BethLaurren

A Personal Post

2012-01-21T19:16:00.000-06:00

When Nick and I got married, I walked down the aisle to an instrumental version of "Tale as Old as Time". Yes, the Beauty and the Beast song. I am well into my 20's and this movie still ranks as one of my top 10 favorites. Why? It's such a simple tale of love.

It's a tale of a girl with a dream for something more. Something exciting. Something bigger. And? She finds it in love. Of course there is the entertaining aspect of the talking household items (who doesn't love Cogsworth, or giggle at the side story of Lumiere and the french "sweep"??) but the very heart of this story is about a heart that was yearning for something out of life...something she found in love. The way that love is portrayed in this movie slays my soul every time I watch it. I am very much like Belle. I have always dreamed and ached and yearned for more. Anything more. My heart has always been restless. Until? Until I fell in love. I found my very very handsome beast and have been given everything my heart was reaching for. I just didn't know it was love until I found it. It's my very own tale, as old as time.

Nick is taking me tonight to see Beauty and the Beast (released in theaters in 3D). This man knows me :)

Cal and Kassi :: Married!

2012-01-19T14:14:00.001-06:00

On the 6th of January, my beautiful, excited, glowing, laughing friend, Kassi Kay, married the love of her life, Caleigh Shea.
The day shocked us all when it dawned with almost 50 degree weather. In January. In Wisconsin.
It's really hard to talk about my friend to the world in general..somehow I feel like I've giving up secrets :) I love this woman like a sister, and she had been there through quite literally the good, the bad, and the very ugly with me. She has a quick smile, and her shoulders shake when she laughs. She has these beautiful eyes that focus very intensely on you when you talk, and you know you have her complete attention. She has this wonderfully red hair that she's just as happy wearing down in curls with a sassy outfit as she is up in a messy ponytail while she wears her blackhawks jersey. She is a very driven, intentional person that knows what she wants and gets it - even if the thing she wants changes frequently. She's absolutely impossible to get ahold of on the phone, but now she lives .9 miles away from me and I will resort to showing up on her doorstep if necessary! I could not have been more proud to stand with her on this day and be trusted with the opportunity to capture it.

Cal and Kassi spent most of their dating years in Williams Bay, Wi, where Cal lived. When they got engaged, it was only natural that it happened next to the lake, and of course, only expected that the perfect spot to be married was at the Abbey.

Before I go any further here - I have to send a huge thank you to Jake Preedin and another thank you to my husband. I pulled double duty at the wedding and was both a bridesmaid and the photographer, and I absolutely could not have made it through the day without these two. Jake came alongside me all day to second shoot, and handled all the photos I had to be in. And then he and Nick shot the ceremony together. I am so grateful for these two (Jake, you should know better than to pose like this when there's a camera around ;))

Family and friends gathered on Thursday to kick off the festivities and bring in all the personal touches Kassi designed and put together. Friday morning came and it all began :)

This dress? It's exactly what I always imagined Kassi in on her wedding day. It was elegant and girly and sophisticated with just enough bling included.

Now Cal...I'm starting to get to know Cal as a person, not just as Kassi's person, and let me tell you - I really love what I see. First of all - Cal is really funny. Check #1 for friends requirements. Cal is a huge sports fan. Check #2 for couple friends requirements. Cal has a love affair with a specific chair at his house. Check #3 for kindred spirit requirements. :) Cal is calm in the kind of way that balances Kassi's bounce. He is kinda intense when he looks at you, in the kind of way that you know he's really present in the conversation. He knows an awful lot about cars and boats....but still likes his Jetta (weirdo) ;) He has been an amazing brother, and has many close friendships - something that speaks very deeply to his character. And did I mention we live .9miles away from each other?? :)

Cal and Kassi decided to do a first look (follow this blog long enough and you will know my lovely and adamant feelings towards the wonderfulness of a first look). We set Cal up and beckoned Kassi over to him. She tapped him on the shoulder and he turned around and breathed out "oh wooowww". Cal? I will love you forever for that moment. My view:

Jakes view: I love this. It's so informal and casual and it makes me very happy.

We headed outside for the rest of the photos - thank God for warm January days! My view:

Jakes view: My view: Jakes view:
Kassi's colors were black, white and yellow with a damask pattern, and while browsing for a florist, went into Frontier Flowers across the street from the Abbey, and this was the main wall immediately when walking in. It was a florist match made in heaven :)
Some sweet images of the ceremony thanks to Jake and Nick.
Kassi did all of the design for her wedding, from the invitations to the table decorations - it was all her. Lots of little details, and my favorite...a sweets table!

I don't usually feature reception photos here, but these photos cracked me up and I couldn't resist it. Kas - love every spazzy bit of you :)

Cal and Kas - it was such a wonderful day. The weather, the friends and family...it was all just so wonderful, and everything I hoped for you both. Kassi, you were stunning and I loved watching you sparkle all day. Cal (yep, you clean up good too), thank you for being who you are to my friend. I hold very high expectations of the men in my girlfriends lives and I know that Kassi is safe, protected and cherished by you. Congratulations guys - I like being almost neighbors :)

The link for the slideshow is below, but before you click it to watch....I have to share these images with you. Kassi's sister, Karli, and her friend, Kira, sang "From This Moment" during the ceremony. Kassi made it through the entire ceremony up this point without tears and broke down during this song. It was a really precious moment.
CLICK HERE to see the slideshow!

A Year in Review :: Personal

2012-01-14T12:50:00.001-06:00

To follow up the post about all of my amazing clients and friends and the lives I've been able to capture this past year, I wanted to give a review of my life personally. In typical fashion, as new years rolled around, I posed the question again: what were the highlights of the year?

There were a few very obvious ones for me: Italy with Nick (blog post coming soon), renewing our lease at this apartment again, my third nephew joining the family. There have been many many sweet moments with friends, wonderful times with my families, growing and loving moments in my marriage, and many times of (good) struggle and challenges personally.

As at the end of every year - I am grateful for the life this year has given and been, and am excited to see what is ahead. These images below (Instagram edited) are just a very very few snapshots of my world this past year. From the babies that joined us, early morning sunrises, family, friends, love and small touches in my life.

Happy New Year everyone.

Coming Soon: Next Blog: {Cal and Kassi :: Married!}

A Year In Review

2012-01-12T11:07:00.001-06:00

I know I'm 12 days late on this one - but here it is! A year in review!

This past year has brought in 4 very intimate and beautiful weddings, along with several engagement sessions with weddings to come this year. Every single couple that I have worked with has impacted me in a unique way, and I'm grateful for the beautiful-in-heart women and kind men that I have come to know.

CLICK HERE for a year end slideshow of engagements and weddings!

As many of you know, I partnered with Groupon this fall and it's kept me justthissideofcrazy the last 4 months, with another several months next year of the same. I have met (literally) a hundred families this year and have loved so much getting to know each one of them, even just a little bit. In addition to the crazy Groupon season, I have worked with other friends again as their families have expanded and grown.

CLICK HERE for a year end slideshow of portraits!

This year has been an incredibly blessed one for me, and for my business. A huge thank you goes to every single one of you that made this year everything it was for me. I love you all :) Here are some of my favorites from the last twelve months...I literally could not put as many as I wanted to so this is just a glimpse!

COMING SOON: Next Blog {A Year In Review:: Personal}

Jill and Nate :: Married :: Part II

2011-12-27T20:08:00.000-06:00

I'm pretty sure there is no way I could ever find the right words to tell you about this couple. They left me with so many impressions, so many full emotions. There is a lot of love there of course, but there is so much more than that. There is passion there of course, but there is so much more than that. There is joy there of course, but there is so much more than that. Life is so full for these two. They come together as two very complete persons, bringing their dreams and excitement together to mesh - knowing that there is so much room to grow together. I absolutely loved listening to Jill's father's speech at the reception - he talked about a precocious, determined, driven little girl. One that grabbed life with two hands, and loved it and the people in it deeply. Those traits have only grown and set deep roots into the woman that she is now. You spend 3 minutes with this woman and you love her. Nate? Nate is such a kind soul. Truly. The very essence of who this man is just truly kind. It's in his eyes and in his tone. There is a solid strength about him. He is genuine to the bone. Love this.These two images are among the top 10 favorites of the day. On the one on the left - I absolutely love the grace on Jill, and the strength of Nate. One the one on the right - the intimacy speaks for itself.Gorgeous.I love when my brides trust me. Jill never even blinked at me when I said I wanted to take some photos in the concrete stairwell. Every shot taken there turned out this beautiful.Nate and Jill - You are unique. I want so much to sit down with you in 10 years to hear your story up to that point. I can only imagine the things in store for your lives and for your love. Jill, I hope you laugh with everything in you for the rest of your life, and Nate I hope that you never lose the look of wonder on your face when you see your bride. Spending the day with you, your wonderful and welcoming families, and your truly amazing bridal party was my deep pleasure. CLICK HERE for the slideshow!!

Nate and Jill :: Married!! :: Part 1

2011-12-24T14:13:00.001-06:00

This is my very first two part post from a wedding. The first part of my editing process is to run through the photos and pick the images for the slideshow and then from there, pick the images I want to feature on my blog. So....I went through the process as usual and came away with one hundred ninety four photos. Whoops!! Even after two cull attempts from there, I still ended up with 144, and I can't bring myself to eliminate any more. So! Two posts it is!This wedding was long awaited for me. Jill and Nate are such a unique couple in their story and quite so in their passion. They've been together for eon's but have spent quite a bit of that time apart, letting life grow around them and following dreams and goals while still being connected. They have friends that surround them and know then well. They have a huge future before them that they are jumping into with two feet. But I'll tell you more about them in Part II of this post when I show you how stinking cute they are.This post is about their wedding. My lovely Jenni worked this wedding with me, and we headed out Friday night to South Bend for the night so we could start the morning fresh. We woke up and immediately headed out to the starbucks across the street and stopped and stared in dramatic horror at the scene that greeted our sleepy eyes. SNOW. Sticking snow. Thick gray clouds. Did I mention the snow?? I could only pray for some light later on. While I was at the salon with the girls...Jenni was at the hotel with the men. Back at the church, the room was filled with talking, laughter, Jimmy Johns, make up, smiling momma's and dresses.Nate and Jill opted for a first look together. I know I've talked many times about how great a first look is - not only for the smoothness of your day, but because you get precious moments alone to celebrate your wedding together. Nate waited for Jill in a small chapel room, and Jill didn't even make it through the door before the tears started. These two have waited a very very long time for this day, and their excitement at the fulfillment of their hopes and dreams absolutely permeated this time together. These images have officially become the poster board for why I suggest first looks to every couple I work with. You can't do this at the head of an aisle with 250 people looking on!! Jenni caught this photo of Jill and her dad.Kiss and married!!This moment is one of my favorites of a wedding day. Right after the ceremony, at the end of the aisle when the excitement of "we're married!!" comes and this huge hug comes.Nate and Jill's wedding party was....wonderful. They surrounded themselves with kind, excited, loving friends on this day, and it was truly my pleasure to spend the day with them. We took photos before the ceremony and it was a picture perfect (albeit quite cold) time of the day - fresh snow on the ground and new snow falling. Cute gray boots made a perfect compliment. This photo cracks me up. Michael (the groomsmen in the middle) got married to the love of his life back in October, and I had the opportunity to shoot their beautiful wedding too. I'm extremely fond of this man and his wife, and because I know him well enough, I'm pretty sure he will not sue me for posting this photo :) The reception was wonderful - full of love and laughter and lots of dancing :) I believe I heard mention that Nate personally handled the design and creation of the details here. Their guestbook was a photo book with space for their guests to write a note, and this one caught my eye.On a personal note - I love these three couples, oh so much. Tim and Meghan started this group last year when they got married, Michael and Emily continued it in October and Nate and Jill ended my year on a wonderful note.Fist dance - love the intimacy here.Jill accomplished something I have never seen at a wedding. After the first dances, she got her entire party on the floor. It was awesome.Love it.Stay tuned for more photos of Nate and Jill and a slideshow!

