Pinstripes

Wedding Day

Wedding

Reception

Our Wedding

It all started with one cold day in January in Byron,As most good stories do, it started with Ryan (Hynes) and Ryan,They were there to visit his uncle Jeff and see where the night would take them,At first they went to the Fifth Alarm Pub that was pretty dead late in the PM,Just as they were about to cut their losses and go home,Jeff said let's try just one more before settling on a night of watching Jim Rome,So the three set out to a final destination called the Cave,To their surprise they walked in and it was like a rave!There at the end of the bar sat four attractive ladies,Jeff introduced the Ryan's and they thought the bigger one was all sorts of crazies, Ryan Morse started talking to a girl who seemed very nice and quite the catch,Then she dropped the bomb that she had a baby at home with her perfect match,Though she could see that Ryan might just be something special,So she began to talk about her friend that lived in the city with the name of Kendal,She pulled up some pictures on Facebook of the beautiful girl,And Ryan thought "why not I will give it a whirl", Ryan and Ashley then became Facebook friends, Something Ryan rarely does but that night he had beer by the tens,While Ryan wasn't looking Ashley sent Kendal a picture,That read "I met your soul mate" it was like she could read the future,Kendal woke up to the picture not knowing what Ashley had done,But after creeping on Ryan's Facebook she gave Ashley the go ahead before she went on a run,The next morning Ryan drove back to DeKalb reminiscing on the night before,He was at home when he got a Facebook message, he had no idea what was in store,To his revelation it was Ashley giving him Kendal's number,Saying no pressure to call or text her - just don't wait long because she is a stunner,Ryan thought about it for a day or so then figured "hey, why not",He sent her a text and hoped that she would send something back to his approach shot,A few minutes later, his hopes and dreams came true, With a simple response from her of "I am good how are you?"Over the next two days the two would text from sun up to sun down,It was during the 5th polar vortex that Ryan asked for a date out on the town,Kendal agreed and they met at a pub in Chicago called "Wilde" They sat for hours talking, and as the night came to an end they both smiled,From the first date on Ryan and Kendal knew it was right,They never parted and both knew they had found "the one" after that night. For Ryan and Kendal every day since then has been their best one,And that is why they live by the motto "the best is yet to come"

