Jesse & Ben in Chicago, IL

The Bride Jesse Swakow, 26, director of teacher leadership development at Teach For America The Groom Ben Ilhardt, 26, associate at Houlihan Lokey The Date September 22 “We share a modern aesthetic and a love of clean lines when it comes to decor, but also enjoy spending time outdoors and wanted to pay homage to the beauty of the “Northwoods” where we got engaged. This led us to our modern but rustic theme. We also wanted to capture the uniqueness of Chicago, the city we call home and have come to love, so we featured local vendors like Black Dog Gelato instead of wedding cake. At the end of the night, so many of our guests came up to us and said, “This wedding was just so you.” It was truly the perfect celebration of our love for one another,” says Jesse.