Michelle & Ryan- Married!

They met in the Cottage Grove Firemen's Festival Beer Tent.. and depending on who you ask the story sounds a little different. What remains the same in both versions is their immediate attraction to one another. Ryan even took it a step further by programming Michelle's number into his phone as 'Cute Michelle'. Perhaps it was destiny and he had a feeling even then that Cute Michelle just may become a permanent fixture in his life. Whether he knew it then or not.... it's clear that these two are on a flight course that will take them to many new and exciting places. Together your love makes everyone around you want to stand up and cheer "Bon Voyage" and "Best Wishes"  They wish; as I do... for nothing but wonderful adventures together in your future. 

Michelle and Ryan thank you for being two of the sweetest, most easy going people I could have photographed. When you put so much planning and effort into your wedding day it's disheartening when things don't go according to plan. The two of you never lost sight of each other and traversed the unexpected hiccups with such grace. Quietly I was doing my own cheering for you both from the sidelines. May you never loose site of your flight destination.

Another beautiful creation by Daffodil Parker

 

Pilot's uniform?? Nothing sharper then a man in a tux.

Except maybe his beautiful bride...

Love this capture Rob (my second shooter) took of Michelle just before going down the aisle. 

Can't help but wonder what these two were talking about during the service....

Can I just revert quickly back to my inner 10 year old for a moment.... Photographing a wedding at the airport? How ridiculously excited was I!! The only problem I learned with photographing weddings at airports is the unexpected fly bys.

 

This may just be one of my all time favorite wedding images... EVER.

Another great Rob capture....

LOVE....

We snuck out briefly at the reception to enjoy some cool air and the setting sun.. so glad we did. One of my FAVs.

What was the most memorable part of your day?

Michelle: Seeing Ryan at the front of the church waiting for me!

What is your funniest memory from your wedding day?

Michelle: It’s a tie!!  One would have to be when the entire wedding party was teasing my new husband, who is a pilot, about the incorrect use of a particular airport term. (“Hey Jennifer, wouldn't this spot on the tarmac make for a great picture?”)  My other funniest memory is when Ryan and I were trying to reenact some of the complicated kiss sequences that our guests wanted us to do.  Let’s just say we have some very creative friends and family!    

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

Don’t sweat the small stuff.  No matter how much planning you put into the day, there are bound to be things that don’t go quite right.  Our day was far from “perfect,” but at the end of the day I had married my best friend and that is all that matters! 

What songs did you use for your:

First Dance – One Republic’s All This Time

Father/Daughter Dance- Lady Antebellum's Never Alone

Mother/Son Dance- Lady Antebellum's Never Alone

Grand March- Top Gun Theme

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

We aren't quite sure yet, but we can’t wait to start planning one for this fall.

How did you two meet?

We were introduced at the Cottage Grove beer tent in June of 2008.  Thanks Jesica!  ;) 

Who were your Vendors?

Florist – Daffodil Parker 

Cake Baker – Karen the Cake Lady

DJ or Band – DJ Magic

Videographer – Our dear friends Mike and Gina Heine

Reception Site – Cherokee Country Club

Ceremony Site – Messiah Lutheran Church

Any great vendor experiences to share?

Matt, our DJ for the evening, did a phenomenal job!! There were a lot of challenges that came up throughout the evening and Matt was an asset in helping us through it all.  He adjusted our timeline accordingly and had the dance floor packed almost the entire night.  Plus, he REALLY took a lot of time and effort to personalize our reception. I especially love that when he introduced our best man and maid of honor he even said how long we have known them, where they are from, who they are dating and some other fun facts about each.  We absolutely could not have picked a better DJ!

Jennifer and Rob, you both were such a pleasure to work with!  Although some of the guys may have thought the picture taking portion of the day was going to drag on I think they quickly realized it would be one of the highlights of the day.  Thank you for making it fun!  Ryan and I, along with our entire wedding party, had such a blast during our photo shoots at the airport and Erin’s Snug Irish Pub!

Pam & Jess - Married!

Whenever I sit down with a bride & groom to discuss their plans I get excited for their wedding day. Hearing about the colors, the flowers, the details... I get like a child on Christmas night.. giddy with excitement. And each time the day comes and I am thrilled to see it all come together. The day is full of laughter and excitement and of course pure joy.. and at the end of it all I'm exhausted. But then there are the weddings that I'm truly sad to leave. Pam & Jess' affair was one of those weddings. These two are just so perfect together that I can't image a time when they weren't together... and I can't imagine a time when they were not in my life. FUN. There is no better word... They radiate energy and enthusiasm in all that they do. It was such an honor to be a part of their celebration. The next time you two plan a party... please add me to your guest list.

Congratulations to a beautiful couple!! So happy you two found each other.. you certainly are a perfect 'match'!

Perfect spring details everywhere we looked...

LOVE, love, love.. a punch of color on the wedding day

LOVE, love, love.. a punch of color on the wedding day

Pam was stunning

And who can resist a sharp dressed man in a tux....

Seeing his bride for the first time coming down the aisle

LOVE... one of my favorites

Then a quick stop at Wando's for a few fish bowls... maybe someone can remind me how many bowls were demolished that afternoon??

One of the coolest experiences I've ever had at a wedding day bar stop... The Kentucky Derby was on, so a friendly wager was placed on who the winning horse would be. The whole bar took part in cheering through the race.

Yellow socks... Pam love the attention to detail!

I'm going to go out on a limb here and say "Coolest Father/Daughter Dance ever!" Their mash up of songs had everyone cheering and laughing...

What was the most memorable part of your day?

Pam: The moment the Music in Church changed, the double doors swinging open and seeing Jess standing in the aisle waiting for me to join him at the front of the Church was amazing!

