A wedding with so many details in a beautiful setting is every photographer's dream. Amanda + Tyler put a lot of thought into each floral arrangement, every candle lit and brought an old ballroom to life. I loved capturing every bit of it and wanted to share their entire wedding gallery. Working with a new online host I'm more than pleased with the way my weddings and sessions are now shown to my clients. Check out the goods with the link below!
There are several weather scenarios that can happen when you choose a January wedding date in Wisconsin. Flashes of blizzards and icy roads cross my mind; stranded guests, boots instead of heels or maybe just that ugly leftover snow everywhere. I love when I find clients that are a bit more optimistic, Katherine + Mike got just the day they had pictured + dreamed of having. The gentle snow starting falling just moments before their ceremony began. Afterwards we got to play in the flakes for a while and brave the chilly weather, it was the perfect setting for a winter wedding. Their day included a gorgeous dress that's going to be hard to top, a serenade of "Don't Stop Believing" by the groom and his men, and one of my favorite non-first looks ever! They opened each other's letters and gifts standing side by side through a doorway, no look actually took place. These two are madly in love and from the time I met them knew they were a perfect fit, they just seem to get each other. Here's a peek of their day, congratulations Mr. + Mrs. Dixon!
Finally sharing this amazing engagement session from January. We met early, like before the sun was up early in hopes of catching a colorful sunrise over Lake Michigan. Mother nature had another idea filled with overcast, fog and a consistent flow of the largest snowflakes I have ever seen. It happened to be the kind of snow and overcast lighting that happens without warning where I end up wishing I had someone to photograph -- what luck for Jenny + Jon! It was so quiet and we pretty much had the place to ourselves. This is how I like to remember Wisconsin winters -- like how I said remember? As we wait for the last few snow banks to melt, here are some shots of a pretty, winter wonderland and an awesome couple with their furry kids. Can't wait for their wedding in November!
Starting to book family sessions for spring + summer! I know, hard to imagine running around in the sunshine at this point but it's something to look forward to, right? Here are some favorites from the past year to get you all in the mood.
Click on images to make larger.
Going through all of the wedding photos from last year and realizing my work's place in these peoples' lives. Thinking about these special couples I'm so fortunate to know -- two of which have welcomed their first child in the last few months; four couples who are expecting a child sometime this year and several who have just bought their first home together. I think about which photo might be their children's favorite when they get older or which one might hang on the wall the longest. Which one triggers a favorite memory and which one will be shown on their 50th wedding anniversary. Might sound silly but it keeps me going and realizing the importance of my job. I feel very grateful to have been there to capture their moments and provide them with a visual story to share and enjoy their very best day. Thank you to all my couples past and present, I feel so blessed to know you.
(Disclaimer: not all couples in this post are expecting; don't want to start any rumors, haha)
Since we are in full swing of the 2014 wedding season (has anyone told the weather that yet?) and it is the first day of spring, thought I would share some inspiration from last year. Just longing for those blue sky, warm breeze wedding days -- at this point I would take the hot and sweaty, direct sunlight ones too. Here are just a small amount of my favorites, more to come.
There may not be a perfect equation of who + what when putting together a wedding but if there was I would say that Jane + Timm found it. With a mixture of friends + family participating in the pieces and the creativity these two have that allowed for some of the sweetest details I've seen at a wedding -- they ended with a day that was truly them in every way.
The venue was a unique, AMAZING! spot among the rolling hills of Dodgeville, WI. Farm land as far as the eye could see and a gorgeous sunset view to end the day + start the evening. A little white wedding chapel in the middle of the woods was a perfect setting for the ceremony officiated by Timm's father. I couldn't get enough of all the colorful wildflowers picked for the bouquets and Jane's jaw-dropping floral crown. Each piece of paper/text/label was designed beautifully by the bride. And what wedding would be complete without HIS&HERS home-brewed beers. The food was delicious and the music was spot on. Yard games kept the laughter going among the well-dressed guests + sweet moments included the first dance to "Son of a Preacher Man" and Timm wearing his Grandfather's wedding band.
Ok, ok...I will let the photos speak for themselves. Because really I could go on about this wedding and all it's glory, instead I will let you see for yourself. Thanks, Jane + Timm for having me be apart of your day, it was the best and I wish you all the happiness in the world!
Venue: Folklore Village
Catering: Travis Huss
Desserts: Make Cake
Flowers: Theresa Morgan
Music: Andy Silverman, Andy Menchal + Adam Loeb
the Dress: J Crew
Jewelry: Grandmother's
Rings/Bands: (Bride) Lady Faye Jewelry + (Groom) Grandfather's band
Hair: Marcee Koci from the Artistry Hair Studio
I have had the privilege of calling Maddy my cousin officially since marrying my husband four years ago, but have known her as family since she was about seven. She is a very bright and motivated young lady who wants to be a writer. I'm so excited to see what the world has in store for her and truly enjoyed spending a few hours with her exploring some of Chicago's best parks. She has the most genuine smile + laugh, looks great in blue and has an inside joke with friends involving a Batman mask. These images reflect the best of her and her spirit.
