Kate and Tj’s wedding was a day filled with tears, laughter, and sky high views. They were married at St. Alphonsus Church, a stone’s throw from the bride and groom’s home. Kate and her ladies got ready at the J.W. Marriott downtown with catered Portillo’s Italian Beef sandwich’s (the brides favorite). Once the groom and groomsmen were button and tied, they walked the short distance to the church where the couple said their i-do’s. From there they continued the celebration from the 63rd floor of the Willis Tower (formerly known as the Sears Tower). The view was to-die-for, and the party was kickin’. Thank you so so much Kate and Tj for having me be part of your wedding. It was a huge honor!
Shout Outs!
My awesome second, Tom Root! Check out his stuff at HERE.
Xiyun and Ben have a remarkable story that spans continents and years. I feel like I’m more exotic and interesting just by photographing their wedding. Xiyun and I first started a correspondence back in March, when she e-mail me about her wedding from China. They were living in Beijing at the time, so meeting in person was impossible. I still hoped to get to know them a little more, so I asked Xiyun if she’d share more about their relationship with me. She wrote:
“Okay, and now the story of how we met. This is kind of a crazy story, which I’m sure you’ll hear many times over at the wedding. My fiance’s name is Ben Foster. He’s english (tiny little town near manchester), we met in beijing (where I was born and where I grew up until the age of seven) in the summer of 2004 while I was taking a year off from college. Within a week of meeting him, I had these crazy plans to move to Tunisia (another totally long story, which can be boiled down to: I more or less threw a dart at a map). After knowing each other for about two weeks, (I pushed back my original flight a week) he bought a flight to Tunisia to visit me. We had this insane on again off again transpacific relationship between Beijing and Tunis and then Beijing and Rhode Island while I was still in school at Brown. We split up a for two years because the thought of keeping up a relationship while I still had two years left at school was too daunting. But then i graduated, did some traveling around more random parts of the world and moved back to beijing about 3 years ago, and we’ve never looked back. And that’s the short version.” 🙂
So we now live in Beijing, where Ben runs a motion graphics studio (http://www.39degreesnorth.tv/) and I’m a translator/researcher/occasional writer for the New York Times. After the wedding, we’re moving to new york together, where I’ll be starting law school in the fall.
We generally spend our time arguing over books and movies and tv shows (he claims that I refuse to like anything great that he discovered first). I cook a lot and sometimes write about it, so he eats a lot, and we high five each other even more often for being lucky enough to eat so much. We have both traveled a lot separately in the past, but we’ve not been to enough places together, something we’re hoping to remedy in the future. He plays in a band, so I sometimes go to his gigs in an attempt to compensate for my super asian nerdy teenage years.”
That’s the short version. From the stories guests shared at their wedding and speeches from family and friends, the long version includes travel, adventure, and more chemistry than a high school science class. I feel so lucky to have photographed such an expressive, interesting, and inspiring couple. Here’s to both of you! I hope you have many many years of fun adventure together!
Lindsay and Matt’s wedding was full of International flair and cultural tradition. Their love for travel and learning was expressed through their details. Guests arriving to the wedding, picked up small blue programs that looked just like a passports. They were charmed during the ceremony by a guitarist playing one of Lindsay’s favorite acoustic melodies. Family and friends were introduced to a Afrocentric marriage tradition during the Yoruba tasting ritual, representing four elements of marriage. The ceremony shows that despite hardships within a marriage, represented as sour, bitter, and spicy, there is sweetness overall.
At the reception, a collection of Brazilian musicians created drum heavy beats for guests to dance too. Above the sambaing crowd, hung rows of white Mexican paper decorations, and behind the dance floor, a dessert table was covered with an assortment of Italian cookies. Chiwara figurines, a tradition of the Bambara people of Mali were the cake toppers. Lindsay’s father hand carved the pair of antelope that represent renewal, abundance, and teamwork.
Lindsay and Matt brought their love for culture and travel to their wedding. It was truly a distinct, unforgettable experience. Congratulations to you both!
Also, quick shout out to my second Tom Root. Thanks for all your help!
