HORSESHOE BAY FARMS DOOR COUNTY WEDDING | RACHEL & CHARLIE

Kelsy & Butch McCartney August 25, 2015

When you think about a wedding in Door County, Wisconsin, you think of a few things: effortless natural beauty, water, and romance. Rachel & Charlie's wedding celebration at Horseshoe Bay Farms was all of these things and so much more! Those familiar with Horseshoe Bay Farms know that no wedding has ever taken place there before. Rachel & Charlie are truly lucky to have the fortune of having their wedding at this incredible property. With Carrie at Door County Event Planners at their side, they took on the giant slice of charm the Farms has to offer and turned it into the wedding of their dreams!! Where do we even begin?! :)

Rachel and Charlie started their wedding day at Grey Logs, a bayside property between Ephraim & Sister Bay owned by Charlie's parents. With a view of the water the ladies got dolled up while the guys went boating and eased into the day. Rachel & Charlie's first look took place on a twisty boardwalk leading from a house in the woods to the shore and, from this point on, smiles never left their faces!! These two have an ease about them that feels like you have honestly known them for years & years, and photographing them along the bay was like a dream!! After portraits they arrived to their ceremony on the water where some of the most authentic words of wisdom and advice about marriage were shared by their officiant as he pronounced them husband and wife. A table overflowing with glasses of champagne awaited all of their guests to keep their hands happy as they crossed the street to the reception at Horseshoe Bay Farms. Rachel and Charlie welcomed each loved one to cocktail hour under the most stunning floral arch we have ever seen, and from there the celebration began!!

Guests mingled and enjoyed passed appetizers while the Allegro String Quartet serenaded them before entering a stunning Sperry tent decorated to the nines! Helene at Flora Flowershop created a unique centerpiece for every single table and with evening light fading to candle light, it made for the most elegant and romantic evening! Deliciousness served by Mission Grille & live music from Dynasty brought the house down as Rachel & Charlie's guests piled onto the dance floor immediately!!

It was the kind of evening we could have photographed forever. We feel incredibly lucky to have been Rachel & Charlie's photographers. Thank you two so much for trusting us to capture your once in a lifetime day.

Love, Kelsy & Butch

GLEN VIEW CLUB CHICAGO WEDDING | CATHERINE & ANDREW

Kelsy & Butch McCartney August 20, 2015

Catherine & Andrew were introduced by a friend and they started dating in the summer of 2013. One year later they had dinner plans and Andrew forgot his wallet, so he ran back to get it before they continued on with dinner at a french restaurant. When they got home afterwards Andrew's place was decorated with roses, petals and candles, serving as the most romantic setting to propose to Catherine with a stunning ring they hand selected together! :)

In planning for their wedding, Catherine & Andrew left not one detail overlooked! Catherine has a studio in downtown Chicago where she designs lovely wedding invitations & paper goods at Charm Studio. We can only imagine how many times she was asked what her own wedding invitation might look like leading up to her & Andrew's wedding day! ;) Needless to say, we were absolutely blown away. By hand, Catherine drew a crest combining elements from each of their family crests, which was used throughout their wedding on the invitation (with gorgeous calligraphy by Bien Fiet Calligraphy) as well as their escort board, menu chargers, table numbers and more!

After a beautiful ceremony at the church Catherine grew up with, we arrived to Glen View Club where her parents are members and were absolutely in love with its exquisite architecture and landscaping. With a beautiful palette of white, light green and hydrangea blue, Catherine & Andrew's wedding celebration was timeless and elegant! Their wedding day was blessed with endless sunshine and we couldn't get enough of the Club's giant oak trees, which made for a perfect portrait spot with this most classic bride & groom! :)

Guests enjoyed cocktail hour on the patio before entering one of the most grand settings where greens hung from giant chandeliers, Catherine's hand-drawn crest marked each table, and Fleur brightened up the light-filled room with white & green centerpieces. Catherine & Andrew were seated at a long table with their bridal party, all of whom dined on the most darling hydrangea blue plates. After sneaking Catherine & Andrew out for photos during a perfect sunset, they cut their cake and were welcomed to the dance floor by High Society Band. We couldn't help but smile when guests immediately flooded the dance floor!