Erica and Chase :: Engaged!!

2011-12-06T18:33:00.001-06:00

Meet Erica and Chase. This was one of my favorite photos from the marvelous session I had with them the day before Thanksgiving.Erica has this smile that just begs you to join her. Chase has eyes that tell of his intelligence. Erica is little itty bitty (seriously. I prefer not to stand too close to her.) Chase stands with confidence next to her. I met Erica last year at Sarah and Ben's wedding. She was bouncing on the couch in the hotel suite where the girls were getting ready glowing just about as much as Sarah she was so excited that day. She told me about her love, Chase, and how they were planning to get married soon, and oh, by the way, would I come to DC for a wedding? I fell in love with her fiery self, we became facebook friends...and now she's getting married!!So this beautiful lady showed up last week with her love beside her. And they.could.not.be.more.perfect.together. They have been together for the last 10 years...first as friends, then as best friends, and now so deeply in love. There is something very unique about them together because of the span of life they have shared. So many of their formulative years were spent in close quarters and there is this deep comfort and innate knowledge of each other. (Favorite #1)I discovered that they like to taste wine...(Favorite #2)They play Ultimate Frisbee (hard core, bone breaking frisbee!)...Erica fits perfectly with Chase. And I would hazard to guess that he knows just how to bring stillness to her like this...I really think that Chase is a romantic. He holds this woman like he knows the treasure that she is. He hovers juuuust slightly over her. He just looks so darn happy!Erica? I loved getting to meet your man. Chase? You have quite a woman there. (Favorite #3)I can't wait for June. (Favorite #4)CLICK HERE for the slideshow!!

Nate and Jill :: Engaged!

2011-11-04T20:28:00.000-05:00

I was running behind. How that was possible when the restaurant was all of 5 minutes from my house, I couldn't tell you. I felt rushed and slightly harried (I realllllly hate being late to anything), and all I could think was that the new couple I was meeting was going to be annoyed that I was 3 minutes late. I rushed into the restaurant, searching the bar for two people that looked like they were waiting for someone and it just kinda stopped me in my tracks. There they were (immediately distinguishable), sitting at the bar, Jill was leaning a little bit on her side into the bar and their heads were sooo close together. Her hand was resting on his leg, and they were just sitting there like that chatting. In the split second that my brain assimilated this information, I calmed down. Nate saw me first and waved me over and I was greeted with huge smiles and excited personalities. I grabbed a martini (hey! every now and then meeting at Starbucks just doesn't cut it!) and settled in for an extremely fascinating, relaxing and welcoming hour of getting to know Nate and Jill. I learned many things in that brief time with them. First? This is a love that goes back a ways. And? It's a love that has thrived through very long distances, stressful jobs and time. Second? I want Jill to be my friend. She is incredibly smart, welcoming, open, friendly, caring, sincere, passionate and joyful. Third? Ohhhhh man, Nate is in love with her. I know I'm a total sucker when it comes to this, but it's really quite something to see. He watches her. He touches her unconsciously. He just looks so darn HAPPY around her!!And well...so does she :) The night we met up to take their engagement photos it was so dreary outside. We were praying away the rain (well, until Nate suggested just going "Notebook" style if it started to rain...then we were praying in the rain!!). I'm a girl that loves me my sun flair, so I improvised!! This turned out to be one of my absolutely favorite photos from the shoot. This one came in at a really close second favorite.This one is a bit of a joke from the shoot. Every time I'd ask Jill to look at Nate, or kiss his cheek, Nate would get this surprised look on his face that just said "ohh!! horray!!". It got me into Jill and I laughing after awhile, and he totally hammed it up here. I was so completely taken with these two. There was so much passion between them. Not just romance but just so much life.There is such a sense of comfort, of welcome, of trueness about them. It's really quite something to see. Nathan and Jill - I can not wait for your wedding day. I can't wait to be a part of this next step in your journey together, and see you celebrate your love with each other, your family and friends. CLICK HERE to see the slideshow!!!

Michael and Beth Anne :: Married!

2011-11-01T20:52:00.000-05:00

I didn't know it was possible for two people to smile this much. I mean - cheek cracking, contagious, darling smiling. The first time I met Michael and Beth Anne I had sprained my back a few days before our meeting and was pretty drugged up, so I admittedly have a mostly hazy memory of our first meeting (although in my defense...it was over a year ago!). The second time I met them was a few weeks before the wedding and I sat in Starbucks and saw Beth Anne almost skipping through the parking lot, and then she came through the door with a whoosh of laughter and chatting and hand gesturing. Any hazy memories were instantly replaced by this vivacious and completely full of life woman in front of me, and the sweetly strong personality of the man with her. Then the wedding day came.Beth Anne spent the entire morning chattering and laughing and moving around excitedly. In fact, there was a house full of women that laughed and chatted. There was just so much excitement!! While I was here with the girls...My momma (and illustrious second shooter) Ginnie was with the boys. I loved this gift that Beth Anne game Michael....it was a box covered and full of little tokens from the last few years of their lives together!Back at the girls - Beth Anne was showing her hunny some team support :)Bridal portraits are just one of my most favorite things to shoot. After months of planning and dreaming and organizing and stressing and thinking....the bride is finally in her dress, with her flowers and is stunningly beautiful. Every time. There is so much excitement in this moment. So much raw beauty and grace. And I love it.Beth Anne had a cascading bouquet that just perfectly matched her dress. She needed those buff arms of hers just to carry it!Michaels face when he finally got to see Beth Anne is just priceless. Makes me tear up all over again Marrrieeeddd!!!Okay - this wedding party? Amazing. Unruly :) But amazing. I love me a traditional wedding portrait.Mom's view....My view...LOVE this one that mom snapped....Michael and Beth Anne....it was such an honor to be a part of your wedding day. You both have amazing families that I know will support and surround you as the years go by. I wish you both a life full of laughter and love!!CLICK HERE to see the slideshow!!!!

Michael and Emily: Married! (Taylorville, IL)

2011-10-12T20:52:00.002-05:00

When we were driving down to Taylorville....watching the sun rise over the fields, and just knew it was going to be a perfect day. The world just looked gold that day. Fall was in bloom, the sun was warm, and it was finally Michael and Emily's wedding day! Michael opening Emily's gift - and promptly looking straight at the camera to say thank you to her :) I have a ton of photographs that don't need a story to go with them, so let me recap this day for you quick before moving on. Emily spent the morning surrounded by an amazing group of girls. You could see the intimacy and lasting friendships between them, and they were all about making sure Emily's day went perfect for her. When Michael arrived - he was a man on a mission. His only goal was to get to the moment when his bride walked down the aisle to him. I just love this couple so much - I've been able to spend a significant amount of time with them during the months leading up to this day, and I am just very struck by these two. There is such a sense of life between them. Emily smiles a lot. Michael watches her a lot. Emily rubs his arm gently. Michael leans in really close to her when he talks to her. Emily makes faces at him. Michael laughs at her. There is deep friendship here with them, and I have to say that the thing that struck me the most about the day? This moment - right here:The aisle that Emily walked was very short, so I knew I had about 6 seconds to grab a few shots of Michael's face before needing to swing around to grab photos of Emily walking down the aisle. This photo? This is a man in love. This is a man that has waited for his this gift that is walking towards him in that moment, to be his forever. Emily's aunt came all the way from Kansas City to do the flowers for the wedding, and they were b-e-a-utiful. This is my second favorite moment in the wedding day - they just got married, have walked down the aisle together, and have about 15 seconds before the first of the wedding party catches up to them, and the pure JOY that they have in this moment is contagious.Maaarrried!!While I was taking this...my amazing friend and second shoot for the day Jenni grabbed this:My view....Jenni's view....Jenni's view again - LOVE THESE.Love.This.Favorite.A few details....Jenni's view of the first dance...My view....Michael and Emily - it was absolutely my pleasure to spend your wedding day with you. I am blessed to have come to know you both, and be a part of your love and your story together. I wish a beautiful marriage for you!CLICK HERE to see the slideshow!!

Max and Maggie :: Married!

2011-09-14T22:29:00.000-05:00

There was laughter. There was rain. There were emotional moments. There were silly moments. There was a beautiful bride, and a beaming groom. And there was love. It was Max and Maggie's wedding day!

Maggie spent her morning surrounded by her girlfriends and her family. There were conversations happening in English, Polish, and French. There was champagne. There was clutter and magazines and nail painting. There was a lot of talking, and a lot of excitement.

While I was shooting the girls, my wonderful momma - and second shooter - was over with the boys grabbing these shots...

For as much as I encourage every single one of my couples to do a first look prior to the ceremony - there is something utterly lovely and romantic about this moment. Max is a man in love. It was so evident all day long. He would watch Maggie, he would reach out and hold her arm....it was in his eyes, and in his face. This moment here? It brought tears to my eyes. I just love his face when he sees his bride for the very first time.

And married!!!

The reception was beautiful, and filled with their wonderful friends and family.

LOVE this shot.

You two are so wonderful. It was my immense pleasure to work with you, and be a part of your amazing wedding.

CLICK HERE to see the slideshow!!!

Ellie Navarro :: Newborn

2011-08-22T20:21:00.001-05:00

Remember this pregnant belly??

It produced this darling little baby Eliana.

She's a perfect little mix of her momma and daddy. Although at the moment, she's exhibiting more of her mom's low key personality....

She was super happy to be held by her daddy, snuggled up nice and close.

My three favorites from the day:

Dave, Laura and Ellie - you make a beautiful family. And I'm so excited to watch that little baby girl grow up, and I know with no doubt that you will both be amazing parents that lead her with extravagant love.

Kyle and Katie :: Engaged!!

2011-08-18T22:21:00.000-05:00

Kyle is my friend. Katie is my friend. And? They fell in love.

And ohmygosh it's a beautiful thing.

And it makes me very happy :)

Katie is my sister's-sister-in-law, my ex-roommate, and my beautiful, steady, quietly passionate and heartfelt friend.

I met Kyle when Katie and I lived together. Kyle is extraordinarily intelligent, unendingly curious, slightly quirky, and truly sincere in a way that makes you want to sit and tell him your life's story.

I just love how these two fit together. They are silly together. They are inquisitive together. They are laid back together.

They both have a grounded sense to themselves. They never seem rushed, just steady.

They took a very long time to fall in love, and seeing how friendship has rooted and grown over the years brings such a sense of companionship with them.

And I might be biased, but truly? They just look good together.

I'm so very fond of the both of you, and I am so very honored to have been asked to capture your love in this season of your life together.

CLICK HERE to see the slideshow!!

Libby Paulson :: Senior

2011-08-08T22:45:00.001-05:00

This is a "man, I'm so old" moment for me. I used to baby sit this lovely lady. In fact? I'm pretty certain I changed a diaper or two in there. Can you even believe she is going on her senior year?! It's pretty astounding to me. But also pretty astounding to me? She's drop dead gorgeous. I suppose I shouldn't be too surprised - she comes from great genes - but still. All that hair and those green eyes come together to build quite the stunner of a young woman.

So, as is my custom at the beginning of a shoot, I chatted with Libby as we started walking around about how this whole thing would work. I started to explain, and she put her hand on my arm and says "I watch America's Next Top Model. I know how to do the Tyra." We had a little laugh about it, but hellloooooo she wasn't kidding. These last few are my most favorite from the day. I had a ton of favorites, but I think these top the list.

