“The story we always tell about our first time meeting is that Moira spilled Lauren’s beer and then took all of Lauren’s cash to play music on the jukebox,” the couple reveals about their first time crossing paths. As their relationship grew, Lauren planned a proposal with the help of a few friends at Moira’s parents’ house on New Year’s Eve. It was to Moira’s great surprise as she walked into her bedroom and Lauren proposed in the space decorated with photos of them, candles, and rose petals. Of course, she said yes. 

With the help of their family and Michelle Durpetti of Michelle Durpetti Events, the couple arranged their stunning soirée in just a year. “If you can afford it, get yourself a good wedding planner,” confirms Lauren. “A lot of times we hear people talk about the stress of wedding planning, but we never felt very much stress.” 

Wanting to capture the feeling of a destination wedding without leaving the city of Chicago, Lauren and Moira knew exactly what they envisioned for their nuptials. With a garden-inspired theme incorporating a summer-chic dress code, the couple invited 240 loved ones to witness their “I dos” in a restaurant space filled with natural light and adorned with lush greenery and vanilla blooms. 

Once friends and family took their seats for the 11AM ceremony, both brides walked down two different aisles with their fathers, joined their co-ed bridal party at the spot for the vow exchange, and then walked up a center aisle together after they were officially married. 

“We love to do a lot of things outside of the box and wanted to keep our guests guessing.”

To carry the garden theme into the cocktail hour, live garden statues were added to the rooftop venue, which features lush verdure and lively plants that fully captured the theme of the beautiful fête. While friends and family enjoyed the cocktail hour, Moira and Lauren shared a private first dance, which they cite as one of their favorite moments of the day. 

At 1PM, the brunch-style reception began, with guests being served breakfast staples like eggs, bacon, sausage, potatoes, and waffles as well as some lunch options including beef tenderloin and risotto. “The brunch theme definitely screamed us because we host brunches at our house all the time and love the social aspect of brunch,” shares Moira. 

Décor showcased suspended chandeliers adorned with greenery and centerpieces featuring succulents, ivory florals, and wooden accents to continue the garden theme. Since they didn’t do a traditional cake cutting, the pair had their wedding cake pre-cut, with slices placed in to-go boxes for guests to take as they left, along with a can of white wine. “We love to do a lot of things outside of the box and wanted to keep our guests guessing,” Moira notes of their décor, theme, and entertainment choices. 

Though the reception of the brunch wedding ended at 4PM, the fun wasn’t over yet. Moira and Lauren also planned an after-party for the night and celebrated with a hangover-recovery party the following morning. “Our wedding was perfect in our minds, but if we had to change one thing, it would have been adding an extra hour onto our after-party,” confirms Lauren.