Jess & Mike- Married!

And now for the couple I've been dying to introduce you too.... 

You see Jessica and Mike together are adorable... as in ADORABLE. Seriously you can't help but love them. Jess has this smile that encapsulates her entire face and the way Mike looks at her when she unleashes that smile.. magic. just magic  Leading up to the wedding these two were thousands of miles apart.. Mike in New Hampshire and Jess here in Madison. Perhaps it's the distance, perhaps it's just the way they always are together? Whatever the reason for their magnetism it was evident the very first time we met... and I knew I loved them - together. If Jess had asked me to stand up in their wedding on that first meeting my answer would have been an emphatic YES. ;) You just can't help but to be sucked in by their love. 

I thoroughly enjoyed every minute of their day. Much love you two!! And Mike.. if the job offer ever comes around to return to Madison take it. We're going to seriously miss you two around here. 

The tall Jess was stunning... :) 

Mike was looking pretty suave too... Love a man in a suit.  

   

They had the BEST wedding party!
 

AHHH.. you two are so cute together!

  

 

There is just something about the way lights can decorate a room... 

Jess & her dad... just love these father daughter moments! 

This was such a great party! Jess & Mike were so concerned about their guests having a good time

to the point that they even broke into an impromptu dance routine during their first dance. I 

personally think their worry was for naut.. I mean do they look like they are having a bad time?  

LOVE... favorite!

What was the most memorable part of your day?
Mike- Jess for the first time on our wedding day.
Jess- Too many to count, but a highlight was having my dad perform “I Loved Her First” by HeartLand.

What is your funniest memory from your wedding day?
Jess- I got nervous during the first dance because I thought it was boring the guests, so I encouraged Mike to break into some “improv” dance moves with me.

Any advice you’d share for future couples getting married?
There’s no right or wrong way to do a wedding. Be creative and plan it based on who you are as a couple.

Would you change anything about your day if you could?
Nope! We just wish the day lasted longer.

What songs did you use for your:
First Dance - Better Man by James Morrison
Father/Daughter Dance - Have I Told You Lately by Rod Stewart
Mother/Son Dance - What a Wonderful World by Louis Armstrong
Grand March - Party Rock Anthem by LMFAO

Where did you go (or are you going) for your Honeymoon?
Montreal, Quebec.

How did you two meet?
 We met in a statistics class in graduate school.

How long have you been dating?
Over 4 years!

Who were your Vendors?

Florist – Daffodil Parker

Cake Baker – Scott’s Pastries

DJ or Band – Isthmus DJ

Reception Site – Overture Center, Promenade Hall

Ceremony Site – Overture Center, Promenade Terrace

Any great vendor experiences to share? We were impressed with the professionalism of all our vendors, but felt particularly lucky to have Jennifer as our photographer. Aside from being an excellent photographer, she’s also a great person to spend time with.

Natalie and Ryan- Married!

When I get the opportunity to work with a bride and groom who have lots of great and original ideas it's kind of like winning the jackpot! That's exactly how I feel about Natalie & Ryan. Natalie is one of the most organized and sentimental individuals I've ever met. So I knew right from the start when she approached me with all of her winning ideas that this was going to be a lot of fun. 

  Natalie & Ryan it was such a joy to be a part of your wedding day. The two of you are so genuinely perfect for one another I can't even imagine what you were ever like before. Keep that love and respect for one another always. I can't wait to see all the amazing places your lives take you.....

Congratulations again!

 

Ahhh.... Natalie you are stunning!

  

Ryan.. your not to shabby yourself!

   

 

 

Ryan was such a great sport about any ideas Natalie or I had! LOVE this image!

Favorite... simply perfection

You two make me love being in love even more....

See what I mean about being organized... Natalie was color coordinated right down to their signature drink!

One of the best choreographed dances I've ever seen. Kudos!



What was the most memorable part of your day?

