ELEVATE DINNER PARTY
Presenting Our #MZBride Spotlight: Step into our bride Marisa's "Elevated dinner party" wedding which was nothing short of iconic. In her ultimate Mira Zwillinger couture custom Katya gown with a long-sleeved topper, she made waves at the University Club of Chicago. The bold red and rich brown tones of the evening weren’t just a color palette—they were a vibe, creating an atmosphere of pure sophistication and modern flair.
Daring, luxe, and oh-so-chic. Marisa’s wedding is pure inspo! Get all the details from her epic University Club wedding!
How did you know your dress was 'the one’?
I went shopping with just my mom and after two other stores and various other dresses, when I tried on my dress it felt like an actual wedding dress instead of another white gown. My mom is a bit of a crier (sorry, mom!), and when we had “selected” the dress at the other stores, she hadn’t cried and that was an indicator that the dresses I had tried on were just white gowns. When I put on my Mira gown, I had a gut feeling it was the one and when I said “yes”, my mom cried, thus confirming the dress as “the one”!
How did you start planning your wedding? What were the first steps?
I fell in love with our venue when we initially moved to Chicago, so the first step was securing the location. The team at the University Club were absolutely fantastic and the venue could not have been more perfect, so we actually didn’t look at any other options. Once we solidified our date at the club, we started looking into wedding planners and landed on Clementine Custom Events.
We were paired with Dana Konya and without her guidance we would have been incredibly overwhelmed and lost in the process. We both work demanding jobs and Dana was our MVP of the entire wedding planning process; we don’t know what we would have done without her!
What did you feel when you tried on your custom gown for the first time?
The first time I tried on my custom gown was also the first time I tried on the custom topper, and I was absolutely speechless. It fit me like a glove and was everything I could have wanted and more. It was a very surreal moment.
3 tips that you would give to all our future brides
1. Be intentional with your vendors and trust them fully. If I had only one tip to give, this would be it. Take your time selecting vendors and choose people whose style you like. Look at the prior weddings they’ve done and ensure that they align with how you envision your day. Once selecting your vendors, trust them entirely. If you’ve picked people that align with your vision, trust their expertise to execute it. For example, after meeting with our floral and decor team, Life In Bloom, the general consensus was that the event should be focused on small details and that I wanted to feature an abnormal amount of fruit/vegetables in our table scapes. Outside of those two directives, however, I didn’t have any specific requirements; I figured I’d selected them for their expertise and I was going to trust them to run with it. As you can see, Life in Bloom created a masterpiece that I could have only dreamed of.
2. Give you and your partner each a veto right. At the beginning of the wedding process, my now-husband and I decided on a rule: each of us were allowed to veto one item about the big day (i.e., we each had a right to decide one aspect of our wedding and the other person could not object to it). My husband’s veto was used to avoid incorporating a “first look” into our day; he really wanted to see me for the first time as I walked down the aisle. Meanwhile, I used my veto right on whether we would have an afterparty - I was “all or nothing” on having one; it was either going to be a legitimate, crazy party or we wouldn’t have one at all.
Not doing a first look may have been the best decision we ever made, and we ended up renting out the mezzanine level of a Chicago club (Joy District) for the afterparty.
3. Don’t worry about the “trends.” Your wedding weekend should reflect who you and your partner are as a couple and what is important to you. Ignore the “Ins” and “Outs” lists; trends come and go. Do what you want to do and have the wedding of your dreams (not of someone else’s).
In what way did the matching accessories bring your bridal vision to life alongside your gown?
I knew that I wanted a dress that could “transform” as the night progressed, and the matching accessories did exactly that. I am incredibly thankful to Brandy, Maya and the rest of the team at Ultimate Bride Chicago for understanding that vision and materializing it.
As the topper was custom made to the style of my dress, I didn’t get the chance to try it on prior to ordering it, but I placed full faith in Brandy and I am so happy that I did. In addition to the topper, Ultimate Bride created a tulle overskirt for me to wear during the ceremony and it was an absolute dream. Maya is quite literally a mastermind of a seamstress and not only made the overskirt but figured out how to attach it to my dress/topper to make it easy to remove after the ceremony without causing the attachment to itself be flimsy.
With their help, I was able to wear the gown, topper and overskirt for the ceremony, shed the overskirt for cocktail hour/dinner and then remove the topper (to wear just my gown) for dancing. It could not have come out more perfect.
What was your wedding theme?
If we had a wedding theme it would definitely be an “elevated dinner party.” From the outset, we wanted our guests to feel like the night was focused on them just as much as it was on the two of us. At the end of the day, each person in attendance was someone who had supported our journey and we wanted the weekend to show how much we appreciated them.
We focused on serving the best food and drinks, having the best band and including other details intended to elevate our guests’ experience throughout the weekend. For instance, knowing that many guests would get tired of wearing heels throughout the night, we had Rescue Flats for people to change into as the night progressed; as we expected, it was a huge hit (even I wore them!)
Our perfect Katya is a strapless Chantilly lace mermaid gown that redefines bridal elegance. The allover lace, inspired by blooming garden roses, wraps the body with delicate detail before flaring at the hem for a figure-flattering silhouette. Every inch is a work of art, from the intricate 3D floral appliqués to the subtle shimmer of hand-placed sequins. Katya combines classic romance with modern artistry, giving brides the perfect balance of timeless beauty and unforgettable sophistication.
Katya gown isn’t just worn, it’s embodied—ideal for brides who want to make a stunning, confident entrance.
Do you want to elevate your bridal look with unique matching accessories?
Even if you’re getting married very soon, we’ll create the perfect matching accessory to elevate your bridal look to new heights!