The Best Is Yet to Come

The Engagement Story

The Wilde Survey

It was just a normal Friday on May 15th when Kendal went into work with plans of meeting up with a friend for happy hour after. Little did she know, Ryan had a full evening planned with surprises just for her. It first started out with Ryan calling Kendal's boss a few months prior and arranging for her to get out of work a little early so she could meet her friend before 5 o'clock traffic. Kendal's boss told her the news and she was a bit confused but thrilled none the less. In her mind this Friday was playing out pretty well! Kendal then agreed that since she got off early she could travel north to meet up at one of her favorite restaurants, Wilde (we should also mention this is the place where Kendal and Ryan had their first date).After Kendal and her friend got seated and talked for a little bit, the waitress came by and asked Kendal if she would mind taking a survey for the restaurant. She handed Kendal an iPad and some headphones and told her to just listen and follow the prompts. Kendal thought this was slightly weird, and kinda gross since she imagined all the people that had worn the headphones before her. While she concentrated on where these headphones could have been (little did she know the headphones were hers) she never thought that this could be the moment she was going to get engaged. She began watching the "survey," and as soon as Ryan came up on the screen she began to ask her friend "what is this, what is this?". As she started to become overwhelmed with emotion she watched as the "survey" played out. Ryan had reached out to all of their closest friends and family and had them submit a video telling her why they make a great couple and why she should say yes! She then sat there and watched as each video played out (for 27.5 minutes), laughing and crying tears of joy the entire time. While this was going on, Ryan was hiding in the back alone with his thoughts as he waited the 27.5 minutes for the video to come to the spot where he would come in. He also had asked some of his students who Kendal wouldn't recognize sit around her to capture everything on camera. As the video ended, Ryan snuck up behind Kendal and went down on one knee, to ask her to marry him.At this point Kendal was already on cloud 9, and was shaking so bad that Ryan could barely get the ring on her finger. They then sat there for a couple of hours and celebrated with champagne and drinks with everyone at Wilde who was involved in the process. Kendal began calling her closest friends and family to tell them the great news. Before she could get to far into calling people Ryan stopped her and asked her to just sit and enjoy the moment, Kendal agreed and they continued to enjoy the moment together. Little did she know, Ryan had alternative motives with that statement. He knew that as she called everyone, that each person she was calling was actually sitting together, fearful that secret might get out Ryan asked her to stop calling. Kendal and Ryan left Wilde with plans to meet up with their friends at another bar to celebrate in person. Ryan then called his eventual best man Hynes, to tell him the news and invite him out to celebrate. Hynes told him that he was actually at a bar close to where Ryan and Kendal were at and that they should come by there and celebrate of a bit before heading up to meet everyone else. Ryan told Kendal the plans (who at that point would have agreed to anything) and her and Ryan walked over. As they walked through the door Hynes greeted Kendal with a hug and a bottle of champagne that Ryan's brother sent over to congratulate them. As Kendal was soaking all of this in, she hears "SURPIRSE!!!!!" from the back of the restaurant. Ryan had pulled off the second big surprise for a girl who swore she could never be surprised. He had arranged for all of Kendal's friends and family from all over the Midwest to come into town to help celebrate at this surprise engagement party. Ryan had told many people and had planned the entire proposal over the six months leading up to this big day, so those of you that kept the secret - thanks, and props for being such great liars :) . The party lasted all night and ended at Kendal's favorite Mexican food joint. It was truly one of the happiest days of both of their lives. We both feel so blessed to have so much love and support and cannot wait to celebrate with everyone on September 4th 2016! The video Ryan made for Kendal with the help from friends and family can be found at the link below. It is a long one, but goes by fast, just ask Kendal, 80 of the views are from her alone. <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H0JDkVKFivA">The Video</a>

Family and Officiant

Officiant

Jeff FlaterRyan's uncle, aka Father Flater,The first of Ryan's family to meet Kendal and Kendal's family a little later,Ryan and Kendal have asked Jeff to marry them,And be there to witness Ryan present Kendal with a gem,Being the Athletic Director of Galesburg highschool,We feel very honored to have him marry us and think its pretty cool.

Father of the Bride

Dan NovakovichDan was once a cop on Chicago's south side,So let that be a warning if you try messing with this bride,You can find Dan with a good bottle of crown and a nice cigar,And if that doesn't work just tell him to meet you at the bar,He is thrilled because this engagement finally got Kendal off the family phone plan,And as for a father and father in law we must say, Dan is quite the man.

Mother of the Bride

Dana NovakovichIt's five o'clock somewhere,Which means it's always time for a Dana joke to fill the air,One of Kendal's best friends,Even when she wouldn't buy Kendal a new benz,Dana is full of advice and always on top of the latest trends and biggest sale,We couldn't have asked for a better mother who is always there to listen with no fail.

Father of the Groom

Dee MorseOne of the nicest and most entertaining men you may encounter,If you are lucky he might he tell you how he is now a retired frog counter,Don't let his short stature fool you,He is one of the fastest walkers especially when its for a cold brew,Dee grew up and Kansas and helped raise Ryan to be a fine lad,We both feel blessed to both be able to call him dad.

Mother of the Groom 

Jody MorseRanger Jody by trade,And the bat lady is the name she made,She will be traveling from Colorado where she dwells,So let this be a warning when she offers you one of her caramels,Mama Morse is sure to be tearing it up on the dance floor,As for a mother and new mother in law we couldn't have asked for more.

