An Intimate Wedding at Sepia in Chicago, Illinois

Catelyn Robinson (29 and an online marketing program manager) and John Robinson (30 and a project manager) met through a mutual friend while she was living in Chicago and he was living in South Carolina. The first six months of their relationship were long distance until John pursued his dream of relocating to a big city and moved in with Catelyn. Awhile later, Catelyn surprised John with a trip to San Francisco to see his beloved Oakland A’s in their opening game. That same trip, John surprised Catelyn by proposing on a pier with a view of the city and the Golden Gate Bridge. The couple chose to forego a lot of traditional elements in their wedding, and instead hosted an intimate event in the private space at Sepia, a Michelin-starred restaurant in Chicago. “I am a huge foodie and love to cook, and have brought John into that world over the years,” says Catelyn. “We love going out to eat in this great food city and I knew for our wedding that fabulous food was key.” Having their wedding at Sepia guaranteed top-notch food as well as a modern, chic atmosphere. The evening began with a cocktail party, where Catelyn and John had the opportunity to mingle with their guests. A short ceremony followed, where guests stood gathered around to listen to Catelyn and John recite their own vows to one another. Then, all the guests sat down together for the meal. “Our wedding was essentially a huge dinner party, with two tables of 22 sitting down to a three-course meal after a short ceremony where everyone stood gathered around us,” says Catelyn. “The small, intimate size and dinner party arrangement was very ‘us.’ We wanted to share our day with those closest to us and really treat them to fantastic food we love in a small setting where we could actually all celebrate and have time with one another.”