Natalie- Everything was memorable…getting ready in the morning with my bridesmaids, seeing Ryan for our “first look,” singing “Call Me Maybe” at the top of our lungs on the party limo with our bridal party, praying with my dad before walking down the aisle, walking down the aisle with my dad and seeing Ryan tear up, Dan (Ryan’s dad) conduct our ceremony, saying our vows, my cousin Terri singing “Love Never Fails,” driving around Lake Windsor on our “getaway golf cart” after the ceremony with just me, Ry, and our photographers, my dad’s speech before dinner, Molly’s MOH speech, Brad’s Best Man speech, our first dance-it was choreographed but we just had fun with it, dance with my Dad (in the dress that was my mom and grandma’s), watching Ryan dance with his mom and with Kerry Schomburg in honor of our friend Ross, singing the Purdue fight song, dancing and singing Zeta songs with my sorority sisters, celebrating with our friends and family all day and dancing all night, singing songs while my sister played the piano at the end of the night after the DJ packed up…we didn’t want to leave! I loved everything!

Ryan- Seeing the smile on Natalie’s face when she walked down the aisle with her dad.

What is your funniest memory from your wedding day?

Natalie- There was a bug in our unity wine. I tried to discretely warn Ryan, but he didn’t hear me…I’m pretty sure he drank the bug.

Ryan- Some of our good friends told us to take in moments throughout the day…Natalie proceeded to stop everyone in the middle of many “moments” (approximately 4,280) to make everyone “take in the moment.” 

Any advice you’d share for future couples getting married?

Natalie- Have fun and enjoy every moment of your special day!

Ryan- Take time throughout the day to appreciate all your friends and family who are there to celebrate with you!

Would you change anything about your day if you could?

Natalie- Absolutely not! At the end of the day, we were married, and that’s what mattered the most.

Ryan- Not a thing!

What songs did you use for your:

First Dance – Everlasting Love (Natalie Cole)

Father/Daughter Dance- Butterfly Kisses (Bob Carlisle)

Mother/Son Dance- All To You  (DJ Keo)

Grand March- Party Rock Anthem (LMFAO)

Where did you go (or are you going) for your Honeymoon?

Maui! It was incredible!

How did you two meet?

Playing co-ed softball at Purdue March of 2007 (Ryan refers to this as our “softball glory days!”)

How long have you been dating?

5 years this November!

5 words to describe your bride: loving, beautiful, funny, passionate, spontaneous

5 words to describe your groom: fun loving, caring, handsome, athletic, intelligent

Who were your Vendors?

Florist– my dear friend and bridesmaid, Rachel Ryan

Cake Baker– Carl’sCakes

DJ or Band– JukeBox Bandstand

Videographer– Bryan Sentiere & Alex Bonk

Reception Site– Lake Windsor Golf Club

Ceremony Site– Lake Windsor Golf Club

Any great vendor experiences you wanted to share?
They were all absolutely amazing!!!! We had nothing but positive experiences with all of them. 

Anne & Jeremiah - married!

Anne & Jeremiah know how to have a good time. That's why I feel especially blessed to have celebrated with them twice this summer! You may recognize this fabulous couple if you follow our blog from a wedding party earlier this summer. Such a great group of friends and family.... Anne & Jeremiah are truly blessed. And that's even before you bring them together as a couple... now you've got two groups of incredible support systems and an intense love and respect for one another right in the middle to tie it all together. 

 Anne & Jeremiah from the moment we first met I knew your wedding was going to be an event to remember. At the time though I had no idea just how right my intuition would turn out to be. Beautiful venues, incredible details, heartwarming wedding day gifts, adorable private moments & loving glances, a crazy fun dad and we wrapped it all up with a sunset on the terrace. What a perfect way to spend a Saturday. I hope your wedding day was all that you imagined it would be... and that it's perfection is just the first step towards your next big event together.

Congratulations!

Favorite!

Anne you are too cute!

Sassy....

I just love trolley photos. 

Could not share this blog with Anne & Jeremiah without a ring photo. ;)

Favorite. I just love how you can see the LOVE in this photo. ( my heart melts a little)

What was the most memorable part of your day?
Anne: Seeing Jeremiah for the first time at the alter.
Jeremiah: The vows.

What is your funniest memory from your wedding day?
The grand march - Stevie style, complete with red beanies (Steve Zissou).

Any advice you'd share for future couples getting married?
Enjoy the day, it goes by so fast. Spend time with each other rather than worrying about everyone else. It will make the moment last that much longer.

Would you change anything about your day if you could?
Wouldn't change one thing.

