Elyse was helping me rake the leaves the other day… though I can’t say we were very successful in getting much accomplished. We had a lot of fun though 🙂
Our first scheduled session was canceled due to rain and our rain date has overcast skies in the forecast. But the sun graced us with her presence and we got a beeaautiful day! Our early morning session made for some gorgeous light and since Alan & Kara met through work (both work in agricultural) we had to hit up some fields outside Bloomington.
These first few that we took ended up being some of my favorites…. they were quite easy to photograph with how relaxed they were with each other.
One of my favorite trees in Bloomington. Love it.
We were planning on doing a little drive by shooting but ended up settling at this old barn. A new spot for me that I fell in love with.
Alan & Kara…. what a joy it was to get to know you both! I look forward to your wedding next year!!
Shawna & Eric met through a mutual friend at a Barbecue in Peoria. Shawna is from the area but Eric lived in Boston and was just visiting for the week. After hitting it off, Eric volunteered to drive Shawna to New York, where she was headed for a visit. Yes. NEW YORK. You know that’s a guy who’s interested if he volunteers to drive her half way across the country. 🙂 And the rest, they say, is history. Here is their wedding.
Shawna made a whole morning out of getting ready. We talked about the importance of taking our time and setting aside plenty of time for each part of the day. One of the things I always encourage my brides to do. More time=less stress and more time to enjoy the day, your friends, and your mimosa!
When Shawna started wedding dress shopping – the only thing she knew for sure she wanted was buttons all down the back. Her dress was just exquisite!
We headed over to her cousin Bethany’s home on Prospect Drive in Peoria for photos. It was their dream home and has an AMAZING view… thank you Bethany for letting us use your home for the day! Here is Shawna’s grandpa. I loved him.
All set for the ceremony. Bring it on.
The reception was held at the Contemporary Arts Center in Peoria. It was so artistic – totally perfect for Shawna and Eric. I loved all the details, including imported Beringer Wine with all original labels from Napa, California (where Shawna & Eric live now), a lego bride & groom (lovingly put together by Shawna & Eric!), and a live jazz band (including some good friends of Shawna’s from California).
Shawna loves music. She sang Eric a song during the reception! Soooo sweet… I definitely was wiping away some tears 🙂
Shawna has three sisters. Jayma, seen below as the catcher of the bouquet, is the youngest and the only one left to be married. A little fun was poked at her and her longtime boyfriend during their dad’s speech. But after Jayma caught the bouquet… all laughter broke loose. Especially when I overheard Jayma innocently say “I just stuck my hand out”. Jayma…. I’m sorry my photo incriminates you! 🙂
Introducing, the future Mr. and Mrs. Roth.
As you can tell….. these two just ooze FUN. I’ve known Amy for a few years now (since she was a wee little freshman at ISU!) – and now she’s all grown, graduated, and getting married. CRAZY! Right from the very beginning of this session though, I knew it wasn’t going to be hard to capture their goofy, quirky, fun loving relationship. They (especially Luke) was hamming it up the entire time.
They definitely got in touch with their serious side too. Pure love.
The next few are some of my favorites… the light and the sweetness of these just make me smile 🙂
After a quick outfit change we were off for some more…. a little more classy for these. But it was a lot harder than it looked to get Amy up on that log. 🙂
Thankfully Luke was there to help her down. 🙂
Luke’s a heel-clicking kind of guy…. so we had a little fun with the next one!
And for all you office fans. Here’s a little planking.
I love you guys…. 🙂
Keith & Sislye have been dating since their junior year of high school. While they broke up a little bit throughout their nine year relationship, Sislye just found herself comparing every guy she dated with Keith. No matter how cool, how fashionable, how funny a guy was, she easily said that they just didn’t compare. That’s the sign of a soul mate. For their session, we headed out to her dad’s property on the outskirts of Bloomington. It was beautiful…. a little cold (I think my toes about froze) but beautiful and we had a great time.
I loved how much fun they had together.
Halfway through we went inside for an outfit change and I got to meet Sislyse’s dad and his wife. They had a beautiful home and offered me some hot coffee…. will never refuse that 🙂
Sislye thought she couldn’t pull off the serious face… but honestly, the one below might have turned out to be one of my personal faves. You rocked it dear.
It was sooo great hanging out with you guys for the morning! Hope you love your photos and I can’t wait for your wedding next year!