Congratulations Libby on starting this next phase of life!

The Sullivans :: Family Lovin'

2011-07-31T17:46:00.000-05:00

"For some moments in life, there are no words."

David Seltzer

I've been sitting here for the last 30 minutes starting to write something, then erasing it. Starting again...aaaaand erasing it. It seems that there are no words to tell you about this family, and who they are in my life. It seems that I can't find a way to tell you this 21+ year story of how they have loved me, and fit me in their family - as a granddaughter, daughter, sister, and friend. The simplest way I can put it is that I love them all very much, and have been immensely blessed to have them as part of my family.

So it all starts with Jenni.....

....who is (as most of you know) my life long best friend. She is the calm to my crazy, she is the ground to my flight, she is my comfort and my companion. And? She's beautiful.

Then there's Tyler....

...and despite my immense annoyance that's he's taller than me....he is the first brother I ever had in my life, and I have the biggest soft spot for his soft spirit and tall, lanky self.

Then comes Hannah....

....who is leaving for Texas next month to follow where she has heard God call her. While I am so proud of her for it, I'm going to immensely miss her being home. She is a little firecracker, and I am quite fond of her beautiful face.

And then there's Ben....

....who is quite athletic and (sigh) taking after his brother in height. I'm most likely to find him in front of the xbox performing some sort of world dominance. He is just slightly crazy, much prefers to have something to occupy himself with, and has perfected a dry humor.

Last on the line comes Michael...

....who has always been about 4 years older than his age, says the straaaangest things in the world, and is an unending source of entertainment. He is very loving, has many friends, is ridiculously funny and awfully darn cute.

Then there is Lynn and Gary...

...who are wonderful, wonderful people. They are encouraging, loving, and great listeners. They are practical and real. They have completely open lives, and have blessed a lot of people through that. They care for their family with excellence, and they love each other deeply.

And then? Then there's Omi and Opa.....

....better known as Frank and Christa to many others :) They are a couple that have fought for each other throughout the years, and still stand together today. They are a grand example of deep love, and lasting love.

All these people make up a bonus family for me. It is immensely humbling to be loved by the group of them, and I never take lightly having them to call my own.

Now - although these photos have all been tidy and neat and pretty....this family is nuts. Truly :) I just had to pull a few of these examples to make sure you get the full impression!

Love you all.

Cal and Kassi :: Engaged!! (Williams Bay, WI)

2011-07-20T20:39:00.000-05:00

Sometimes in life you just get lucky. Like truly "how on earth did I end up with _____" lucky. For me? I have a really long list of those kinds of things. My family, my husband, and a few select, very treasured handful of true best friends.

This girl? She's one of them.

She is one of the very few that get me in all of my complete spaziness. She truly loves the good, the bad, the ugly of me. She's seems to always have time despite her life happenings. On more than one occasion she has literally dropped everything to meet me. She is unendingly patient, and forgiving, and understanding, and gracious, and empathetic. We've been through a few bouts of arguments and all-out wars over the years, but I know without a doubt that she loves me.

Now. Perhaps you wonder why I am saying all of this about her and I, when this is a post about her and Cal. I tell you this because it is the best way I can tell you about the woman that Kassi is. It is the best way to showcase the woman that Cal fell in love with.

Perhaps it is just friends bragging rights - but Cal? You've got yourself quite a woman. And the truth is? I wouldn't like you so much if I didn't know that you know it! :)

Kassi will be the same kind of wife that she is a friend. With 100% of effort, total dedication, and selfless focus.

I'll be honest and tell you that everything I know about Cal is through Kassi's eyes. Distance in location haven't given us a lot of time to spend together. But there are a few things I know about him.

I know that he values relationships with his friends. I know that he values his family. I know that he works hard, and will be an amazing husband to my friend.

I know that he will cherish her, and love her, and hold her. I know that he will be a rock for her. I know that he will make choices in life with Kassi at the front of them.

And most importantly - I know that I can trust my Kassi Kay with him.

....I have beautiful friends....

And they have cute men :)

We took pictures up in Williams Bay - Cal's hometown. Being near the water was very important to them...and apparently there was something about expensive boats...

These next three are my favorite from the day - for very specific reasons. Let me explain:

First - the obvious: SHE LOVES HIM so much. And she's so dang happy. And she fits with him. Perfectly.

Second - Kassi understands me in my spaziness for one very good reason: birds of a feather flock together :) She can get just as stubborn, just as geared up, and just as charged as I can. And Cal settles her. Not pats-her-on-the-head-there-there settling, but he listens....absorbs her. He settles and calms and restores the parts of her that go thin. This photo to me has such a heavy stillness to it, and it strikes me.

Third - I know it's blurry, I know it's bright, but MAN I love this photo. Her hair, her squeezed shut eyes, her laughter in motion. I wish for many, many, many more moments of joy like this.

I love you both. And I can't wait for the wedding!!

CLICK HERE to see the slideshow

Leo and Jamie :: Engaged!!

2011-06-21T22:18:00.002-05:00

Just before I left to head downtown for this shoot, I called Leo up quickly to see how they felt about shooting in this weather. It was ridiculously cold for a June day, plaster-your-clothes-against-you windy, and overcast. Leo and Jamie have a beach wedding planned, and I imagined Jamie had a much different picture in her head of her engagement photos. But they were game - so we headed out!

I hadn't met these two before this day. I usually like to meet with my couples and see them face to face before I shoot. I like to get to know them, who they are together and separately, so I can best capture that during the shoot.

So I was a little nervous when I arrived. But then I saw this adorable girl in bright pink holding the hand of a guy leading her and watching her, and I thought "oh yes. This is going to work just fine."

We tried to block out the wind as much as possible, shook hands and started walking. I watched them as I listened to the short version of their story. And I watched how she smiled and how he glowed (yep. He did. This is one happy man.)

Leo handles Jamie with so much tenderness. He lifted her down the ledges I asked them to maneuver; he wrapped her up in his arms to keep her warm; he held her hand when they walked. I smiled at him a lot from a distance watching him with her.

Couldn't decide between b/w or color on this one.

Or this one :)

Jamie - you are just killer gorgeous.

I could have taken photos of you all day. You made this so stinking easy for me.

I couldn't possibly pick a favorite from this shoot - but this one is really close to the top of the list.

I would like to take this moment to say that I have the best couples in the world. Really. I do. Despite whatever strange sounding request I ask, despite the weather, despite the conditions....I work with couples are amazing. It was SO WINDY that day. Jamie ate her hair the entire time. But this girl worked.it.out. despite the wind. Not a single word of complaint, just huge smiles.

Love.

You guys were amazing. Can't wait to see you post-wedding!!!

CLICK HERE for the slideshow!

Max and Maggie :: Engaged!

2011-06-13T21:02:00.001-05:00

"I don't want the whole world
the sun the moon and their light
I just wanna be the only girl
you love all your life"
The Band Perry

Maybe it's because this song was on repeat on my stereo on the way to meet Max and Maggie, or maybe it just so perfectly emulates these two - either way? There is a calm, settled, content, laid back love about these two. The kind that says "we have this. together. so we have it all."

Max has a gorgeous girl on his hands, and boy does he know it. I couldn't get enough of watching him look at her.

Maggie started out the shoot by telling me how she didn't know how to do this, and didn't like having her photo taken because she felt so uncomfortable with it.

Girl - I am here to tell you....

You've got this.

Max and Maggie live downtown, and wanted photos of "iconic" Chicago.

I always find that a slightly stressful request, because iconic covers so many things.

But I think we got a lot of the big ones.

Sometimes, you run across two people that just fit. In a super comfortable, relaxed, I know you like the back of my hand kind of way.

These last four are my absolute favorite from the day in no particular order.

Okay maybe I lied. Maybe this is my absolutely absolute favorite.

I had so much fun with you two! Can't wait for the wedding...

CLICK HERE to see the slideshow!!

Dave, Laura and Eliana Navarro - Maternity

2011-06-11T08:05:00.000-05:00

To be honest, sometimes I love being a photographer just for selfish moments like these - when one of my friends has a big moment in life, and I get to be an intimate part of it. It's completely selfish, and there, now my secret is out! But I do! And with Dave and Laura, I've been a part of the big moments since the start. In fact? Laura and I became friends AFTER their engagement shoot. Never even met the woman before then, and now she is counted as one of my few and very dear close friends. She is brutally practical, unfailingly honest, extremely dedicated and always finds time in the middle of her busy life to be there for those that she loves. Dave is a perfect balance to her, and together? Together they are going to make wonderful parents. This baby will know the value of hard work, the importance of family, and will be raised under a massive umbrella of love. I can't wait to meet her little self in just a few more short weeks!!

As you can see - Laura is beautiful with all that glowing skin, dark hair and eyes that are so big I never quite get used to it. So when we were chatting a few days before the shoot, she was asking what to wear and I threatened her with pain if she wore anything brown or black (when your "client" happens to be one of your best friends, you can do these things!). This girl pulled through! I got beautiful bright colors and they just absolutely popped against the cloudy lighting.

Belly pictures are my favorite thing. I think they are just so beautiful and intimate and makes me squirm and think "heck yes! baby!!!!". And because that's my friend, and my friends baby....they make me a little misty eyed. So beautiful.

Love you (all three of you)! Can't wait for what's coming next.

The Treadway Clan :: Family

2011-06-07T20:10:00.000-05:00

This particular shoot is very special to me for multiple reasons. One - Levi and Kate have included me in big moments for Luke since the beginning, and that is SO special to me!

I started with Luke here.

And now that little pumpkin is a YEAR OLD. I can't believe it!

The good news is he just gets cuter and cuter.

I love these with his mom and dad.

Kate had a matching "1 year" outfit, and it just about killed me with it's cuteness.

Hi handsome :)

And then there's Zach and Nadine. I love these two.

Well - these three :)

Couldn't decide on black and white or color here. Love them both.

This was my absolute favorite of the day.

Maddie Vargas :: Newbies!

2011-04-27T22:11:00.000-05:00

Remember these two?

They just welcomed this sweet little face into the family.

Can you even believe how precious she is?

I can't handle it.

Baby shoots are tough for me. Baby is definitely boss!! You can't go into the shoot with an agenda, or a vision, or a plan, because goodness, that little 6 pound person just doesn't care what I think! Newborn shoots are still very new to me, and I've found that the more comfortable I am with mom and dad, the better it all goes. And Jenny? Well, I just love her. And her hubby's not so bad himself ;) This little baby is so blessed to have them.

And they are so blessed to have her. I love these two photos - it just looks like Theo is surrounding and gathering his wife and daughter close to him.

Maddie Maddie.....I just want to kiss those little cheeks.

Grandma and Grandpa were essentially bursting at the seams with pride over this little girl. Grandpa would make cooing noises and chat with her while rubbing noses, and Grandma would cuddle, and rub her tummy, and stroke her hands. I loved it!

Maddies room is the perfect little girl room, complete with Tiffany colors, and girlie pink polka dots :)

I couldn't decide if I liked the color or b/w better...

Grandpa is an avid fisher....they've starting Maddie off early :)

Little baby tongue...

I just love this family.

Michael and Emily :: Engaged! (Chicago, IL)

2011-04-20T00:10:00.002-05:00

Her best friend and college roommate had an older brother. His little sister had a college roommate and best friend. Then that little sister, college roommate, and best friend studied abroad and everyone came to visit her. And so started the power couple that is Michael and Emily.

They are both in school and work a lot of hours. They fit in time on Sunday's together - complete with church, family time and lots of studying side by side. And they are so ridiculously obviously in love.

