1. Real Weddings

A Vintage Wedding in Morris, IL

Jen and Jeff went to middle and high school together, but had never spoken to each other until Jen’s sophomore year when she and a friend sent Jeff a

Jen and Jeff went to middle and high school together, but had never spoken to each other until Jen’s sophomore year when she and a friend sent Jeff a message on AOL Instant Messenger. (Online chatting was the cool thing to do!) The two messenged each other all the time, and an Internet relationship bloomed. One problem: Jeff was too shy to talk to Jen at school. They acted like they didn’t know each other! That is, until their mutual friends arranged to get them together at a bowling ally. The pair finally had a first date, and they’ve been together ever since, dating long-distance during college when Jeff moved to Los Angeles, CA. Jen moved to be with him a few years later. The Bride Jennifer (Jen) Graham, 25, an entrepreneur/artisan The Groom Jeffrey (Jeff)Seidler, 27, a documentary filmmaker The Date October 4 After eight years together, Jeff proposed on their rooftop with wine and candles. The couple planned a wedding in their hometown (across the street from their high school!) and managed to pull everything together in only six weeks, since they didn’t want to wait another year for the amazing fall weather. They stuck to a 1920s, vintage theme but no specific color palette.

Jen called on her Eventcetera team once again, and a family friend made the three-tiered cake. She used a special tool to press a woven basket pattern into the white icing and painted on brown coloring. Jen and Jeff found vintage cake toppers at their favorite antique shop.
The couple got married in Goold Park beneath a big tree. Jen bought a bouquet of fake flowers, popped the buds apart and strung them through sewing thread until she had four strands (each about three feet long). She hung them from the tree’s branches -- and they’re still there!
The bridesmaids wore outfits of their choice with one guideline -- they had to match the 1920s theme. Jen was surprised when many guests dressed the part as well!
Jen is talented and owns her own event design company and her team helped with a lot of the wedding details. The morning of the wedding, Jen’s sister-in-law arranged the bouquets with a mix of flowers picked from a country road and bought at a grocery store.
Jen and Jeff rode vintage bicycles with tin cans tied to the back wheels and cardboard signs that read, “just married.”
Rather than traditional paper programs, Jen and Jeff wrote out the names of their wedding party and parents on a chalk board and propped it against a tree.
Jen made all the boutonnieres out of fabric and ribbon. She’s super-crafty, so it took her only about two and a half hours total.
Jen made all the boutonnieres out of fabric and ribbon. She’s super-crafty, so it took her only about two and a half hours total.
The centerpieces were from Jen’s brother’s wedding three years earlier! The fake (gorgeous) blooms had been sitting in their family’s storage unit.