Saint Mary of Czestochowa Church

Wedding Day

Wedding

Crystal Grand Banquets

Reception

Our Story

Our Wedding

Schedule of the Day

July 23, 20169:30 a.m. Anthony, his groomsmen, and family will make their way to Anna's house (two blocks away). In Polish tradition, the groom meets his bride before the actual wedding, and both the bride and groom's parents give the couple a special blessing before the church ceremony. After the blessing and a few pictures, the bridal party and family will head to the church at around 10:15 a.m.11 a.m. Wedding Ceremony at St. Mary of Czestochowa Church in Cicero, a ten minute drive from Anna's house! Have your cameras ready for the "I do's"!12:30 p.m. After the ceremony and pictures, all attendees are invited to an after-church luncheon at European Chalet Banquets in Chicago. The bridal party will eat and run, as they will be taking wedding photos in downtown Chicago. The next time everyone will reunite will be at the banquet hall for dinner, drinking, and dancing!6:30 p.m. Reception at the Crystal Grand in Lemont.

Details

The Proposal

When It Happened Wednesday, December 10, 2014How We Got EngagedHer StoryIt was an ordinary Wednesday... or so it seemed. My principal had called a meeting for the 7th and 8th graders at the end of the day. When I asked him that morning what it would be about, he assured me not to worry and that it was just about "business as usual". He told me he would be taking care of everything.At lunch, I asked my coworkers what they thought, and Monica, the 7th grade teacher, speculated that it might be about the service hours that the 7th and 8th graders would be required to complete by the end of the year. I agreed and told her that that was probably it. When 2:15 rolled around, I brought the 7th grade class down to the Cabrini Room where 8th grade was already seated. Earlier in the day, they had asked me if it was a meeting because they were in trouble. I told them that I didn't think so! And then I started to get worried myself. Had I forgotten to do something? Were my students in trouble? Dr. Terry, my principal, then started the meeting after all the kids were seated and rattled off some business items. I was half paying attention when all of a sudden, he announced that we also had a special guest with us.At that moment he looked to the door on the other side of the room, and out came Anthony, a dozen roses in hand, mustache curled, and rocking a pink bow tie. I couldn't believe my eyes, since to my knowledge, he was in the middle of his work day at Starbucks! What a sneak! He marched right up to me, said, "Hey," and got down on one knee. The room erupted in screams, and I covered my mouth in shock and excitement. I touched his face and mustache, and thought of how cute he looked. He then asked me if I would make him the happiest man in the world. I instantly said yes and went in for the kiss and hug. I was in shock! He slipped the beautiful engagement ring on my finger and there was more hugging and kissing. It was the sweetest moment of my life. :)His StoryWednesday, December 10th, 2014! I find myself sitting in a hall way right outside of a meeting room at St. Vincent. My hands are sweaty and time just seems to be standing still. This was the day that I ask the woman of my dreams to be my wife. I hear the students enter the room and start to breathe heavy. In less than one minute, I will be busting through that meeting room's doors and get on one knee. Will I remember what to say? Will she say yes?.........Flashback to the previous Thursday. I am sitting at Anna's parents' kitchen table talking to her parents about my intentions to propose to Anna the following Wednesday. I told them I was planning to propose during a flash mob that I was putting together. That was the plan, but that following weekend, everything fell apart. What was I going to do now? I was not going to let this hiccup delay my proposal.I decided to call Anna's school and speak with the head honcho, Dr. Terry (her principal). Together we put together a plan that was sure to catch Anna by surprise. I was going to pop in during a fake meeting and propose in front of her and her 7th and 8th graders. Dr. Terry took care of everything! All I had to do was make sure Anna did not suspect anything. Easier said than done, considering Anna caught me looking through her phone a week earlier while I was trying to get in touch with some of her friends. Totally caught off guard, I made up something about me trying to look at her secret wedding Pinterest board.Flash Forward.........I told Anna that I was working on D Day. She bought it! I also told Anna that my facebook chat was acting funny so we had to chat via text message. I didn't want her knowing my location seeing as how I was at her school waiting in the break room.I get the signal. It's GO TIME! I straighten up and get myself together. Flowers.... check. Ring....... check. My nerves............. ah, check! here we go!!!!!<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=71jhxu8Zzaw">Click Here to See the Proposal!</a>A week later, the St. Vincent Ferrer 7th and 8th graders threw us a surprise engagement party and put together the following video:<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OVfYzm69CBY">Once Upon A Time by the SVF 7th and 8th Graders</a>

