Liz Schrenk 9/8/24 Liz Schrenk 9/8/24

Colleen & Dylan’s Beautiful Makray Memorial Golf Club Wedding

Colleen and Dylan met in their high school Physics class and “were instantly in love.” They attended different colleges and went their separate ways, but before long they got back together and fell right back in love. For Colleen and Dylan, there really never was a question that they were meant to be together. Dylan proposed to Colleen on a boat on Lake Michigan (just like their Senior prom!) and they agreed to spend the rest of their lives together

I loved getting to know Colleen and Dylan and seeing their love and connection firsthand at their engagement session at the Chicago Botanic Garden last Summer. Dylan is so kind and supportive of Colleen, they bring out the best in each other.

Conrad, Lindsay and I were all excited to celebrate Colleen and Dylan, we had a beautiful Summer day for their wedding! After doing some “getting ready” photos at Colleen’s childhood home we made our way to their traditional Catholic ceremony at the beautiful St. Anne’s in Barrington. Once Colleen and Dylan were officially husband and wife they were surprised by his brothers with a gorgeous classic Rolls Royce to travel in style to Makray Memorial Golf Club.

We had lots of fun taking pictures of Colleen and Dylan’s wedding party (and their adorable dog even joined the fun for a few shots!) on the beautiful course at Makray. We always love being at Makray and seeing old friends and making new memories there! During cocktail hour Colleen and Dylan were treated to a pretty rainbow over the terrace as their guests enjoyed drinks and appetizers. We then snuck away during dinner to take some pretty sunset photos before returning for their thoughtful and emotional toasts. It was a perfect day, we were honored to be a part of this celebration!

Congratulations, Colleen and Dylan, we love you and wish you a lifetime of happiness together!

To see all of Colleen and Dylan’s beautiful wedding photos click here

VENDOR DETAILS
PHOTOGRAPHY + VIDEOGRAPHY
Something Blue

VENUE
Makray Memorial Golf Club

FLORIST
Town & Country Gardens

HAIR + MAKEUP
Modern Wave Salon & Spa

DJ
The DJ Firm

WEDDING CAKE
Lovin’ Oven

WEDDING DRESS BOUTIQUE
Volle’s Bridal

WEDDING GOWN
Maggie Sottero

BRIDESMAIDS DRESSES
Jenny Yoo

BRIDAL SHOES
Betsy Johnson

Liz Schrenk 9/7/23 Liz Schrenk 9/7/23

Natalie & Jordan’s Perfect Makray Memorial Golf Club Wedding

Natalie and Jordan met on Hinge in June 2020, just after the world shut down and dating became extra complicated because of Covid. For their first date they got ice cream from the Culver’s drive-thru and ate it together at his house. Natalie fell in love with Jordan when she realized how kind and family-oriented he is. Jordan makes her laugh all the time and feel beautiful at every moment.

Natalie and Jordan got engaged the day before she graduated with her master's degree. After popping the question, Jordan assembled their closest friends and family together to surprise Natalie at a restaurant. His thoughtfulness is just one more reason that Natalie adores him, and their love was on full display at their perfect Makray wedding.

When we arrived at Natalie’s parents’ house to capture the girls “getting ready,” everyone was in great spirits and Natalie was looking amazing. We all cried a little when Natalie saw her Dad for the first time in her wedding dress, his reaction was just the absolute best thing. When we got to Makray and met up with Jordan he was so ready to see his bride, their first look was pretty special too. The whole day was just perfect – from their fun-filled wedding party photos to their emotional vows, each moment was filled with love and joy.

Jordan’s sister is a singer and was an American Idol finalist, she gifted her brother and new sister-in-law with a stunning rendition of an Adele song during their first dance. We all had goosebumps while Grace sang for Natalie and Jordan, she is the real deal. Her voice resonated through that room and set the stage for an unforgettable night celebrating the newlyweds, it was a day we won’t soon forget.

Congratulations, Natalie and Jordan, we love you and wish you a lifetime of happiness together!

