County Line Orchard

Wedding Day

Ceremony

Cocktail Hour

Reception

Clean Up

Our Wedding

Our Story

Not everyone knows that Chris and Patty’s story started over 20 years ago when they dated for a few months back in college. One day Patty was driving with a friend who turned on WXAV 88.3FM, the student radio station of Saint Xavier University. Her ears perked up at the sound of a sultry radio voice and she asked who it was. Patty’s friend told her a little bit about Chris and next thing you know she was in the radio studio meeting him for the first time. They quickly hit it off and started dating. Highlights included their first kiss at a fundraiser concert and Patty buying Chris wrestling tickets for Christmas. Perfect foreshadowing to all the concerts and wrestling shows they would attend together in the future. Also, the first example of Patty’s awesome and thoughtful gift giving. As is often the case, young love didn’t work out on the first try. But this wasn’t the end of their story. It turns out they just needed a little more life experience before they were fully ready for each other.

Fast forward many years later… January 14th, 2019. Chris and Patty’s mutual friend made a Facebook post about how much they enjoyed the movie A Star Is Born starring Lady Gaga and Bradley Cooper. Chris commented that he hoped to see it in the next few days. Patty asked if the mutual friend had seen the previous versions of the movie. And that’s when they noticed each other’s comments. Patty slid into Chris’ DMs and said “Omg hi!! How are u?? U look so happy!!”… which is basically code for “Sup? Wanna get married and live happily ever after?” The truth is Chris was about to be infinitely more happy than he’d ever been before. Days later he and Patty agreed to meet at Mama Maria’s in Orland Park so they could catch up. When Chris arrived he caught a glimpse of Patty at the table. She was dressed really nice, hair all done up, and all he could think was “whoa.” The conversation came easy and they had a great time, so they ended up making plans for a movie date to see Bohemian Rhapsody at the AMC Theatre in Crestwood. January 27th, 2019… Chris &amp; Patty’s official (second) first date. The radio voice was back in and their story would begin again. Over the course of the next year there would be many more dates: movies, concerts, restaurants, breweries, wineries, museums, and their first stay out of town in “The Good Land”… Milwaukee.

But every real relationship faces obstacles and challenges. The biggest one for Patty &amp; Chris was the Covid-19 pandemic. Socially distanced dating proved to be tricky, but they were creative. They got by with takeout food &amp; drinks in driveways and on front porches, viewing online concerts &amp; virtual tours of other countries, while capping off most nights binge watching The Office together on speakerphone. In order for their relationship to continue growing during those crazy times, they decided it would be best to move in together. In August of 2020, they found the Crestwood condo where they currently reside.

Chris &amp; Patty spent the next year furnishing their home, decorating every room, and making it their own. Their time was filled with work from home, Zoom calls with family &amp; friends, relaxing afternoons on their balcony, and peaceful nights watching movies and doing puzzles together. Eventually, as things started opening back up, they got themselves out into the world for more traditional dates again. They reconnected with everyone in person and tried to make up for lost time, which culminated in their first flight together. In March of 2023, they FINALLY hopped a plane to Nashville for Spring Break as they’d been hoping to do for almost 3 years. The happy couple was having the time of their lives and Chris knew it was time to do something that would have come much sooner had the pandemic not delayed so many of their intentions.

So on April 7th, 2023 (Good Friday… no, best Friday ever!) Chris got down on one knee and proposed to Patty along the Milwaukee lakeshore. SPOILER ALERT: She said YES!!! Wedding planning began and yada, yada, yada… here we are today. “But you yada yada’ed over the best part.” False, the best is yet to come!

Photos

La-La is Patty’s oldest sister. She has always been an example of strength and independence, working hard for all that she has achieved, while inspiring Patty to set and obtain her own goals. Giving opportunities, encouragement, and support to Patty comes with ease. La-La has welcomed Chris into the family, bonding over craft beer, fantasy football, and most importantly their love for Patty. 

