Stacey and Judd are getting married next year at the Chicago Illuminating Company. We spent an afternoon getting to know both them and their aorable King Charles Cavalier, Charlie a bit better. Below are just a few of our favorites from their session as well as their how they met and proposal stories (which is such a fun read - you don't want to skip it!).
How We Met …
Stacey: Judd and I met in law school. More specifically, we met on the first day of law school orientation in the computer networking seminar … on what otherwise was proving to be the worst day of my life. Uprooted only days prior from my home and family in Ohio, I was determined to put on a brave face and begin law school (and my life in Chicago) with grace and confidence. Three obstacles stood in my way: (1) I did not know a soul; (2) I did not know the difference between the “el” and the “Metra” (and would continue taking the commuter train downtown from Lincoln Park every day until at least October); and (3) Chicago-Kent College of Law was decidedly not “Mac-friendly”. Having never actually used a PC, I did not bother taking my brand new computer out of its box until forced to do so by the evil gremlin otherwise known as the IT computer guy. From the moment it was powered on, that computer did nothing but display what must be the PC-equivalent of the “sad Mac” face. Without another option, I raised my hand for assistance.
Judd: We were in a room full of clueless 1Ls trying to figure out how to set our computers up on our law school’s network. My computer wasn’t working, and I was in over my head. Little did I know that a pretty blonde girl seated several rows ahead had even less of an idea what she was doing. She raised her hand to ask a question, and IT guy shot her an icy cold glance, furious glance that this young law student had the audacity to interrupt his moment in the spotlight. As the IT guy proceeded to yell at the blonde for wasting everyone’s time, I could see that she was holding back tears. Several minutes later, I raised my hand to ask a question and was met with the same fury and condescension. Holding back tears myself, I scanned the room for a sympathetic soul to share my humiliation. That was the first time I saw those big brown eyes, the ones I’m fortunate enough to be able to look into every morning when I wake up, and every night when I go to bed. She smiled at me, and at that moment, the last thing on my mind was this stupid computer.
The Proposal …
Judd proposed on Friday, July 8, 2011, almost five years later. He picked me up early from work on Thursday, under the pretense that we would be going to the suburbs to have dinner with his family. That day at work was particularly stressful, and I wanted nothing more than to curl up in sweatpants with a bottle of wine. An hour commute to the suburbs to have dinner with my boyfriend’s extended family was, of course, second on my list. Needless to say, I was cranky and tired when Judd picked me up, and I fell asleep immediately upon buckling my seatbelt. My annoyance turned to confusion when I woke up and realized that we had passed our intended exit. That’s when Judd informed me that instead of dinner, we were dropping the dog off with his parents and going away for the weekend. As it turns out, Judd had asked my parents’ permission, requested the day off work from my boss, packed my bags, and planned an incredible weekend getaway in Lake Geneva. Despite one minor speed bump (even though he packed my entire jewelry box and make-up case, my only clothes options were long-sleeved wool dresses and what can only be described as “hooker shoes” that I purchased to go with an 80’s Madonna Halloween ensemble), I could not have hoped for or imagined a more perfect weekend. Judd got down on one knee on the golf course at sunset. Not only had he carefully chosen the exact spot where he would propose, Judd arranged for us to have dinner on a terrace overlooking that spot, at an awaiting table strewn with rose petals and a chilled bottle of champagne. The next day we returned home, where our families were waiting to continue the celebration. That weekend was just another reminder of how lucky I am to be marrying such an incredibly thoughtful man, who also happens to be my very best friend.





Recent Comments