TWO SISTERS IN LOVE… WITH THE SAME VENUE 156
A pair of sisters, engaged only months apart, both wed in the same hotel where they celebrated holidays as children.
When sisters Maggie and Amy DiMatteo found themselves preparing to tie the knot in 2016, it was only natural that they selected to host their weddings in the same Chicago hotel in which their family spent every Christmas weekend as long as they could remember.
After a dream engagement during a helicopter tour of Kauai, Hawaii, Maggie and fiancé Kevin Prendergast could think of no better place than the Four Seasons Hotel Chicago to start their lives together. “We knew we didn’t want any component outside and we wanted our guests to be able to take a quick elevator ride up to their rooms once the party was over,” Maggie notes. While the bride took the lead on the majority of the planning, the groom knew where he might be most helpful. “Maggie has far better taste than I do when it comes to decorations and music, but I did enjoy the tastings and helping pick out the food very much!” Kevin laughs.
MAGGIE DIMATTEO & KEVIN PRENDERGAST
While organizing her own nuptials a short time later, Amy found that her groom, Jonathan Saigh, wanted to dive headfirst into the process. “He was involved in every decision besides the dress!” she reveals. After meeting at a pool party during graduate school, the two became fast friends. “We both had significant others at the time, so there was no pressure to impress,” Jonathan recalls. Soon, their other relationships ended, allowing them to strike up a romance. Three years later, Jonathan proposed while taking a stroll on the beach during a visit with Amy’s parents – though he admits that “after two months of dating, I knew she was the woman I wanted to spend the rest of my life with” – just one month after Kevin had popped the question to her older sister. The pair also agreed on their venue. “The hotel was a no-brainer. It’s like a second home to us,” Amy gushes. “Why not add the best memory of my life to the Rolodex?”
AMY DIMATTEO & JONATHAN SAIGH
“I saw the most beautiful gown online, so I called Dimitra’s Bridal Couture,” Maggie says. “Sadly, they told me that since it had just debuted at Bridal Fashion Week, they wouldn’t have it available for purchase until after my wedding.” Disappointed but determined, she continued to search for “the one” and tried on a slew of pretty gowns. However, her mind was still on that stunning, beaded, V-neck ensemble. “I called Dimitra’s again on a whim and begged them to find a way to let me try it on. They pulled some strings and had it sent over from New York, straight off the runway! They really went above and beyond for me,” she beams. “Once I put it on, I knew it was my dress.”
When it was time to find her gown, Amy also ventured to Dimitra’s Bridal Couture. The bride-tobe was set on finding a versatile outfit for her big day. “I wanted that big bridal skirt, but I didn’t want to have to carry it around all day,” she remarks. In an effort to create the perfect ensemble for her “I dos,” she was able to select the silhouette of one dress and the voluminous, detachable overskirt of another and meld them together – producing a romantic A-line gown with a lace bodice and a sweetheart neckline. “It was just perfect!” Amy muses.
Hope Weis helped the duo create an idyllic atmosphere for their vow exchange. “I wanted it to be warm and intimate, with nothing feeling overly curated – even though, in fact, it was planned down to the votive,” Maggie affirms. The space was filled with reflective elements accented by candles of varying heights and opulent chandeliers suspended overhead, all accompanied by soft lighting, against a creamy linen backdrop. “I wanted the first time I saw Maggie that day to be walking down the aisle, so no ‘first look’ pictures,” explains Kevin. “Seeing her enter the room was one of the most emotional experiences of my life.”
Opting to hold their service in a nearby church, Amy and Jonathan elected to keep the décor minimal. “I wanted the beauty of the chapel to shine, so we kept it simple with two decorative floral pieces at the altar,” she tells. Though they were married in a house of worship, the couple desired to incorporate a few nontraditional elements, including a “first look,” which turned out to be the most special moment for the groom. “I will never forget the moment I turned around and saw my bride for the first time,” he smiles. Amy, like Maggie, also had her father and mother walk her down the aisle – an aspect of great importance to both sisters.
Continuing the blissful and cozy vibe from their ceremony, the reception ballroom was bathed in neutral hues, infusing a hint of gold accents throughout. “I wanted the flowers to feel like my dress, with a lot of texture and depth, so we had three different heights of centerpieces in the room,” Maggie notes. Attendees enjoyed a sit-down dinner by candlelight, followed by a slice from the newlyweds’ four-tier, chocolateand-hazelnut wedding cake. “The best!” gushes the bride. The night was topped off with plenty of lively dancing. Muses Kevin, “The band put on a tremendous performance which included choreographed violinists!”
“I wanted people to feel like they walked into a romantic dream,” explains Amy of the motif of their celebration, which showcased ample greenery with touches of ivory, charcoal, and cream. With both the bride and groom having dietary restrictions, they were excited that the venue was able to create a delicious menu within their boundaries. “Our close friends are still raving about the food!” exclaims Jonathan. The cake was designed with the dress of the bride in mind, and “the majority of guests still don’t know that it was gluten free,” adds the groom.