Jess: Standing at the Alter and the first glimpse of Pam after the doors opened was by far a moment I will never forget!

What was the most fun and enjoyable part of your day?

Riding on the Badger Trolley spending time with our Bridal Party, enjoying the company of them and of course laughing a ton with them!

Any advice you would share for future couples getting married?

Take a few moments during the day to stop, look around and enjoy the presence of your loved ones. There's nothing we would change... It was great!

Six words to describe your bride:

Beautiful, loving, spontaneous, caring, funny, soul mate

Six words to describe your groom:

Handsome, kissable, intelligent, honest, adventurous, best friend

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

Maui, HI

How did you two meet?

Online (www.match.com) and dated for 28 months

What songs did you use for your:

First Dance: James Otto - Just Got Started Loving You

Father/Daughter: My Girl by the Temptations Mash-Up... Using Twist, Chicken Dance and Jump On It.

Mother/Son: James Taylor - How Sweet It Is

Grand March: Heavy D & The Boyz - Now That We Found Love

Who were your vendors?

Florist: Prairie Flowers in Sun Prairie

Cake Baker: Carl's Cakes in Sun Prairie

DJ: Midwest Sound

Reception Site: The Madison Concourse Hotel

Ceremony: Saint Bernard Madison

Photobooth: The Traveling Photobooth

Any great vendor experiences to share?

Of course our Photographer was amazing and easy to work with... She even kept our bridal party in check when they weren't paying attention or doing what they needed to be doing but always did it in a fun way... Which is amazing since our friend Coleman is tough to handle! ;-). In all honesty Jennifer is amazing and anyone looking for a top notch photographer for any of the amazing life events they want captured should strongly consider her as she is so much fun to work with.

Becky & Andrew- Married!

Another Kraus wedding?!?! Seriously I have to be one of the luckiest photographers around. Not only did I get to enjoy the company of this incredible family for Betsy's wedding, I got to join them again at the end of the year for her sister Rebekah's wedding. I'm starting to feel like just one of the girls!

Becky & Andrew.. I have been so excited to post these images for you! I am seriously in love with so many of them. But as the newest Kraus sister I had to play fair and be sure to narrow it down to exactly the same number of photos I posted for Betsy. :) Thank you, thank you, thank you for allowing me to be a part of your day. Becky your smile is truly infectious... it's no wonder Andrew fell in love with you so quickly. It's hard not to respond to that thousand watt smile that stretches clear across your face. He was a goner before he even had a chance to collect his thoughts. Hold tight to one another always and I'm certain your beautiful smiles will only multiple from here on.

Love to you both! I hope Hawaii was incredible.... insert jealous smile here!

Checking her sassy self out...

 

 

Becky's smile was so beautiful and it never stopped all day long. 

 

 

Kind of in love with this ring shot... 

 

 

I'm not gonna lie.. pretty proud of these next two images. It was so dark! And yet we made magic out of the situation. :)

 

 

First dance 

 

Love me some mother/son moments...

 

and my newest favorite photo... the 4 Kraus sisters! So blessed to have photographed all three of these beautiful ladies weddings. 

What was the most memorable part of your day?
Becky: Everything was memorable, but the one thing that stands out was when our priest asked us to turn around and  look out at all of our family and friends who came to celebrate with us as we got up to the altar. It was truly wonderful!

Andrew: Seeing Becky for the first time.

What is your funniest memory from your wedding day?
Becky: The Big Heads of me, Andy, and the Marquette Eagle—and Andy’s cousin auctioning them off for us :) Also, Andy carrying me over his shoulder to the dance floor during the Grand March.

Andrew: My Best Man kissing me…… 

Any advice you’d share for future couples getting married?
Becky: Don’t stress over the little things, it will all come together! Make sure you have someone the day of to take care of any problems that may arise so that you can enjoy the day that you spent many months planning.  Don’t forget to take in the moments of your wedding day, and relax and enjoy it!  It really will go fast! 

Andrew: All the work and stress is worth it!

Would you change anything about your day if you could?
Becky: Absolutely not! It was an amazing day!

Andrew: Not a thing!

What songs did you use for your:
First Dance – Can't Help Falling in Love by Elvis Presley

Father/Daughter Dance- My Little Girl by Tim McGraw

Mother/Son Dance- A Song for my Son by Mikki Viereck

Grand March- Tonight's Gonna be a Good Night by Black Eyed Peas

Where did you go (or are you going) for your Honeymoon?
Hawaii- Oahu and Maui.

How did you two meet?

Online first, then we met in person at Starbucks in Red Arrow Park downtown Milwaukee.

How long have you been dating?

2 years.

5 words to describe your bride:

Funny, confident, smart, pretty, happy

5 words to describe your groom:

Handsome, loving, giving, supportive, amazing

Who were your Vendors?

Florist – Garden Party

Cake Baker – Simmas

DJ or Band – Sound by Design
Videographer – Lighthouse Media

Ceremony Site – St. Lawrence Catholic Church
Reception Site – The Legend at Brandybrook

Any great vendor experiences to share?

Our photographer was absolutely amazing!  You truly went above and beyond and we are so excited to see our wedding photos!

Lori from Garden Party was also amazing, and we received so many compliments on our flowers. She truly captured the atmosphere we were looking for and was so great to work with.

Sound by Design did an amazing job and kept the dance floor full to the very end!

Our ceremony site was also very beautiful and Father Tom was very helpful and supportive.

Our Videographer did a great job and the Green Screen was a big hit with all of our family and friends.

Simmas made our cake more beautiful than I could have imagined, delicious too!

Last, but certainly not least, was Risa from the Legend.  She was so great to work with, so supportive of our ideas, and went above and beyond to make sure our reception was all we could dream of. She truly made our lives easier and I would recommend the reception site to anyone! It was absolutely beautiful!