Wedding bells were once again heard throughout the Windy City this week when Chicago P.D.’s Burgess and Ruzek, at long last, got married during the Season 12 finale. (Read our post-mortem interview with showrunner Gwen Sigan for scoop on the vow-less nuptials.)
As #Burzek tied the knot, they carried on a long tradition of #OneChicago couples who have gotten hitched throughout the franchise’s history. Between Fire, P.D. and Med, the three dramas have hosted a whopping 12 weddings, ranging from lavish church affairs to spur-of-the-moment courthouse vow exchanges to… fish store and bowling alley nuptials. (When things go wrong, you can’t say the Chicago crews aren’t good at creative problem solving!) We even got a cross-show wedding when a fan-favorite Fire/P.D. couple made their commitment official.
Not all of the ceremonies resulted in long-lasting marriages (sorry, “Dawsey” and “Upstead” ‘shippers), and a certain Med pair’s plan to become husband and wife was thwarted by a dangerous twist. Still, each wedding was memorable and special in its own way, for better or for worse. But only one can hold the title of the best #OneChicago wedding.
Read on to review TVLine’s rankings, then hit the comments with your thoughts on which #OneChicago nuptials were wedded bliss and which missed the mark.
12
Natalie and Will, Chicago Med
Photo : Courtesy of NBC
When you’re left anxiously waiting at the church for your groom, only for him to show up bloodied and announce that he’s being taken into protective custody, your ill-fated wedding, unfortunately, automatically goes to the bottom of this list. And while Will and Natalie didn’t get married, at least we can comfort ourselves with the knowledge that they did, eventually, end up together. (Season 4, Episode 9)
11
Daniel and Caroline, Chicago Med
Photo : Peacock screenshot
With her health deteriorating, Caroline and Daniel weren’t able to have the Honolulu wedding they dreamed off, but they got the next best thing: Daniel orchestrated an intimate, luau-themed ceremony on a boat, remarrying his first wife as their daughter Robin, his mother Margaret and his best friend Sharon watched. Because no matter how much time you have, every moment is precious. (Season 4, Episode 22)
10
Halstead and Upton, Chicago P.D.
Photo : Courtesy of NBC
Much like the detectives, Halstead and Upton’s nuptials were a no-frills event. “Marry me. Now,” Halstead asked, and that’s just what the pair did, immediately heading to the courthouse, sans any friends, family or witnesses, to tie the knot. Perhaps the spur-of-the-moment decision and the lack of fanfare were a bad omen for the couple, who would later divorce. (Season 9, Episode 9)
09
Maggie and Ben, Chicago Med
Photo : Courtesy of NBC
After their venue had a sewer issue and their flowers got frostbite damage, Ben stepped up and helped his overwhelmed future wife pivot in a new direction, surprising her with a bowling alley wedding! It wasn’t conventional, but it sure did provide for a fun way to celebrate after the ceremony as the bride, groom and their guests all rolled to the sounds of Heavy D & The Boyz’s “Now That We Found Love.” (Season 5, Episode 17)
08
Burgess and Ruzek, Chicago P.D.
