According to Jaya Subramanian, the only thing traditional about her July 21 wedding to Luke Lizalde was the Catholic ceremony, held at St. James Chapel in the Gold Coast. Afterward — when the party moved to Cafe Brauer at the Lincoln Park Zoo — “it was all about fun.”
And appropriately so: Subramanian, originally from Chicago, met Lizalde in Los Angeles in 2009 while doing improv at the L.A. outpost of Second City. Though Subramanian is an actress and Lizalde a graphic designer and illustrator, both picked up improv as a hobby and grew closer while making each other laugh.
But while they fell in love trading quips on the West Coast, Subramanian says it was a “no-brainer” to hold the wedding in Chicago. “My family is all here, and we had lots of friends and family fly in from San Diego and L.A.” Their comedy life was well represented, as friends Parvesh Cheena (“Outsourced”), Sonal Shah (“Scrubs”) and Timothy Simons (“Veep”) attended the event.
Subramanian describes the nuptials as a “cultural extravaganza”: she’s half-Indian and half-Irish, while the groom’s roots stem from both Mexico and Europe.
The duo’s diverse backgrounds were woven throughout the celebration — Subramanian clad her bridesmaids in bright pink and purple dresses made from sari fabric, and the menu included macaroni-and-cheese muffins, pot stickers and Indian fusion fare. Guests stacked their arms with Indian bangles, pulled out of a bangle basket, took photos in a photo booth and danced to the sounds of the Dan Hayes Orchestra.
“It was a beautiful night,” says Subramanian.
— Rachel Handler
