A Romantic Garden Wedding at Cantigny Golf in Wheaton, Illinois

Marissa Griffin (26 and a high school teacher) and Ryan Griffin (29 and an internal wholesaler) had a romantic garden wedding that brought blush pinks and romantic hues to the reception site at Cantigny Golf in Wheaton, Illinois. While the reception was held at the club, the ceremony site was located at the Rose Garden at Cantigny Park. This was particularly personal for Marissa and Ryan because it was the exact place where he proposed 10 months earlier. "One of my favorite memories so far in my life was when it started pouring rain again during his proposal. Both completely drenched, we ran back to our car in the rain to celebrate! I felt like the luckiest woman in the world," says Marissa. Alongside roses, hydrangeas and peonies in each floral arrangement, every place setting was adorned with a beautifully scripted menu card detailing the evening's cuisine. As a special touch, guests were gifted at the table with a personalized box of goodies. "We asked them to tell us what their favorite bite-sized candy is on their invite return. For each guest, we made a small candy box filled with their favorite candy, which were waiting for them at their dining tables at the reception," says Marissa. Even after the full meal of chicken vesuvio, baked tilapia or margherita pasta, guests still enjoyed the Angus mini-burgers that were served as the late-night snack before going home for the night. A piece of advice from the bride: "Do not let anything get in the way of taking in every moment and enjoying one of the only times you will have all of your friends and family in one room at the same time," says Marissa.