Denise, Brian, and I first met in 2015, after they saw engagement photos I had taken for Minying & Jason. Having met at Saint Louis University, they wanted engagement photos taken in the area before they moved away, and felt that I was a good fit to take the photos. Soon after, they contacted me about photographing their wedding out in San Diego, and being a huge fan of traveling I of course had to say yes! The big day started off with us meeting Denise bright and early at their hotel, where she was prepping for her family tea ceremony. We traveled up to her parents' house and photographed ad the event unfolded, enjoying the words of wisdom that Denise and Brian's families offered the couple. After the ceremony, we enjoyed lunch and relaxed before traveling back into San Diego for Denise and Brian to change for their traditional ceremony with family and friends. The ceremony site, Kate Sessions Memorial Park, was one of the most beautiful I have ever seen, providing amazing sites while overlooking San Diego Bay. Denise and Brian had things decorated beautifully, with a swirling flower trail running down the aisle. The ceremony was a perfect balance of natural beauty and love, from the smile on Brian's face as Denise came down to the aisle to their first kiss as husband and wife. After taking group and couple photos at the park, we traveled across the street to the Soledad Club for the reception. Denise and Brian left no detail overlooked and even had games outside to pass the time during cocktail hour! After dinner and toasts, the guests danced the night away, including a special performance of Proud Mary by one of the groomsmen. The night ended with us all watching fireworks shot off across the bay at Sea World, which was a perfect end to a wonderful day. Denise and Brian are an adorable couple through and through. From our very first time meeting, I could tell they shared an intense love and were so happy to be around each other. Even better, they were comfortable being goofy with each other, which I always love :). I wish them both a lifetime of happiness and am honored that they chose me to photograph their big day and start of their life together. I've known Heather my entire life--she's my older cousin! So naturally, when my Aunt Marcia asked if I could photograph their reception at Willoughby Farm in Collinsville, I was happy to say yes. Heather and Nick had gotten married earlier that summer in the Great Smoky Mountains but wanted to have a reception with their family at home before they moved to India, where Heather is spending a year teaching. It was a hot summer day for the reception, but it was worth it to have friends and family together to celebrate their love! Makenzie and Josh are one of the most smiley couples I’ve ever met. Throughout their entire engagement session, they were laughing with each other and just generally enjoying each other’s company, and you could tell they were very much in love! And the story of how they met is as cute as it comes—the two met in college when Makenzie was giving a bunch of incoming freshmen a tour of campus. Josh happened to be in the group and was smitten by his beautiful tour guide! For their session, we took photos out at Lake of the Woods in Mahomet, which is one of my favorite places to photograph since it is always gorgeous out there. We had fantastic weather and were able to enjoy the setting sun, which provided a swoon-worthy backdrop for photos by the lake. |
May 2018
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