Our Story

Details

Photos

Hynes and Ryan met while attending Green Mountain High School,Once they graduated Hynes felt lost and that wasn't cool,So he talked to Ryan and decided to enroll at CSU,Becoming roommates and friends for life as they both had degrees to work through,Ryan later went on to grad school in a mystical place called Illinois,While Hynes finished up his tenure at CSU and looked for any job that wasn't an office boy,Ryan then moved to DeKalb, a safe corn field town in the middle of nowhere,He told Hynes how wonderful it was and that he should move there,Hynes wasn't about that small town children of the corn life,So he instead moved to Chicago, without any strife,This has brought these two many fun memories together,Even under the dark grey skies in the Chicago winter weather,In a city where it can be hard to be a Bronco's fan,These two are always together and that is why he is the best man. 

Ryan Hynes

It was a sunny summer's day in June,When Taylor and Kendal would become sisters under an Illinois moon,Kendal was protective of her sister right from the start,And from the very first day nothing could take them apart,Kendal might be 5 years wiser in age,But now Taylor's the one giving advice on this next life stage,Being a married mother to one infant and two other amazing children,Taylor has made Aunt Kendal feel like one in a billion,Although she might live 500 miles away,The distance doesn't allow their close bond to stray,Kendal might not be much for mushy stuff,But when it comes to her sister she just can't get enough,Kendal is proud and looks up to her sister and yes that statement may seem like a yawner,But that is why Taylor is her Matron of Honor.

Taylor Buxton

Just two crazy girls going out in the city,Lucky for these two they were always looking pretty,Alyssa and Kendal met sometime after college,When both had good jobs and plenty of knowledge,They were joined at the hip where ever they would roam,And made a pact to never go to the taco joint alone,They would try new things so they weren't the only beginner,Even fly on a plane to Australia for a thanksgiving dinner, It wasn't all ruined by the arrival of this new guy named Ryan,Alyssa welcomed him in to the group without even tryin,She will always hold a special place in Kendal's heart,And that's why Kendal knew Alyssa would be a bridesmaid right from the start.

Alyssa Banks

It was a cold winter in 1986,When Ryan and Ian would become brothers to complete the Morse mix,Ian is four years older,But don't think that having two kids has made him any less bolder,He still enjoys instigating the fun and giving his little brother a hard time,That is why it's hard to find something nice to say in this rhyme,Just kidding, Ian is a great older brother,And if Ryan could choose he would never pick another,He has been Ryan's dentist and good example of a young dad,Ryan just hopes when it's his time he can be just as rad,He is one of the best dentists' Ryan could ask for,And is happy to have him standing up there with him on September 4. 

Ian Morse

Ryan has always looked up to the advice that Kayci has given,That's why he had to call her when he met this girl that was one in a million,She'd later meet Kendal when she was pregnant and eating more frugal,The two hit it off and Kayci gave her approval,From the first moment Kayci and Kendal met they got along,With having a passion for wine, fitness, healthy eating, as well as the occasional beer pong,Living in Portland Kayci still finds time to help out her future sister in law,With giving her advice on the wedding, fitness, or the newest healthy slaw,Being one of the most thoughtful people that Kendal knows,She is excited to see how their relationship grows,They always say you cant pick your in laws but this seems to be a hand well played,As Kendal cant wait to have Kayci as a bridesmaid.

Kayci Cusworth

Tyler is a big time guy from the small town of Swink,Him and Ryan were college roommates in a house that didn't stink,Ryan and him bonded at first over their love of tomatoes,As well as their healthy fear of tornadoes,College with these two was a fun time,With drinks, video games, movies, and going to blackhawk around nine,Some interesting things about Tyler is he likes to be kicked in the shin,And he once drank a bottle cap to his chagrin,Through all this they have remained good friends even when Ryan moved away,And now Tyler has a new baby boy to help root on the Rams every Saturday,Tyler is a great guy to have by your side,And that is why he will be standing right there when Ryan sees his bride. 

