Maegan and Matt have been married for 10 years and together for 14 - so it was obviously time to get some photographs to celebrate this life that have built together. Love is a beautiful thing and I'm grateful I get to document it in all of its stages.

I love when I come home from a session and Luke asks me how it goes and my answer is “ah, so good, this couple is amazing and I want to be their friends” Chelly and Mark was exactly that. It was honestly hard to stop having a conversation and take photographs because they have such interesting lives and I wanted to hear more about Mark's travels and Chelly's time in the Peace Corps. I also love that I get some many couples who love to travel, travel is such an important part of my life and getting to connect with other people who feel the same is so great. Chelly and Mark were in town for the holidays for they both live and work in D.C, with their flight the next day we were lucky to get a nice day for a winter session (nice in Madison in January is 40 degrees). We met for tea at Lakeside Coffee, and went for a walk on the frozen lake. These two will be exchanging vows next fall at Tenney Park and I'm looking forward to spending more time with them.

I met Christine 2 years ago at a photography workshop in California when we were all walking back to our cabins in the dark, we shared a flashlight - small world when we both realized we were from Wisconsin. From that point we started an online friendship, passed weddings back and forth when the other one wasn't available. So when her and Justin made the move to Madison, I was excited to have them here! When we planned to do a shoot we decided the best way to welcome these two to Madison is to do a little walking around this lovely little place they now call home -- plus they are both super cute and fun.  

I've known Amy and Dan for about 14 years now, I watched these two fall in love, I stood up in their wedding and now I get to see them become parents and I am so beyond happy for these two and their little girl to come. A few weeks ago I met them in their home, had a meal and then went for a walk to do a little session of these beautiful two.

These two, just wow, I think a few tears came to my eyes just watching these two through my camera, the comfort and love these two have for each other is so beautiful, I really didn't want to stop photographing them. With Andrea currently living and working in the Netherlands it was a bit tricky to plan an engagement session before their August wedding, it was her last visit before the wedding and we spent a sunset together and I am so glad we did!

I never really partake in the TBTs of the internet but on this cold winter Wisconsin afternoon I can't help but wander back to the day I spent in Joshua Tree National Park with my dear friends Janelle and Andrew back in October. I came into town to document a wedding but these two have been on my list of "I want to photograph" since they started dating years ago. So they drove down to Palm Springs from L.A and we took the beautiful drive out, did a little thrifting and made our way to a little slice of heaven.

A few weeks ago I met up with these two for a little hike on a perfect summer day. It was such a wonderful way to get to know these two, I love how much they make each other laugh -- constant smiles and so much love. A few days after our shoot, Mel flew off to Greenland to do research and will not be home until the week before their wedding which I kind of love about her. I cannot wait to spend another day with these two, documenting their vows and meeting their friends and their family!  

I had the pleasure of spending a sunset with Bob & Erin in front of my camera again, you may remember them from last years shoot where they put on their wedding clothes and did a session with me since they didn't have a photographer at their elopement ceremony. Now these two are expecting a new family member next month and they wanted this documented, so we met back at our spot, fought the bugs and had some fun.

  After a long week who doesn't want to hop on a sailboat with cocktail mixing, a group of friends and a photographer-- a few weeks back I joined Sam & Ryan on their sailboat and spent a Friday nights sunset drinking Bourbon and documenting their life in the weekends away from computers, cell phones and alarm clocks and it was pretty magical.

A few months back I went and spent an afternoon with Michelle & Carey in their home and neighborhood in Milwaukee.  We listened to records, shared a drink and then went for a walk in a nearby park while sharing stories about their travels and life together. Michelle and Carey will be getting married and celebrating their friendship and love in Madison, Wi on October 17th and it is going to be fantastic.

A few weeks ago we had our first warm & sunny winter day -- warmth, oh how I love that in Wisconsin warm in the winter is when it's over 35 degrees, but after a week of below zero, it really does feel like a heat wave. I spent this Wisconsin heat wave getting to know Maddie & Bret in their beautiful home and walking around Tenney Park and catching the sunset on the lake; a perfect afternoon. These lovely two will be getting married in August here in Madison and I am excited I get to be apart of that celebration.

Documenting the Alyssa & Justin Taylor has become an annual thing, and I love it. For the last 2 years we have done the photoshoot at their home, last year it was a warm day so we took the shoot to the backyard, this year winter came early so we stayed in, made tacos and had some coffee and did a cozy shoot in their beautiful apartment.

Annie & Jake both work on campus and wanted to start our fall session there, a beautiful fall day to wander the campus and get to know these two a little better. After campus we went out to the Arboretum, one of my favorite places to shoot when there is fall color, we had a wonderful time and these two are totally amazing and fun to work with. Anna & Jake will be getting married next September, and I cannot wait to document their day.

