The Violet Hour
Written for Fall/Winter 2010 CS Brides Magazine by Kate Templin (editor of Bride-Buzz)
For Ali Pesche, weddings have always been a bit of an obsession.
“It’s always been my thing,” says Pesche, the 27-year-old designer behind Chicago-based jewelry line Ali Precious. “I had subscriptions to all the bridal magazines way before I even had a serious boyfriend. I always loved the design aspect of weddings and how personal they are.” Pesche, a native of the northern suburbs, even moon lighted as a wedding planner during her undergrad days at the University of Wisconsin.
While Pesche’s time in Madison introduced her to the wedding industry, it wasn’t until she moved to Chicago that she met her future husband, Matt Lerner— despite the fact that he was in her graduating class and ran in the same social circles. “We have pictures from college that we’re both in,but we never spoke,” Pesche says.
In fact, when their paths crossed during a post-graduation night out with mutual friends in 2005, neither remembered the other. “Our friends couldn’t believe that we had never met.”
Introductions (finally) made, the pair connected again a few weeks later at a Shedd Aquarium benefit and, quickly, everything fell into place. “There hasn’t been a time since that we’ve been apart,” Pesche says.
Four years later, in February 2009, Lerner, a 27-year-old real estate broker, decided to pop the question—despite Pesche’s suggestion they wait another year. “Things were busy, and waiting just seemed to make sense,” Pesche says. Lerner, however, didn’t agree.
“The day before Valentine’s Day, I came home and Matt told me I had 15 minutes to get ready. He bought me a new dress, and after I changed, he blindfolded me and put me in a car.
When he took the blindfold off, we were at the Hotel Sax, I was surrounded by roses and candles, and he had made a video montage of all of our favorite photos that was playing on the big screen.
Suddenly, the time seemed just right to say “I do.”
Having been passionately connected to the wedding industry for so long made picking vendors a no-brainer for Pesche, especially when it came to the fig- and white-colored flowers and décor, which she entrusted to Heffernan Morgan.
“I definitely wanted a glam look. I love chandeliers and crystals,” Pesche says. “I make fun of myself all the time because I can be such a little girl when it comes to style. Sometimes I have to remember that I’m 27.” One girly choice the bride didn’t make was having any bubblegum-hued elements
“I was adamant about no pastel pink,” says Pesche, who decided to go with deep purple tones instead.
The amethyst accents worked beautifully with the reception’s glamorous theme, which was continued throughout the day’s elements—from the crystals hanging from chandeliers over each table to the spectacular chuppah, created with a tufted-fabric exterior (embellished with brooches Pesche designed herself ). Te brooch motif also repeated on the bejeweled cake, while strung crystals hung above a dessert table featuring all the couple’s favorite sweets, including mini donuts, chocolate-covered Rice Krispies treats, Push Pops and moon pies.
“The Sofitel’s desserts were the best,” says Pesche, who also enlisted local baker Take the Cake to create a S’mores-inspired wedding cake with marshmallow filling, fudge and graham cracker-flavored cake.
While satisfying her guests’ sweet tooths and her own fairy-tale-like design was a huge focus for the wedding-addicted bride, at the end of the day, Pesche says, it was her family and friends who made the day beautiful. “There were elements that didn’t look exactly as I had hoped, but it was like ‘carpe diem,’” Pesche says.“We were having such a great time.”
“We didn’t leave the dance floor. I fell three times during the chair dance and sprained my ankle, but I was having too much fun to care,” Pesche continues. “I just couldn’t walk at brunch the next day.”
Carpe diem, indeed.
- Photography: Andrew Collings
- Venue: Sofitel Chicago
- Cake: Take the Cake
- Flowers/Decor: Heffernan Morgan
- Dress: Monique Lhuillier from Ultimate Bride
- Shoes: Angela Nuran from The Left Bank
- Band: High Society Orchestra
- Hair: Joseph Bartucci at Salon Buzz
- Make-up: Noreen Turger
- Videography: KP Wedding Video
Wed Savvy 
