A COVID-19 MICROWEDDING

A COVID-19 MICROWEDDING

A Real MicroWedding During Covid-19.

 

Clarissa and Gordon’s Microwedding on their rooftop terrace

 

It all started with the proposal at the Art Institute of Chicago. As Clarissa and Gordon were looking at another couple’s wedding photoshoot, Gordon told Clarissa they should just have one of their own. So they did!

 

Covid Engagement | Art Institute Engagement | Mishkalo

 

After 10 years of dating, right then and there he proposed to her at the beautiful Art Institute of Chicago, with its incredible scenery in the background. At the Art Institute garden, you’ll find a wonderland of geometric shapes, classical planters, and ivy-covered walls that will inspire you for a creative session.

The engagement photos were taken by Chuck Olu-Alabi.

 

Covid Engagement | Art Institute Engagement | Mishkalo

Picture Credits: Chuck Olu-Alabi (Instagram @chuckolualabi) Lincoln Park Zoo

A wedding is not just a parents’ biggest celebration, but their biggest credit card bill. It is a bride’s lifelong dream, and the most stressful time she/he has ever had. It is a groom’s biggest joy, but possibly his/her worst nightmare…that is if the bride is not happy.

Oh, and when I say possibly a groom’s worst nightmare, I mean any groom who has planned a summer of 2020 wedding. As we know, the Covid-19 pandemic spread like wildfire and, unfortunately, caused the cancellations of many weddings: a bride’s biggest disappointment.

One Covid-19 bride, or should I say superwoman, who shared her adaptive experience in this situation is, Clarissa.

 

 

Microwedding | Mishkalo

Picture Credits: Instagram @ariellegallionephotography

 

Clarissa and Gordon planned to get married on May 24th, 2020. Like many others, they took the approach to postpone their wedding to next year. Having said that, they also decided that after 10 years of being together, no virus, no matter how severe, was going to stop them from waiting any longer to celebrate their special day. So, they did just that, and they tied the knot.

Even though this day looked different than expected and adjustments had to be made, Clarissa and Gordon had support from friends and family to help make it happen.

With only a week and a half notice, Clarissa put together the whole ceremony on her own. A local florist Stephanie from Flowers by Stem was able to come out and put together beautiful scenery for their now terrace wedding at home.

 

Microwedding | Mishkalo

 

 

It does not stop there though, the help of Clarissa’s best friend was the cherry on top to help make the day extremely special by surprising her with a driveby of guests that could not come.

Also, a lot of their friends and family watched the wedding on Zoom.

 

Microwedding | Mishkalo

 

Clarissa and Gordon wanted to incorporate some traditions as well and decided to participate in the ‘Jumping the Broom’ ceremony. We thought this was so cool and meaningful for them. Adding personalization and making your wedding meaningful in your own way makes it even more special. It will showcase who you are and your values as a couple. 

We absolutely love this about Clarissa and Gordon’s wedding ceremony.

The “Jumping the Broom” is a ceremony in which the bride and groom, either at the ceremony or at the reception, signify their entrance into a new life and their creation of a new family by symbolically “sweeping away” their former single lives, former problems and concerns, and jumping over the broom to enter upon a new adventure as husband and wife. This ceremony dates back to the 1600s and derives from African culture.

 

Microwedding | Mishkalo

 

As one can guess, one of the biggest changes was the guest list. While not being able to have every single person they wanted to have there, this actually worked out in their favor.

Their decision to still get married on their original wedding day with only about 12 guests, allowed Clarissa and Gordon to have an intimate experience with just their families, in addition to their official ceremony and celebration that will now take place next year on May 29th, 2021.

While Covid-19 caused Clarissa and Gordon a sudden change in plans, in some way they got the best of both worlds.

The wedding photos were taken by Arielle Gallione

We wish them both a fabulous life together!

 

 

 

 

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People often ask ‘What is a good wedding gift for a couple who has everything’. We believe that a wedding is one of the most momentous occasions in a couple’s life, and their wedding gift should be as unique as their marriage. We invite couples to celebrate it by creating a Mishkalo Wedding Registry. You can rest assured your wedding gifts will be unique, showcasing your personality.

