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.

We almost rescheduled because it was a rainy day but I am so glad we risked the rain because we got some cozy photographs of these two! We started this shoot at an Irish Pub Lisa and Andy frequent which is fitting since Andy proposed to Lisa on the recent trip to Ireland. After the Pub, we went to their gym where they both practice Brazilian Jiu Jitsu and they showed me some moves and then we ended by the lake for the sunset. These two are getting married next September and I cannot wait to get them in front of my camera again!

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.

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

Jes & Jimmy met at a dog park a few years back and last month Jes and Jimmy had a popup ceremony at the Buckingham Fountain in Downtown Chicago followed by an incredible meal at Betty's on Fulton Market. Perfect weather, beautiful community and the dogs even came to the ceremony!

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.

Madison is filled with wonderful people and Jenny & Bobby are two of those gems. I had the chance to meet these two last summer for coffee to chat wedding and then again at their dear friends Maddie and Bret's wedding (another pair of wonderful people) and we all hit it off - So when these two wanted me to document their day, I got really excited. These two were so much fun during their engagement session last fall and since then I couldn't wait to be apart of their day. Their wedding was wonderful, I think I cried a total of 10 times, these two are so filled with love for each other and their family and friends are all so wonderful and supportive and really fun people. If I could, I would do this day all over again because it was really just a perfect day. 

One of my favorite things about my job is getting to meet new people and hear their stories and Alison and Jeremy have quite the story. These two are currently living in Casablanca, Morocco working in a school and these two have been traveling together ever since they met on a plane to Bolivia from the midwest a 5 years ago. If you follow my work, you know how much I love traveling,  so when these two emailed me with their story I was so excited to meet them. Alison's brother got married in Wisconsin a few weeks ago so I made a trip to meet them at their wedding venue to take some photographs and hang out.  

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.

I first met Joleen & Brendan back in January to discuss the wedding and take their engagement photographs, it was the week before they moved to Washington D.C and it was about -10 degrees outside, so getting a chance to take their photograph on July 5th, a perfect summer day was wonderful. I arrived to the room with Joleen sitting in her beautiful flower crown with her brother and friend Joanna and everyone was so calm, I knew it was going to be a good day. Joleen & Brendan had a small guest list, a beautiful outdoor ceremony and the best party bus I have seen in all my years of wedding photography. They had lawn games, an amazing meal by Upstairs Downstairs  followed by an epic dance party.  

A few weeks ago I got together with an old friend, Lindsay to meet her best friend and take photographs of them being adorable. These two live in Iowa together, they run a farm together and they are marrying each other on February 1st and I get to be there to document that.

Sun out, wind blowing and pretty people to document all day. Katie and Trent's wedding was such a beautiful day and at one of the prettiest venues I have been to in Wisconsin, Whistling Straits in Sheboygan. Katie and Trent are some friends of mine and when they got engaged and I got a text from Katie asking me to photograph the wedding, I squealed with excitement, for I knew this was going to be in love with every outfit and detail of the day -and I was right. Katie's dress had pockets, her hair was perfect, and their wedding party was a blast to work with. I am so happy for these two!

When I arrived at this wedding it was like walking into DIY heaven - from hand painted signs to help their guests find the ceremony spot to a beautiful arch built by the brides father. Kayla and Tanner had the perfect day and I was so happy to be apart of it.   

It is one thing getting asked to document a couple's wedding being the beginning a friendship, it is quite different when you document a couple who you have known from the beginning, lived with for 3 years and help pick out the engagement ring and also wedding dress - being there from the beginning and then seeing my best friend who also happens to be my boyfriend marry them in front of the closest of family and friends - oh man, if I could relive that day, I would in a heartbeat. A day truly about the vows being exchanged, about the couple's journey and how this is only the beginning of a wonderful life together - as Luke put it so perfectly in the ceremony "…we bring together two travelers, two people equally at home in Madison, Mexico, or the back country of Colorado.  Equally at home alone in a cabin or tent as they are when surrounded by friends at their dinner table; a place that has seen its share of gatherings. They are two travelers, but they are travelers with a deep sense of family, of community, of generosity, and of home." I feel so blessed to have these to beautiful people in my life, enjoy the images from their wedding celebration:

Madison, Wi is where I decided to live, and I couldn't be more happy with my city, my job and my community. I sit drinking my Monday morning coffee and reflect on my weekend of photo shoots and the community I surround myself with and I feel truly blessed. One of the biggest reasons why I love what I do is the variety of work that I can do with my collection of cameras- one day I do a fashion shoot, the next day I am documenting two of my best friends getting married  to a Sunday with a family at the park, catching up and documenting their ridiculously cute child. Here are a few photographs from those three shoots: black & white look book - Styled by the lovely Char

Katie and Maia got married this weekend, a small backyard wedding with a guest list of 17 - service was done by my wonderful boyfriend followed by an amazing dinner and bonfire:

Jessica and Joseph were my neighbors back in my college days- we would spend many late nights on the porch listening to records that would end in a dance party, I remember when joey proposed, i remember their lovely wedding day and now, years later they have a little girl that I get spend time with and document her life .

After 13 years of dating, Sam and Dallas celebrated their love on May 25th with a big party with all of their friends and family. It was such a beautiful day, and I was happy to share it with them.

Before today I only had a few conversations with these two and I managed to cry about 5 times throughout their wedding day. I can't describe to you how beautiful this day was and in so many ways- to start, everyone looked so beautiful, these two are ridiculously cute and they manage to have really attractive family and friends. The community that these two have is so genuine, their love for each other is so evident, their friendship is so true. Every bit of this day was perfect, to the cute little chapel they got married in, to the song Cait recorded for their first dance. These two are new owners of a coffee shop and music venue on Monroe St. called Crescendo, and you should all check it out.