I had never been to Delafield, WI before meeting Abbey + Tom and fell for this little town right away when shooting their engagement session last year. Was excited to go back for their wedding and spend some more time downtown and in the wooded park areas. I think I may have told Abbey a hundred times how much I loved her dress! It was so much fun to photograph and fit her perfectly. The colors in the flowers made me speechless + the venue is Wisconsin's oldest restaurant. Their family + friends were so welcoming and incredibly fun on the dance floor with the live band.
The bride's parents have an amazing property up in Belgium and I have been lucky enough to shoot there several times now. It was the perfect spot for the first look and wedding party photos. Probably one of the nicest days our Wisconsin has given us, the temperature out was perfect and so were all the handmade details. Jacalyn + Jonathan had the sweetest vows written to each other and were constantly surrounded by family + friends throughout the day. It was great to see so many people on the dance floor and taking advantage of the photo booth we set-up towards the end of the night. I had a blast capturing this wedding -- congratulations you two, what an amazing day!
Amy + Mike invited me over to their home to capture their little family and document sweet Nora turning 6 months old. She had the greatest expressions throughout our session and was so fun to photograph -- even some 'happy accident shots' happened with the family dog. Here are a few from that beautiful day!
Back in April we drove a couple hours south across the IL border to capture Kelsey + Greg's wedding day! We saw everything from hail to snow on our commute but luckily this couple had the most beautiful venue and a ceremony inside was just as amazing! Upon meeting them and hearing their story you could tell that they just wanted to be married and no matter what happened it would be a very special day. Kelsey was simply stunning and Greg had us cracking up -- the cake cutting especially, he kept swinging the fork past his bride and feeding himself, haha...it was really good cake!
Their families and wedding party were so great to work with and made our jobs rather easy. Everyone was very welcoming and we were so excited to be apart of it. Wishing you two all the happiness in the world, congratulations!
This amazing little bundle was so much fun to photograph. Her grandparents + mama used to live across the street from my parents. I even babysat Bethany a few times growing up + now she has a sweet little girl all her own. Their home had the perfect amount of light coming in the windows that allowed for some great shots, I especially love the ones of Grace + her dad, I think he is the baby whisperer -- she melted when he held her. So happy for you two, Bethany + Nick // thanks Carol + Brant for having me over to capture these sweet memories for you!
This sweet, local wedding was my first for 2013 + well my first wintery, snowy one ever + I loved it! I really don't think there is a better decor to a wedding then white snow, it lights up the photos and creates such a clear image -- I cheered many times after snapping each one of the images of the couple by the creek. With a fur that once belonged to Courtney's grandmother, dried lilac flowers + tiny white lights on the tables, the simple details of this wedding stole my photographing heart! Their first look photos are some of my favorites, they are completely genuine + such great moments between them. So grateful to know this couple and to be apart of their day!
B+B: Stagecoach Inn, Cedarburg, WI // Venue: Black Swan, Grafton, WI // Catering: Out + Out, Cedarburg, WI
Recently I've created a few photo books for clients + am so happy with the way they are turning out. Great quality keepsakes for all the photos I take during a session. Here are a few examples.
little Miss Raedyn's newborn session // Ryan + Will's maternity session // my cousin Ben, his senior session
So I found out recently that I have a gluten allergy and have to eliminate all wheat products from my diet. As bummed as I was to hear about the yummy breads + baked goods I'd have to forever turn down, my world has been opened up to all the healthy alternatives and the best part is I feel great after eating them. My sweet neighbors upstairs made me some gluten-free/vegan cookies last month, they were so good that I had to ask for the recipe and I've made them, ah...errr....three times since. They are so wholesome and filling that I often eat a few before the gym or for an afternoon energy boost. The best part is they are so versatile, so many options for the ingredients, oh and the fact that the dough is legit to eat because there are no eggs, so it's not dangerous or actually really dangerous, they might not make it in the oven! Check out the recipe below + enjoy!
I love...when the snow sticks to the trees branches + gives them a second silhouette, when there is a blue hue to the air every direction you look, when it's really really REALLY cold out + you bear it because you can't help but take photos of it all. Our little town is quite special covered in snow. I took a 36 minute walk around our neighborhood -- that's about all I could handle, I still have very thin Vegas blood running through my veins I think. I'm loving the snow this winter, hope I always feel that way.
Braved the cold with this cute couple the last week in January. Luckily we got some pretty powdery snow to work with and a sweet little ice rink that's been setup in our town -- we had a blast and warmed up at Alterra Coffee after. My sister and Brian have been friends since grade school so I was thrilled when him and his pretty fiancee asked me to capture their engagement + wedding. I love October/fall weddings, can't wait!
I love going to the mailbox and finding my photo + design work in there. Received three beautiful save-the-dates in the last week or so, wedding season is upon us and I'm stoked!
This past fall my sister and I took a drive heading west from our town. We wanted to find some rummage sales and go check out a pumpkin farm or orchard. We had heard some great things about Monches Farm and decided that would be our first stop. There weren't many stops after because this place had it all. It was on a breathtaking property with chickens and herb gardens. Walking around we sipped on hot apple cider and just took in the crisp fresh air. This place grows with the seasons, I have no doubt it was as charming during the Christmas months, but can't wait to return this spring and see it bloom.
www.monchesfarm.com, go like them on facebook too!
After we warmed up with some hot bowls of french onion soup at Fox + Hounds.
