{ Nikki + Tom = ENGAGED! }

I love our brave couples - brides who are not afraid of their dress touching the ground, grooms who think nothing of walking out into a field on a rainy day, and couples like Nikki and Tom who prepare to meet with freezing temps for some wintery engagement photos! A few days before Nikki and Tom’s engagement session, we were in contact about the weather: high of 7, snow. Usually we don’t keep our sessions on for that date if the temperature is below 20, but with this winter being so chilly at all times, any number without a negative sign in front of it didn’t seem so bad. Still, I would be in boots and a coat, with thirty shirts underneath; Nikki and Tom would be in their well-planned engagement outfits. She said it would be no problem and they weren’t worried. Sure enough, through wind and snow and cold, Nikki and Tom were laughing and smiling as though our high of 7 was a balmy Wisconsin 30.  Their courage paid off as we got the opportunity to create the perfect winter engagement photos including hot cocoa, a vintage sled and a cozy wool blanket.  We are looking forward to Nikki and Tom’s wedding coming up this fall; Congratulations you two!

{ Michelle + Patrick = MARRIED ! }

I cannot say enough about how gorgeous Michelle and Patrick’s wedding was!  We met Michelle at her parents' home in Green Bay where she was about to get dressed in the most stunning gown with the best bunch of bridesmaids swarming around to help, teasing her to lighten the mood, and serving up a little bubbly to celebrate.  Michelle wore her grandmother’s ring and vintage earrings to compliment it.

With Michelle done up and ceremony-ready we drove to a local park to meet Patrick for the first look.  Here we got to see the most humbling expression on his face when he saw his bride-to-be - beyond priceless.  Everything about Michelle and Patrick’s day had this genuine and free-spirited feeling to it; there was nothing but joy expressed from every guest and every family member (including the sweetest daddy ever, waiting to walk his baby girl down the isle).

As the ceremony ended, we did a few photos at Heritage Hill, before heading over to Green Bay’s main attraction for some fun photos showing how excited everyone was to be celebrating with the newly married couple.  It was a pleasure being a part of your day; congratulations and a toast to many years, Michelle and Patrick!

{ Rachel + Ken = ENGAGED ! }

Rachel and Ken had their engagement session just a few short weeks before their wedding day.  They did this because the engagement photos were something they wanted just for them - an intimate portrait of exactly who they are together.  This is what is at the heart of engagement sessions - creating something just for the two of you to cherish.  The couple met at Epic, a company in Madison, when they both started working there at the same time.  She had moved to Wisconsin from Indiana, and he had come all the way from Georgia.  When they clicked, it was almost immediate.  He proposed to her 18 months later on their way out of a favorite breakfast joint, the Hubbard Avenue Diner in the cute little town of Middleton.  This is where we had their engagement session, bumming around the little town they love so much.

Rachel and Ken got married August 10th in beautiful James Madison Park; wedding photos to follow shortly. :)