Meyers Castle

Rehearsal Dinner

Wedding Day

Ceremony

Cocktail Hour

Reception

Our Wedding

The start of this love story goes back to early 2017. Holly was looking to move out of her family’s home and find an apartment to rent with her best friend and an additional roommate. At the time, she worked at Starbucks, which is also a great place to meet strangers in public. Holly was supposed to work and found some coverage for her shift, but she couldn’t meet at her store in Oak Forest, so they planned to meet at the nearby Tinley Park location. After arriving, Holly and her friend went up to order drinks while they waited. Holly’s friend is allergic to strawberries, so they always have to ask for them to sanitize the shakers before making her drink. The order taker let the guy working on drinks know that the order required the tea shaker to be sanitized, and in response, this guy grabbed the shaker, looks at the two girls, and says “I’m going to Shaker Land in the back to grab some fresh shakers!” When he comes back, he starts cracking more harmless jokes like “Do you need your tea sweet, like me? Passion tea made by a passion-ate guy?” Super cheesy, but it makes him a very approachable person to talk to. Fast forwarding through the day, they had a great time talking with their (never-to-actually-happen) roommate, and now back at home. While scrolling through Facebook, in Holly's “People You May Know”, a familiar name and face pop up… Jeffrey Mistrata. Holly ends up adding him, but only because get this... she’s thinking about if she needs to get a Starbucks shift covered, she could just ask him. On Jeff’s end, he’s now getting a notification for a friend request from a “Holly Holtam”, who is someone he has no idea of or where he knows her from. He contemplated deleting the request but adds her anyways, and sends the iconic grizzly bear waving gif in a private message. Holly responds back, and the rest is history.

How We Met

Our Story

Photos

Holly + Jeff – The Future Mr. &amp; Mrs., The Life of the Party, and The Couple Who Can’t Wait to Make it Official!

"Holly and I  hit it off at work, and from her first week on, we became BFFs... Chick-fil-A never saw us coming, and honestly, it made things that much better. That moment was just the beginning an unforgettable journey!"

Lauren Imhoff

"Jeff and I met over 20 years ago in the Tinley Park school districts. From  basement hangouts at Paxton Ave., the high school era, nights at Burt’s (Gamestorm), and late nights on voice chat, I can’t really remember a time Jeff hasn’t been one of my closest and reliable friends. I am proud to have gained  a life long friend and happy for him in his exciting future."

Joseph Hickey

"Holly and I met through work at First Midwest Bank. We were in the same orientation and sat by each other throughout training, falling asleep during the boring parts and waking each other up before being caught ... The rest just unfolds from there!"

Taylor VaBales

“I first met Jeff when he was just a kid, right when his sister and I started dating, at a Christmas gathering at their grandma's house. Most people would think it was awkward, but I knew right away Jeff was great, and since that day, we have had a lot of fun together.

A few years later, after seeing Jeff go through ups and downs, he introduced us to Holly. As I watched their relationship grow from dating to moving in together and now to marriage, I realized Jeff had found his forever person!”

Jason Paris

"Jeff and I met what seems like ages ago and told me he started talking to a lovely lady named Holly. Shortly after that, we were all going out to dinner together or Jeff and I would swing through Starbucks while Holly was working. We have all become friends since!"

Stephanie Gutraj

"I met Jeff through mutual friends during casual hangouts at Starbucks. Over time, our friendship grew through Valpo fires, Magic: The Gathering nights, and laid-back evenings at a local dive bar."

Ryan Fau

"Picture this, it's 2011. The middle school emo scene was in full swing when a crazy clarinet player meets a fun flutist, and the rest is history in the making."

Alyssa Clendenen

"I met Jeff in our freshman year of high school, and we've been close friends for over a decade now, which is crazy—time really flies! Through Jeff, I also had the pleasure of meeting Holly."