I have just a few things to say about these two as you bask in their adorableness.

First? They laugh a LOT together.

I mean it. A lot. Michael must be a really funny guy because he makes her smile big time. And Emily must make him really happy because he actually smiles as he talks. And then they smile at each other, and it grows and erupts into a chuckle. And usually a hug to accompany it!

Michael loves to hold her. Touch her. Kiss her. Love her.

.....at every opportunity.

There is a quietness about them. A settled-ness.

They were absolute PRO's in front of the camera for me.

They are sweet. Both together, and to other people.

Emily? Well....she's gorgeous. She has killer eyes. She is quietly vivacious. She is patient.

Cutecutecutecute.

These two were total troopers. It was cold, and it was windy. But they hauled out and laughed when Emily swallowed her hair, and rubbed each others arms to keep blood moving.

They get married this fall, and I absolutely can not wait to see them again and get some more of these two captured.

I'll leave you with my favorites from the day.

CLICK HERE to see the slideshow!

Abigail Naomi DeCaluwe :: Newbies

2011-03-30T20:42:00.000-05:00

My wonderful cousins, Scott and Jenni, welcomed their pint-sized daughter about 2 months ago, and girl-oh-girl (get it??) is she tiiiinyyyy! Admittedly, I'm a larger than normal kind of person - but she actually didn't fit in the space of my elbow to my palm. I have never in my entire life held something as small as she was in those early few weeks of her life. And all I could think about as I held this fragile little body, looked into her big eyes, and watched her move around, was how amazing it is that life starts so small, and so simple. And yet? This little 6 pound baby girl was going to grow up and have her own story. It was stunning to look into her little baby face and know that her own journey was ahead of her - and it was exciting and big and grand.

Little Abby - you have amazing parents that love you very much and will spend the rest of their lives guiding you and shaping you and teaching you and protecting you. And you have wonderful grandparents, and great grandparents, and cousins, and aunts and uncles...I think you get the picture. Never forget that you are loved.

Baby Schneider

2011-02-28T22:20:00.001-06:00

This post is very special to me, and I should forewarn you that it's got my blubbering all over it. I have 3 sisters, two older and one younger, and Abby is the oldest of us all. Abby has always been the quintessential oldest - she's calm, collected, self-sufficient, and (annoyingly) always right. She's been the one that regardless of what less-than-intelligent thing I was doing at that precise moment, would tell me that she loves me and supports me. She's the one that paved the way to teach the rest of us sisters what it meant to be responsible and grown up at a young age. She's the one that we follow, and model after. She's the one that is always practical, and always has the best advice. She's the one that we can call in a crisis, and she drops everything to come to us. Abby has been a practicing mother to three sisters for many many years. And now? Now she has a tiny little baby on the way. Now she has a little heart that she gets to mold and love and grow. And I know with absolutely no doubt that she will be amazing at it.

Chris, Abby and I met last weekend at Navy Pier to take some photos. We had grand plans to use the conservatory at the Pier, and fake ourselves into believe it was warm and tropical. But...those plans needed to be quickly re-made when we discovered a convention being held there that weekend. It was torrentially down-pouring, dark, and very dreary outside - leaving us feeling less than enthused about the day in general. But we trooped over to the Chicago Cultural Center, and I was faced with a dreaded challenge: heavy spot lighting, white walls, heavy shadows, and limited natural light (both from a lack of windows, and extreme lack of anything remotely looking like a sun). I was convinced we should just find a different day, but we were all there together with no other plans for the day - so I took a deep breath, threw up my ISO, and.... here it is!

We found hallways and corners, dodged people on stairways, and shot around viewers in galleries.

I will freely admit that I love the sun. I love shooting with the sun, I love the light of the sun, I love the glow of the sun. I love that the sun makes for really happy photos. So for me, shooting indoors like this....it was a huge mental battle. The dark made it feel...unhappy. So, I knew I had to approach it differently. It was going to be grainy. It was going to be moody. It was going to be rough. I had to stretch, and yes...it was massively uncomfortable. It took me a few days to bring up the courage to even look at the photos. I was THAT uncomfortable with it all. But then, as I was flipping through them - I saw this...

And I saw this...

And I saw this...

And suddenly - it was all okay. I saw the light. I saw the grain. And I saw that it was beautiful and intimate and emotional. And it made me happy.

Abby and Chris decided not to find out the gender of the baby ahead of time (much to the annoyance of aunt's that just want to buy presents!!)

Just a little auntie's leaning.....

I love you both. And I can't wait to meet baby Schneider. And I can't wait to see you both in this new role in your lives. And I can't wait to meet this long await, long dreamt of, little baby (girl?? ;)).

Anders Douglas Neal :: Newbie

2011-01-17T18:15:00.000-06:00

Remember these two??

Joy didn't think her contractions were real until the minute she actually had to start pushing. THAT's how fast her labor was...for which I'm sure she will always love this little man :)

Anders Douglas joined us on the 30th of December. A little tiny man that captured his parents attention and love immediately. He's a very verbal baby...always making little noises. His eyes look around a lot, making sure to catch every activity his little self can see. He cuddles really well. And despite his often furrowed brow...I'm pretty sure he already loves me!

Meet Anders :)

These two tied for my favorites of the day:

A Year in Review

2011-01-01T16:24:00.001-06:00

When we were little, my mom would gather us all around the table at New Years, and ask us for three "highlights" of our year and three "lowlights". We always had to let my little sister go first, because she couldn't ever think of anything other than what everyone else had said already. And actually - it's a trait that has carried over through the years :)

For the sake of tradition, I asked Nick these questions at dinner earlier this week (it wasn't around our personal table...but I'm sure the restaurant was willing to share it's furniture for tradition sake). It took me a long time to ponder my own responses because this year has been big. It has had weeks of blur. It has had moments of extreme joy. It has been overwhelming in a beautiful way. But I managed to come up with a few things - for instance, my #1 highlight of the year? Renewing our apartment lease. We have been married for 2.5 years, and lived in 3 apartments in that time. It was with such a settled heart that we turned in a signed lease renewal. This is home to me, and I'm grateful for the even temporary roots we have set here. #2 highlight? The traveling we've done this year. We made it out to Boston again this spring, spent some time in D.C., and I've been around a little more on my own traveling for weddings and such. #3? As some of you know - I work a full time "desk" job on top of running my photography business. And that desk job rolled in as my #3 highlight of the year. I was permanently hired at this particular job in January, and although it has had its challenging, i-could-just-scream kind of moments, it has been the biggest blessing in so many ways.

This upcoming year is filled with a lot of joy, a lot of hope, and many many many dreams for me. I have a Helen Keller quote tacked to my inspiration board that reads "One must never consent to creep when one feels an impulse to soar", and that's my motto for these next 12 months. I have huge dreams for the year, and even though I have no idea if these dreams will come to be this year or not - I'm more willing to fail at them, than to not dream them at all.

This past year has been filled with amazing people, wonderful ~~clients~~ FRIENDS, and beautiful new babies. I had another nephew join the family this year, and also welcomed a "neice" and a "nephew", one from each of my dear friends. Honorary aunthood is just as amazing as the real thing :)

I've put together a little recap of the people I've been blessed to work with in the last 12 months. I will forever be awed by being a part of these life stories....

To each and every one of you that sat in front of my camera this year - thank.you. You are allowing me to live my dream, and I will be forever grateful to every one of you for that.

I've put together a little slideshow of my favorite shots of 2010 - no particular order or sequence...just a few of wonderful memories and intense love. Take a look here :)

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!!!

Brandon and Kelsey :: Married! (Houston, Tx)

2010-12-21T21:38:00.000-06:00

"I don't know why she picked me" Brandon said to me, "but I'm so happy she did." This sums up not only Brandon and Kelsey as a couple, but their wedding day. This man, adores this woman, and she glows under his love and attention. Together they make a beautiful couple that radiate a gentle joy.

I don't have a lot to say about this wedding that wouldn't sound cliche - but the words would be uniquely true and new and alive for these two.

There was a lot of friendship. A lot of laughter. A lot of excitement.

There was a lot of people that came a really long way to celebrate with these two. It was mentioned that they had people as far as Scotland and China. And I couldn't help but think that these two are so loved for people to make that kind of trip, and how much that says about these two together.

Brandon and Kelsey did a First Look - and I think it took the cake as my absolute favorite of first look moments. Brandon was calm. Kelsey was bouncing, and smiling, and scrunching her shoulders to her ears in excitement.

We had the chance to take a handful of photos before the wedding party came out to join us, were blessed with the most yummy light. I could get used to Texas in December if this is the result!

Kelsey smiled like this all day.

FAVORITE.

Ceremony.......

Married!

We ran over to the reception site, and got a few more photos in before calling it party time.

We waited out the sun a little bit, and I absolutely love how soft this one came out (straight out of camera for my camera friends out there)

Okay just a few more here.....I snuck out during dinner to take a photo of the building at night.

And these might actually be my very favorite first dance photos ever

And farewell!

Brandon and Kelsey - thank you for inviting me to be a part of your day, and for welcoming me with open arms into your family. I hope you are having an amazing time in San Diego, and wish you an amazing first Christmas together!!

CLICK HERE to see the slideshow!!!

Baby Shower: Joy and Anders

2010-12-12T11:38:00.002-06:00

About a month ago, I had the extreme pleasure of hosting Anders baby shower for my beautiful friend, Joy. I decided early on to do a rubber duck/bath time themed shower, and spent weeks scouring the internet for non-cheezy, fun ideas for decor, food, and games. I was recommended to a delicious bakery in Lisle, John Dough, for the cupcakes and cookies. Here are a few snapshots of the results!

200th Post, Birthdays, and 5 years of love

2010-11-14T15:33:00.000-06:00

200th. This is my 200th blog post!! I can't even believe that enough time has gone by to sustain 200 blog posts. For the sake of nostalgia, I tracked down the very first blog post I made. Sarah brought me with to Tony and Valerie's engagement session on Navy Pier. It was a dreary, wet day and I had borrowed my mom's Canon XTi camera and lens to use for the shoot. I very distinctly remember getting out car after parking, pushing my camera at Sarah and saying "I don't even know what to look for to make sure this is set up right for this.". I ended up accidentally shooting the entire shoot at 1600 ISO. Thankfully no one was counting on me for usable photos! Take a look....HERE..... thankfully I've gotten better :) I treasure that shoot though because it was the start of the crazy, thrilling dream of mine.

200 posts...and my birthday. Today is my 25th birthday, and I have embraced this birthday with open arms, and excitement. I have a dream list for this year. I figured I'd start it now instead of at the new year. The list is full of intensely personal goals, life goals like "stay healthy this year", and "mark the moment" kind of things. One of my favorite quotes is from Ben Stein and it says "the first thing to getting what you want out of life is this: know what you want.". So this year, I'm asking for things, I'm dreaming for things, and I'm making very specific requests from life.

200 posts, my birthday....and 5 years of love. 5 years ago, Nick was working three jobs, one part-time with me, one one the other part-time days, and one that he usually worked until midnight. I came into work on my birthday morning, and he came up to my desk and placed a tin in front of me with a birthday card in a red envelope on top. The tin held mint chocolate chip cookies that he made for me at 1am that morning, and they came with a dinner date invitation. Around a mouthfull of cookies, we settled on that Saturday night. It felt like the longest week of my life that week. I was so sure Saturday was neeeeeverrrrr going to come. But it did, and we fell in love, and this year marks 5 years of being together. 5 years of loving. 5 years of learning. 5 years of compromising. 5 years of being best friends. Nick makes me cookies, or some form of dessert, every year for my birthday. This year, I came home from lunch with my mom yesterday to find him standing by the kitchen table, with these scrumptious cupcakes (and home made frosting), and this box waiting for me :)

(I used my point and shoot camera....photographers are allowed to have them!)

