WEDDING REHEARSAL DINNER PHOTOGRAPHY | CHRISTIANA & PATRICK

Kelsy & Butch McCartney November 13, 2014

wedding-rehearsal-dinner-photography-001 Christiana & Patrick decided to skip an engagement session and instead have their rehearsal dinner documented. Can we just say how much we LOVED this?? All of their closest friends and family joined them at Bistro on the Boulevard to kick off their wedding weekend in Benton Harbor, Michigan, and there was so much energy and excitement buzzing around!! Hugs and laughter in every direction we turned, delicious bites and cheerses, all in honor of a truly amazing couple. After a few spontaneous portraits and lots of mingling time, Christiana & Pat welcomed everyone to town with an amazing dinner (& dessert!) and shared their words of appreciation to everyone for making the trip to Michigan to help them celebrate. Feelings and emotions are worn right on their sleeves, and that's just part of what makes Christiana & Pat the kind of people you want to stick in your pocket and never let go!

We CANNOT WAIT to share Christiana & Pat's barn wedding with you tomorrow afternoon! Be sure to stop back because, trust us, you will not want to miss their celebration. :)

Love, Kelsy & Butch

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All images captured with Contax 645, Hasselblad 500cm and D800 on Fuji Pro 400H and Ilford 3200.

MILWAUKEE ART MUSEUM WEDDING | ELISE & TYLER!

Kelsy & Butch McCartney November 10, 2014

milwaukee-art-museum-wedding-001 With a soft color palette and modern lines in mind, Elise & Tyler designed the wedding of their dreams with lots of help from Elise's Mom, Jean, and an amazing team of creatives! The Milwaukee Art Museum absolutely blew us away with its grand beauty and refreshing walls of white. But more importantly, we were two very lucky photographers as we captured this fun and at ease couple's wedding day. Elise and Tyler are not only a gorgeous bride and groom, but an amazing couple to be surrounded by. The happiness they emitted was never-ending from the moment we arrived to our hugs goodbye and you could see in their eyes that they were so grateful for all of the friends and family who traveled to celebrate with them on their wedding day!

Our day with Elise & Tyler began with the ladies getting final makeup & hair touches and Elise slipping into her beautiful wedding gown (and stunning Manolo's!) in their own getting ready suite at the museum. We were even able to tag along as Elise's maid of honor delivered a special wedding day gift to her groom. From the look on Tyler's face, our guess is that he liked it. :)

The first look took place in a galleria completely overflowing with gorgeous light and white walls & floors everywhere you looked! Our hearts may have skipped a beat when Elise opened Tyler's gift to her - a brand new collar so they can pick out their first puppy and start growing their newly formed family of two! From that moment on, their smiles were painted on and we had a BLAST with their very charismatic wedding party! Inside the museum & out, Elise & Tyler and their stylish wedding party looked amazing and we were thankful to have lots of portrait time with them!

The entire wedding day was set in the Milwaukee Art Museum, but the transformation that took place from the moment the ceremony ended until their reception tables were glowing with candlelight was incredible!! Guests were whisked into another galleria for cocktail hour and an amazing guitarist serenaded everyone as they enjoyed Wisconsin treats and beverages. From a gorgeous ceremony white washed in radiant light and gorgeous florals to a reception celebration with linens, colorful up-lighting, centerpieces and never-ending thoughtful details that filled their reception, all of the friends and family of Elise & Tyler were in for a real treat!

We've been bursting at the seams to share Elise & Tyler's wedding photographs with the world! With think they are such wonderful people, and were an absolute JOY to photograph! Thank you two so much for trusting us to document your wedding day!

Love, Kelsy & Butch

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All images captured with Contax 645, Pentax 67, Hasselblad 500cm and Nikkormat 35mm on Fuji 400H, TriX 400 and Delta 3200.

GRAND THEATER WAUSAU WEDDING | MARIE & JOE!

Kelsy & Butch McCartney November 3, 2014

grand-theater-wausau-wedding-001 Perfect October sunshine, charming downtown Wausau, a classic car, stunning fall blooms and, most importantly, a couple so sincere and in love that everyone felt it.

