Every wedding is about joining – the joining of two people, the joining of two families.  But not every wedding is about creation.  For Morgan and Joe, theirs was all about officially creating a new family with Morgan’s son Brayson.  The precocious 6 year old was the sweetest and cutest Best Man I think I’ve ever met.   His connection with Joe is admirable, and it was so fun to witness and enjoy the love between not only Morgan and Joe, but with their fun little guy as well.  Hopefully you aren’t all Christmas-ed out yet, because this is a lovely and elegant Christmas wedding with a gorgeous Catholic ceremony, a stunning reception at The Grain Exchange, and a huge surprise at the end.

Sharp-eyed blog readers will recognize former m three studio bride Jen below, one of Morgan’s bridesmaids.

St. Jerome’s Parish in Oconomowoc is nothing short of stunning.  Big, beautiful, new and yet still so full of traditional elements.  I could shoot there again and again.

The Credits:

Ceremony: St. Jerome’s Catholic Parish

Reception: The Grain Exchange

Florist: Diane McNulty

Cake: Simma’s Bakery

DJ: Sound By Design

Catering: Bartolottas

Makeup: Spargo Salon

Stationary: Jenny Krynicki – Denoveau Designs

Entertainment: Dancers – Alec Mazo & Edyta Sliwinska

Caricature Artist – Roger Furtado

**Since this was my last wedding before the baby arrives, I had a co-shooter (because 10 hours on your feet at 34 weeks pregnant is hard) for this day.  Major thanks and credit goes to my friend Melissa Schollaert, who flew in from warm and sunny Phoenix to help me shoot this one.

Weddings are often about the couple of honor – it makes sense.  And I’ve seen many a surprise pulled off in their honor.  But never have I see the couple pull off a surprise for someone else on their wedding day.  Morgan and Joe did just that – and what a surprise it was!  Morgan’s Dad is a huge fan of Dancing with the Stars, and has been disappointed ever since his favorite dancer, Edyta left the show.  So, Joe smoothly moved thru his toast, and then knocked everyone’s socks off when he revealed that they had a gift for this lucky Father of the Bride – a special performance by Edyta and her husband!

Morgan and Joe – what a delight it was to work with you all and your families!  Stepping into your lives for a brief moment was like walking into a fun movie you watch over and over again, just for the pure joy of it.  I can’t wait to see how your little family grows and expands in the coming years – you have your hearts right where they belong for it to be an awesome ride!

Some wedding days are a perfect storm of every element that makes a wedding great.  I’ve blogged about them before.  After experiencing such a perfect storm at Emily & Dave’s wedding, I’ve concluded that there is something about the couples that choose the combination of a ceremony at Villa Terrace and a reception at Lake Park Bistro that causes this to occur.  Every wedding I’ve shot with this combination has been so gorgeously designed, had such perfect weather, had such a happy and joyous couple and family, and the most awesome friends and guests – people you wish were your own friends.  They are the types of weddings you don’t want to end, that you hate to leave, that you wish were your own.  Oh, and they really know how to party!  I’ll get to the pictures and fill you in on some of the awesomeness that was Emily & Dave’s incredible wedding day.

This little flower girl totally entranced me.  I sent a screen grab of this shot to Hubby on the spot – if we have a daughter half as adorable, beautiful and sweet as this little one, we will be very lucky.

Emily & Dave bought their groomsmen custom baseball bats, which made for some awesome props!

Where to even begin with Jonathan Diel’s design?  Incredible.  Such amazing florals – textured, unique, full of interest and color.  Wait until you see the rest!

Dave and Emily had two officiants who shared in creating their ceremony.  It was so emotional, so spiritual.  You could feel the faith and strength radiating off of them all.

How awesome are parasols at Villa Terrace?  So beautiful, and so useful on that fully exposed terrace!

Right after the ceremony, one of my favorite moments unfolded – Dave led Emily into the library for a few private moments (albeit captured by me thru the doors).  I was privileged to witness their unbridled joy at being married in these first few moments – I’m sure it is a moment they’ll remember always.

The Kiel’s and the Yolo’s are two families I will hope to work with again and again.  Such wonderful, sweet parents, such great siblings, and family dynamics you wish you were a part of.  They are the types of families where you hope that is you and your husband one day at your own children’s weddings.

Cutest flower girl and ring-bearer ever.

Emily and Dave arranged for this vintage car (loaned by a friend) to be on-site to transport their grandparents to the Reception.  I love it when a couple sees beyond themselves and makes a special gesture for others on their wedding day.

Here comes more of that amazing design work by Jonathan Diel.  Seriously, Lake Park Bistro was transformed.  It was comfortable, imaginative and beautiful!

I have never, in well over a hundred weddings, seen a tent-full of guests give a standing ovation to the Father of the Bride before he gives his speech.  There was some serious love in that tent, and Mr. Kiel knocked his speech out of the park!

A wedding party romping around on the lawn bowling courts amongst the sprinklers means they are having a seriously good time.

A little sunset light photo shoot to reconnect before the serious partying begins:

I’m not sure how to describe this dance floor.  Constantly packed, high energy, people singing every word to every song, and much, much, love for Sound By Design who fostered that atmosphere.