The box? Held this. And I'm in love. It's so beautiful!

It's a big day today. And Nick has made this such an amazing birthday. I'm so grateful for every new year of cookies. And I'm so excited about this next year.

Pete, Joy and Anders :: The Neal Family

2010-11-08T22:23:00.001-06:00

For some reason out of all the memories I have of Pete and Joy planning their wedding, the one that stands out the most to me is of me and Joy driving through Algonquin, me with books and folders of wedding planning notes and ideas sliding around on my lap, and talking about chair rentals and caterers. They put together a beautiful, beautiful wedding, full of personal things. Personal places. Personal people. Because that's who they are. They are personal people. They have a love for people. A passion to know the people around them, and to connect in their lives. So they pulled this personal-ness into their marriage. And I get to be a recipient of that. Joy moved to Michigan after she married Pete, and she went from being 15 minutes away from me to 3(ish) hours away. We have spent the years since making phone dates, gchatting when we're able to, and sending the occasional lengthy catch up email when it has just been too much time in between calls.

On one phone date recently, Joy told me that they were "trying". This was the first phone call I've ever had with a girlfriend about it. The official "we're ready for the next season of life" phone call. The "we're adult enough to handle an infant!" phone call!! I was happy and thrilled and ready to ask every month if it was time to start buying receiving blankets and onsies. And then? It happened. The "it's positive" text came through, followed by a lot of screeching and excited chattering over the phone. Their son is set to be born right after the first of the year!

First comes love....

The comes marriage....

Then come baby in a baby carriage!!

I sprained my back two days before we did this shoot. I was hopped up on vicodin, moving like a 94 year old, and these two dealt with me like champs! It was almost amusing - and quite possibly the slowest shoot I've ever done.

Joy is one of those obnoxious women that look good. All the time. For instance - here? She's 7 months pregnant, and wearing size 2 jeans! No belly bands or anything - just a rubber band rigged to lengthen the button space. But yeah. Size 2.

Favorite.

Second favorite.

I was talking to Pete while Joy tottered off to change outfits and he says to me "yeah, she's so beautiful. I can't believe how attracted I am to her." My heart melted there on the spot. First of all, how romantic is that?! Secondly - this is one of my best friends. And he loves her. And that makes my heart happy.

Love you both so much. And this baby is going to be so blessed. And so social :) CLICK HERE for a slideshow!!!

The Treadway Family :: Everyday

2010-11-02T21:47:00.001-05:00

Many of you that follow my blog know about my friend Jenni. And those of you that know Jenni know that we have been best friends going on 21 years now. When you look back on 21 years of friendship, there are a lot of memories that mix families - both immediate and extended. Her Omi and Opa? My Omi and Opa. Her cousin? My cousin. If for no other reason that the frequency of me being around - her family became mine, and I was accepted into hers.

So when Jenni's cousin Nadine came to the States from Germany when I was....10? It was only normal that I spent time with her, sleepovers at Omi and Opa's, and probably a trip to the zoo thrown in there. The picture evidence from that first trip proves poor fashion sense, a liking towards scrunchies, pre-braces teeth, and three awkward girls hugging and loving each other.

Well all since then - Nadine fell in love (conveniently for her family in the states) with a rugged, handsome, and all together super-hero-quality-of-awesome US Army man stationed nearby her home in German and they got married. After a long, and very difficult deployment period, they came back to the states to settle for a few years. Although we only have her on loan - and I don't get to see her nearly as often as I wish to! - I love having her on my side of the pond, and love to see her happy with her family.

Nadine let me (and Jenni!) stay with her the night before Mike and Jill's wedding, and I insisted on taking some photos of their baby man, Jackson, while we were there. To my great sadness, Jackson's one year birthday came and went without my meeting him. When I finally (finally!) got to meet him, I was smitten. This kid? Cutest ever.

Okay - I have to start photos with this one. It's not the earliest photo of us, but thankfully I don't personally have evidence of that atrocious look :) Me and Nadine circa 2006.

And circa 2010 with Jenni :)

Jackson has his mommas big soft eyes, and his daddy's impish looks. Combined they create this little heartbreaker.

He has an addiction to holding chapstick tubes. It's akin to a comfort blanket for him. Nothing - not even the football that rolled into our shoot - could make him set it down.

I love this one of him and his momma. I know it's blow out, and the color is bad, but it's simple. She's watching him and he's testing out his steps.

Seriously? Could he BE cuter??

This makes my heart happy.

I asked Zack and Nadine what it was like being parents. How are they adjusting, even after a year of doing this parenting thing? How are they seeing their relationship change? Is it hard for them to find time for just them? Do they ever have moments of wishing it was quiet and calm?

Zack looked me in the eye and said with unhesitant assurance that having Jackson was worth every sacrifice. He said he didn't miss the things he's had to give up. He looked at Jackson sitting next to Nadine at the dinner table with such love....

Nadine was meant to be a mother. She is patience in human form. She is gentle and playful, fiery and fierce, and will be able to wrestle with the best of them when Jackson's big enough.

They are a family now. It's an amazing transformation for any two people to make. But these two? They make it look easy. They have so much love between them that it makes sense that a baby was added to pass some of the extra love to.

I love you all so much. Even if you wear tweed jackets with leather elbow patches :)

CLICK HERE for a slideshow!!

Collin and Charlene :: Married!

2010-10-27T21:01:00.000-05:00

When Charlene called me at the end of September to see if I was free for her wedding in three weeks, I was quite sure I had heard her wrong. Three weeks?? I immediately assumed there was some disaster with another photographer, and she needed someone to fill in. But it turns out? Charlene was so set on her wedding being personal, intimate and meaningful, that she was getting married in three weeks before her pastor retired, so he could marry her. As soon as I heard that - I knew I wanted to spend her wedding day with her. So I met that weekend with her and Collin, and sat across a table from Charlene as she breezed through the fastest rendition of "its-nice-to-meet-you-I'm-so-madly-in-love-I-want-a-personal-wedding-and-here-are-the-important-details" I have ever heard. I instantly fell in love with her infectious smile, her high energy and her absolute and intense love for the man sitting next to her.

So three weeks later - I met Charlene and her maid of honor, Nicole, in the parking lot of the restaurant they were having their reception at, left my little car and joined forces with her for the day. We first went back to Collin and Charlene's home, where I met their sons, their beastly huge dog, and their teacup yorkie sized dog (I think with one dog inbetween!) Growing up in a house full of girls - I'm always a little amused by a house full of boys. It's always loud, banging and slamming noises filling the air, active, and full of ferocious warrior cries. This beautiful mixing of families was no different, and I just sat and soaked it all in. Collin and Charlene opted to mix sand, doing a personalized version of the traditional unity candle. They sat with their respective sons, and each group created their own sets of sand, representing their "individual" families....

And Collin and Charlene would later mix them together, to signify the mixing of families forever.

This day was so wonderful to be a part of. It was so laid back, and calm, and fun. After the sand, the girls piled into Charlene's convertible and sped off to get nails done! This photo is basically straight out of camera (with a little push on the blacks), and I just LOVE how carefree, content and happy Charlene looks here. She smiled, and sang, and danced, and kept saying over and over how she couldn't believe she was marrying her best friend.

Charlene surprised me and had made me an appointment to get my nails done with them!! I was completely floored, and obviously need to learn to argue better, because my protests held no sway, and I found myself with my toes in warm water, and a massage rolling down my back! It was an amazing little treat (thank you thank youuu Charlene!).

A little fact I didn't know about Charlene is that she is notoriously late. For everything. So in true form, we were running a little behind getting to the hair dressers, and really behind getting home to change. Let me tell you what - I've never seen anyone get dressed so fast in my life!

We were out to the limo in time at all!

I love this photo. Charlene was sitting in the limo quietly and looking out the window, and would randomly burst out with an exclamation about how blessed she was. How happy she was. How she's never known love like this before. It was beautiful to look at her.

Charlene told me many times how the most important photo of the day was Collin's face when he saw her. Charlene - it was beautiful. It was emotional. It was joy. It was amazement.

The pastor of this church means a lot to Charlene (she planned her wedding around him after all!). It was touching to listen to him talk to these two, admonishing them to love. It was so obvious that he knew, and loved this radiant bride in front of him.

Married!!

We raced against the setting sun to grab family photos and some photos of just the new bride and groom.

Charlene father tragically passed away a few years ago. She honored him, and carried him with her on her wedding day by attaching his pin to her bouquet. The butterfly in her bouquet was meaningful and significant as well - and just another example of how intimately Charlene held this day to her heart.

Handsome handsome!

FAVORITE.

Thank you so very much to you both for allowing me this glimpse into your family, your life and your love. You are a beautiful couple, and I wish many many blessings upon your home and your marriage.

CLICK HERE to see the slideshow!!

Scott and Jenni :: Married! (Cheney Mansion, Oak Park, IL)

2010-10-17T19:42:00.000-05:00

I walked into a house packed with women and little ones running around. It was controlled chaos, the kind that just makes you smile and realize what a wonderful bride you were spending the day with. Jenni sat around the kitchen table, chatting with the family and friends that moved in an out of the room, holding the random niece or nephew that came by. This wedding was a little unique for me, because Jenni is now my cousin-in-law, so I half worked, and half just enjoyed the time with family. I have to give a huge thank you to my friend, and second shooter for the day, Jenni Reed - who worked with me, and allowed me the freedom to enjoy some sweet time with my cousins!

Hair and make up stylists were brought in, and the dining room was taken over for a staging area.

My view on the left - Jenni's on the right

Jenni's parents live 3 blocks from the church, and so a mini parade of people (noise makers and all!) headed out to make the walk.

The church was...gorgeous. Old beauty kind of architecture that makes you feel nostalgic and imagine all sorts of stories of things that happened within it's walls - complete with a massive organ at the back. It made it seem just that much more romantic that this marriage was marking it's beginnings within walls that had started hundreds of love stories...somehow bonding years and years of love together.

Scott getting his first view of his bride

My view

Jenni's view

Married!!

The reception was being held at the Cheney Mansion, so we headed over to use the grounds for photos.

You guys just look good together - simple as that.

My view

Jenni's view

Jenni's view of the first dance

Scott and Jenni - everything turned out so great. It was a beautiful wedding, and a gorgeous day. Thank you so much for inviting my Jenni and I into your wedding - we had a ton of fun spending the day with you! Welcome to the family, Jenni - I couldn't be happier to add you to my cousin group. Love! CLICK HERE to see the slideshow!!

Mike and Jill :: Married! (Mackinaw Valley Vineyard, IL)

2010-10-13T22:29:00.000-05:00

Jill glowed. All day. I mean really....ALL DAY. She was calm. She was still. She was smiling. She didn't notice that it was 58 degrees in October. She was excited that there were still leaves on the vines. She spent the day before her wedding surrounded by family and friends, carving pumpkins. She was ready to marry the love of her life.

Mike arrived, and slowly paced around, waiting for his first glimpse of his soon-to-be-wife. When he saw her, he held her with the utmost tenderness and relief that she was finally going to be all his. He stood strong, and cried saying his written vows. He looked at Jill in wonder, all the while staying very close to her to watch over her.

Mike and Jill? It was such an extreme pleasure to spend your wedding day with you. I had the most fun with you both, and will cherish the memories of your day. Love!

The vineyard was absolutely gorgeous. While I was with the girls, my amazing friend (and second shooter for this wedding!) Jenni was taking some location shots.

First look...

