“Book everything you can as early as you can. Businesses are almost fully booked for weddings two years in advance right now,” she said. “Enjoy every moment of planning – it goes by fast.” She encourages brides-to-be to find the part of wedding planning that they enjoy and have fun with it. “I’m very crafty, so everything is a DYI project here,” she said. Because she planned ahead, Rothchild was able to lock down her dream wedding location – Ironwood on the Vermilion, a venue big enough to accommodate her 200 invited wedding guests. “It’s close to home and is that rustic barn feel we are looking for,” she said. Daniel Goodyear and Larissa (Magana) Goodyear of Streator were married on Sept. 25, 2021. Since they were married this year, they were doing their bulk of wedding planning before things were too overbooked, and they were also fortunate to dodge the cancellations that plagued brides who were attempting to get married in 2020. Sticking to a budget proved to be the hardest part about wedding planning, according to Larissa. The Goodyears were married at Streator’s St. Michael The Archangel church, formerly known as St. Stephen’s Church, a place that had a special meaning to Larissa. “I grew up going to St Michael’s and have always dreamed of getting married in this church. It is a beautiful church, from the high ceilings to the long aisle to walk down with my father,” she said. The wedding was attended by approximately 80 of their family and friends, although some of the out-of-state guests didn’t attend because of Covid concerns. The most treasured part of Larissa’s wedding was getting to marry her best friend, but one of her favorite parts of the wedding was the fireworks show her husband surprised her with halfway through the reception. The stress of wedding planning was worth it in the end for Larissa and her husband. Even though brides who
CONTRIBUTED PHOTO/CHELLE’S ILLUSTRATIONS
The Covid pandemic isn’t over, so outdoor weddings remain a popular choice. Approximately 125 guests attended Ryan and Kaitlan Gaworski’s wedding at their family farm in Ottawa. Covid was a concern for some of those guests – and an outdoor venue can help ease those fears.
A breath of fresh air Outdoor weddings continue to shine Story by Shannon Serpette Although the wedding industry opened back up in 2021 after a rough 2020, Covid still weighs on the minds of brides and grooms, as well as the guests attending weddings. Outdoor weddings, which saw a huge surge in popularity in the past couple of years, aren’t going away anytime soon. They offer a little peace of mind for all in attendance. Even when they take place in a barn or covered structure, guests enjoy knowing they are just a few steps from fresh air whenever the mood strikes. When Ryan and Kaitlan (Van Hamme) Gaworski were thinking about wedding venues for their Oct. 8, 2021, wedding, there was only one place that seemed ideal – their family farm in Ottawa. “It was the only venue that made perfect sense to us,” Kaitlan said. While throwing a wedding and being responsible for all the little details was daunting, it was a role Kaitlan was happy to tackle if it meant having her wedding on the land that she and her husband love so much. “I love throwing parties, so I enjoyed the planning very much. I started very early on with my décor so that I was
not rushing as it got closer to the day,” she said. She said that finding great vendors helped her tremendously with all the planning, and they opted for a cupcake bar instead of having a formal wedding cake. “Locally, we used Hy-Vee for our catering, both food and cupcakes. They were amazing to work with, the food was hot and delicious, and they made the clean-up so incredibly easy,” Kaitlan said. Despite all the planning, the couple took time to do something healthy for themselves in the months leading up to the wedding. “We both felt like we wanted to feel our best on our wedding day, so we watched what we ate and took many walks. Together, we lost about 100 pounds prior to our big day,” she said. “We were surprised at how well we did. It was a lot easier doing it together.” Even with some last-minute curveballs, the ceremony went off as planned. “Despite the rain and change of ceremony location two hours before the ceremony, it was the perfect day,” she said. Through her experience, Kaitlan has gained some newfound wisdom she’d like to share with other brides. “Relax – it will all come together. Do not stress about the things you can not control because, at the end of the day, it isn’t about all of that,” she said. “Enjoy the little moments because it truly does fly by.”
See BRIDES page 12 The Times Publication | Dream Weddings | January 2022 11
