Belleville native Chloe Hamm says her wedding to Andrew Schechter might never have happened if not for his sheer determination. “He wanted to meet me, and my sister wanted to introduce us, but I was away at college so I kept saying no,” she says. “His persistence eventually changed my mind!” The two met for drinks at Bar Louie and enjoyed each other’s company so much that Chloe returned to St. Louis every weekend afterward until she graduated.

“We both have goofy personalities, which I think is why we clicked right away and felt so comfortable around each other,” Chloe says. She moved to St. Louis in 2015, and the pair got engaged in April 2016. “We went to a winery to celebrate our two-year anniversary,” Chloe recalls. “Andrew had brought a bottle with a label that said ‘Will You Marry Me?’ and put it with the others when I wasn’t looking.” By the time she noticed the sweet message, he was on one knee. Andrew knew his bride-to-be would enjoy choosing her own engagement ring, so he popped the question using a ‘stand-in’ she had pinned on Etsy. Later, the couple went shopping for the real thing.

They chose The Sheldon Concert Hall for both the wedding and reception. “Andrew makes decisions quickly,” Chloe says. “The Sheldon was the first venue we looked at, and he was ready to say yes as soon as we saw it.” The wedding took place on the theater stage, and the upstairs ballroom was perfect for partying. The couple incorporated traditional Jewish touches into the ceremony, like stomping a glass and saying a blessing over wine and bread. Chloe says her cousins provided some of the music, including piano and ukulele, and guests were out on the dance floor. “Everyone said it was the most fun they had ever had at a wedding,” she recalls. “We left at 11 p.m., and I’m told it was difficult getting everyone else out the door!”

wedding party
Maid of Honor | Casey Hamm
Bridesmaids | Samantha Kassing, Kayleigh Cox, Maddy Hogan, Kayla Ott, Colleen Mulholland, Liz Beelman, Laura Schechter
Best Man | Robby Schechter
Groomsmen | Graham Olsen, Nick Berkery, Cameron Jadali, Eric Ricker, David Comens, Danny Garbo, Logan Livers
Bride’s Parents | Dr. Richard Hamm and Michelle Hamm, both of Freeburg, Illinois
Groom’s Parents | Mark Schechter and Karen Schechter, both of St. Louis

resources
Ceremony & Reception | The Sheldon Concert Hall
Gown | Morilee
Cake | McArthur’s Bakery
Florist | Thorn Studio
Music | Complete Weddings
Honeymoon | California

Photos: Abbigail Marie Photography