And I love that her parents, Lindsey + Ben, leaned in! I really want to see more family photos where families are just cool being their weird, fun, and maybe cat-loving, selves! Enjoy these sweet & fun family photos taken at the studio!
—Sam
I love photographing B’nai Mitzvahs and celebrating with young folks as they come into their own as a full member of their community! Plus if you’ve never seen 13-15 year olds partying harder than you ever have in your entire life, it’s a treat, and so fun to be among all that energy!
Evan’s Mitzvah project (a community service or social action project undertaken by a Jewish child celebrating their Bar/Bat Mitzvah, allowing them to express their Jewish values by making a positive impact on their community at large) was focused helping people experiencing housing and/or food insecurity secure food for their beloved pets. How cool is that?! As a fellow animal lover and vegetarian, I was absolutely inspired and love seeing young adults look for ways to engage like this!
After the Bar Mitzvah ceremony, held at Temple Beth El in Madison, the party got underway at the Memorial Union South, and speaking of energy, WOW did Vibe Entertainment rock the house! They literally had hype dancers (not that the kids needed much help in the energy department)! And to top the evening off, Bucky Badger came to party as well!
Enjoy the photos of this amazing celebration of youn adulthood and community, and help me wish Evan and his family a big congratulations!
—Sam
Here are the vendors that helped make this important celebration awesome!
Temple: Temple Beth El
Reception Venue: Memorial Union South
Florist: daffodil*parker
I’m not much of a “fate” sort of person, that is until I hear a meet-cute story like Emily + Sam’s! These two both went to UW - Eau Claire at the same time (same dorm even!) but never crossed paths. Flash forward to a Live on King Street concert many years ago, and the person standing in front of Sam at the concert had a GIANT bug land on them, and Sam snapped a pic of the giant bug (cuz giant bug) but didn’t think much of it until sometime later when he was swiping on Tinder, and a friend found someone who seemed like they’d be a good match based on interests, music taste, etc., and it turns out that Sam recognized Emily as a person who had been in the background of the giant bug photo from the concert (the bug had landed on one of Emily’s friends as it turned out) so Sam swiped right, and the rest is history!
While the wedding was originally planned for 2024, life got wild and it ended up getting rescheduled to 2025, but Em + Sam didn’t want to wait to be married, so they got married officially in March of 2024, and then planned this epic celebration for their friends and family for their one year anniversary!
The wedding celebration day was so fun, and filled with so many awesome details, like an album wall (great taste in music is right!), a tiny 3-tiered tower of cheese to use in place of cake for Emily’s part of the cake cutting (she doesn’t care much for cake, but what red-blooded Wisconsinite doesn’t like cheese?), to the live band (Em’s dad’s band, Sage!) that played during the reception! It was a joyful, modern, and laid back wedding day that rocked!
Help me wish Sam + Emily a BIG congrats, and enjoy the photos!
—Sam
Here are the vendors that helped make their wedding day awesome!
Ceremony + Reception Venue: Goodman Community Center Brass Works Building
Officiant: Jeanie Weiss (friend)
Hair & Makeup: AB Onsite Beauty
Bridal Gown: David’s Bridal
Band: Sage
Florist: My Cotton Branch
Desserts: Susie Danielsen
Catering: Goodman Community Center
Wedding Coordinator: Dave Tatro with Goodman Community Center
And I’ve rarely seen two people happier to be getting married! Their excitement was contagious, and their guests (as well as the officiant and I) were so happy to be celebrating with them! It was also Brian’s birthday, which made the day even more special. :) The couple had a small, intimate ceremony on the 3rd floor of the Capitol Building and then headed to Eno Vino Downtown to celebrate! They shared super sweet stories about their early dating years (with mementos from that time to pass around to guests) and their small group of loved ones toasted to their happiness as the sun set over the Capitol Building! It was a wonderful and heartfelt celebration! Help me wish these two a BIG congratulations (and also wish Brian a happy belated birthday)!
—Sam
Here are the vendors that helped make their wedding day awesome!
Ceremony Venue: Wisconsin State Capitol Building
Reception Venue: Eno Vino Downtown
Officiant: Judge Paul B. Higginbotham
Wedding Jewelry: Handmade by the Groom (including the Bride’s necklace & earrings)
We are so lucky to work with such amazing couples! Enjoy some of our favorite pics from this years’ weddings!
—Sam
These two met like most couples do these days; online. But their love story is anything but average, and they brought that energy into their wedding day in a huge way!
