MADISON WISCONSIN WEDDING | EMILY & TYLER

Kelsy & Butch McCartney September 22, 2015

Fun, energetic, untraditional and vibrant! As Emily & Tyler planned their wedding day, these are the words they had in mind, all of which couldn't be a better fit for their joyful and full-of-life personalities!

Emily & Tyler's wedding day began at Paradise Park in Cottage Grove, WI, where sun shined brightly over the lush, gorgeous property awaiting them and all of their guests. After the adorable flower girl and ring bearer made their way down the aisle, their two labs, Bentley & Hershey, made a grand sprint down the aisle and had every single guest smiling! It's no secret we are both huge dog lovers as well, so seeing Emily & Tyler include their pups in their special day made us so happy!! As the new Mr & Mrs recessed down the aisle as husband and wife, the love they were both overwhelmingly feeling was written all over their faces. It was honestly as if they were exploding with happiness and couldn't have possibly waited another moment for their wedding day to arrive! We loved that they took a few moments immediately after their ceremony to just be and soak in all of the excitement they felt as newlyweds. :) Afterwards, wedding party portraits took us from the stunning gardens at Paradise Park to a waterfront property near Memorial Union and finally all the way up to Cap Square where their Majestic Theatre reception awaited them!

Emily & Tyler, thank you for choosing us to be a part of your wedding day. We are so happy for the two of you!!

Love, Kelsy & Butch

Madison Wisconsin Wedding Photography captured with Contax 645, Pentax 67 and Rolleiflex 3.5c on Fuji Pro 400H, Ilford XP2 and Ilford 3200 film.

WADE HOUSE WEDDING | ALLYSON & JOHN

Kelsy & Butch McCartney September 9, 2015

Allyson and John planned a wedding filled with their love of not only each other, but also their beloved home states: Wisconsin and California! A gift bag with fresh (squeaky!) cheese curds, chocolate in the shapes of WI & CA, as well as many other heartfelt treats welcomed all of their guests. This theme carried through to a tented reception at historic Wade House where Allyson & John's closest friends and family dined on Wisconsin brats & curds and In-n-Out style burgers.

These two were literally bursting with excitement to be married to each other!! So much so that midway through the ceremony Allyson threw her arms up and wrapped them around the man who had just promised her forever. Celebrating continued with the four of us exploring Wade House's amazing property — we were head over heels while photographing these adorable newlyweds around so much history!

After dinner, Allyson & John treated their guests to an absolutely breathtaking fireworks show!! The flashes of light and color felt so grand and, while their guests may not have needed it, seemed to shower energy that translated into an absolutely packed dance floor.

Seeing their bright eyes and giant smiles made us feel infinitely lucky that we were their to preserve their wedding memories. Thank you, Allyson & John, for inviting us into your very special day!

Love, Kelsy & Butch

ABOUT THYME FARM DOOR COUNTY WEDDING | ERIN & JOHN

Kelsy & Butch McCartney September 2, 2015

We chimed in on Erin & John's wedding day just as Erin was just about to slip into her truly stunning Vera Wang gown. She shared a heartfelt moment with her Dad before being escorted by a classic Door County Trolley to Sunset Beach Park in Fish Creek, where an especially handsome groom awaited her. :) Erin & John's bayside ceremony was blessed with abundant sunshine, live music, and the support of all of their loved ones. After soaking in the rays as they became husband & wife, Erin & John snuck away to the Fish Creek Marina where we were in heaven photographing this gorgeous new Mr & Mrs!!

At About Thyme Farm, guests enjoyed cocktail hour and passed hors d'oeuvres on the lawn while Lily & Ben Larsen set the scene for an amazing night with their talented duo of live music! While Erin & John made their way from hugs to laughs to smile-filled conversations, their amazing wedding planner, Chandra from Door County Event Planners, put the finishing touches on a timeless, beautiful barn celebration awaiting them just footsteps away. Heartfelt toasts, sparkly tear-filled eyes and sweet little moments between Erin & John as well as delicious food from Alexander's led right into one of the most perfect Door County sunsets we have ever captured and, from there, their dance floor went from 0 to 100 in record time! :)

Erin & John, we couldn't be more thrilled for the two of you and are so honored to have photographed your wedding celebration! Hoping we'll be able to get together soon now that you're so close, and we're wishing you a wonderful lifetime together as husband & wife!

Love, Kelsy & Butch

About Thyme Farm Door County wedding photography with Contax 645, Pentax 67 and Hasselblad 3.5c on Fuji Pro 400H, Kodak TriX 400 and Ilford 3200 film.

DOOR COUNTY ENGAGEMENT | LILY & NICK

Kelsy & Butch McCartney August 28, 2015

We've known this lovely bride-to-be, Lily, for years and have adored her since day one. She's as sweet and fun as they come, and after photographing her brother's wedding we immediately felt like she was our little sister too. :) Did we mention Lily's Mom was Butch's middle school teacher!? The connections are truly endless in Door County (one of the many things we love about it)!!

Fast forward to last year when we noticed a certain handsome gentleman, Nick, appearing in photos more & more while Lily's joyful smile was getting brighter & brighter! Of course being the photo goofs that we are, we secretly crossed our fingers that when the time came, we might hear from her with exciting news... and we DID!!! :)

Lily & Nick's Door County engagement session fell on a beautiful evening in Sister Bay. If we're telling the whole story, storms were looming as we drove over from Wausau but they cleared just in time for us to have a beautiful sunset and romantic evening light... two of our favorite ingredients for a gorgeous engagement session! We started at the most charming coffee shop, Drink Coffee, where Lily & Nick had a giant cookie made with their wedding date. We loved capturing these two on their charming patio in bustling of Sister Bay! Next we made our way to Garden Gables, a stunning wedding venue owned by Lily's brother & his wife. Were we ever lucky photographers to spend time with Lily & Nick around this stunning property (where we had been hoping to photograph for over a year)! Finally, it was only fitting that this picture perfect couple would have a gorgeous sunset over the bay to top off an amazing evening of smiling around the county. :)

Lily & Nick, you could probably tell by the huge smiles on our faces all night, but we are already counting the days until your wedding next September and couldn't be more thankful we'll be there to photograph every moment!!

Love to you both, Kelsy & Butch

Door County Engagement Photography captured with Contax 645 and Pentax 67 on Fuji Pro 400H and Kodak TriX 400, scanned/developed by Fast Foto.

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