For our bonus blog today, we’re heading to my city of Chicago so this one hit home for me. Things were changing so rapidly from day to day here for the first 3 weeks of March that no one quite knew what to do or expect. It was a rollercoaster to say the least. And I’m sure it was the same way all over the country.
Amy and Kyle had planned a big wedding at the end of March as had to switch gears very quickly when it became apparent that they wouldn’t be able to make that happen. They got married right before the stay at home order when into effect and were still able to say I do at their church as originally planned.
Be sure to scroll down not only for the photos, but the Q&A from the couple and some amazing words of advice for any of the couples out there going through this!
Photography & Videography : Windy City Productions
Ceremony : Holy Name Cathedral
How did you meet?
Kyle & I were set up on a blind date thorough my sister-in-law and brother. I (Amy) grew up in the small town of Sterling, Illinois. Later in life Kyle (from Frankfort, IN) was in his college internship for hospitality (Texas) and met a mutual friend from Sterling, IL. Kyle met my sister-in-law and brother for the first time at this mutual friends wedding. Later Kyle moved from Texas to Chicago and re-met my sister-in-law and brother who thought/insisted we meet. They helped to set us up on our first/blind date at The Kennison in Lincoln Park (Chicago, IL).
Tell us about the wedding plans and the challenges you faced while dealing with everything going on!
We got married right before the “stay at home order” was put into place on March 21st, 2020 at 5:00 PM in Chicago. We had originally planned for a 300 person wedding on March 28, 2020 in Chicago, IL. Due to all the changing conditions with COVID-19/Coronavirus Pandemic we had to re-focus on what we really wanted which was to get married, becoming Mr. & Mrs. Ruch. We were married with just a small group of 10 people.
Our biggest challenges were the week prior to March 21, 2020. Due to the spread/COVID-19 Pandemic the Chicago/Illinois laws were consistently changing (i.e. amount of people allowed to gather, venues that were open, etc). Every day throughout this week felt like a “roller coaster” as each day brought a new regulation.
How did you decide on the location?
Getting married in the Church was a number one priority for me from the beginning. Kyle was very respectful of this and helped to keep this at the forefront of all of this!
How did you keep everyone informed about the change of plans?
With everything changing so quickly we determined the most efficient way to update our guests was through our App “Appy Couple.” We had just 10 people at our ceremony – us, our parents, Matron of Honor, Best Man, priest. Luckily our photographer and videographer also agreed to be at our day. Therefore we were able to truly enjoy our moment and they helped to capture it to share with our families and guests later!
What was your favorite part of the day and why?
Saying “I do” at the altar and simply just having the moment to be able to do this was so special. In addition our families surprised us and put together a one of a kind reception when just the priest, siblings and parents gathered back at my sisters house in Elmhurst, Illinois. They had all of our favorite foods ordered (Dominoes)/made, one of my sisters baked us a wedding cake, and a sweet heart table. Truly we couldn’t have ever dreamed of this day being anymore special!
Do you have any advice for other couples trying to plan their wedding and navigate this crazy time?
Although we did not plan for our wedding to go as it did it really helped us to see what the true meaning of a wedding is. We feel fortunate that we were challenged this way as our day (although it was not as planned) turned out perfect! Now, we can not imagine it any other way. Due to this we have decided that we do not want to “re-do” or celebrate our reception at a later date as we feel we could never replicate how special our wedding was!
Our advice would be to remember why you are getting married. We hoped for so many special and small details to be a part of our day. However, when this was changing day-by-day we quickly recognized that the only thing that mattered was getting married. Additionally we had so much support from our all of our guests and families that were so genuinely so happy for us!
