Em + Sam: A Modern Wedding Celebration at Goodman Community Center

Em + Sam had a beautiful modern one year anniversary wedding celebration!

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

Emily + Patrick: A Chic and Modern Wedding at Garver Feed Mill

A beautiful and elegant wedding on Madison’s east side

Garver Feed Mill has been a favorite spot of mine since even before it was renovated (shhhh… don’t tell anyone I used to go there when it was still condemned for photos). I absolutely love the aesthetic and what they’ve done with the venue since it opened in its current iteration, and it was the perfect backdrop for Emily + Patrick’s wedding day.

The day was absolutely lovely (seriously, just look at the photos!) and was so fun and full of joy!

Join me in wishing a big congrats to Emily + Patrick on their wedding, and enjoy the photos!

—Sam

Here are the vendors that helped make their wedding day awesome!

Ceremony + Reception Venue: Garver Feed Mill

Officiant: Jen Patricca Bloesch - United Church of Christ

Hair & Makeup: Melissa Ann Artistry + Co.

Jewelry: Chalmer’s Jewelers

Bridal Gown: David’s Bridal

Groom Tux: Indochino

Band/Entertainment: Velocity

Flowers: Sola Wood Flowers, dyed and arranged by the bride

Desserts: Garver Feed Mill

Catering: Garver Feed Mill

Wedding Coordinator: Kanoe Riedel - Midwestern Bride

Decor Rentals: Tablecloths and napkins from Event Essentials

Amber + Rachel: A 25th Anniversary Vow Renewal Ceremony

A warm Spring day for a beautiful vow renewal Ceremony

Amber + Rachel’s 25th wedding was special for so many reasons. First, 25 years is a big deal! Second, the original wedding celebration 25 years ago was celebrating these two as a cis-het presenting couple, and so it was extra meaningful for Amber + Rachel to be able to celebrate 25 years together as their authentic, queer selves, surrounded by friends and family who love and support the people they’ve grown into. This time around, Amber was able to wear a gorgeous white wedding dress (that she got for $4.50 at a thrift store if you can believe it!) and it paired perfectly with Rachel’s avant-garde white & navy striped dress!

The love and care everyone showed up with to celebrate Amber + Rachel was beautiful to see, as were their updated wedding vows. I’m so happy to have been able to celebrate with them. Join me in congratulating Amber + Rachel on 25 years together!

— Sam

Here are the vendors that helped make their celebration awesome!

Ceremony + Reception Venue: Olin Park Pavilion

Officiant: Jacy Imilkowski

Wedding Coordinator: Forsythia Events

Max + Athena: A Hobbit-Inspired Wedding Celebration at the Iron Amethyst Inn

Max + Athena wanted their wedding celebration to have a “Bilbo Baggins Eleventy-First Birthday Party” vibe, and they absolutely nailed it!

Athena + Max had a small, intimate legal wedding ceremony the day before their more traditional Jewish wedding ceremony and celebration. The bigger gathering took place at the historic Iron Amethyst Inn in Mazomanie, WI, which was the perfect venue for the vibe they were looking for. All of the small details of the day were absolutely gorgeous, and though the day was overcast, these two made it as sunny as could be.

Enjoy the photos, and help us wish these two a big congratulations (times two!) for their very special wedding weekend extravaganza!

-Sam

Here are the vendors that helped make their wedding celebration day spectacular:

Ceremony & Reception Venue: Iron Amethyst Inn

Officianti: Rabbi Laurie Zimmerman

Bridal Gown: Martin McCrea Couture

Groom Suit: Lucca Clothing

Hair & Makeup: Daymaker

Florist: Blooms by Brandi

Wedding Coordinator: Catherine Richards / Spellbinding Soirees

Desserts: Honey Bee Bakery

Catering: The Globe Restaurant and Fromagination

Tent Rental: D&S Tent Rentals

Decor Rentals: Velvet Rentals

Sara + Jared: A Colorful and Laid Back Tenney Park Wedding

Sara + Jared had a laid back wedding day at Tenney Park that was as colorful as it was joyful!

These two got legally married in Vegas (yes, by Elvis…. can you even get married in Vegas without Elvis officiating?) but wanted a celebration with friends and family back home, so for their 2.0 wedding day, they had good food and beautiful scenery at Tenney Park in Madison, WI.

Sara made all of the flower crowns you see in the photos (amazing, right?!) and you know how we feel about colorful wedding dresses and suits, so we were absolutely enthralled by how amazing these two looked in their wedding attire.