This moment is actually one of my favorites at each of the weddings I shoot. It's the "lookatmydressandmyshoesandmyhair" moment. When finally (finally!!) she gets to show off all the things she's been hiding for months!

Jill had every detail thought of - down to little games on the back of her programs to occupy their guests while they waited for the ceremony to start. Brilliant!

Marrrrieeddd!

After the ceremony, we headed back out for some more photos.

Love me some light.

Table "numbers". The day before, Jill (along with a bunch of happy helpers) carved pumpkins, then took photos of guests names while holding the appropriate pumpkin for their table. It turned out great!

I'll close with this one - because it's probably my favorite of the day, despite being orange and a little out of focus. The reception was held in an open room, with makeshift walls, and one end completely open to the night air. Mike pulled Jill outside, away from their guests, and they stood together and watched what was going on inside the reception space, and then looked around the property, and danced a little right where they were. It was the most precious, intimate moment. I couldn't bring myself to interrupt it by using a flash to take this photo, so I bumped up my ISO (thank you, my beautiful 5DMII for superior high ISO skills!) and shot this at 3200ISO and 1/20sec - hence the slightly fuzzy and orange look. Still - it's one of my favorites.

Love to you both! CLICK HERE to see the slideshow!!

Hockemeyer Family (Veterans Acres, Crystal Lake, IL)

2010-10-07T20:20:00.001-05:00

There is something beautiful about watching a family grow. We started two years ago with just Morgan.

Then last year, it was Morgan and little baby Matthias.

And next year? It will be Morgan, baby Matthias, and unknown baby Hockemeyer!

I adore this little girl. Don't tell the others - but she's my very favorite little neice.

And let's face it - little Matthias man is pretty darn cute himself.

And one last self-indulgent photo :)

Love you guys!

Perhach Family (Wauwatosa, WI)

2010-09-27T21:07:00.000-05:00

"Hey baby
see the future that we're building
our love lives on
in the lives of our children.

And that's something...
something worth leaving behind"
~ Lee Ann Womack ~

My darling cousin, Ginnie, married this amazing man, Kevin. Years ago. I remember thinking at her wedding that I wanted my groom to look at me the way that Kevin looked at her. Like he couldn't believe she was his. Like he couldn't believe he got to love her for the rest of his life. Like he knew he was the luckiest man alive. That look. I was young, but I remember.

Well. Fast forward several years, and three beautiful, beautiful children later, and you have this! On my way up to Green Bay a few weeks back, I was able to stop and spend an afternoon with my cousin and her brood. Here are a few of my favorites from the day!

As a side note? I've always been a little awed over how beautiful Ginnie is. Really.

Love you all!

Theo+Jenny (Veterans Acres, Crystal Lake IL)

2010-09-14T21:14:00.001-05:00

Remember these two adorable people? They got married a few weeks back, and it rained cats and dogs. All afternoon. And then just to rub in it a little bit, the sun peeked through the clouds for the last 10 minutes before setting, just as the reception was getting underway. So we tried take two!!

Jenny? I love you. So much. And I think you're absolutely stunning.

Theo? I love that you look at her like this. It makes MY toes curl.

Park + early fall afternoon light = gorgeous.

I couldn't decide if I like half smile or full smile better....

It's just so wonderful.

Flirty eyes...

It turned out that it ended up raining the morning of our shoot. I'm so thankful for the gorgeous weather that followed the rain, but it did leave us with some muddy conditions in places - something that didn't even remotely phase Jenny! I completely treasure these two photos...

I couldn't pick just one favorite photo from this shoot. I would find one and think "wam! favorite!"

But then, I'd keep going and then "wam bam! new favorite!"

And then "wam bam bam! newest favorite!"...

And then...(come on, you know whats coming here)

I love you both. See you again in 6 months?? :) CLICK HERE to see the slideshow!!

Scott and Jenni :: Engaged (Austin Garden, Oak Park)

2010-09-12T14:19:00.001-05:00

Growing up, I didn't really have "extended" family. I was really close with my immediate family, and kinda adopted various other people in my life as my own mismatched extended family. And then I met Nick. Our very first Christmas of dating (only 5 weeks into our relationship), I went with him to his grandparents for their family Christmas celebration. And it was a FULL.HOUSE. I honestly don't remember very well through the haze who was there, but I remember being overwhelmed by watching this family be together. It was cousins, aunts and uncles, second cousins, grandparents, and siblings. I had never been a part of something like that before. It felt very Norman Rockwell like, complete with a light snow falling outside, a Christmas tree, and the traditional Dots candy tree. And now? Now I've married into this family, and have inherited this beautiful community, and get to call it my own.

Scott is my inherited cousin. He is fiercely loved by his sisters, doted on by his grandparents, and affectionately smiled at by his mom. Jenni? You get to inherit that beautiful family now. Along with the bigger multitude of the clan. And you get your first Christmas gathering this year. And I'm so excited that you're going to be a part of it from now on. And I'm so excited to see Scott so happy with you. And I'm so excited to be a part of your wedding day!!

See you two lovebirds in October!!! CLICK ****HERE**** to see a SLIDESHOW!

Jonathan and Ginny :: Married!! (Heritage Hill State Park, Green Bay, WI)

2010-09-07T21:55:00.000-05:00

Adoration (n): a feeling of profound love and admiration.

The word kept coming to mind over the course of this beautiful wedding of Jonathan and Ginny. It was mixed with other words, like "adorable, beautiful, laughter, love", but adoration keeps coming back. So I looked it up - just to see the exact definition of the word. Profound love. I love it. Depth. Intent. Purposeful. And it perfectly embodies these two that have just committed the rest of their days to each other.

The day started with a little cleaning, a little snacking, a LOT of laughter and talking, and a little "Maid in Manhattan" playing in the background.

Ginny - you're.....breathtaking.

The wedding was on the ground of the Heritage Hill State Park in Green Bay, WI. It was a wonderful little re-inactment "village", with the perfect classic church on the grounds.

This photo speaks volumes to me - even though it looks ordinary. Jonathan had come up to the front of the church, and was literally bouncing on his feet. Shifting his weight back and forth and bouncing on the balls of his feet. He was anxious, and moving incessantly. And then...Ginny and her father filled the doorway at the back of the room, and it was a like someone unplugged him. He immediately ceased his movement and just started at her with completely rapt attention. Unmoving. Attention held captive.

First kiss....

...and married!!! I LOVE the look she's giving him in the photo on the left!

More photos at Bay Beach...

Favorite from the day:

Jonathan and Ginny, thank you so very much for your gracious hearts, your open arms, and for your love. It was truly an honor to spend your wedding day with you. I hope you are having a marvelous time in Mexico!!

Enjoy the slideshow!

Mike and Amanda :: Chicago Wedding, Adler Planetarium

2010-08-31T20:33:00.000-05:00

My friend Morgan was in town, and the only chance we'd have to see each other was at Mike and Amanda's wedding. So Morgan asked me to bring my camera along, and we chatted and caught up in between snapping shots of the dashing Mike and his beautiful Amanda. Not being the main shooter of the day gave me loads of time to just play with my camera, and I'm thrilled with the results! Here are a few of my favorite from the day...

Morgan, in her favorite pose, doing her favorite thing :)

Amanda's gown was a Vera Wang and one of the layers was too long. So Morgan had to cut it. Yep. We cut a Vera. It was physically painful to hold the dress (my hand is on the left) so she could cut it. We both took pieces of the fabric home with us - it is now pinned to my inspiration board over my desk to be gazed upon fondly.

Vaught Family :: Everyday

2010-08-26T21:03:00.000-05:00

I had the pleasure of meeting with, and spending time with the beautiful Vaught family last weekend. Rob is a cop, who, I am very sure, reserves his most gentle smiles for these four women in his life. Jen is this tiny little, compact size super woman, full of patience for these little women. And the girls? HELLO they're adorable. And dramatic. And talkative. And beautiful. And love to model for the camera. And love each other. They kept me constantly entertained, and constantly smiling, remembering me and my sisters at this age.

Thank you so much for this little peek into your wonderful family.

"You're my hero, little girl

You always save the day with your smile

You know I'm in love
With the one behind those pretty eyes

I will build for all time
A house of memories
Just for you and I

There you'll find rooms inside
Filled with laughter, joy
And your daddy's pride

Around the table, down the hall
Chase each other till the laughter makes us fall

In the evening, lay our heads down
And thank God for these memories

You're my angel
Sending messages of love

You're my future
A part of me that carries on

You're my hero

Come and save the day with your smile

You're my angel."
(Ten Shekel Shirt)

Tim and Meghan :: Married!!

2010-08-09T22:57:00.000-05:00

She's one of four daughters. He's one of three sons. No cross-gender siblings on either side. The brothers vowed to never marry and live together forever in a mans-ion (the man-ned out version of the usually elegant mansion!). And the sisters know every word of "Sisters" from "White Christmas". Add in a set of loving parents on either side - and you've got Tim and Meghan's wedding day.

The morning started with a salon full of sisters and best friends calling out to each other from behind hair station mirrors, peaking between to check the latest status of hair design and mass amounts of giggling. The mother of the bride looked on with a smile, while the father of the bride ducked in and out of the salon, making the necessary Starbucks runs and umbrella drop off's.

Blue shoes make me happy :)

It was all lace. And it was breathtaking.

I couldn't decide if I liked it better in silhouette or not - so you get to see both!

Meghan is a crazy beautiful blend of outgoing vivaciousness, and a still soul. There is a peace that runs deep through the heart of this woman. It was a fascinating contrast to capture in her.

First look! I was praying that Tim didn't fall down the stairs in a dead faint at this moment :) He was so nervous, and just wanted to see his bride.

With a choked whisper he wrapped her in his arms and said "You look so beautiful."

We'll come back to more of Tim and Meghan. But first - let's skip ahead to their ceremony. Meghan's uncle married them, creating just one extra angle of this family filled, love surrounded day. Before the ceremony, some of Meghan's closest friends gathered to pray over her and her marriage.

Meghan grew up here in this church. I'm sure that over the years there have been many big moments in her life that occurred in that building. It was perfectly fitting to commit her life to this man in that place.

Kiss...aaaannd....married!

Bridal party photos were so much fun - smiles were easy to come by, and the friendship in the group was all-encompassing.

You.make.me.happy. :) :) :)

Bear with me on the multiple veil shots here - I originally picked upwards of 10 for the blog post, and had to find a way to whittle it down! Favorite veil shots ever!

Please always find a moment in every day to look at each other like this; like your next breath comes because of this person; like you may never look away from the love in front of you.

Tim? Love this woman. Hold her fiercely, love her passionately, protect her vigilantly. The love you have for her is evident to even a stranger on the street - it's such a beautiful, precious thing to see.

Meghan, you are a beautiful woman. Through and through. You laugh easily, live intently, and bubble with life. You are a blessing to everyone that comes to know you - and I'm so very happy that I get to be so lucky!

Now Meghan? Honor this man. Look up to him, love him, support him. He lights up when he looks at you. He is so in love with you.

Here is it Meghan. Finally your post "Tim and Meghan :: Married!" has come! Your wedding day was beautiful - I think the clouds broke just for you! Thank you to both of you and your families for welcoming me and my crew into your lives for the day. You have beautiful families to surround you, love you and make new memories with you. I hope you're sitting on a beach, Long Island iced tea in hand....still smiling.

Love to you both!

Theo and Jenny :: Married!!

2010-08-04T23:25:00.000-05:00

It rained. Correction: it poured. It held off long enough to get Jenny inside the building without being drenched, and then the skies opened and it poured. All afternoon and all evening. And yet, I don't think it even really hit Jenny that it wasn't a perfectly sunny day. There wasn't much that was going to phase this Audrey Hepburn styled woman on the day she committed her life to her love.

