Woof, this one hits right in the feels.
I was under a bit of stress before making the drive to Wisconsin for this wedding. Our life in Chicago was being hastily packed into boxes that were beginning to consume the apartment as the rooms became emptier. I was getting ready to say goodbye to the life and people I’d known for a decade and things were starting to get very real. In the hotel room in Wisconsin the night before the wedding, for the first time in a while, I felt truly lonely.
On the outside, love was injected everywhere. Their venue, – an old Girl Scout camp, The Hilltop at Spring Green – is made up of many acres of hills and dips and that beautiful green that only a Midwest summer can truly provide. Frances and Alex arranged their own flowers, made every centerpiece, hand-dyed their own linens. They married under a huge tree on a hill (champagne and popcorn make great pre-ceremony snacks, by the way). Dinner and appetizers were all sourced locally and their desserts were a selection of Midwestern bars made by their loved ones. Then, they fired up their lanterns and walked their guests down to the pavilion for dancing, drinks, and even more food (including homemade PB&J sandwiches, for those that might be hungry on their way home.. have I mentioned that Midwest weddings are the best?). Kiddos ran around with headlamps and bubbles, encouraged to make the space their own. They danced to George Michael and snacked in tents on the lawn. Meanwhile, us adults had our fun start to kick off with Fatboy Slim (you had to be there). The bonfire burned gently under a massive moon and a sky so full of stars you’d have to see it to believe it.
On the inside, however, their wedding was a deep current of emotion, intention, and tenderness. Their ceremony was all about community: their loved ones stood around them, surrounding them in support and love, to witness their love and commitment. Sage was passed around to cleanse their space and bring everyone even closer together. The whole day was a sacred and safe space of inclusivity and love, where every identity is valid and all pronouns respected by everyone present. Their wedding family represented the absolute best of what it means to have chosen family: the people who truly love us and are there for us through it all. I knew only Frances and Alex when I arrived, but at the end of that day, I felt far less alone. Plus, I’d given myself heat rash to take home with me, so I had a companion for the drive back.
Words aren’t enough to explain what this wedding was and is. Let’s be honest, words aren’t my strong suit. I hope that the photos and moments below can better convey what I am trying to say and what that day truly was. Their faces say more than words ever could.
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