Thanks to all who came to share our wedding with us–especially those who travelled great distances to be here–it meant the world to us.

Much love, and a thousand thanks,

Mary and Dan

Date:  Saturday, September 26, 2009, at 5:30 p.m.
Location: Volo Restaurant and Wine Bar, 2008 W. Roscoe St., Chicago, IL

The ceremony will begin at 5:30 and will last for approximately half an hour. Rev. Gretchen Steffenson of the United Church of Christ will officiate. Guests are welcome to arrive at Volo after 5:00. We encourage everyone to arrive a few minutes early so that we can start promptly at 5:30.

We are hosting complimentary valet parking for our guests, so anyone who is driving will not need to worry about finding a place to park.

The reception will be cocktail style, which means that there will be plenty of heavy appetizers passed and at buffet stations, and there will be small tables around where guests can sit or stand and chat. It’ll be substantial enough to be dinner, but not a sit-down affair at banquet tables. Think of it as a cocktail party where you’ll be able to try an assortment of small plates and mingle and dance and have a good time.

There will be dancing.

There will be plenty of desserts, including a cake from our favorite Sicilian bakery.

And we hope there will be merriment.

We look forward to seeing you then!

We are registered at:

Bed Bath & Beyond

Crate & Barrel

Williams-Sonoma

(We also have a soft spot for Heath Ceramics.)

Volo is located at 2008 W. Roscoe in the heart of Roscoe Village, four storefronts west of Damen Avenue, on the north side of the street.

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If you’re driving, Google Maps can help with directions.
We are pleased to be able to offer complimentary valet parking for any of our guests who may be driving.

If you’re traveling by public transportation, take a look at the CTA’s trip planning site: www.transitchicago.com.

Volo is four blocks west of the Brown Line’s Paulina stop, and is also accessible via the Damen, Belmont, and Addison buses.

Things to Do
If you’re not familiar with Chicago let us share some ideas for things to see and do in the city:

1. Architectural Boat Tour on the Chicago River: this is a relaxing way to get a peek at the city’s storied architecture
2. Millennium Park: Mayor Daley’s crowning achievement, at least until we have a verdict on the whole 2016 Olympics bid, this downtown park features Anish Kapoor’s popular sculpture “Cloud Gate” (popularly known as “the Bean”), Jaume Plensa’s interactive Crown Fountain, and Frank Gehry’s Pritzker Pavillion.
3. Museums: the Art Institute (with the newly opened Modern Wing), Field Museum, Shedd Aquarium, Museum of Science and Industry, or the more off-the-beaten-path Museum of Surgical Science.
4. Lake Michigan. The lakefront is a great place to take a walk or just sit and enjoy the view.
5. Tall buildings: If you have the urge to go up in a tall building and get a bird’s eye view of the city, skip the Sears Tower (er, Willis Tower) and head to the Hancock Building’s Observatory. It’s not quite as high, but the view is better.
6. Shopping: if you like to shop, just about everyone knows about the Magnificent Mile, but you might also want to check out the boutiques on Armitage Avenue, or the mix of hipster, vintage, and upscale designer shops in Wicker Park/Bucktown.
7. Eat. If you visit one bakery while you’re here, try Pasticceria Natalina in Andersonville (Natalina is making our wedding cake). If beer is your thing take a look at the impressive Belgian and domestic beer lists and Belgian bar food at the Hopleaf. If you want a classic Chicago style stuffed or deep dish pizza, there’s about a million options–Lou Malnati’s, Gino’s East, Calo, Uno’s are just a few. If you want a fabulous brunch try M. Henry. If you’re craving Indian food, try Bhabi’s Kitchen on Devon. If you need a recommendation for Thai, Ethiopian, Italian, Spanish, Persian, contemporary American, Costa Rican or any other kind of cuisine, just ask.
8. Wander. Pick a neighborhood. We’re partial to Andersonville, but we’re getting married in the very cute Roscoe Village, and we think you could have a good time exploring Lincoln Square, Wicker Park, Chinatown, Lakeview, Old Town, Ukrainian Village, West Town among others.
9. Live entertainment. There is always so much live music and live theater going on. If you like reasonably priced comedy, we recommend Too Much Light Makes the Baby Go Blind. If you like the symphony, we recommend the CSO. If you’re up for serious theater, try Chicago Shakespeare or the Steppenwolf. If you like big musicals, take a look at Broadway in Chicago. If you want indie rock music, check out the Empty Bottle, Schuba’s, the Metro, the Hideout, among other great venues.

You can find out more about what’s going on at the Chicago Reader or TimeOut Chicago.

This is Mary.

Mary was born 29 long years ago in East Lansing, Michigan (well, technically, the hospital was in Lansing). She’s the second (and best) of Jim and Karen Kasprzak’s four children. She came to Chicago eleven years ago to attend college at Loyola University Chicago, where she earned a degree in English. She is now an editor at Encyclopaedia Britannica. (Yes, they still print encyclopedias, but of course a lot of it is online…)

Last summer, Dan proposed on the shores of Lake Michigan at sunset. Mary’s response was a stunned “are you serious?” and, eventually, “yes.”

We can’t wait to get married and spend the rest of our lives together, and we’re so looking forward to celebrating this life changing event with our families and friends.

The above photo was an arms-length self-portrait right after Dan proposed. For  our official engagement photos, take a gander over here.

This is Dan.

Dan grew up in Randolph, Vermont (in the center of the state, about a half hour south of Montpelier). He and his twin brother Peter (Dan is the older by about a half hour) are the sons of Bill and Jo Busha. He came to Chicago to go to school at DePaul’s Theatre School, where he earned a degree in Technical Theatre. After several years of working in theatre around Chicago, notably at Chicago Shakespeare Theatre, he decided to make a career change.  By the end of the summer he will have completed a degree in computer science from the University of Illinois at Chicago. He works as a software developer for a trading company in Chicago.