The Wedding Story of... Abby & Carl Leng

About a month after meeting Carl Leng at a mutual friend’s wedding, Abby Koepfle was confident that she found her perfect match. “The first time Carl invited me to his apartment I noticed that he owned the complete series of The West Wing on DVD, which is my favorite show,” Abby recalls. “At that point I knew this guy was special. Shortly after, we were sitting on a blanket along the lakefront in Chicago, watching the Air and Water Show, and we just talked the whole day. In that moment, I just had a feeling that he was ‘the one.’”

 

 

 

 

Two years later, Abby joined Carl and his family as they celebrated the Fourth of July weekend at Glen Lake in northern Michigan. Both Carl and Abby share a love of the outdoors so it wasn’t a surprise when the two hiked the Sleeping Bear Dunes together. “The hike was much harder than either one of us expected,” recalls Abby, “It took us about an hour to hike to the top, and along the way we stopped at different points to take funny pictures of each other. Once we finally made it to the top I did my cheesiest ‘we did it!’ pose as Carl took my picture. As Carl was putting his camera back in his pocket he said, ‘Now I have something for you,’ and he got down on one knee, pulled out the ring and asked me to marry him!” Abby immediately said yes! 

 

 

 

 

Carl and Abby opted for a summer wedding for two primary reasons. “Part of the reason was out of necessity,” Abby explains. “I was in graduate school at the time and had the whole month of August off for break, so the timing just worked. Besides that, I’m more of a summer girl and all the ideas I had in my head from colors to dresses just seemed to fit a summer wedding.”

 

 

 

Before the ceremony at St. Monica’s Catholic Church in Mishawaka, on August 6, 2011, Carl and Abby spent some time together alone, which is something Abby was originally against. “I talked with a few married friends about the idea and some things they said really stuck with me,” Abby recalls. “Marriage is a big deal that goes well beyond the wedding day, and having that moment with just the two of you to reflect upon this huge journey you are about to start is actually really nice.”

 

 

 

 

Following the ceremony, the newlyweds and their 200 guests made their way to The DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel. The reception reflected Carl and Abby’s fun personalities, love for music, good food, and their shared loved of the Chicago Blackhawks. “Our biggest priority was putting together a fun party for our guests - it is a celebration after all!” 

 

Instead of having typical wedding favors, Abby and Carl had personalized rally towels made in their wedding colors. “They were draped over the chairs at the reception, much like you would see at a sporting event,” says Abby.  “When Carl and I were introduced at the reception, the DJ instructed our guests to wave their towels.  We made our big entrance to Chelsea Dagger by the Fratellis, which is played at the United Center when the Blackhawks score. That intro made our guests go wild and really set the tone for the rest of the night!”

 

To add some personal family touches to the reception, Abby and Carl used the same toasting glasses that Abby’s grandparents used at their 50th Wedding Anniversary and used the same cake topper that her grandparents and parents used at their wedding.