After a pivot in venue Liz & Jordan ended up getting married at a family member’s backyard and it was the best. Liz got ready in her childhood home, her Dad got her to the first look, they had a beautiful ceremony with not a dry eye in the crowd followed by cocktails, a taco truck and dancing. This wedding may have been years ago but I remember is all like it was yesterday. it was a wedding I walked away from so grateful this is my job - I get to witness and document wedding days.

Megan and Russ made many changes in order for their wedding to happen in a safe way this last summer and it was a perfect day by the lake to celebrate their exchanging of vows. It was a wonderful day filled with happy tears and so much joy and I am so grateful I got to be there to witness and document it all.

We all have had to make sacrifices in 2020 but that doesn’t mean you still can’t marry your person. For Gabriela and Meheer, they had a plan to have a big celebration in August and when the reality that is 2020 hit, these two made a new plan - Instead of August, how about July, instead of a venue in Madison, why not Gabriela’s parents’ rooftop patio, instead of 100+ people, why not immediate family only and instead of a wedding gown, why not an amazing feathered orange dress? These two shifted their plans but kept their goal in mind - to marry each other and I loved that I was able to document this wedding and also eat the meal Gabriela’s parents prepared for all of us.

Nicole and Matt met in college at UW Madison, they now live in Chicago and last month these two got married in Milwaukee. Their wedding day plans may have changed, the sky may have been spitting rain down on and off all day but this was a good day and I am so glad i got to be apart of it.

Second Photographer: Megan Yanz

Venue: Ivy House

Planning + design: Rosewood Weddings

Floral: Flowers For Dreams

Specialty Rentals: A La Crate

Cake: Miss Molly’s Cafe Milwaukee

Entertainment: Milwaukee Airwaves, Aaron

Catering: Birch + Butcher

Alexandra reached out in August to tell me about their wedding they were planning for October - at the time, Moose and Alexandra were living in New York, planning a wedding in Milwaukee and then decided soon after the wedding, they would moved to Austin, TX - needless to say, it’s been a last few months for the two of them. I wanted to lay that all out there to say, it would have been easy to feel overwhelmed and pretty stressed the days leading up to and the day of their wedding but all I saw were smiles, excitement and just pure joy when I was with them - this truly was a joyous day filled with so many friends and family who all traveled to be there to witness these two exchange vows at their interfaith ceremony where a Catholic Priest and an Imam worked together to create such a special ceremony. Alex and Moose, congratulations on your marriage, thank you for inviting me to document and to witness your wedding.

I have lived around the corner from a Greek Orthodox Church for the past 3 years and I’ve always wanted to see the inside of it and on September 28th I got the opportunity to photograph Anna and Stu’s wedding there. It was such a beautiful and traditional ceremony followed but an amazing, epic and hilarious party at The Edgewater - but what do you expect when the bride and groom run the cities comedy club! I think my favorite part of this day was the comedians roasting everyone who came in for the grand march - that was indeed a first for me.

4 weeks before Kaylee and Nate’s wedding and they got a call from their wedding venue saying they could no longer host their wedding - that is stressful, yes, maybe even a bit of a nightmare for most, but it all worked out, a wonderful venue happened to have this one date open Bowery Barn - a new and beautiful space. Kaylee and Nate planned a new wedding in just 4 weeks, they exchanged their vows, made everyone cry, had the perfect weather and an epic dance party. When I showed up to start photographing, everything was so calm, everyone was just hanging out and that really was how the whole day felt - not a stress in the world, just two people with their people hanging out and exchanging vows. It was perfect.

A perfect spring afternoon in St. Paul, MN spent with these two and their beautiful community. A few of my highlights from this wedding include the fact that Colleen didn't wear any makeup, watching Tom and Colleen look at each other, that both her and Tom's parents are adorable and so in love it made me teary eyed on a few times that day and that Colleen did a Mother & Daughter dance that was perfect.

This day was great and I loved working with these two. 

I never know how to express how I feel about weddings in just a few short sentences on my blog because i feel like it's one of those 'you have to be there' sort of things. This one, oh these two, I'm not exaggerating when I tell you that my cry count on this one was high, So many beautiful moments, so many wonderful people, so much support and love with this group of people it was hard to keep it in for me. This wedding was a good one, I had my very best friend all the way from Missoula, Abi of This Is Soul by my side shooting and we had a lovely time documenting the day that John and Katherine got married. 

It was cold but it didn't matter for these two! Jessica had her eye on this chapel for years knowing that one day she would get married there and on January 6th at sunset she married her best friend next to a roaring fire surrounded by all of their loved ones. I loved this day, a day filled with so much love and joy, there was so much thought put into every moment and Jessica and Andy braved the cold for photographs. After they ceremony in Oshkosh, we all drove to Neenah to Zuppas where the celebration continued with a wonderful meal, beautiful speeches and a table full of homemade pies and chocolates! Jessica and Andy, I am so happy you picked me to document this day, I am so happy for the two of you!

