From ancient fables to saucy newspaper and magazine columns, love stories have always been a source of entertainment. But none quite capture the wacky, weird, and utterly heartwarming ways humans connect with one another now better than the New York Times’s “Modern Love” feature.
Now, the popular Sunday column’s companion podcast is looking for fresh audio.
If you’ve ever listened in and thought “Hey, my story is better than that,” or even “Hey, my story is by-the-book, but still totally magical in its own mundane way,” this weekend is your chance to tell it. Zola, an online wedding planning and registry company, is teaming up with the Times for a “Love Stories Tour” that allows couples, friends, family, or anyone else who has a story about love to record their tale. The best stories will even be included in the “Modern Love” podcast’s Valentine’s Day’s episode; all of the stories will be posted online next February.
The tour kicked off November 11 in New York, and was in Chicago earlier this week. The tour bus, a 1970s camper complete with a custom recording studio, will be parked outside Union Market on Saturday from 9 AM to 5 PM.
While visitors wait to record, they can browse for gifts in a Zola store, or lounge in the side of the camper decked out to resemble a hip newlywed couple’s apartment. Zola employees will be on-hand to help couples with wedding and registry planning.
But even if you aren’t engaged, or you’re still waiting for your magic love story, there is still reason to stop by: Milkbar will be celebrating with a massive wedding cake and 1,000 free cake balls.
Take a peek at the decked out tour bus, shop, and recording studio, below.
Hayley is an Associate Editor at Washingtonian Weddings. Previously she was the the Style Editor at The Local Palate, a Southern food culture magazine based out of Charleston, South Carolina. You can follow her on instagram @wandertaste.
