Champaign, IL Wedding

We love connecting with our clients on a deeper level than just photographer and subject. We try to get to know you and let you get to know us by being ourselves and putting ourselves out there. It’s such a privilege to us to be able to capture your life as it unfolds. We love getting to know your grandmother, your crazy cousin groomsman, your sassy flower girl niece. It’s such a joy for us to have an inside look to your family and your friends especially on your wedding day. So when we already know your family, it’s even more fun for us to get to celebrate. We are not the one night stand kind of photographers. We don’t sneak out because we have an “early meeting”. We stick around and if we’re really lucky, we get to photograph more moments from your life or from your family and friends. Such is the case for this family. I think we photographed Maggie’s aunt’s weddings first, but now I can’t even remember. From there we have done business and family pictures for this family and when Maggie got in engaged we were honored to be one of their first emails!

It was a delight to get to go back to Champaign to U of I and celebrate their marriage in the church they attended (and worked) through their college career. What a sweet story that they started dating as teenagers and went to college together to build the life and their relationship. This church was an important step in those things and the front steps were meaningful since that is where Zack asked Maggie to marry him. So despite the chill and the wind, we had to take some photos there!

I love that they both chose hilarious cards for each other and read them right before their first look. They were just so ready to be together and I love their shared sense of humor. The coffee shop in the church was where they worked in college and I love that we could go in for a few photos. When it’s really cold out, we like to have indoor and outdoor spots ready so we can switch off inside and then out and then back inside and then out.

Ok so I told myself that I was not going to overload this post with pictures and yet here I am doing it anyway. Here are few with the fun wedding party and family. One flower girl gave us a beautiful spin and that’s my favorite candid from the entire day. Probably because we shot her parents wedding so many years ago and it was such a joy to see their family again!

Time to make it official. I love that they had their pastors marry them in a place that was so meaningful to them. It was a beautiful ceremony that included family at every turn. Possibly my favorite was when Maggie and Dad got to the end of the aisle, Maggie’s mom and Zack’s parents walked up with them for the giving away. I always feel like moms get the short end of the stick so I love seeing ways to incorporate parents more. This was special.

So the reception was at Broadway Food Hall in Champaign which was super unique. You all know I don’t post detail photos too often but we do take those photos. I had a few people ask me lately, which is fine, so i put a few in a collage for you to see. :) The speeches were phenomenal and especially meaningful since the maid of honor was Zack’s sister and the best man was Maggie’s brother.

And then we danced the night away and had an all around fantastic time! We truly love this family and are so thankful that they have stuck with us all these years. It was fun remembering all our fun times together and meeting a few new kiddos as well.

Maggie & Zack, you two are extraordinary people who care deeply for others and it’s evident. I love that you support and encourage each other and share such a wonderful, wacky sense of humor. We are so excited to see where life takes you and how you will build up others along the way.

Venue: Broadway Food Hall

Planner: Hillary Rae

Florist: Flowers by Kristine

DJ: Top Hat Productions

Cake: Hopscotch Weddings

Hair and Makeup : Hansen & Co. Beauty Lounge