T A N Y A L A + A N T A E U S
A chance meeting at an ‘ugly sweater’ party and then a game of cat and mouse were the catalysts for Tanyala and Antaeus to spend the rest of their lives together. Their wedding was a lavish affair with a black tie theme and ten bridesmaids and groomsmen apiece.
F R O M T H E B R I D E
How we met…
It was the most wonderful time of the year! Antaeus drove over six hours from Jefferson City to attend his twin brother’s ugly sweater holiday party. When he arrived, his brother and friends insisted he meet me (I was on my way). We engaged in small talk when I arrived. He called me “Yolanda” and the whole thing went south. Although he convinced me to take a picture with him, he wasn’t lucky enough to leave the party with my phone number. But, he didn’t give up. It still remains a mystery today how Antaeus got my number. After two weeks of pursuing me via voice messages, I finally answered his call. The calls led to visits. The visits between Chicago and Jefferson City went on every weekend for two months until Antaeus realized that home was where his heart was….Chicago.
We knew it was love…
We knew it was love after three months of travelling back and forth between Chicago and Jefferson City every single weekend. Antaeus decided to move back to Chicago and the rest was history.
The engagement…
One Saturday morning in September, Antaeus convinced me to take a stroll on the lake to watch the sunrise. As we sat quietly on the grass sipping coffee, the sweet sounds of a harp filled the air….just as Antaeus had planned. As the sun began to rise and the harpist played our favourite song, Antaeus knelt (on both knees) and asked for my hand in marriage. I said yes!!!
T H E W E D D I N G
Our dream wedding…
We knew exactly what we wanted: a timeless, black and white, black tie wedding. A wedding that we could look back on years from now and still gush with pride over.
Our photographer…
David Wittig and Catalina Ayubi from Beale & Wittig Photography (now Studio This Is). We love EVERYTHING about our wedding photos!!! Every single picture was amazing. Our photographers really captured every ounce of love and emotion that filled the room on our wedding day.
Our pre-wedding celebrations…
Bachelor Party was held in Las Vegas and the Bachelorette Party was in Miami. My Bridal Shower was at the Little Goat Restaurant in Chicago and our Rehearsal Dinner was at HUB 51 Chicago.
The bridal party…
I had 10 bridesmaids and one Man-of-Honour, made up of of sisters and friends. Antaeus had 10 groomsmen and one Best Man (his dad) consisting of brothers, fraternity brothers and friends. The bridesmaids wore black Karen Dress by Watters and the groomsmen wore black Calvin Klein Shawl Lapel Tuxedo.
The groom wore…
Antaeus wore a black Charles Tyrwhitt Shawl Lapel Tuxedo.
The gown…
My gown was a lace and guipure mermaid dress. The bodice had a sweetheart neckline and lace appliqués on a sheer overlay. Sheer back decorated with lace appliqués that covered the dress. It was designer by Pronovias Carezza. I wanted a timeless look with a touch of sex appeal.
Our soundtrack…
Bridal Party Ceremony Entrance – Whatever, Whenever, Wherever by Maxwell
Bride’s Ceremony Entrance – The One He Kept for Me by Maurette Brown Clark
First Dance – Lovesong performed by American Idol Candice Glover
Reception – Live Band by TVK Orchestra
M A R R I E D L I F E
Our honeymoon…
Greece – Santorini, Athens and Italy – Rome, Venice, Florence.
Our future plans…
We hope to start a family and continue travelling the world.
In 40 years we hope to…
Still exploring the world and spending time with our grandchildren.
The styling…
Ivory roses and hydrangeas for centrepieces. Charcoal silver bichon linen, silver satin napkins, clear chaivari chairs, silver beaded glass charger plates and tea light candles.
W O R D S O F W I S D O M
On enjoying the…
Engagement
Take time to be in the moment. Continue to date each other. You’ll have to sometimes step away from all the stressful planning, hustle and bustle of family, friends and other well-wishers and just enjoy each other.
Planning
If you aren’t naturally organised or very, very good at planning…..HIRE A COORDINATOR! I’m an executive assistant by trade and I pride myself on being pretty good at event planning. Although I planned my entire wedding without a coordinator, I did hire a “day of” coordinator to deal with all the details and minor glitches on my special day. I wouldn’t recommend any bride to go without a coordinator on her big day.
Wedding Day
Again, hire a “day of” coordinator! Also, keep in mind that there will always be little glitches. But, on that day, just take one big breath and let the small stuff go. It’s extremely difficult not to stress on that day because glitches do happen. But, remembering to stay focused on what’s really important will help a nervous bride to stay calm.
Reception and Ceremony Hotel Radisson Aqua Blu Chicago / Cake and bakery sweets Alliance Bakery / Photographers David Wittig and Catalina Ayuba / Videographers Amor in Motion / Band TVK Orchestra / Flowers Steve’s Flower Market / Décor Shaadi Creations / Makeup Lena Clark MUA / Hair Nadling Pollard / Day-of Coordinator Erin Daubert: Dotted Events / Photobooth Shutterbox Entertainment / Transportation Signature Transportation / DJ DJ MikeP / Food Truck Big Star / Dress Pronovias Carezza / Dress Alterations The Alterationist / Groom’s Tuxedo Charles Tyrwhitt / Groom’s Alterations Gentleman’s Cooperative
