Lincolnshire Marriott Resort

Rehearsal Dinner

Wedding Day

Ceremony

Dinner and Dancing

Our Wedding

How We Met

Our story starts on Winchester Avenue in the West Ridge neighborhood of Chicago, some time in the early 80s. Paul's parents' families lived in the townhouses on either side of Waleeta's great uncle's house. Her parents lived a block away on Damen, where she was born. By the time Waleeta was five, her family had moved away, but they still spent many, many weekends at her uncle's townhouse. In fact, there’s photo evidence that Waleeta and her cousin attended Paul's 4th birthday party magic show...as you can see above. Many years later, Waleeta moved to Washington D.C. for graduate school and stayed for work. At the same time, Paul was in law school in Illinois. In 2007, he was doing legal research on Assyrian rights in the newly-liberated Iraq. Before heading to D.C. for a research visit, he was contacting people to better understand the situation from those who were on the front lines. It was then that Waleeta's dear friend Michael “reintroduced” them and suggested they connect. So Waleeta and Paul had lunch in DuPont Circle and discussed Assyrian politics. Paul wrote his article, had it published, and thanked Waleeta in the acknowledgements.Fifteen years later, after a long legal career working downstate in Illinois’s capital Springfield, Paul moved back home to Chicago and joined a dating app. Waleeta was also back in Chicago working as a software engineer and joined the app - for a total of about 10 days. On her birthday - although he didn't know - he found her, liked one of her pictures, asked her out for coffee, and the rest is history. You might say they've been winding their way toward each other their entire lives.

Our Story

Photos

Ashtar Analeed DuPreez - Maid of Honor Waleeta and Ashtar have been best friends since Jimmy Carter was President. Their childhoods were spent having adventures - climbing trees, sneaking out, creating song-and-dance performances for their families, and going to each other's school parties. Their teens were spent being very cool, mostly at Tori Amos concerts. Their twenties were spent in DC, with a brief stint in Barcelona, where they ate tomato bread and found fried eggs in every meal they ordered. Now, decades later, there's no one else Waleeta wanted to be by her side on her wedding day. Other than the groom, of course.

Mark Castillo - Best Man Mark and Paul trace their friendship to the early days of high school when George H.W. Bush was President. They quickly bonded by shooting pool at Chris’s Billiards, listening to hip hop group Outkast, and cruising aimlessly through the City of Chicago in Mark’s souped up Chevy Monte Carlo. Their friendship has remained strong over the years, Paul having been Mark’s best man. As they mark these major milestones, they celebrate how far they’ve come from their early years and are grateful for the bond of their continuing friendship.

Wedding Party

Here is the link to book your stay at the beautiful Marriott Resort with our special reduced rates. If you do not find any rooms are left at our rate, please email waleetacanon@gmail.com or text Waleeta at 773-677-1523 so we can try to expand to more rooms. We encourage you to enjoy the resort, and stay at the hotel, even if youre local! You must book by May 19, 2026 for the special rate. Oh and a special bonus - the hotel is dog friendly!

Hotel Info and Booking

Dress Code

<a href="https://www.marriott.com/en-us/hotels/chiln-lincolnshire-marriott-resort/experiences/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">The Lincolnshire Marriott Resort</a> There are plenty of activities should you extend your stay, including: The Marriott TheaterCrane's Landing Golf CourseFitness CenterIndoor and Outdoor PoolsBike RentalsTrail for hiking/biking

Things to Do

The ceremony, cocktail hour and reception will all be held at the Marriott Resort. Ten Marriott Drive, Lincolnshire, Illinois, USA, 60069 If you are coming from Chicago O'Hare:Distance From Resort: 18.0 Miles If you are coming from Midway:Distance From Resort: 37.1 Miles The hotel is just south of the intersection at Milwaukee Avenue and Half Day Road in Lincolnshire. Please come in through the main lobby, and signs will guide you to the ceremony.

Getting To The Venue

Formal wear or cocktail. Formal wear is generally elegant gowns or pantsuits, suits, jacket and tie. We are doing our best to provide an elegant environment for you to enjoy a beautiful setting! Traditionally, Assyrians wear formal wear to weddings, which is why this is included. Cocktail dress code is a little less....formal! A cocktail dress code means being elegantly dressed. A knee-length dress or jumpsuit paired with dressy shoes is perfect for a cocktail dress code, or a suit and tie. If you plan on wearing heels, please keep in mind we will be in the rose garden for the ceremony, block/thicker heels would work best!

While we would love to have as many people celebrate with us, space is limited at our venue. We ask only those who are on our RSVP list attend.

While we love all of the children in our lives, we ask that you make it a date night! We are only extending invitations to children of the bridal party and close family.

In keeping with Assyrian cultural tradition, we do not have a registry. It is customary in our community to give monetary gifts as the guests deem appropriate to newlyweds. We are sincerely grateful for your generosity and well wishes as we begin this new chapter. You can find more details under the <a href="https://www.paul-and-waleeta-wedding.com/us/waleeta-canon-and-paul-isaac-jun-2026/gifts" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Gifts</a> section.

Q + A

How can we give gifts?

It is customary in our culture to give monetary gifts for a newlywed couple. A card box will be available at the reception for those who wish to participate in this tradition. For guests who prefer, electronic gifts may also be sent via Venmo or Zelle. Venmo: @Waleeta-CanonZelle: Paul Isaac - 847-899-9099

Leeta & Paul

Leeta & Paul

Getting To The Venue