Exclusive Interview
‘Chicago P.D.’ Costume Designer Breaks Down Every Detail of Burgess & Ruzek’s Wedding Looks
No one knows One Chicago like Susan Kaufmann. She’s been the costume designer behind Chicago Fire, Chicago P.D., and Chicago Med since Chicago Fire’s debut in 2012, so she’s been behind every One Chicago wedding.
After years of waiting from patient Burzek fans, Kim Burgess (Marina Squerciati) and Adam Ruzek (Patrick John Flueger) will tie the knot in the Chicago P.D. Season 12 finale on May 21. Kaufmann spoke with Swooon about creating Burgess’ beautiful bridal look, figuring out what Ruzek was going to wear, and more.
When the search for Burgess’ wedding dress began, Kaufmann went bridal shopping with Squerciati around Chicago, which the actress chronicled on social media. The costume designer pulled dresses at the bridal stores and gave Squerciati the opportunity to pick out dresses she liked as well.
“That’s what we hope for because, in the end, I really want her to feel incredible. We had a situation where the wedding was sort of on script thrown together, and they were allowing us to do a bridal gown, but they didn’t want it to be too much, and yet I wanted it to be spectacular,” Kaufmann told Swooon. “It’s pretty easy on Marina, so we tried on and tried on, and we narrowed it down [to three dresses]. We stepped away, we came back, and tried those three on. Again, I know she was doing a lot of posting to let people choose which was funny to watch, and it started to sway her a little.”
Lori Allen / NBC
Once Squerciati tried on that wedding gown, everyone knew it was the one. “It’s just spectacular on her, and simple and beautiful and believable,” Kaufmann noted. And so completely Burgess. “It was extremely simple,” the costume designer explained. “Her style is pretty fashionable and pretty but very simple. I wanted it to be super flattering and just have a wow about it that isn’t in your face.”
Burgess also wears a gorgeous veil in her wedding, which Squerciati “wasn’t sure” about at first. “Once we put it on, it just finished everything,” Kaufmann said. “In a wedding where we had to be kind of simple, it just gave it a little extra something. And we both immediately loved it.”
While you don’t get to see them, Burgess does have on bridal shoes! “That was probably the hardest part of the process because she wanted to not be in pain,” Kaufmann revealed. “She did want a heel but wanted to be comfortable. We wanted it open, and then we played with jewelry, and we went back and forth a million times, and everything just kind of fell into place.” Burgess completed her wedding look with a simple stone necklace.
Lori Allen / NBC
As for the groom, Kaufmann wanted to be cognizant of Flueger’s personal style. “He can really pull stuff off,” the costume designer said. “So I was looking for something that felt appropriate for his wedding, but also had a little something to it. I had a rack of suits, and he put that one on, and he was like, ‘I love this suit.’ The big question back and forth was tie, no tie, or bow tie.”
She continued, “We both really loved the no tie. And then when we brought it to the higher ups, they were like, ‘Well, can you send a tie on the day? I’m not sure.’ But it was fine. He ended up going no tie.”
Burgess and Ruzek’s daughter, Makayla (Ramona Edith Williams), was right there to support her parents as they said “I do.” Makayla was the perfect maid of honor for her mom and looked adorable in a light blue dress adorned with butterflies. “She’s at an age where she’s tween, so she’s not really a little girl anymore,” Kaufmann said. “She’s almost a teenager. When you look at dresses while shopping, the little girl dresses, you just see very little girl, and the women’s dresses are just too mature for her. I think I walked in Bloomingdale’s, and I saw that dress, and I was like, ‘My god, the butterflies. It’s perfection.’ It was an adult dress, and we took it apart and remade it and fit it to her so that she could wear. And she loved it, too.”
Chicago P.D., Season 12 Finale, Wednesday, May 21, 10/9c, NBC