Joel + Justin are both foodies who love to travel. They wanted to throw themselves into creating the perfect celebration of them as a couple and their friends, family, and chosen family! You wouldn’t believe all of the details these two thought of unless you were there, but I’m going to try my hardest to give you some highlights! Justin made all of the hors d'oeuvres for their guests himself, showing a wide range of different flavors and cuisines, and Joel made all the desserts (of which there were multiple options that all look phenomenal)! These two also handmade all of their wedding favors, which continued the food theme, and had little goodie bags that their guests could fill with tasty treats from the favors table, including honey, sourdough starters, cotton candy, dog treats, flavored salts, ramen mixes, and more! I feel like these two need to open their own Rose Apothecary but for food ASAP!
Other non-food related touches include Joel’s artistic flair showing itself in a myriad of ways! These two had an art installation in the foyer of Goodman Community Center’s Brass Works building that doubled as Joel + Justin’s living room, complete with record player, antique TV, strategically placed books and chairs, and the piece de resistance, a painting Joel is making of he and Justin! Each centerpiece was also a maximalist enthusiast’s dream, being themed on different regions of the world, and pulling in so many fun elements! A picture is worth a thousand words, so make sure to check them out below because seeing is believing!
Joel + Justin’s dogs, Gus and Bobo, were there to celebrate with them too, for photos before the wedding, and to walk down aisle with them, and even participate in the ceremony (mostly by interrupting very cutely). Speaking of ceremony, Justin + Joel did their own spin on a tea ceremony, in which they served tea to their wedding party and Joel’s mother, and later served to the entire group of guests during the first toast!
Last but not last, these two folded over 1000 paper cranes to use as place-card holders and as a beautiful backdrop for formal photos!
“We [were] striving to have a wedding that [was] out of the box and different than any wedding that anyone [had] ever been to before. We as a couple have always said that we are anything but normal and we wanted our wedding/reception to reflect that. By utilizing our individual skills, we added touches of ourselves throughout the day.” - Joel
Enjoy the amazingness that is Joel + Justin’s wedding , and help me wish them a BIG congratulations!
—Sam
Here are the vendors that helped make their wedding day awesome!
Ceremony + Reception Venue: Goodman Community Center Brass Works Building
Officiant: Shoobie Shirley (friend of the couple)
Jewelry: Wedding Ring Store
Suits: NL Suits
DJ: Midwest Sound
Florist: DIY by Joel
Desserts: DIY by Joel (donuts from Greenbush Bakery)
Appetizers: DIY by Justin
Catering: Upstairs Downstairs Catering
Dog Handler: Kibbles & Kisses
Decor Rentals: Velvet Rentals
The couple lives within walking distance of Tenney Park braved the cold and windy weather for these sweet portraits! I love how the leaves being mostly gone lent a sort of spooky vibe to some of the photos, and how gorgeous the little lake is as a backdrop! Help me wish these two a big congratulations on their engagement!
—Sam
The weather may have been blustery, but Aoife and her parents James & Sydney still had a great punking around Monroe Street, ending with some delicious ice cream at The Chocolate Shoppe! (Don’t tell Aoife, but I ended up getting Peppermint Twist instead of Chocolate once our session was over). Enjoy these sweet family photos!
—Sam
The weather could not have been any more lovely for these two little ones and their family during their portrait session, and Winnie + Fiona enjoyed the heck out of what Governor Nelson State Park had to offer in terms of leaves, sand, and playground equipment while we were there! Enjoy the fun photos of this adorable family!
—Sam
The Fall colors have been elusive this season because of how warm it’s been, but we managed to find some for family photos of Erin + Dan and their three kids (young adults now, holy crap)! It was a gorgeous and fun day and despite the shenanigans, not a single teen died of embarrassment, so I’ll call it a win! It’s always so fun to photograph this wonderful family! Enjoy the photos!
—Sam
The golden hour sun, the leaves, the EAGLES, and this adorable family made for the perfect fall family portrait session! The kids had more than enough energy for walking around the park (and thankfully there was lots of room to run too), and it is always a pleasure to photograph this wonderful family!
—Sam
Want to hear something adorable? When Jesii (they/them) proposed to Rae (they/them), it was while playing a board game! These two were playing an at home escape room game ( EXIT games) and Jesii changed the last two cards in the deck to be a proposal, so when they solved the game, it was actually Jesii popping the question!
I love this story (and also have a soft spot in my heart for nerdy, queer weddings and board games) and was SO excited to get to celebrate with Rae + Jesii and their friends and family!
Enjoy the photos of this awesome couple, and help me wish them a big congratulations!
—Sam
Here are the vendors that helped make their wedding day awesome!
Ceremony + Reception Venue: Lakeview Park in Middleton, WI
Officiant: Becca Kopchak (friend of couple)
Florist: DIY
Catering: Pancake Cafe
Wedding Coordinator: Brenda Koeller
