Jordan's Bat Mizvah

A COMMUNITY COMING TOGETHER TO CELEBRATE A COMING OF AGE

For a non-religious person, I’ve always had a tender spot in my heart for B’Nai Mitzvahs. I think there is something so solid, supportive, and loving about a community coming together to celebrate a coming of age, and helping a young adult to understand not only their place in their community and in their faith, but how they contribute positively to the world at large. These events are always a highlight in my year and Jordan’s Bat Mitzvah was no exception.

Jordan celebrated with friends and family on August 20th and the party following the ceremony, held at the Hillel Foundation on the UW-Madison campus was a blast!

Congrats to Jordan and her family on such a joyous occasion!

-Sam

Kristen + Jacob: A DIY Lussier Family Heritage Center Wedding

Kristen + Jacob had a gorgeous and misty Summer wedding day!

The rain held off just long enough for Kristen + Jacob to have a beautiful outdoor ceremony at the Lussier Family Heritage Center’s Solar Shelter, followed by formal photos under the immense 300 year old oak tree (which is one of my all-time favorite spots at the Lussier Family Heritage Center).

The celebration was so fun and joyful, and there were people on the dance floor from the second the Bride and Groom were done with their first dance until I left for the evening (to the tune of “Grace Kelly”, which may be the catchiest song known to man).

Help me wish these two a big congratulations on their wedding day, and if you’d like to check out their engagement photos, click here.

-Sam

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

Ceremony + Reception Venue: Lussier Family Heritage Center

Officiant: Analiese Eicher (friend of the couple)

DJ: Midwest Sound

Bridal Gown: David’s Bridal

Groom Suit: Men’s Wearhouse

Bride’s Engagement Ring: Angara

Bride’s Wedding Band: Jeweler’s Workshop

Hair + Makeup: Lotus Artistry

Florist: Diane at Metcalfe's

Desserts: Anderson Baked Goods (cupcakes), Kim Baierl (cookies)

Catering: Blue Plate Catering

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

A Collection of 2021 Behind the Scenes

I love behind the scenes photos, and here are some of my favorites from our 2021 weddings!

As we head into the start of our 2022 Wedding Season, I’m ready to have a blast, make new memories, and get even more behind the scenes photos! Enjoy these favorites from our 2021 Wedding Season!

-Sam

Emma + Daniel: A Fall-Themed Wedding at the Goodman Brass Works Building

We were so excited to photograph Emma + Daniel’s wedding in the historic Goodman Center Brass Works Building!

I have been wanting to photograph a wedding in the Brass Works building ever since the Goodman Center renovated it, but COVID had other plans. It turns out it was well worth the wait though, because Emma + Daniel’s wedding was an absolutely perfect wedding day, and a great way to send off our 2021 wedding season!

All of the little personal touches that Emma + Daniel poured into their wedding day were wonderful! Daniel made all of the vases that sat on each of the tables and Emma designed the floral decor herself! With Daniel being a trumpet player, there were no shortage of musical guests playing for different parts of the wedding day, and the whole thing was such a lovely and sweet celebration of these two and their commitment to each other.

Help me wish Emma + Daniel a big congratulations, and enjoy the photos of their magical fall wedding day!

-Sam

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

Ceremony + Reception Venue: Goodman Center Brass Works

Officiant: Phillip Cross (Dan's Uncle)

Wedding Band: Orchesta de Latin Pride (Sound equipment courtesy of Dan's uncle Fred)

Wedding Gown: The Wedding Shoppe (Wilderly bridal collections)

Groom’s Tux: Men's Wearhouse

Bridal Jewelry: Family Heirlooms

Hair Stylist: Brynn The Styling B

Wedding Party Attire: Mother of the maid of honor made the bridesmaid dresses and Dan’s mother made the Groomsmen’s vests & ties

Florals: K&A Greenhouse (floral decor, designed by the bride), Bre Cotter (bouquets), Suella Moran (boutonnieres)

Wedding Desserts: The House Cafe & Bakery

Catering: Working Class Catering

Terry + Leah: A Madison Children's Museum Wedding

Terry + Leah were married in March of 2021, but wanted to throw a bigger celebration once more people were vaccinated, so enter wedding celebration number two!

Wedding number two was just as fun as wedding number one, but with more guests and surrounded by the whimsical beauty of the Madison Children’s Museum! Check out wedding Part One here!

These two were the first couple to have a wedding ceremony on the new Wonderground structure at the Children’s Museum. Their sunset ceremony was absolute perfection!