I had the privilege to travel out to San Diego, CA to both witness and photograph my dear cousin, Ari's wedding. The intimate gathering of friends and family up on a mountain started with a yoga session followed by arranging bouquets while sipping mimosas and coffee while another group transformed a garage into a fancy dinner location. The community that surrounded this could on this day was beautiful to be apart of and watch, I am so glad I got to welcome Matt to our (crazy) family and dance the night away under the moon with everyone. I am so beyond happy for these two and their great adventure together, with their next big adventure expected top arrive this spring! Congratulations Ari and Matt.

It was the day before the wedding and Hernan, the groom, was still in Ecuador because his visa was denied. So when Lauren woke up on the day of their wedding to see rain in the forecast, it didn't bother her because she got word that Hernan was on his way and would be there by the time the first look was scheduled. And that is how the day went, any time there was a hiccup, a delay, a last minute venue change, it didn't matter because they were together. This was my last 2017 wedding so my dearest friend and one of my favorite photographers, Abi from This Is Soul flew in to shoot with me.

Elaine and Dan got married on a rainy day in early October but the weather didn't change their mood! The day started at the Hilton getting ready followed by a beautiful traditional ceremony at Old St. Mary's and ending with an amazing meal a dance party at the Pritzlaff. These two had no problems playing in the rain (and the insane wind) with me and my second for the day, Brit Higgins and we had so much fun working with them!

Brittany and Cory got married minutes away from their home in Jefferson, WI. These two planned a day that was so them and I loved being apart of it. These two had a small ceremony followed by a big ol' pig roast and party. It was their favorite day and I had a blast documenting it all!

Weddings can be stressful for everyone involved but not Maggie and Tim's wedding. From the moment I showed up to the time that I left everything went smoothly and everyone was full of joy, it was a dream to be apart of. These two are dear souls, they picked my favorite place to shoot at, they had a beautiful ceremony led by their Yoga instructor, a meal provided by Heritage and some of the most amazing speeches I've heard this year. I would redo this day it was that good.

Chelly and Mark spent the year leading up to their wedding not only planning a wedding but starting the process to adopt a child. A month before the wedding they welcomed their baby girl, Cora into their home and then flew from D.C to Madison to celebrate with their community. This wedding had something different about it, it was about Mark and Chelly and their love for each other  but also about their commitment and love for their child and the journey they were put on to find her. I'm sure you guessed it, I cried a few times at the wedding.

A perfect day in the city for a wedding, spent the afternoon wandering the neighborhood with Katie, Dan and their wedding party - a beautiful ceremony at sunset followed by a wonderful meal, beautiful speeches and an epic dance party. 

A highlight of my summer was traveling out west to hike in the mountains, spend a few days living in a tiny house and documenting this wedding. I've known Elise since the 3rd grade, so it was very exciting when she contacted me to come shoot her wedding - getting to know these two through this last year has been wonderful, seeing her family and friends again was a nice reunion and this day was perfection. I cried more than the photographer should, I had goosebumps from the way these to love not only each other but their families and their friends - it was an honor to be up on that mountain witnessing their vows.

On August 19th Sarah and Brien traveled back to Wisconsin from Seattle and had a beautiful wedding at Devil's Head Ski Resort. I am so thankful to have met these two and photograph their celebration and be apart of their ceremony.

Venue: Devil's Head Ski Resort

Second Shooter: Sarah Lang of Lovely Ember Photography

Truth is I've been sitting on this blog for 2 days now, I've done this because the love I have for this day is hard for me to put into words. I have been blessed to know Hillary and Ted since middle school, I watched their love grow into what it is today and I am so thankful that I got to be the one to document their wedding day. As I pulled up to Ted's family cabin and when I came in and saw Hillary, I got choked up -- it was the day that Hillary and Ted get married and I knew it was going to be magic from start to finish. You guys, I was right, from their first look and cribbage game, to the light and words during the ceremony, to everyone ever singing beautifully on the back porch including the lovely bride and her band, Peridot to the meal being one from one of my favorite caterers, Heirloom Kitchen, to the many amazing toasts to the father daughter dance where Hillary's Grandpa sang to Ted's Mom Singing to Ted's Dad playing Trumpet to Hillary's family band making the dance party happen. I would photograph this day everyday. Hillary and Ted, you two are gems, your love is magic, your family and friends are the best and I am so grateful I know you both, thank you for having me at your wedding, in the words of Hillary, love you more,

Audre Rae