Trent & Todd: The Height of Love
Trent and Todd first made contact over an app called Coffee Meets Bagel. "We instantly connected over life in Chicago, our jobs, and that we were both supported by a great community of friends.” A couple of weeks later, Trent spotted Todd at a restaurant where they both happened to be having brunch. This happenstance occurrence reignited the conversation from the app and propelled them forward to going on their first date.
It was a Sunday afternoon in Chicago. Trent met Todd on an outdoor patio of a local bar. The spark was nearly instant. “The conversation was so easy that it felt like we were the only ones at the bar.” Trent was overcome by how smitten he was with Todd. A combination of sharp, easy going, hard working, and cute. “We both thought we had won the lottery!”
The beginning of the relationship was natural and free-flowing. Just a couple weeks into seeing one another, they invited each other to their personal Friends-giving parties. “We knew we had both met someone special.”
“We got to a point early on where we had to decide if we would take on the challenges of a long-distance relationship due to Trent’s new job assignment that was moving him across the country. It was an easy decision to go for it and prove to each other that we would each put in the work to support the relationship. You know it’s worth it when you feel like both people are equally putting in the effort, no matter how far apart you are or what circumstances you find yourselves in.”
After a year and a half of long-distance, Trent found a job back in Chicago and the two decided to move in together. And, it wasn’t long before a proposal was in the offing: one that was all about the couples’ height! “We’re quite a tall couple… Trent is 6’6” and Todd is the tallest in his family.” So it was only fitting for Todd to propose in front of a pair of giraffes at the Lincoln Park Zoo Lights in Chicago! Trent’s brother and sister-in-law were in on the surprise to take pictures of the moment. “Although we had been talking about it for a few months, Trent was taken by surprise—even more so when both of our families flew into town to celebrate that evening. It was a magical night and a memorable way to start our next chapter together.”
“We were both surprised at how the planning never really stopped! We got all of the big things out of the way pretty quickly, but we got hung up on tiny details that we never thought would matter to us—like what shade of gray for the table linens, and what ties our groomsmen wore. At the end of the day, none of these little details mattered, but we can always look back and laugh at getting hung up on these little things.”
In hindsight, Trent and Todd recommend that before you rush to book a venue and lock in different vendors, “be sure to take a step back and have a conversation with your partner about your vision for the weekend. It is much easier down the road if you identify early on what you both want—and where you might disagree! And don’t be afraid to take inspiration from others. When we attended our friends’ weddings, we would talk about what things we liked and if we wanted to incorporate them into our day."
The wedding date was set for November 9th, 2019. A warm Saturday in the fall at Chicago’s Ravenswood Event Center. “We were able to celebrate with 180 guests of family and friends throughout all stages of our lives. It was sunny and almost 50-degrees, so we really lucked out on the weather for November in Chicago. Our venue was an old billboard factory and created an unforgettable, unique atmosphere.”
“We spent the entire morning relaxing together, just the two of us. We both kept thinking “Wow, it is finally here! And, when the moment came to walk down the aisle, we were both overwhelmed with emotions.” Todd reflected, “I walked down the aisle first with my parents and I remember taking a deep breath at the beginning of the aisle. I was so overwhelmed looking at all of my friends and family supporting us on our big day. Then when I was at the end of the aisle, I looked back and saw Trent being escorted by his parents. He and I both started to tear up. It was such a special moment.”
The ceremony was held in the third-floor atrium. Enormous floor-to-ceiling windows allowed the orange and red hues from the autumn sunset to pour into the room while Trent and Todd exchanged their vows.
“I promise to be there when you need me,
to comfort, encourage, and inspire you,
to be your best friend,
and to love you all my life with all my heart.”
Trent expressed how special the ceremony was to him. “The space was so beautiful and everything we had planned came together exactly how we pictured it—the musicians, the lighting, the Chuppah, etc. Our close friend was the officiant, and I love how personalized he made the entire ceremony. Our wedding party consisted of our siblings, and it meant a lot to have our brothers and sisters up there with us.”
After sharing a kiss and being announced as husbands for the first time, the wedding party proceeded downstairs for cocktails in an elaborate industrial-style loft. As wine and champaign were poured, the guests transitioned into the Showroom for the reception, which was filled with vintage cars and classic neon signs from the streets of Chicago.
“Right after we finished dinner, the MC announced for Trent to come up to the stage. Trent called everyone up to the dance floor and he started to sing. I remember him saying, “I’d like to dedicate this song to my husband,” and that was the first time he called me his husband. He sang ‘Lover’ by Taylor Swift accompanied by the band, and I was just so blown away.”
As elegant of a wedding this was, there was room for a little fun and a personal touch! “Given how giraffes played a special role in our engagement, we wanted to incorporate giraffes into our day, including our hashtag #GiraffelyEverAfter. We had gold giraffe napkin rings at each place-setting and two gold giraffes on our wedding cake. Later in the night, we surprised our guests by putting on giraffe head costumes on the dance floor.”
Trent and Todd left for their honeymoon the Monday after their wedding. “We spent 2 weeks in Chile exploring the country’s diverse regions—hiking in Patagonia, exploring salt flats in the Atacama desert, and tasting wines from multiple wine valleys. Most of the time we were in remote places with no cell service, so it allowed us to unwind from the wedding stress and unplug.”
Looking back on the wedding, as far as advice goes, the two reflected on what one of their friends told them. “From the moment you say “I do” until the last guest leaves, never be more than 5 feet from each other. It can be tempting—wanting to catch up with your own family and friends, but force yourselves to stay close the entire night so that when you look back at your wedding on Monday, you’re not saying “What did you do? Who did you hang out with?”, but rather you experienced the whole thing together and shared the same memories.”
Venue — Ravenswood Event Center
Photography — Jill Tiongco Photography @jilltiongcophoto
Videography — Jill Tiongco Photography
Officiant — Shane Kosch
Invitation Design — Minted
Catering — Ravenswood Event Center
Cake Design — Jennivee’s Bakery
Apparel — The Black Tux
Floral Design — Anna Held Florist
Live Music — Bluewater Kings
Hair Stylist — King’s Barber Studio
