SOPHISTICATED CELEBRATIONS
EMILY & JAMIE
Written by Annie Mosbaugh Knapp / Photographed by Ian Borgerhoff Physicians Emily Hrisomalos and Jamie Butler were married on October 9, 2021, with a ceremony at Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Cathedral, followed by dinner and a reception at Newfields, catered by Jenny Oden with Kahn’s Catering. The bride wore an exquisite Monique Lhuillier gown from Marie Gabriel Couture; the couple’s wedding bands came from ReisNichols Jewelers, designed to complement her engagement ring. The Pulliam Pavilion at Newfields was transformed by event planner David Jackson and Alan Thompson of McNamara Florists into a magical Greek garden featuring olive trees from Engledow Group and pagodas decorated with olive branches. A 12-piece Greek band from Chicago, the Chris Sarlas Orchestra, accompanied traditional Greek folk dancing. In a touching tribute, Alki Scopelitis, a cousin of the bride, played the song “Emily” on the piano–a request the bride’s mother says she made when her daughter was still in infancy. A speech by the bride’s father, Nick Hrisomalos, featuring photos and video from Emily’s childhood, left everyone misty-eyed before the celebration turned to dancing the night away. At the end of the evening, revelers enjoyed late-night sustenance, delivered, fittingly, by local Greek restaurant Athens on 86th. The wedding weekend also included a rehearsal dinner at Woodstock Club, and Sunday brunch, held at Hotel Carmichael.
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The bride and groom met in middle school “probably by the lockers or at lunch” recalls Emily, though they were just friends growing up. “I definitely remember our moms driving us to a movie, though,”she says, adding, “Maybe that was our first date.” They stayed in touch during college, and Jamie ended up living with Emily’s brother while both were in medical school; during that time, the couple reunited at a conference in Miami and began dating. Says the bride’s father, “Seeing Emily find her childhood soulmate again after all those years was wonderful, and Jamie immediately felt like a son and also a friend. They are a perfect match.” Separated during the pandemic for three months, with Emily in Carmel beginning her medical practice and Jamie in Los Angeles doing a fellowship, the couple was finally able to be together in May of 2021, when Jamie flew to Carmel. A walk in Coxhall Gardens turned into much more when Jamie descended on one knee to propose. “I thought he was just bending down to tend to our dog, Louis, but then I saw a table under a pavilion set with red roses and champagne, and Jamie’s cousin popped out from hiding to take photos,” Emily recalls. A honeymoon in Greece was postponed due to the pandemic; instead the couple spent a few days in Vail and plan on traveling to Greece in the near future. sl
