A Classic Garden Wedding at Rockford Country Club in Rockford, Illinois

After meeting as undergrads at the University of Illinois, Matt Houlihan (27 and a doctor) popped the question to Amy Ancona (27 and a teacher) five years later atop the Chicago Water Tower on Michigan Avenue. "We celebrated with two fabulous engagement parties in one night along with family and friends," Amy says. "It was definitely a special night!" For their outdoor wedding in Rockford, the couple immediately settled on the city's Anderson Japanese Gardens as the backdrop for their special day. "Matt's from Rockford, and the garden just felt like the perfect place to get married," Amy says. Thanks to a neutral color palette of white and ivory with pops of navy blue and gold, the couple created an elegant reception space at the nearby Rockford Country Club with enough space to accommodate each of their 200 guests. "I wasn't very picky with the overall style of our wedding," the bride says. "It was most important to us that we had an amazing party with a DJ (playing all of Matt's favorites), open bar and delicious dinner for our guests." In lieu of traditional favors, Amy and Matt made a donation to the Loyola Bone Marrow Transplant Fund to honor the memory of the bride's late father. "Thinking back on our day, we had a blast celebrating with family and friends," Amy says. "Everything about it was wonderful."