Photo : Courtesy of NBC
For a moment, it looked dicey as to whether the couple would actually go through with their wedding, but thankfully, they decided not to postpone in the aftermath of Reid’s death. And for the first time in the show’s history, P.D. gave us a traditional church wedding, with a beaming Burgess walking down the aisle in a gorgeous gown. It’s just too bad that, after waiting 12 seasons for this moment, we didn’t get to hear Burgess and Ruzek exchange vows, and that Chapman and Voight’s confrontation about Reid’s murder overshadowed the nuptials. (Season 12, Episode 22)
07
Cruz and Chloe, Chicago Fire
Photo : Courtesy of NBC
On the day of his wedding, Cruz declined Boden’s offer to have a floater sub for him, and he paid for that decision. A scuffle with some protesters who chained themselves to Firehouse 51’s trucks led to Cruz getting stitches over his eyebrow. As his bride walked down the aisle and spotted the wound, stopping dead in her tracks, Cruz mouthed, “I’m so sorry,” but Chloe only replied back, “I love you,” proving these two are meant to be (and that Chloe is one very understanding bride, because that bandage is going to be in all their wedding photos). And the fact that Cruz and Chloe got married in the firefighters’ church, one of only a handful of structures to survive the Great Chicago Fire of 1871? Perfection. (Season 8, Episode 19)
06
April and Ethan, Chicago Med
Photo : Courtesy of NBC
Bringing back Yaya DaCosta’s April Sexton and having her reunite with Ethan Choi provided for the perfect way to write out Brian Tee’s character. The couple’s rekindled romance culminated with them tying the knot in a big, stunning church worthy of April’s ballgown dress. The pair capped off their happy ending and started their new life together by boarding a Docs on Wheels van with a “Just Married” sign. Way to ride off into the sunset in perfect “Chexton” fashion! (Season 8, Episode 9)
05
Casey and Dawson, Chicago Fire
Photo : Courtesy of NBC
Courthouse weddings on #OneChicago appear to be cursed. Like P.D.’s Halstead and Upton, Casey and Dawson’s marriage also, eventually, ended with the couple splitting up. But unlike their cop counterparts, there was something very joyful about Casey and Dawson getting hitched in their uniforms during an impromptu civil ceremony, with their son Louie, their friends and colleagues, and even Dawson’s P.D. brother Antonio surrounding them in a semicircle. It was a fitting moment to mark the show’s 100th episode. (Season 5, Episode 8)
04
Boden and Donna, Chicago Fire
Photo : Courtesy of NBC
Who would have thought that a wedding outside the firehouse, where the characters (and viewers) spend so much of their time, could be so romantic? The white tapestries billowing from the truck’s ladders and the bagpipers really sold the moment — almost as much as the look of awe on Boden’s face when Donna walked down the makeshift aisle. The couple’s nuptials also get extra points for being the site of Mouch and Trudy’s meet-cute over wedding cake. (Season 2, Episode 22)
03
Brett and Casey, Chicago Fire
Photo : Courtesy of NBC
If something could go wrong ahead of Brett and Casey’s big day, it did. But even after finding out that Tony booked the wrong kind of aquarium for the venue, Violet and the others were still able to pull off one heck of a romantic fish store wedding. (Turns out glow-y, purple lights and flowers from a cancelled bridal expo can do wonders.) It helped that the couple’s vows were super swoon-y: “I will always be by your side, and…us together, it’s a fire that will never go out. I had to get a fire metaphor in there somewhere,” Casey cheekily declared, while Brett shared how a trip to the aquarium with him and her daughter Amelia convinced her that Casey was the only man for her. (Season 12, Episode 6)
02
Stella and Severide, Chicago Fire
Photo : Courtesy of NBC
Venue snafus are not uncommon in the #OneChicago universe, but Best Man Casey came through for his friends in ingenious fashion by finding a boat and a captain to marry Severide and Stella on the Chicago River. Emotions were already on high when Stella asked Boden to walk her down the aisle because he’s the closest thing she has to a father (awww!), but then the couple did us in with their vows, with man-of-few-words Severide making every word count: “I decided a long time ago that if I was going to be with you, I needed to be worthy of you, which seemed impossible…. Stella, I might never be worthy of you, but I promise to spend the rest of my life trying.” (Season 10, Episode 22)
01
Mouch and Trudy, Chicago Fire
Photo : Courtesy of NBC
The only crossover couple to reach the wedding stage, Mouch and P.D.’s Trudy got married in the humorous yet loving manner that we’ve come to expect from their relationship. Trudy comically freaked out and gulped vodka as Gabby and Burgess talked reason into her. “I am pulling this off, right?” she asked with tearful determination, gesturing to her dress, before frantically removing the cutlets in her top. “I don’t even know why I’m talking to you two. You can’t even lock down a man,” she added in pure Trudy fashion. (So refreshing to have some laughs amid the wedding drama!) But for all her fretting, when it came time to walk down the aisle (at Molly’s, of course), there was no doubt in Trudy’s eyes that she was making the right decision. (Season 4, Episode 18)
