Retro Bowling Alley Wedding in Chicago
August 12th, 2023
Fireside Bowl in Chicago offers a unique and nostalgic setting for couples seeking a non-traditional wedding venue. With its vintage charm and rich history as a former punk rock venue, it provides an intimate and laid-back atmosphere. The venue's authentic character allows for personalized celebrations that reflect the couple's style. Whether you're envisioning a casual gathering with pizza and bowling or a more eclectic affair, Fireside Bowl delivers a memorable experience in the heart of Logan Square!
Last summer, Sarah and Aakash had the sweetest wedding at Fireside Bowl; the kind of wedding I hadn’t experienced at the time & was left feeling so inspired and thankful that I got to photograph something so special for two of the sweetest humans. The best pizza from Pizza Lobo, desserts made from the bride herself, and a whole lot of love made for the loveliest summer evening wedding.
A bowling alley wouldn’t be your first thought when thinking of your wedding venue but Sarah and Aakash went against all the norms!
”We had always joked that if we got married, we’d just invite everyone to a dive bar for beer. Since we have a lot of kids between our families and friends we also wanted an activity they could enjoy, so we decided on bowling at a dive bar. We looked at a couple alleys around Chicago, but selected Fireside Bowling. We loved that it was authentic and laid back, the management was flexible, and its location in Logan Square. Our favorite part was its history over the years, especially as an iconic punk venue in the 90’s.”
“We really wanted the day to be a celebration of our friends and family and for everyone to just have fun. Our friends kept joking that we were following the same format as a children’s birthday party with bowling and pizza, and we both agreed that that sounded like a great time, so we kept that in mind as we planned.”
We ended off the night with Sarah and Aakash playing a quick round of bowling alongside their friends + family! The owner of the bowling alley came up to me to let me know he had a surprise for Sarah + Aakash, and low + behold it was a pair of SIZE 15 BOWLING SHOES.
I asked Sarah if she had any advice for anyone planning their wedding & I absolutely love what she had to say!
”It’s really easy to feel like you need to do more or maximize every part of the process, but I’d resist that influence. At a certain level the money, time, energy, and stress you and your friends, family, and partner put into it isn’t going to enhance the experience.”
Planning your wedding can for sure feel a little overwhelming, but something to keep in mind is you can quite literally do it any way you’d like! These two had one of the most welcoming, wholesome, party-like weddings I’ve ever photographed & I couldn’t recommend doing something like this enough. Whatever feels truest to you and your partner, stick with it & don’t let any outside influences make you feel any other way.