Winter Wedding
Tanner & Katie booked us for the winter wedding at Starved Rock Lodge a couple years ago. And yet, time went so fast that the wedding snuck up on me a bit. I was so excited to finally get to the wedding day.
Winter weddings are my favorite because I love the cold weather and the perfect light and they are just so cozy and sweet, especially at the lodge with the fire going in the Great Hall.
Katie opted to get ready at Marien Mae Events, which is in downtown LaSalle and is a beautiful space. It was so nice to have everyone together in one room especially when you have a big wedding party, like she did. This space is super affordable and a great option especially if you have already rented the trolley.
So the trolley picked up the ladies and took us over to the lodge where Katie met Tanner and then her dad out on the back patio. I like the back patio because even in the winter the trees have some color and don’t look so bare.
Vendor:
Hair and Make up- Meraki Beauty Room
Florist & Linens- Flowers Plus
(Also let me know quickly say that I am not tech genius so I am posting an album design sample here so you can see multiple photos from their day without having to upload the high res of them all.)
So then after giving them a few minutes together and a few pictures, we grabbed the party and headed into Utica for pictures. I choose spots for pictures based on a few factors, #1-the weather #2 the trail conditions and #3 the size of the wedding party. This party was huge so that limited where I could take them. Also, it was the first weekend of December which means some of the trails and areas are closed and used by hunters only. So we ended up going into Utica for pictures and then heading into a canyon with just the bride and groom!
So I am going to post these photos because I want to show that we capture your day AS IT HAPPENS. In this instance, the trolley got stuck in the mud (there was a lot of mud) after it dropped off us and the couple at the canyon. We were waiting for it to return when Tanner got a snapchat notification on his photo and it was the groomsmen with a picture of the stuck trolley. Then we see the other trolley coming down the hill presumable to go rescue the other trolley. So we hitched a ride and drove over to the stuck trolley. I love that Seth capture a shot of us seeing the party and family all out on the road and I definitely said they all had to get a shot with the stuck trolley. We then made jokes about the trolley off road tour for the rest of the night. Everyone was fine and it ate up some of our time but otherwise it wasn’t a huge deal but I love that they have these pictures to remember!)
So then we loaded on the new trolley and headed up to the lodge for a few photos in the Great Hall before the ceremony.
So we try to get most of the family pictures done beforehand when the couple sees each other and especially because we only have about 15 minutes after the ceremony for pictures in the great hall before they switch it to the reception. But then we can get some detail shots. I don’t usually post a ton of them because our focus is always on the people but this wedding was beautiful and it was fun to capture all the thought Katie and Tanner put into it. Especially the Chapman groom’s cake!!
The night was filled with dancing and laughing and it was glorious. I always have the couple fill out a homework sheet the month before the wedding and it has everyone’s names and any pictures that you want me to try and take. Katie wrote that she’d love to have a few pictures of Tanner dancing with his grandma. So before we left, I went and got the dj to play a slow song that Tanner liked and reminded him to ask Grandma to dance and was able to get a few pictures of this and I’m so glad that I did. I love having little details like that on the homework!
We really loved winer weddings at the lodge. The park is truly beautiful in the winter and we are so happy to live right now the road. We wish Katie & Tanner a happy life together!!
After posting a few pictures Tanner wrote this: “Seth Morris Photography thank you for doing such a great job on Saturday! You made pictures easy and everyone knows how much I enjoy pictures (laughing face emoji!). If anyone needs a photographer please call these people. You will not be disappointed!”
That is such high praise because so many people are nervous or dread picture time. We do keep it organized but fun and relaxing. It’s great to hear that people had fun while we did pictures!