One of the things I loved most about Sara + Jared’s wedding day is that they chose to incorporate a Kintsugi unity ceremony (mending broken pottery with gold) to symbolize that sometimes life brings us obstacles, but they can make you even stronger, and that these two are even stronger together. It was a beautiful way to cement (see what I did there?) their commitment to each other no matter what life throws their way.

Help us wish these two a big congratulations, and if you want more photos of these two cool cats, check out their engagement photos here!

-Sam

Here are the vendors that helped make their day awesome!

Ceremony & Reception Venue: Tenney Park

Bridal Gown: Chontronette

Groom Suit: Hockerty

Flower Crowns: DIY

Catering: Sal’s Tomato Pies

Dessert: Bloom Bake Shop

Table and Chair Rental: Bucky’s Rental

Matt + Drew: A Stylish and Modern Madison Club Wedding

Matt + Drew met through mutual friends, and had an instant connection

When these two talked with me about how they met while we were taking their engagement photos, the recurring theme was how quickly they fell for each other, and how they spent pretty much every day together after they met. The other recurring theme was how much they both love their fur child, Olly, the cutest little beagle anyone ever saw (to check out Matt + Drew’s engagement photos with Olly, click here). I was so excited to celebrate Drew + Matt’s wedding day with them, and they had an absolutely stunning and stylish wedding day filled with loved ones, great food, and great music!

Enjoy the photos, and help me wish these two a big congratulations!

-Sam

Alisha + Nate: A Lush Milwaukee Wedding at the Ivy House

Alisha + Nate had wedding 2.0 at the Ivy House in Milwaukee, WI

Their wedding 1.0 was an intimate and joyful micro wedding in 2021 (you can see photos of wedding 1.0 here).

Alisha + Nate met during college through mutual friends, but they actually fell for each other while playing trivia together (I miss trivia, but I’ll be back at it again someday!) and like many of our clients over the last two years, they decided to split their wedding into a smaller legal ceremony (in 2021) and a bigger celebration now that it’s a little safer to do so. Wedding 2.0 was absolutely gorgeous, complete with custom beer & root beer favors, delicious food from a bevy of food trucks, and all in the lush surroundings of the Ivy House in Milwaukee.

Before the ceremony, the wedding party and families even got to hit up a few breweries, including City Lights and Lakefront Brewery, and the iconic Black Cat Alley Murals too!

Enjoy the photos of this fun and modern wedding day, and congrats to Alisha + Nate all over again!

-Sam

Here are the vendors that helped make their wedding day (2.0) awesome!

Ceremony & Reception Venue: Ivy House

Day-Of Coordinator: Ally Spaight

Hair & Makeup. Style by R

Wedding Party Busy: Milwaukee Food Tours

Florist: Jane Kelly Floral

Food Trucks: El Grito, Hidden Kitchen, Slo’ Motion

Dessert: C Adams Bakery

Cat + Sam: An Intimate Olin Park Wedding Day

Cat + Sam had their first look at the same spot where they first said “I love you”

And if that isn’t the sweetest thing you’ve heard today, I don’t know what to tell you. Their first “I love you” came at the first metal bench on Picnic Point, so on their wedding day, that’s exactly where they wanted to do their first look. It was a little rainy, and a little cold, but absolutely gorgeous, and I’m so happy I got to photograph them at such a special place!

For their wedding at Olin Park, they wanted to keep things casual with their closest family in attendance, and to celebrate with pizza and donuts afterward. I loved the purple and lavender accents they used for decor, and also of course the heating lamps because brrrrrr was it cold out!

Congratulations to Cat + Sam!

-Sam

Here are all the vendors who helped make Cat + Sam’s wedding day awesome:

Ceremony + Reception Venue: Olin Park

Officiant: Judge Jennifer Nashold

Bridal Gown: Lulus’s Bridal

Wedding Jewelry: Brilliant Earth (Bride’s necklace was her dad’s wedding ring)

Hair Stylist: Kismet Salon

Florals & Decorations: Ling’s Moment

Wedding Dessert: Level 5 Donuts

Wedding Pizza: Roman Candle

Rachael + Sam: A Madison Lakeside Park Wedding

On a beautiful and windy Spring day in Burrows Park, Rachael + Sam said “I Do”

I love small and intimate weddings, and Racheal + Sam’s wedding day was just that. Small, intimate, and full of life and love. As most wedding days do, it started off a little stressful, but everything came together by the main event, which of course was the wedding vows!

