Weddings

One thing I believe in strongly when it comes to photographers (and honestly, anything) is transparency. It’s the #1 fastest way to get me to respect someone, so it’s also how I try to be. So that being said – Grant and Sophia’s wedding day was the first one where I woke up nervous. Sophia reached out over the winter after seeing some photos I had taken in a summer sunflower field and mentioned how she loved my bright, true to color style and wanted that for her wedding photos. I too love my bright, colorful style — it’s something I’ve worked really hard to become consistent with. If you read my most recent blog post, then you know that I need sunshine to make that happen.

And Sophia and Grant’s wedding day started out with clouds and rain.

Normally I would be alllll about the opportunity to shoot a rainy, cozy, moody wedding day (my personal favorite vibe for anything), but knowing Sophia hired me because she really wanted that bright and colorful style, I was a little worried trying to figure out how I could deliver that to her if it rained all day 🤣 And yes, deep down I knew that she knows I can’t control the weather, and we all know my job is to capture the day in the most beautiful way possible regardless of the circumstances, and she was the sweetest most easy going bride ever, and at the end of the day the photos are really for memories and sentimental purposes… but that doesn’t stop the perfectionist side of me from wanting to give my clients and friends exactly what I know they want! 🤪

When I showed up, it was cloudy, so I checked in with the DJ (Nate Jones is your DJ- check him out on Facebook, he is one of THE best) and then ran over to say hello to Sophia and her bridesmaids in the bridal suite. I was a bit early, so I told her I was going to walk over to the other side of the pond and photograph their ceremony location real quick while it was untouched and then I’d return and start with her detail shots.

Stepped outside aaaand…. rain.

One thing about wedding days is that you don’t really have time to sit around and wait on anything, so since the rain (and this was just sprinkles- it literally started POURING as soon as I took this shot) changed around my plans, I went back into the reception hall and started photographing that while it was untouched instead.

Sophia’s family owns a floral shop called The Rural Rose in Fisher, Illinois. They did all of the floral arrangements for her wedding and oh my goodness were they breathtakingly beautiful. Those who have followed my photography since the start know that flowers always have been my absolute favorite thing to photograph, so I was living in a dream with the floral landscape her family presented!

Since it was still raining after I finished in here, I met up with my second photographer, Morgan (Captured By Morgan on Facebook and Instagram) and we headed back over to the bridal suite to work on detail shots for a few minutes, then Morgan headed over to the cabin that Grant and the groomsmen were getting ready in for a few candids of them.

Sophia and the girls finished up with hair and makeup and then it was time to get dressed. And wouldn’t you know it, as soon as Sophia got her dress on the rain stopped and the sun came out!! 🤩 Morgan and I took her outside for a few quick portraits, then back inside for a quick reveal and private moment with her father. Then it was already time for the ceremony!

This venue, Crooked Creek Whitetails Estate in Fairmount, IL, is one of my absolute favorite places to shoot at. It’s pretty no matter what and it hosts multiple locations on the property where you can have the ceremony, both inside and outside (which makes it the PERFECT place to book if you want to be able to roll with literally anything the weather may throw at you). All of the weddings I’ve photographed here so far have either been inside or on the dock overlooking the pond. Sophia and Grant’s wedding was my first across the pond under the trees. It was humid, and the rain that had just come down a couple hours before had already dried up– no mud! The hints of raindrops glistened in the leaves, further highlighted by some transparent crystals that the venue owner had hung from the trees, giving a fairytale vibe to the wooded area. Coupled with the stunning floral arrangements, this setup literally looked like something out of a dream.

After the ceremony it was time for family portraits, bridal party portraits, and Sophia & Grant’s first portraits as husband and wife. It was hot and humid and everyone was such a trooper! We finished up and then headed back across the pond to the reception hall. Then it was time to PARTY!

The reception was full of heartfelt and entertaining speeches, delicious food, a cake table of large vanilla cakes and toppings so you could create your own flavor, and the special traditional dances. Nate kept the dance floor going all night!

This was such a beautiful family-focused summer wedding day. Thank you so much for allowing me to be a small part of it, Sophia and Grant! Congratulations!