OUR WEDDING
Though we are in a better situation in 2021 than we were last year, Illinois and McHenry County are still in Phase 4. Phase 4 limits our ability to have as many guests as we, and you, may like.
We have had to make some painful decisions to get our total attendee count; which includes musicians, photographer, officiant, us, and guests, down to just 50 people. This means we have had to eliminate many friends and co-workers from our guest list. We may also ask that some people do not bring a guest.
I know that this means that many people won't be able to attend and we are sincerely sorry for that but we have no control over the current restrictions. We will be doing a Live Zoom broadcast or Facebook Live so those who wish to watch, have the ability to view the ceremony. We will post those details on this site closer to the wedding.
For those who were sent a Save the Date, please fill out the form toward the bottom of this page to advise if you would actually be able to attend the wedding, if you were to be invited. Because of the strict limit on attendees, we want to get as close of a head count as possible ASAP so we can adjust the invitation list accordingly.
Actual invitations will be sent out in May.
We will also keep you advised with the current mitigation status and safety requirements for our event. As for now, MASKS ARE REQUIRED.
IL Region 9 InfoFor anyone who knows us, the idea of having a German Oktoberfest themed wedding is not surprising, at all. We love going to German Fest and have attended every year since we first met in person. We also attend the Oktoberfest in Union, IL at Checkers II every year. We love watching our Green Bay Packers. We love music, and going to concerts is a favorite activity. Our favorite band is Toto and we have traveled the country to see them live. We’ve met the band many times. We love our fur & feathered babies and spend as much time as we can with them.
I grew up in Des Plaines, Illinois, home of the first McDonalds franchise, and the largest railroad crossroads in America. It is also near O’Hare airport. I guess that’s why I have been in the freight industry since 1987. Thank goodness for freight as it led to me meeting Michelle.
This August, we’ll be celebrating 28 years together. The best way to celebrate is by getting married on the day before.
We both worked for an Air Freight company, AC Express. Michelle worked in the Detroit Corporate office and Heidi worked in the Chicago terminal. Our first conversation consisted of me calling Michelle to point out a billing error she had made on one of my shipments. After a couple years, we became friends. The first time we met in person, Michelle and her friend came to Milwaukee for a weekend to go out with me and my friends.
On the last weekend of July in ’93, Michelle had come to Milwaukee with some friends to spend the weekend at German Fest. The following Monday, I knew I had to see her again. I bought tickets to see her favorite band, Def Leppard. I was able to get some awesome seats a few rows from the stage, right in the center. I called Michelle and she agreed to come back on the 28th for the concert. I remember telling our Chicago sales rep, Terry Brady about her coming back. Yes, Terry will be our Wedding Officiant.
The rumor was that Michelle wasn’t getting married unless she received a nice ring. So, I suggested we go looking for a ring. The second stop was Jared and we found a Vera Wang ring she liked. We went back a week later and ended up getting a different Vera Wang design. We brought it home, were sitting on the couch, and I turned and said that I guessed I should actually ask if she’d marry me. I asked and she said yes.
We set the date for August 15th, 2020. It may surprise many but I am the wedding planner. I bought a wedding planning binder and began the process of booking hotel blocks, booking a band, ordering a tent, confirming the venue, setting up a photographer, and planning our menu. At the IACAC holiday party in 2019, I won 2 free tickets on Alaska Airlines. Our honeymoon planning began.
It was the beginning of March. Everything was set. Invitations were in the envelopes and ready to be dropped at the post office. And then… Covid-19. The calls started coming in at work cancelling all upcoming trade shows. Most of our co-workers were furloughed. Michelle and I went home to work. The invitations were put in a box with the binder. The vendors were notified and the wedding was formally postponed a few months later.
It was January 4th, 2021 when the hope of vaccinations motivated me to start planning for a rescheduled event.
We have had to make some painful decisions to get our total attendee count down to just 50 people. We’ve had to eliminate many friends and co-workers from our guest list. We may also ask that some people do not bring a guest. We’re sorry but we have to follow all safety requirements. We hope you understand.
For those who were sent a Save the Date, please fill out this form to advise if you would actually be able to attend the wedding, if you were sent an invitation. Because of the strict limit on attendees, we want to get as close of a head count as possible ASAP, so we can adjust the invitation list accordingly.
We have established a Room Block Rate with the Holiday Inn in Crystal Lake for folks coming in from out of town in need of a place to stay. So sorry, but our house is full.
14:00h – 15:00
Checkers II
6524 Main Street
Union, IL
(815) 923-2000
15:00h – 21:00
Checkers II
6524 Main Street
Union, IL
(815) 923-2000
Our wedding will be held at Checkers II in Union, IL. Alex and the team at Checkers II host the BEST Oktoberfest, every Friday & Saturday night in September, each year. We attend often and lead the Fliegerlied dance as well as being the loudest singers during Ein Prosit.