DOOR COUNTY BASEBALL THEMED WEDDING | KIM & STEW!

Kelsy & Butch McCartney June 28, 2012

Earlier this month we had the distinct honor of photographing Kim & Stew's wedding in Door County, and it is one that we have been dying to present to you! Kim and Stew just returned home from a honeymoon in the Bahamas, and we couldn't be more excited to welcome them back as Mr & Mrs with a huge preview of their wedding photos!! Kim and Stew are two of the most charming, laid-back, and fun-loving people we know! When it came to their wedding day they were non-stop smiles and an absolute JOY to photograph!! To be honest, it didn't really feel like we were "working" at all, but more like we were friends who played an important role in their big day.

Kim had two familiar faces helping prepare her hair & make-up as she transformed into a stunning bride. Tom Preston & Lee Ann Perrine also took care of her as Miss Wisconsin 2010 in the beauty department and, to no surprise, they did an Amazing job -- Kim was absolutely Striking!! With no exaggeration, Stew had the BEST reaction when he set eyes on his bride for the first time as she walked down the aisle of St. Joseph's Catholic Church on her Dad's arm!!! We are quite sure you will know exactly what we mean when your eyes come across the images below ;)

K&S not only brought their love of baseball to their Door County engagement session, but also to their wedding day which was complete with ticket-styled invitations, a jersey guest book, and Cracker Jack favors!! With help from Alliey of Sash & Bow, Kim & Stew infused Stone Harbor Resort with a touch of America's pastime, and lots of class. From purple uplighting & elegant chair covers to the incredible shores of Door County, Kim and Stew's wedding day was a gorgeous escape!

We are SO excited to have photographed not only Kim & Stew, but the entire cast of their friends & family!! From the bottom of our heart, thank you two for including us in your celebration!!!

Love | K&B

Ceremony: St. Joseph's Catholic Church | Reception: Stone Harbor Resort | Planner: Sash & Bow | Bouquet Florist: Maas Floral | Reception Flowers: by Connie Larsen, Mother of the Groom | Cake Artist: Cakes by JoAnn | Hair & Make-Up Artist: Tom Preston & Lee Ann Perrine (Miss Wisconsin hairstylist & for the current Miss America) | Bride's Dress: Anjolique from Tie the Knot Bridal Boutique | Bridesmaid Dresses: Charlotte's Bridal | Men's Suits: Concept's Bridal & Formalwear | DJ: DJ Michael Ray (Michael played guitar & sang at Kim's parents' wedding in '82!) | Videographer: Miller Studios | Lighting, linens, chair covers & pew decor: Sash & Bow | Ceremony Vocalist: Constance Albert | Ceremony Pianist: Joe Stawicki | Dinner to Reception performers: Aunt Edie, Uncle Ben & Lily, sister of the Groom | Jersey Guest Book: FLS Banners | Custom signs for escort cards & Guest book: We Have a Great Notion on Etsy

EAGLE RIVER WEDDING PHOTOGRAPHER | SARA & BROOK

Kelsy & Butch McCartney June 13, 2012

Sara & Brook's wedding: Classic, romantic, & sophisticated. Beautiful and inspiring. Sincere, silly, & definitely real. Their wedding was a perfect reflection of the two of them, and the day they were blessed with in northern Wisconsin at the Eagle Waters Resort was absolutely fitting for two of the most genuine people you will meet! They planned a relaxed, care free wedding day that allowed them to slow down and truly soak in each moment. With their closest friends & family, S&B prepared themselves for the day in suites overlooking the waters of Eagle River, WI with towering pines, a perfect early summer breeze, and gorgeous light pouring in!

Sara & Brook's first look was easily one of the most touching we have ever photographed! The reaction Brook had when turning around to see his stunning bride revealed to him for the first time was perfect! He and Sara were locked in a moment and completely immersed in themselves, as if the two of us had vanished and it was just them, their eyes & smiles :)

After a touching ceremony we headed back to the resort where we were blessed with what felt like unlimited portrait time with Sara & Brook and their welcoming family. Smiles and laughter came so easily throughout the day and the comfort S&B found in each others arms spoke volumes to their relationship and love for one another!! We are absolutely honored to have been a part of their charming wedding day and have no doubt that the two of them have a future together filled with the perfect combination of adventure, romance, and friendship!

