1. Real Weddings

Tracie & Paul: A Winter Wedding in Schaumburg, IL

A business trip definitely paid off when Tracie flew from her Chicago office to Miami to coordinate an event. On the cruise ship where the event took

A business trip definitely paid off when Tracie flew from her Chicago office to Miami to coordinate an event. On the cruise ship where the event took place was where she met Paul, who worked for the same firm but in Florida. “From the very first day, he was a huge help to me!” she remembers. Paul’s good nature made an impression on Tracie, and when she was soon offered a job in the Miami division, knowing Paul was there, she jumped on the opportunity. By the time her transfer actually went through, the two had already become good friends via email. The Bride Tracie Mitchel, graduate student The Groom Paul Embi, accountant The Date December 31 Paul later proposed to Tracie at home. “It was sweet and simple, just between the two of us,” she remembers. He’d actually considered more elaborate plans, but when he found out Tracie’s parents would soon be visiting he popped the question so they’d all be able to celebrate together. Tracie soon began planning their Illinois wedding -- with lots of help from TheKnot.com. “I was online so much, I became good friends with several women I met on the Chicago message board,” Tracie says. “They came to my wedding and we’re still in touch today!”

Tracie walked down the aisle in silver sling-back heels adorned with crystals from Nina.
Feathers were incorporated throughout the attire and decor to enhance the retro look of the celebration. While her bridesmaids' bouquets had feather collars, Tracie carried a cascading bouquet of white phalaenopsis and green cymbidium orchids.
Swaths of gold satin fabric lined the aisle, which was lit with hurricane lamps still in place from the Christmas holiday. “Because it was dark outside during our ceremony, the candlelight set off things beautifully,” Tracie says. And as luck would have it, the two Christmas trees decorating the altar were done in ivory and gold, a perfect match for the couple’s color scheme.
Tracie and Paul chose a pale palette of ivory, white, champagne, and gold not only to enhance the dark colors of their reception space and avoid a Christmas feel, but also because ivory and white seemed fitting because of the fresh start -- not only to their marriage, but also to the New Year. Just prior to midnight, servers circled the ballroom handing out champagne for a toast, and guests donned party hats to ring in the New Year.
For the ceremony, Tracie wore a cathedral-length veil scattered with rhinestones, and used custom-designed rhinestone hairpins to pull her hair back on either side.
Tracie’s three bridesmaids wore black, full-length, mermaid-style satin gowns with a sweep train and reverse halter that evoked Old Hollywood glamour. The After Six dresses also featured ruching and a rhinestone brooch at the bust. “The style was perfect for our vintage theme,” Tracie says. The bridesmaids also accessorized with custom-made black, faux fur jackets that the bride had made for them -- she wore one in white.
Tracie and Paul cut a four-tiered carrot cake iced in cream cheese frosting. In addition to their monogram, the cake was also decorated with a vintage bride and groom cake topper –- the cake topper groom wore an ivory jacket just like Paul’s!
The cocktail hour featured a menu with drinks that were “old, new, borrowed, and blue.” The blue “Peppermintini” was the biggest hit of the night.
“The printed material was very important in setting up the feel for the day,” Tracie says. The couple chose an Art Deco-inspired font for the invitations and programs.
The Escort Cards
“My vintage engagement ring, circa 1928, set the tone for the wedding. We included a wide array of looks and details that ranged from the 1920s to the 1950s,” Tracie explains. Framed photos of family members and weddings past (including one of the bride as a flower girl at age four!) enhanced the vintage theme of the celebration. For the gift table, Paul created a card box from a vintage suitcase which the couple decorated with French travel stickers.