Family weddings are one of my favorite kinds of events to shoot. I  get to see everyone I love and truly spend some quality time with the bride and groom on their special day. This wedding was my husband’s cousin, Zak’s wedding.  What is really neat about this, is that I have known the groom for about 16-17ish years (I think) and absolutely love his whole family. Megan has been really fun getting to know too. She is a perfect match for Zak. You can see how happy he is when he looks at her with his gigantic smile that crinkles up his eyes in cutest way. I had real tears in my eyes during the ceremony!

It was a very intimate ceremony at Doubledays in Cottage Grove with just some close family members and the wedding party. Afterwards, we went off to Burke Park to take photos and then back to the reception where more family and friends were waiting. My son Wesley was there running everywhere and was very excited to dance fight with the light sabers that the wedding party used for their grand march. Thanks to Blaine at Now That’s Entertainment for keeping the kiddos entertained while the grownups socialized! Megan also made a super cute groom’s cake for Zak. It was so perfect. Check out the photos below to see what she had made for him!

There were some great vendors involved to make this day super special. Here they are:

Venue: Doubledays  //  Dress: David’s Bridal  //  Suits: Nedrebos  //  Rings: Kesslers //  Travel: Wayne’s Ace Bus and Limo  //  Cake: Karen The Cake Lady  //  DJ: Now That’s Entertainment  //  Catering: Doubledays  //  Decor: DIY  and Doubledays

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!

Kendra + Robert

Sometimes you have to climb up a gigantic hill and take some photos at sunset to get that perfect photo for your engagement session! When Kendra first asked me if I would be interested, I jumped at the idea. I had not been to this particular location yet and always love going to new spots for photo shoots. It really keeps the inspiration and creativity levels at their highest.

Gibralter Rock is located in Lodi! Make this a must visit this fall. I’m sure the views will be amazing when the colors start to change too!

These two adventurous people are getting married tomorrow! I am so excited to capture their wedding day.