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Pike National Forest is a vast span of area in the Rocky Mountains of Colorado, and Kayla and Tyler took on the adventure with their dogs for some epic photos. Tyler and Kayla moved to Colorado right before COVID shut down most things, but, like everyone, they’ve been making the most of exploring this great state.
Colorado has some stunning locations for photos, but Cyrena and Jim helped me explore Grand Mesa for their fall engagement session and it couldn’t have been more perfect. They even found this spot where the sun sets and literally makes the whole ridge glow.
Amidst the 2020 pandemic, Shea and Philip said their vows surrounded by friends and family at the beautiful Yew Dell Botanical Gardens venue right outside of Louisville, Kentucky. This place was so magical and was the perfect backdrop for a wedding.
This sweet and intimate Tennessee wedding for Hope and Micah was a perfect combination of outdoorsy and traditional church. The day loomed with rain, but you wouldn’t be able to tell from these photos. God is always so good with clearing up the weather perfectly for photos.
This beautiful outdoor wedding for Jaime and Josh at the White Dove Barn in Tennessee was hands-down a stunner. The ceremony was moved inside because of forecasted thunderstorms, which ended up holding off. I mean, this venue south of Nashville and Murfreesboro in Tennessee was perfectly tucked up on a hill, making the views pop.
COVID can’t hold love back, which is why I absolutely adored this quaint backyard Illinois wedding for MacKenzie and Jarrin. Like most brides having the change their plans, MacKenzie took it with grace and turned this day into something so meaningful. In her parent’s backyard, with their pool decorated, surrounded by close family and friends, these two tied the knot.
Even though we had to keep pushing back the date due to COVID and park openings, Jaime and Josh had the sweetest engagement session around Percy Warner Park in Nashville, Tennessee. The park provided a great glimpse into the rolling hills and scenery that Tennessee has. These two are just completely head over heels with each other and you can instantly tell when you’re with them.
Natalie and Scott fulfilled one of my dream engagement sessions up in Red River Gorge, Kentucky. We got to explore the vast portion of Daniel Boone National Forest, being refreshed in a waterfall and then watching the sunset to end the day.
Megan and Travis conquered the heat of the summer with a beautiful sunset engagement session out at Jefferson Memorial Forest outside of Louisville, Kentucky. The summer brought its best heat wave, so we opted for some shade for photos. However, instead of keeping us cool, the forest trapped all the heat and left no breeze for us to cool down with.
Getting to explore Louisville's Nulu area for this engagement session was a blast, especially since we included places like Akasha Brewing Company and the Louisville Waterfront Park!
I wasn’t even aware that one could have a wedding more beautiful than I’ve ever seen before in a cave, and Lost River Cave in Bowling Green, Kentucky was a perfect venue for Sarah and Ben. I mean, come one. A wedding in a cave?
Kayla and Tyler decided to have their wedding at Millcreek Wilde in Watervliet, Michigan on the day after Fourth of July. I'm also lucky enough to have Tyler as a cousin, so this wedding was extra fun. Both of them had planned that the 4th of July would be their rehearsal dinner so they could end with fireworks. I loved the idea that it was celebrating our freedom and semi-celebrating them getting married. Actually, Kayla and Tyler had booked this venue before they were even engaged! They were super excited to have their wedding at this magnificent location.
Julie and Kyle had such a beautiful day to get married out at Front Porch Farms, Tennessee. Tennessee made sure that this day was certainly the first day of summer with a heat wave of the year. But the venue especially played a great part in making this day a blast to celebrate!
The rainy day that early March brought didn’t stop this Nashville, Tennessee wedding at a local church for Kelli and Corey from being any less magnificent. In fact, I think it truly set the mood of feeling warm and welcomed inside. The most that these two were worried about was that everyone could make it to celebrate this marriage they had been praying over.
December proved to be a great time to do engagement photos of Ally and Jeremy at Radner Lake in Nashville, Tennessee. Being from Chicago, December always sounds extra cold to me, but this day had great weather so we didn’t feel crazy uncomfortable.
Jamie and Chace planned such a beautiful wedding day in October at the Owensboro Convention Center in Owensboro, Kentucky. However, the weather that day was far from what you’d expect October to bring.
Another early October engagement session in Bernheim Forest Kentucky followed by a beer at Gravely Brewery was perfect! I love pairing what couples love to do together, and Alyssa and Patrick love to be on the go as well as a healthy balance of taking in the now.
Bernheim Arboretum and Research Forest in Clermont, Kentucky offers such a wide variety of scenic locations, which made it great for Sarah and Ben’s engagement session. We headed out there early October, so right on the cusp of Fall coming to turn this location into a glowing gem.
I met the Mott family at Waterfall Glen Forest Preserve up in Lemont, IL. It was a perfect location for this outdoor session - lots of forest scattered with grassy plains. It was so beautiful.
Tyler is not only my cousin, but is more of a brother - and to see him transform into the man he is with a soul that is so happy, makes me so proud. I had the great honor of getting to capture the moment he dropped to one knee and asked the woman he loved to marry him. Kayla is the sweetest girl I’ve ever met, and I think they are absolutely perfect for one another.
I have had the great honor of knowing Kyle for years now. Kyle and my brother have been great friends and I actually consider Kyle another brother of mine. And, like a brother of mine, I couldn’t contain my excitement that he found the one his soul had been searching for.
Chelsea and I don’t really have a start to our friendship because neither of us really remember a distinct meeting. But what I do know is that we met at work and I was drawn to her because of her shining soul. And it was because of her amazing personality and personable grace that we would randomly chit chat together.
Memorial Day weekend not only was the first glimpse of our warm summer to come, but was also a perfect weekend for a wedding. Rowan and Colin got married right outside Louisville at The Barn at Twin Lakes - a beautiful outdoor venue unique with fields surrounding a lake. The ceremony location had the aisle lead down towards the lake, and about 10 minutes before the ceremony began, the clouds decided to tuck the sun away. The reception was in the barn with it’s doors wide open to let the outside air flow through.
Mikey and Jeff met the modern way - they met online. But even still, their relationship grew with their love of gardening and enjoying time out with friends and cocktails. In fact, their favorite date together was when they went to an open house at a floral shop!
This engagement session was so precious. Bridget and Adam came to me last fall about wedding photography, and I was anxiously awaiting this engagement session. The weather decided to hold off on the rain and gave us warm weather. These two were troopers for hiking through Cherokee Park with me (Bridget in wedges!), but I had a blast and the photos just show how happy they are.
It’s crazy how time flies and I remember when Sara was born. Being a cousin in my family is way different, I have learned, than most families. We all went to high school together, attended all the birthday parties, and holidays spent with everyone. And through all this, I cannot believe that Sara is about to graduate high school already.
Bridget and Adam chose to celebrate their wedding day at The Olmsted in Louisville, KY. This was the first time I have actually been there, and I will say it didn’t disappoint. While the day was warm and muggy (summer trying to stick around a little longer), the clouds gave some reprieve for everyone being outside to snag some photos. The ceremony and reception was all held indoors.