Dan Racinowski

"I met Holly during one of the guys' bonfires in Indiana. We both had the same energy and as time went on we would see each other more and gravitate towards each other. I knew we became best friends when we had each other’s backs in crazy situations."

Maria Garcia

“I first met Jeff while we were both waiting outside of Grissom Middle School and we both just started talking!”

Ryan Basse

Our I-Do Crew

Got a question? You might not be the only one! Take a look at our current Q&amp;A list below. If you don’t see your question answered, feel free to <a href="https://forms.gle/kX7PczTmuR6KMLTE6" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">submit it here</a> — we’ll update this section as we go!

Q + A

One of our personal favorite overnight stays in this area (we've stayed here before!), and is only a 3 minute drive east from the venue! ***To reserve a room in our Hotel Block, please call the hotel directly and let them know you are booking with the Mistrata Wedding Group Block by SEPTEMBER 17, 2025! Any rooms booked after that date are subject to increase to regular rates. *** ﻿We have requested a variety of rooms (2 Double Bed Rooms &amp; 1 King Bed Rooms), please make sure to specify which you will need! There are several other hotels within the intersection you can explore as well (like Best Western, Holiday Inn, &amp; Hampton Inn)

Comfort Inn Schererville

Travel

Hi friends and family! We’re so excited to have you join us for our special day, and if you’re staying a little longer, we wanted to share some of our favorite local spots and activities to check out while you’re in town. Whether you're looking for something sweet to snack on, a fun adventure, or a little relaxation, we’ve got you covered. Enjoy exploring, and we can’t wait to celebrate with you soon!

XOXO,Holly &amp; Jeff

Craving a true taste of Chicago? Portillo’s has you covered with legendary Italian beef sandwiches, classic Chicago-style hot dogs, crispy crinkle fries, and&nbsp;don’t skip the chocolate cake shake (trust us!!).

Portillo's Schererville

Visit the Albanese Candy Factory, where you'll find thousands of sweet options, from bulk candy and nostalgic favorites to a variety of nuts, mixes, and unique gift items. And, of course, don’t miss their famous World’s Best Gummies and chocolates! They even offer samples of their delicious creations!

Albanese Candy Factory Outlet

About a 30 minute drive from Dyer, IN is the Indiana Dunes State Park and National Park! Holly recommends embarking on the 4.5 miles of interconnected trails at&nbsp;Cowles Bog and taking a trip down memory lane from her Ecology Club days in High School. You can choose a short, moderate hike through wetlands, a longer hike into the forested dunes, or a challenging excursion&nbsp;all the way down to the shoreline.

Indiana Dunes National Park Cowles Bog Trail

County Line Orchard is the closest U-pick orchard to Chicago. Jump right in to pick apples, fruits, pumpkins or sunflowers depending on the time of the year.

County Line Orchard

Fair Oaks Farm&nbsp;is an hour drive south, but can be fun for a lot of our guests to check out!&nbsp;&nbsp;Fair Oaks is a working dairy farm - and one of the largest in the nation - but also provides fun ways to learn with their Dairy Adventure, Pig Adventure and Crop Adventure. An on-site restaurant, café and the seasonal Mooville are also located on the Fair Oaks Farms campus.

Fair Oaks Farms

One of the many reasons we visit Las Vegas, NV so often is getting to take some time to relax and play a few dollars in the slot machines... Indiana is no Vegas, but it sure does beat the flight ticket prices to get there! The casino is all one level and features all your favorite gaming - blackjack, roulette, craps, slot machines and video poker. Central to the Hard Rock experience is the world-famous Hard Rock memorabilia. There are more than 170 pieces of music memorabilia on display representing a wide range of genres. The Jackson family is central to the story given that they are Gary’s most famous family.

Holly & Jeffrey

Holly & Jeffrey

Photos

April 15, 2017

December 31, 2017

December 31, 2018

December 31, 2019

December 31, 2020

December 31, 2021

October 29, 2022

December 31, 2022

December 31, 2023

December 31, 2024