La-La Cozzi 

Cathy is Patty’s older sister. She has always been the epitome of thoughtful and kind. No matter what challenges she’s faced, her approach is always driven by grace. She is the first to offer to host a party, personalize the favors with every guest in mind, and make sure you have the best night of your life. Over the years, Patty has gone to her with more questions about work and relationships than she would like to admit. Cathy has welcomed Chris to the family, bonding over their love of sports, willingness to talk about literally anything, and most importantly their love for Patty. 


Cathy Petraitis

Julia is Patty's oldest niece. She is intelligent, hard-working, and almost as funny as Patty. She loves gymnastics, traveling, and taking care of others. Julia's silly side reminds us to slow down and not take things too seriously.

Julia Ryan 

Chloe is Patty's youngest niece and birthday twin! She is a sweet and mostly spunky little lady who everyone loves. She may be shy at first, but once she warms up you will soon become familiar with all of her toys and favorite songs (which she will sing on repeat). We are all so happy to have her as the flower girl. 


Chloe Petraitis 

Chuck is Chris' father, so when it came time for him to pick a best man it was a no brainer. Chuck has always been there for his son whenever needed, from childhood to present day. He has shaped so much of Chris' personality, hobbies, and interests. At age 5 he took him to the local video store and rented him several WWF VHS tapes... so he became a big wrestling fan. Throughout grade school he took him to games, watched them on TV together, played football in the street and basketball in the alley... so he became a huge sports fan. He also controlled the radio dial in the station wagon while Chris absorbed everything from the back seat... so he went on to do college radio, a podcast, and *SPOILER ALERT* 80's cocktail hour at the wedding reception! But the most important thing Chuck ever taught Chris was how to be an amazing husband. There was never a sit down talk or an instruction manual given to him, but for the last 40 years he's watched his dad drop everything to put his wife and son first. That's how Chris knows he's going to be a pretty good spouse, because he's been learning from the best his whole life. Chuck has welcomed Patty to the family and enjoys bonding with her over car advice and poking fun at Chris.

Chuck Puchmelter

Martel and Chris go back 18 years to their days working at Best Buy. Anyone who has worked in retail before can tell you that strong friendships are formed in the back warehouse while screwing around, talking trash, and planning your escape. Surviving several Black Fridays together was shared trauma. They were destined to be friends for life after that. Over the years Martel and Chris have run on Dunkin', craft beer, and Ciroc while bonding over many common interests: music (Bone Thugs!), sports (real & fantasy), video games, and of course... professional wrestling. Many "WrestleMania moments" have been hosted at each other's homes, but Martel knows Chris' favorite one (because he sends him a picture reminder of it every year lol). All kidding aside, these two have always tried to be there for each other's big moments. Martel also met his wife Monique at Best Buy, so Chris has enjoyed being around to witness every step of their relationship. He hopes that his marriage to Patty will be every bit as strong as Martel and Monique's. Meanwhile, Patty hopes that Martel finally invites her over to experience his BBQ prowess that she keeps hearing him brag about. It turns out that the best thing about working retail wasn't the discount. For Chris it was finding one of his very best friends. Chris and Patty are thrilled to have Martel be a part of their wedding day.

Martel Walker

Prince is Martel's brother. So naturally, Chris met him shortly after he started hanging out with Martel all those years ago. He is definitely the yin to his brother's yang. While Martel may show up ready to dance on top of chairs, Prince comes through calm, cool, and collected. There's nothing but chill vibes when in his presence, which is a huge plus in his friendship with Chris and Patty as they enter their "We're too old for that ****!" stage of life. The first time Prince met Patty was in a group setting and without realizing who she was he asked, "So how do you know Chris?" She still pokes fun at him about it occasionally, but in the time since he's become one of her absolute favorite people. During wrestling PPV parties she'll always pull him into a side convo about work, travel plans, and his love life. Whenever Chris and Patty are looking to go out for a relaxing drink, the first thing out of Patty's mouth is "Let's see what Prince is doing!" Then he arrives lined up and color coordinated with a sharp looking sneaker/hat combo. The man takes no days off from looking so fresh and so clean (clean). The bridal party will level up on cool points just by being in his presence. Chris and Patty are so excited for Prince to be a part of their big day.

