Rehearsal

SPIN Chicago

Welcome Reception

Wedding Day

Chicago Winery

Ceremony

Reception

D4 Irish Pub

Brunch

Fall

Our Wedding

When David Met Becky 

Becky and David matched on Hinge in March of 2022 and went on their first date to a board game bar on April 1st. They picked out The Game of Life, set up the board, but never moved a piece. They talked so long they closed down the bar, moving the first piece in their own Life together. Over the course of several months they fell in love over dates to the movies, seeing John Mayer/Mulaney, eating their way through Chicago, and chill nights playing board games. Soon they moved in together, establishing new routines, adopting their beloved dog Ellie, and making long treks up and down their 4th floor walk-up. In July 2024, David thought to himself "When you know you want to spend the rest of your life with someone, you want the rest of your life to start as soon as possible". But true to their nature, "as soon as possible" really meant an Amazing Race style scavenger hunt for Becky throughout the Harold Washington Library in Chicago with thoughtful notes, friends &amp; family, and meaningful books representing their relationship before David got on one knee. And now, the next chapter begins on November 15th- we can't wait to celebrate with all of you!

Our Story

50 First Dates

Crazy, Stupid, Love

The Proposal

Gallery

Becky's Party

Julie Chase

Julie Chase, despite having lived in close proximity to and working at the same company as the bride for 2 years prior, waited until shortly before moving to another state to befriend the bride. The two famously went to dinner and both proclaimed at the end “that went better than I thought it would”, thus beginning their friendship. They have since endured a long-distance friendship, putting considerable strain on their cell phone minutes. Julie is a fellow diehard Gilmore Girls fan and, the bride is loathe to admit, has probably seen the show more times than her. Julie has since returned to Connecticut with her husband Kyle and spends her time watching Gilmore Girls, taking very long walks, doing a full skin care routine, and trying to convince Kyle to adopt a dog.

Lauren Conway

Lauren is a former clarinetist hailing from Houston, Texas. She had the great misfortune of being seated next to the bride throughout high school band. Despite her initial reticence, Lauren came around to the bride’s neverending chatter and the two spent innumerable days driving around aimlessly, eating cake balls, playing games and gossiping during class, trying every froyo shop in Clear Lake, and generally getting into incredibly tame teenage mischief. Lauren now resides happily in New Orleans with her wife Alden and fuzzy cats.

Lillie Dennis

Lillie was told by the bride on the first day they met that they would be better off as good roommates than good friends. Luckily, in a room the size of a shoebox in London, the two quickly found they could be roommates AND friends. And so followed a happy semester of many late nights talking, laughing, and rarely studying with their other London pals…despite fighting over whether their one window should be open or closed at all times. A fellow Hoosier alum, Lillie can be found exploring Chicago’s bar and restaurant scene with her boyfriend Max, awake at 3 am deep in a YouTube rabbit hole, or obsessing over the latest Taylor Swift news.

Caitlin Fahey

Caitlin was the bride’s roommate in Connecticut and combined personal and professional when they both Snuggled up on the fabric softener marketing team. At home, the two were well matched in their adoration for classic films like The Parent Trap (1995) and The Lizzie McGuire Movie, enjoyed a healthy debate, and commitment to a themed outfit. Caitlin and her family were always welcoming and lively, frequently inviting the bride to tag along to family dinners nearby that left them all thoroughly stuffed. Caitlin recently returned to her native Chicago and can be spotted around town running long distances, cheering on the Cubs, or Facetiming one of her many siblings.

Emily Frankel

Emily met the bride on the first day at Indiana University and became instant friends. As roommates second semester, the two would not win any awards for cleanliness, but they made up for it by enjoying each other’s company over many late night chats, pizza deliveries, and one spontaneous plan to drive to Chicago for the weekend. Throughout the following years of friendship, they’ve always found support, validation, and the occasional way-too-honest realty checks in each other. Who knew many years later the pair would find themselves living in Chicago as adults(?), enjoying more late night chats, sleepovers to watch Formula One, and marathon board gaming. Though the bride has yet to accept this, Emily departed the Windy City for Austin with her forever roommate/husband Jonah and two opposite sized dogs, Tahini and Juniper.

