Behind The Curtain

July 25, 2016

Written by Annie Weeden (MDE’s 2016 Summer Intern)

I remember my first wedding like it was yesterday (maybe because it was only three weeks ago, but that isn’t the point). I woke up to the smell of fresh coffee all made and ready to go. Being a not-so early riser my sweet father thought it would be a good idea to brew a fresh pot to get me up and moving for the big day ahead of me. Not only was this my first wedding ever, but it was my first wedding working behind the scenes with the Michelle Durpetti Events team. I didn’t know what to expect, but I knew that no matter what happened it would be a great learning experience.

After listening to some country tunes while cruising past a couple of slow pokes on the highway down to the big “windy city” I arrived at The Drake Hotel to meet up with a member of the MDE team, Jeanne Brassil. I knew that though this was my first rodeo, this would possibly be the most gorgeous wedding I will ever see because not only was the reception at this infamous hotel, but it was also in the Gold Coast Room complete with beautiful flowers from Exquisite Designs and center pieces that made my jaw hit the floor. Upon my arrival Jeanne and I were put right to work making sure the bride and bridesmaids were all done up and ready to go and the groom and groomsmen all fed and heading out the door. The day went by in a blur after that.

This past weekend I attended my second wedding and instead of shaking of nerves I was confident and excited for a new experience. This wedding was a totally different feel from the last one. The ceremony was at Our Lady of Pompeii and though the sun wasn’t shinning on that Saturday and rain was in the forecast, the church was beyond beautiful. With its traditional Italian paintings and sculptures the ceremony seemed to pop with color in comparison to the looming clouds outside. Though the rain didn’t impact the MDE one bit it was educational to see how the team came up with a plan B incase all things didn’t go as planned. Luckily we were able to miss the storm by the skin of our teeth and only caught it on the way to the reception, which was at the Carlisle in Lombard. When we got to the Carlisle I was shocked at how big this event seemed to appear even though I shouldn’t have been because over 400 guests attended. It was a totally different look from the wedding the week before at The Drake. This was a full on Italian wedding with copious amounts of food, beverage, glitter, good attitudes, and dance moves.

Both of these weddings gave me a sense that everyone is different with different traditions and customs and it was amazing to see the MDE team work with two completely dissimilar styles. Through this internship, I have learned about what goes on behind the scenes or what Michelle likes to call it, “what goes on behind the curtain.” All the discrete running around (like spies with cool earpieces) while making sure that everything went according to plan made me realize how much detail and relentless hours it takes to plan an event. In just one full day of helping out and doing tiny projects such as searching for a lint roller, checking off tables, counting chairs, and making sure the bride and groom get from point A to point B promptly I learned so much about why timing is so important and how great it is to have such awesome vendors that you can rely on to make the bride and groom’s day special. A wedding is not an event that you can just throw together in two seconds. It is an event that takes time to plan and corporation from all teams and vendors making sure that the day runs smoothly so the bride and groom can cherish the moment among their loved ones. I am so grateful to play a role in that special day that almost every little girl dreams about and Michelle has taught me so much through her actions and her lessons. She is always making every experience and mistake we make a teachable moment. Michelle is someone that takes every little detail into account and makes these special events even more magnificent than imaginable. Now I know what you might be thinking, “Annie wrote this because she is a brown nosing intern,” but this is not the case. Over the past three weeks I have learned way more than I thought I would and my new knowledge of weddings and organizational life skills should be credited to MDE. I am looking forward to many more experiences to come.

Photos courtesy of Carasco Photography.

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