Lafayette Park St. Louis Micro Wedding

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Kentucky Lake Backyard Wedding | Maddie + Bill

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Tower Grove Park Wedding | Amanda + Alex

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Kabekona Hills Wedding - Chelsea + Mitchell

Edwardsville, Illinois Wedding | Paige + Tim

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A Wedding at the Hangar | Brianne and Loren

Brianne and Loren got married at The Hangar Wedding + Event Venue in Greenville, Illinois. Though it’s nestled in the middle of the rural country just outside of Greenville, The Hangar is a venue that packs a massive amount of style and function! In fact, my wife and I were going to get married here, but the 2020 lockdowns had other plans for us. Since we’d originally spoken with the owners, they have poured SO much blood, sweat, and tears into this venue to improve it, and it shows! I’m stoked that I’ll be shooting at the Hangar for a few more upcoming weddings next year!

Brianne and Loren are the heroes of today’s story, and they deserve every bit of that title (though they’d never admit it). They are some of the kindest, most laid-back people that I’ve ever had a chance to photograph. Let’s be honest, their wedding was at the end of August. It was HOT. Even still, they showed up and celebrated with massive smiles throughout the day, and you could just tell they were joyfully soaking in all the love they received from their guests. After their engagement session earlier this year, I knew this wedding was going to be a good one. Spoiler alert… It was. Do your finger stretches, cuz this one’s jam-packed with images!

Venue: The Hangar

Hair+Makeup: Joseph Mathew Salon

Catering: Fire and Smoke

Cake and Treats: The Sugar Shop

Florals: The Brick House

DJ: 5Twenty-nine Entertainment

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Silver Oaks Chateau Wedding | Akia and Darren

It was a true joy to be back shooting a wedding at the lovely Silver Oaks Chateau, with the dream team - Akia and Darren. From start to finish, this day was full of so many amazing little moments! For this wedding my team and I were covering both photo and video, and we were never at a loss for beautiful things to capture!

Some of my favorites:

• That dress! 😍 (and her hair accessories, of course)

• Their first “touch” - High risk, HUGE reward!

• Tears at the ceremony

• Giggles during the first dance

• A freakin’ great party

• and, of course, they smashed their creative portrait session(s), even though the rain tried to say something about it.

After their sub-zero (literally) February engagement session, I know Akia and Darren were going to be such a cool couple to photograph on their wedding day. The team of vendors (down below) was a joy to work with, too! I could shoot one of these every day and not get tired of them.

Vendors:

Venue - Silver Oaks Chateau

Catering - Ces and Judy’s

Dress - Clarice’s Bridal

Reception Dress - Lulu’s

Makeup - Beauty by Reecey

Hair - Yaestylez

DJ - Andrew Jones

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Bold, vibrant, and non-traditional wedding visuals for laid-back couples that reject the mundane. Does that sound like you?

Downtown Peoria, Illinois Engagement Session | Kylie + Carson

Kylie and Carson’s little family is so supremely sweet, and I’m beyond stoked to have the privilege of covering photo and video for their wedding in 2022. Their morning downtown Peoria engagement session was a last-minute addition that I’m so happy we were able to fit in!

The light and the humans in my camera were absolute magic. Peep some of my favorites!

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Cozy Wedding in Peoria, Illinois | Kaitlyn + Trey

I’m so honored that I got to shoot Kaitlyn and Trey’s lovely Peoria, Illinois wedding. We started at the Mark Twain hotel, a Peoria staple, where Kaitlyn and her party got ready. We then visited Trey’s grandma’s home for the ceremony, and moved on to the gorgeous Waterhouse event space in the downtown MAXAM building for the reception.

Kaitlyn and Trey are such a good hang, and amazing folks. Together, they own 460° Pizza so, if you’re in the Peoria area, go show them some love!

As always, stretch that scrolling finger to see some of my favorites below!

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Kankakee Valley Boat Club Wedding | Miranda + Kyle

This beautiful, joy-filled wedding day took place up in Kankakee, Illinois at the Kankakee Valley Boat Club. The entire wedding day was centered around the gorgeous Kankakee River. The homes of friends and family where they got ready were set just on the river, and the venue for the ceremony and reception offered a wonderful view as well. Miranda and Kyle were so much fun to hang out with and photograph! This wedding was also a morning event, and it’s the best kind of weird to leave for a wedding at 5AM and to get home before dinner. More morning weddings, please!

Check out some of my faves below!

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How To Look Natural In Wedding and Engagement Photos

The Basics of Natural Posing In Wedding and Engagement Photos

You'll hear a lot of photographers talk about how they capture "candid" moments, and most of the images they share are of couples holding hands and walking, or laughing while snuggling in the woods. Here's the truth: That's not candid, because the couple knew the photo was being taken. All those photos are POSED! So, posing doesn't have to be rigid or awkward. It can be fun, comfortable, natural, creative, or all of the above!