Jill Meritt

Jill and the bride were introduced by the groom, on account of Jill being his sister. The two quickly recognized a similarly dry and sarcastic humor in the other the first time they met at Thanksgiving. The bride has always admired Jill’s wide-ranging creative interests and abilities from calligraphy to scrapbooking to fashion. Jill is the queen of a well-chosen GIF or remark to bring about laughs in the family group chat. A Northwestern grad and Baltimore loyalist, Jill and the bride are connected not only by their Big Ten allegiance, but now as Ravens fans (someone tell the groom the bride put this in writing).

Rachel Meritt

Rachel and the bride were introduced by the groom, on account of Rachel being his sister. Over a spirited game of Mario Party, the two eldest daughters naturally bonded over teasing the groom. Thankfully, the bride made a good enough impression to be invited to spend more of the weekend together laughing at a John Mulaney show the following night. Over the following years, the two have explored Portugal together, watched their dogs become best cousins, traded book and podcast recommendations, and continued to tease the groom. Rachel and her model-dog Finn are often stopped on long walks around their LA home for being too cute.

Jillian Plutchok

Jillian and the bride became roommates when their hire dates aligned better than the other two women starting at their CPG company. As 22 year olds living in the thriving metropolis of Stamford, Connecticut they quickly bonded over their shared love of movies, reality TV shows, being night owls, and deep passion for marketing laundry detergent to the masses. Though they have both since left the Nutmegger state, the bride fondly remembers Jillian’s impressive closet full of the latest fashion (and many many shoes), her habit of eating leftovers for breakfast, and for always wearing her heart on her sleeve. After a stint in NYC, Jillian resides in New Jersey with her husband Bryan (and her many many shoes).

Sydney Sernick

Sydney was fatefully placed in her freshman dorm room, along with fellow bridal party member Emily, across the hall from the bride where they met on the first day of college in 2013. As two eldest daughter over-achiever neurotic Southern gals with big feet, the pair quickly fell into an easy, blunt, and teasing rapport that has lasted the 12 years of their friendship. When the bride moved to Chicago in 2021, she lived in the same building as Sydney and her husband Colin, and dog Barry. This arrangement allowed for the bride to become Barry’s godmother/primary babysitter, for shared walks to OrangeTheory, and for group trips to Nando’s or the movie theater downstairs. Today, Sydney and the bride still live in close proximity, still blessed with the same sized feet to share shoes.

David’s Party

Drew D'Alelio

Drew met the groom when he accepted his bid to join Sigma Chi, and we quickly formed a strong friendship rooted in long conversations about everything from U.S. politics and global democratic transitions to ethics and belief systems.   During our two years together in college, Drew and the groom spent endless amounts of time playing billiards and ping pong, debating the issue of the day, and figuring out how to fix the world. After graduating himself, Drew joined the groom in D.C. two years later where their relationship never missed a beat. They continued their long debates and efforts to solve the world's problems, simply replacing table tennis with the real thing.   Drew and the groom have continued to enjoy a close relationship despite living a thousand miles apart for most of their 13-year friendship. Yalie Drew now lives with his wonderful wife, Pinar, and manages climate tech investments as a Principal for Connecticut's venture capital arm.

Justin Lueker

Justin and the groom first crossed paths at Northwestern through Justin's then-girlfriend, Rebecca Rego. Despite living next door to each other senior year, their friendship really took off when they both moved to DC following graduation. Looking past Justin's unforgiveable past as a Phi Psi, the groom and Justin were fast friends who spent nearly every week of their roaring twenties in DC together. The highlight reels are endless, from homemade Korean BBQ and lots of curries to beer sticks and clubbing to discovering stand-up at the Arlington Drafthouse and Justin's love for Dirty Dancing. They've even taken the show on the road to hike in Iceland, ski in mountains around the States, conquer David's fears at Disney World, and wait in endless lines at the failed opening of Volcano Bay. As the groom has told him many times, Justin is one of those guys that doesn't make sense. He's a brilliant kombucha-brewing civil engineer who is an outdoorsy disco-loving dancer that moonlights as a star drummer for local bands when he's not thinking through the deep questions of life. The groom credits Justin for always being a true friend he could trust and for supporting him through many difficult moments (and for teaching the groom how to drum). A West Coaster through and through, Justin now lives in Seattle with his wife, Rebecca, and their 2 pups, where he is a senior engineer in energy and sustainability.

