Wedding | Emilio & Brady

Tell us a little about yourselves!

Brady and Emilio met in 2018 on Tinder while Brady was visiting Chicago for Pride weekend. For the next 3.5 years we continued our relationship long distance, while Brady finished his PhD program at Indiana University in Biochemistry and Emilio continued to work in Advertising and Marketing, living in Chicago. Brady eventually moved to Chicago, and we got engaged in May of 2024 and married in September 2025. We currently live in Chicago with our mini-goldendoodle, Callie, and look forward to starting and growing our family.

Why did you decide to get married where you did?

The years before our wedding, we were lucky enough to attend many friends’ weddings in Chicago, so with their advice and our experience it was a relatively easy decision. Surprisingly, we only toured one venue. We found our venue through research, toured it, and instantly fell in love. We loved that it was a newer venue that had everything we wanted; elegant, modern, and chic. The vintage Rolls Royce included was a nice touch!

How many guests did you have?

160 Guests.

What was your budget?

$60K

Tell us about your outfits.

Emilio consulted with Tanner Fletcher and attended their NYFW Bridal Show in the spring of 2025. From the show, Emilio was inspired by their Simone oversized bow shirt that was featured in the bridal show in blue, perfect for the night before. For the big day, Emilio wore a Tanner Fletcher Julien Ruffle Collar shirt under their famous Silk Satin Bow blazer with white bows. For shoes, Emilio wore Manolo Blahnik Black Patent Leather Loafers with a Bow on it, and styled it with a Simone Rocha Cake bag (The star of the party!)

Brady wanted to have a sharp, classic, Americana tuxedo. When thinking about designers, it was clear that Ralph Lauren was at the top of the list. Brady went with Ralph’s Purple Label from head to toe for the big day.

What was the most important aspect for you, in terms of planning your wedding?

We wanted the wedding to feel authentically us. We worked closely with our sister-in-law and officiant to tailor the ceremony so that it was uniquely ours. The music played throughout the night from the opening walk down the aisle to the last dance was chosen specifically to curate our evening and remind us of all of the wonderful times we have had as a couple and all of the memories we had created with our guests. We wanted our outfits to exemplify our personalities and let each person shine in the way they wanted to.

Were there any elements that were important for you to incorporate?

Of course we had to give a nod to our home Chicago — Portillo’s Chopped Salad appetizer, landmark themed tables, late night Chicago pizza, and wedding and engagement photos at iconic Chicago landmarks.

Any tips for couples getting married?

During the big day, people always told us to “be in the moment” and after our ceremony we had a private moment for 10 minutes with drinks and food in our wedding suite. No cameras, no noise. It was one of our favorite memories of the night. We really felt in the moment and excited to celebrate the night with our family and friends.

Are there any vendors that you would like to tell us a little more about?

Sarabande is an all-in-one wedding venue including event space, dance floor, DJ booth, Rolls Royce, piano, outdoor area, photobooth, ping-pong tables, projectors, decorations, tables, and more. Having all of these amenities in one location really sealed the deal for us and their staff was incredible.

Our photographer Ashley Houghton (@unabridged.photo) was everything we wanted. She worked with us to editorialize our fashion and aesthetic for the wedding. Her professionalism and creativity truly helped elevate our night.

We would highly recommend our caterer, florist, and wedding planner, and everyone who helped contribute to our night. Weddings can be stressful, but all of their hard work helped make our perfect evening.

Photographer: Unabridged Photography @unabridged.photo | Planning: The Simply Elegant Group 

@simplyelegantxo | Flora: Lake Zurich Florist @lakezurich.florist | Ceremony Location: Sarabande 

@sarabandechicago | Reception Location: Sarabande @sarabandechicago | Celebrant: Janelle Strittmatter @Janelle.stritt | Hair: goldplaited @goldplaited_ | Catering & Beverages: The Caterist 

@cateristchicago | Cake: BitterSweet @bittersweetpastryshop | Stationery: Minted @minted | Entertainment: Style Matters @stylemattersdjs | Suits: Emilio: Tanner Fletcher @tanner.fletcher; Brady: Ralph Lauren @ralphlauren | Other Outfit Details: Simone Rocha @simonerocha_ | Wedding Rings: 

Emilio: Cartier @cartier; Brady: Grandpa’s Wedding Ring | Shoes: Emilio: Manolo Blahnik  @manolo

blahnik; Brady: Ralph Lauren @ralphlauren | Wedding Party Attire: Women: Various; Men: The Black Tux @theblacktux