Cooper's Hawk Winery & Restaurant

Bridal Shower

Rehearsal & Dinner

Wedding Day

Ceremony

Reception

Our Wedding

It all started back in college—Kaitlyn was in her freshman year and Anthony was a junior, both of us involved in the same business fraternity, though we didn’t know each other yet. Our first introduction came when Anthony was rushing the fraternity Kaitlyn was already a part of. From the moment we met, Kaitlyn was immediately drawn to him—his smile, his sense of humor, the way he carried himself. But there was one thing that kept me from acting on my feelings: he was already in a relationship. So, we started out as friends. And I’m so glad we did. Over time, our friendship grew into something much deeper. We had this effortless connection, where we could talk about anything and everything—whether it was about school, life, or just silly things that made us laugh. But the turning point came on a 10-hour road trip together. The hours flew by as we shared stories, our thoughts, and discovered just how amazing our chemistry was. That was when we both realized that what we had was more than just friendship. Not long after that trip, in December of 2018, we officially started dating. From then on, it felt like everything just fell into place. Even when Anthony graduated and moved away, we managed the long-distance thing as best as we could. The time apart only made our bond stronger, and when Kaitlyn graduated shortly after, we took the next big step: we bought our first place together. It wasn’t long before we added another member to our little family—a sweet, energetic red lab named Penny. She’s been a bundle of joy and, honestly, a reminder of just how far we’ve come. From that first meeting in college to now, we’ve built a life full of love, laughter, and adventure—and we can’t wait to see where the next chapter takes us. Here’s to a lifetime of memories, and to our happily ever after.

Our Story

Photos

Kaitlyn Smith

Anthony Chiodo

Jessica Kleitsch

Bobby Mayer

Emily Ferguson

Stevie Chiodo

Nicole Van

Calvin Smith

Jamie Alexakos

Matt Lundine

Rachel Pike

Matt Tobolt

Laura Mahnke

Josh Lamb

Wedding Party

Q + A

Under "Special Rates" please select group code and enter desired room block code * Please book by August 21, 2025, to reserve room block rates *

The Westin Chicago North Shore

Travel

Things to Do

Registry

Kaitlyn & Anthony

Kaitlyn & Anthony

K&A

Wedding Day