It's almost impossible for us to describe the amount of JOY overflowing in one room with everyone Catherine & Andrew love most; let's simply say, you had to be there to experience it. And goodness, are we ever feeling lucky to have been there with this amazing new couple and their wonderful families!! Thank you, Catherine & Andrew!

Love, Kelsy & Butch

Glen View Club Wedding Photography captured on Contax 645, Pentax 67 and Nikon F100 with Fuji Pro 400H, TriX 400 and Ilford 3200.

RAMHORN FARM WEDDING | MELANIE & MICAH

Kelsy & Butch McCartney August 11, 2015

Every single loved one at Melanie and Micah's beautiful Ramhorn Farm wedding celebration felt the love they shared. From the way they light each other up to the heartfelt handwritten vows they exchanged, the best way to describe Melanie & Micah's wedding day is POWERFUL.

First, we must say the Ramhorn Farm property is absolutely immaculate. Upon arriving, it's almost as if you're swept away to Italy with endless landscaping, lush greens and charming spaces every way you look... and, Chickens!! :)

Melanie & Micah's ceremony surrounded by fields was made even more special with their darling little Cavalier puppy, Fritz, as one of their ring bearers as well as readings done by several family members. Afterwards, guests were welcomed to cocktail hour with passed appetizers and lavender infused champagne. The reception was styled to perfection by Evenement Planning with gorgeous flowers by Jane Kelly Floral! Dinner took place at long wooden tables in a cozy courtyard under the stars, and definitely no shortage of cheersing. But first, to kick things off, Melanie hopped on the microphone to sing a french version of "La Vie En Rose" that brought nearly everyone to tears. Hands down, one of the sweetest wedding moments we have ever seen :)

It was honestly a day meant for storybooks, and we couldn't be more grateful to have been there to capture countless moments exploding with joy!! Thank you, Melanie & Micah, for the giant honor of photographing your wedding!

Love, Kelsy & Butch

Ramhorn Farm Wedding photos captured with Contax 645, Pentax 67 and Rolleiflex 3.5c on Fuji 400H, TriX 400 and Ilford 3200 film.

WAUSAU PORTRAIT PHOTOGRAPHY | JODI & BRENT

Kelsy & Butch McCartney August 6, 2015

Let us simply start by saying, photographing our dear friends makes us SO happy!! Over the last few years we've had the pleasure of documenting Jodi & Brent's engagement & wedding, and just last week we headed out on an absolutely gorgeous evening for portraits!

You can find Jodi & Brent capturing lifestyle portraits & joyful wedding celebrations over at Beyond Imagination Photography! Sometimes photographing photographers has the ability to make you a bit nervous because you want to do the best job of your life for them!! But with these two, it is effortless! :)

It has been almost two years since Jodi & Brent's wedding day and these two are still one of the sweetest couples we know – not to mention, they're gorgeous and absolutely adorable together! Jodi is one of the most vibrant and full-of-life little ladies you will ever meet, and it couldn't be more clear how much her & Brent love adventuring through life together (with their adorable pup, Jewels, who must join in their next session!!).

Thank you two so much for entrusting us to photograph your love!! We adore the two of you and can't wait for our next date night :)

xoxo, Kelsy & Butch

Portraits captured in Wausau, WI with Contax 645 and Pentax 67 on Fuji Pro 400H film, scanned by Fast Foto.

PORTRAITS OF APRIL

Kelsy & Butch McCartney July 30, 2015

Let us start by saying how awesome this girl is!! We always love connecting with photographers and earlier this month had the pleasure of spending the day with April, an incredibly talented photographer based in Madison – You can find her capturing joy over at April Violet Photography!

We were truly honored when she came to visit us in Wausau and SO enjoyed sharing everything there is to share about our love of film photography!! There's something about chatting with an artist who shares your passion that just lights a fire within you and, although she was here to learn more about film, we feel so lucky to have learned from her as well.

Thank you, April!! We are excited to see your journey with film continue, and Parker is hoping you come back to visit soon (the moment she arrived, he promptly jumped up into her lap)! ;)

Love, Kelsy & Butch