Liz Schrenk 11/21/25 Liz Schrenk 11/21/25

Laura & Greg’s Pretty Salt Creek Golf Club Wedding

Laura and Greg first met at a mutual friend’s baby shower – there were some behind-the-scenes schemes to get the two of them to sit together, and sure enough they started talking and realized that their had a lot in common. A few months went by and they finally went on their first date where they spent much of the night talking about high school marching band. It became clear pretty quickly that Laura and Greg really enjoyed talking, laughing, and spending time together – they just had to overcome the distance between Arlington Heights and Effingham.

The long talks that Laura and Greg had on our first couple of dates transferred over to long talks on FaceTime as they navigated the challenges of a long-distance relationship. They got to know each other “face to face” although there were many times they wished their screens and 200+ miles were not separating them! Laura and Greg used the time to plan their in-person adventures and dates – from hiking forest preserves to carving a pumpkin together and cooking dinner, they made the most of our time together and grew closer as they got to know each other better. As the scope of their adventures grew they found a deep love for each other and started envisioning their future together. Greg proposed to Laura this past February and they started planning the wedding of their dreams!

Laura teaches near the Studio and had heard about us, it was sweet to meet her and Greg (he joined the meeting over FaceTime!) and talk with them about their wedding plans. We got to know each other better exploring on a warm hike through the forest preserve during their engagement session. When their late-September wedding rolled around Christy and I were so excited to celebrate Laura and Greg’s love for one another!

We arrived at St. Mark Lutheran Church in Mt. Prospect and met with Laura and her bridesmaids before she got dressed into her beautiful lace gown. Just before the ceremony began Laura and Greg shared a sweet first look outside, it was special to watch them quietly connect before she walked down the aisle. After their traditional ceremony Laura and Greg embraced each of their guests in a receiving line before we took some photographs inside the sanctuary. We love how those dramatic veil pictures turned out!

Once we finished at St. Mark’s we made our way to Salt Creek Golf Club for pictures with their supportive wedding party. The weather was just perfect and the leaves had started to change color, we had such a great time taking pictures out on the beautiful course! We then settled into the reception space for the celebration and were treated to delicious food, meaningful toasts and a night of fun dancing – it was a wonderful day and we were so happy to be a part of it!

Congratulations, Laura and Greg, we love you and wish you a lifetime of happiness together!

To see all of Laura and Greg’s beautiful wedding photos, click here

VENDOR DETAILS
PHOTOGRAPHY
Something Blue

VENUE
Salt Creek Golf Club

FLORIST
Busse Flowers

HAIR & MAKEUP
Bloom Salon

DJ
Spinnin' Discs

WEDDING CAKE
The Italian Bakery

WEDDING RINGS
Rogers & Hollands

WEDDING GOWN
David’s Bridal

BRIDAL SHOES
DB Studio

BRIDESMAIDS’ DRESSES
Celebrate DB Studio

MENSWEAR
Michael Kors

Liz Schrenk 7/30/23 Liz Schrenk 7/30/23

Clare & Christian’s Unforgettable Rolling Green Wedding

Clare and Christian met playing pickup indoor volleyball in Chicago. They were both interested in each other right away. Their first date was axe throwing in West Loop on March 13, 2020, just before the “shelter-in-place” order went into effect. The date went well but Clare decided Christian was "too young" for her (he is 3 years younger). So she quickly “friendzoned” him thinking that the pandemic came at a great time (i.e. she wouldn't run into him). But Clare was sneaky and kept Christian in her back pocket. During the pandemic, she Snapchatted him almost every day and followed him on Instagram. Christian thought "what is this girl doing?". July had arrived and Clare asked Christian if he wanted to play on her beach volleyball team (since she didn't know a lot of other people who played volleyball in the city). The 2 of them started playing outdoor volleyball during the summer of 2020 and the flame of love was rekindled. After 2 weeks of late night post-volleyball Taco Bell runs and a couple of dates here and there, they officially started dating on August 15, 2020 when Christian asked Clare to be his girlfriend amidst the backdrop of a Lake Michigan sunset. After almost 2 years of dating, they were ready to commit their lives to each other officially before God. Christian wanted to surprise Clare with the proposal but she was ALWAYS looking out for it. For some reason she didn't suspect that he would propose to her in her hometown in Ohio, which worked out well for Christian. On May 30, 2022, with the help of Clare's siblings, Christian surprised Clare at Dawes Arboretum by getting down on one knee on a little bridge in the garden and asking her to be his wife. Clare's whole family was waiting for them at a winery nearby and they finished the night by playing a little pickup volleyball at Clare's brother's house, coming full circle. It was a beautiful day.

We knew that Clare and Christian shared a special bond after our first Zoom call with them. When their wedding day arrived, it was the perfect June weather to celebrate their love at our hometown country club Rolling Green. Clare was radiant thanks to the glam squad from Hairs 2 The Bride, and when she slipped into her gorgeous Martin Thornburg gown (with an epic overskirt!) Clare was beaming for the rest of the day.

When we arrived at Rolling Green the guys were having a great time getting ready in the clubhouse, but it wasn’t hard to pull Christian away for his “First Look” with his beautiful bride. Christian’s reaction to seeing Clare was so sweet, he loves her deeply and was by her side for the rest of the day. After some fun wedding party photos on the course it was time for Clare and Christian to exchange their wedding vows in front of their closest friends and family. They included a moving foot washing ceremony to display their commitment to one another and their love for Jesus. It was a beautiful and moving ceremony punctuated by newlywed bliss once they were pronounced husband and wife!

Following the ceremony Clare and Christian mingled with their guests and danced to some amazing live music (including Star Wars adaptions!) The energy was buzzing with joy throughout Clare and Christian’s reception, and once the dance floor opened the party didn’t stop. As the sun started to set we stole Clare and Christian away for a few golden hour photos of the newlyweds before saying goodbye, it was truly the perfect day!