Matt and Steph were married today!
From the moment I met this couple, I knew their wedding was going to be a blast. Matt and Steph have such a fantastic relationship full of laughter and a deep obvious affection and appreciation of each other. Early in their relationship, they didn’t want to scare each other off by saying “I love you” too soon, so they said “I like you” with a lot of meaning behind it. So we decided it was worth the drive for the perfect first sight location…
Though Stephanie told me there wasn’t a solid theme for the wedding, it is pretty easy to say the theme was FUN. From the choice of wedding party (we were laughing the entire time), to colorful flowers, to the word finds and mazes in the wedding program, to the Eric Carle escort cards and table numbers, to the lawn games and barrel of monkeys…this entire wedding was centered around having a good time.
The ceremony took place on the Northwestern College campus at the lovely Nazareth Chapel. We love doing portraits here, there are so many fantastic backdrops!
Yes, it was warm…
The ceremony was officiated by Steph’s Godfather and I wish I had a copy of the I Like You poem…it was simply perfect for a wedding reading and quite funny, to boot.
After the ceremony, we headed to a bar with the wedding party and family to relax for an hour or so. I liked how laid back this part of the day was…everyone could recoup a bit and recharge for the reception. What makes this image even better is the wording of the ad on the table ; )
The late afternoon and evening gave us PERFECT summer weather to enjoy. With the Como Conservatory as a background, guests played lawn games, enjoyed delicious appetizers, and played games like Bananagram and Barrel of Monkeys.
Oh! and there was a PENGUIN!
Just in case you’re wondering where this couple got their goofy personalities, check out Stephanie’s parents and their friends in The Traveling Photo Booth…
And this is just the beginning…
The poor Adagio DJ handled the craziness really well, but I don’t think she even knew what was going to end up happening that night. I have NEVER been so glad we stayed late at a wedding! Lets let the pictures speak for themselves, shall we?
We’ll just say that Magic Mike may have influenced these groomsmen. And we won’t mention who put dollar bills where…
To help you forget the images you’ve just seen, we’ll end with something pretty. Matt and Steph’s dream photograph was a night image of the conservatory, and the skies cooperated perfectly.
Matt and Steph, we have loved every moment of our time with you, from the emails full of exclamation points to seeing how strong your friendship and relationship is, even through some unexpected situations. Thank you so much for having us be a part of your day!