Mari and Ben’s love story started in college. Mari didn’t have a lot of friends in the new area, so her sister introduced her to a kind guy in her class. Yep – that was Ben! From there, Ben asked Mari to be his Spanish tutor since she is bilingual and grew up in Costa Rica… even though Ben already had 8 years of Spanish under his belt. He knew that this was his opportunity to spend more time with Mari without being too forward or suspicious, and it worked! The two love birds have been together since their freshman year of college, and we had the pleasure of bringing their wedding day to life at University of Northwestern.
Keyed Up Events came into their love story thanks to Ben’s mom! She found us through a mutual acquaintance a few years ago when she was looking for a planner for her other son’s wedding. While they ultimately did not end up going with a planner, Ben’s mom (Deb) kept our name and followed our work. When it came time for her second son to get married, she decided they did need some help and arranged a meeting for all of us. Thanks Deb!
Once Mari and Ben booked, it was time to get to work planning their wedding at University of Northwestern. It was important to Ben’s grandpa that they use the chapel at Northwestern. Since the couple was looking to have a dry wedding anyways, it just made sense to have the reception there as well.
The day started off in their apartment’s party room where the ladies got ready. Studio K arrived to do Mari’s hair and Jennifer Wolf handled Mari’s makeup and the other gal’s lashes. They looked absolutely stunning! Once everyone’s hair and makeup was complete, they began heading to University of Northwestern.
Upon arrival at the venue, everyone began getting dressed. Mari and her ladies looked beautiful in their dresses from The Wedding Shoppe, and the guys were looking spiffy in their suits from Men’s Wearhouse! Once the bride was ready, she met her dad outside for their first look. We love her dad’s reaction as he sees his daughter on her wedding day for the first time. It is truly such a sweet moment!
Allison Nicole Photography then took the bride and groom out for their first look. This was such a magical moment between the two of them. You can just feel the love and happiness through the first look photos and the portraits they took after!
After the couple shared their moment, the wedding party joined them for a few fun group photos around the venue. This was also a great time for their videographer, Shane O’Donnal, to capture clips for their wedding video. Fun fact: Ben is actually a videographer himself, so Shane recorded on the day of the wedding and Ben did all the editing of the video! Ben was also the videographer for one of our Jewish weddings. Be sure to head over to their blog post for details about their day and to see their wedding video!
As we mentioned before, the ceremony took place in the chapel at University of Northwestern. The space didn’t require any added decor, so the only florals in the space were the beautiful Sola Wood Flower bouquets carried by the ladies that the bride had made. The couple shared a sweet ceremony with their friends and family before being announced husband and wife! They happily celebrated as they made their way down the aisle, then did a receiving line with their parents.
As social hour wrapped up, it was time to invite guests to take their seats for a delicious dinner from Bon Appetit. The couple wanted to keep all the decor very simple, as their main focus was to spend time with family and friends. Studio B Floral nailed the vision and did a great job keeping everything simple and elegantly mixed with our rental decor! As guests finished their meals, they were served yummy treats from Cafe Latte which everyone thoroughly enjoyed.
As evening approached, Allison Nicole Photography made sure to sneak the bride and groom outside for a few stunning sunset photos.
Mari and Ben then took to the dance floor for their first dance, followed by the parent dances. They were all so fun to watch! Trustworthy Music then opened up the floor to all the guests and kept everyone dancing all night long! It was truly a night to remember filled with love and happiness everywhere you looked!
One final shoutout to the awesome vendors that helped pull Mari and Ben’s wedding day off at University of Northwestern!
Venue: University of Northwestern
Caterer: Bon Appetit
Dessert: Cafe Latte
Hair: Studio K
Makeup: Jennifer Wolf
Florist: Sola Wood Flowers / Studio B Floral
Photographer: Allison Nicole Photography
Videographer: Shane O’Donnal
Rentals: Keyed Up Events
Bridal Gown: The Wedding Shoppe
Bridesmaid Dresses: The Wedding Shoppe
Suits: Men’s Wearhouse
Planning: Keyed Up Events
Creatively written by: Hope Konkol