Oftentimes, couples haven't had real, organic-feeling photos taken of them. It's hard to get out of the "look-at-the-camera-and-smile" mindset that we've been conditioned to do every time we see someone point a camera at us! So, let's briefly review some of the basic rules of getting "unposed" pictures during your session or wedding.

What do I do with my hands?

This one is often the first question that clients ask me at the beginning of the session, but they quickly learn that there are PLENTY of things you can do with those hands that look awesome in photos. The first step of every session is: Don't look directly into the camera unless I ask! 

The second step? Get close to your partner! Whether you're facing each other, one of you is behind the other, you're side-by-side, or any combination of those positions, get those arms around each other! Holding hands is a great first step, but make sure you're not standing 6 feet apart. When simply holding hands next to each other, snuggling up to an arm or gently pulling your partner close is a great move!

Pro Tip: It’s difficult to have your hands look gentle and natural when they’re stationary, so add some movement. While you’re standing there, feel free to gently pet, caress, or otherwise interact with your partner. It’ll look great and it almost always immerses you in the moment.

If you're facing each other, a good starting place is to "touch belly buttons." Not only is that entire idea kind of beautifully silly, but it's also a great reference for just how close you should be! Then, when you wrap your arms around each other, we need to find a happy middle ground. If your hands aren't wrapped far enough around, the photo may just look like an awkward middle school dance. However, if your arms are wrapped around your partner WAY too far, that position has the potential to bring on some hunched backs. So, get close to your partner, but keep it comfortable. Both of you should feel close enough to whisper to each other, but far enough to freely adjust your position and look at each other without going crosseyed!

Where do I look?

Unless directed otherwise, here are some guidelines:

• Staring directly into each others' eyes always looks intense. It's best to get your heads close together, nuzzle in, and stare somewhere close to your partner. Directing your eyes at their chin, shoulder, or elbow will give your eyelids a natural softness to them, and you won't look like you're in the middle of a life-changing staring contest! 

• Keep the eyes looking in a 6-foot radius around your partner unless otherwise told. Looking at them? Awesome. Looking at where the wedding dress lies on the floor? Beautiful! Looking past them at a bird in the sky? Less cool. 😂

• If your heads are really close together and you're nuzzlin' up a storm, just close your eyes! Let yourself be in that moment and give each other the freedom to laugh, smile, and otherwise relax! If your partner is hugging you from behind, you don't need to turn to look directly at them. As long as you're turning your head in their general direction, it'll look stunning!

Tips for Walking In Photos

I start almost every session off with some sort of motion-based prompt, just to warm up and get loose. In many cases, you two will be asked to walk back and forth in a beautiful spot of light! There are two simple tips for gorgeous and organic walking photos.

• Look at each other, not the camera. I'll rarely tell the couple to kiss for a photo, but I'll never tell you not to! So, of course, that's free game too.

• Bump hips! Not hard enough to knock your partner over, but enough to have fun! The "drunk" walk is a good one too, and it always makes for some lovely, genuine giggles as we warm-up for the session.

As always, you're gonna look awesome if you have fun, stay within your comfort zone, and communicate with your partner and me, the photographer! Guess what? My couples always look STUNNING! 👇

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An Intimate and Rainy Wedding at Allerton Park | Emily + Moses

I will never be sad if there is rain on a wedding day, especially at such a gorgeous place as Allerton Park and Retreat Center in Monticello, Illinois. Emily and Moses’ ceremony was at the Fu Dog Garden portion of the park, and the rain made the colors and textures of the beautiful space just POP. For the reception, we hopped on over to Decatur with a send-off at their family’s home. All in all, I couldn’t have asked for a better couple to have in front of my camera! Maybe next wedding, I’ll bring a couple of changes of socks….

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A Summer Wedding at The Cannery | Elizabeth + Nathan

There isn’t much better than an early summer wedding at The Cannery in Eureka, Illinois. This wedding was supposed to be a rainy one, but after getting pelted with heavy rainfall on my drive up there, we were blessed with a dry wedding day at a gorgeous venue with some stunning folks! Congrats to Liz and Nathan and a huge thank you to The Cannery! I couldn’t be more honored to have been given this opportunity to be a small part of this day.

Angie + Chuck - Wedding Photography in Pocahontas, Illinois

I had so much fun shooting this wedding in Pocahontas, Illinois! This venue is a gorgeous, private venue with all the features and special details you could want! I’ll do a full write-up of it soon, but for now, let’s chat about Angie and Chuck!

This story began as so many classic tales do… On Facebook marketplace with a slab of walnut lumber. I was looking to build a coffee table for my living room and stumbled upon this guy, CS Log Rescue, selling beautiful lumber not too far from where I live. So, I messaged him and went out to his shop to pick a new piece for my future table! As we were chatting, it came up that I was a photographer, and Chuck asks, “You do any weddings?”

Long story short, two months later was their wedding date, and we made it happen! Angie and Chuck are so sweet, full of joy, and were a pleasure to work with and have in front of my camera. I could not have dreamed of a better group of folks with which to spend my day photographing a wedding! See below for some of my favorites from that day at Loveland Estates!

