Italian American Club goes nuts over nostalgic wedding

SUN CITY – For the Italian American Club, a trip down memory lane ended at the altar.

As a part of the Italian American Club’s summer event, “A Walk Down Memory Lane,” the group scheduled a surprise for the gathering: a mock peanut wedding. According to Anne Danno Benker, who helped plan the event, peanut weddings have been a longstanding tradition of Italians in Chicago.
“It was in the 1920s when they started to become very popular,” Benker said. “They would serve peanuts in the shell in baskets and they also had beef sandwiches.”

While this tradition began in family homes, Chicago Italians also hosted peanut weddings in upscale rented halls. The Italian American club’s recent rendition of the peanut wedding required research and attention to detail.

“The wedding party was dressed in beautiful pastel colors, netting, and paper flowers. We also had a couple playing the bride and groom who were actually celebrating 57 years of marriage this year,” Benker, who played the role of a bridesmaid and helped create the costumes made from colorful ribbons and bows, said.

In addition to the quintessential peanuts and roast beef, the wedding included other traditional party favors and food. According to Mary Luisi, who helped orchestrate the event, guests received Jordan almonds wrapped in tulle and tasted a red and green wedding cake cut by the bride and groom.

However, the setup for the mock wedding wasn’t only serious; Benker and Luisi were sure to include amusing elements. The wedding procession music was the theme from “The Godfather,” guests danced the tarantella, and Frank Briguglio’s groom outfit featured a crepe paper bowtie.

“It was all for fun,” Gerri Briguglio, who played the bride, said. “Everybody in the club has a great sense of humor.”

The many humorous surprises were possible because the wedding portion of the Italian American Club picnic was unexpected for most of the guests.

“We thought that it would be wonderful to surprise everybody, and we kept the mock peanut wedding a secret. We did not tell our spouses; we did not tell anyone,” Benker said.

Apparently, the attendants appreciated the clandestine plans.

“When the wedding started, everybody was just falling into the aisles laughing. A lot of people ran up with their cell phones and took pictures. They couldn’t get over it,” Luisi said.

This summer’s mock peanut wedding is just one example of the Italian American Club’s entertaining events. According to Briguglio, the group’s 12-year history includes Christmas dinners, dances, bowling nights, and bocci games. As for those who wish to join in the fun?

“Anyone interested in joining the Italian American Club should contact our president, Pasquale Danna,” Benker said.

Benker added that membership requires Italian descent in the applicant or the applicant’s spouse, and the club is always open to new members.
“It’s a really nice bunch of people,” Briguglio said. “There are always a lot of laughs.”

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