Text: Merry Mayer
Photography: Studio 3 Productions
Matchmaking is usually considered a dangerous business. Others generally can’t know which two individuals would make a good “match.” But in Andrew Stohl’s and Ann Holm’s case, their friends certainly had it right. In fact, if their friends had not pegged them as a match, Ann and Andrew would never have met!
Andrew was living in New York with several men that Ann had gone to high school with. One night, they were going through their old high school yearbooks and just for fun picked out two girls they said Andrew would hit it off with.
The other girl was already married and later that year Ann’s best friend happened to go to New York to visit their old friends. “Immediately when she met Andrew she knew he and I would hit it off,” says Ann. Andrew had just started covering the Chicago area for work, so he flew out and the three went to dinner.
When Andrew decided to ask Ann to marry him, he wanted to surprise her. They had planned to go to Florida, but he ended up going one better—he changed the plans and had them go to Hawaii. “I was actually in my seat on the plane before I realized we were going to Hawaii,” says Ann. “He proposed that night on the beach.”
Their wedding ceremony was held at Holy Name Cathedral in downtown Chicago. “Who needs decorations when it’s Holy Name!” says Ann. The groomsmen stood half way down the aisle in pews and the bridesmaids walked down to meet them and they walked down together the rest of the way.
Ann came in on her dad’s arm. She wore a beautiful Justin Alexander white, pickup dress, strapless, with beading on the bodice and where the pickups gathered. Her cathedral length veil also had small clusters of beading to match the beading on the dress. “It was very light and delicate looking,” says Ann.
The color palette was boysenberry and chartreuse. The bridesmaids’ wore Bari Jay strapless, tea-length dresses in boysenberry. Looking back on their big day, the groom says his favorite memory was seeing Ann for the first time as she started walking down the aisle to him. For her, it was holding his hand and squeezing it during the ceremony.
For their reception, the couple selected the Westin Hotel on Michigan Avenue. “The entire 16th floor was ours,” says Ann. As the elevator doors opened, guests were greeted with cocktails and hors d’oeuvres. A guitarist played, setting the mood of quiet sophistication.
The room was beautiful. The centerpieces alternated between tall and small (square) floral centerpieces. In the tall vases were roses, hydrangeas, dark pink peonies, bells peonies, white stock tulips, and pink lark. The low centerpieces had French tulips of dark pink. Thinking back on all the planning involved in making her wedding day a reality, Ann didn’t think it was too bad. “Thank God I had my mom!” she adds.
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CEREMONY SITE
Holy Name Cathedral, 312-787-8040, Chicago
RECEPTION SITE
The Westin Michigan Avenue Chicago, 312-943-7200
PHOTOGRAPHY
Studio 3 Productions, 630-377-9700, St. Charles
VIDEOGRAPHY
Studio 3 Productions, 630-377-9700, St. Charles
OFFICIANT
Bishop Timothy J. Lynne
BRIDE’S GOWN
Doris Bridal, 847-433-2575, Highwood
VEIL
Doris Bridal, 847-433-2575, Highwood
JEWELRY SHOES
Nordstrom
HAIR
Mario Tricoci
MAKEUP
Mario Tricoci
BRIDESMAID’S DRESSES
Jacks
FORMALWEAR
After Hours Formalwear
INVITATIONS
Papyrus, 312-266-9945, Chicago
FLOWERS
Phillips Flowers
MUSIC/ENTERTAINMENT
Standing Room Only Band
WEDDING CAKE
Oak Mill Bakery
FAVORS
Cakes a Bloomin (in Michigan)
TRANSPORTATION
London Limos, 847-256-8919, Wilmette
GUEST ACCOMODATIONS
The Westin Michigan Avenue Chicago, 312-943-7200
WEDDING NIGHT ACCOMODATIONS
The Westin Michigan Avenue Chicago, 312-943-7200
HONEYMOON
Zihuatanejo - Hotel del sole, Cobos St. Lucas - Westin
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