October 28, 2023 | Photography by Kristina Lorraine Photography
Garrett and Natalie met through mutual friends, and initially that’s all they were — friends. “We realized there was an undeniable connection and started dating shortly after,” Natalie explains. In December of 2022, Garrett planned an elaborate private dinner in one of the Maxwell Mansion’s dining igloos and got down on one knee to ask Natalie to marry him. She quickly said yes.
The couple immediately began planning an “elegant, romantic, timeless-yet-slightly-modern-black-tie affair.” When it came to choosing the venue, “we realized that it only felt right to get married at the same place where we both said, ‘I love you’ for the first time — my family’s summer home located in the South Shore Club,” Natalie explains. Blue Peak Tents from Batavia, Illinois, built a temporary glass structure on the lawn with an elevated dance floor, a clear ceiling covered in twinkle lights and a separate-yet- attached kitchen large enough for the talented catering team from Lake Geneva’s Celebrations on Wells to execute the evening’s menu of freshly shucked oysters, a sushi bar, melt-in- your-mouth A-5 Japanese Kobe beef, prime-cut Wagyu filets and even giant lobster tails.
The wedding cake by Walworth’s Julie Michelle Cakes and the elaborate florals from Fontana’s Frontier Flowers enhanced the elegant and timeless theme. After dinner, guests danced under the stars to the sounds of Indigo, a 14-piece band, and enjoyed a “magical and over-the-top fireworks display.” Looking back on the day, Natalie says she could not imagine planning their wedding without wedding planner Kelli Kunes of Simply Detailed Wedding: “We truly wish we could do it all over again!”
THE DETAILS
VENUE: Bride’s parents’ home
RENTALS: Blue Peak Tents of Batavia, Illinois; Bartique; Yunker Industries
EVENT PLANNER: Kelli Kunes, Simply Detailed Wedding
VIDEOGRAPHER: C. Meredith Wertz of Films Nouveau
ENGAGEMENT RING: Fontana Jewelers
WEDDING RINGS: Browning & Sons Jewelers, Hinsdale, Illinois
BRIDEʼS GOWN: Bella Bianca, Chicago
BRIDEʼS SHOES: Jimmy Choo
BRIDEʼS ACCESSORIES: Veil by Bella Bianca and jewelry by Alan Rocca, Hinsdale, Illinois
BRIDESMAIDS’ GOWNS: Jenny Yoo, Bella Bridesmaids, Chicago
GROOMʼS & GROOMSMENʼS FORMALWEAR: NL Suits Milwaukee
HAIR & MAKEUP: Jillian Doherty-Niemann, Make Up by Jillian
FLORAL: Frontier Flowers
INVITATIONS AND STATIONERY: Kara Gordon of Magnificent Milestones
CATERING & MENU: Celebrations on Wells
CAKE & SWEETS: Julie Michelle Cakes
ENTERTAINMENT: Indigo, Arlen Music Productions
TRANSPORTATION: Jones Transportation