Mishkalo carries a vast collection of unique artwork by highly esteemed artisans from around the world.

Build Your Registry

 

Read more about wedding planning ideas and tips at Mishkalo

11 incredibly useful wedding planning tips from experts

4 Reasons to get original art as a wedding gift

If you already live together, do you need a registry?

Wedding Registry Hacks

15 best paces to register

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Wildlife to Watercolor Paintings

Wildlife to Watercolor Paintings

Wildlife to Watercolor Paintings

 

Meet Alison Nicholls, an Africa inspired Wildlife artist.

 

 

Having lived in Zimbabwe and Botswana, and frequently taking visits to Africa, beautiful wildlife inspires her to recreate exotic paintings with just a paintbrush and a canvas. While she currently lives just outside the intense, fast-paced New York City, her wildlife paintings suggest otherwise. Alison’s light-colored, soft, watercolor paintings are very calming to look at. Between elephants, lions, cheetahs, etc., her paintings take these big, strong, intimidating animals and make them feel like the purest, friendliest, and sweetest creatures in the world.

 

Cheetah Stride | Cool wedding gift idea | Mishkalo Wedding Registry for Art

 

Having started her career in her late 20s, her passion for animals and wildlife encompasses more than just paintings themselves. Bigger than that, the well being of the African conservation as a whole sits at one of her top priorities as she explores her creativity in her wildlife paintings.

 

Moonrise | Wildlife Painting | Alison Nicholls | Mishkalo

 

In order to help, Alison donates to the African conservation from every sale of her art. Her Conservation Sketching Expeditions to Africa allow her to learn about the issues of nature and then sketch and paint what she sees to bring awareness to it and to create stunning wildlife paintings. The diversity of her as an artist is what differentiates her among others.

 

Alison Nicholls | Wildlife painting | Mishkalo

 

Alison’s intricate, beautiful, quality pieces speak for themselves… and they tell us that they take time and planning. Getting her inspiration from her visits to African national parks and game reserves, she works on one piece at a time.

Starting with a sketch, bringing that sketch to the canvas using tracing paper, using multiple washes of color, creating layers and depth, and finishing with detail, each wildlife painting turns out unique. Alison spends a lot of time in the Kalahari and Namibia Deserts, and due to her careful technique with colors, viewers can really feel that heat in her paintings.

Alison also conducts Art Safaris for Africa Geographic in South Africa. The safaris are suitable for all skill levels and are designed to teach guests how to sketch wildlife quickly and confidently

 

Alison Nichols | Nature Painting | Mishkalo

 

 On the contrary to the warmth of her paintings, you can also feel a change in temperature with her use of cool colors. Less is more, and Alison’s simplistic watercolor paintings of these elephants speak volumes. With the primary use of white and just a splash of color, these paintings are very eye-catching and attention-grabbing.

 

Wildlife painting | Alison Nicholls | Mishkalo

 

 

Her color choices might be explained by the simplicity of the rock art and colorful crafts found in parts of southern Africa that inspired her. She uses color to mimic mood or time of day rather than the exact colors of nature. The combination of the colors, animals, and imagination allow her to create some abstract pieces. Her simplistic color choices help her create a tranquil atmosphere which is why her paintings are, again, very calming to look at.

 

 

 

 

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People often ask ‘What is a good wedding gift for a couple who has everything’. We believe that a wedding is one of the most momentous occasions in a couple’s life, and their wedding gift should be as unique as their marriage. We invite couples to celebrate it by creating a Mishkalo Wedding Registry. You can rest assured your wedding gifts will be unique, showcasing your personality.

Mishkalo carries a vast collection of unique artwork by highly esteemed artisans from around the world.

Build Your Registry

 

Read more about wedding planning ideas and tips at Mishkalo

11 incredibly useful wedding planning tips from experts

4 Reasons to get original art as a wedding gift

If you already live together, do you need a registry?

Wedding Registry Hacks

15 best paces to register

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