I took my first personal day of the year and headed to Chicago for a wedding this past weekend. Our good friend from college Corey got married in downtown Chicago, so Ben and I along with four other couples journeyed to Chitown for a weekend in the big city. We went with our friends Mark and Dauvan to save gas, and while the plan was to ride the commuter train from Indiana into the city, we scrapped that plan because we decided we wouldn’t save a huge amount of money and it was raining cats and dogs. We got to the city, settled into the hotel, and quickly headed out for some Gino’s East deep dish pizza and to explore Michigan Ave. We must’ve walked over 3 miles and saw every store known to man! We headed back to catch dinner at the hotel and then met up with Corey and his fiancee at a bar Corey’s friend owns. Interesting place…very eclectic decor, especially with some very bizarre lamps that had torn parts from baby dolls hanging from them! We enjoyed a few drinks, a few laughs, and took a cab back to the hotel for the night.
We found breakfast on Saturday, along with a neat store off the beaten path called Anthropologie. I was on the hunt for some black boots, so we braved the 8 story Macy’s on Sat. morning (crazy!) but found nothing. Ben went for some lunch with friends while I chilled out in the room and took a little siesta before getting ready for the ceremony. Corey and Alisa chose a very unique setting for their wedding and reception–a small art gallery. They got married while about 75 people witnessed it–the unique aspects included music coordinated by Corey’s Iphone and beer and wine to enjoy DURING the ceremony! We had hors d’oerves instead of a meal, followed by more drinks, before we moved on to the “party” at the Whisky Bar where we partook in more drinks and good times. There were definitely a lot of drinks and laughter, along with a great view of Navy Pier and the lit ferris wheel. There was also some talk of politics, especially some cheers for Obama, but that is another post altogether…
I can honestly say this weekend was one of the best times I’ve had in awhile. We were all so happy to see Corey tie the knot–that, combined with reminiscing, being surrounded by old friends, and high quality alcohol, created a memorable, humorous event in urban Chicago that I will remember fondly for a long time. I would like to forget how awful I felt on Sunday–so would Dauvan–but even that was lightened by laughing about the events that unfolded over the weekend. The only thing I could think of that would have topped the event would have been a beautiful first snowfall or a chance to see Michigan Ave decorated for the holiday season. I can only hope that Corey and Alisa have a marriage that is as wonderful as the wedding/reception they created!