To see all of Natalie and Jordan’s beautiful wedding photos, click here

VENDOR DETAILS
PHOTOGRAPHY & VIDEOGRAPHY
Something Blue

DAY-OF COORDINATION
Something Blue

WEDDING FLORIST
Periwinkle Florals

DJ
Sounds Abound

HAIR & MAKEUP
Erika Alexis Beauty

BRIDAL GOWN
Madi Lane

WEDDING CAKE
Lovin’ Oven

WEDDING RINGS
Dalzell Jewelers

BRIDESMAID DRESSES
Azazie

MENSWEAR
Mens Wearhouse

Liz Schrenk 9/4/23 Liz Schrenk 9/4/23

Emily and Nick’s Gorgeous Makray Memorial Wedding

Emily is sort of our dream-bride – she’s gorgeous, which certainly makes our jobs easier, but she’s FUN to be around and made our jobs easy. Emily and Nick have a beautiful connection

Emily is sort of our dream-bride – she’s gorgeous, which certainly makes our jobs easier, but beyond that she’s FUN to be around. Emily and Nick have a beautiful connection, they are naturally so caring and their affection for one another made their wedding day feel so enjoyable for me and Conrad. We knew from when Conrad got to know Emily and Nick at their pretty Winter engagement session in Long Grove that theirs was going to be an unforgettable wedding!

Emily and Nick bonded over video games early in their relationship and we saw glimmers of that early connection during their wedding at Makray Memorial Golf Club – it was pretty epic to hear video game music as the bride walked down the aisle! Emily floated down the aisle on her Dad’s arm – they have a special connection that we loved seeing throughout the day. Her Dad sung “Forever Young” and played guitar during the reception as his “toast,” it was so touching and beautiful. As dinner was served we took Emily and Nick outside on the 18th hole for some “sunset photos,” after practicing their first dance Emily joyfully ran back toward the building to get back to their reception. We love this adventurous and spirited couple and are so thankful to have had the opportunity to be a part of their wedding day!

Congratulations, Emily and Nick, we love you and wish you a lifetime of happiness together!

To see all of Emily and Nick’s beautiful wedding photos, click here

VENDOR DETAILS
PHOTOGRAPHY
Something Blue

VENUE
Makray Memorial Golf Club

FLORIST
Summit Street Blooms

HAIR & MAKEUP
AW Artistry

WEDDING GOWN
Genevieve’s Bridal Couture

DJ
Enchanted Evenings

WEDDING CAKE
Lovin’ Oven

Liz Schrenk 8/19/23 Liz Schrenk 8/19/23

Michele & Garreth’s Storybook Makray Golf Club Wedding

Michele and Garreth’s love story began five years ago. They first connected on Bumble and had their first date in January 2018. On their second date Garreth cooked his special Szechuan chicken for Michele at her apartment, much to the dismay of her 15 year old Yorkie Spike. Spike tolerated Garreth for a short while before pooping on the kitchen floor as he prepared the meal. From that moment a deep friendship was formed, and Michele and Garreth soon began falling in love.

Over the next few months they dated each other exclusively and began to introduce each other to friends and family. They both realized that something special was growing between them. Garreth comforted Michele when Spike sadly passed away, but as they say, when one door closes another one opens, and they adopted a new puppy, Beemer. He was a very young puppy when they brought him home and has proven to be the best dog either of them has ever known. Beemer is now four years old and brings joy to their home every day.

When Conrad first met Michele and Garreth he was struck by how in-love they are. They complement each other perfectly, the affection and friendship that connects them was on full display at their engagement session last Summer. Conrad and I were both so excited to photograph their wedding at Makray Memorial Golf Club – it was an absolutely gorgeous day filled with joy and love. Every detail was perfectly considered, and Michele looked stunning in her beautiful gown from our friends at Vanessa’s. But for all of the beauty of this day the moments that will stick with us were defined by the connection between Michele and Garreth. After her sons walked her down the aisle Garreth and Michele held each other close throughout their ceremony, and they did the same during their reception. Michele had told us “We are so very grateful to have found this kind of love at this point in our lives, The entire day is a blessing and sharing it all with the people we love the most is truly a gift.” We adore these two and are so thankful that we could be a part of this unforgettable day.

Congratulations, Michele and Garreth, we love you and wish you a lifetime of happiness together!

