children between them ages 12 to 21, met for lunch at a Barrington restaurant. Since they were already friends, there weren’t any of those first date jitters, Jill says.

“It just kind of made that transition really easy,” she says. “I already knew so much about him. It wasn’t that awkward first date of getting to know each other. We already knew each other’s likes and dislikes.”

They had been dating for about five years when Phil took Jill to Lake Geneva. There, the two decided to go horseback riding. During the ride, which included Phil, Jill and a guide, Phil took out a ring and proposed. But before Jill could answer, the guide rode ahead to give the couple more privacy. This made Jill’s horse suddenly bolt; the animal didn’t stop until they reached the barn.

“We got to the barn and I jumped off and said, ‘I will! I will!’” Jill recalls with a chuckle. “It was so funny. He tells everyone I ran away from him when he asked me to marry him.”

Phil and Jill originally planned their winter wonderland wedding as a July summer celebration. During the wedding plans, Jill’s father was diagnosed with cancer. Suddenly more important than the wedding date was making sure her father could be there for the big day. The couple’s ceremony and reception site, Cantigny in Wheaton, was extremely accommodating, the bride says, allowing her to change the date as much as she needed. Phil and Jill settled on a November wedding date, but sadly, Jill’s dad passed away in September 2009. They decided during Christmas to marry in February, and took just five weeks to plan their wedding.

“We got a nice big snow before the wedding,” the bride says. “The ground was white. The trees were covered in ice. It was perfect.”

Large windows in both the ceremony and reception spaces provided the perfect backdrop and gave guests amazing views of the snow.

“All we saw out the window were the trees covered in snow and ice crystals,” Jill says. “It was so breathtakingly beautiful.”

Jill’s gown, which she describes as her “dream dress” was an elegant St. Pucchi design she’d seen in a magazine three years before. Phil saved the magazine page for Jill, and after much searching, she found one of the last ones. It had been used in Europe for a runway show, and was shipped to Belle Vie Bridal Couture in Chicago for another show. Jill had the gown specially tailored to fit her, and had a veil made from some of its appliqués.

Jill and Phil remembered Jill’s father during the ceremony, as well as Phil’s mom, who also died of cancer. As a tribute to their parents, a string quartet played “Wild Horses” by the Rolling Stones.

“We had a prayer and I just couldn’t stop crying,” Jill says. “I felt his spirit so I knew he was there.”

The reception featured natural detail such as curly willow branches, as well as romantic touches that included votive candles and glowing lanterns with tea lights. Jill’s decorator also gave the room a warm, intimate feel with white and off-white swags of custom drapery and custom lighting.

“It was wonderful,” the bride says. “The room was filled with so much love and support. It was a long journey before we got married and here were all the people who were there for us.”

Guests dined on an exquisite meal that included beef and tilapia dishes. For dessert, the couple’s wedding cake boasted a layer of strawberry flavor, along with a layer of decadent chocolate mousse.

Additional Info

As their first dance song, Phil and Jill chose Hoobastanks’s “The Reason.” Rather than jet setting for their honeymoon, the newlyweds kept plans simple, relaxing for a week in downtown Chicago.

Something Old
A family heirloom ruby and diamond ring that belonged to the groom’s mother

Something New
A handkerchief

Something Borrowed
Jill wore her mother’s pearl necklace and a friend’s bracelet

Something Blue
The bracelet, which featured sapphires

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