Love in Bloom

By Lisa Arnett
June 2024 View more Better Together

Lush flowers, romantic decor, and a packed dance floor highlighted this couple’s wedding day

When Allison Arbizzani and Patrick Zigler, both 34, met as students at Northern Illinois University in DeKalb, they shared an initial attraction but hesitated to make the first move. “I just never thought I would have a shot with such a beautiful sophomore when I was just a little freshman,” Zigler says. Meanwhile, Arbizzani—who grew up in Bolingbrook and graduated from Neuqua Valley High School in Naperville—had her own assumptions. “I remember thinking: He just got to college; I’m sure he doesn’t want to get into a relationship immediately,” she recalls.

Though they dated other people and went their separate ways after graduation, they happened to reconnect years later in Chicago. When Arbizzani needed a date for a coworker’s wedding in 2018, she had an idea of just who to ask. “I knew Patrick was single, would be a great time, and most importantly, was a good dancer,” she says. That night was the start of their relationship, and after years of dating—and working remotely from the same kitchen table throughout the pandemic—they got engaged in 2022.

They wrote their own vows and exchanged them in a private moment before the ceremony at the Bridge in Lemont on September 29. Once the reception began, “we wanted everyone to be on the dance floor, and that’s what we got,” Arbizzani says. Their guests took dance breaks to sign the Polaroid guestbook and snack on late-night slices from Turnabout Pizza in Lemont. In lieu of a traditional videographer, they hired a content creator, Captured by Aleks, to record video clips for social media, so they could to stay unplugged during the festivities but still have Instagram-ready reels to share the next morning. They honeymooned in Antigua and are looking forward to house-hunting and finding the perfect home for their future family and their dog, Sergio.

Wedding Details

Venue
The Bridge, Lemont

Wedding coordinator
Amy Reifenstuhl of Rustique Swan Event Design & Curated Decor, Naperville

Bride’s attire
Casablanca gown and veil from White Satin Bridal, Plainfield

Bridesmaids’ attire
Azazie

Hair & makeup
Feeling Pretty, Chicago

Florals
Two Sisters Event Floral, St. Charles

Groom’s and groomsmen’s attire
The Suit Shop and the Tie Bar, Chicago

Rings
James & Sons, Chicago (hers); Manly Bands (his)

Catering
True Cuisine, Wood Dale

Dessert
Cake and sweets table by Rebecca’s Cakes by Design, Bartlett

Entertainment
DJ Shaun Anthony of Signature Entertainment, Chicago

Photographer
Kate Kaplan Photography, Chicago

Photos: Kate Kaplan Photography