What I Do When I'm Not at a Wedding....

As you probably know, I'm a big geek at heart. And so, today, I joined my friends from Aw Yeah Ladies' Night at C2E2! It was so much FUN!

Some of the ladies from Ladies' Night 

Death & Dream from Sandman

The Cyberman offering me an upgrade

My Walking Dead friends

Shannon & Steve's Geeky, Sweet, Whale of a Wedding!

When I met Shannon & Steve for our initial consultation, we hit it off immediately. By the end of our conversation, I knew I just had to be their Celebrant! We talked about their wedding - and just about everything else, ranging from comic books, Harry Potter, to pet cats. 

Their ceremony included many personal elements, including a handfasting. I also shares they story of Steve's proposal. He surprised Shannon with a Beluga Encounter at the Shedd Aquarium, which was something she had always wanted. What she didn't expect was that one of the belugas would play an important role in presenting the ring. 

All along the wedding planning process, I knew Steve wanted to add a secret element to the ceremony. This wound up being a helium shark (as a whale stand-in) to deliver the rings. And naturally, the shark's entrance was accompanied by the Jaws theme song, thanks to the always fantastic DJ Harsh.

In a addition to this fun surprise, the ceremony also included quotes from The Princess Bride, Harry Potter, and author Neil Gaiman. Can you tell why they became one of my favorite couples?!

Their gorgeous wedding, which took place at the lovely Hotel Arista in Naperville, is featured on the Angel Eyes Photography blog. Click HERE to check out the amazing pictures!

Steam Punk Wedding Goodness!

Do you appreciate architecture? Vintage settings? A turn-of-the-century vibe? 

Check out this photo from a recent steam punk-themed event hosted by Pleasant Home in Oak Park. Isn't this place gorgeous?! The 30-room Prairie Style house is available for weddings, and offers many options for your big day. The expansive front porch, which opens to a tree-filled park, is a great spot for your ceremony. The lovely, warm interior is an incredible choice for your wedding - in any season!

Now head on over to the Angel Eyes Photography blog to see the rest of the pictures! 

Getting Married? Here's What People Won't Tell You....

Thanks to my Celebrant colleague, Celia Milton, I just read a great article about weddings. I highly recommend that you read it, too.


25 Things Wedding Photographers Wish You Knew has some excellent advice. And these are things all wedding professionals wish you knew, but likely won't say so. 


Some of my favorites? 

#14 - Slow Down  

Yes! Relax. Have fun. Breathe. Things may go wrong. So what? The things that matter will be fine. The little things are not that big of a deal. Stop worrying. And slow down. Literally! You don't need to run down the aisle. 

#16 - Control Your Uncle Bob 

This one can't be stressed enough. I've seen an over-zealous uncle almost knock over a person from the wedding party - the GROOM! This poor groom was bumped into by the uncle, who remained oblivious behind his camera & just kept snapping those pix. 

And yes, the couple had a professional photographer. The uncle got in his way, too.

I have become a big fan of un-plugged weddings. I often recommend that we include a statement at the beginning of the ceremony, asking guests to put away phones & cameras and "be fully present."  

Thanks to Type A Images for writing this post. Now go read it, people! 

The Chicago History Museum Celebrates Marriage Equality With ONE LOVE!

Join me on April 10th at The Chicago History Museum for a wonderful evening dedicated to marriage equality! And don't forget to stop by and say hi to me! 

Jessica & Sang-Woo's Multicultural Ceremony at Greenhouse Loft

The couple posing at same spot where Sang-Woo proposed.

This is long overdue, but I am finally getting around to sharing some details of Jessica &; Sang-Woo's gorgeous wedding from September of 2012. (I told you this was overdue!)

A true Chicago couple, their wedding took place at the wonderful Greenhouse Loft, with the ceremony outside on the lovely patio.

Photo by SnoStudios

Sang-Woo and Jessica's ceremony was a true reflection of them as a couple. They shared their love story, including how they met by chance (or maybe fate!) at John Barleycorn and the sweet and funny story of Sang-Woo's proposal outside of the Field Museum. They both value the importance of family and made sure to include their parents in the ceremony. They also incorporated Korean wedding traditions in honor of Sang-Woo's heritage.

Wine sharing 

Happy tears during the vows. Photo by SnoStudios

One of these traditions was a wine-sharing ceremony. In a traditional Korean wedding, a couple will sip wine that has been poured into two halves of a gourd, traditionally grown by the bride’s mother. When the wine is sipped, the two halves of the gourd are symbolically reunited and made whole, representing the joining of two lives.

In honor of this ritual, Sang-Woo and Jessica shared small cups of wine, presented by Jessica’s mother.

Parents tossing chestnuts & jujube fruits for Parents' Blessing
Photo by SnoStudios

Another important Korean wedding tradition is the Parents’ Blessing. In this ritual, the couple’s parents bless the couple by "showering" them with wishes for many children. They do so by tossing nuts and fruit at the bride and groom, who will try to catch them in a wedding cloth. The number caught represents how many children the couple will have. 

I'm happy to report that this ritual was a success - Jessica and Sang-Woo have a beautiful new baby boy!

Guests writing wishes on the wishing stones
Photo by Anita Vaughan

At the end of the ceremony, guests were asked to stop at a table with river rocks and write their wishes for the couple on the rocks. A wonderful keepsake for the couple!

This wedding had so many lovely elements - but the best part? The bride and groom! I had such a wonderful experience working with Jessica and Sang-Woo and seeing their ceremony take shape. They are two of the nicest people you could ever hope to meet - and they know how to have fun!!





Thank you to SnoStudios for generously sharing these photos. And, of course, I have to give a huge shout out and thank you to Heather of Greatest Expectations Special Events and Weddings. She made everything run seamlessly - and made it all utterly gorgeous!

Incredible sweet table! Photo by Anita Vaughan

Congratulations on the birth of your son, Jessica & Sang-Woo! He is one lucky little boy to have you two as parents!

Adorable flower girl! Photo by Anita Vaughan

Getting Married? Get Committed!

Getting married? Looking for ways to keep it eco-friendly? Then you need to come check out Committed! 

This is a fantastic wedding show featuring wedding vendors who are all members of the Chicago Green Wedding Alliance. (Like me!) Not only will you get to meet some great like-minded wedding folks, there will be plenty of food to nibble on, drinks to sip, and more! 

While you're there, be sure to visit to the Rumpus Room, where there will be fun, hands-on activities. That's here I'll be hanging out as a volunteer for the event, so be sure to stop by and say HI! 

For tickets, click HERE