Union Unions

by Karen Roach '82
When it comes to finding the perfect place to tie the knot, many couples go back to where it all began.

Jaime '99, MBA'05 and Chris '97, MBA'05 Richardson of Wauwatosa, Wisconsin, first met on the Memorial Union's Terrace in August 2003, during graduate orientation. Their first date was on a Hoofers sailboat. (In retrospect, they say, he thought it was a date -- she thought it was just sailing.)

Chris was a novice sailor but determined to impress the fetching young business student aboard his vessel. Fortunately, Jaime was flexible, and she ducked when an unexpected tack demanded that she react quickly or go overboard.

"As a thank-you for the sailing adventure, I bought Chris a pitcher of beer and a bag of popcorn," says Jaime. "When I walked over with a pitcher in hand, Chris was sold."

Flash forward three years, and a newly engaged Chris and Jaime were ready to book their wedding date. "I knew the Memorial Union had a lottery system that called for serious advanced planning, and I knew I wasn't early enough to get our ideal date," recalls Jaime. "I called on June 14, 2006, and was told that May 2007 was booked, every Saturday in June and July was booked, but Great Hall was available on Friday, June 8, 2007.

"I loved the historic charm of the Great Hall, knowing so many generations of students had passed through there," she says. . . .

Want to read the rest of the story? Join WAA and receive Badger Insider Magazine.