The words “Wedding Expo” send a shudder down my spine. I’m planning my own wedding this upcoming fall and as an indecisive libra, I have zero interest in attending an expo. In my mind, expos mean getting a mess of options and “must-needs”, most of which are not part of my initial plan, or budget. Also, most these events remind me of my worst fear: how “serious” my big day is. Truth is, I want to feel like a kid about my wedding day, because it’s not only a day of beautiful declaration of love, but also a big damn party.

Despite my fears, my business partner, Anna Spaller, of Dakota Lenox Photography's sister company, Wild Eye Photobooth convinced me to sign up to be a vendor at LoveSick wedding expo in Boston's Southie this past weekend. “It’ll be perfect!” she exclaimed showing me the website of the so-called “alternative wedding expo: LoveSick”. The next thing I knew we were spending the week building a prize wheel from scratch, printing off all our marketing materials, and praying that this expo was as exciting as the LoveSick website made it seem. We had high hopes that people would understand Wild Eye’s new photobooth concept: real humans behind the camera giving you a professional studio photoshoot in the midst of a party.

Wild Eye's Studio Setup with real photogs taking your glam-shot!

Before the doors opened on the day-of the event, I was expecting a lot of couples at this expo. I channeled characters from popular romantic comedies; perhaps an overly excited wedding-crazed partner, dragging behind them a reluctant fiancee, whose feet you could hear dragging throughout the entire affair. I was dreading they’d roll their eyes at getting their photo taken together.

11am hit and the doors of the Arts For Humanity building opened to a flock of folks. Anna straightened her orange polka dotted blouse, I downed a Red Bull, and we high-fived as we put on our “game faces”.

Before the storm: Our Wild Eye Photobooth table at LoveSick expo 2016

LoveSick Expo blew my expectations away. The crowd was a fairly even split of couples and groups of friends, all giggly and enthusiastic about being there, and mercifully enthusiastic about having their photo taken. Everyone seemed genuinely jazzed to rifle through our prop box and lunge in front of the camera wearing feather boas and fez hats. Each playful pose suggestion we gave - “You’re a tiger!” or “How about a kiss on the cheek?!”- was followed by giggles and squished friends, families and couples hugging each other close. The booth filled up and we were flattered to have such enthusiastic guests rocking out in front of the camera. West Coast beauty and LoveSick partner, Offbeat Bride had a "Kissy face" that blew us away, while LoveSick's head honchos were simply saucy and stunning.

The afternoon entertainment of LoveSick was filled with delicious stimulation, including juicy all-male burlesque dancers, Sirlesque, and a dancing rope angel sent from above, Aerialist Molly Baechtold. I’ve never seen either of these services before in my life, but myself and the crowd laughed and stared in awe at the performances. I’m usually pretty snobby about my music playlists, but the exciting rockabilly-looking band Jan Marie and the Mean Reds had their sound and style on point. My feet hurt from dancing in my Doc Martens the entire day.

(top row to bottom row) The day was filled with entertainment by astounding aerialist Molly Baechtold, the saucy Sirlesque performers, and live music by Jan Marie and the Mean Reds. (Photo from Wild Eye Photobooth) — (top row to bottom row) The day was filled with entertainment by astounding aerialist Molly Baechtold, the saucy Sirlesque performers, and live music by Jan Marie and the Mean Reds. (Photo from Wild Eye Photobooth)

The rad women of Apotheca Flower Shoppe posed in our booth and I could not stop staring at their flower crowns: they reminded me of Vermeer’s famous painting “Girl With the Pearl Earring” meets the sass and class of an earthy goddess. Our next door booth neighbors, Minter and Richter, a unique jewelry company in Boston, had such a lasting impression with brightly colored titanium rings that my fiance spent hours on their website the night after the expo. Sign me up for a cobalt ring, please!

AMAZING flower crowns by Apotheca Flower Shoppe (Photo from Wild Eye Photobooth)

Wild Eye is built on the human pleasures of good music and dance moves, being healthily overstimulated and living on laughs. LoveExpo gave us a place to be ourselves with other fun-loving attendees. A wedding can be a big, serious ordeal, but we can't forget about our youthfulness, lust for life, and the most important part, hosting a party that has the artisan touch that will make your day creatively yours.