Welcome!


Please tap on the pictures below or scroll down for details on our wedding celebration!


Overview


Carles Figuerola

Christine Dobies

Saturday May 18, 2019

Chicago, IL


Ceremony - 3pm
St. Clement Church
642 W Deming Pl, Chicago, IL 60614
more information
Reception - 4:30pm
DANK Haus
4740 N Western Ave, Chicago, IL 60625
more information
Transit
Limited parking is available at both sites. The church and ballroom are about 5 miles apart - 20 min by car or 30 min by train

St. Clement


Church history

St. Clement Roman Catholic Church was constructed in 1918 by architect Thomas P. Barnett. A romanesque building rich in Byzantine artwork, it takes inspiration from several notable sacred structures - including Hagia Sophia in Istanbul, the Basilica di San Clemente al Laterano in Rome, and especially the Cathedral Basilica of St. Louis.

Like the Cathedral Basilica of St. Louis, St. Clement was conceived of as a blend of eastern and western styles - one hallmark of the Byzantine Romanesque style. It houses an impressive collection of mosaic artwork, and its decor follows the canons of Byzantine art - placing symbols of the heavens and divinity in the highest sections, images of saints and sacraments in the transitional middle areas, and images of creation on the lower level.

We invite you to read more here or here

Getting There

Public Transit
St. Clement is just a short walk away from the CTA 'L' Fullerton station. Walk east to Orchard St and then north a couple blocks.
The 22 Clark or 8 Halsted bus lines have stops at either side of the church that will leave you within a 2-block walk.
Driving
There is a parking lot just in front of the church, on the south side of Deming Pl. Note it is common at St. Clement to park down the middle of the parking lot once all the marked spots have been taken.
The parking lot must be cleared after our ceremony!

DANK Haus


A bit about DANK Haus

The Deutsch Amerikanischer National Kongress (DANK) or “German American National Congress” is a non-profit dedicated to promoting German-American culture. Located in Chicago’s charming Lincoln Square neighborhood, DANK offers classes, programs & community events which celebrate German heritage. This historic building was designed by architect Paul Gehardt & built in 1927. Our reception will be on the 5th floor in the lovely Marunde Ballroom.

While neither Carles nor Christine have any ties to Germany, we are happy to celebrate our union in this elegant space with its multicultural flair & “old world” charm!

Getting There

Public Transit
The CTA 'L' Fullerton stop is a short walk from St. Clement (head south on Orchard & then west on Fullerton). Take the brown line towards Kimball & get off at Western. The Dank Haus is just steps away - you may even be able to see the German & American flags from the train platform! details
Driving
Head north on Orchard St. & take the first left onto Wrightwood Ave. In about ½ mile (just after passing the train tracks) take a slight right onto North Lincoln Ave. Stay on Lincoln for about 3 miles, following as it curves left & intersects with Western Ave. Take a right on Western (you will pass the Dank Haus), then take the first left after Lawrence Ave onto Gunnison St & look for the MB Bank parking lot to your left. details

Our Story


Many wonderful people (& one serendipitous evening!) led Carles & Christine to each other. In April 2016 each were (separately) invited to a fundraiser for the Light & Leadership Initiative. While sipping drinks & browsing silent auction items, they enjoyed chatting with the friends they already knew & learning more about the charity’s high-impact work in Peru...completely unaware that a “future-special-someone” was in the room. As the event wound down (they’d exchanged neither a glance or a word at this point) an afterparty was mentioned, and a friendly & boisterous crowd (of mostly Catalans) asked Christine & her friend to come along.

Buoyed up by “welcome shots” & fun music, Carles & Christine began to chat – while in the background his friends ensured that the new girl stayed smiling & engaged in conversation. As the night got later the pair exchanged numbers & determined to keep their conversation – and the natural spark of attraction – going.

As spring gave way to summer, the two like-minded souls continued to get to know each other: bonding over bike-rides, beach-days, dinner-dates and many espresso-fueled conversations! Carles introduced Christine to rock-climbing & Catalan culture; while Christine showed Carles Chicago’s nature conservatories & the wonder of Millennium Park concerts. In time they became inseparable, deepening their trust & confidence in each other, and growing together in their commitment to each other.

The Proposal


Knowing how much Christine likes plants, Carles planned an “impromptu” trip to the Garfield Park conservatory. It was a cold Saturday in February, and the pair had been downtown for a friend’s goodbye brunch when Carles suggested visiting the conservatory “since it’s pretty closeby”. Christine gladly agreed & suspected nothing as they admired the ferns & flowers inside. While walking through the conservatory, Carles may have used more Catalan words & phrases than usual, but Christine barely noticed; assuming this was because she’d recently been studying her beginner’s Catalan book.

After some time they paused for a photo by a flowering tree & sat down on the benches beneath it. Carles inquired if Christine was ready for a little “Catalan quiz” & asked her to translate two phrases. The first one was spoken very quickly & left her a bit confused: “Cards verds taquen; secs punxen” “Something green, something, six”? She guessed. He explained it was a plant-themed tongue twister: thistle stains when it’s green & pricks when it’s dry. The second phrase was spoken very warmly & left no confusion at all: “Et vols casar amb mi?” (Will you marry me?) Simultaneously shocked & overjoyed at the words and the beautiful ring in his hand - Christine immediately blurted back: “Of course!!!” as she hopped up to hug her now fiancé <3

Chicago


Map

Transportation

We recomend using the CTA as much as possible, the Blue line is the best way to get into the city from the airport and the grid of buses and trains is the fastest and cheapest way to navigate the city. You can create an account and get a card sent to you ahead of time so you don't need to fuss with it at the airport. If you get the card at the kiosk, a $5 charge is incurred (you can get that money back as transit credit if you register it online). There are 1, 3, and 7 day unlimited passes that you can activate ahead of time and will start counting when the card is used for the first time.

