Winter Engagement in Milwaukee | Tara & Charlie

Tara and Charlie met in college, making Milwaukee the perfect spot for the engagement session! On a crisp, sunny winter afternoon we met the two of them at Lake Park and continued to be impressed by their ability to remain adorable & smiley together despite the chilly temps. :) After exploring a sun-filled bridge overlooking Lake Michigan, we headed to one of our favorite beaches in all of Wisconsin. If you didn’t know any better, you’d think we were in a tropical destination! The sky was bright, waves were rolling in, the water was perfectly blue, and Tara & Charlie were dressed to the nines with Tara in a gorgeous dress and Charlie looking dapper in a suit. :) These two are planning a classic wedding at the loveliest country club in Green Bay, and we cannot WAIT for July to arrive so we can photograph them as husband & wife!!

Love, Kelsy & Butch

Milwaukee engagement photos captured with Contax 645 and Pentax 67 on Fuji Pro 400H film. Processed by Fast Foto.

INDIAN WEDDING IN MADISON, WI | JEN & RAJ

After Day 1 of Jen & Raj’s wedding celebration in Madison came Day 2. The resounding agreement among many of their guests who hadn’t seen a Hindu wedding ceremony before was the feeling of being truly honored to witness and be a part of such incredible cultural traditions. And, we couldn’t possibly agree with them more!!

Raj’s family brought countless vibrant silk Sari’s and beautiful jewels with them from Hyderabad, India – all of which were custom-made for Jen & Raj’s loved ones to wear. A Henna artist from Chicago spent hours upon hours sharing her art on the ladies’ hands as the morning excitement swirled around their room at the Concourse Hotel. While Raj attended the Ganesha and Gowri pooja, a blessing that took place in his room, Raj’s sisters began dressing Jen. Each of them wore their own stunning color, and Jen was being draped in a rich yellow Sari. Photographing these moments where Jen’s parents and close friends were in awe of the transformation happening before their eyes was something we will never forget! After her Sari was styled just so, it was time for Jen to be dolled up in symbolic jewels Raj’s family had selected for her. With her dark hair and sparkly eyes, Jen looked like a queen! Meanwhile, Raj looked like a king in his traditional attire. Jen attended her blessing, the Gowri Puja, then it was time to make her way to the beautiful Mandapam in a grand room where all of her & Raj’s guests were seated. During the ceremony, Narasimha Chari Samudrala, a Hindu vedic priest from Chicago, made sure to tell everyone that none of the rituals happening were lost on Jen. He went on to say, she made sure leading up to the ceremony that she understood the reasons & history behind every ceremony ritual she would be a pet of with Raj. The two of them even created a detailed ceremony program so all of their guests would have a sense of the significance and meaning as well.

Jen & Raj's wedding truly was a whirlwind two-day celebration! The corners of our smiles hit our ears, and our eyes have never been wider. Much of that was due to the beautiful wedding Jen & Raj planned for their guests, but most of it was due to their kind hearts and wonderful family. We felt like special guests while photographing, and we are so thankful we were the ones capturing so many moments for Jen & Raj. Thank you from top to bottom and side to side of our full hearts!! 

Love,
Kelsy & Butch

Wisconsin Indian Wedding Photos captured with Contax 645, Pentax 67, Hasselblad 500cm and Nikon F100 on Fuji Pro 400H, Portra 800, and Ilford XP2 film. Processed by Fast Foto.

Venue: Madison Concourse Hotel  |  Wedding Invitation: Ajalon, Santa Rosa, CA  |  Hair & Makeup: Unit One Salon, Amanda  |  Eyelashes: The Lash Loft, Madison  |  DJ: Juke Box Bandstand  |  Rings & Bride's Jewelry: Jim Kyrshak  |  Henna Artist: Henna Services of Chicago, Zainab

MADISON WINTER WEDDING | JEN & RAJ

You know how sometimes you meet someone and just immediately love them? That’s how we felt when we had the pleasure of meeting Jen years ago and, since then, we've enjoyed getting to know her and her adorable pup, Hazel. This summer, Jen reached out with the most EXCITING news and we couldn’t have been happier to hear that she had met a wonderful man who she couldn’t wait to share her life with. We instantly enjoyed the company of Raj just as we did years back with Jen and knew these two were an incredible couple! 

Just four months ago, Raj proposed to Jen under the stars in Utah, and they dove right into planning their Catholic-Hindu wedding celebration in Madison, WI. We’re still blown away at everything they planned in such a short period of time, and would joyfully go back to January 1st & 2nd of this year to photograph their wedding again & again. Raj’s family traveled great distances to be a part of their wedding, as did Jen’s and many of their wonderful friends. With the Concourse Hotel as their wedding ‘home base’, we photographed Jen getting ready surrounded by her friends and family in a giant room overlooking Madison’s charming downtown. The sun was shining, it was a perfect winter day in Wisconsin, and it was New Year’s Day! What better way to start the year than to get married to the one you love most?