She spent her morning relaxing in curlers, ohh'ing and ahh'ing over her girls as they got ready, and playing with her brothers little dog. Smiling and serenely waiting the time out.

We made a mad dash for the hall, where Jenny, Gina and I sequestered ourselves in a tiny little room to get her dressed. After much jostling, sweating, and twisting, we got her into her layers and layers of dress and the result was breathtaking.

So - remember all that rain? It obviously kept us indoors for bridal party and family photos, and let me tell you - with no help from natural light, and two other events going on in the hall....it was a challenge!! But we found quiet corners to grab some shots, so we crammed everyone in and snapped away!

Jenny - you're beautiful. And I've enjoyed so very much your friendship over this planning process. I'm thrilled that we found the ribbon for your dress before panic set in, that you had perfect little tap shoes, and that you radiated joy your entire day. You laughed so much, and were surrounded by so many that love you - and that was beautiful to see.

Theo, you clean up awfully well mister ;) Loving the cop look here!

I rarely shoot indoors, but found that I enjoyed the challenge of working with the light and space in the hall. These photos aren't my normal style, but I've found that I love the intimacy of the dark colors. And I love these two together!

Jenny and Theo - I'm so excited for your "We Did!" shoot coming up - they will be the perfect compliment to your wedding day here, and I'm secretly the most excited that I get to see you both again and spend more time with you!

Enjoy the slideshow!!

Mark and Kristin :: Married!!

2010-07-18T22:38:00.000-05:00

Any day that starts with bright pink shoes is bound to be a good one.

I walked into Kristin's family home, and was instantly surrounded with the noise of a dozen women laughing and talking, music playing, and little girls running around wildly. It was a beautiful beginning to the day!

Cooper!

And now Kristin.

Kristin is....amazing. She's creative, and detail orientated, and fun, and calm. She put so much effort into making her wedding exactly what she wanted. I'm pretty sure she single handedly kept Etsy afloat over the last 18 months of wedding planning :) Kristin is elegant, and tiny, and personal.

When Kristin smiles, she makes everyone around her smile. She is laid back and so very easy to love.

And then there's Mark!

Mark could quite possibly be everyone's best friend. He has kind eyes, and an easy smile. He's a very peaceful person, and I'm very sure that he's very in love with his wife.

Before I get to Mark and Kristin together....there is their bridal party.

It was a wonderful thing to see these two surrounded by so many people that love and support them.

Okay okay - Mark and Kristin. I hadn't met Mark before the wedding, so I haven't been able to see Kristin with Mark. I've heard so much about him, and loved finally putting all the word pictures together. Mark and Kristin have been together for just about 10 years, and they are so very beautiful together.

There was a timing snafoo with the limo and we had to leave for the reception sooner than anticipated from the park we were taking photos at, so the three of us actually jumped in my car at the reception hall and sped up the road for a quick few minutes together to grab photos!

We had delicious light.

FAVORITE.

Mark and Kristin - I loved getting to spend your day with you. Have an amazing time in Mexico and Kristin, we'll have to grab dinner when you get back!

Enjoy the slideshow!

Momma Mine :: Personal

2010-07-11T12:18:00.000-05:00

The earliest memory I have of my mom was shortly after my little sister was born. I was just about two and a half, and I remember her standing in one of the bedrooms in our house, by the window, holding Hilary and looking down at her. It's just a brief snapshot of memory, just a quick flash, but I love that first memory of her. That memory is followed by one of me being sick, and for some reason we were home alone (rare moments in a house with three sisters), and she was sitting at the table with me, helping with a Bugs Bunny puzzle. You know, the kind with the giant puzzle pieces that fit in a cut out on cardboard. Bugs Bunny was scuba diving for treasure. I remember feeling especially happy in those moments alone with her.

My parents made a huge financial sacrifice when my oldest sister came along, and decided that my mom would stay at home with us instead of work. She homeschooled four girls through all 12 years of school, drove us around to our hundreds of activities, and was there for every day we were sick. As a kid, I took that for granted. As a teenager, I chafted under her being there all the time. But in this current stage of (not quite) adulthood? I am so very grateful that 97% of my life memories include my mom. I am so grateful for the sacrifice that she made, and still makes, in her life to spend all of her time being a mom to me.

Let me tell you a little bit about my momma.

My momma makes the worlds best homemade macaroni and cheese. She has tried just about every "monthly meal planning" trick out there (feeding a family of 6, along with whatever additional housemates we had at the time, wasn't easy!). She tried to feed us tofu one time in a soup, and we still won't let her live it down. She always uses dried onions, instead of her preference of fresh onions, in food, because my oldest sister hates onions. She makes her homemade potato salad for just about every family gathering because we beg and plead for it, and she can't say no to us! She makes my dad "real" popcorn (in a pot, on the stove) because she knows he loves it. She buys her dogs organic food and treats, because it's "best" for them.

She can't watch TV, because she gets too sucked in and zones out. She thinks the movie "Babe" is suspenseful and has to leave the room at least 4 different times during it. (Yep. Babe. The one with the pig.) The Emperors New Grove is her favorite movie, and is quoted very often around our house. She watches football with us every season - not because she likes it, but because we just like to have her be in the same room as us, so we make her stay. She will root for Duke to win the NCAA championship every year.

My momma took care of her momma for years and years and years, through her bad health. After grandma couldn't live with us anymore, my mom would pile us in the car and take us to visit her. She put a lot of time and energy into her mom, and loved her very much. When one of us girls got sick? She'd sit with us for hours on the couch, and put our heads in her lap, and scratch our backs. She's make us eggs and toast, and soothe us to sleep. I had my appendix removed when I was seven, and my mom? She slept every night in the chair next to my bed until I went home. After I had moved out, she made several trips out to take care of me when I was sick or had a migraine.

My momma is a very gracious person. A very giving person. I can't recall the amount of times I've heard her say "oh, it's just stuff", when something that was lent out was lost into the infamous black hole. She's never held her "stuff" closely. She could care less if someone tracks dirt in the house ("it vacuums up easily"), or if something got spilled on the sofa ("it'll come out"). My mom always thinks people are more important than things.

My mom loves people. She does. It's something about her that always amazes me. I think she's actually incapable of holding a grudge. And she's one of "those" friends. The kind you always wish you could have - the kind that will always, no matter what the circumstances, be there. She'll take your kids for a day, she'll drive 3 hours to have lunch with you, she'll pick up the phone at 11:00 at night, she'll leave work if you need her. She's THAT kind of friend.

My momma loves God. She lives her life fully aware of Him, and all that He calls her too, and all that He calls her to be.

My mom is my #1 fan. She just is. She champions me and supports me. She teaches me and challenges me. Many of you know this, but my mom actually works my photography business with me as my second shooter. She gives up literally days of her life to support my business, and support me, in such a practical way. My mom has fought for years to learn to understand and support the emotional side of me. She has fought to find ways to connect to me emotionally, and love and embrace me in whatever dramatically intense moment I'm in.

My mom is beautiful. I mean....check-her-out-on-the-street beautiful.

My mom is a grandma. And she's a wonderful grandma. She's a grandma, in much of the same ways she's been a mom. She gives up adult conversation for playtime; she spends meal time making sure her grandbabies are taken care of; she is forever buying something for her little men.

If you've skimmed this long post, hear this. My mom is amazing. She's beautiful. She has an unbelievably large heart. She loves deeply, and sacrifices much. And mom? I'm so grateful that you're mine.

Mike and Jill :: Engaged!! (Chicago Botanical Gardens, Glenco IL)

2010-07-01T23:30:00.003-05:00

I have a few fleeting glimpses in my memory of Jill from when she was (I think) in high school. She was friends with the sister of the guy my sister was dating (yep..follow that bouncing ball!) and I remember her in the vague context of groups of people over for various get togethers. There are vague recollections of her from when I was living with the sister of the guy my sister was dating (okay, married by now), again just vague impressions of her in my memory from days in the past. So even though I knew OF Jill for years and years, I had never had the distinct pleasure of actually knowing Jill. So I went to meet her and Mike for their engagement shoot, and I was immediately captured by this wonderfully intensely emotional woman, and the man that was perfectly content to stand by her side, smile at her, laugh with her, and gaze at her.

Mike and Jill met at the school they both work at, and even though it took a bit of work on Jill's part...she finally made Mike realize that they had found their match, and could commence with the falling madly in love!

Jill smiles. A lot. At Mike...at me...at the people that passed us...at flowers...at water fountains...get the picture yet? She smiles at everything. Joy is an emotion she holds very close to her.

Mike smiles a lot with Jill. But he does a lot of looking. At her. At Jill. At this woman he has asked to grow old with him. He watches her. He connects with her.

It's really a very beautiful thing to see them together.

Jill and I were discussing weather about 3 hours before we met, and weather online was showing partly cloudy for the time we were supposed to meet. Well, partly cloudy turned into all cloudy by the time we started, and Jill told me she didn't care about the clouds, but that she was disappointed because she really loved sun flare. I swear that between Jill and I, we wished so hard that we got a break in the clouds to give us just a few minutes of sun - enough time to grab a few shoots with flare. Jill - these are for you!

Jill specifically asked for some photos with a weeping willow. Mike asked her very early on in their relationship what tree she would describe herself as, and Jill responded with a weeping willow. Not because Jill is a sorrowful person, but because tears come easily. She is a tender woman, and her tears are beautiful.

You two are so wonderful, and I absolutely can not wait for your wedding.

Until October!

Justin and Sarah :: Married!

2010-06-29T21:20:00.003-05:00

The morning started with a group of girls that were perfectly content to lounge together while hair was being done. There was a sense of love and friendship between them all, each of them connected in various ways together. And they were each silly-ly thrilled that day was THE day. "Hey guess what?...pause...you're getting married!!"

Sarah, with her long hair and bright blue eyes, smiled a lot through the morning. In the serene way I would suspect she does most of her life, she prepared to married this man that captured her life.

Sarah, you are so elegant!

I was struck all morning long by the love her bridesmaid's so obviously had for Sarah. They were each fully focused on her, ohhing and ahhing, snapping photos, giggling and serving her as much as possible.

Pretty pretty!

Downtown Chicago...how I love thee!

I couldn't decide which one I liked better...

Side note: there must be at least 4 Justin's in this group of men! It was the name of the day!

And then there is (the!) Justin and Sarah. We had so much fun at their engagement shoot earlier this summer, and I remember thinking then that Justin is the perfect match for Sarah. He complements her silly side, he supports her tender side, he strengthens her loving side, and he upholds the side that is just 100% all girl. And Sarah? She adores this man. Her eyes sparkle when she smiles at him, and she has a crooked little side grin that comes out when she looks at him. She makes him laugh. They have little inside jokes that make them both laugh out loud. And they are glowing together on their wedding day.

First look - it's always worth it to say that this is the best idea for your wedding day! Not just logistically, but because it's intimate, and you can laugh and cry and hug each other, and she can spin around to show all of the perfect dress she choose, and show off her shoes. And because that hankie every groom carries comes in perfect use!

Sarah, I think you are absolutely beautiful. And not just because you're tall :)

Love it.

I'm so pleased the rain never came. You had such a beautiful day.

Beautiful. I hope you have many, many more intimate moments like this that draw you together, that cause you to be quiet and remember what love was like this day.

Have a wonderful time away together. Come back tan and refreshed and more in love!

Slideshow! Set to the first dance song.

**Edit: please forgive the pixelation that occurred on upload of the images. I'm not quite sure why it is happening!

Justin and Sarah....Get ready for it!