The first time Kathlyn and I talked on the phone back in the winter it felt like we were old friends. She is a fellow Missouri Journalism school graduate, so we immediately commiserated over shared stories of the J-slums (dilapidated apartments filled with over caffeinated aspiring reporters and broadcast students) and tail gating. We also shared a love for travel, which lead to the story of her and David. The two met on the streets of Italy one evening. David was actually on a date with a local, when Kathlyn came on the scene. While the Italian woman was native to the country, Kaitlyn had something that stole David’s attention away-she too was from Illinois originally.
Now the two live in California, but not for long. but maybe not for long. After David completes a three-year intensive graduate program in Middle Eastern studies, they may be on the road again. Who knows where they’ll head next!
Wow! Did I mention how nice they are too? Their family and friends were extremely welcoming me, making me feel right at home through the entire day. Thanks so much Kat and David.
Becky and Darnell were married 30 minutes outside of Chicago in Arlington Heights, IL. I was able to spend sometime with the couple a little before their wedding during their engagement session. They’re fun, funny, and kind people. I love Becky’s easy going laugh and Darnell’s quiet sense of humor.
Their day was full of family-including three lovely flower girls who wooed myself and second shooter Tom Root. They were Becky’s little helpers dressed like mini-me’s in layered white fabric. One of my favorite moments was when Becky captured their attention, and like magic, had them all sitting patiently as she spun them a fairytale-patiently for two minutes, but hey, that’s a lot for a day full of hustle and bustle!
Big thanks to Tom Root who seconded with me on this one!
I get really excited by beautiful light and graphic elements when shooting. I love the way light will carve out a detail, reveal it’s shape, and accentuate human emotion. You can imagine my joy when I stepped into the room Stu and and his groomsmen were “getting ready” in. Mostly they were playing pool, passing around old high school pics, and orchestrating a round of five-hour energy shots. Stu’s such a great, laid back guy, and his buddies were just as cool.
When it was time for the first look, Stu and I made our way downstairs to wait in the lobby. I could sense his excitement. Every 30 seconds or so he’d cast a glance over my shoulder at the stairway to see if Rose was on her way down yet. When she did tap his shoulder from behind, a grin the size of Texas spread across his face, proving, as his speech would claim later, he was the happiest man alive that day.
Rose and Stu’s wedding was so beautiful. The Hotel (The James), the church (Holy Name Cathedral), the details! It was all amazing. The DJ totally rocked it out. I couldn’t keep myself from dancing. She had me at Hot chip. Muchas Gracias Steve Koo! It was great to shoot with you, as always!
A friend and amazing travel photographer Laura McGlone was married last week in a Buddhist ceremony to Doug, her travel partner, friend, and love.
Laura was a stunning bride with a smile stretched across her face the entire time.
The two met while traveling through Southeast Asia. Their immediate connection was strengthened through Skype conversations and meet-ups in either Canada, where Doug lives, Chicago, or other countries like most recently Mexico over Christmas.
Their ceremony was held at A New Leaf. I couldn’t imagine a place more perfect for them to exchange vows. In the courtyard full of flowers, trees, and potted plants, a Buddhist monk lead guest in 15 minutes of meditation. The energy in the room was directed toward Laura and Doug, wishing them “peace, happiness, and love”.
It was a beautiful ceremony. I was especially moved by their handwritten vows. The intimate glimpse into their relationship was very special.
Laura’s mother read one of my favorite poems by Kahlil Gibran from The Prophet:
Love one another, but make not a bond of love Let it rather be a moving sea between the shores of your souls.
Fill each other’s cup, but drink not from one cup. Give one another of your bread, but eat not from the same loaf.
Sing and dance together and be joyous, but let each one of you be alone, Even as the strings of a lute are alone though they quiver with the same music.
Give your hearts, but not into each other’s keeping; For only the hand of Life can contain your hearts.
And stand together yet not too near together; For the pillars of the temple stand apart, And the oak tree and the cypress grow not in each other’s shadow.
Linda and Steve are a radiant couple. They’re a pair everyone wants for best friends. With their easy smiles and joyful, generous spirits, it’s no wonder person after person sang their praises.
Thanks to Laurie Peacock for bringing me on as her second. As always, we had a blast while shooting. It was the first of the season for us together, but many more to come!
