Language of Love
By Lisa Arnett
June 2021 View more Better Together
It’s true: Jacqueline Salinas and Jose Perez decided to have a microwedding before the pandemic made it popular. Looking to celebrate their nuptials with a small group of family and friends, they visited the Haight in Elgin in February 2020 and booked the rooftop for a 40-person celebration on September 13. Though shifting guidelines made plans uncertain up until the last minute, they were able to marry as planned—minus the dance floor and plus masks and social distancing.
Officiant Lilian Dircio of Universal Weddings performed a bilingual ceremony for the couple, who met and started dating as high schoolers, she at Romeoville High School and he at Neuqua Valley in Naperville.
Their ceremony also incorporated a lasso ceremony to honor the bride and groom’s Mexican and Puerto Rican heritage, respectively. “It’s something that is traditional in a lot of Latino weddings,” says Salinas, 33, who works as an admissions counselor at Illinois Math & Science Academy in Aurora. “It signifies a unification of two people coming together and committing to sharing a life together as partners.” They selected Perez’s godparents to take the role of padrinos, who agree to serve as role models for their marriage. “They were able to see us grow over the years and it felt like the right thing to have them be a part of the wedding in this way,” says Perez, 35, a driver for Jam Trucking in Bensenville.
At the reception, guests enjoyed tasty treats served from an ice cream cart—a throwback to the couple’s early dating years, when Perez would visit Salinas at her after-school job at Oberweis Dairy.
Vendors
Venue The Haight, Elgin
Planner Amy Reifenstuhl of Rustique Swan Event Design & Curated Decor, Naperville
Bride’s attire Essense of Australia gown from the Crystal Bride, Geneva
Bride’s hair and makeup Meld Studio, Naperville, and Ivette Prado
Groom’s attire Express, express.com, and Men’s Wearhouse, Aurora
Invitations DIY by groom’s aunt
Catering Chef by Request, Lisle
Dessert The Sugar Path, Geneva
Florist Aysel Cristian Floral Atelier
Rings Joliet Jewelry and BrielleShoppe on etsy.com
Entertainment DJ and Photo Booth by Shaun Anthony
Photographer Julia Maruyama Photography (Associate Will Johnson)