This past weekend, I had the pleasure of being a guest at one of the most beautiful weddings you could imagine.
The groom, Brett, is the oldest of my three stepbrothers, and the bride, Genesis, was a high school classmate of mine. They began dating nine years ago when we all were students at Lincoln-Way North. After almost a decade together and lots of growth — both as individuals and as a couple — everyone was thrilled to see them finally get hitched.
The ceremony was held in the beautiful St. Joseph’s Catholic Church in Chicago, which is filled with ornate statues and stained glass, and also has the longest aisle in the city. This was perfect for the gorgeous and lengthy train on both Gen’s dress and veil, which was like nothing I’d ever seen outside of glamorous bridal magazines.
I couldn’t decide if she looked more like a bride or a princess, but it was clear she was both to Brett who got teary when Gen and her dad made their way down the aisle.
The length of the aisle not only gave us all time to admire the beauty of the bride, but it gave us time to reflect on all of the events that led to that day. I’m getting teary-eyed now just thinking about the journey between the kids they were when they fell in love and the husband and wife that they are now.
It was a lovely ceremony, and I was touched that they asked me to give the reading from the first Letter of Saint Paul to the Corinthians.
It began pouring rain while we were all sitting inside (which is allegedly good luck according to legend and Alanis Morrissette). It cleared up just in time for us to head to the reception location.
This celebration was in none other but The Drake, the legendary hotel that is one of the best parts of the Lake Shore Drive skyline view. Cocktail hour was held in The Palm and guests arrived in their snazziest black-tie fashion.
Some of my favorite people in the world were in attendance, and the hour flew by in what felt like 5 minutes. We then ventured to the ballroom where incredible flowers, candlesticks and floating candle votives adorned the tables.
This portion of the shindig kicked off at 7 p.m. and we danced until the early morning. I finally got a chance to say “hello” to the bride and we talked about how beautiful everything turned out and agreed that the mashed potatoes with the chicken dinner were the best we’ve ever eaten.
I didn’t get a chance to talk much with Brett, but was so happy to watch him enjoy his special day.
There isn’t much of a handbook given to you when you become someone’s stepsibling. It’s especially interesting to navigate when you’re 19 and they’re 18 and all of a sudden a house of three becomes a house of seven.
It couldn’t have been easy for Brett and his brothers, Luke and Jake, to move into someone else’s home. All us “kids” were in varying stages of life — all busy with school, work and friends.
The funny thing is, now that we’ve just about all flown the coop and started our “grown-up” lives, I feel that we’re closer than ever before. A big reason for that is because Brett and Gen got a cockapoo named Mack in January 2019. A few months later, I got Teddy and the two pups became best friends.
The three of us have bonded over being doting pet parents.
Our family continues to grow and it’s such a special thing. And the couple made it a point to include the whole family in their wedding. That says all you need to know about them.
It was an unforgettable day and I cannot be happier for the two of them.
Congratulations to the happy couple! I can only hope that my upcoming wedding is half as fun as theirs was — they certainly set a high bar!
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