We arrived to Marie's parents house where she was surrounded by all of her best girlfriends; the light was pouring into the living room where she was helped into a gown that was custom made just for her with the same gorgeous heirloom satin that was used both in her Grandmother's and Mother's wedding dresses years prior. After arriving to Church of the Resurrection by way of her neighbor's classic car, Marie greeted her handsome groom for the first time. Joe was beside the church, full of emotion and excitement for the day ahead. The moment Marie & Joe found their way into each other's arms, they couldn't help but smile from ear to ear!! :)

After a beautiful ceremony in one of the most beautiful churches we have ever seen, Marie & Joe and their lovely wedding party took a stroll through town over to the Historic Yawkey House where we had so much fun photographing them! The light was absolutely glowing and they were, without a doubt, the happiest group of people in Wausau. At the end of portrait time their handsome German Shepherd, Thor, joined us and brought SO much energy and happiness!! Not to mention he was such a good boy as he loved on Marie & Joe! (we obviously have a HUGE soft spot for dogs, especially on a wedding day!)

Marie & Joe walked hand-in-hand across town as Mr and Mrs to their Grand Theater wedding reception where they were greeted by non-stop hugs, laughter, and all of their guests enjoying cocktail hour upstairs in the loft. After thoughtful toasts that brought tears to nearly every single guest in the beautifully decorated Great Hall, we were able to steal them for a few evening portraits under the glowing marquee that wished Marie & Joe a giant "congratulations"! :)

Thinking about this day makes us so happy! Marie & Joe, thank you for inviting us into your lives and into your beautiful wedding celebration. We couldn't imagine spending a wedding day with a more warm and thoughtful couple, and we're so excited to see all of the joy that you bring to the lives of others by simply being yourselves together!!

Love, Kelsy & Butch

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All images captured with Contax 645, Pentax 67 and Hasselblad 500cm on Fuji 400H, TriX 400 and Delta 3200.

WEDDING PHOTOGRAPHY DOOR COUNTY WI | SAMANTHA & ROBB!

Kelsy & Butch McCartney October 30, 2014

We had the chance to spend a sunny afternoon with Samantha and Robb in beautiful Door County WI and loved the oodles of time and vibrant fall colors we were able to play with while creating portraits together. Wedding days can fly by so quickly and it was amazing to slow down with the two of them all done up in their wedding attire! From the shores of Lake Michigan in Jacksonport to About Thyme Farm's stunning barn in Bailey's Harbor, we had a blast with Samantha & Robb and hope they cherish these images for years to come!

Love, Kelsy & Butch

All images captured with Contax 645, Pentax 67 and RZ67 on Fuji Pro 400H.

Florist: Helene from Flora Flowers | Hair & Makeup: Kari Pudlo

GORDON LODGE DOOR COUNTY WEDDING | KATIE & NICK!

Kelsy & Butch McCartney October 22, 2014

gordon-lodge-door-county-wedding-001 Fall weekends in Door County, Wisconsin tend to be on the busier side. Fall colors line the shores and back roads everywhere you turn, and the busy roads in Ephraim, Sister Bay, Fish Creek and Bailey's Harbor are usually bumper-to-bumper with cars angling to get to the next beautiful spot. We're not sure words will do the feeling we all experienced justice, but after Katie & Nick's ceremony at Ephraim Moravian Church overlooking Ephraim the entire wedding party gathered at the volunteer Ephraim Firestation, where Nick's father so honorably served. One photo we hoped to get was the entire wedding party in front of the station, which is located right on highway 42 in probably the busiest part of Door County. As we were arranging Katie & Nick and their awesome wedding party, the traffic just stopped! As in, LINES of cars were graciously waiting for us to get the photos we needed! Yup, Katie and Nick stopped traffic on their wedding day on one of the busiest Door County weekends of the entire year!!

Their wedding day was blessed with rain, but you would never know it from the looks on Katie & Nick's faces, or the faces of their guests! From the moment we arrived to the walnut cabin at Gordon Lodge in Baileys Harbor where Katie was getting into her dress, we could tell the only thing that mattered was that Katie & Nick were tying the knot. The non-stop day of celebrating also included a tour of the County via the Door County Trolley winding through Peninsula State Park and just about every colorful back road they could find on the way from their Ephraim ceremony to their BEAUTIFUL Gordon Lodge reception. After sweet and entertaining toasts, Katie & Nick enjoyed adorable cupcakes and danced the night away with all of the guests, who weren't the least bit shy about crashing the dance floor! :)

Katie & Nick, photographing a love as strong & happy as yours is truly a blessing for us! We know the two of you will have a long, joyful and family-centered marriage. Capturing these moments that you'll be able to look back on for a lifetime makes us burst with joy!

Love, Kelsy & Butch

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