Setting the Date

By Lisa Arnett
June 2026 View more Better Together

High school sweethearts tie the knot

On his first day of his senior year at Oswego High School, Tommy Burmeister didn’t recognize sophomore Danielle Johnson sitting in the back of the classroom. But he was intent on meeting and didn’t waste any time trying to get her attention. “He sat in the very front, and I remember he kept turning around and looking at me very peculiarly and waving,” Johnson says. “And I was like, ‘Who is this kid?’ ”

They started dating in 2011 and soon found that their contrasting personalities complemented one another. “He has golden retriever energy—he lights up the room. I think he’s taught me how to be more outgoing and just enjoy living life without embarrassment,” Johnson says. Burmeister appreciated Johnson’s independent spirit and caring nature. “She didn’t need anybody and she was always doing her own thing,” he says. “Yet, she was always the first one to be there for a friend when something went down.”

After eight years together, he proposed on Nov. 22, 2019. Pandemic restrictions the following year paused wedding planning, as did the passing of Johnson’s grandmother. “The time didn’t feel right to be celebratory,” Johnson says. They decided to focus on house hunting instead and bought a home in Aurora in 2023.

In 2024 they were ready to start planning their wedding with the help of Amy Harloe of Happily Ever After Events in Naperville. To keep the same anniversary as their engagement, they booked Nov. 22, 2025, at The Drake Oak Brook. A mutual friend officiated their ceremony in the hotel’s Flower Room, a dramatic hall with a suspended sculpture of colorful glass flowers extending from one end of the ceiling to the other. “When I walked in, my jaw hit the floor. The floor-to-ceiling glass windows, the black-and-white tile—it was quite literally made for what I had in mind,” Johnson says.

Celebrating in the company of their closest friends and family members made for a very sentimental day. “It’s such a surreal moment to see everyone you’ve ever known who has loved you, all in one place,” Johnson says. “In our speech [to our guests], we said our wish for them was to eat too much, drink too much, and dance too much.”

“I got to marry my best friend,” Burmeister says. “I can’t believe how perfectly everything went the entire day. We were so carefree and happy.” They considered a delayed honeymoon but decided to ride the wedding high and leave the next day to honeymoon in Curaçao. “After having such a long engagement, I knew we would just want to bask in the moment of getting married and not have to go right back to reality and work,” Johnson says. “It was the best vacation we have ever taken.”

Wedding Details

Venue and catering
The Drake Oak Brook

Wedding planner
Amy Harloe of Happily Ever After, Naperville

Bride’s attire
Rivini by Rita Vinieris gown from Bella Bianca Bridal Couture, Oakbrook Terrace; shoes from Badgley Mischka

Bride’s hair and makeup
Simona Vuleta of Simona V Beauty, Chicago

Groom’s and groomsmen’s attire
Men’s Wearhouse, Geneva

Rings
Rogers & Hollands Jewelers, Aurora

Florals
Floral Events, Naperville

Cake
The Baking Institute, Northbrook

Entertainment
DJ Ruki Dole of Dream House Productions, Chicago

Rehearsal dinner
VAI’s Italian Inspired Restaurant Kitchen + Bar, Naperville

Photographer
Meg Dunn Photography, Rockford

Photos: Meg Dunn Photography