Wedding Day

Holy Cross Catholic Church

Ceremony

Bartlett Hills Golf Club

Cocktail Hour

Reception

Our Wedding

Ben and Denise met on September 5, 2014 while working at their part-time jobs at Riverview Banquets in Batavia. At the time, Denise was just a senior in high school while Ben was a freshman in college. At Riverview, Ben was a part of the kitchen crew, and Denise was a waitress. For the first year and a half that they worked together, they barely spoke to each other. They grew closer during February and March of 2016 while working Boy Scout events at Riverview. These were small events that had very few staff members scheduled to work, but Ben and Denise always worked them together. On April 23, 2016, it was Denise’s 19th birthday. At work that day, Ben overheard Denise talking to the other waitresses about how it was her birthday. Denise hoped that Ben would wish her a Happy Birthday in person, but he was too shy and didn’t say anything (Denise was super bummed out). However, later that night, Denise went home and was surprised to see a Facebook message from Ben wishing her Happy Birthday! The two then texted back and forth for multiple hours. A few days later, Ben asked her out on a date. On May 3, 2016, they went on their first date at Country House in Geneva. They ended up talking for several hours while enjoying Reuben sandwiches!

The Beginning

In the fall of 2016, Ben enrolled at the Missouri University of Science and Technology while Denise continued her studies at Waubonsee Community College. A year later, Denise transferred to Illinois State University. For about four years, the two had a long-distance relationship. Luckily, they were able to see each other during school breaks. Ben also drove to ISU several times each semester to visit Denise. After Ben graduated in May 2020, they were FINALLY done with long distance.

Long-Distance Relationship

On October 30, 2021, Denise and Ben visited Keller's Farmstand in Oswego to do some fun fall activities. When they arrived at Keller's Farmstand, Ben took Denise through a corn maze (even though she doesn't like corn mazes). She was starting to suspect that he might propose because he was acting quieter than usual. All she kept thinking was, “Oh no, I hope he doesn't propose in a muddy maze surrounded by dead corn.” Thankfully, he didn't pop the question in there. After they finished the maze, they walked a bit farther and he proposed under a little arch.

The Proposal

Our Story

Over the Years...

Photos

Tosha Ginter

Malachi Fischer-Porter

Maria Isely

Bobby Cartina

Becca Kelly

David VanMaldegiam

Patricia O'Brien

Cody Pepple

Taylor Cichon

Vince Cartina

Wedding Party

Q + A

For your convenience, a block of rooms has been reserved at Hilton Garden Inn in St. Charles, IL.&nbsp;To book your room, click <a href="https://www.hilton.com/en/book/reservation/deeplink/?ctyhocn=CHISCGI&amp;groupCode=CARWIL&amp;arrivaldate=2023-10-06&amp;departuredate=2023-10-08&amp;cid=OM,WW,HILTONLINK,EN,DirectLink&amp;fromId=HILTONLINKDIRECT" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">here</a> or on the Website button below to go directly to the booking site for our room block. There is no code required! You must book your room by September 15 to receive the discounted room rate.

Denise & Ben

Denise & Ben

Things to Do

Batavia Boardwalk Shops

Batavia Depot Museum

Fabyan Villa Museum & Japanese Garden

Sturdy Shelter Brewing