We recently sat down and talked with Liz & Pat, a couple who met just before the Chicago lock down and are now in the midst of planning their wedding at City Hall. Learn more about their journey in love, the challenges that come with planning a wedding mid-pandemic and the silver linings they have found through what has been a crazy year.
Photos by Brian L. Coss
It’s pretty amazing that you met at the beginning of 2020 and are planning a wedding amidst the pandemic. Would you say going through those experiences together changed the course of your relationship in any way?
PAT: We ended up spending more time together than we otherwise would have because we both typically travel for work which was great!
LIZ: To spend that much time solely with one person was a sink or swim situation and we definitely thrived through it. I think we both felt we had found the one before lockdown and having that time together helped validate that feeling.
What made you choose City Hall as your wedding venue?
PAT: we looked at a few other venues and we had one spot where we had already put a date on hold, but City Hall was one more stop we still wanted to make. I always thought that I didn’t want a venue that was only one room, but as soon as we arrived I could just see the day there. I hadn’t felt that way about any of the other venues we looked at.
LIZ: I also thought I wanted transitions from one space to another throughout the day but then Toula talked us through how the day would work at City Hall. It made me realize that having the event all in one room meant we would never miss a moment with our guests which I really loved.
How is planning going?
LIZ: Planning is going great! I joked to my friends the other day “why do people hate doing this? It’s so easy!”. It definitely helps that I work in event planning and that we have a wonderful planner we are working with – Ashley Carpenter from The Simply Elegant Group. She is so awesome and has done previous events at City Hall.
Are there any special things you have planned for the day that you are really excited about?
LIZ: We definitely want to recognize our grandparents who are no longer with us in a big way. Both of our grandmothers had a similar wish for us – to find a love like this.
We’re also having our cake made by my old business partner. He is a phenomenal pastry chef! His name is Anthony Leberto and he owns Brimstone Bakery in New York.
After parties are always a big thing with my family too, so we will definitely be walking next door to Recess after the ceremony for some drinks and late night snacks! We loved the buffalo chicken rolls and the loaded tots.
Do you have any advice for any other couples planning their wedding through this strange year we have had and moving forward?
LIZ: Planning wise, my biggest advice is to be flexible especially when setting a date. We knew we wanted a Saturday so that required us to be flexible on the month.
Honestly, whether there is a pandemic or not, you’re never going to get everything you ever wanted in a wedding. You will have to adjust at some point – that is just the nature of event planning. You just have to remember that it doesn’t mean you’re not going to have a perfect day.
How about advice for other couples out there when it comes to being in a relationship during the pandemic?
PAT: In a relationship there will always be challenges that arise, and COVID has been a big challenge for everyone. However, to have a challenge like that in the early part of a relationship can be a good thing. It gave us more time to focus on each other and take stock of what’s truly important in life.