I get the chance to hang out with Caitlyn at the studio I work at from time to time, and I just love her, she is hilarious, sweet and just one of my favorites. A few weeks back Caitlyn and Bryan celebrated their 2 year wedding anniversary and I got to celebrate with them by documenting their adorableness. I asked Caitlyn about their wedding and how he proposed to her and here it is in her words:

"We got married on Sept 29, 2012 and this coming Janurary we will have been together for 9 years. He was in my brothers band growing up and we started dating when I was 17. I went to California with my parents and my friend Brittney and I always get Bryan souveniers when I go on trips without him, -stupid things nothing fancy. So this time, we went to Bubba Gumps and I got him a fuzzy shrimp magnet. When I got home I gave him said magnet and he said, "I know you always get me gifts so I wanted to get you something." Of course he pulls out the rings and proposes in our living room. I have no idea what he really said but Kitty was next to him while he was on one knee and I started shouting, "ARE YOU KIDDING ME?!" over and over. He finally said, "Yes, I have a ring!!!" All in all, I got a ring and Bryan got a fuzzy shrimp. We got married at Seno in Burlington which is a beautiful woodland center. The day was perfect so its hard to pick out a favorite moment. The weather was perfect, thank goodness because we didn't have a plan b, we were getting married outside no matter what. Seeing him at the ceremony was special because we didn't see each other before so he was all teary and cute. When we were anounced to the crowd our officiant accidently said "I present you, Mr. and Mrs. Williamson" so that was pretty funny since Bryan's last name is Mach. Overall, our wedding was wonderful. It was filled with friends and family from all over the country and looking back I wouldn't have changed anything. It was perfectly us. Not too much fuss, just fun. "

Erin and Bob eloped back in December in their living room in Appleton, Wi with just 2 witnesses, their black lab and a pastor, a perfect set up for a wonderful couple.  A few weeks back Erin contacted me to see if they could put on their wedding clothes and do a little photo shoot with me - I was so excited for I have known these two for years and I was so happy when I found out they got married -- we had a blast on this photo shoot.

Mads and Za contacted me just a few months ago about their small, no fuss backyard wedding that took place on August 9th in Oshkosh, WI. Mads and Za have only lived in Oshkosh for about a year, they moved from Boston when Za got a job teaching at UWO and within that year these two have built such a lovely community. Their neighbors helped cook food and decorate, people traveled from Norway, Boston and many other places -- it was the perfect small gathering of close friends and family to celebrate Mads and Za.

I'm not entirely sure how to start and where to end on this one -- Elizabeth Rose has been my best friend since before we had our drivers license and we were pen pals before cellphones were in everyone's hands. Elizabeth and I have many stories I could share, so many memories growing up together - every weekend being a sleepover throughout high school. I love her dearly and being a witness to her marrying into this amazing family was one of the greatest things I have been apart of. I could write a novel about how I feel about these two and this family of six, but I don't feel like everybody who reads my blog needs to know, or really wants to know – so I'll say this – when Elizabeth called me to tell me they were engaged – I made the weirdest sound possible - a combination of a scream, a burst of tears and some kind of words of congratulations – I was filled with joy because I truly couldn't pick out a better match. The love these two have for each other and for those 4 amazing children is a beautiful thing to witness – the love these two have for their close friends and family is just as beautiful and I am so thankful that when I come up to Appleton, I know I can spend a day at the beach hanging out with the kids and Elizabeth followed by making massive amounts of food and end the night sitting on their porch talking until the early hours of the morning.

Here is a series of photographs that I took while being apart of their wedding, with the exception of a few that I am in taken by my lovely Father and Elizabeth's brother, Ezra.

On June 14th I got the chance to spend the day with Adria & Chris along with Adria's daughter, their family and friends at Olbrich Gardens and it was truly a wonderful celebration filled with sunshine, good food and lovely music. I have been able to get to know these two a little bit since they decided to book me for their wedding, we had a pretty awesome engagement session in their home & letterpress studio and Adria has done some pretty amazing graphic design work for me --we've been able to connect on many things and I really enjoy these two, their story and I had such a lovely time documenting their wedding day.

Last week I drove up to Hilbert, Wi for an early morning shoot with Christopher, Hannah and their beautiful son, Silas who just turned 1 a few weeks ago. I've known Christopher for well over 10 years now and until these two asked me to photograph their wedding in August, I had only met Hannah Darling (yes, that is her real last name) once, so it was wonderful to get to know her a little more and to meet their son who stole my heart just a little bit. I am so happy for this little family and I am beyond excited to be apart of their wedding day.

My dear friends Alyssa & Justin have been married for a few years now and they got ahold of me to take some updated photographs. I went over to their well decorated, beautiful apartment for some wine and tacos and a mini photo shoot in their backyard.