Brittany and Eric grew up in Chicago, 10 minutes away from each other, but it wasn’t until they both moved 800 miles away to New York City that their mothers, who were friends in high school, set them up and they actually met for the first time – “a Jewish-mom matchmaking success story!” Brittany says.
It is no secret that Brittany is obsessed with “The Bachelor” and “The Bachelorette” television shows. So when it came time to propose, Eric somehow got J.P. Rosenbaum, who was the “winner” of The Bachelorette in 2010, to record a video message to Brittany setting up the proposal, which would take place in Rockefeller Center. That speaks volumes about Eric’s adoration of Brittany, and their fun and unique relationship.
As much as they love their adopted city of New York, there was no question their wedding would be back home in Chicago. Brittany had originally envisioned a winter-white wedding, but she could not get the Chicago Botanic Garden out of her head, and so it was there, amid the bold, colorful florals of summer, that she and Eric said their vows and partied until the lightning struck. Yes, a summer storm came in toward the end of the reception and forced the party to end a little sooner than they had planned. Mauricio made the most of the moment, though, and ran out into the thick of the storm to get a portrait of Brittany and Eric under the tent with the lightning in the background.
Even with the storm, Brittany and Eric say they wouldn’t have changed a thing. “It was absolutely, hands-down, 100%, mind-blowingly the wedding of our dreams,” Brittany says. “They say it’s incredible to have all of your people together in one room, but there is no way to be prepared for how it will actually feel. It is a complete freefall, and my dad put it best when he said the day just takes on a life of its own – all you can really do is soak in all the love and try not to blink!”