Help me wish a BIG congratulations to Terry + Leah, and enjoy the photos!

-Sam

Here are the vendors (with links) that helped make Terry + Leah’s wedding celebration awesome!

Ceremony & Reception Venue: Madison Children’s Museum

Officiant: Eldonna Hazen, First Congregational UCC

DJ: Vital Image

Videographer: Steve Donovan

Terry’s Wedding Gown: David’s Bridal

Leah’s Wedding Suit: Indochino

Bridal Accessories: Dress My Wedding, LLC

Wedding Rings: Jeweler's Workshop

Hair Stylist: Serena Hesse, Serena's Hair Now

Dessert Bars: The Roman Candle

Catering: Banzo

Tori + Kevin: A Colorful Garver Feed Mill Wedding

Tori + Kevin threw one Heck of a wedding day celebration at the glorious garver feed mill

When the couple whose wedding you’re photographing once dressed up as Ron Swanson from Parks and Rec and Karen from Will and Grace (the ultimate real-life power couple) for Halloween as an adorable inside joke, you know you’re in for a fun-filled and good time kind of wedding day! They even snuck their puppy Myles for some photos!

I met Tori + Kevin for the first time on their wedding day and was instantly charmed, not only by the two of them, but also by the vibe of the day, and how sweet and friendly everyone was, and the rest of the wedding day only got better as the sun got lower!

A BIG congratulations to Tori + Kevin, and enjoy these super sweet wedding pics below!

-Sam

Here are the vendors (with links) who helped make their wedding day awesome!

Ceremony & Reception Venue: Garver Feed Mill

Officiant: Justin Miller (friend of the couple)

Bridal Gown: Vera’s House of Bridals

Groom’s Suit: Men’s Wearhouse

Wedding & Engagement Rings: Brilliant Earth

Hair Stylist: Marie Hemming (my fave!!!) of Love + Light Hairdressing

Florist: Laura The Kind Flower

Wedding Desserts & Catering: Garver Feed Mill

Coffee: Ledger Coffee Roasters

Decor Rental: Event Essentials

Patrick + Aaron: A Memorial Union Terrace Wedding

Patrick + Aaron had an amazingly fun wedding day at the iconic Memorial Union Terrace in Madison, WI

Their wedding was one of the first weddings we’ve done this year that felt a little more like “the before times” and it was wonderful to get to see them enjoy such a long-awaited (and once postponed) wedding day in true Madison-style at the Memorial Union Terrace!

We loved getting to celebrate in style with these two and their friends and families (and it was so fun to be on a party bus again!) Congratulations to Patrick + Aaron!

-Sam

Here are the wedding vendors (with links) who helped make Patrick + Aaron’s wedding day awesome!

Ceremony + Reception Venue: Memorial Union Terrace

DJ: Amy Midle, Polished Entertainment

Hair Stylist: Nichole Mick, All About You Salon & Spa

Florist: Kelly Deterding, Heather Hill Floral Design

Dessert: Madison Sourdough

Catering: Wisconsin Union

Olivia + Jim: A Lush and Intimate Wedding at Westmorland Park

Olivia + Jim had a small, laid-back wedding within walking distance from their house at the lovely Westmorland Park in Madison, Wisconsin

The two of them wanted to have a simple and beautiful wedding day, and they absolutely nailed it! All of the small details of the day were absolutely perfect, as was the Pizza Brutta and the Baron’s Gelato (yum!). The wedding ceremony itself took place in a little area of Westmorland Park that’s tucked away almost like a little secret garden and Olivia + Jim’s closest friends and family were there to celebrate with them and cheer them on as they tied the knot. Their wedding vows even mentioned one of Olivia’s favorite things, which is all the adorable pet names Jim has for her (I’m a big fan of pet names so I just think this is the cutest)!

Congratulations to Olivia + Jim, and enjoy the photos of their beautiful wedding day!

-Sam

Here are all the wedding vendors (with links) that helped make their wedding day magical:

Ceremony & Reception Venue: Westmorland Park

Officiant: Jason Kirkwood (a friend of Jim’s from college)

Bridal Jumpsuit (!!!): Rebecca Schoneveld jumpsuit (via Honey Bridal wedding shop in Chicago)

Engagement Ring & Wedding Bands: William Thomas Custom Jewelry

Hair & Makeup: Lyndse at Aniu Salon

Desserts: Baked goods from Batch Bakehouse, Gelato from Baron’s Gelato, and guest cookie packs from The Missing Pastry

Catering: Pizza Brutta Mobile Pizza Oven