September 23, 2006
"The space between, your heart and mine
Is a space we'll fill with time"
--Dave Matthews Band
Jenny Utz and Zach Gamblin first met while working for the Career Center at the University of Notre Dame. Bound by many similarities, the two quickly became good friends despite a two year difference in age. Jenny recalls a calm, unexplainable understanding of each other from the start, "I liked being around him. We just clicked."
Time passed quickly. Zach graduated and moved to Chicago to begin work, and Jenny remained at Notre Dame for her junior and senior years. For those two years, the 90 miles that separated the pair could not quell their commitment, albeit unspoken, to maintain their friendship. As love would have it, the space between, or perhaps the multitude of phone calls and inboxes of emails, transformed their friendship into a blossoming relationship. But Zach was in Chicago, and Jenny had responsibilities as a college student, including a study abroad program in London, England. However, the added separation only made their hearts grow that much fonder.
Separated by an ocean for several months, Zach rushed from Chicago to South Bend with great anticipation to greet Jen upon her stateside arrival. He planned an all-American night, beer and Barnaby'sd pizza--the perfect homecoming in Jenny's opinion. Little did Jenny know at the time that she and Zach would share a lifetime of perfect nights.
On September 23, 2006, Jenny pulled up to the doors of the Basilica of the Sacred Heart, a picture of perfection. The rain outside, like the space between, could no dampen the spirit of the relationship or the wedding day. To the delight of the family and friends gather for the ceremony, and certainly Jenny and Zach, everything fell perfectly into place, including an unusual stop on the way to the reception. Decked out in full wedding attire, and certainly foregoing the conventional, Jenny and Zach bellied up to a local bar and comfortably celebrated their holy matrimony with a hot place of wings, a game of darts, and a couple of beers.
The reception, held at Blue Heron in South Bend, put the icing on the couple's wedding day cake. Jenny and Zach invited a Chicago band to play at the reception, and to their great delight and surprise, Jenny recounted, "The dance floor was full the entire night!" So many elements combined to create a wonderful, memorable day for Jenny and Zach, and the reception atmosphere allowed them to share their love and wedding experience with family and friends.
The treasured adage, "Distance does not end love--it creates love," certainly holds true for Jenny and Zach. From now on, however, their future will only bring them closer and closer.
Basilica of the Sacred Heart
Notre Dame, IN
Reception Location:
Blue Heron
South Bend, IN
Photographer:
Joe Derby Photography
Granger, IN
Wedding Gown:
Bridal Panache
Essence of Australia
Plainfield, IL
Bridesmaids Gowns:
Bridal Panache
Alfred Angelo
Plainfield, IL
Hair Salon:
Illusions Salon & Day Spa
South Bend, IN
Nail Salon:
Elite Nails
Mishawaka, IN
Tuxedos:
Louie's Tux Shop
South Bend, IN
Wedding Rings:
Steve Quick Jeweler
Chicago, IL
Flowers:
The Yellow Rose
Granger, IN
Wedding Cake:
Macri's Italian Bakery
South Bend, IN
Reception Band:
Libido Funk Circus
Chicago, IL
Rehearsal Dinner:
The Oak Room (South
Dining Hall at Notre
Dame)
Notre Dame, IN
Transportation:
Cardinal Buses
Middlebury, IN
Honeymoon:
Hawaii (Maui and Kauai)