* Carlinville Illinois * Steel Blue & White Summer Wedding Photographer *
My anticipation for June 16th, 2018 has been building for quite some time now! I knew the details would be perfect! I knew it would be beautiful! I knew myself, along with the guests, would be in for a treat! But, most of all I knew at the end of the day, I would bare witness to an incredible couple becoming Husband and Wife! Which was the most important to me. Erin and Nick have been extraordinary throughout the entire journey to their wedding day and I’m beyond thankful to have been a part of their special day in Carlinville, Illinois last weekend! They met when they were in college at Blackburn in Carlinville, where Erin studied to be a teacher and Nick was a stand out soccer player while getting his degree. Nick has another amazing talent as well! He is the master at being able to entice the biggest smile out of Erin at any given moment. It’s like Magic! This pair was meant to be together and it is obvious to anyone that meets them.
The one thing I could have done without on Saturday was the heat! Holy Hot! Thank Goodness most of the day was spent inside at the lovely Saints Mary and Joseph Catholic Church where Erin and Nick chose to say their “I Dos”. We had to lay out the morning plans well as the bride and groom were not seeing one another before the ceremony, yet both were getting ready at the church. Luckily for me, Erin is a planner just like me! This girl had everything set up and ready to go as far as all the details I needed to photograph, where the boys would be in comparison to the girls, and I took care of the logistics of shuffling everyone around! So we were the perfect planning duo! Many of the awesome details included in their day were thoughtful tokens added to Erin’s bouquet with her grandparent’s signatures, who had passed away in order to keep them close. Her grandfather’s ring, which she wore on her thumb throughout the day. As well as a lovely embroidered handkerchief she gifted her father during their first look. Which was perfect timing because her father, David, shed a few tears when he saw Erin looking stunning in her gorgeous dress and cathedral length veil for the first time. It was one of many lovely moments throughout their day!
The full Catholic mass was lovely and full of prayers for the couple, honoring their loved ones, and sharing in it all with the ones they appreciate the most. Following their nuptials and a fun confetti exit for the couple we continued with photos outside of the church. One “Must Have” photo for Erin and Nick was to recreate a photos that both sets of Erin’s grandparents had done on their wedding days in the back seat of their getaway car. They had a family friend who offered up a stylish ride in a vintage black car for the couple after they tied the knot. Erin wanted to grab a few photos in the backseat of the car just as her grandparents did on their big day! So Amazing! We then took the entire bridal party over to the Carlinville Courthouse for some more bridal party photos. Erin and Nick’s bridal party was made up of family and long time friends and they were wonderful! Full of energy, goofiness, and admiration for the pair! The ladies looked amazing next to Erin in their lace bodiced steel blue dresses paired with their white bouquets. And the guys looked fantastically dapper in their classic grey suites and white ties. I had a blast with their entire bridal party, which makes the day go a lot smoother! We made one last trip over to Blackburn College with just Erin and Nick to commemorate their meeting place. This included a simple bridge on campus which was the backdrop of the start of an phenomenal proposal story that came full circle on wedding day. In case you haven’t heard how Nick proposed to Erin…It’s a pretty marvelous tale!
Nick had a friend take a photo of him down on one knee with the ring in hand. He had the photo blow up to movie poster size just in time for Erin’s favorite movie, Beauty and the Beast, to come out. Carlinville has the fascinating Marvel Movie Theater, which lights up the main street in the town with neon and the old time marquee. Nick and Erin had a date night to see her favorite movie and after the movie outside in front of the theater Nick pointed to the “Coming Soon” window and said maybe they should see the next movie set to come out. Erin turned to see Nick’s movie poster in the window and when she turned back, Nick was down on one knee in front of her ready to pop the question! The marquee even read, “Beauty and the Beast, Marry Me” above their heads! Can I get a collective, “AWWWWWWW”! If you missed Erin and Nick’s engagement session HERE, you can see how we incorporated the theater again at the end! So considering the theater was right across the street from their reception hall at the Elks, we HAD to ask the theater to help us out again! The lights were bright and the marquee read, “Cheers to the Crains!” And with a dip from Nick, it was the perfect ending to one of the best love stories I’ve ever seen!
I cannot Thank the new Mr. and Mrs. Crain enough for allowing me to be part of their wedding day and capture their lovely memories! I wish you two a long and blessed marriage.
Warm Regards,
Lauren
Huge Shout Out to Erin & Nick’s Vendors who made their day so special!
Ceremony Venue: Saints Mary and Joseph Catholic Church http://macoupincatholicchurch.com/ss-mary-joseph-carlinville-illinois/
Reception Venue: Elks Lodge Carlinville Elks Lodge #1412
Videographer: Iron Hills Productions https://www.facebook.com/ironhillsproductions/
Florist: Main Street Florist https://main-street-florist.com
Cake Artist: Tish Cakes https://www.facebook.com/cupcakesbytish/
DJ: Moondance DJ Service https://www.facebook.com/Moondance-DJ-Service-176792572421785/
Makeup Artist: Cogo Bongo http://www.cocobongosalon.com
Hair Artist: Coco Bongo http://www.cocobongosalon.com
Bridesmaid Dresses: David’s Bridal (Springfield, IL) http://www.davidsbridal.com/DBIAjaxStoreLocatorDirectionsView?stLocId=623
Tuxes: Men’s Warehouse (Springfield, IL) https://www.menswearhouse.com/store-locator/4628?utm_source=google&utm_medium=listing&utm_content=4628&utm_campaign=IL
Musician: Dustin White (pianist)
The Marvel Movie Theater in Carlinville https://bestmoviedeal.com/home_v2/marvel_v2/
