WEDDING IDEAS

Mona wore open-toed champagne-hued shoes by Grace that were embellished with crystal flowers.

The groom and guys wore boutonnieres of white calla lilies accented with baby’s breath.

Though pink was the main hue for the day, Mona and Chris also incorporated green and brown hues to play up the vineyard setting. Mona’s sister-in-law designed the invitations using gold-toned brown paper. They added light-green envelopes and a gold wax seal with their monogram (another thematic element found throughout the wedding).

“We chose to have all of our family be part of the wedding by having them stand with us,” Mona says. Chris’ three sisters and Mona’s sister-in-lawstood on her side, while Mona’s and Chris’ brothers stood on his side.

A Spanish guitarist played for both the ceremony and cocktail hour, a nod to Mona’s work as a Spanish teacher. And the signature drinks? “Wine, of course!” Mona says.

Mona and Chris celebrated with their guests in the vineyard’s barrel room, where barrels of wine, strung with lights for the reception, lined the walls. Candlelight and pink rose petals added to the intimate ambience. The tables were named for significant places and times in Mona and Chris’ relationship -- from their prom to the proposal.

A Carmel baby-greens salad was followed by an intermezzo of lime margarita sorbet. The main course was a pomegranate molasses-marinated filet of beef.

Mona and Chris shared their first dance to “Let’s Stay Together” by Al Green.

Mona and Chris cut a three-tier square cake covered in white fondant with pink bows wrapped around each tier and a “K” cake topper. The middle tier was white cake with white chocolate filling, while the other two were chocolate cake with espresso filling.

Mona & Chris in Carmel, CA

Photos By: Nathaniel Edmunds Photography
Location: Julien Wine Estate, Carmel

Mona and Chris were first friends in high school. “My mom claims that the smartest thing Chris did was win me over through my mother,” Mona remembers. He and a friend often stopped by Mona’s place looking for her, and when she wasn’t home, they wound up chatting with her mom. In the middle of a hot and humid Chicago summer, Chris finally asked Mona out.

The Bride Mona Yaqub, 26, high school Spanish teacher
The Groom Christopher Kolososki, 26, financial advisor
The Date September 30

A few years later, Mona was still living and teaching in Chicago, and Chris was in Grand Rapids, Michigan, though the two remained a couple. A few days after one particular Valentine’s Day, Chris surprised Mona in her classroom with a proposal, and then whisked her away on a weekend trip to Ireland to celebrate their engagement.

-- Kate Wood