Vintage Aston Martin at Morton Arboretum

Today we are excited to be sharing Priscilla & Kevin’s gorgeous wedding at Morton Arboretum. The day was filled with love, laughter, tears and LOTS of stunning images captured by King & Opal. Priscilla and Kevin took some time to answer questions for us on this post today which will hopefully give you a little incite into their planning process and favorite wedding day memories. Enjoy and save this post for all of the wedding image inspiration!

Tell us a little about your love story / proposal story:

Kevin and I met at the restaurant I was working at in 2019. We had difficulty coordinating our first date, but Kevin was persistent despite my completely opposite schedule. We hit it off after a 4 hour date at a small wine bar in the city, but that was just the beginning of all our adventures in 2019. The year after was very difficult for me (and the world of course) as I was furloughed from work for sometime. Despite the pandemic, our relationship flourished and Kevin proposed the week before Christmas. He wanted to end the year on a positive note, so we went to dinner with friends in the city. We all agreed to go to Maggie Daley park after dinner to get pictures by the tree, but when we arrived, it was closed. Determined now more than ever, Kevin and our friends searched for the perfect angle to get some holiday pictures snapped, and they ended up finding a gate that was left unlocked. We all walked in (broke in?) and right when I thought our friends were about to take a nice holiday picture of us, Kevin got down on one knee and proposed. It was secluded, romantic, and the perfect end to 2020.

How long were you planning your wedding? Did you have the assistance of a planner or did you tackle the planning yourself?

We were very naive about how the pandemic would affect every decision in the wedding planning process. I think we went "back to the drawing board" about a dozen times. We did not have a planner, and so the original plan was to see what dates and covid restrictions were in place at a multitude of venues. As a Chicago city resident all of my life, I truly envisioned getting married there. However, after discussing all our options with family, we were most excited that the Morton Arboretum had the first of October available and it was a partial outdoor setting, where our guests could feel comfortable around others. Kevin grew up in the western suburbs going to the arboretum regularly, so it felt like the perfect choice.

What was your most favorite memory/moment from the wedding day?

Our most memorable memory was our first look. During such a chaotic day, it felt as if time stood still and all the nerves were gone. It was a dream come true.

That classic car was amazing! Was it yours or did you rent it for the photos?

It was a vintage DB5 Aston Martin from the early 1960s. Kevin's close friend is a car fanatic (along with Kevin), and he was kind enough to bring it to the Arboretum early for photos. It is an iconic car that was prominent in James Bond 007 Goldfinger movie.

What were the details in your ceremony that helped make it all your own?

We had live music played during the ceremony. We felt that live music was necessary for us because of how much we love live music and going to concerts, listening to albums, etc. We had thrown around the idea of a quartet, which although very elegant and romantic during ceremonies, it felt forced to us. While at brunch one weekend together, we listened to a gentleman named Justin Apuli perform at the restaurant we were dining at. We loved the thought of just one person playing the acoustic version of our songs, and he ended up being a major highlight that many of our guests brought up afterwards.

Another memorable detail was that I managed to incorporate all 6 nieces and nephews into my wedding party. They mean so much to me and now Kevin, that I could not imagine it any other way!

OMG your puppy! Tell us about your puppy and how you were able to incorporate her in the wedding?

Sandy is our pup, and she unfortunately was not allowed at the Arboretum for the wedding. We both wished she could be there, but we understood why they have a strict policy against animals at the venue. Kevin was able to send a jpeg to a company that makes signs for his company regularly, and they were able to produce a cut-out of Sandy for the reception. She was in our photos with all of our friends and family, and in hindsight now it is just incredible looking back at them because it feels as if she was there all along!

What was your vision for your wedding (as you were planning)? Do you think you were successful in capturing your vision?

The vision was difficult to coordinate. Kevin and I had to be a little open minded given all the restrictions we were running into. Given our short turn-around time, it was ideal that the Arboretum had an in house catering program. I was assured that the food and beverage program at the Arboretum was exceptional by my now mother-in-law, Jan, who has attended events there in the past. After all, the food is very important, and to have everything done in house further simplified narrowing down our selections.

As far as the photography went, I had to draw some inspo from instagram. We sought out quotes from some larger wedding photography companies, but a lot of the samples we saw felt stiff and posed. When we came across the King and Opal account on Instagram, we just knew that this was the one. Mariah happened to be available as well so it all came together very organically.

There was no shortage of recommendations for DJs that were sent our way, but I made it a point to ask for videography of their work, to see if it was in line with the vibe we were trying to create.

Wedding Pro’s:
Photography: King & Opal
Barbershop: Oak & Steel
Hotel: Le Méridien
Wedding Venue: Morton Arboretum
Florist: Phillips Flowers
Hair & Makeup: Daniela Kosta
Bridal Gown: Aisle Chic
Bridesmaids Dresses: Bill Levkoff
Cake: The Cakery