1. Real Weddings

Alison & Kameron: A Modern Wedding in Glencoe, IL

A winning bid brought this couple together. Alison was on the auction block as part of a charity date event, and fellow MBA student Kameron cast the t

A winning bid brought this couple together. Alison was on the auction block as part of a charity date event, and fellow MBA student Kameron cast the top bid. After the pair hit it off on their first date, it became clear that Kameron and Alison had won more than a single night out... The Bride Alison Coleman, consulting manager The Groom Kameron Rezai, principal at a management company The Date September 13 A few years after meeting, the couple went on a vacation to Pie de la Cuesta, Mexico. Kameron took Alison to a private balcony to look at the view from the hotel. When they walked in to see a table set up with champagne, Alison thought they’d wandered into someone else’s romantic evening. After Kameron dropped down onto one knee, though, she realized the surprise was meant for her. After Kameron proposed, the couple started planning a modern wedding at the Chicago Botanic Garden.

To give guests an inside look at their relationship, Alison and Kameron named each table after a country they’d visited together and included a story about the trip with the table number.
Orange and green menus (designed and printed by the bride) were tucked into satin green napkins, and tinted green glasses further played up the color scheme.
Alison opted for a simple but modern hand-tied bouquet of white phalaenopsis orchids.
Lime green stripes, a brown polka-dot pattern, and a large fondant bow decorated the four-tiered cake. A flowing bouquet of green and white orchids topped it off.
A lobster and grapefruit timbale with avocado, micro greens, chive oil, and a grapefruit reduction started off the extravagant three-course meal.
Alison designed and printed the green and brown programs, which included a blend of their names in Farsi to represent the groom’s Persian heritage.
Towering arrangements of orchids and twigs played up the venue’s modern vibe. Alison printed each guest’s name and table number on simple cards.
The couple shared their first dance to “The Luckiest,” by Ben Folds. After taking six private dance lessons, they were comfortable moving together in unchoreographed spins and dips.
Bouquets of green cymbidium orchids added a punch of color to the chocolate-brown bridesmaid dresses. The groomsmen coordinated with tan and chocolate-brown Armani ties.
Alison and Kameron’s ceremony blended Persian and American traditions, like the Persian Sofreh Aghd (wedding spread). The display, which faced the couple during the ceremony, featured Kameron’s parents’ wedding mirror and candelabras as well as sugar, honey, decorated eggs, nuts, and a book of poetry. The items represented sweetness, beauty, and good fortune in life.
Vases filled with green dendrobium orchids and willow branches brought a touch of the outdoors into the space.