Rachael + Sam had a wonderfully short and sweet wedding ceremony (where Rachael was holding their youngest) and then were able to relax and celebrate with their closest friends and family and enjoy the weather! Just what a wedding day should be!

Help me with Rachael + Sam a big congrats, and enjoy the wedding photos!

-Sam

Alisha + Nathaniel: A Black Earth Rainy Day Micro Wedding

Alisha + Nate may have had rain on their wedding day…

But like everything else about getting married during a pandemic, they rolled with it!

Alisha + Nate met during college through mutual friends, but they actually fell for each other while playing trivia together (Remember trivia? And places? And other people?) and like many of our clients over the last year, they had originally planned on a larger wedding day, but when COVID still wasn’t over in early 2021, they made the decision to have a small ceremony with immediate family this year at Nate’s parent’s house in Black Earth, WI, and then celebrate with a bigger crowd in 2022.

The wedding day was simple and lovely and in addition to immediate family, the wedding day was also attended by Alisha + Nate’s dog, Laverne. After a short and sweet ceremony, we went outside with some umbrellas for a bit to take full photo-advantage of the drizzle (I love rainy day wedding pics) and before we knew it, it was time for them to head to a celebratory dinner!

Enjoy the wedding pics of these two love birds, and join me in congratulating them on their wedding! I can’t wait for more celebrations with these two and their families in 2022!

-Sam

Here are the vendors (with links) that helped make Alisha + Nate’s wedding day awesome!

Wedding Dress: Lulus

Catering: Pig in a Fur Coat

Hair: love + light hairdressing

Makeup: Julia Grace Salon

Suit: NL Suits

Flowers: Sweet Pea Floral

Terry + Leah: A Rainbow Wedding at the Goodman Community Center

Terry + Leah had a happy and colorful wedding day, complete with Ring Bear!

Terry + Leah, like a lot of folks getting married during the pandemic, decided to do things a little differently on their wedding day. They had a very intimate ceremony in March, and are planning a bigger reception celebration in October.

Small and intimate doesn’t mean boring though, and Terry + Leah’s wedding day was fun and joyful, and full of little touches (beautiful lights and rainbow accents and so many sequins!!!!) and big touches, like having a Ring Bear (I still giggle about this every time I think about it)!

Congratulations, Terry + Leah, and we can’t wait to celebrate with you for round two in October!

-Sam

Here are the wedding vendors (with links where available) that helped make their wedding day wonderful!

Ceremony Venue: Goodman Community Center

Officiant: Eldonna Hazen, Senior Minister, First Congregational UCC

Wedding Jewelry: Jewelers Workshop

Hair Stylist: Serena of Serena's Hair Now

Brunch Catering: Lily Kilfoy

Cupcakes: Daisy Cafe and Cupcakery

Rachel + Trevor: A Sunny and Intimate Evansville Wedding

Rachel + Trevor had a laid-back, intimate, and kid-friendly Spring wedding and it was awesome!

When I met with Rachel before the big day, she impressed on me how excited she was about the kid-friendly nature of her upcoming wedding day, particularly given that her three kiddos, and many others would be enjoying the festivities as well. And indeed, there were legos and coloring supplies aplenty!

Rachel + Trevor had that easiness about them that I love to see in couples who are truly comfortable with one another, and truly partners in life (and parenting). They chose to walk up the aisle together, which I always see as such a powerful sign of equality, and had their children and closest friends and relatives stand up with them at the altar. There were two moments so tender they brought me to tears; One small moment during the hand-fasting ceremony in which Trevor was running his thumb over Rachel’s forearm in that kind and loving way folks do when they’re alone. The other was just following the first kiss, when Trevor comforted Rachel, during an emotional moment. Rachel’s mother passed just a few short months before the ceremony, and when the joy of a special occasion stands in sharp relief to the pain of missing a beloved family member, joy and pain can be mixed equally in those moments and that small gesture of comfort was so sweet to see.

The wedding day was lovely, real, and simply a blessing to get to capture. I am so honored to have been able to celebrate with Rachel + Trevor and their kids and friends and family. Congratulations you two!

-Sam

Here are the vendors (with links) who helped make the day wonderful!

Ceremony + Reception Venue: Emma’s Table at John M. Evans Hall

Florist: Deo Gloria of Evansville

Bridal Gown: David’s Bridal

Engagement Ring: Rogers & Hollands

Catering: El Vallarta of Evansville

Cake + Desserts: Sweet Velvet Cake Co of Janesville