Tyler Meis

Sereen may be short in stature,Don't let it fool you as she has got a lot of swagger,Sereen first met Kendal when they started working together at Sidley,It wasn't long after that they became friends very quickly,It all started out at a work happy hour,Who knew a couple of glasses of wine and a cheesy joke could have so much power,Sereen and Kendal later ran a marathon together,They trained all summer long, even through the bad weather,They simply are each other's second biggest fans,The first being their significant others who seem to always be excluded from their plans,Sereen is as beautiful in the inside as she is on the out, That is why Sereen was asked to be a bridesmaid, without a doubt. 

Sereen Dwyer

Ryan and Derek met during Ryan's first year at SIU,They lived and worked together becoming besties through and through,He has been there for Ryan through some good times as well as the bad,And was surprised to see that he was almost as tall as Ryan's dad,Derek is true blood S'coni,And is more fun than a 40 girl southern sorority,He lives by the motto work hard, play hard even when he is sober,And has a way of getting those in the Morse family a little too hung over, He too is getting married to a fine little lady,But his will be in a brew house in July where it's nice and shady,Derek is a good friend and even helps Ryan with his fantasy football team now and then,And that amongst various other reasons is why Derek is a groomsmen 

Derek Donlevy

Hi, my name is Casey, Casey Crowell,Is how he says his name with a slight southern accent that goes over so well,Casey is one of the groomsmen traveling the furthest from Boise, Idaho,To the big city of Chicago - hopefully he doesn't bring the snow,Casey has known Ryan from his college roommate days,And is Ryan's fitness go-to expert for now and always,Casey has always offered some great witness fitness advise,But somehow Ryan was still able to get really fat at least twice,Casey Crowell is one of those people that understands that friends may come and geaux,But for this LSU fan he has stayed with Ryan since the days of living at the 1216 chateau, From football days to eating great Mexican food time and again,Casey Crowell has always been a good guy and that is why he is a groomsmen. 

Casey Crowell

It was Freshman year when these two met in the dorm,Kendal was and out of stater at NIU, which was far from the norm,Ashley didn't blink an eye and these two quickly became best friends,And after college Ashley moved to Byron from where her love stems,It was a cold night in January when she told a boy at a bar she had a husband and a baby,But since the boy seemed so great she wanted to introduce him to a nice lady,Yes, it's true Ashley is the reason for the nuptials about to take place,She didn't discriminate and thought Kendal might like his face, Ashley has always had Kendal's best interest at heart,And has been there for Kendal right from the start,Kendal couldn't imagine this day without Ashley up there by her side,That is why Ashley is a bridesmaid to help Kendal start on marriage and its wild ride.

Ashley Hillis

It all started on a bar crawl,When Brian met a girl that would make sure he always had a ball,That girl ended up being Ryan's older sister,And he would later help her become Miss Cusworth to him as mister,The Cusworths recently grew to a family of three,With the newest addition of a little girl named Karlie,Ryan couldn't have lucked out more getting a brother-in-law like Brian,The two easily became good friends, without really even tryin,He is one of the hardest workers Ryan knows,Working at the Union Pacfic Railroad with all the pros,Brian is a great example to Ryan as what a good husband can be,And that is why he was asked to stand as a groomsman at the Pinstripes Bocce and Bowling Alley.

Brian Cusworth

Her name is Steph or as her friends like to call her, Moose,She has known Kendal since college and was always there to shake Kendal loose,Steph was one of the first ones on the scene as Kendal made the move to the big city,They would go out on the town and dress up all pretty,An event planner is her profession of choice,Steph is never afraid to get what needs to be done with using her voice,Steph was one of the first to meet Kendal's future fiance,Little did she know he had moves like Beyonce,Steph was a vital part in helping Ryan with the engagement,From planning the party to finding the ring, it was a flawless arrangement,Through thick and thin Steph has always been there for Kendal,Having her as a bridesmaid will help make the day extra special. 