Bridesmaids

Katherine Ryszkiewicz (Maid of Honor)

Katherine is my younger sister and chick-flick watching partner-in-crime! Growing up, she was the baby of the family, and I was the responsible big sister. We would be put in matching outfits all the time and be told that we look so much like twins. But really, we couldn't be more different! Katherine is in school for nursing while I squirm at the sight of any of those ER type shows that she watches. Her hair is wildly curly and dusty blonde; I prefer mine dark and pulled into a tight bun. I like to cook; she likes to bake. The list could go on and on, but through all the differences, we have shared so many great times together as kids and as adults.

Rose Mendoza

Rose is my future sister-in-law and one of the most awesome people I've ever met! She's spontaneous, makes new friends everywhere she goes, and is pretty darn hilarious. Rose is a native Chicagoan, but is a tried and true New York City lady. She can show you the ins and outs of the hidden parts of NYC and loves to share her stories and experiences with everyone. She loves working with kids and is studying in the field of education. When she's not in NYC or visiting family in Chicago, she is definitely traveling in a cool new city and making us all jealous of her fabulous adventures!

Meghan Dodds

I don't get to see Meghan often, but when I do, usually for a week every summer, we have a great time! From our trip in Canada to backyard yoga with the girls, Meghan is down for any adventure. Her laugh is infectious and she has excellent dance moves (even better than Napoleon Dynamite). I'm proud to have learned to do the Stanky Leg correctly because of her. Hehe. She will definitely be leading us all in dancing the Cupid Shuffle and any other line dance at the wedding!

Kasia Avila

Kasia is another cousin I don't get to see too often, but we grew up just a few blocks away from each other! I even babysat her and her siblings years ago! Ever since she was little, she always had an artistic flair about her. I remember way back when that her dream was to be an illustrator of children's books. Now, she is a freelance photographer and about to graduate college. I admire Kasia's free spirit and creative edge, and am excited to have her in our bridal party!

Monika Gawlak

Monika is one of my oldest (not literally old, just we've known each other basically forever) and dearest friends. We stuck together throughout grade school because, well, we were the awkward, frizzy-haired Polish girls and basically had to stick together! Now, Monika and I enjoy sucking down a bottle of wine (or 5) at her house, just chatting for hours and catching up on each others' lives. She puts her heart into everything she does, whether it's designing and creating a new corset for her Rocky shows, or making a delicious cocktail at her bar.

Michelle Beausoleil

I've known Michelle since our high school days, but we really clicked when we were in our early 20s. Back when we were in our prime, we would bar-hop until close, stay out until sunrise, and take shots of vodka until there was no tomorrow. At the same time, we were always responsible and stopped for a delicious meal of chips, salsa, and steak tacos to end our many nights out. We took lots of memorable ski trips to Wisconsin Dells and even an awesome trip to NYC! But those days are now far behind us- she married a great guy, is step-mommy to two awesome kiddos, and fur-mommy to three (yes, THREE!) fur-babies. And if it were up to her, she would have about 4, 5, 6, or 10 dogs by now.

Casey Lutz

I met Casey through Anthony at her 30th birthday weekend in Las Vegas and was instantly like, "Wow, we were definitely meant to cross paths and be friends!" She and her friends were welcoming and an absolute blast to party with, from daytime pool lounging to night-walking The Strip to hitting up the breakfast buffet with unlimited mimosas in the morning! Casey is also one of the most thoughtful people you will ever meet. Example: Upon arrival to our AirBnB house in Nashville for Anthony's 30th birthday, we walk in, and the entire house is decked out in birthday stuff, including a homemade balloon pit in the kitchen. Ummm, coolest surprise ever! Besides having a huge lung capacity for inflating balloons, she is an All-Star Cards Against Humanity player and all-around great gal!

