Well, in a year that seemed to take forever to get through, we finally made it to the one day Tarika and JD had been waiting for! Their wedding day! And for me as their photographer, their wedding was the perfect one to end my 2020 season. Tarika and JD planned their day in downtown Peoria, Illinois at the beautiful Maxam Event Center and Waterhouse venue. The day started out, however, with the Tarika and JD getting ready with their small bridal party at a local hotel. Tarika was so calm the entire day and so happy to finally get to their special fall day! When it was time to get the bride in her gown it really was a magical moment! Her lace floral gown was absolutely incredible and fit her perfectly! Tarika’s mom, Elizabeth helped her with all the finishing touches along with her two bridesmaids, who were in lovely pink and mulberry colored dresses. JD, per his own admission, was a little more nervous the morning of the wedding. This sweet man was so excited to see his future wife that while he was getting dressed he said his hands were literally shaking! Yet, the time was coming for him to see Tarika as the couple planned a first look before their ceremony.

We set JD up outside of The Waterhouse and gave Tarika the opportunity to show him how gorgeous she was in her wedding dress! It was an adorable first look as JD took in every bit of Tarika custom gown. And before portrait time began, Tarika gifted JD, along with his two brothers, handkerchiefs with the same painting their late mother had painted years ago. I think this moment caught JD off guard and the emotions from this lovely gesture were too much. Then it was time for a few bridal party portraits! With probably the only colorful trees in the downtown area, we took full advantage of the pop behind the couple with their loved ones. The fall attire of navy for the guys along with pinks, mulberry, and rose gold for the ladies gave a classic rich look to the day. Once the bridal party photos were complete I continued with soon-to-be newlyweds on a fantastic cityscape with a fun building facade and amazing light. It really highlighted the love and happiness of this wonderful couple. We then headed to one more location with Tarika and JD for a few more photos before they tied the knot! Honestly, these two are so delightful in one another’s arms! Now it’s time to get these two MARRIED!

The ceremony was held in The Distillery Room in the event center, which was a charming, rustic space. Everyone was in place and as Tarika entered the room with her father and made her way down the long aisle to JD the emotions of the day got to her. She said later that her dad told her how beautiful she was right before walking down the aisle and she just simply lost it! So sweet! The ceremony included Tarika and JD reading vows they each wrote to one another, exchanging rings, and sealing it all with a kiss! They were then pronounced husband and wife! YAY for the new Mr. & Mrs. Roberts! Immediately following the nuptials I rushed outside with the newlyweds as sunset wasn’t waiting on us! Luckily, we caught the tail end of the golden light, and thank goodness Tarika and JD were up for anything including being in the center of a roundabout while I sat pretty close to the middle of the road! But it was worth it for some silhouettes! My favorites!

We headed back inside to celebrate the couple during the reception. The ballroom was stunning with rustic chairs, glowing modern floral centerpieces, and a navy draped sweetheart table. Tarika even surprised JD with his very own Monopoly inspired groom’s cake with dates and places special to their relationship! Love it! The couple shared their first dance, as well as dances with Tarika and her dad, and JD dancing with Tarika’s mom. And before I finished up for the evening I stole the couple one more time for a few photos of the new Mr. & Mrs. Roberts under the sparkly lights and the night sky. Congrats, Tarika & JD! I wish you a lifetime of happiness!

Warm Regards,

A huge shoutout to Tarika & JD’s vendors for helping create a beautiful day!

Ceremony/Reception Venue: The Waterhouse

Bride’s Dress Designer: Casablanca

Bridal Shop: Haute & Co. Bridal Boutique

Bridesmaid’s Dress Designer: Davinci

Bridesmaid Dress Shop: Lindsey Lane Bridal

Hair Stylist: Loft Bridal, Kayla Boyd

Makeup Artist: Loft Bridal, Brittany Yates

Caterer: The Waterhouse

Florist: Hy-Vee

Cake: Hy-Vee

Groom’s Cake: SugaFix

DJ: Complete Wedding & Events

Groom’s Attire: Seno Formal Wear

Invitations: Salmachrit

Reception Decor Rentals: Peoria Rentals

First Look Time!

These are some of my favorites!

Let’s get these two married!

Introducing the new Mr. & Mrs. Roberts!!!

If you are looking for your own wedding photographer, I would love to hear from you! Contact me today and let’s talk about your own wedding vision!