Pup the Question

By Lisa Arnett
September 2023 View more Better Together

A Lombard couple celebrates their union with their family—and dogs

Last fall when Spencer Bogdanski, 34, proposed to Roxanne Heath, 43, her answer was an enthusiastic “yes.” But they both delight in telling the story of how, back when he first asked her out 14 years earlier, she shot him down on the spot.

Heath, then 29, was starting her morning shift as a server at Glen Oak Cafe in Glen Ellyn when Bogdanski and his friends came in for a 6 a.m. breakfast after being out all night at a concert in Chicago. He was 20 at the time. “I think I asked him, ‘Are you even old enough to drink?’ ” Heath remembers. “When he asked me out, I was like, ‘Absolutely not.’ ”

As he became a regular at the diner over the years and they got to know each other, the age difference faded into the background. “I could tell she’s very smart, she had a deep intellectual understanding and was very easy to talk to, a very genuine person,” Bogdanski says. “There was just a very emotional connection,” Heath says. “We didn’t want to stop talking.”

After starting dating in 2016, they discovered some interesting parallels in their lives. “My mom is also nine years older than my dad,” Heath says. And when it came to schools, Heath graduated from Glenbard East, and Bogdanski from Glenbard West, though a decade apart. “We actually had our 10- and 20-year reunion on the same night, so that was a good time,” he says.

They planned an intimate celebration for 22 of their closest family members on March 18 at Ivy Restaurant in Wheaton. The bride’s adult children were a special part of the day. She and daughter Kennedy, 25, had their hair and makeup done together, while son Grant, 22, walked her down the aisle. Heath’s father became ordained so he could officiate the ceremony, and their beloved dogs, Warrick and Gigi, made an appearance for portraits.

This fall, they’re looking forward to hosting a larger reception to have the opportunity to celebrate together with friends.

Wedding Vendors

Venue and catering
Ivy Restaurant, Wheaton

Bride’s attire
Ashley Graham X Pronovias from the Altar Bridal, Barrington

Bride’s accessories
Betsey Johnson ballet flats, betseyjohnson.com; Givenchy bracelet, Macy’s

Bride’s hair and makeup
Jeremy Jonjevic, Orland Park

Florist
Andrew’s Garden, Wheaton

Groom’s attire
Canali, Nordstrom

Cake
Sweet Reserve Bakery Lombard

Rings
Erckman Jewelers, Chicago

Transportation
West Suburban Limousine, Winfield

Photography
Katherine Salvatori Photography, Glen Ellyn

Photos: Katherine Salvatori Photography