Sam Lundquist

Sam and the groom were set up on a blind date in Charlottesville 8 years ago. Although both went into it begrudgingly, their mutual love of witty sarcasm kickstarted a deep and enduring friendship. From a shared love for Veep and Curb Your Enthusiasm to deep and thoughtful debates about politics, philosophy, and more, it became clear these two soulmates were meant to be. Their time together was so frequent and effortless that they could even spend a full day together without talking (but actually, Sam lost his voice once…). They started practicing for their now-long-distance relationship during COVID when they would walk for hours together on opposite sides of the street. Sam resides in DC with his real soulmate Rachelle, and their puppy Cleo; Muse of History, daughter of Zeus and Mnemosyne, and granddaughter of Gaia.

Jason Riddell

Jason and the groom are like brothers….well, of Sigma Chi that is. Anyone who has ever met Jason is instantly charmed by his affability, earnestness, and ability to make any dull topic seem exciting. The groom and Jason often have full conversations with no real topic at all, just snarky and sarcastic banter. But underneath his sarcasm lies a generous and warm heart. In fact, Jason is indirectly responsible for this wedding, as he hosted the groom for several weeks at his home to let him get acclimated to the city, ultimately resulting in the groom moving to Chicago 3.5 years ago and meeting the bride weeks later. So thanks Jason! However, Jason no longer calls Chicago home as he has absconded to the faraway burb of Oak Park with his lovely wife Jenna where they keep busy with their 2 boys, Anthony and Miles.

Eric Stefenson

The first time the groom saw Eric, he was freefalling into a dunk tank - a perfect snapshot of how this exclusively-khaki-wearing gent from the NE will surprise you with his fun-loving charisma. The groom first got to know Eric while pledging Sigma Chi and grew close while serving in leadership together for two years. As Treasurer, the groom especially enjoyed forcing Social Chair Eric to deposit beer checks for “favors,” “cocaine,” and “a great time last night.” Jokes aside, the groom has relied on Eric for guidance, mentorship, and friendship during their 14 years together. As any awkward introvert can attest (and this one learned early on), Eric’s enigmatic charm and humor are rare gifts that make people feel like they belong the moment that they meet him, traits that the groom has enjoyed over ski trips, podcast clubs, and a nice cold beer time and again. A Chicagoan to his core, Eric has returned to his hometown in Connecticut with his better half Hayley to raise their new baby girl, Violet.

Michael Stockhausen

Five-hundred-twenty-five-thousand-six-hundred minutes…how do you measure a year in the life of Michael and the groom? Well, Michael doesn’t have much choice in the matter, since he works on the same team at Accenture and the groom can see his Teams status. Of all the groomsmen, Michael likely holds the record for longest and most frequent chats with the groom. Over the last 7 years, they have traveled many miles of road and life together (ask Michael for his thoughts on the groom’s right lane etiquette), spent long hours building their friendship and powerpoint decks, and having each other’s back through life’s challenges, especially when they saw free food in the office. Unfailingly loyal, down-to-earth, and ready to listen, Michael has been a rock of support everyday for the groom. They’ve legitimately spent more than 315K minutes together through all of that time, from early-morning flights and late-night crunches to philosophical discussions and weekend visits. When not being pestered by the groom, Michael can be found tackling his next house project up in Wisconsin, with his personal designer/wife Emily, 2 rowdy dog children, and 1 human child on the way!

Michael Wecht

Mikey and the groom met as wee tykes in Mrs. T’s first grade class at Park School. While the groom has no memory of their first meeting, it must have gone well because the two became inseparable. They spent so much time at each other’s houses, David’s mom came to call Mikey “her other son.” Upon graduation from high school, they embarked on a European backpacking adventure together, experiencing all the culture, art, food, and filthy hostels they could. Their friendship is the equivalent of a grown 27 year-old man, and if that man had any of Mikey’s smarts, emotional intelligence, and confidence to be himself, he’d probably be a groomsman too. Mikey lives in Ann Arbor with his longtime partner Aja, and lovable giant Leif.

Will Vorbrich

Freshman Will Vorbrich wanted to go to a frat party. When he arrived at Sigma Chi, he saw a stressed out risk manager trying unsuccessfully to shoo people away from the house to keep the cops from breaking up the party. As the quintessential nice guy, Will joined the efforts to drive away the hordes and the risk manager took notice. Little did Will know that this one act would lead to his recruitment and “adoption” by that same risk manager - the groom. Will showed up for the groom that fateful day 14 years ago and he’s continued to show up every day since. Will is the type of friend every groom should have- he’s loyal, reliable, funny, and deeply caring. The groom is lucky to have such a wonderful “son” nearby in Chicago, along with his wonderful wife Grace (yes, they are Will & Grace), absurdly adorable daughter Clarke, and Stella the cowardly dog.

