After weeks of finalizing plans with Joanna from opposite sides of the globe (either she was in Australia or I was in Thailand), we were finally united on the weekend that mattered most, the weekend of her wedding to Lou at the Omni Severin Hotel. My coverage started with a rehearsal in one of the meeting rooms, and I could tell right away from the chairs that this would be a wedding “in the round,” just one of many unique touches to come. Another thoughtful idea was having a cocktail party instead of a rehearsal dinner, as the couple wanted to invite all the guests who had already arrived from afar at the hotel instead of just the customary select few.
I arrived early on the big day, so I was able to capture some extra moments behind the scenes before getting some nice shots of the ceremony arrangement in the ballroom, tastefully decorated by McNamara Florist. The ceremony was an elegant affair in an intimate setting punctuated with much levity by the groom throughout. Following the ceremony, I squeezed in a cab with the couple and photographer Andrew Scalini for some fun shots around the town, including the canal’s newly refilled water dyed green for St. Patrick’s day.
There was more green to come at the reception, as a bagpiper surprised the guests, accompanied by green beer and some nimble footwork by the couple. DJ Brian Whitis did a wonderful job the rest of the evening at keeping the small but very spirited crowd moving on the dance floor. How spirited? Let’s just say for example that I’ve never seen a groomsman wear an ice sculpture as a necklace before and leave it at that. Big thanks to the Omni ladies – Carrie for the referral, and Amanda for letting me store my gear in her office while taking in the Big Ten Tournament game (which I had HOPED would be IU vs. Purdue when I bought the tickets) prior to the rehearsal. And congrats to Joanna (Happy Birthday, too) and Lou!
Photo by Andrew Scalini
