October is a big month for Ted and me. In 2006 we had our first date on October 13 (it was actually Friday the 13th which it turned out to be very lucky for us).  And last year on October 31 (see what we did with the numbers there?) we got married on a rainy Halloween night. So this makes this October not only our one year wedding anniversary, but also our ten year anniversary as a couple. It’s a huge milestone that Ted and I have chosen to celebrate all month long. 

In honor of this I wanted to write a few posts about our wedding day. I find myself wanting to reminisce about the day and share my favorite parts. So I apologize in advance but I am going to take you all on wedding day memory lane with me. 

The Wilder Mansion

We got married at my childhood church and held the reception at the beautiful Wilder Mansion. Its a beautiful old home, that fit the unique feel we were looking for in a venue. And I think its one of the best wedding venues in the Chicago land area.

The minute Ted and I walked into the space we looked at each other with wide eyes and knew we’d found the right space. It’s filled with beautiful antique chandeliers, crown molding, marble fireplaces, a winding staircase, gorgeous wood floor. Its timeless and elegant, just look at this space! 

When I was imagining my wedding at the Wilder I kept envisioning a scene like the one from Pride & Prejudice. Were Elizabeth Bennet walks into the ball at Netherfield Park and has a really romantic dance with Mr. Darcy. Meanwhile her family runs around the house making fools of themselves and having the time of their lives. I wanted a night kinda of like that…but without the couple fight.

Everything about the Wilder Mansion is vintage, it started out as the private home of a wealthy family and in its history the building served many purposes, my favorite being a public library ! Eventually it was bought by the Elmhurst Park District and turned into a place where people celebrate life’s happiest events. In short it was perfect and facilitated the warm, intimate Fall wedding that Ted and I wanted to host for our family and friends. The most unique feature was that we got to rent the entire home. Dancing, drinks, and events happened downstairs, while we had dinner upstairs. It really felt like a large house party, and Ted and I were the hosts. 

Our theme mixed our love of history, tradition, and the Fall season. My favorite details in the Wilder Mansion were its gorgeous marble fireplaces . We used them to display photos of Ted and me, but we also included pictures of each our parents and grandparents on their wedding day. The photos gave the house a personal touch that made the place feel like home, at least this is what I like to think 🙂 Can you tell that I really want this place to be my real house? Because I do.

I hope you like the photos. The one above is one of my favorites and includes my two favorite women on earth — my beloved mother and Babcia! 

I have to make sure that I give credit to my fabulous wedding photographer Erin Hoyt who took all the photos for my wedding. If you need a photographer for any event — look no further than her. She is amazing!  Check out her website here as well as her blog post on our wedding day ! 

Alright I have to head back to reality and leave memory lane for now. More wedding inspired posts to come later this month – stay tuned !