based in Springfield, Illinois + traveling all over central Illinois, St. Louis, and beyond!

wedding + senior photographer

* Springfield Illinois * Emerald Green Winter Wedding Photographer *

Weddings

December 1, 2017

The Saturday after Thanksgiving is turning into a popular wedding weekend for Abbey’s large family! Last year her cousin got married and now she continued the new tradition for her winter wedding to Chris in Springfield, IL. With such a big family on Abbey’s side plus all of Chris’ family and friends, it works out right after the holiday when everyone is already in town. They left no detail untouched for their gorgeous day with the nuptials at Blessed Sacrament Parish and the reception venue at The Inn At 835. From the meaningful location where I photographed Abbey’s dress, to the beautiful choice of colors for the bridal party, the special guest appearance of Chris and Abbey’s beloved pup for photos, and the packed dance floor at the reception made possible by the amazing band, The Shenanigans….Every part was so well thought out!

I’ll admit though…Abbey had me nervous! As we started planning out the timeline of the day, Abbey was adamant she did not want Chris to see her before the wedding for a first look. On most occasions I have absolutely no problem with this tradition of not seeing the bride before she’s walking down the aisle. Heck, my husband didn’t see me before the ceremony on our wedding day 8 years ago! However, since we were so late in the year and racing to get all photos in before sunset, I was pushing for a first look. I explained my reasoning in wanting to ensure we gave ourselves plenty of time after the ceremony for family photos, pictures outside of Blessed Sacrament that Abbey wanted, as well as making our way over to the Washington Park gazebo (where Chris proposed) with enough light. Yet, after sitting down with Abbey and Chris to go over each detail of the big day I thought we may be able to pull it off. I’m not going to lie though I was still very worried.

I started with Abbey and her beautiful bridesmaids at BJ’s Grand Salon West early in the day for hair and makeup. I then took off to Abbey’s grandparent’s home in the Outer Park neighborhood, where I was to photograph her dress and accessories. Photographing her dress here was a very special aspect of the day for Abbey since she has a close relationship with her grandparents. Her cousin also did the same thing for her wedding and again we continued the tradition, which I totally love. Her dress was fabulous as were her two pairs of gold shoes. One heeled pair for the ceremony and one glittery pair of Keds tennis shoes for comfort afterwards. Not to mention the white fur stole for the chilly evening and antique perfume bottle to top off the whole look. I met Chris and the groomsmen over at Blessed Sacrament for a few formal photos before the ceremony go underway. Chris looked very handsome in his navy suit and matching tie. And his groomsmen and ushers made up of family and close friends all wore similar navy suits with gold ties.

Shortly after, the moment arrived when the doors opened to a filled church when Abbey and her dad made the long walk down the aisle towards Chris. He simply beamed when he saw his bride make her appearance. Their Catholic ceremony included so much faith, splendid music, and a ton of love. Once they were pronounced husband and wife their joy was all over their faces! So exciting! Following family photos, I made sure to steal the newlyweds for a few photos inside the wonderfully elaborate church to highlight the archways, stained glass, and of course the new Mr. and Mrs. Berberet! By the time we were done with the bridal party photos outside of the church I couldn’t believe how on time we were! There was still plenty of light outside as we headed over to the park!

The magic all began at the gazebo! The warm glow of the natural lighting, the holiday garland, and you can’t forget Murphy! Murphy is Abbey and Chris’ furbaby with a ton of energy, and adorable face, and impeccable taste in fashion donning his matching green bowtie! The smiles of the couple’s faces really couldn’t have gotten any bigger! Murphy did perfect and we were able to get some great photos of them all together on this special day! The whole bridal party was next and we had a blast! So much energy and fun with the entire crew, even though the girls were starting to get a bit cold with the cool air. Yet, their attire colors and bright smiles were just stunning against the decked out gazebo! The emerald green of the girls dressed along side of Abbey’s white gown made me giddy! Then add in her fur stole and the girls gold shawls. Simply delightful! We finished at the park officially at sunset with Abbey and Chris so I could focus on the playful nature of their relationship. Some snuggles on the dock overlooking the pond before we stopped traffic to capture the couple with the fascinating backdrop of warm pinks and oranges of the sunset. Spectacular! Two more stops around Springfield were on Chris and Abbey’s list before heading to the reception, which were main gate at the Illinois State Fairgrounds as well as lovely street view of the Illinois State Capitol all lit up for the holidays! The glow of the festive lights were the perfect way to cap the couple’s photos! I believe Abbey and I actually high fived one another after we realized we completely made it happen in the short time frame mother nature gave us to work with! YAY!

The reception at the Inn at 835 was classy and stunning with candelabras as centerpieces along with beautiful red, white, and peach florals as well as berries on the tables and cake that matched the bouquets the girls carried. The reception was comprised of laughter, past memories, so many loved ones, and The Shenanigans rocking the house with their entertaining renditions of the good ole oldies as well as current party hits! They were phenomenal! Their music even inspired a first for me….An invisible jump rope competition! It was pretty hilarious!

Above all Abbey and Chris are now Mr. and Mrs.! They couldn’t be more thankful for their family and friends, who joined them on their incredible day. They are gracious, full of life, and eager to see where their future takes them. Thank you for allowing me to be a part of your charming and dazzling wedding! Cheers to the Berberets!

Warm Regards,