This couple’s fall Forest Park wedding feels as vibrant as spring

Kelli Segobiano and Zach Stiltz married at the Muny Culver Pavilion on September 30, 2017.

by Jenna Fleischmann

April 5, 2018

8:05 AM

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Courtship: Kelli Segobiano and Zach Stiltz have friends in low places. Through them, they developed a friendship-turned-love of their own. Kelli, a Belleville native, and Zach, who grew up in Lake Bluff, both attended their home state’s University of Illinois, but they didn’t meet through mutual friends until after graduation. Throughout the summer of 2013—in Kelly’s case, vacation, since she is a math teacher—they visited friends in Chicago, running into each other more and more. When Zach, a CPA, traveled to St. Louis for a work trip, they arranged their first date at McGurk’s in Soulard.

Proposal: Zach and Kelli spent Thanksgiving 2016 with his family near Lake Forest. Always on the lookout for new restaurants around Chicago, they decided on the Deer Path Inn, a spot as charming and picturesque as the town’s train station. Under the impression that they were picking up his brother, Kelli agreed to go to the station, but leaving the car was another matter. Zach managed to get her outside when he suggested the spot as a cute Christmas card photo op. She describes “the whirlwind that followed.” Zach on one knee, a friend who surprised her by snapping proposal photos, the surprise party at his parents’ house, and the post-dinner celebration with even more friends and family at a local bar.

Ceremony: Kelli and Zach married on a warm fall day at the Muny Culver Pavilion. Their second date, a walk through Forest Park, made the iconic green space an ideal site for the ceremony and photos. They decided to let the landscape sing for itself, adding minimal decor. Subtle displays of greenery and white floral accents transformed the expansive space, which accommodated 300 guests, into an intimate one. The couple exchanged vows they wrote themselves. Afterwards, family and friends enjoyed a cocktail hour in the park.

Reception: For Zach and Kelli, Windows on Washington had it all: spacious wood floors, brick exposure, and light pouring in from every direction. A large number of guests limited venue options, but the simple, rustic atmosphere—featuring creamy roses, gold and white chairs and tables, and white lights—added warmth and romance. On a jam-packed dance floor, surrounded by a ring of family and friends from all the chapters of their lives, some total strangers to each other, Zach and Kelli belted out “Friends in Low Places.” Seeing everyone sing together, arm in arm—who's not convinced it’s their jam at this point?—filled their hearts with unimaginable joy and gratitude. They felt surreally happy and humbled that so many people came together that day.

The Details:

Getting Ready and First Looks: Four Seasons St. Louis

Ceremony: Muny Culver Pavilion

Reception: Windows on Washington

Wedding Planner: Mr. & Mrs. Wedding Events

Photography: Ashley Fisher Photography

Makeup: Beauty by Whitney

Hair: House of Rogue

Florals: Accents Floral Design

DJ & Lighting: McMusic Events

Cake: Sarah’s Cake Shop

Linens: La Tavola