This has to be one of the happiest groups I've worked with. Everyone in the bridal party was there to celebrate Kasey and Kyle, plus have a good time. Believe me, the boys had jokes LOL It was all in playful fun and much appreciated for keeping the mood lose and light. It's no surprise that these two had such a strong group of friends surrounding them on their wedding day. Kasey and Kyle have known each other since eighth grade! Throughout high school and college the pai

Michelle walked up the stairs in her parent's home as she has done a million times before. She walked down the hallway to her bedroom and stepped through the door. Except, this time it was different. Today she would step into her wedding dress and marry the love of her life. Her very best friend, Adam. Her room had changed since she last occupied it, but the memories were still there along with her childhood vanity. With every button fastened on the back of her gorgeous

These two...nothing short of adorable!!! Mary Beth and Ryan met in downtown Naperville through two separate groups of friends. Mary Beth first approached Ryan because he was wearing an Augustana sweatshirt. She had applied to there and he had attended there. After enjoying their casual night among friends, Ryan decided to give Mary Beth a call two days later. They went on their first date at Itasca Country Club, where they will be getting married next June. Engagement se

Never have I seen a bride cry so many happy tears than on Kacie and Will's wedding day. So much emotion and anticipation. So much love. When Kacie and her lovely ladies arrived I was greeted with a huge hug. A fabulous way to start off my day!! We got right into things, capturing details, playing with champagne, drinking champagne and making sure everyone was wedding ready. We had three first looks planned for our day beginning with Kacie's dear bridesmaids. Kacie, Shel

One after another family members and Mandy's close friend stepped up to the microphone to say kind words about each of them individually as well as together as a couple. First Mandy and Steve each took a turn thanking everyone for taking the time to spend the day with them, many traveling from Austin, Texas. One guest even had to take several flights with connections due to bad weather conditions. That was not going to stop them from attending this special day though. Next

For this week's BJP Tuesday Tip let's talk color! Your wedding colors are a statement of your day. They can be bold, soft, timeless or even a little unconventional. Or, if you are wanting to be "on trend" you can follow Pantone's Color of the Year. For 2019 the color is Living Coral. The choice is yours! That's the great thing about choosing your wedding colors. They are an extension of yourselves and your personality. My advice when choosing your wedding colors is to

Wedding days are a marathon. It's usually over a twelve hour day of packed action from start to finish. Now granted, marathon's don't last twelve hours (thank goodness!), but the pace of a wedding day is similar. It's a marathon, not a sprint! You have to pace yourself or you'll tire fast. In order to help ease the exhaustion and stress I like to pad my timeline a little bit. When I sit down with my couples about a month before a wedding and to go over their timeline I'

Late fall last year I met up with Kasey and Kyle for their engagement session. It was a brisk fall day with temperatures in the low 20's, but they did not even flinch. With huge smiles on their faces and love in their eyes we walked around Le Roy Oaks Forest Preserve exploring the nature's beautiful landscape as well as got to know each other a little better. Kyle and Kasey have known each other since 8th grade, and have always hung out in the same group of friends througho

They bonded over a dog named Lucy. Two dogs actually. Christine and Luke met through friends during a going away party for her friend Jenna. David, Jenna's fiance, was from Minneapolis area and had invited Luke to drive down and join the the celebration. At the party, Christine and Luke started talking and found out they both had dogs named Lucy. It was there their romance begin. After months of phone calls, text messages and traveling the six hour drive to see one anoth

While a wedding in itself is a magical time filled with hope and excitement, a Christmas wedding is something unlike anything else. It is hard to explain the magic of Christmas combined with the love of a wedding. I suppose if I had to put it into words it would be pure bliss... and Kellie and Matt's wedding at St Charles Country Club was nothing less. The day was filled with laughter so loud you could barely hear the person next to you. As I walked into the reception room

As they finish lighting the unity candle Haley and Brian walked side by side to return to their spot in front of the alter. Before stopping back at her place Haley quickly does a 360 spin to give a dress a nice fluff and put her cathedral length veil in place before Sabrina, her maid of honor, steps up beside her to lend a hand. Giggles erupt throughout the church as all of this takes place. That is just one of the genuine moments that occurred during Haley and Brian's wed

As the old wooden doors swung open you could feel yourself engulfed in the history of the 1952 Methodist Church, a landmark in the downtown St Charles area. With every step you were pulled further and further into the Wisconsin Lannon stone with cut stone detailing representing a modified Gothic architecture. Anyone that passed through the heart of downtown on Rt 64 drove by this treasure. Founded by Col. Edward J Baker in memory of his parent's, Edward and Martha, this is

The violinist picked up her instrument and St Luke's Church began to fill with the beautiful melody from the Disney classic, Beauty and the Beast (one of my personal favorites!!!). To the tune of "Tale As Old As Time", Danielle and Barb, the Mother's of the couple, proceeded down the aisle to the altar, where two candles were lit. As the song changed, the bridal party began to make their way down the aisle, grinning with every step. For right behind them was Keeley, waitin

We all know weddings are expensive. You are investing a lot into a day of celebration. It's stressful making sure you have the best of the best for your special day. Here are seven helpful tips to follow when selecting a photographer for your wedding day. 1. Decide if you want a larger company or a smaller one-on-one experience. There are a lot of options for you to choose from. It's understandable you might get overwhelmed. The first step to consider is whether you want

First off, congratulations!!! If you are reading this post then you are probably planning your wedding, will soon be planning your wedding or are helping a special person in your life plan their wedding. I hope you are having as much fun as I did planning my own wedding! Now, I am going to let you in on a little secret. While your wedding day is going to be perfect (because you are marrying the love of your life), it might not run as perfectly as you had hoped. Take a bre

FREEZING!!!!!! That is probably the first word that comes to mind after today's engagement session. Along with dreamy, romantic, stunning and amazing!!!! Yes, it was cold. With the wind whipping at us it brought the temperature down to near zero degrees. However, with the chilling temperatures came a blanket of fresh white snow creating a picturesque backdrop among the trees. As we walked briskly through the fields towards our destination I learned about Nicole and Jeff.

The weekend before Thanksgiving George suggested he and Margo spend the day in the city. Margo, being a planner, asked if they should make plans to eat somewhere. George said, "nah, we can figure it out" and left it at that. Little did Margo know George already had a romantic plan in the works. We all know how crazy the holidays can get, so when Margo's Mom suggested she get her nails done before her date she knew something was up. George had booked a horse drawn carriage