Love is Sweet: Sophie and Kosta’s Vanille Patisserie-Filled Wedding

When pastry chef Sophie Evanoff — the creative mind behind Chicago’s beloved Vanille Patisserie — began planning her wedding, she knew expectations would be sky-high. After years of crafting showstopping cakes and dreamy dessert tables for other couples, it was finally her turn to trade the piping bag for a bouquet to create the sweetest celebration of all — her own. No pressure … just years of expectations and 150 wedding guests ready to see what the cake queen would whip up.

But with a deep love for sweets and sentiment, Sophie and her now-husband, Kosta, designed a celebration that was elegant, personal and rich in culture.

A LOVE WORTH THE WAIT

Sophie and Kosta’s love story began online on EligibleGreeks.com, as finding someone who shared their background and faith mattered to them both. Their connection almost didn’t get off the ground, though; Kosta had to cancel their first date due to coming down with COVID, prompting Sophie to think, “Oh great, another guy who’s going to flake and disappear!”

But to her surprise, the next day brought a bouquet of apology flowers from Kosta. This thoughtful gesture spoke volumes, and from there, their relationship bloomed. For both Sophie and Kosta, this was their first marriage — a beautiful reminder that love has no timeline and some stories are worth the wait.

A THOUGHTFUL WEDDING WEEKEND

The festivities began with a welcome party at the Chicago Sports Museum, where out-of-town guests enjoyed a Windy City experience complete with nostalgic American treats like brownies, cereal bars and cake pops. Naturally, Sophie added a sweet personal touch: custom Vanille macarons printed with the logos from her hometown’s Detroit Lions and her adopted city’s Chicago Bears.

On Saturday, the couple hosted a traditional Greek Orthodox ceremony at St. George Greek Orthodox Church.

The newlyweds then traveled in a 1939 Bentley to LM Studio, a modern venue with sweeping views of Grant Park that Sophie had her eye on long before getting engaged. Its clean design and intimate layout aligned perfectly with the couple’s vision, and the venue’s connection to the Essex Hotel made it easy to host out-of-town guests.

The reception was a joyful fusion of their Greek and Macedonian roots.  Symbolic touches included evil eye charms at each place setting and koufeta (Jordan almonds) packaged in odd numbers to represent indivisibility. Their grand entrance, set to a live Macedonian band, sent guests to their feet and set the tone for a celebratory, high-energy evening.

Later, a special cultural tradition added even more flavor: the Macedonian bread dance. Sophie and Kosta each grasped an edge of the round loaf (symbolizing eternity) and pulled to see who would “rule the relationship.” (Spoiler alert: Sophie won, by just a crumb!)

ON THE MENU

Leading up to the big day, one comment Sophie heard most was, “We can’t wait to see the cake!” And yes, it lived up to the hype. Sophie let Kosta take the lead on selecting the flavor, offering him a home tasting flight of Vanille’s top options. His pick? A white buttermilk cake layered with vanilla mousseline and raspberry jam. “Obviously, I love all our flavors,” Sophie laughs, “so this was the one area I let him decide!”

Despite seeing hundreds of cakes over the years, Sophie’s own design was understated and classic. The final result — a navy fondant showpiece with sugar flowers and gold leaf that perfectly mirrored the event’s palette and feel.

Of course, the true showstopper was the extensive sweets table: a pastry chef’s dream and Sophie’s pièce de résistance. Designed with beauty and balance in mind, every treat was thoughtfully arranged to avoid ever looking depleted. The spread included mini tarts, Greek cookies, ten macaron flavors and even Sophie’s favorite baklava from a Michigan bakery — hand-delivered by her father.

As the evening wrapped up, guests were gifted recovery kits filled with aspirin, mints and hydration packets, plus personalized “Love Is Sweet” treat boxes so they could take home one last bite of dessert. After all, everyone should have the chance to try every flavor!

ADVICE FROM THE KITCHEN TO THE AISLE

After years behind the scenes at weddings, Sophie has one key piece of advice: go with what you love. “I have seen tastings where the couple falls in love with a certain cake flavor, but then choose another flavor because they are worried their guests won’t like their choice,” she says. “But it’s cake. No one is going to be mad with cake!”

And while Sophie poured her heart into her own dessert spread, she encourages other couples to do what feels right for them. If sweets aren’t your thing, that’s okay! A petite cutting cake can be just enough. “Whether it’s cake or pie, you will want to remember that moment of cutting the cake together. It’s the first task you do together as a married couple.”

LOVE IS THE SECRET INGREDIENT

Sophie and Kosta’s wedding struck the perfect balance: elegant yet fun, culturally rich yet modern, sweet but never saccharine. After years of perfecting other people’s love stories in buttercream and ganache, Sophie finally created one of her own, layered with love, sprinkled with tradition and served with heart.

VENDORS

PHOTOGRAPHY Victoria Sprung Photo
VIDEOGRAPHY Lawrence Connor Films
GETTING-READY VENUE Le Meridien Essex Chicago
CEREMONY VENUE St. George Greek Orthodox Church
RECEPTION VENUE LM Studio
DAY-OF COORDINATOR BWeddings Chicago
FLORAL Ashland Addison Florist
HAIR The Bridal Beauty Team
MAKEUP Windy City Makeup
BRIDE’S CEREMONY GOWN Rita Vinieris from The Wedding Shoppe
BRIDE’S RECEPTION GOWN The Wedding Shoppe
ALTERATIONS Ette the Wedding Tailor
GROOM’S FORMALWEAR Men’s Wearhouse
RINGS Lucido Fine Jewelry
STATIONERY Minted
CAKE & SWEETS Vanille Patisserie
CEREMONY HARPIST Chicago Wedding Harpist Renee Wilson
RECEPTION SINGER Antonio Duca
MACEDONIAN & GREEK BAND Chris Bajmakovich
ENTERTAINMENT Rhythm & Romance DJs
LIVE WEDDING PAINTER Roni Golan
CONTENT CREATOR To Have and To Post