When Stephanie Statham was working as a waitress in New York City, Chris Collins sat at one of her tables for lunch. One would think that as a model for Ralph Lauren and Banana Republic, Chris’ good looks would have been the first thing to catch Stephanie’s attention. Not so. “He ordered appetizers,” she remembers, offering an explanation. “At 21, just out of college and broke, it was nice to meet a young man who ordered appetizers.” But Chris left more than a great first impression that day; he also left his phone number. Stephanie called him that very same night, and the two kicked off their courtship with brunch (complete with appetizers) the next morning.    
A few years later, the couple celebrated Chris’ birthday in Miami, and despite an obvious windstorm, he insisted the two share a midnight toast on the beach. With the sand whipping around them, Chris began his speech, which became clear to Stephanie had nothing to do with his birthday. Chris got down on one knee and asked Stephanie to be his wife.
In discussing the feel of their wedding, the bride and groom knew that they wanted to capture the energy and style that had defined their engagement: the heat, the sleek urban vibe, and the crisp white décor of the Delano Hotel where the two had been celebrating in Miami. They decided to get married in Stephanie’s hometown of Chicago and soon faced the challenge of incorporating their specific criteria into a fitting venue all while living in New York. But once Stephanie and Chris booked the Chicago Botanic Gardens for a date in July, they wisely surrounded themselves with trusted team — a wedding planner, an event designer, and best of all, Stephanie’s mother. “Thank God for my mother,” admits the bride. “She really took on this wedding as a personal challenge.”
An all-white palette became the basis for the décor, creating an airy beauty that was anything but simple. “Do you know how many different types of white there are?” laughs Stephanie. “There came many days when I thought, ‘OK, all white, but which white?’” Using several subtle variations on the hue, the design team covered the reception’s round and rectangular tables with white linens and lined them with runners made of small white stones. Tall glass cylinders with floating candles ran down the center of each rectangular table, while on each round table a single tall lamp was encircled by small vases of gardenias — the only flowers used at the party. Billowy sheer fabric draped the entrances of the tent, and chic white furniture created a series of lounges under the stars.
But before the celebration could begin, Stephanie and Chris were married in a Catholic ceremony witnessed by 215 guests. They exchanged traditional vows but included personal letters that they had written to one another in the ceremony programs for all to read. “It allowed us to share with every one of our guests our thoughts about the future and each other. It kept our ceremony personal and sacred.”
And personality continued to saturate the event. The song the newlyweds chose for their first twirl around the floor — Prince’s “Adore” — was very original, as was the decision to give their wedding video a cinematic quality by using Super 8mm film to capture the evening’s excitement (Stephanie is a film and TV producer who owns her own production company). The couple also chose to honor Stephanie’s Southern roots by serving a red velvet wedding cake, hiding its dramatic filling beneath a coating of smooth, white fondant decorated with shimmering white ribbon and delicate flowers. Another sweet touch was giving their guests monogrammed chocolate bars wrapped in the newlyweds’ personal motto: “To Life & Love.”
From the hip South Beach-inspired location they created for their wedding, Stephanie and Chris were off to another stylish locale, the south of France, where they spent time honeymooning in St Tropez, Nice, and Monte Carlo. Back home in New York City, Stephanie still revels in the memories of her dream day: “I truly love the way our wedding felt, the energy, the clean lines, the outdoors, and even the heat. It was breathtaking, and I’d do it all over again in a heartbeat.”