No jackets needed on this balmy 50 degree day in December…

Amelia and Zach were hoping for snow and but what we got instead was a 50 degrees, a little snow, and a lot of laughs. It certainly made me happy! We started off at Summer’s Christmas Tree Farm in Middleton for some cute outdoorsy photos. I just love this farm and their sweet little puppy joined us for a bit too! What a cutie! After spending a little time hanging out there, we then headed downtown to the Edgewater to take advantage of their gorgeous holiday decor. The ice skating rink was empty and waiting for us. It was meant to be!

The Wedding Of Steve Schave and Kari Kovacs

So my brother-in-law got married last month! I was so honored that they asked me to be involved with the wedding as not only a bridesmaid, but also to have Azena Photography take the photos. I got Heidi on the phone and asked her to take the reigns on this one. Then I could just be the second shooter and enjoy my day with my family. My husband, Mikey was the best man and my son, Wesley, was literally the greatest ring bearer of ALL TIME!!!

Kari and Steve met at a Rendezvous a couple of years ago, which is surprising that it took so long for them to meet. They both grew up in families who went to these events and traveled in similar circles, just parallel ones. It seems as though they have always known each other. The wedding was very casual and beautiful.  All of the decorations were DIY by Kari and her family. Her gorgeous ceremony structural backdrop was built by her dad and all the food was brought in by the family as well! One of my favorite parts was that we got to choose our own bridesmaid dresses and suits.  It was beautiful but it was cold, I think I may have even saw some snow at some point. But, we had fire, we had love, and we had a lot of beer!

Venue: Blackhawk Recreation Area  //  Lead Photographer: Heidi E Johnson

Oh my god, I’m in a wedding and not shooting it!

Morgan + Thomas

It all started 6 years ago with Thomas wearing a pair of bunny ears and asking Morgan to prom after following a crazy trail of Easter eggs with a code inside. Of course she said yes, I mean come on! How cute is that??? They went as friends but fell in love all the same. For years they kept a long distance relationship visiting each other from LaCrosse to St. Paul even without owning cars for the first few years. They would take bus rides to each other even though sometimes it would take several hours just to get there. One of my favorite stories is of their first kiss where Morgan had to dress up like a boy to sneak on campus at midnight to kiss Thomas under the Arches so he could become a true Tommie at the University of St. Thomas.

There were so many great stories printed on cards about their relationship on the tables at the wedding. What a great idea to share with your guests! I grabbed a few so so I could share some stories for this blog post! It was such a beautiful day and everyone was so sweet. You could just feel the love between Morgan and her parents. Especially during the father/daughter dance and she gave him a bunch of “Butterfly kisses.”

Vendors involved in the gorgeous day:

Ceremony: Immaculate Heart of Mary Catholic Church  //  Reception: Wyndham Garden Hotel  //  Dress: Charlotte’s Bridal  //  Floral and Stationary: Pages + Petals  //  Cake: Creative Confections-Alicia Russell  //  Hair and Makeup: Ultimate Veritas Spa and Salon  //  DJ: Andrew Szlapka

A Picturesque Wedding at the Hilltop in Spring Green, Wisconsin

Brittny and Jake had their gorgeous wedding on August 25, 2018 .  The Hilltop is one of those venues where it is spread out and you get to walk around this giant sprawling picturesque place and just truly enjoy your experience. I could spend several days there just shooting all the beautiful landscapes! I would need a 5 hour session with the wedding party to take advantage of all it has to offer. WOW!

These two have been together for a really long time and have been through many things together. You can tell their connection is very deep and strong and full of love. I was able to capture the serious side of things too which make some really powerful portraits. Especially up on top of the hill overlooking the valley. I still have lots of image to go through from this wedding but wanted to share some of the ones that really stood out to me. I hope you enjoy!

Vendors: Venue: The Hilltop  //  Caterer:  Cafe la Bellitalia //  Cake: Carl’s Cakes  //  Wedding Dress: David’s Bridal  //  Officiant: Nate Ivanowski //  Hair: Sam Whitcomb  //  Details and Signature Cocktails: Brittny’s Parents! Carol and Gary Campbell  //  DJ:  Sam Laws  //  Floral: B-Style Floral