#ALLIEPLUSMICHAEL
Take one cool couple + an amazing wedding location in the Tribune Tower Crown and Howells & Hood + a bunch of drinks and good times + custom tattoos + their own freaking logo + Beyonce themed bridal hoodies +cats + two photographers with big grins and you have the recipe for one knock-down, drag-out wedding extravaganza. Allie and Michael won weddings yesterday.
I met Allie a decade ago when she interned at the paper I worked for as a photojournalist in my previous, non-wedding photographer life. One day when I told her I was getting into weddings, I told her when she found her man I would be there to shoot it no matter what. A wedding photo pact of sort. Then I saw the Facebook post that Allie was engaged to Michael. I replied back instantaneously and we did this. I think I was her first checklist off the wedding to-do list after “get engaged.” I made a phone call right after that to Scott Strazzante, one of the best and most inspiring newspaper photojournalists I’m lucky enough to call a friend – if I was coming to his hood, there was no one else I wanted to second shoot this one. He’s the man. Google him. You’ll see why.
I have never been to downtown Chicago, so I was a kid in an eye candy store as we took over the streets of Chi-town making Allie and Michael King and Queen of the city. I don’t think it will ever be the same. I really can’t say much more than shooting days like this make all the stress and craziness of this business completely and totally worth it. Allie and Michael’s oozes all over anyone they meet and judging by searching their official wedding hashtag and of their family and friends felt absolutely the same.
These two tipped me with small batch local gin from a Chicago distillery…and I can’t think of anything better than coming back to Chicago share the bottle with these cats again – and their cats.
Congrats you two. I’m exhausted, but there is a big smile on my face.
Surfboard.