Real Wedding: Caiti and Ben in Gurnee, IL

Right after Thanksgiving I headed back up to the north suburbs of Chicago for Caiti and Ben's wedding. It could have been freezing and snowing, but it was 55 and sunny which like a heat wave for this time of year:-) Caiti and Ben both love horses and the outdoors so the guys black stetson hats and red ties were perfect. Caiti even had a little cowboy boot on her garter and on the cake topper. Congrats you two!!! Their entire online gallery will be at www.pictage.com/624079

Ceremony: Village Church of Gurnee
Reception: Maravelas
Bakery: Lovin Oven

Tate Family Sneak Peeks

I got to spend some time with the Tate's, all 6 of them! I love Erin's choice of colors and outfits, grey, black, and red. She wanted an urban feel for their Christmas portraits so we went down to Hyde Park and it was perfect because they had just put up the Christmas tree. They boys especially are very full of energy so you have to be quick to catch them:-)








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Remembering Heather

There's those moments in life that really make us look at what we have and what really matters. We had one of those moments this week when we found out that one of our friends from the midwest tragically died in a car accident. Heather was one of the most caring and sweet people that I know. She was a daughter, wife, and mother of 2 children. Charlie, who is 2 and a half and Brennan who is five months old. She was one of those people who you talk to and you can feel that she truly cares about you. She loved her husband and little boys so much. I can't even imagine what it is like losing your mother at such a young age. I am not a "crier" but it brings tears to my eyes just writing this. I had a couple of snap shots of her and Dustin from several years ago. You can see the joy and happiness she had. I especially like the first one where my goofy husband is interrupting their dancing:-) Her funeral is today. Heather will be truly missed but I know we will see her again someday. They have setup a trust fund to support the boys so if you know them and would like to send some love here's the info:

Heather Mattern Memorial Fund in care of Thompson-Lengacher & Yoder Funeral Home, PO Box 206 Nappanee, IN 46550

Real Wedding: Janalee + John at the beach

Our wonderful and talented associate photographer, Sylense, captured Janalee and John's wedding on 11/21. They had a sweet ceremony where they walked up the beach on a simple white runner as all the guests stood on either side. The ring bearers and flower girls were adorable! I love the simple and modern cake they did and very creative groom's cake!! Congrats John and Janalee!! Their entire online gallery will be at www.pictage.com/610112

Amy + Greg's Engagement Sneaks!

We got to know Amy and Greg at their engagement session at Sunken Gardens this past week. It's such a peaceful place and has amazing color! There was a tree that was blooming with huge orange flowers, that was my favorite spot:-) Here's a few of their sneaks. Looking forward to their wedding next April!!

Real Wedding: Karin + Brian @ Cross Creek Ranch

Karin and Brian had a beautiful fall wedding at Cross Creek Ranch. Karin is from Minnesota and she wanted to add a little bit of the north flavor so she had little maple syrup favors for all their guests. Her gown had beautiful lace with pearls and Events in Bloom added a really nice touch to her bouquet with that as well. I love when you can see what joy and happiness looks like, and that is exactly what the day was all about!! Congrats you two!!

Venue: Cross Creek Ranch

Florals: Events in Bloom

Entertainment: Traveling Sound and Light

Cake: Alessi Bakeries

Hair and Makeup: Collective Creations