A Simple, Sophisticated Wedding at Silver Lakes Country Club in Orland Park, Illinois

Carly (30 and an office assistant) and Steve (29 and a sheet metal worker) grew up in neighboring towns in Illinois and eventually met through mutual friends. "He started to hang out at my friend's house in high school and was always known as the 'quiet guy.' I remember we were all at a friend's house, and he said a few words to me, and I ran back to my group of girlfriends and said, 'The quiet guy spoke to me!'" Carly recounts. When Steve was invited to join another season of softball with her friends, he said he wouldn't play unless they could convince Carly to come to the games. Sure enough, it worked! Eight years later, they got engaged. Carly and Steve had joked that getting married on a holiday was too cliche, so Steve knew she would never expect his New Year's proposal. As their family and friends started counting down, Steve seemed concerned and asked if Carly saw what their puppy, Zoey, had been chewing on. He led her into the bedroom under the guise of looking for the puppy, and when Carly turned around, he was down on one knee with their family cheering and taking pictures from the hall. Not wanting to get married in a traditional banquet hall, Carly and Steve decided on Silver Lakes Country Club in Orland Park, Illinois. "This was the only place that made us feel at ease and more like ourselves," they say. Carly carried a bouquet of white calla lilies, white and blush peonies, white hydrangeas, and leafy greens with a picture of her grandparents tied around the base. The five-tier wedding cake was an exact replica of one Carly found on Pinterest with the addition of her grandparents' cake topper. Carly advises, "It is important to remember to just let things be, and that it is ok if things do not go as planned. Whatever your budget may be, try to do and have what you want, as long as it is within reason."