Prince Burrus

Bill and Chris first crossed paths through mutual friends while attending Saint Xavier University (Go Cougars!). They identified with one another through sports, including their beloved Chicago Bears. But once Chris invited Bill to join his fantasy football league it was like soaking the friendship in lighter fluid and striking a match. They are now in several leagues together and there's never a dull moment. Another byproduct of their friendship is that Bill started to notice Chris' wrestling fandom. This was something he hadn't been following very closely in a long time, so naturally Chris had to pull him back in. Next thing you know, Chris and Martel are in the car driving to meet Bill in Milwaukee for a 2012 WWE live PPV event. There they quickly learned that $1 beers, grilled meats, and wrestling can be one hell of a good time! Fast forward to present day where Chris and Bill pretty much talk daily, whether they're sending each other links to the latest sports and wrestling news or negotiating fantasy football trades (and yes, they sometimes talk about "normal stuff" too lol). Through the years Bill has lived in different parts of the country (Buffalo Bill!) but always kept in touch. Now that he's been living within shouting distance (Madison, WI) he does one better. One of Chris' favorite things about Bill is that no matter how many responsibilities get added (hello fatherhood), he's always willing to make the drive to make some memories... at Bears games, at wrestling shows, and at this wedding. Patty always tells Chris to "have fun with Bill and the boys" (when she's not joining in on it herself). So of course the happy couple is delighted that Bill will be part of the festivities on their special day.

Bill Huber

Billy is Patty’s nephew and Godson. He is smart, funny, and a fan of most sports. Chris and Patty love to watch him play basketball and even coined his nickname Buzzer Beater Billy! They are so proud of the young man he is becoming and can't wait for him to be part of their special day. 


Billy Petraitis

Tommy is Patty’s youngest nephew, and if you look at childhood photos, also her twin! He is smart, creative, and funny. His imagination and creativity have no bounds. Chris and Patty are so proud of the young man he is becoming and can't wait for him to be part of their special day.

Tommy Petraitis

Wedding Party

What's on the menu? Appetizers:&nbsp;- Roma Tomato &amp; Fresh Basil Bruschetta with Balsamic Reduction on Garlic Toast- Southwest Chicken Egg Rolls- Bacon Wrapped Shrimp Skewers Family Style Dinner:&nbsp;- Beef Tips with Mushrooms- Parmesan Crusted Baked Chicken with side of Basil Pesto Cream Sauce- Yukon Gold Garlic Mashed Potatoes- Sautéed Fresh Vegetables (Zucchini, Squash, Peppers, &amp; Onions) Dessert:-Assorted Pies ﻿*Please notify us of any dietary restrictions or food allergies on the questionnaire that will follow directly after confirming your attendance on the RSVP page.

Q + A

We have a block of rooms at the Hilton Garden Inn - Chesteron, which is 20 minutes from the wedding venue (County Line Orchard). We'd love for you to stay with us! PLEASE NOTE: There are fewer rooms allotted for Friday 11/8 than there are for the wedding night Saturday 11/9. If our block is out of rooms for Friday when you call to book, and you really want/need a 2-night stay, don't hesitate to reach out to us. We can speak to the hotel sales manager that we're working with about adding more rooms for that night if necessary. IMPORTANT: The deadline to book within our room block is Wednesday, October 9th, 2024.

Hilton Garden Inn Chesterton

Hotel

Serving wine, cocktails, beer, &amp; food. Running Vines Winery is a 7 minute drive from the Hilton Garden Inn.

Running Vines Winery

Serving 4 house beers, 14 guest drafts, and a variety of bottles &amp; cans. Hunter's Brewing is a 5 minute drive from the Hilton Garden Inn.

Hunter's Brewing

Wise Guys Discount Liquors is a 5 minute drive from the Hilton Garden Inn. This one is pretty self-explanatory.

Wise Guys Discount Liquors

If you're in need of some odds &amp; ends, CVS is a 4 minute drive from the Hilton Garden Inn.

CVS Pharmacy

If you're in need of grocery shopping, Strack &amp; Van Til Food Market is a 5 minute drive from the Hilton Garden Inn.

Chris & Patty

Chris & Patty

Registry

Thank You! Gracias! Merci! Danke! Grazie! Arigato!