Chris and Pam put together this super fun, intimate wedding in just a few months. They met up with me beforehand at Olbrich Gardens where we had an hour to just walk around and take photos. This is one of the most beautiful places in Madison to go take photos, especially for weddings. This year they are renovating so they are not hosting weddings but we just got a permit and were good to go! Pam and Chris love the Thai Pavilion so we made sure to spend some extra time over there. They ran through a flock of wild flamingos and jumped over hedges to get the perfect shot! The ceremony was small and intimate with just some close family near by with Chris’s brother officiating and Pam’s niece and nephew as the ring bearers. Afterwards, we took advantage of the beautiful weather and got some great photos outside the Capitol and the top of State St. You wouldn’t really think about the Ale Asylum for a wedding reception but these guys did and it was just lovely. We took over the entire upstairs and patio and enjoyed all of their incredible beer and cocktails. I really enjoyed spending time with these two. Photos were important to them and you can tell by the way they look at each other and laugh at all the jokes that they had a great time and were relaxed and truly enjoyed their day.

It was a beautiful spring day at the East Side Club on the shore of Lake Monona.

Pete was watching Star Wars with his pals and Lindsay was getting ready with her gorgeous ladies. May the 4th Be With You! All the tables were sweetly decorated with gorgeous flowers and little Lego Star Wars figures. It was so cute. The guys finished getting ready and decided to play a frisbee to warm up for the day. That’s how the lovely bride and groom met! On their ultimate frisbee team! Side note, I also wanted to mention that they have the best name ever for their current team: Sofa Kingdom. So, to commemorate the day, they had a special wedding frisbee made since it is such a big part of their lives. It had a little design on it that Pete’s sister created for them. Kind of like a family crest. It also appeared on the cups the girls were drinking from, the programs and on the coasters that they used for seating arrangements. I loved all the little personalize touches that made the day so special for them. Lindsay even crocheted tiny little blue flowers to be put in Pete’s boutonniere.  She described the process and how she had to wear these big magnifying glasses to see what she was doing and had us all laughing. Seriously, these flowers were so tiny! Quite impressive.

Everyone was so fun to be around! You can really see the joy on their faces and the love in the room.

All these amazing vendors contributed to this amazing day:

Venue: The Eastside Club  //  Catering: Stoddard’s  //  Cupcakes: Bloom Bake Shop  //  Wedding Dress: Vera’s House of Bridals  //  Bridesmaid Dresses: David’s Bridal  //  Groom’s Attire: Jos A Bank //  Floral and Design: Simply Glamorous Designs by Oregon Floral  //  Hair and Makeup: Brideheads //  Wedding Rings: Bernie’s Rock Shop (Custom Design with Grandma’s Diamond

Six years ago, Erik met Laurie in his hometown Philly while playing a hot and intense game of badminton. It was true love at first birdie! Since then, they moved to Madison, got a really cute dog named Kima, and planned a beautiful, offbeat, nature inspired wedding. There were many moments that really stood out to me and Heidi but the best part was one we couldn’t photograph. The bride and groom walked down the isle to The Talking Heads! How fun is that? Definitely one of my all time favorite bands.

Aldo Leopold Nature Center is located just about 5 minutes from my studio. I’ve been there many times, my son has gone to camp there, but I have never shot a wedding there before this! It was so much fun and beautiful and there were so many opportunities for photos! Everyone was so open, candid and friendly, emotional, loving and you could tell they all really cared about Laurie and Erik. We really enjoyed capturing the essence of this magnificent day. Congratulations to the happy couple!

This gorgeous day really came together with some wonderful vendors including a sweet taco bar from Blue Plate! Here is a little list of everyone involved!

Venue: Aldo Leopold Nature Center // Second Shooter: Heidi E Johnson // Floral: Daffodil Parker // Officiant: Glenda Kenyon // Catering: Blue Plate Catering