A Bright, Bold Wedding at Venue One in Chicago, Illinois

Seide Ouch (35 and an events associate) and Tyler Hood (31 and in sales) met while working together at the Chicagoland Chamber of Commerce. “We hit it off during working lunches, which became dinners— and the rest is history,” Seide says. Their wedding theme came from frequent travels to Palm Springs, California, and their favorite hotel, the Parker Palm Springs. Seide and Tyler are both big Jonathan Adler fans, so "we could not have thought of a better theme and style for the wedding,” she says. They worked with a wedding designer to bring their vision to reality: a modern and eclectic celebration with the bold use of colors. “Our ceremony backdrop paid homage to the Parker’s hotel entrance, a custom reproduction of the brick entrance,” she says. Seide walked down the aisle to a string quartet’s version of “All I Want Is You” by U2; the groom walked down to “Today” by Smashing Pumpkins, setting the tone for a contemporary ceremony. As a nod to Seide's Cambodian heritage, she wore a gloriosa lily hairpiece and the couple wore a red string that was tied around their wrists during the ceremony. “The ceremony symbolizes the binding together of the new couple, called the knot tying,” Seide says. After they exchanged vows, guests enjoyed signature cocktails (a white Russian for Tyler, inspired by the Dude from "The Big Lebowski"; a michelada for Seide, her favorite cocktail, made from a mixture of cold light beer, lime juice, hot sauce and a savory ingredient). Dinner included either a steak and salmon combo and a vegetarian option. “Seide and I really liked the mini grilled cheeses and tuna on a chip with soy sauce,” Tyler says. During the reception, guests enjoyed music from a 10-piece band (brass, guitars, drums and multiple singers), playing everything from classic rock to current hits. For favors, Seide made buttons with heart labels and either “#HoodLove2016,” "Tyede" (a combo of Tyler and Seide) or just "Hood." “They were being worn by guests throughout the night,” Tyler says. Always thinking of others, the couple said their biggest concern all weekend was that their guests enjoyed themselves. A good sign that they accomplished that goal was a packed dance floor until the last song. —Chrissy Sorenson