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Josie + Cole - Highland, Illinois Wedding Photography

Make sure to do your finger stretches, because this one’s a scroller! A huge congrats to Josie and Cole, your wedding day was beautiful!
After their engagement session back in July, there was no way I couldn’t be stoked for this wedding. They are such a fun couple, and they’re family to a few of my past couples as well, so the wedding was chock full of familiar faces.
We started the day off by getting ready at The Sanctuary on Main in Troy, Illinois, which is also where the ceremony was held. The Sanctuary is a sweet ceremony venue, perfect for small to mid-sized weddings where aesthetic and comfort are key. Downstairs offers a secluded area in which to get ready, with ample seating and beautiful, natural light. The chapel upstairs boasts wonderfully tall ceilings, stained glass, and plenty of room for your guests.
After they did the whole “getting married” thing, we headed over to Highland Silver Lake Park for photos, and The Lindendale Park Ballroom for the reception (after saying hi to Grandma, of course). Legitimately, I can’t recall if I’ve ever laughed harder at the speeches than I did at the ones given at this reception. The room was full of so much love, laughter, and joy throughout the night, and it shows. Thanks so much for the honor of being a small part of your wedding day, Cole and Josie!

Also, while you’re at it, go ahead and check out and support them at their dance studio, Dance Network!

Scroll on down to see some of my favorites from the day.

Dress: White Traditions

Videography: Double Take Media

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Becky + Michael - St. Louis, Missouri Engagement Session

What a lovely St. Louis engagement session with a lovely couple! Becky, Michael, and I ran around City Garden and the Mural Mile in St. Louis for a while and made some straight-up magic. We dodged a rowdy car show, chatted podcast, and swapped photos of our dogs.
Overall, a 10/10 evening! Check out some of my faves below!

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Macie + Blaine - Pere Marquette State Park Engagement Session

I’m obsessed with these beautiful people! Their Pere Marquette engagement session was all I wanted out of my Saturday evening. After a rainy weekend, the sun came out to play for Macie and Blaine’s photos. Needless to say, I’m very excited to get them in front of my lens on their wedding day!
They also have a dog named Pesci. How cute is that???

Pesci 2024. Scroll on down for some of my favorites from Macie and Blaine’s engagement session at Pere Marquette State Park!

Brianne + Loren - Southern Illinois Engagement Session

I’m overjoyed to share some of my favorite images from Brianne and Loren’s engagement session!

I’m really excited for their wedding coming up soon in August at The Hangar, so this engagement session was perfectly timed for them to get some photos before their big day and for us as photographer+couple to get to know each other!

Brianne and Loren are such sweet folks with, obviously, the cutest pups! I’m a sucker for a good hunting dog… We spent some time on their family’s farm land, and hopped around to another couple of cool spots around Gillespie for some late-evening photos. It was a blast!

Eric + Megan (and Rex) - St. Louis, Missouri Couple's Session

How can I describe the first time I met him? When I first locked eyes with this man, I knew he’d be the kindest, most gentle soul that I’d ever encountered. He’s got the biggest heart, the longest tongue, and the maximum amount of legs that he can have. Four legs, that is. Oh, you thought I was talking about Eric? No, I’m talking about Rex, the King of Dogs™.

But also Eric and Megan are super rad, extremely kind, and a ton of fun to photograph. It was amazing to see them open up throughout the session and really get into the flow of having their photos taken. Eric has been a good friend of mine since college but, thanks to a stubborn little virus, I’ve only been able to chat with Megan virtually. So, when Eric told me he wanted to book a couple’s session for Megan’s birthday, of course I was a billion percent for it!
Thanks for the hangs, Eric and Megan! Thanks for letting me pet you, Rex.

Check out some of my favorites from this Carondelet Park couple’s shoot!

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Akia + Darren - St. Louis, Missouri Engagement Session

This was, by far the coldest engagement session that I’ve ever done, but of some of the warmest souls that I’ve ever photographed!
Darren and Akia’s recent engagement session was 6 months before their wedding in August, which I’m super excited for, of course! While their wedding is at another venue entirely, I have to give a shoutout to the kind folks at Boo Cat Club for giving us an indoor venue in which to take some beautiful photos and keep out of the frigid temps for a little while!
Since their little girl was tagging along with us for the first part of the session, we wanted to make sure she was part of the indoor photos so she wouldn’t freeze her little toes off. After we were done there, we went to Art Hill in Forest Park to snag a few outdoor images! Here's where things got…. numb.
It was a -4° wind chill that evening. For most cold sessions, I like to provide my couples with a set of hand warmers to help the extremities stay at least a little toasty but, seriously, NOTHING was going to keep us comfortable when it’s -4 and windy.
At the end of the day, Darren and Akia absolutely crushed it and we came away with some photos that really capture their joyful souls in some really beautiful settings. Check it out below!

Akia’s Makeup was done by the amazing Damund Omar.
Hair was done by the astounding Sherry Daggs.

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