I wanted to share a poem that was read during Mark and Carolyn’s ceremony to set the tone for this post:
Wild Awake by Hilary J. Smith
“People are like cities:
We all have alleys and gardens and secret rooftops and places where daisies sprout between the sidewalk cracks,
but most of the time all we let each other see is a postcard glimpse of a skyline or a polished square.
Love lets you find those hidden places in another person,
even the ones they didn’t know were there,
even the ones they wouldn’t have thought to call beautiful themselves.”
This wedding set the bar pretty high for being my first wedding in Chicago. I’ve been looking forward to eventually shooting in my favorite city and love that it got to be with Mark and Carolyn at Salvage One.
I’ve known Mark for years now as he has been good friends with my sister and brother-in-law in Chicago. He hales from England and is a huge soccer fan so we’ve always had a good bit to chat about on the matter. I had the privilege of meeting Carolyn on their engagement shoot a couple years back with Lake Michigan waves crashing up against the walls and spraying up and over them. She is incredibly sweet and makes any new person she meets comfortable in seconds. I was so thrilled when they asked that I would shoot their wedding because the opportunity to work with incredible people will always trump an amazing city or location or venue. It just so worked out that we got the best of all of these.
Thanks so much Mark and Carolyn for letting me celebrate with you and capture your wedding day. Best of luck in England and hope we cross paths again sooner than later! Also, thanks for taking part in Love Gives Way so that a portion of your wedding would go towards the restoration of those affected by sex-trafficking.
Mark surprised Carolyn with a set of gifts that went along with the them “something old, something new, something borrowed, something blue” and included an old wedding book to remember their story in, a new bracelet, a borrowed clay wizard Carolyn made as a little girl, and a blue love lock they will be able to place in a memorable location hopefully while on their honeymoon. Finally, Carolyn opened a card which had a jump drive with a video link to a piece of video art from British artist Tracey Emin on the theme of the depths of love.
After Mark and Carolyn’s first look, they hosted a cocktail hour before the ceremony to welcome guests and visit with everyone. Then we all headed in for the ceremony, followed by a large group photo outside of all their guests, and then upstairs for their reception.