Lyft or Uber is also a good way to navigate the city. Try to share a ride with other guests if you can to split costs and not create surge pricings.

Tourist Attractions  

Museums  

Food  

Drinks  

Accomodations


Vacation Rental By Owners

Chicago has many accommodation options and we invite you to consider alternatives to a traditional hotel if you wish. If using Airbnb, HomeAway or similar services, we highly recommend staying in Lakeview or Lincoln Park as these neighborhoods are safe, convenient and not far from our celebration locations.

Search at Airbnb    Search at Homeaway

Hotel Versey

For our guests’ convenience we have blocked a set of rooms at Hotel Versey - a modest but centrally located space with great access to public transit, shopping, and dining. Use the link below to reserve a room & receive the special rate. Please note breakfast is not offered at the hotel & parking is an additional charge.

Book here!

Hotels.com / Expedia

Click on the link below and use the coupon for each website for a 10% discount.
   Hotels.com: EXPIRED (Use this code with the app or click on the link below)
   Expedia: EXPIRED
(let us know if the code shows as expired or already used and we'll update it)

Search at Hotels.com    Search at Expedia

The Bridal Party


Mary Yasuda

The bride’s original “other half”, these two have shared countless moments, conversations and milestones. In high school they even switched places once (their teachers may not have noticed but their classroom friends did!) Mary studied abroad in Barcelona & taught for a year in Spain after college so it surprised everyone that her sister is now the one marrying a Barcelonian. Mary has an amazing (American) husband & home in Massachusetts which Chris wishes she could visit more frequently. She couldn’t ask for a better confidante & Matron of Honor!

Kerry Ann Dobies

From Barbie dolls & Girl Scouts to study abroad and beyond, Kerry has always taken her role as big sister seriously - in anything from makeovers to French lessons - and she paved a very bright path for her little twin sisters growing up! Chris is grateful for all she has learned from Kerry throughout the years & admires her faith and forthrightness. The two stay close through visits to their respective cities - Chicago & Washington, DC. A favorite shared pastime might be sampling fine wines & gelatos, a good life lesson after all those French sessions!

Magda Figuerola

Carles's sister Magda has always extended an extra warm & enthusiastic welcome to Christine during family trips & on the couple’s visits ‘back home’ to Barcelona. Exuberant, artistic, and lively are words that come to mind to describe Magda. Carles & Christine are so grateful for her talented design eye, which serves her well both professionally (as an award winner in UX / user design) & personally (designing our wedding invitations, table markers, and menu cards!) She currently lives in Cambridge, UK and has a reputation for hosting the best parties there!

Jamie Garcia

Christine & Jamie went from strangers to friends rather quickly when they met at a local book group in 2011. Realizing how much they had in common - both were new to Chicago & living in Lakeview, both were from the East Coast from families with Catholic & Irish heritage, both had a general thirst for adventure - it was easy to find reasons to hang out! Wine-nights, shared Thanksgivings, trips to Art Prize and salsa dancing at Cubby Bear helped their friendship solidify through the years. In August of 2017 Jamie gave birth to beautiful twin girls, and we expect both Emily & Caitlyn to be strong book club members one day...once they learn how to read!

The Groomsmen


Oriol Caudevilla

Uri and Carles both attended UPC in Barcelona, although they did not become close until the two moved to Chicago in 2012 to do thesis work at IIT (Illinois Institute of Technology). Uri can be credited with several of Carles's more recent interests, including rock climbing, beer drinking, and getting to know Christine. Relaxed and easy going are words which define Uri, although as a recent PhD graduate you can't deny that a lot of work, determination, and ambition also lie beneath his ever-calm exterior. Thus, the perfect recipe for a best man!

Jim Bethune

With his signature sarcastic banter, Jim has taught Carles many important lessons about American culture and more specifically Chicago lore. He mixes a mean cocktail and interviewed Carles for his first "grown up" job at Orbitz back in 2014. From that point on Carles knew he had found a lifelong friend by Jim's kind and welcoming demeanor. You can find Jim and Carles together on the walls at Brooklyn Boulders or sampling a new beer at Revolution Brewing.

Jordi Palà

Like Carles, Jordi is an IT Engineer from Barcelona, but the two share much more than just resume bullets! Friends since ESO (middle school), Jordi & Carles have many shared milestones, including purchasing the same model motorcycle when they were both 22 - a Yamaha YBR250. Shortly after moving to the US, Carles remembers his ever-reliable friend Jordi keeping him company for hours at a time online hanging out, playing online games and making sure Jordi was awake during his long shifts. Conveniently, Jordi was then working a Spanish night shift so their schedules aligned pretty well despite the many kilometers and hours between them. Carles admires Jordi for always giving his all in whatever he sets his mind to.

Marc Taribó

Carles and Marc first bonded in their early teens playing countless hours of Metal Slug and other arcade games together. Travelling together for their middle school French class trips to Avignon and Carcassonne cemented in Carles's mind how FUN Marc is (and taught them both how to sneak a gameboy past the teacher's surveillance)! Marc continues to travel widely with his girlfriend, and although he and Carles now live far apart, they cherish the holidays when they do overlap in Barcelona. They keep their playful spirits alive, most recently for an indoor snow tubing adventure together with friends.

Registry


                        

Material goods are fleeting - experiences are remembered much longer! We invite you to consider foregoing a traditional gift & instead contributing to our “honeyfund”.


Venmo

Contact us!


If you have any questions don't hesitate to reach out!