The Credits:

Ceremony Venue: Villa Terrace Decorative Arts Museum

Reception Venue: Lake Park Bistro

Catering: Batrolottas

Florist & Wedding Designer: Jonathan Diel

DJ: Sound By Design

Makeup & Hair: Creative Flair Salon – Emma Hofstetter

Bride’s Gown: Watters

Bridesmaid’s Dresses: Jim Hjelm Occassions

Groom’s Suit: J.Crew

Groomsmen’s Attire: Express Men

Transportation: DMI Limousine Service and Milwaukee Trolley

Stationery:

Emily & Dave – Thank you so much for including me in your “perfect storm” of a wedding.  It truly was a magical and exceptional day, just like the two of you.  Your energy and joy are infectious, working like a magnet to all around you. I hope the years ahead only improve upon this incredible start and are filled with beauty, love, faith, joy and sunshine.  May our paths cross again and again!

Some wedding days are epic.  The scale to which the elements come together are just massive, and the impact on guests and all those surrounding the day is significant.  Emily & Nick had that sort of wedding.  Emily’s family hosted this destination wedding at their vacation home and Woodwalk Gallery in beautiful Door County (Sister Bay to be precise) Wisconsin.  People flew in from all over the country to travel to the popular and rural vacation destination, many for the first time.  Emily & Nick, their family and their fabulous wedding stylist gathered antiques, details, chandeliers, hand-made barnwood tables, hay bales and florals for months in creation of their vision.  It was a labor of love that caught everyone up in a swirl of energy, joy, emotions and delightful details.  Pulling away from the barn that night, it was a satisfied feeling of tiredness that washed over us, the type that only comes from knowing you really lived fully that day.   A feeling which is such an appropriate metaphor for Emily & Nick.

Where does one start in describing the beauty that is Woodwalk Gallery?  A rustic barn that houses a lovely art gallery by day, was transformed with all of Emily & Nick’s special touches into a farm playground.  The venue has so much to work with already – rusty silos, open fields, split rail fences, weathered wood, and of course – amazing light!  There was so much to capture on this day that I had help from my friend Melissa Schollaert, and the two of us just fell in love with Woodwalk Gallery.   Anyway, I’ll let the pictures do the talking…

Ceremony Venue: Woodwalk Gallery

Reception Venue: Woodwalk Gallery

Florist: Flora

Wedding Stylists: Emily Gan Birren (Bride), Tina Gan (Bride’s Mother) and  Angie McMahon, Viva la Cottage

Cake: Flour Girl Patissier

Bluegrass Band: Eric Lews, George Sawyn, Tommy Burroughs

Vocals: Caroline Reese

DJ: DJ Chicago

Videographer: I Do Films

Caterer: Alexanders of Door County

Bride’s Gown: Kenneth Pool

Bridesmaid’s Dresses: BHLDN

Hair & Makeup: Darcy Gilmore

Groom’s Suit: Burberry

Emily & Nick – It’s no surprise to me that you both work in the movie and television industries – your lives and your love story seem straight out of a great script.  And the day you created to celebrate all of that was of equal caliber.  The hard-work, dedication, passion and drive you bring to everything you do is evident in the quality of your relationship as well.  May you never loose the desire to live each day to the fullest and push for more.  Great things lie ahead for you because of that quality you posses as a team. Thank you for having m three studio there to capture this chapter of your lives – we had a great time and will forever remember your day.

We were lucky enough to be joined on this wedding day by some of our favorite videographers – the team at I Do Films!  Clearly, the six of us had a very good time working together that day….and yes, that is Hubby there too – he served as assistant for me and Melissa and did a fabulous job as always.

When Jessica & Brennan looked around them, they saw water, sky, cornfields, smiling faces, precocious toddlers and surprisingly, a little modernity nestled among the vast ruralness.  Their world is peppered by subtle contrasts, and celebrating that was the ideal way to celebrate their wedding day.  It’s the little twists and turns that come at you unexpectedly that make a life interesting, and in accordance, a wedding day.  They nestled a beautiful and emotional ceremony into her parent’s hidden backyard – with friends and family circled around them.  Out of the cornfields that surround them rose their reception tent, with a surprise downtown club atmosphere inside.

Just one of those many small twists and turns – a cute toddler in a tux….accessorized with his uncle’s favorite shoes – air jordans!

Brennan himself I think best characterizes those twists and turns I was talking about.  When you first meet him, he’s quiet and unassuming.  Dig a little deeper and you find humor, sweetness and a little bit of a hard edge – like these finger tattoos that memorialize the two families that came together to make his heritage.

The Credits:

Ceremony and Reception Venue: Private Residence

Florist: Petal Pushers

DJ: Flattop Sound and Light

Catering: Hy-vee

Makeup: Carol Wagner

Bride’s Gown: Maggie Sottero

Bridesmaid Dresses: Alfred Angelo

Groom’s Suit: St. Joseph

Tent: Sherwood Tents

Jessica & Brennan – It was a joy to walk into your world for a couple of days and soak up everything you hold near and dear to tell your story.  Who knew that tucked away in lower Iowa was such beauty, such fun and such color!  Yours is a quietly passionate relationship that charts its own course.  May your days always be filled with the little surprises that make you smile.  Thank you for having m three studio there to capture it all!