Emily Ryszkiewicz

Emily is my goddaughter and younger cousin. She is also one of the most stylish middle-schoolers I know! Every time I see her, she is rocking a new pair of Ray-Bans, and she takes the coolest selfies on her Instagram. It's hard to believe she's already in 6th grade- she grew up so fast! I still remember holding her as a little baby and rocking her to sleep. Now, instead of sleping, she would rather stay up and listen to One Direction all night long. She even went to their concert this past year. If a 1D song plays at the wedding, we will all know who requested it!

Angelina Stupak

Angelina is my cousin and a super spunky, fun-loving 6th grader! She is very sporty and even just recently won 1st place with her school volleyball team. Besides sports, she is also very focused on school and is proud to be on the "A" Honor Roll! She is very creative and I still remember a few years ago when she handmade a birthday card for me and even wrote a beautiful poem- it was the sweetest thing! She is a very thoughtful girl and I am very excited to have her as a bridesmaid!

Groomsmen

Paul Goodrich (Best Man)

Paul and I have been friends since high school. We have been through a lot together but have always remained close friends. Paul is an Iron Worker and him and his wife Becky have two beautiful children, Brooklyn and Fitz. Paul is a sports fanatic and enjoys watching the Bears, White Sox, and Blackhawks anytime he gets the chance. He is the commissioner of his own fantasy football league and just recently won the Rex Grossman Memorial Trophy by defeating me in the championship.

Peter Ryszkiewicz

Peter, my future brother-in-law, is one of the greatest guys I know. He is a software engineer and loves making apps for the iPhone. Peter is always a pleasure to be around. He has some of the funniest accent imitations I have ever heard and on many occasions has made jokes off the top of his head that I still remember to this day. I mean, when a guy can imitate Gordan Ramsey as well as give a cooking insult on the spot, how the hell do you not remember that?

TJ Stailey

TJ and I have been friends since we were both 5 years old. We grew up playing little league baseball and hockey and became great friends. TJ is married to his high school sweetheart and they recently added a new member to the family! TJ works at Midwest Engineering and is currently working on his bachelor degree. Whenever he gets a break from work, school, being a husband, and being a dad, TJ enjoys hanging out with friends and playing video games. TJ is also known for throwing some of the best BBQs in the country!

Andrew Homer

Andrew and I are cousins and we have been friends since before I can even remember. We are close in age and as children lived only a few blocks from each other, so growing up we were inseperable. Andrew is a manager at Home Depot and is married with a beautiful daughter. Andrew enjoys going to baseball games and throwing down a few drinks. Although we don't agree on who the better Chicago baseball team is, one thing we can agree on is nothing beats great conversations mixed with a couple brewskis at a baseball game.

James Kusper

James and I have been friends for many years. He is the type of person that I know I can always rely on. Jay likes to travel and has dreams of backpacking all throughout this enormous planet. Knowing Jay, he will make that dream come true. When he's not being the most interesting man in the world, Jay likes spending time with his friends and family as well as working on his garden and using his yields in new recipes.

David Dodds

David is Anna's cousin and he lives in just outside of Detroit. Although we haven't known each other that long and haven't spent much time together, I think David is a great friend. During the few times I have had the pleasure of hanging out with him, David has been nothing but a ton of fun. Late night drinking from our steins while listening to "CoCo" on the juke box after a full day of drinking is one of the greatest memories I have of 2015. I am looking forward to many more memorable moments with this guy!

Christopher Salemi

Chris and I are cousins and although I am older by many years, I have always found it easy connecting with Chris. He is a genuine person who would do anything in his power to put a smile on my face. We have spent many late nights hanging out discussing life and what awaits us in the future. Chris currently lives on the north side with his boyfriend. He has an enormous passion for music production and is working toward becoming successful in that field.

Anna & Anthony

Anna & Anthony

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