Real Weddings – Lisa Persaud and Phillip Tamburello

At Dubsdread Catering we love being dedicated members of the team that makes your big day your best day. While we are masters at the planning and executing the behind-the-scenes work, we know our clients have their own unique perspective on their event. We thank recent clients Lisa Persaud for graciously sharing her experience to benefit others.

WEDDING DETAILS: 
BRIDE AND GROOM: Lisa Persaud and Phillip Tamburello
WEDDING DATE: August 15, 2020
VENUE: The Highland Manor (ballroom page)
EVENT COORDINATOR: Michelle Edmiston, Wedding & Event Coordinator 

VENDORS: 
Hair and Make-up: L. Santana Designs https://www.lsantanadesigns.com/
Photographer: PB & J Studios https://pbandjstudios.com/
Dessert: Morgan Hunter Desserts https://www.morganhunterdesserts.com/
Florist: Petals by Design http://www.petalsbydesign.us/ 

EIGHT MONTHS OUT FROM WEDDING DAY

How/where did you get engaged?
What started as a normal Saturday for me was actually the climax of weeks of planning for Phillip. I had brunch plans with my girlfriends at a restaurant overlooking the Chicago River, and Phillip was supposedly going to work for an after-school activity. Unbeknownst to me, Phillip didn't go to school, but instead drove to O'Hare airport to pick up his parents and aunt. On my side, my brother and his fiancé, landed in Chicago as well that morning, my Dad had flown in a few days earlier, and conveniently my other brother and his girlfriend live in Chicago. While Phillip was coordinating all the family, I was enjoying brunch with my friends, Daisy and Ariela. Daisy showed up with a fancy camera and convinced me she joined a photography club that was meeting after brunch. We left the restaurant and walked across the bridge where I spotted Phillip smiling from ear to ear. He immediately came over, took my hand, and led me to the path along the Chicago River. He inquired about brunch and all I was doing was asking he what he was doing there. His response once was "love," "marriage," and "being his person" right before he got down on one knee. My ugly cry was already fierce, then I heard the question I’ve dreamed of my whole life from the person I’ve waited for my whole life for. I obviously said YES and pulled him up off his knee to embrace him. I was so in shock that he had to ask, "So, do you want to put on the ring?" At that point, I realized I had not even seen the ring; he put it on my hand, and the flood works of tears could no longer be controlled. We celebrated with our friends and family immediately afterwards. 

What are you most excited about for your wedding day? 
This may sound cheesy but tying the knot with the person of my dreams in front of our families and friends as our witnesses is so exciting. I also cannot wait to see how the labor of our planning efforts come to life on our day and am hopeful for it to be the most fun day of our lives! 

What aspect are you excited to plan the most? (ceremony, food & beverages, photographer, DJ)  
The ceremony to make is official, the DJ because we love a great dance party, and great food and flowing cocktails to celebrate with our family and friends. 

FOUR MONTHS OUT FROM WEDDING DAY

How do you feel the planning is going? How do you feel the planning is going?
Excitement, yet angst at this point! Planning from afar already had its challenges as we live in Chicago and our wedding is in Orlando, plus with everything in the world today, we are cautiously moving forward with video chats and a lot of emails! We hear that many small businesses whose business is reliant on weddings are going out of business and that hurts, so we love knowing our commitment to having our wedding and the vendors we’re using may help someone’s business. 

What have you found to be more difficult than you expected? 
Finding the perfect make-up and hair artist. These are key for me for the BIG day and for the photos and other visual memories we will have forever. 

What has been more fun about the process than you expected?
Learning about each other's preferences is fascinating. Even the small details were discussed, and I didn’t know Philip would be so opinionated, in a good way!  

WEDDING DAY

What was the best, most memorable part of your big day?
Walking down the aisle to see my groom and vice versa for him! It was everything you hope it should be, and more. Tied with that was the epic dance party celebration we had with our family and friends. 

If you could change one or two things about your event, what would they be?  
We would have planned for a longer reception it just wasn’t enough time with our friends and family. Our Pastor’s blessing at the beginning of our meal was very important to us and it wasn’t coordinated to the start of the salad service as I would have preferred, so I would recommend having the discussion ahead of time with both the caterer and the pastor to understand timing and needs. The other thing I would advise, is to have more conversation with vendors about the venue and our plans, just to make sure everyone is in sync. It didn't ruin the day, but our plan and space didn't quite sync up with the DJ, so there was last minute arranging that would have been nice to have been on top of before the day of.  

Is there any advice you would give other couples planning their event that you wish someone had told you? 
Soak up every minute of the BIG day. The small details are not a focus for guests or you once it’s all happening.  

Photos courtesy of PB & J Studios