Some people are so genuine, easy to get along with, and plain wonderful to be around. Andy and Jess are just like that. Seeing their love and interaction was a joy; I really couldn’t stop smiling. They are sweet and beautiful together … connected in a deep way. I wanted to hang out with them all night long; they are just great people.

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 :)

If I could script a perfect wedding it might look something like a custom-designed dress that combines new fabric with fabric from the MOB’s wedding dress. It might take place on a farm and have cocktail hours (yes, cocktail hours plural) before and after the short & personal ceremony. During said ceremony, the crowd would cheer and holler. This wedding might have Izze, lawn games, gray striped straws, handmade signs, flowers by my favorite florist (daffodil*parker), DIY whimsical details, sno cones, cotton candy and popcorn. There might be pulled pork and corn on the cob for dinner. There would be a dessert bar with treats made by friends and family (recipe cards nearby for the taking), a typewriter guestbook and Elegant Farmer pie for dessert. There would be an upbeat first dance after heart-felt speeches that made your abs hurt from laughter and your eyes well-up with tears. There would be a bride that changed into TOMS shoes and guests dancing to Cake. There would be sparklers.

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!!

Katie and Marc are good people. Simply sweet, appreciative, generous and caring. It was obvious — by the huge number of close friends and family surrounding these two on their wedding day — just how much people adore them.  I loved all their rustic DIY details so much; they completely transformed their venue! The day was beautiful and light-hearted … just like their fun and nice wedding party, friends, and family. And, just like Katie and Marc.

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.

This session was too much awesome.  I need a new adjective because ‘awesome’ just doesn’t do justice to who Maggie and David are as people. They are down-to-earth, plain nice, easy to talk to, intelligent, up for anything (with their summer camp Can Do attitudes) and crazy about each other for sure. They are my kind of client and my kind of people. It was really fun to spend the evening wandering around the summer camp where they met and began dating 7 years ago. It rained hard all day (including on the drive to and from Mukwonago), but not a drop fell on us during the session … which was awesome :)

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 so excited to share this wedding with you! Christine and Brian are both outgoing, fun, and … from Wisconsin. Although they’ve lived all over the country these past few years, they really wanted to celebrate their marriage in a very Wisco fashion. Beer, brats, cheese curds, a barn and tons of cows — they couldn’t have done any better. As if the WI theme weren’t enough, Christine and Brian incorporated several traditional Persian and Jewish traditions all throughout the day — the Ketubah, glass breaking, honey finger dipping, sugar rubbing, a knife dance, and the hora. There is way too much to mention in one little blog post, but let me just say it was a whirlwind and fascinating event to witness/capture as a photographer … and I imagine even more amazing to witness as a guest.

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 :)