A cold veil of late-Autumn breeze ushered Natalie and Seamus's wedding day in Downtown Chicago. A fresh roll of Ilford HP5 slotted into my Leica M4-P sat awaiting the cultured, high class air that comes with walking the art-lined halls of the Union League Club of Chicago and the intricate, sky-high detailing of the Holy Name Cathedral interior. Two truly historic and timeless institutions in the heart of Chicago seemed to make a hybrid mix of film and digital photography feel more than appropriate, while giving inspiration as a visual playground for unposed, candid photography.
Seamus and Natalie had brought their loved ones up from Nashville, Tennessee (my beautiful home state!) for a destination wedding weekend, and I was completely expecting a tornado of energy given the vacation-esque attitude. Surprisingly, and I believe this speaks to how calm and collected the couple is as people, the pair rode the waves of preparation and the ceremony with a very classy poise.
Capturing the Atmosphere and Intimacy of Holy Name Cathedral
Holy Name Cathedral needs a check-in counter for your jaw, because mine smacked the floor as soon as I wandered through the doors into the cathedral halls. Its Gothic structures sweeping high into the sky bade goodbye my questions of "How cool could it be?". After guests arrived and were seated, the bridal party lined up in the front entrance hall, a space that felt curious to me, but not out of place. The hall was smooth, cool-toned concrete that spun the palette away from the Gothic sentiments further inside, and created a beautiful contrast of elegant modernism. As one passed through the exterior doors into the entrance hall and then on through the doors opening up to the nave, it felt as if layers of modern life and aesthetic shed away piece by piece until we arrived in the commanding atmosphere of a time long before.
In reviewing this part of the day, I felt anchored in each frame by how connected every gesture and glance was. Some wedding days are full of people just bouncing around, going with the flow, and letting be what is. This is all good and well, but in the lead up to Seamus and Natalie's ceremony, it seemed that each person was savoring the moment intensely whether it was quiet waiting or raucous laughter. That sentiment of connection continued through the duration of the mass, where the friends and family gathered earnestly prayed and participated in the ceremony on behalf of the couple.
As a candid-forward photographer with an appetite for storytelling, I keep a close eye on the guests as much as the bride and groom during a ceremony. There's often small tells that show who is unified spiritually in the moment, and who is a supportive loved one happy to be in attendance. Neither is wrong, but the visual posture and moments often differ between the two, and I find the energy in the room during a more spiritual unification all the more electrifying.
True to their quietly sweet natures toward each other, Seamus and Natalie stole one final kiss in the timeless expanse of Holy Name Cathedral's arches before rejoining the chilly bustle of Chicago as they exited onto State Street.
Downtown Chicago Tour de Force & Reception at the Historic Lincoln Ballroom
Seamus and Natalie had included a small tour of Downtown Chicago's hits for their wedding party photos. The Riverwalk, Chicago Art Institute, and the Chicago Theater were all on the docket for the party bus, with just a quickly passing hour to hit them all.
From my perspective behind the viewfinder, it felt like everyone really settled in at the Riverwalk and the Chicago Theater. On the riverwalk stairs, the wedding party was able to take a beat and get a taste of the fresh evening air as the lights of the cityscape glittered about. When the 35mm film from this scene was scanned in, it felt like a callback to Jacob's Ladder, a winding staircase ascending up to sparkling heavenly realms as human forms descend its steps. The energy of expectation coursing through the first half of the day was being exhaled into the November night, and a fresh wind was coming in with promises of celebration in the coming reception.
The Chicago Theater was where Seamus and Natalie got to have a few moments removed from the wedding party and bask in the lights underneath the marquee. A difference from the Riverwalk, the theater was accepting guests for a show that night, and the front was under some construction that made photographing a bit challenging. That didn't stop us from taking in and using the glowing ambiance and finding the spots that gave us a bit of room to move in. The couple looked like the main characters of a movie caught in the middle of their own final scene before credits roll.
At the Union League Club of Chicago, the Lincoln Ballroom was ready to receive its guests. I laughed at myself when I entered to take detail photos, because I thought to myself "What makes this the *Lincoln* ballroom?". Then I looked up and saw the famous portrait engraving by Henry Gugler that was inspiration for the $5 bill. The room name checks out.
The classic elegance of the ballroom made for a dreamy backdrop when Seamus and Natalie greeted their guests with their first dance and a beautifully heartfelt welcome speech. Natalie especially seemed to bloom in the loving affection received from the tables she visited, and part of me wondered if this was the part of the reception she had most looked forward to: the unhindered time to enjoy the company of those she loves. The formal script of the wedding day timeline melted away, leaving only the best parts of relationship.
Photographed with Teri B. Photography
