Sloane and Jacob had a quick family-only ceremony at Chicago city hall and then around 50 guests joined them at Avondale Bowl. Between the two they walked to their neighbourhood farmers’ market, had coffee and changed outfits at home.

A $4 thrift-shop bowling bag helped Sloane figure out her outfit. Inside were a ball, a pair of white bowling shoes in her size and a lucky penny. She’d spent weeks looking for shoes after another pair went missing in the post and these turned up while she was shopping with her best friend. “They fit perfectly,” she said. “The lucky penny tucked into the bag really sold it to me – we we’re having the wedding we were destined for!” The theme they had given their wedding was Lucky in Love, making the shoe find even more serendipitous.

The couple had come close to booking a traditional wedding venue, but Sloane couldn’t picture their celebration there. A bowling alley felt more them, even if Jacob initially thought she was joking. “When we found Avondale it all clicked,” she continued. “My gut feeling was a solid plan that I could follow as I made decisions about other parts of the day.” Her grandparents needed convincing, too. But by the reception, her grandma was the first to say they’d planned the perfect party for everyone who was there, which was the goal!

Sloane’s ceremony dress was made by the mother of her college best friend, Vivian. Sloane had found a pattern she loved and asked Sheila, an avid crafter, whether she could commission her to make it. She went above and beyond, also surprising her with a veil, two purses and a bracelet! “Sheila is a gift to this earth, and I am so lucky to have her as a mother in my life,” Sloan gushed. “Thank you to Vivian for sharing her.”

After the quick city hall ceremony, the newlyweds met friends at the farmers’ market and stopped at Sloane’s favourite coffee shop. Sloane and her sister then went to her long time hair stylist before the couple got ready for their first look in their apartment. Their photographer, Ash Lee Jpg who is also childhood friend of Sloane’s, captured the day on digital and 35mm film.

Sloane is a graphic designer so she created the wedding branding, invitations and even the bowling score sheets. She made the décor with help from friends, embroidering a thrifted tablecloth for the welcome sign and turning leftover bachelorette crafting supplies into ribbon garlands along the lanes. An upcycled bowling bag with a custom logo patch collected cards.

On the tables, thrifted frames held photographs of weddings from both families’ histories, alongside bud vases and doilies. The vintage photographs brought earlier generations into their Lucky in Love theme, acknowledging the relationships that had led to this one.

Hiring the venue was their biggest expense, but it was also great value. It included bowling and an open bar for five hours, and it was still cheaper than most of the more traditional wedding venue spaces. The only thing they’d change would be to have hired a day-of coordinator. Friends and family helped manage the logistics at the end of the night, but she would have liked them to enjoy the party without that responsibility.

Wedding planning did bring up some doubts about whether the celebration would feel like ‘enough’. Sloan explained, “Brides are under so much pressure to be the most optimised perfect version of themselves for one special day. The amount of GLP-1 ads and ‘get toned bridal arms’ reels I was shown over the last year was a little alarming. The external noise to change yourself to be beautiful is very loud – but the most important thing is feeling like yourself, which is the most beautiful thing you can be.”

“Also, WEDDINGS SHOULD BE FUN! I know friends who felt so much of that pressure on their day they couldn’t enjoy it. If five minute interval timelines are your thing, power to ya! But if you don’t want to walk down an aisle with everyone you’ve ever known staring deep into your soul – then DON’T! Revel in every moment – it’s all over much too fast! I wish it was like groundhogs day and we could relive it again & again.”