* Virden Illinois * Blush & Gray * Historic Church Wedding Photographer *
Small meaningful touches, a faith driven ceremony, and a day full of lively characters only begins to describe Aryn and Matt’s Virden, Illinois Catholic church wedding at the start of June 2017. From the moment I met the soon to be husband and wife, I knew they were a couple I wanted to work with. The importance of family and one another was very apparent. They were focused on capturing all the intimate details including little things they chose to incorporate into their day, such as the crocheted garter handmade by Aryn’s grandmother, who has been blind for as long as Aryn can remember. To the first look memories between the bride and groom as well as the father of the bride and his daughter. All significant parts of their day. Aryn and Matt chose to get married at the charming Sacred Heart Catholic Church in Virden, where Matt has been a long time member. Aryn was a vision of perfection in her gown topped off with a remarkable lace trimmed cathedral veil. I mean…she was gorgeous! The three bridesmaids were beautiful in blush pink dresses also. Matt and his groomsmen held their own in light gray suits and accents of the same hue of pink. We made our way outside for the couple’s first look. The weather was pushing 90 degrees which made it a bit on the toasty side, however the nice breeze helped keep it bearable. After the bride and groom had their intimate first look together, we played with the bridal party under the same lovely, white flowering tree. Then we roamed around the grounds surrounding the church on the sun-drenched day and found our way to the brick archways in the front of the church. One of the most memorable moments of the day came when I was photographing the stunning Aryn under the arches and we heard Matt scream in disgust. A bird pooped on his head! You can’t make this kind of stuff up! Now as I thought when it happened and after some more research on the messy topic, it is considered good luck to have a bird poop on your head! The saying goes that you will receive great riches after this occurrence. And for it to happen on your wedding day and then you marry the love of your life. I would say Matt…You are one lucky man!
The ceremony was full of faith, teachings, and many blessings. Plus, to make it a bit more exciting a brief power outage in the middle added one additional layer to the memory of the day. After the bubble exit from the church we headed to the square of the little town for some fun photos before the reception. We started where their love story began. At the old True Value hardware store. Aryn said she remembers their first meeting as employees was near the candy aisle. How sweet! Even though the store is no longer under this name the owners offered up the last True Value sign they owned to the bride and groom. Of course we documented the happy couple with this memento! We capped the evening off after all the traditional events like dinner, cake cutting, and dances were completed with some time outside for my favorite part…Sunset Photos! I remember Aryn telling me at their engagement session at Lincoln Park last year how she was absolutely in LOVE with sunset photos! And with that cathedral length veil of hers, we most definitely grabbed some striking images for them to remember forever. Joy surrounded Aryn and Matt throughout the entire day and I couldn’t be happier for them. I am looking forward to watching their relationship in marriage blossom and see where their good luck and many riches in love carry them.
Warm Regards,
Lauren
Vendor Shout Out
Church: Sacred Heart Catholic Church, Virden, IL
Reception Venue: Knights Of Columbus, Virden, IL
DJ: Chad Burton Cake: Specialty Cakes by Tammy, Inc
Hair Stylist: Megan Renee
Makeup Artist: Ruthie Kahl
Photo Booth: Prestige Entertainment Dan Nash
Catering: Fema’s Catering
