When David Tucker and Joshua Sovell planned their Oct. 5 wedding at River Roast (315 N. LaSalle), tradition for the sake of tradition was the last thing on their minds. “We decided not to have an officiant; it just was the two of us each sharing our declaration of love,” says Tucker, a 35-year-old bank examiner. Rather than sit in rows, their friends and family surrounded them in a semicircle. “It was very powerful,” says Sovell, 37, who works as corporate relationship manager for the Greater Chicago Food Depository.

Their skull-printed Alexander McQueen ties — a navy necktie for Tucker and ruby bow tie for Sovell — inspired their jewel-toned color scheme of red and blue, reflected in the linens, escort cards, and eclectic floral arrangements by Pistil & Vine (1924 N. Damen), their favorite neighborhood florist near their Wicker Park home. Afterward, they honeymooned in Prague, Vienna, and Budapest.

Photos by Gloss Photography Studios/Jaci Ruben