Love | K&B

FLORAL GREEN BAY WEDDING | JEN & JEFF

Kelsy & Butch McCartney June 4, 2012

Effortlessly beautiful. Fresh, romantic florals. Non-stop adorable glances. This is just touching the tip of how lovely Jen & Jeff's wedding was!! After their refreshing engagement session last fall, we knew that we were in for even more great style & adoring eyes from the two of them on their wedding day! From the striking looks Jen threw our way to the way she and Jeff fell into each other so perfectly, we could go on & on about how perfect they are for each other and how much fun we had photographing their love! After saying "I Do" in the beautiful Saint Francis Xavier Cathedral, Jen and Jeff arranged for us to photograph them with their family & bridal party at the Green Bay Botanical Garden. The lush gardens made us feel like we were whisked away from Wisconsin and shooting somewhere half a world away!! Handmade details from family members like Jen's Mom gave both us & their charismatic bridal party gave us lovely signage & ribbon streamers to play with :)

In front of 250 of their closest friends & family, Jen & Jeff held nothing back when it was time to relax & celebrate at the Rock Garden! Their first dance brought down the house and surprised ALL of their guests with the "history of dance"! Halfway through their slow song, the DJ spun a faster tune and they took turns showing us all of their moves!! Talk about a way to energize your guests and pack the dance floor!

We are SO happy for Jen & Jeff and are incredibly grateful to have gotten to know such genuine people!!

Love | K&B

Jen is a bride after my own heart!! From her gorgeous dress to lovely Twigs & Honey accessories and Badgley Mischka's, there was a fair amount of swooning going on while she got ready ;)

SO Happy!! :D

Oh my goodness. Jen, you are absolutely stunning!!!

JUST PLAIN THANKFUL

Kelsy & Butch McCartney April 3, 2012

Amidst the craziness of our day-to-day life and constant efforts to grow both personally and in our business, it is easy to get so caught up that we don't slow down and recognize how amazing right now truly is. On a typical weekday morning we wake up around 7:30/8am, take Parker out, share a pot of coffee, respond to sweet client emails, prepare print orders, cull/edit our latest portrait session or wedding, design wedding albums, prepare + send out lovely packages to our clients, meet with newly engaged brides & grooms to-be, share images on our blog + social media, connect with our favorite wedding vendors, reach out to high school seniors, and of course sneak in a trip to Starbucks for our daily fix among all of these things... because, you know, that is a must in order to make our way through to-do lists. ;) But in between those check marks and exclamation points (yes, these lists are sprinkled with !!!), our days are also filled with some of my favorite moments: quality time spent with our puppy, smooches & tickle tortures with my hunny, non-stop smiling at the computer because I am so inspired by our clients and excited about the images we create together, listening to Butch sing along with every other song playing on Spotify, and watching over downtown Wausau from our new studio (which we have still yet to officially announce!).

The little things are not just highlights of any given day, but our favorite moments and the ones we are especially thankful for! This, in combination with our pure excitement for the incredible clients we have the honor of working with, is what inspires us and makes us want to create images that reflect couples in their natural state, energetic high school seniors, and wedding day moments that if uncaptured risk being lost forever. In both our personal lives and in our photography, this is what we shoot for -- unscripted out-takes filled with genuine emotion!

On that note, we wanted to take a trip down memory lane back to 2010 to share some of our favorite moments from Jody & Chris' University Club wedding in St Paul. We would love to hear what your favorite moments are... feel free to share :)

Love | K&B

ASHLEY & ADAM | MEMORIAL UNION MADISON WEDDING

Kelsy & Butch McCartney March 25, 2012

While planning a February 25th wedding in Madison, one would expect (and hope for) a snowy white dusting throughout the city. Despite the grounds being green just days before, it snowed in time for Ashley & Adam's wedding and could not have been more perfectly white! Their wedding day began at the Mansion Hill Inn, where Ashley & her ladies prepared for the beautiful day ahead. As soon as we arrived we were immediately energized by all of the love & excitement buzzing around their room! The charm of the Inn and abundance of natural light floating into the room was absolutely breathtaking. After sharing a glass of wine with her bridesmaids followed by a few portraits in front of the luxurious hotel, we made our way to the Wisconsin State Capitol so that Ashley could soak in a similar moment with Adam :)

On the third level of the pristine Capitol building, Adam waited for his bride to make her way over to his arms for their first look. Ashley was a radiant beauty as she glided across the marble floor to tap Adam on the shoulder and make her first wedding day memory of his handsome face! Shortly after, Ashley & Adam's ceremony in the Assembly Chamber was especially lovely and filled with so many cute moments between the two of them :)

A&A were more than willing to brave the slightly chilly air to create an unlimited amount of beautiful images with us, which we of course loved! Afterwards, we headed to Memorial Union for their reception and were smitten over the soft white candlelit feel they brought to the Great Hall. From the romantic floral centerpieces by daffodil*parker to the menus and Ferrero Rocher place cards created by Ashley & Adam, they infused their celebration with so much of themselves... all the way down to a toasty warm signature drink!

The way Adam looks at Ashley and so effortlessly makes her laugh speaks volumes to their relationship. They adore their friends and family as much as they do one another, and since they dated for 6 years before reaching this point it felt like one big family celebrating together!

We are beyond grateful to have been a part of their fairytale wedding day and know that together, Ashley & Adam have found a lifetime of laughter together :) Thank you two SO much!!!

Love | K&B