On April 18th, 2015 Mark Palkovic and Tom Shessler tied the knot in New York City after 31 years together.  Following the footsteps of many couples who get married out-of-state, they went with a small group of friends and made things official with an intimate ceremony, a romantic dinner, and a whirlwind weekend.  Not wishing to leave the rest of their friends out back home, they also organized a celebration the following week for almost 100 people at the Cincinnati Museum Centre.

Home to both the Cincinnati Museum and the headquarters of the all things railway in Cincinnati, the evening began at Union Terminal in the Presidential Office and Suite for some family photographs.  We had been worried that we might not be allowed to climb on the furniture after our tour the previous week, but with no one looking, we risked it anyway and spent a wonderful 30 minutes exploring the suite and taking pictures in the chairman’s office and boardroom.  Next stop was the Graeters Ice Cream Parlour, complete with original Rookwood tile for a quick portrait or two, before heading into the museum area for an intimate reception, where I discovered that Tom and Mark like to hug people….a lot.  Everyone was hugged multiple times and then again for good measure.  The feeling of love was, well, palpable.

After cocktails and canapés, the party headed through the museum itself to the lower levels for dinner, where, next to a boat with an appropriate sign of “Queen of the West”, guests listened to a couple of speeches, toasts, and jazz for the rest of the evening.  There was plenty of chat, laughter, wine, and a lot more hugging.  The cake was cut, people danced, Tom and Mark visited all the tables and hugged everyone again, old friends caught up with each other, and new friendships were made.  The evening completed with some special cards being exchanged before everyone hugged for the final time and headed off into the night.

It’s always special when I get to photograph with friends, especially ones who have been together for a long time.

Thanks, Tom and Mark, for letting me be a part of your celebration!

David.