Matt and Sarah: Engaged

I met Sarah a month or so ago to talk about her wedding to Matt! They both live in Chicago, but she grew up in Anna, IL, and that's where the wedding is taking place. She happened to be in central Illinois; so, we met up for an ice tea to talk about the wedding and growing up in a small town...things we both love!

A couple of weeks later, I got to meet Matt when we met at Allerton Park for their engagement shoot. Sarah is a bit reserved...Matt a bit gregarious! They are each other's match in life!

Matt and Sarah, I'm so excited for your wedding! Matt, I'm hoping and praying nightly that you incorporate some of your family traditions into the ceremony...please, please, please!!!

Below are a few of my favorites...click here to see a few more.

As much as I love the landscaped gardens of the park, some of my favorite areas are off the beaten path...especially when the sun is beaming in just perfectly!

Sarah kept telling Matt to be serious about the shoot. But, Sarah, the not-so-serious images are the BEST ones!

Sarah - with her killer eyes....

...and killer smile.

Sarah's dad told Matt that he'd pay him $200 for every ornery smile in a picture. So....

.... I have a whole collection of these!!!

Luckily, I have a few of these as well. Handsome guy that he is!

I knew I was funny! I knew it!

Sarah and Matt, thank you...and I can't wait...and please, please, please do the bowing ceremony at your wedding (said in a desperately pleading voice!!!)!

Kickapoo Creek Winery Wedding: Tom & Jene'

Where do I even begin! I know! I know! I haven't posted in a month...I've gotten several emails this week berating me for it. But can you blame me? No, you can't...once you see the beautiful wedding I've been working on, you can't blame me one bit, because you'll get lost in the images just like I did each night sitting at my computer!!

When my sister Kim was growing up, she was friends with Clint McGraw...almost of the Tim McGraw fame in our hometown for his music abilities. I knew Clint, but I had never met his sister. Last fall I got an email from his sister Jene'....she was getting married and could we meet sometime to look through wedding albums, etc. We met at Panera and had so much fun talking about our hometown...we even made a trip to a custom invitation store, Fabulous Affairs in Bloomington, owned by another one of our hometown crowd.

I'll admit: I always get slightly nervous about meeting a group at an engagement session...what if we don't mesh and get along like the bride and I did? But, then I met Tom, her fiance'...who is handsome, sweet, ornery, and likes a good glass of wine. I was smitten....because seriously, who can pass up a good-lookin' guy who serves up a great glass of wine? Well, Jene' definitely couldn't! And over Memorial Day weekend, Tom and Jene' joined hands at the Kickapoo Creek Winery and vowed that for the rest of their lives they would be together...good glass of wine and all.

Tom and Jene', thank you so much for allowing me to be a part of your wedding. It was beautiful...the details, your families, and you as a couple. Congratulations and Blessings!

Here is a slideshow with my favorites from the day!