Alison was calm and happy from the moment I stepped foot in her childhood home. That calm and warmth set the tone for Alison & Kevin’s entire day and it was just lovely … perfect weather and all. My favorite part was the dueling pianos at the reception. Super creative and unexpected. Everyone was having a blast and I hung around late just to hear them play some more.

Congrats, Alison & Kevin! Thank you so much for having me along as part of your completely gorgeous day. I hope we cross paths again … maybe for brunch at El Dorado :)

PS — Alison did push-ups before she walked down the aisle so her arms would look good. And they did. Future brides, you should try it.

I am nearly jumping up and down here because Katie and Ben’s wedding is featured today on GREEN WEDDING SHOES! This is one of my favorite wedding blogs and it is Katie’s all-time favorite. She used it a lot while planning her wedding and we are both thrilled about the feature. Head over to Green Wedding Shoes to read more about the wedding from Katie’s perspective.

Will you be my friends forever? Check yes or no. In all seriousness (although that was serious), I had a great time photographing you last week. Your chemistry is off the charts and your tastes and personalities are beyond any awesome adjective I overuse on this blog. Thank you for finding me and contacting me. Thanks for having a couple drinks with me at the Old Sugar Distillery before your session. Thanks for going there even though it was jam-packed and you two knew about it way before it was cool. Thank you for lighting a Chinese lantern to rid some negative energy from this world. Thank you for giving me a Chinese lantern to light one day when it’s darker outside. And for the wine and homemade maple syrup. I mean, come on … is it not clear why I want to make you be my friends?

Special thanks to Jennyface for her brilliant makeup talent. Dang, she makes my girls look gorgeous.

I guess it looks better at night :)

PS — Can I tell you the story of how these two met? They didn’t. Well, that’s how they describe their story … that they never really met. One night, when they were both out, Amalie saw Eric and just approached him. She grabbed his hand and started walking away with him saying, “you’re coming with me.” Yup. That was two years ago. And now they’re getting married.

I know. It’s not fair I get to work with people like this.

Stef and Justin are sweet, super easy-going, intelligent, quiet and yet not awkward or difficult to talk with (in fact, they are very easy to talk to and enjoyable to be around :)). Their wedding will be at one of my favorite places next year — the Madison Museum of Contemporary Art. Cannot wait.

Big thanks to Jennyface for making Stef look extra-beautiful.

Andy is a talented fellow photographer, so being asked to photograph him and his wife was a huge honor … one that I do not take lightly. Thank you, Andy and Jess, for trusting me, being open, and being awesome. Hope to see you again soon!

My favorite memory from the evening was asking Andy why he fell in love with Jess and he said, “because she drove a Saturn.” Yup :)

Most importantly, there would be a bride and groom like Maggie and David. Sweet, generous, beautiful, caring, ambitious, successful but down-to-earth, and humble. This bride and groom would be surrounded by friends and family who help all day with the wedding in 90 degree heat (while having huge smiles on their faces and looking fashionable to boot).  Everyone at this wedding would be amazing and nice and welcoming. In case you haven’t caught on, this perfect wedding actually was Maggie and David’s. Enjoy:

It would be a blog post this long — that could have been much longer — because I loved it all so much.

Maggie and David, thank you. It was truly an honor to be part of such an amazing and perfect day. You are two of the most considerate and wonderful people I’ve ever met and your family and friends are a testament to who you are as well. I wanted to take you all home with me in my pocket. Congratulations!!

I was pretty excited about the photo locations … so charming, unique and varied.

I’ll end with this super blurry shot of myself with Katie and Marc. I was originally going to throw this shot away, but I’m actually loving the effect. Besides, you’d rather not see an in-focus shot of me at the end of a long wedding day :)  Thank you a ton, Katie and Marc! You are wonderful people and I loved being part of your day.

To top off the evening, Maggie and David treated me to dinner and an ENTIRE PIE (blueberry apple) at the Elegant Farmer. This pie was baked in a paper bag and I am not kidding you — it’s the best thing I have ever tasted. No hyperbole. It’s so hard to sit at my computer today and not return to the kitchen hourly to eat another slice.

Thank you so much, Maggie and David! I cannot wait for your late July ‘Do What You Want’ themed wedding.

I’m no stranger to shooting at O’Brien Barn, but I love how each couple makes the place uniquely their own. Christine and Brian definitely did an amazing job with this. In addition to tons of DIY and Etsy details, some local vendors who helped make everything possible include: Cherry Blossom Events (Sarah is so awesome. Great to work with, good energy, and highly recommended!), State Street Brats, Carl’s Cakes, Jukebox Bandstand (always awesome), Event Essentials, and Beauty Blossoms.

Thank you so much, Christine and Brian! Such an amazing and gorgeous wedding to capture.

PS — A special thank you to my husband and second shooter, Troy. He did a great job capturing some unique elements with hardly any training at all :)

Megan and Brent didn’t skip a detail either. O’Brien Barn was decked out in the coolest DIY rustic details. I loved their style and working with them was as good as it gets.

Wasn’t about to leave without a photo of myself with Megan and Brent. I simply adore them.

A huge congrats, Megan and Brent! Such an honor to spend your wedding day with you!

Megan and Brent incorporated several of my most favorite vendors into their wedding, including: Jennyface on makeup, daffodil*parker on flowers, and of course the O’Brien Barn as ceremony and reception venue.