Archive for the ‘Wedding photography | Madison, WI’ Category

Victoria and Jeff’s wedding day dawned sunny and green.  August 12, 2011…a beautiful day to start a new life chapter.

Victoria and Jeff met on a blind date that almost didn’t happen.  I’m oh, so glad it did!  She’s an avid crime novel reader…and he is a real crime fighter – no wonder they clicked:)

Three years later, they awoke and got ready amidst a swirl of activity – you see this wedding was a family affair.  Brothers and sisters prepared the reception feast, table flowers and boutonnieres were hand crafted by the bride and groom, and everyone was pitching in.

Victoria’s beautiful dress was a perfect match for a beautiful August day…and I just loved her necklace and earrings that she found on Etsy!

Marilee Karamanski, a wonderful celebration specialist and owner of Planned Spontaneity kept the day running smoothly and made sure Victoria didn’t have to sweat the details.  I encourage all my brides to work with a wedding planner…it can make the day run so smoothly, allowing the bride and groom to relax a bit and just enjoy their day.

Victoria made her bouquet flowers and created these hand-stamped charms.  So sweet!!

Vicky was just glowing as she dressed.  After all the planning, the day of her wedding was here!

Jeff and Victoria elected to do a First Look, so with some covert phone calls, Jeff was awaiting his bride at a stone bridge at Tenney Park.  I do think he’s going to be happy when he turns around!

I love giving couples an opportunity to meet before the wedding.  It’s a moment that’s just about the two of them.

Since we had a little time before the ceremony, we ventured up to the capitol.  You work it, Victoria!

The picture on the left might be my favorite of the day.  I love the connection you can see between them.  Weddings are beautiful in so many ways, but the most powerful is the love that is just so clearly written on the faces of the bride and groom.

It’s a happy day!  And still a sunny day…but then Victoria and Jeff were ensured good fortune as some rain clouds opened up and cleaned the earth before their wedding.

Fortunately, the rain abated in time for the ceremony, which was held at the UW Botanical Garden.  Here on the right, Victoria and Jeff are walking hand in hand toward the assembled crowd for their wedding ceremony.

The wedding was officiated by their friend Erin, and it was personal, heartfelt, and moving.

Victoria made a beautiful speech to Jeff’s son, Logan, during the ceremony.  I doubt there were many dry eyes.

There’s nothing like sharing your wedding day with family and friends!  It was so fun to see all the joyful faces.

These two young gentlemen on the left were expert wedding wranglers.  They handed out programs, directed guests, and rang the triangle that announced the start of the ceremony.  On the right, you can see that Jeff and Victoria are happy to be married, and they’re not going to let some raindrops get in the way of their joy!

We were delighted to spot a rainbow hanging in the sky after the ceremony.  What a beautiful gift on a beautiful day.

It seems like you can always tell the post-ceremony photos at a glance.  The ebullience is unmistakable:)

Newly minted family…Logan, Victoria, and Jeff.  Quite the dapper crew!

After the ceremony, we spent a few minutes capturing images of Jeff and Victoria in this beautiful garden.  Can I just say that I love the way they are holding hands here…

Walking amidst the blooms.

The wedding reception was held at the Goodman Community Center.  Here, Victoria and Jeff are sampling the beautiful, family-prepared feast.

In addition to lotsa cupcakes, Victoria and Jeff had a dessert potluck.  Guests brought some really delicious treats (I can personally attest to this…the lemon tarts were amazing, and I really enjoyed some brownie bites!).

This baby gets to meet the bride.

They capped off the evening with some joyful dances.  As I walked out to a nearly full moon, I couldn’t help but feel all filled up with the love that was shared and professed on this beautiful day.

Jeff and Victoria, I hope you had a great weekend enjoying your family and friends (was the couples massage class fantastic??).  Thank you so much for inviting me to join in your day.

If this pictorial taste of the wedding day whetted your appetite, I’ve got more!  The slideshow contains lots more of the day’s details. There’s a full-screen slideshow version too!

The dust rose up behind our car as my sister – my assistant photographer for the day – and I wound our way through the cornfields of the Iowa countryside.  By mid-morning, it was already hot – the light glowing from the reflection on the hayfields and pastures.

On this day, under the maple trees and surrounded by fields of corn, my cousin Sarah married her sweet Ryan.  His family farm provided a striking backdrop for the events of the day.

For a while, Sarah and Ryan were just fellow students, studying to become school counselors.  She commented on his orange and grey hightop canvas All Stars.  He was intrigued by her sharp mind and her wit — he wanted to get to know her.  She was the only one at school who noted that he’d cut his long hair into a mullet and handlebar mustache.  While it took a few dates for them to really fall for each other, they both knew they’d found someone special.  They were together for a year at school in Iowa, and then they moved to Sarah’s hometown of Toronto.  Ryan took a job in Montana, and they spent 18 long moths apart.  Last summer, though, after a day of biking on the Toronto Islands, Ryan proposed to Sarah and a future together was woven.

This wedding was truly a family affair, and it all came together so beautifully.  From the invitations that were designed by a godmother to the flowers that were gathered from Ryan’s parent’s yard.  The bridal attire was a nod to their parents: Sarah’s hair piece and lace on her bouquet were taken from her mom’s wedding gown and Ryan wore a powder blue tux in honor of his dad’s 1979 wedding ensemble.  The ceremony was officiated by a professor from graduate school who knows and loves them well.  One of the bridesmaids made the (delicious!) cheesecakes for dessert.  It was homespun and beautifully executed.

Delicious, vegan catering was supplied by Iowa City’s The Red Avocado.

Sarah and Ryan, it was a an honor to share in your wedding day celebration.  I so enjoyed seeing how surrounded you both were by the love of family and friends as you set of on a journey to write your future together.  I hope you have a great time en-route to Montana, exploring some of the most beautiful parks in the world.  Enjoy this time together.  And enjoy your photos!  I hope they offer you a way to hold on to the memories of this day for all your life.

Here’s a slideshow to get you started!

Just had to share, too, a couple of pictures of Sarah dancing with her parents – my Uncle Peter and then my Aunt Marci. So sweet!