Maddie + Justin, Wedding

A lovely bride, a beautiful church, blue skies and a cool breeze, a traditional Southern ceremony, all topped off with a fun-filled barn reception-- Those are just a few of the highlights from this special day.  Maddie and Justin are such a sweet couple and I think all the details came together perfectly to celebrate their wedding! When we arrived, the ladies were all getting their finishing touches on hair and makeup and we had to laugh as the little flower girls walked in and began to immediately help Maddie with absolutely anything she may need! They were by her side most of the day, all holding her dress and making sure she was comfortable. We got to document the first look of the bride and groom (one of my favorite wedding day moments!) and Maddie kept a big grin on her face the whole time to keep from crying. :) Then we all thanked God for a beautiful day as we took pictures around the church and outside-- it was windy but that made the June heat a little more bearable, though it was already a bit cooler than it had been.

The ceremony was gorgeous, and even the little ring bearers did a fabulous job standing at the alter in their precious suspenders and bow ties! The afternoon sun was creating a lovely glow as it beamed in through the stained glass windows, and after the I Do's were sealed with a kiss the happy couple walked outside through a parade of bubbles, waving to friends and family. We all followed them to the reception at the family's barn just a few minutes away, decorated with dainty flowers, burlap, and lace glowing from the lights hanging all around. The dances went from sweet to silly, and everyone young and old jumped in to celebrate and laugh a little. At the end of the reception, the groomsmen surprised everyone with fireworks that provided a show for not only the wedding guests but the neighborhoods around. :) A fun ending to this special, lovely day!

Congratulations to Maddie and Justin, the new Mr. and Mrs. Brown, and thank you for letting us be a part of your wedding! Special thanks to Michelle Fisher for being my wonderful assistant and second shooter-- I don't know what I would do without her!

Brittany + Kyle- Wedding

Brittany and Kyle's June wedding was such a lovely, sweet backyard wedding. Hosted in a small town in Illinois, the setting was the right amount of chic and simple, a little laid back but still classy-- which matched this couple perfectly! Brittany made an absolutely stunning bride, complete with a cute Southern accent, and Kyle made us all tear up a bit when he sent sweet little gifts to Brittany (with the help of the bridesmaids) throughout the first half of the day. You know it's going to be a good wedding when it has everyone smiling and crying before the ceremony even starts. ;)At times, as wedding photographers, we have to throw the schedules and lists aside and just roll with it-- like when the groomsmen all of a sudden took over some of the wedding party pictures and posed everyone in a football stance. Or when the little ring bearer decides during the ceremony he'd rather not walk down the isle, and sits down instead. :) We also had a photo-bombing Best Man, an almost-forgotten cake, and a few other surprises that kept us on our toes and made us laugh a bit! That's what keeps our job interesting and obviously, never boring.

I hope you all enjoy the pictures illustrating this sweet, fun day, and once again, thank you to Brittany and Kyle for letting us be a part of your wedding! We wish you all the best! (And special thanks to Courtney Baum for being my wonderful assistant!)

Ashley+Ben, Wedding

The first time I met Ashley and Ben was just a few months before their May wedding, and Ashley immediately introduced herself, gave me a big hug, and started going over some picture ideas and such for the big day! :) I had met with her mother a few times over the past several months to talk about the wedding details and schedules, because the couple lived a few hours away, but I always like to meet the bride and groom beforehand when I can. Ashley was the definition of Southern charm, letting us know there would be plenty of food for us to eat at the reception, and making sure if we needed anything all we had to do was ask. We talked about the dress and the decor, the colors and style. A Southern-chic wedding went perfectly with this lovely couple, and I was of course excited to photograph it! Ashley and Ben's wedding day couldn't have been more beautiful! We had blue skies and fluffy white clouds, hay bales, barns, lace, and flowers as our backdrop, and the wedding party was great to work with. Lots of smiles and tears were had even before the ceremony with the arrival of friends and family, then we watched as the couple said I Do at sunset, and all walked over to the beautiful reception area for cake cutting, dances, and a good time celebrating the new Mr. and Mrs.

Thanks so much to Ashley and Ben for letting us be a part of your special day! Also, thanks to Anne for meeting with me and taking care of so many fine details. :) The wedding coordinators were Susanne Marsidi and Claudia Maness, who were wonderful to work with and did such a great job putting this day together!