Steven Zaguli

Look no further than Steven’s last name to uncover his relationship to the groom. Upon their first meeting at Thanksgiving, the groom had been told of Steven’s youthful love of ravioli and desire to become a better cook, so he gifted Steven a can of Chef Boyardee ravioli. Steven considered this a bold move but it worked, and the two have been building on that foundation of brotherly love ever since. Steven can knock you on your ass with a joke and his signature wit, but can also surprise you with his maturity and depth. Steven is widely accepted to be the funniest member of the Zaguli family, but is a close rival to his sister in competitiveness. The groom always wanted a brother and is thrilled to have legally obtained one that he loves and lives nearby…so he can beat him handily in Super Smash whenever he wants.

Meet The Party

The Wedding Planner

Q + A

While You Were Sleeping

We’ll be staying at the Omni over the wedding weekend and have a block for anyone who wants to join us. They offer spacious modern suites just an 8-minute walk from the venue. You can book a King Suite online or contact the Omni directly if you want a double. For those in the block, WiFi is complimentary and the destination fee was waived. Double check your bill!

The Omni Chicago Hotel

Our goal was to secure a second block where people can stay who have young ones at home, are Marriott loyalists, or might be looking for a bit of a lower rate. Built just last year, this Residence Inn has kitchens in its suites, is just around the corner from the Omni, and includes breakfast. Enjoy!

Residence Inn Chicago Downtown Magnificent Mile

Travel

Fine-Dining Favorites

In the mood for an outstanding meal? These standout spots deliver elevated cuisine, impeccable service, and the kind of dining experience worth savoring.

This is our favorite restaurant in the city! Incredible British tavern with Indian cuisine too, but please note you need to book 2 weeks in advance!

Armitage Alehouse

If Becky had it her way, this Mediterranean spot would be catering the wedding...

Avli River North

A Chicago favorite that executes steakhouse classics with a modern twist. Similar to its fellow Hogsalt establishment, book before they fill up!

Bavette's Bar & Boeuf

Focused on light, Mediterranean-style cooking. Delicious mezze choices for all diets!

This Israeli spot earned its Michelin star just weeks before we celebrated Becky's birthday here our first year dating. Its pre-fixe menu never fails to impress!

Galit

Every Chicagoan knows this famed restaurant from Stephanie Izard - and it immediately made David's top 3 before we even left.

Girl & The Goat

Delicious Asian fusion that never disappoints!

Sunda New Asian - River North

Notable Noshes

Craving something tasty without the fuss? Check out our favorite casual spots to grab a quick bite, from local gems to laid-back eats worth noshing on.

Phenomenal arepas and Venezuelan cuisine. You'd be hard pressed to find better yucca too.

BienMeSabe Venezuelan Arepa Bar

The best restaurant in our neighborhood - and one of our favorite casual places in Chicago!

Little Goat Diner

Lou Malnati's Pizzeria

Fun, creative, and scrumptious! Favorite bakery in Chicago!

Mindy’s Bakery

Wonderful Jewish deli and the best bagels you’ll find in this bagel desert of a city

Schneider Deli

A classic Chicago burger joint for a casual bite

Small Cheval - Gold Coast

A Meritt family brunch favorite since 2006!

Tempo Cafe

Sweet treats and brunch for every palate! Two more locations are just a short Uber/Lyft away.

Wildberry Pancakes and Cafe

This tasty brunch joint has a couple of locations nearby

Yolk - Marina City

Adventures 'Round Town

Adler Planetarium Skyline Walk

Architecture River Tour

The Art Institute of Chicago

Field Museum

Garfield Park Conservatory

You'll find Half Acre - David's favorite Chicago brewer - in nearly every bar in River North, but you can venture north for their brewery if you don't mind a drive

Half Acre Beer Co

One of the oldest blues bars outside of New Orleans, this place rocks two stages with live music every night. Worth a visit (despite the cover charge)!

Kingston Mines

Shopping for all of the big, designer brands

Magnificent Mile

A great laugh at one of the world's top improv theaters where many comedic greats hit it big

Becky & David

Becky & David

Travel

While You Were Sleeping

The Omni Chicago Hotel

Residence Inn Chicago Downtown Magnificent Mile