My goodness how time has flown! I am the first to admit that I am happy to see winter almost over. It is such a slow time of year for me as a photographer, especially one that shoots primarily outdoors. Speaking of the outdoors, I had to get myself organized and FINALLY post this gorgeous wedding. I can't begin to say enough wonderful things about Ellen and Jordan. Their laid-back Verona, Wisconsin wedding was one of my favorites from 2016. Ellen and Jordan brought such uniqueness to their day, I swear not a detail was overlooked. My favorite aspect was that they baked all their wedding desserts themselves! Sometimes you meet a couple and you instantly want to be best friends with them, and these two were no exception. 

Shayna and Travis' Minneapolis Marriott Southwest summer wedding was a total pleasure to capture. Shayna had the perfect room to get ready in with huge windows and tons of natural light. All her bridesmaids were SO helpful getting the flowers, jewelry, dress, and shoes ready. I love it when you immediately see why a bride chose her particular women to stand beside her on her wedding day. The same goes for Travis and his groomsmen, they were so goofy and fun that it was a total breeze photographing them. We completely lucked out with the weather, albeit a tad humid, but no rain! One of my favorite moments was Shayna giggling at the altar as Travis braided the leis together. These two are so deeply perfect for each other. I was so honored to be able to capture this amazing day for them!

Working with Jenn and Nick this spring was such a pleasure. Their entire wedding day was so relaxed and laid back - not to mention beautiful!

​Jenn had the perfect wedding suite to get ready in that had TONS of natural light. The atrium in Embassy Suites has all these  lush green plants, gazebos, and a huge skylight - perfect for photos. I loved the royal blue color scheme (can we talk about Jenn's gorgeous shoes?!) and how it was incorporated into all the intricate details of the day. The feeling of gratitude overwhelms me when I think of being able to witness all the amazing moments of their day - from Jenn's first look with her father to Nick's face when we first saw Jenn as she walked down the aisle.

The 2016 wedding season has been such a lovely way to say goodbye to the Twin Cities. Couples like Jenn and Nick make it hard to start over again in Milwaukee!

Meggie found me on Thumbtack just about a year ago, at which point we did engagement portraits together on her parent's beautiful lake in Libertyville, IL. Meggie and Lucas' big day started at Christ Church in Lake Forest, IL where they each got ready in separate rooms. That did not stop them from showing their love to each other though, because they both sent each other hand written letters and little presents. So adorable!  One of my favorite moments of the day was capturing Meggie's look of determination and pride as she walked down the aisle to Lucas, it immediately took my breath away in the moment (and after as I was editing!). The reception was held at Ivanhoe Country Club where we took all the wedding party photos and bride/groom portraits. Meggie and Lucas were so easy to work with and they both were totally laid back the entire day. Even though we had one of the most humid days on record for this time of year, everything went off without a hitch. Meggie gave me a five start rating on Thumbtack (thank you Meggie!), but I think she and Lucas were truly the ones that deserve five stars, because this wedding day was perfect. 

Flowers: Flowers by Anna
Videography: 312 Film
Venue: Ivanhoe Country Club

I met Alison a few years ago through a mutual friend. At that point she had hired me to take professional head shots for her. Alison works as an investigative journalist and is the single most intelligent person I have ever met. It was an absolute honor taking her head shots, but then imagine how I felt when she asked me to photograph her wedding! Oh be still my heart. When I met her husband-to-be, Justin, I knew instantly just how beautiful this wedding was going to be.  Justin is Alison's equal in spirit, ambition, and intellect, and that is a near impossible standard to meet. These two were so incredibly fun and refreshing to work with and I could not be happier with how the pictures turned out. 

Vendors:
An Event Less Ordinary- Wedding Planners
The Alice Millar Chapel - Ceremony and Reception Venue
Shakespeare Gardens - Wedding Photography Location
Don Markus - Wedding Videographer

I have known Rhiannon since my college days. You know those people who are so full of generosity and love that it almost seems impossible they are actual human beings? Well that's Rhiannon. She is a rockstar, a fabulous writer, a beautiful spirit. So when she asked me to be her wedding photographer I was beyond jazzed. Rhiannon and Ben's wedding day could not have gone better. Getting the chance to finally meet all of their family was such a wonderful treat. I loved hanging out with the ladies as they got ready at their hotel.  We were able to find a fellow family member's hotel room with a huge window and gorgeous natural light to grab the majority of our Bridal portraits with Rhi and her bridesmaids. Oh, and let's not forget the wonderful little Eva. From there we ditched our  wedding party photo location plans. Crazy I know!! With the rain moving in quickly on Munster we had to think fast. As a photographer it is always ideal to get photos outside where the light is best. So with our rain plans being at the hotel, I wanted Rhi and Ben to get the most beautiful photos possible. Ben's sister Laura was totally on her A-game and led me outside the church where they had a little garden- total gold! The reception was intimate and lovely. Witnessing Rhi and Ben do their vows was breathtaking. They have some much love in their hearts and I think Eva has to be the luckiest little girl in the world to have these two watching over her.

Merium and Michael's wedding was simply magical. Photographing the bridal party getting ready in a girl's locker room was definitely a first for me, and the end result was stunning. This was my first time photographing at Prestwick Country Club in Frankfort, Illinois and the location was stunning. Merium and Michael were the absolute calmest couple on their big day. We were lucky enough to have gorgeous weather, even though it was a bit steamy, the rain held out! Merium's wedding dress was gorgeous. It literally took my breath away when we opened up the dry cleaning bag to get some singular dress shots around the ground of the country club.

Michael and Merium did a "first look" shot so we could get through the majority of our wedding party photos before the ceremony took place. This is a super smart choice to take the pressure off of your big day and I suggest it to every couple! From the ceremony to the reception, both sides of their family were so kind to me. This was one of the smoothest weddings I have photographed and I am pleased as punch with the results.