To see all of Michele and Garreth’s beautiful wedding photos, click here

VENDOR DETAILS
PHOTOGRAPHY
Something Blue

VENUE
Makray Memorial Golf Club

FLORIST
Town & Country Gardens

DJ
Amp Event Professionals

WEDDING CAKE
Lovin’ Oven

MAKEUP
Makeup by Mary

WEDDING GOWN
Watters Designs

BRIDAL BOUTIQUE
Vanessa’s

BRIDAL SHOES
Betsey Johnson

BRIDESMAID DRESSES
Bari Jay

Liz Schrenk 11/11/22 Liz Schrenk 11/11/22

Kaylee & Michael’s Beautiful Makray Golf Club Wedding

Kaylee and Michael met at Purdue University during band camp auditions for the All-American Marching Band – by the second home game they were officially together. After dating all during college their first jobs separated them – Kaylee went to Chicago and Michael ended up in Bloomington, Indiana. Kaylee relocated to Bloomington after 1 year of distance and they were finally living together. During the pandemic Kaylee worked for Indiana University from their apartment while Michael was instrumental in the production of the Moderna Covid-19 vaccine.

After nearly nine years together Kaylee and Michael were so excited to finally celebrate their wedding at Makray Memorial Golf Club. Kaylee and her bridesmaids had such positive energy when we arrived for their “getting ready” photos – we love a good champagne pop to start the party!! Kaylee looked gorgeous in her Essense of Australia gown, and her bridesmaids’ reaction to seeing her as a bride was just the sweetest. After a goofy fake First Look with Kaylee and Michael’s shared bestie and officiant Eric, Kaylee and Michael shared the sweetest and most romantic First Look outside at Makray. Michael’s emotional reaction to seeing Kaylee in her wedding dress was just the best.

We had a lot of fun taking pictures with this wedding party on the course at Makray before heading back toward the building for their ceremony. There were many more tears to come during Kaylee and Michael’s beautiful ceremony, their hand-written vows seemed to make just about everyone cry. After the ceremony we moved upstairs for the perfect party, it was an unforgettable day.

Congratulations, Kaylee and Michael, we love you and wish you a lifetime of happiness together!

To see all of Kaylee and Michael’s beautiful wedding photos, click here

VENDOR DETAILS
PHOTOGRAPHY
Something Blue

VENUE
Makray Memorial Golf Club

FLORIST
Fabbrini Flowers

HAIR AND MAKEUP
Patty Maguire Hair and Makeup

WEDDING RINGS
Blue Nile

WEDDING DRESS
Brides by Young

BRIDESMAID DRESSES
David’s Bridal

MENSWEAR
Jos A Bank

WEDDING CAKE
Lovin Oven

DJ
An Enchanted Evening

Liz Schrenk 12/23/21 Liz Schrenk 12/23/21

Hannah & Matt’s Joyful Fall Makray Memorial Golf Club Wedding

Hannah and Matt were both in the Marching Illini throughout college. After every rehearsal, the band kids living at Newman would race back to the dining hall before it closed and crowd around 4-5 combined tables to eat together. They met at one of these dinners in the fall of their freshman year. The meals continued into basketball season, during which they both participated in basketball band. They started dating at the end of their freshman year and have been together ever since!

On March 1, 2020, Hannah’s family attended the Indiana at Illinois basketball game. After the Illini beat the Hoosiers, Matt forced Hannah to go with him to "get a new sousa hat from the sousaphones." Very reluctantly, Hannah followed. When they got down to the band, Matt took Hannah onto the court, knelt down, and asked her to marry him. She said yes and the band helped them celebrate by playing Oskee Wow Wow.

We first met Hannah and Matt at her sister Sarah’s small Covid wedding last summer. We knew from celebrating with Sarah and Dean how important the University of Illinois is to their whole family, and expected plenty of U of I fun at both of these sisters’ 2021 wedding celebrations. Conrad and I both had the best time taking Hannah and Matt’s engagement photos last winter at her parents’ home outside of Lake Geneva – the fresh snow on the ground made that afternoon feel magical. One of our favorite moments from that day was when Matt lovingly warmed up Hannah’s hands after making snow angels together for an epic drone shot. These two are so sweet together, and a magical sprinkling of snow on their wedding day meant that we could recreate that moment at Makray Memorial Golf Club! Between the stunning fall colors, the meaningful ceremony at Holy Family and then the delicious meal and packed dance floor at Makray (they even had an indoor s’mores station!) this was truly the perfect day!