After sliding into her sparkly kate spade flats and her Grandmother’s stunning fur-collared red coat, we were off to Blessed Sacrament Church. Jen & Raj's Catholic ceremony was officiated by Msgr Joseph Diermeier from St Mary’s Church – the church Jen’s family belongs to in Marathon, WI. After a beautiful ceremony and musical treat from Jen as she beautifully played the flute to “Ava Maria”, her & Raj were announced husband & wife. We had JUST enough time to make it back to the Capitol for portraits as the sun was setting, which made for the most romantic scene!

With the help of daffodil parker’s gorgeous florals, Jen & Raj filled their reception with elegance as well as splashes of Indian decor & flavor. Heartfelt toasts, a memorial table to honor and love on their cherished family members, and a delicious meal led to a packed dance floor with popular American and Indian songs, and they danced the night away!

We couldn’t be more thankful to have been a part of Jen and Raj’s wedding – and this is just day one!! Later this week we’ll be sharing photos from their Hindu ceremony and wedding day, so be sure to stop back because we are exploding-excited to share more from their vibrant celebration!

Lots of love,

Kelsy & Butch

Madison Wedding Photos captured with Contax 645, Pentax 67, Hasselblad 500cm and Nikon F100 on Fuji Pro 400H, Portra 800, Ilford XP2 and Ilford 3200 film. Processed by Fast Foto.

Wedding Ceremony: Blessed Sacrament Church, Madison  |  Wedding Reception: Madison Concourse Hotel  |  Wedding Invitation: Ajalon, Santa Rosa, CA  |  Hair & Makeup: Unit One Salon, Amanda  |  Eyelashes: The Lash Loft, Madison  |  Florist: Daffodil Parker  |  Officiant: Msgr Joseph Diermeier from St Mary's Church, Marathon  |  Cake Artist: Bloom Bake Shop  |  DJ: Juke Box Bandstand  |  Rings & Bride's Jewelry: Jim Kyrshak  |  Bride's Dress: The Bridal Event, Appleton  |  Bride's Shoes: Kate Spade  |  Groom's Attire: Campbell Haines Menswear

2015 PORTRAIT PHOTOGRAPHY

Portrait sessions fill our hearts to the brim. Whether it’s photographing the anticipation of a soon-to-be Mom and Dad, the precious newness of brand new parents, a family of five with little ones running around, or a grown-up extended family who is simply happy to be all together in one place and wants the occasion documented, all of these sessions are centered around love. And capturing love in all of its forms is why we love what we do!! The little glances up at Mom and Dad, the tickle attacks and laughter, there is so much beauty in families and those connections are a giant source of inspiration for us as photographers. To all of the families and couples we had the privilege of photographing in 2015, thank you!! Thank you for inviting us in and feeling comfortable enough with us to be yourselves. We cannot wait to see what this year brings!!

Love, Kelsy & Butch

Wisconsin Maternity, Newborn & Family Portraits captured on medium format film with Contax 645, Pentax 67, Rolleiflex 3.5c and Hasselblad 500cm on Fuji Pro 400H, Ilford XP2 and Ilford 3200 films. Processed by Fast Foto.

2015 ENGAGEMENT PHOTOGRAPHY

Engagement sessions are one of our favorite ways to get to know our couples before their wedding day. A time when the four of us can simply have fun creating together without a timeline. These sessions are pure FUN for the two of us and for the brides and grooms to-be who enjoy loving on one another in front of our cameras. We love when we’re able to photograph in a location that is meaningful to our couple's relationship, and this past year we were able to do just that all around beautiful Wisconsin! From Door County and Milwaukee to Wausau and Devil’s Lake, we enjoyed being introduced to & inspired by new places, as well as revisiting a few places that will always make our hearts beat a little faster! A few of these lovely faces will be getting married this year (!!!) and we’re so excited for the amazing 12 months ahead! In the coming week we'll be sharing some of our favorite images from 2015 family portrait sessions & wedding celebrations soon, and for now we hope you’ll enjoy smiling at these lovebirds :)

Love, Kelsy & Butch

Wisconsin Film Engagement Photography captured on Contax 645, Pentax 67, Rolleiflex 3.5c and Hasselblad 500cm cameras with Fuji Pro 400H, Ilford 3200, and Ilford XP2 film. Processed by Fast Foto.