Keeping It Classic

By Lisa Arnett
July 2026 View more Better Together

College sweethearts marry at a historic Fox River hotel

If your bus breaks down in rural Indiana in 100-degree heat, don’t despair—you might just meet your future partner. That’s what happened with West Chicago newlyweds Alexis Long and Jacob Amstutz, who met on a freshmen volunteer outing at Indiana University in 2014. “We were on the side of the road for more than an hour waiting for a new bus to pick us up, and we sat down next to each other,” says Amstutz, an attorney who grew up in Fort Wayne, Indiana.

They exchanged numbers, became part of the same friend group, and started dating about a year and a half later. Though their relationship was long distance at times—Long studied abroad in Spain, and they earned graduate degrees in different states—they remained committed to a future together. Amstutz proposed in 2024 on a summer trip to the Long family’s lake home in western Illinois.

They chose Hotel Baker in St. Charles for their July 19, 2025, nuptials. “We both love historic, elegant buildings and we wanted to have more of a formal wedding style,” says Long, a speech pathologist who grew up in West Chicago. The Reverend Kevin Caruso of Trinity Episcopal Church in Wheaton officiated their ceremony in the hotel’s storied Rainbow Room, and they recited their own vows, kept secret from one another until the big day. To prepare for their first dance to “The Way You Look Tonight” by Frank Sinatra, they took lessons at Vargo’s Dance in Geneva.

Their celebration was full of personal touches: Amstutz wore heirloom cufflinks from his grandfather, who passed away a few weeks before the wedding, and guests sipped blueberry Moscato from Oliver Winery, located in Bloomington, Indiana, near IU. “The wine is unique and our longtime favorite, so we asked Hotel Baker to special order it for our wedding day,” Long says. They kept the party going with a gelato bar and late-night tater tots and burgers from Wahlburgers in St. Charles. After the wedding, they honeymooned in Germany, Austria, and Switzerland, where they toured castles, rode an alpine coaster, and listened to plenty of Mozart during the Salzburg Festival.

Wedding Details

Venue and catering
Hotel Baker, St. Charles

Bride’s attire
Gown by Jenna Eden Designs, Geneseo; necklace from CD Peacock, Oak Brook; earrings from Stones Jewelry, Wheaton

Bride’s hair
Hair by Tonya, Geneva

Bridesmaids’ attire
Azazie

Groom’s attire
Made-to-measure Hart Schaffner Marx tuxedo from Von Maur, St. Charles

Groomsmen’s attire
Men’s Wearhouse, Wheaton

Rings
Bride’s engagement ring by Personal Diamond Services International, Chicago; wedding bands from CD Peacock, Oak Brook

Florals
Shamrock Garden Florist, Winfield

Cake
Deerfields Bakery, Buffalo Grove

Entertainment
DJ Joe Medrano of Show on the Road, Naperville

Photography
Shane Lawrence Photography, Chicago

Videography
Harvoth/McLindon Video, Crown Point, Indiana

Photos: Shane Lawrence Photography