Congratulations, Hannah and Matt, we love you and wish you a lifetime of happiness together!

To see all of Hannah and Matt’s beautiful wedding photos, click here

VENDOR DETAILS
Photography
Something Blue Photography

Wedding Dress
Premier Couture

Bridesmaid Dresses
David's Bridal

Menswear
Calvin Klein

Florist
Fabbrini's Flowers

Wedding Rings
Lashbrook and Parade

Desserts
Lovin Oven

DJ
Amp Event Professionals

Videographer
Something Blue Photography

Liz Schrenk 11/25/21 Liz Schrenk 11/25/21

Sarah and Dean’s Long-Awaited Makray Wedding Reception

Sarah and Dean met at the University of Illinois (her parents and sister also fell in love at U of I, and, fun fact, I met my husband there too!) Their original wedding date was scheduled for 4/18/2020, making Sarah and Dean one of our first “Covid couples.” In the end, When the Shelter in Place order was issued, Sarah and Dean moved their Spring ‘20 Makray Memorial Golf Club wedding to December – at the time we all assumed that we would be in the clear by then. Well, of course the pandemic had other plans for all of us. As things became more complicated Sarah and Dean decided to get married at Holy Family in Inverness and celebrate a very small micro wedding in her parents’ backyard. They then rescheduled their Makray reception for September 11, 2021.

After riding the emotional roller coaster of planning and replanning their wedding, Sarah and Dean were very ready to FINALLY celebrate with their friends and family this fall. We were happy to see Sarah and Dean (and their immediate families) again, and it was so great to finally meet all of their friends and family! Following a beautiful vow renewal ceremony at Holy Family we to Makray for pictures and their long-awaited celebration. There were plenty of nods to the U of I throughout the day – the navy bridesmaids’ dresses with orange sprinkled throughout their beautiful bouquets, an emotional rendition of the Alma Mater during dinner, and of course, masks with the U of I logo on them. It was a perfect day and one we won’t soon forget.

Congratulations, Sarah and Dean, we love you and wish you a lifetime of happiness together!

To see all of Sarah and Dean’s beautiful wedding photos, click here

VENDOR DETAILS
PHOTOGRAPHY & VIDEOGRAPHY
Something Blue

FLORIST
The Flower Studio

BRIDAL GOWN
Enchanting by Mon Cheri

BRIDAL GOWN BOUTIQUE
All About the Gown

WEDDING CAKE
Lovin Oven

BRIDESMAIDS DRESSES
David’s Bridal

DJ
Sounds Abound

Liz Schrenk 8/18/21 Liz Schrenk 8/18/21

Jamie & Brent’s Makray Memorial and Top Golf Wedding

Jamie and Brent’s relationship has a steady foundation that withstood the test of Covid as they navigated planning and then replanning their wedding. We loved first getting to know this fun couple (and their adorable dog Stanley!) at their engagement session way back in 2019. Little did we know then what path their wedding planning would take.

When their wedding day finally arrived, the forecast called for storms ALL. DAY. We weren’t expecting to get any photos outside, but the heavens smiled down on Jamie and Brent and we managed to get lots of beautiful pictures at Makray Memorial Golf Club that day. One of our favorite moments was when Jamie surprised Brent by having their dog Stanley there, he was SO excited to see Mom and Dad and show off his little doggie tux!

Brent recently lost his father, and Jamie’s Dad passed away ten years ago this summer. They chose to honor their fathers in several beautiful ways on their wedding day, but the sweetest and most emotional was the two chairs marked as “reserved” with their Dads’ favorite football team’s logo in the front row at the ceremony.

As they replanned their wedding in light of the pandemic, Jamie and Brent chose to do their reception at Top Golf. We loved the decision to go somewhere FUN for their reception, and their guests had an amazing time! It was a beautiful and unforgettable day.