Stephanie Mulvaney

Here is the thing about Margot,She's so much fun to be around and always has a good flow,A good flow with her guitar, her hair game or her fantasy football team,But Margot and Kendal bond most over workouts and ice cream,Although both NIU Huskies, they didn't become close until Kendal moved to Chicago,When these two became good friends in a unified love for the avocado, Along with being one of Kendal and Ryan's favorite people born in Poland,Margot is also the person who cuts Ryan's hair and makes it look so golden, She has pretty funny boyfriend named Scott,You may recognize these two as the awesome couple from the engagement video shot,Beyond all that Margot is a great friend with an infectious personality, Without her in the wedding as a bridesmaid the wedding just wouldn't be a reality. 

Margot Wojdyla

Danny is the baby of the Novakovich clan,He is also known to many as Dan The Man,At the ripe age of sixteen,He is already a football stud and looking pretty lean,Like Ryan he is the youngest of three,And will always be known to Kendal as a little chubby faced baby,In a few years Danny will be headed off to college,Till then his sister Kendal give him the "how to do right in high school" knowledge,Danny's a social guy who loves to be around his friends,One day he'll realize that Ryan and Kendal are more fun, but till then they will do their monthly cleanse,He has got a bright future and Ryan and Kendal cannot wait to see where he ends up,Until then they are happy to have him as a groomsmen when he can't drink but can still raise a cup.

Danny Novakovich

Ellie is the oldest of all the flower girls,And currently has the biggest appreciation for nice pearls,She is one of Kendal's favorite shopping buddies,And Ryan's by default - because he's Kendal's future hubby,Ellie is your classic 8 year old girl who loves her dolls and dressing in a pretty skirt,But don't let that fool you as she can also be found playing in the dirt,Ellie is on her way to being quite the little stunner,And Kendal and Ryan are thrilled to have her as a flower girl in the summer. 

Ellie Buxton

Coen is currently our only nephew,Opposed to our nieces, as you can see, we have a few,He can probably answer just about any question you ask,Smart as can be, he can pretty much accomplish any task,With Jesse as his dad,There is no doubt his future looks pretty rad,He agreed to be our ringbearer with one requisition,That he didn't have to wear a tux - already a little politician!

Coen Buxton

Olivia is not just a cartoon pig,But is also our second oldest niece and getting to be sooo big!From the moment she was born she has had so much sass,That why her mommy always needs her full wine glass,Already so smart at the age of five,She is always wanting to learn more about all that's alive,We are so sad we can't see her more with her being out in Colorado,But we are happy that she will be a flower girl and fight off any single desperado. 

Olivia Morse

Isla will be 3 years old when the wedding day gets here,A lover of all things with sugar her daddy dentist already has some fear,Isla is extremely outgoing and her giggles are contagious,When her and Uncle Ry Ry get together they like to act outrageous, She can be the sweetest little girl,But is also known for going zero to pissed in a whirl, Being a cute little blonde bomber she already loves wearing high heels,We can't wait to see her walk in them as a flower girl and hear all of the adorable squeals.

Isla Morse

At the wedding Norah will be two years old,And with the dance moves we've seen she already has a reputation to uphold,In her spare time she enjoys playing dress up and playing with her big bear,She has two older siblings so she is learning very fast how to share,With Taylor as her mom and Jesse as her dad,And now Ryan as her uncle she surely cant be mad,We just hope that her bright blue eyes don't steal the show,But if even if she does we won't mind as we get to watch this beautiful flower girl grow.

Norah Buxton

Our youngest niece of the bunch is Karlie,She was born in Portland which is pretty gnarly,At a young age she is full of life and always has a smile,And with Brian and Kayci as mom and dad it will surely stay for a while,The wedding will be Karlie's first trip to the Windy City,Where she'll get to dressed up in her dress and look very pretty,At 18 months when she walks down the aisle who knows what direction she'll be heading,But we couldn't imagine the day without Karlie as a flower girl in our wedding. 