What songs did you use for your:
First Dance - Finally Forever, Christ Cornell
Father/Daughter Dance - The Way You Look Tonight, Frank Sinatra
Mother/Son Dance - Wonderful World, Louis Armstrong
Grand March - Queen Bitch, Davie Bowie (Throwback to the movie Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou!)

Where did you go (or are you going) for your Honeymoon?
Quebec City, Canada

How did you two meet?
College sweethearts - first day freshman year during Ogg Hall dorm move-in.

How long have you been dating?
A LONG TIME! Officially since December 2004.

5 words to describe your bride:
Beautiful, radiant, happy, loving, effervescent.

5 words to describe your groom:
Handsome, humorous, my best friend, thoughtful, generous.

Who were your vendors?
Florist - Daffodil Parker
Cake Baker - Craig's Cakes
DJ or Band - Jukebox Bandstand
Reception Site - Tripp Commons, Memorial Union
Ceremony Site - Luther Memorial Church

Any great vendor experiences to share?
They were all great but I have to highlight Craig's for making that amazing fish groom's cake and Daffodil Parker for their amazing work and ability to customize and allow us to return our vases one week after the wedding.

Abby & Kyle - Married!

I love LOVE... and I love couples who are madly in love. Case in point... Abby & Kyle. The excitement they felt for their wedding day was evident on their faces all day long. They simply could not stop smiling. Absolutely every family member and wedding party attendant had mirrors of Abby & Kyle's smiles on their own faces. It was infectious and oh so heart warming to witness. But the absolute best part of Abby & Kyle's wedding was that we were a part of it. It was such an honor. I told them as I left at the end of the night "I want to be your familys' official photographer for life". I'm sure they thought I was joking :) Truth is when you are surrounded with that much love all day long... you really don't ever want to leave the warmth of it's embrace. All the best in your future together Abby & Kyle... and much LOVE to your incredible families & friends.

These guys caught some serious air!

 See what I mean? A mid service group hug.. just to share the love some more...

Favorite! This group was so up for anything.. even my impromtu wheat field suggestion.

AHHHH! Love these guys!

During Dad's speech he gave Kyle a copy of Abby's favorite book "Pride & Prejudice". What better way to understand someone then to try and learn about the things they love? Simply didn't seem fair to not give Abby some reading material of her own. :)

Another favorite... this sums up their day for me. 

What was the most memorable part of your day?

Instead of having our guests “clink” their glasses to get us to kiss during the reception, we would kiss when they told stories about us. It was great to hear all the fond and funny memories our friends and family had to share.

What is your funniest memory from your wedding day?

Many of the stories people shared during the reception had us laughing. While one friend shared about the time Abby mistook a urinal puck for a bar of soap, Kyle’s mom publically revealed his childhood nickname: “King Kyle Andrew Furry Bundle of Love Joy Precious Thing Grapple Master.”

Any advice you’d share for future couples getting married?

Keep the focus on what’s important: you’re declaring your love and commitment to each other in front of God and everyone you love. The rest of the day is a big party celebrating this fact.

Would you change anything about your day if you could?

Never! Mistakes or no mistakes - it was the day we said “I do,” and that’s all that matters.

What songs did you use for your:

First Dance – “When I Say I Do” by Matthew West
Father/Daughter and Mother/Son Dance - "What a Wonderful World" by Louis Armstrong

Where did you go (or are you going) for your Honeymoon?

We went to Maui. It was a beautiful first adventure as husband and wife.

How did you two meet?

We met as students at UW Madison through the college-age group at our church, Blackhawk.

How long have you been dating?

We were together a year and a half before getting married.

5 words to describe your bride:

Beautiful, sweet, smart, fun, faithful.

5 words to describe your groom:

Hard-working, intelligent, good-natured, kind, determined.

Who were your Vendors?

Florist – Blooms

Cake Baker – Gigi’s Cupcakes

DJ  – CelebrationsEntertainment

Reception Site – Nakoma Country Club

Ceremony Site – Blackhawk Church

Any great vendor experiences to share?

All our vendors were wonderful, but those deserving a special shout out would be Blooms, Gigi’s, and Nakoma Country Club.  Our flowers from Blooms were beautifully done and everyone at Blooms was wonderful to work with.  Gigi’s did a great job on our cupcakes and Nakoma was so professional and accommodating.