Jamie & Drew *Sangamon County Courthouse Wedding *St. Patricks Day in Springfield, Illinois
Each wedding in the Central Illinois area that I photograph is always unique. Whether it’s a HUGE black tie 500 guest wedding. A rustic, barn wedding filled with small personalized details. Or a tiny, courthouse wedding filled with love and surrounded by family. And I love EVERY ONE OF THEM! I first heard from Jamie in October last year when she reached out to me about engagement photos with her fiancé, Drew. We tried our best to find a date that could work for her and Drew’s busy schedule and settled on a time and date. We also discussed their wedding plans when Jamie expressed that she already was feeling overwhelmed about all the decisions that go along with booking vendors, picking florals, and even choosing a date. She mentioned she had been a guest at one of my other couple’s weddings, Celeste & Timmy, in Taylorville that October. She loved how their photos turned out and wanted to at least get an engagement session booked, while they decided on a big vs. small wedding. A few days before their session, Jamie unfortunately had to cancel due to Drew’s work requirements. We had pretty much run out of fall options that worked with either of us and therefore we could not reschedule. This made both Jamie and I very upset because we had built a good relationship and wanted to capture some images. At that point, I was afraid I would not hear from Jamie again as far as photos since our schedules weren’t meshing. We had such wonderful conversations and that was the part that hurt.
Fast Forward to the middle of February when the day I didn’t think would come….came. Jamie sent me a message wondering if I even remembered her and if I would ever photograph a courthouse wedding? The answer was YES to both! Of course I remembered her and the sweet nature I could already tell she had through email. And you bet I would love to be a part of their special day no matter where it was. Every one deserves to have beautiful images to look back on with fond memories. Even show future children the beginning of their love story. Luckily for this couple, Jamie’s daughter, Payslee, who was the cutest little flower girl, could witness her mom’s love for Drew firsthand on their special day. And speaking of luck, the wedding date they chose was only the Luckiest Day of the Year…St. Patrick’s Day!
I met Jamie and Drew last Friday, along with their immediate family at the courthouse. We took some fun photos in the beautifully lit hallways of the 5th floor while we waited for the ceremony. When it was their turn we all filed into the court room with only the judge in sight. I just had such a wonderful feeling of calm and intimacy on behalf of this couple, who bypassed all of the crazy decisions, stress-induced emotions, and people pleasing that can sometimes go along with planning a big wedding. Especially when you are more laid back and don’t like that type of pressure, as Jamie had originally mentioned. They held hands while they said their vows (which did include a hiccup with the judge mixing up their names), however this gave everyone a giggle and I’m sure they will tell the story for years to come. Jamie’s sister, who could not be in attendance for the wedding even FaceTimed in to see her sister marry her best friend. So of course we had to make sure she was in a family photo! They exchanged their wedding bands and gave one another a heartfelt kiss to seal the deal. We then all made our way over to the Illinois Old State Capital for family photos on the grand staircase followed by the Old Springfield Train Station. Both locations added so much to their day by adding personality and character for this incredible couple’s photographs. I am so very grateful that Jamie kept me in mind over the months and that I could play a role in their very cherished wedding day.
Warm Regards,
Lauren
