Annnnnnnnnd it's happening. My friends are starting to get married. It's officially "Wave 1" of the ladies who are becoming engaged and married. A sorority sister of mine got married this past weekend. Let me tell you, probably one of the pretties couples I've ever seen (and nicest). What a treat to share their day with them, seriously, it was a very heartwarming night that I was happy I was included in. Morton Arboretum was the location of the ceremony and the reception, in Lisle, Illinois. By a stroke of luck, we were fortunate with 80 degree temperatures in October. Rainy sleet wind with a side of 50 degree temperatures the weekend before (super glad that I didn't choose to have my housewarming party that weekend as originally intended) changed to a sunny end of August-ish day with sun and not too much wind.
While sitting and waiting for my friend to say "I do," I was reminded of a science project that I did growing up, my partner's name was Diana, which involved studying different varieties of trees (and put them in an album with the sticky background and the clear covers that went over it) by visiting this preserve that was on Dempster Street in Evanston on the way to the place that I used to take Jazz classes at (Gus Giordano). It was a pretty worthless project, but nonetheless, I looked down to the left of my chair placed on the lawn, to see that the tree and bush type next to me were labeled. Kind of a cool thing to have a wedding in a unique venue that prides itself on preserving nature. It certainly looked like that, since the greens and gardens outside for the ceremony were absolutely pristine and stunning. One thing I learned by visiting the site, was How Plants are Named (it's kind of interesting actually. Almost like how humans are named. I wonder if there will ever be a plant named Michelle.....)
The grounds of the Arboretum contained a club house of sorts where events are hosted. Doug and I agreed that it looked very Frank Lloyd Wright era. Very modern and streamline. Minus the mosquito bites that cover my calves, the ceremony was gorgeous outdoors. We were happy to get inside afterward and especially use the restroom in the indoor ballroom. And it was, in fact, a large room. I am thinking that there were at least 250 to 275 friends and family in attendance. Quite a good amount!
To explain my entry title of choice, the food was surprisingly delicious. I kind of have a strange phobia, so I'm discovering, when it comes to seafood or poultry at weddings. I don't know what it is, but unless I know the caterer, I'm rarely happy with what I order. In this instance, I chose the vegetarian meal. A fine choice. The couscous was to die for, which was topped with multiple grilled veggies such as eggplant and portobello mushrooms. All the other dishes (Sea Bass, and Steak) were pretty tasty, according to my friends. Doug had a steak and said it was relatively under control for a wedding despite the fact that it's hard to make everyone happy with a steak at a wedding I feel (some like it well done, some like it medium rare, etc). It was a pretty fun night overall, and the space worked nicely for the larger group of people. The dance floor was adjacent to the dining area as opposed to in the center of it, which seemed to be the only possible configuration considering how many family and friends were there. Plus, the dance floor was right by the restrooms and the bar(s) so that worked out best for everyone involved.
Depending on your location, it's certainly a gorgeous venue for a reception of any sort. Just make sure you have nice weather to enjoy the grounds and make sure that you follow the instructions in the bathroom stalls to "flush the dial upwards for Number 1 to conserve water" (I swear this is true!).
Cheers,
Mish
Wedding Location: Morton Arboretum
Dress: Caspian Blue Silk Taffeta Strapless
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