May 16, 2009
You'll find someone when you stop looking
Cindy Washburn had heard that saying. But now she knows it can be true.
"I had moved to Chicago in January of 2005, and I had tried online dating websites because I worked a lot and just didn't have time to go out and meet people," says Cindy.
"But I found that these websites weren't for me. The people I found online were either 10 years older than their photo, or they just weren't the person they said they were."
So, she stopped looking for a mate and simply looked for friends. On myspace.com, she looked for people living within 50 miles of her zip code. She made it clear she was just looking for friends.
That's how she stumbled upon John Wojda's profile, in November of 2007. "The reason he stood out was that he was kind of quirky and silly, and a nice person," says Cindy. "Definitely unpretentious."
After talking online as friends, they agreed to meet in person.
"He showed up in a shiny mustang convertible with a dozen roses in the passenger seat. I told him he didn't need to do that because this wasn't a date. He said 'This is the way I was brought up.' "
That night, they went to a fancy steakhouse for dinner and took a long walk along the river in Naperville, IL. The winter weather even cooperated: it was 40 degrees out. "From then on, we were inseparable," says Cindy.
The setting for their wedding, 18 months later, was just as laid back-yet romantic-as their first face-to-face date. They got married at The Veranda at The Whitcomb, a unique indoor/outdoor setting with Romanesque marble columns in St. Joseph, Michigan.
"It's just a beautiful place. I can't imagine having my wedding anywhere else," says Cindy.
They chose the city of St. Joseph for their May 16, 2009 wedding because it was a compromise between getting married in Union City, Michigan where she was raised, and the Chicago area, where he was raised.
It was important for their closest friends and family members to be at the wedding. There were 65 guests.
"Everyone there had been important to making the foundation for our lives, and we told them they will be for the foundation of our marriage," adds Cindy. The couple now lives in Carpentersville, a suburb of Chicago.
(Originally, Cindy and John had considered a destination wedding, perhaps in Mexico, but nixed that idea after realizing some family and friends would not have been able to travel that far.)
The small guest list also made it possible for them to plan weekend gatherings around the Saturday afternoon wedding ceremony and reception, both held in The Veranda.
They planned a Friday night gathering in the Silver Beach Hotel lobby, across the block from The Veranda. About 40 of the wedding guests attended.
There was also a Sunday brunch with bagels, cheeses, meats and coffee at the hotel as a way to thank their guests again and send them on their way home.
"I didn't want it to be like other weddings where you just go to the ceremony or reception and don't get to spend any time with the bride and groom," says Cindy. "The Friday night gathering and Sunday brunch were times to catch up. I wanted to make it as comfortable and as much fun as possible for our guests."
The couple also gave their reception guests a gift that will serve as a useful reminder of the intimate ceremony and beautiful sunset they witnessed. As a wedding favor, Cindy bought 50 black (one of their wedding colors) fleece blankets. John?s mother, Charlotte, machine embroidered their wedding logo onto them.
The blankets were then draped over the chairs of guests. The guests grabbed the blankets from their chairs and wrapped up in them.
"The blankets were actually used," says Cindy. "We didn't know that it was going to be cold. As the sun was going down, it got down to about 50 degrees, and the wind picked up.
"They turned out to be a fabulous favor, better than candy. I'm pretty practical and I wanted something that everyone could use."
The Veranda at the Whitcomb
St. Joseph, MI
Wedding Coordinator:
Cher Goggins
Caterer:
CK Catering
Coloma, MI
Photographer:
Lara Parent & Dan Irving,
Lara Parent Photography
Wedding Gown:
Shelly's Bridal Couture
West Dundee, IL
Hair, Makeup, & Nail Salon:
Affinity Salon & Day Spa
St. Joseph, MI
Groom's Tux:
MW Tux
Wedding Rings:
Kay Jewelers
Schaumburg, IL
Flowers:
Cher Goggins
Merry Me Events
Wedding Cake:
Famel's Kakes
Coloma, MI
Reception DJ/Ceremony Music:
Jenna Vasaitis
Foxy Entertainment
Rehearsal Dinner:
Port 412
St. Joseph, MI