The Wedding Story of... Joe & Alina Meier

Catching their breath while still glowing in contentment, Alina & Joe nestled in the family room of professional wedding planner Anne Landis' home, whose roles took on that of many--advisor, confidant, designer and the person responsible for bringing the essence of their dreams into the spectacular reality of their wedding celebration.

They reflect: The extensive process of planning the most significant day in the lives of Alina and Joe Meier, romantically, emotionally and spiritually, reached its pinnacle at their wedding ceremony located at The Basilica of The Sacred Heart on The University Notre Dame's Campus, Saturday February 2, 2008 and at the reception site hosted by Morris Park Country Club. This memory will last in the minds of their family and friends as one of the most joyful and enthusiastic experiences shared by Alina and Joe.

It was extremely important to them that their wedding reception be the perfect place to celebrate their union and host a "great party" for their friends and family. Neither Alina nor Joe had the experience of putting together an event of this magnitude, nor the knowledge of how to start the planning process, so they agreed that their highest priority was to get help from a professional in the industry. They hired Anne Landis from Morris Park Country Club to reach into the essence of their personalities, paint the picture of their vision, and create the most exciting, fun-filled, romantic celebration to mark the beginning of their wonderful life together.

Alina and Joe met and became friends while studying at The University of Illinois in 2001. A few years later, Alina earned her degree in Bio Engineering and moved to New York City, NY, where she had been accepted by The Teach for America Organization. Shortly after moving to New York, Alina went through a difficult time in her life as her mother became ill. Joe continued his studies at the University of Illinois and had also been facing his own personal family challenges. Alina and Joe were friends who had remained in touch, and they would see each other periodically, as both were a part of a close-knit group of friends that reunited occasionally.

Alina and Joe began corresponding long-distance with each other and their relationship blossomed. "After a difficult summer for both of us, we became closer and began dating in August of 2003," they recalled. Joe graduated in 2006, from the University of Illinois with his Masters in Electrical Engineering and works as a consultant for a computer software company. Alina had moved to South Bend and in 2007, graduated from The University of Notre Dame School of Law. They currently reside in Chicago, IL. After four years of dating, Joe proposed on February 16, 2007 and the planning adventure began!

Alina and Joe's celebration began on Thursday with the buzz and excitement of seeing families and friends arrive at the hotel. As their guests arrived, they received hugs, welcome bags filled with wedding goodies and things yet to come…wanting to keep the events leading up to the reception casual & fun for their friends, they chartered busses for the entire weekend beginning on Friday with a pick-up for dinner prior to the ceremony rehearsal. Arriving at Maury's Pub in Mishawaka, all were greeted with the ND ambiance of Maury's, the decor of purple tulips in Bailey's bottles, White Sox table favors and trivia tent cards that would challenge their guests' knowledge of the two of them.

Alina recalls, "During the planning process, our roles were reversed. I was laid back about it all and Joe was definitely anxious about getting the planning complete. I had no distinct vision about my wedding day but with Anne's knowledge and patience, she was able to piece together my own personal style, exactly what I could not envision. When Joe and I arrived at the reception, it was as if a glimpse of heaven was created in order to allow us a moment to create the mood we wanted our family and friends to experience. Morris Park Country Club, transformed into a princess Ball, with sparkling silver valances, silver scroll linens and the accent of eggplant silk napkins, the exact shade of the bridesmaid's gowns, swirled around the deep lavender roses and lilies."

Alina and Joe's party, from their first dance to Sinatra's "The Way You Look Tonight" sung by Scott Ryan of the band "BLAMMO," to the delectable main course and then finally with dancing to the amazing local band "BLAMMO," the gala was "better than we had imagined." Every dream they imagined, and some they didn't fathom, came true this day to celebrate the marriage of Alina and Joe Meier.