2010-06-28T22:38:00.002-05:00

Justin and Sarah are coming!

Matt, Ashley and Emery :: Expanding Family

2010-06-22T21:25:00.004-05:00

Anyone that has followed my blog has seen this lovely lady in the past - but just a refresher, for those of you that are new....simply put, this woman is my heart. And she's married to this amazing man, who loves her through and through - which of course means I love him a lot. And now? Now they are having a baby girl. And I couldn't be happier. There are no words to tell you how much I already love this little girl. Emery Lauren. I'm trying to convince Ash to give me 50% custody rights....I'm thinking April - October would be best **wink wink**!

Matt and Ashley came up to Indiana to spend some time with her family, and I was able to meet up with them for a shoot.

Cows make me happy :)

We went on some little jeep looking thingy - very safari like! - to the back of Ashley's family property...

I love to see you two like this. Love love.

"Guess how much I love you"

Favorite.

Okay. Matt...we don't like you and your six pack anymore!!!

My girls.

Ash - I picked this one saying "baby" instead of one of the ones saying "Girl"...you know....just in case :)

I love me some light.

I love you - all three of you. Very much.

Fathers Day

2010-06-21T11:14:00.000-05:00

For every time you rolled up your window in the car because I was cold...
For every time you said "Good morning beautiful" when I was cranky and my hair was a mess...
For every time you let me wake you up because I had a nightmare...
For every time you carried me back to bed on those nights...
For every time you held me when I cried...
For every time you left a meeting at work because I was calling...
For every time you gave up time to play catch with me...
For every time you stopped and gave me your full attention...
For every time you waited through the bedtime routine to tuck me into bed...
For every time you left work early to make it to a gymanstics event or ball game...
For every time you pretended to not know we were planning a "surprise"...
For every time you let yet another animal come home with us...
For every time you hung another coloring book page to your wall...
For every time you cry when you see photos of us when we were little...
For every time you listen to me rant and rave on the phone...
For every time you make my tears go away...
For every time you did whatever it took to protect us...
For every time you drive out to spend the day with me...
For all of these times...I am so grateful for you. I am so grateful for your love. I am so grateful to be a part of your legacy. I am so grateful for these memories.

And I am so VERY grateful you still make this face at me :)

Love you the most.

Luke Treadway :: Infant

2010-06-18T22:39:00.000-05:00

I walked in the house, saw him laying on the couch, and lost my heart. In .024 seconds flat. My first coherent thought was oh, God, please don't let me break him! He's SO TINY! You can see the pre-born Luke HERE!, at Kate's maternity shoot. And now introducing post baby Luke in all his melt your heart, curl your toes, make your voice high and squeaky cuteness!!!!

Baby man woke up for a little while

Enjoy the slideshow!

It's comin....

2010-06-13T17:26:00.000-05:00

I got to spend the morning with this little man. My heart stayed behind. Full post coming soon.

To the love of my life

2010-06-01T20:23:00.000-05:00

“I, Bethany Lauren, take you, Nicholas Paul….”

Today marks two years of married life together. Two years of learning to live together, two years of new discoveries about each other in close quarters, two years of laughing and loving. Two years of hard conversations and the occasional stretched out fight. I have found a hundred new way to fall in love with you, and a hundred more reasons to do so.

“To be my lawfully wedding husband….”

I remember the day you proposed to me like it was yesterday. I remember the last sign you had up that day that read “we’ve come so far…” I remember standing there looking at you, trying desperately to burn the moment into memory. Just look at us now, love. Look at how far we’ve come since then. The challenges have been far overshadowed by the amazing tenderness we have together.

“To have and to hold from this day forward....”

If I knew on our wedding day what I now know, our vows would have been drastically different. We could have skipped all the usual things and said something more like this: “I take you, along with your dirty clothes on the floor, your propensity to steal the covers every night, your constantly messy car, your 3 day beard, and your preference to be anti-social”. And I’d beg you to vow to me something more like: “I take you, Beth, along with your excessive demands for a clean house, your propensity to hog the bed every night, your constantly high expectations, your excessive use of the snooze button, and your preference to watch Friends 14 million times a year.”

“Until death parts us.”

I will love you with every last breath I breathe. I will try my best to never forget to be romantic with you. I will endeavor every day to find a way to tell you how precious I know our love is. I will strive to create a home filled with love, acceptance, courage and grace. My heart is forever held by you, and I know it is safe in your hands. I love you from the depths of my heart.

Happy Anniversary, love.

photo credit to the amazing Kristen Leigh!

Inadequate Words

2010-05-31T10:27:00.000-05:00

Nick and I were in DC, walking around the monuments and memorials on the mall, talking about how heavily it settles on my heart to see names. Names put faces to wars and stories I read about in history books. At the World War II memorial, there is a section carved in stone that says "here we mark the price of freedom". I cry every time I look at that and determine to remember more often....remember those that fought, remember those that were left behind. I never want to forget the stories my grandpa's tell me. I never want to forget their reality of those stories.

As we walked around the WWII memorial, I saw this gentleman sitting with his wife and daughter, dressed in his military clothes, and heard him talking in a soft voice about his experiences. His voice was old, and he sat leaning over on his cane for support. I stood a little ways away and just started at this man that came to recount his memories, and couldn't help the tears that started. It was an incredibly touching moment and I don't ever want to forget seeing him sitting there, lost in his memories.

Thank you doesn't say enough. It doesn't say enough to express the gratitude I sometimes forget to have. It doesn't say enough to make up for the years of separation that families go through, or the pain of lost love and lost lives. I never want to forget this moment.

I asked him if I could take his photograph, and his daughter stood up, looked at me, and thanked me, telling me that I had no idea what that would mean to him. I wanted to honor him, to thank him, and to mark his life. I have never felt so humbled.

Thank you to everyone that has given up everything for service of our country. Your sacrifice is remembered and you are honored.

Ben and Sarah :: Wedding (Boston, MA)

2010-05-29T12:44:00.001-05:00

One of the very delightful things about my profession is being able to be a behind-the-scenes part of the biggest day of the lives of people that I know personally. Of course, the truth is, I feel like every one of my clients are my friends, so every wedding day leaves me with the same feeling of intimacy with a bride and groom, however....there are the occasional moments when it's a lifelong friend, and the significance of what I have been entrusted to photograph sinks in and stuns me. Ben and Sarah are my most current example. You can read all about them, and how Ben and I know each other at their engagement session post HERE. I was looking forward to this wedding with an abnormal anticipation for many reasons: 1) Nick and I made the trip to Boston a vacation (more to come on that in a later post), 2) it was the Van Loon family!, and 3) Sarah had completely captured my heart via email over the months we chatted coming up to this day.

Sarah is a completely infectious person - her smile, her laugh, her excitement, her sparkle - it all just oozes over and plants itself into anyone in hearing distance. We had an unofficial countdown to wedding day via facebook, and if you could see the last few emails I got from her...you'd understand why I love her (and why Ben loves her, I suppose I should add :) ).

Getting ready...

Sarah had a wonderful group of girls surrounding her, with many squeals of excitement, plenty "oh today is the day! kind of exclamations, and effusive reminders of just how incredible Sarah looked.

Ben was a very patient groom...waiting outside for his bride to make her appearance. The tension at the front of the aisle was thick as he waited for his woman to walk to his side, where I'm pretty sure he had no intention of ever letting her leave once he got her there.

Your pastor had wonderful wonderful words for you both. Cherish and respect. Hold tight, both of you, to that. And just for good measure - I'm adding "kiss each other a lot". Trust me...it helps :)

MARRIED!

The men.

Grabbing a cigar break..

The gals.

All together.

I hope the two of you remember to keep laughing, to keep making faces at each other, and to keep your heads close together.

Ben, I hope you look at this woman every day of your life and are struck with her beauty.

Sarah - I hope your eyes sparkle, and you talk with a smile in your voice to this man for the rest of your life.

I hope you have years of rest and intimacy of heart. I hope you remember what it felt like to start together that day and pledge forever.

Keep your love in front of you, and the world behind you.

Thank you for letting me share this portion of your lives with you.

Love to you both.

Enjoy the slideshow :)

Sneak Peek!

2010-05-26T22:00:00.000-05:00

I couldn't help but post a sneak peek of my next blog post.

Be excited.

Levi, Kate and Baby

2010-05-25T20:47:00.000-05:00

Maternity shoots are new to me, but I'm rapidly considering making them a focus of my business. I ADORE capturing these first photographs of a family together. Even though this tiny little person hasn't made an appearance outside the womb, it is loved and cherished, wanted and desired. Mom and dad are already imprinting the baby by reading stories, speaking words of love, sometimes singing, sometimes just chatting to a growing belly as the day goes by. It's beautiful.

So I give to you Levi and Kate - and their first addition - in all its family growing, belly talking, love surrounded-ness.

Levi GLOWS when he talks about his baby. He's already wrapped around the tiny baby finger :)

And Kate? She's going to be the most patient, hands on, life encouraging mom.

The two of you are going to love your new addition. Your love is going to envelope this little one.

Okay - this last photo we took in front of a purple wall because all the old wives tales were pointing to the baby being a girl. Levi and Kate were waiting to find out, but there were strong bets on a little baby girl. BUT!! Kate went into early labor and gave birth to a BEAUTIFUL baby boy, Luke William, very very early this morning. (I stole this one off her facebook page!)

So in honor of this beautiful tiny man...I had to flip this photo into black and white, because I ADORE Levi and Kate in this one - purple wall or not!

Enjoy your new son! I wish restful night, days of joy, and millions of new wonders upon you both as you enter parenthood!

Slideshow!

Brad and Danielle :: Trash the Dress/Love

2010-05-24T21:18:00.000-05:00

Nick and I took a vacation last week, and it's amazing how backed up one gets when they take 5 days off work!! I have 4 shoots to post, and I'm extremely excited about all of them.

First in line are Brad and Danielle and their most fabulous, down-home kind of love. This is my second post-wedding couples shoot and I'm quickly falling in love with doing them. There is something very special and soft about seeing a couple after the wedding day, after the "honeymoon period" is over. Something that somehow makes the sparkle in an eye more meaningful. Something encouraging about a gentle touch on the arm, the tender stroke of a face. Knowing and feeling that the love of the wedding day has settled, and spread roots. It's a lovely thing to see.

Brad and Danielle met at a get together one night, and Danielle will tell you that she hadn't dolled up for a night out. Yet, she caught the eye of this man that fell in love with her and stole her heart. He wisely married her quickly!! Brad farms with his family, and we were able to use their property for the first part of the shoot. Danielle told me that they never had engagement photos done, so we took a few shots in jeans and flannels before moving on to the goods!

We had a little partner that kept us company :)

Danielle had the prettiest dress, with a thick train, and a soft swish in front. And the best part? She still fit in it - which might be the best feeling in life for any woman.

This gigantic piece of machinery is what Brad manages on the farm. It was....huge. Just huge.

Danielle, I hope you still look at Brad like this in 10 years.

Thank you for being fabulous for me!

I love this one.

Aaaand this one.

Danielle? You're beautiful.

We headed out to Michigan City Beach at the end of the shoot to use the lighthouse. The sun deemed to make a slight appearance to grace the end of our time, and let me tell you what - these two are troopers!! I swear it was 10 degrees out there! However, I'm pretty darn pleased with the results :)

Absolute favorite of the day. I love the messy bangs. I love the sun on the water. I love the way they are gripping each other. Yes yes yes.

You two are absolutely marvelous. I hope your days are filled with love, laughter and cherished moments. I hope you fall more in love, remember how it feels to drown in each others eyes, and never forget how blessed your love makes you.