REAL WEDDING | Blush and Sage Romantic Chicago Wedding | JM Fager Photography | Pretty Pear Bride

REAL WEDDING | Blush and Sage Romantic Chicago Wedding | JM Fager Photography

Today’s wedding is full of spiritual and personal touches that I love.  The groom and bride meet in church so it’s so fitting that they would want their wedding at the parish that they meet at as well as ensure that both their cultures, Anglican and Filipino, were represented. 

Karen & Zachary

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Vendor Love – Photography: JM Fager PhotographyVenue: Cornerstone Oak Park Anglican ChurchBridal Attire: Wardrobe by DulcineaGroom and Groomsmen Attire:  Tie Bar | Hair Stylist and Makeup Artist: Kelly Carr of  addwigs Caterer: Kirk Swaby of MLV Kitchen |

Tell us about your wedding: Our wedding was held in Chicago, IL, at a nearby church called Cornerstone Oak Park. Our pictures were taken at a park nearby. Cornerstone has been a significant place for both Zach and I, since we met through the church when Zach started working there, and we still are part of the parish. We wanted all the parts of our wedding to be meaningful and thoughtful, and we put a lot of thought into the ceremony, which was a mix of a traditional Anglican ceremony and a Filipino ceremony. With my mom’s help, we made all of the decorations and favors by hand, and designed and printed all the menus, thank you cards, and programs as well. My mom also made the veil we used, and lent us the cord she used at her wedding for the Filipino veil and cord ceremony. So many elements, from the cake to the flowers to the music, were gifts from loved ones and helped make the day so, so meaningful and special. It was truly a joyful celebration. Wedding Colors: Blush and Sage How did the two of you meet? We met through the church. Zach started working for Cornerstone while I was a part of it in college. We started dating the day I graduated college! Describe your engagement: Over the course of two weekends, Zach took me on a scavenger hunt, taking me to significant places in our relationship. It started at the reception hall of a mutual friend’s wedding, where we first began seeing each other as more than friends, to the neighborhood we wanted to live in after getting married (we live there now!), and finally to the place we had our first date. When we got to the park where we had sat for hours and talked during our first date, he got down on one knee and proposed! A dear friend did a quick engagement photoshoot at a nearby conservatory, then we spent a few minutes praying in a nearby church, before heading home where my family and our closest friends were waiting to celebrate our engagement with us! Personal or handmade details: My dress was custom made, and we handmade all the decorations and wedding favors over the course of the engagement.  Describe your flowers: Pink roses and baby’s breath Memories and Stories about the Day: One memory that I will treasure for a long time to come is when two of my cousins who had flown in from California surprised us by doing a Hawaiian hula dance to Love and Honesty. It was such a sweet moment, and a perfect example of our friends and family offering us their unique talents and gifts to celebrate our marriage with us. The thing that we would have done differently is? I would have packed all my things for the hotel earlier! In the craziness of all the other things that had to get done the day before, I didn’t have a chance to have all my stuff prepared for the hotel that night. It all turned out fine in the end, but it would have been nice to save myself the stress of having forgotten a pair of pajamas to sleep in the night before my wedding! Your advice for other plus size brides: Do you! So many people pressure me to have my dress look a certain way because I am a curvier bride. Don’t let the pressure get to you, and (especially with your dress), wear what you love, not what other people will think is “flattering.”  Three adjectives that describe the day: Authentic, warm, joyful What has surprised you most during the first few months of marriage? How much fun it is to live with my best friend. Its been such a gift to be able to go to sleep and wake up next to my best friend. No matter what happens, at the end of the day, I come home to Zach, and I hope that I never forget what a gift that is. I was so surprised at how much fun to learn each other and build a home and a family together, since I heard many people say the opposite.

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Shafonne Myers is a certified wedding and event planner who longed for bridal inspiration that looked like her. She has created a website and magazine that brings bridal inspiration to plus size brides. She does speaking engagements educating the world about plus size brides and self confidence.
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