Karlie Cusworth

Wedding Party

Q + A

Registry

Download the <a href="https://www.uber.com/invite/ryanm1237">uber</a> app on your phone and use code ryanm1237 to get your first ride free. You can use the app to get regular cabs, black sedan cars, or people using their personal car. It is usually a little cheaper than a regular cab and you are able to tip through the app.

UBER Car Service

Rooms are reserved at a rate of $179/night which is a locked in rate from August 29th - September 8th. Rooms must be booked by August 4, 2016 but we highly recommend to book as soon as possible as the number of rooms are limited. The Sheraton is the closest hotel in regards to the venue that we have blocked. It is right on the river and 0.3 miles away from Pinstripes. When reserving rooms, reference the Novakovich/Morse Wedding room block.

Sheraton Chicago Hotel & Towers

Lyft is also a car service that you can use to get around. Download the <a href="https://lyft.com/i/RYAN619176">lyft </a>app and use the code RYAN619176 to get your first few rides free. With this car service you will be picked up by someone in their personal car, it is usually cheaper than uber and cheaper than a normal cab. This is the service we regularly use when we go places around the city.

Lyft Car Service

Rooms are reserved at a rate of $169/night which is a locked in rate from August 31st - September 9th. Rooms must be booked by August 3, 2016 but we highly recommend to book as soon as possible as the number of rooms are limited. The Hyatt is just across the river from Pinstripes and is where Kendal &amp; Ryan as well as the majority of the wedding party will be staying. When reserving rooms, reference the Hyatt Regency Chicago and the Novakovich/Morse Wedding room block.

Hyatt Regency Chicago

There are L (subway system in Chicago) stops all over the city and this is a great way to get up north to Wrigley if you are interested in going. The main lines you will wan to take will be the Red, Brown, and Purple lines. You will get a ventra card (click on the link to the CTA site for more information) which can be used to ride any L train or bus in the city.

Chicago Transit Authority (CTA- Train/Bus)

Travel

While our wedding may be the top reason you're here, there is no reason not to take advantage of many of the other attractions that this city has to offer! We have many places that we love to visit, and many that are still on our bucket list. Below are some of our recommendations, but by no means is this everything! So if you have something specific you are looking for or want more recommendations then please let us know and we will help. We will continue to update this list between now and the big day so keep an eye out for new things on here. We want to make sure that your weekend is filled with a ton of memories in one of America's greatest cities!

Kendal And Ryan's Recommendations

Here are some of the best things to do in Chicago according to MSN.com <a href="http://www.msn.com/en-us/travel/tripideas/20-ultimate-things-to-do-in-chicago/ss-AAeuAXU#image=1">Chicago's Top Sights to See</a>

MSN List of Chicago 

One of the best Architecture Tours in the city. You can do one on the river or the river and lake.

Wendella Boats

The view of the city is better than that of the Sears (Willis) Tower and you do not have to pay to get to the lounge. No dress code required. Drinks are somewhat pricey, but its worth the view. We recommend going on a week day as weekends you will be waiting in line. Dusk is the best time to go so you get to see the city during the day and at night. If you are able to check out the view from the women's bathroom do it, its supposed to be the best!

The Signature Lounge at the 96th

True Chicago style pizza! It is in the norther part of the city and only accessible by cab, but if you have the time to go it is one of our favorite places in the city for pizza.

Pequod's Pizza

This is where many of the actors from Saturday Night Live get their start.

Second City Theater

Great place for those of you with kids. It is free and was just built in the last two years. Very cool park makes us wish we were small enough to enjoy all it has to offer!

Maggie Daley Park

Looking for that iconic Chicago Bean picture? Here is the place! Many other great sites around the park as well, and best of all its free!

Millennium Park

The Cubs will be in town playing the Giants (Sept 1-4 and the Pirates at Wrigley Aug 29-31). If you would like to go and experience a game at the friendly confines click on the button below or try one of the Wrigleyville rooftops for a whole different fun experience. For those looking for the White Sox, they unfortunately will be on the road playing the Tigers and Twins.

Kendal & Ryan

Kendal & Ryan

Photos