WEDDING IDEAS

Julie and Chris exchanged personalized vows at Promontory Point, with Lake Michigan serving as a backdrop. The altar was decorated with bamboo pots filled with orchids, curly willow, and leafy greens.

The cake was decorated with a white fondant design to match the bride’s gown and was accented with green and purple orchids. Each layer alternated hazelnut cake with white chocolate mousse and dark chocolate mousse fillings.

The couple multitasked with their flowers: The wheatgrass and orchid arrangements that bordered the aisle during the ceremony were used as centerpieces at the reception.

After the ceremony, the couple’s friends and family moved to Uncommon Ground Cafe, where the reception unfolded in three rooms: A band played in one room, dinner and drinks were served in the middle room, and a third room was used initially for dining and then later transitioned into a dance floor.

Julie & Chris in Chicago, IL

Photos By: Gerber and Scarpelli, Chicago

Location: Uncommon Ground Cafe, Chicago

They say “break a leg” for good luck, but for Julie and Chris, it was a broken ankle that proved auspicious. Julie was working as an X-ray tech in an orthopedic clinic when Chris fractured his ankle snowboarding. Julie x-rayed his injury, and the two continued to see each other at the office as Chris came to follow-ups after surgery -- then, on his last visit, Chris asked Julie out.

The Bride Julie Caddick, 36, healthcare executive
The Groom Christopher (Chris) Kaufield, 35, sales manager
The Date September 29

The two began dating, and four years later when they were on a backpacking trip through Europe, Chris was looking for the perfect place to propose. He picked a summit in the Tyrolean Alps in Austria, where the ambience was unforgettable. They spent a few moments on top of the mountain, and “just as we were leaving, he got down on his knee and proposed amongst the goat poop,” Julie says. The two wed in an outdoor ceremony 18 months later beside Lake Michigan.

-- Miles Stiverson