A few Sundays ago I went to Chicago to meet Kaitlyn and Kyle for a drink and a photoshoot. It was a hot & windy day in the city but we had a wonderful time wandering and documenting their love.  

Much of Kyle and Kaitlyn's relationship was long distance with the exception of 1 year together in Chicago, Kaitlyn first when she went to grad school in Virginia and then She just completed her master's in January in Epidemiology at UW Madison and Kyle has been living in Chicago throughout their 6 years together - now Kaitlyn is back in Chicago and they are excited to have their life together in one city. Kaitlyn and Kyle will be coming back to Madison to get married and celebrate with all of their friends and family in late October and I can't wait to be apart of that celebration.

Melissa and Andrew got married on July 25th at the Monona Terrace. It was the hottest Saturday of the year but we went outside to take photographs anyway, followed by a beautiful ceremony, cocktail party, dinner and then a wonderful show by The Hometown Sweethearts turned into an epic dance party. A perfect way to celebrate these two and their love for each other.

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!  

This past winter I photographed Chris & Jen's wedding and in May the welcomed their son, Lincoln Wilder Canty to the world. A few weeks ago I went over to their home to meet him, catch up with Chris and Jen and document them as a family. 

A few weeks ago I went to spend a day in Chicago with Ruth & George. I met these two at their home as they were preparing for a picnic, from there we went to a park, popped some champagne and hung out for a few hours.  

When Katie and Josh contacted me to shoot their wedding, I knew I wanted to be there to document it for when I asked them what they were most looking forward to on their wedding day, their answer was "whiffle ball and a bonfire" - it was then that I knew these two needed to be in front of my lens and I am so glad they were. This day was beautiful from the minute I pulled up to On Twin Lakes until a drove out after sunset. There were so many moments from this day that pop into my head and make me smile -- like when Katie and Josh both gave each other love letters to read before the first look and it was the same card and how Katie made their save the dates, wedding invitations and cut out beautiful pieces of paper and strung them all over the beautiful venue. These two live in Portland and I only had the opportunity to meet Katie once for coffee but walking into their wedding, I felt like I got to know them so much better. Katie and Josh started dating 10 years ago when they were both students at University of Wisconsin-Madison, Katie decided to sell a football ticket, and put up a sign with her number on it. Josh was the one who called, and they met in the lobby of their dorm for the exchange. Katie then ran back up to her room and told her roommate about the cute boy she had just met. She then forgot his name and for months referred to him secretly as 'ticket boy' until finally through AOL Instant messenger, Josh introduced himself and asked Katie on our first date. Katie told me was swept away by his romantic choice of fine dining, Chipotle. Then  10 years later they came back to Wisconsin to exchange vows, play whiffle ball and dance with all of their friends and family.

A few weeks ago I got a call from Rob, an old high school friend, letting me know he was getting married on Monday, June 29th followed by a wedding in Colombia and the following Saturday. I made it work for me to document it for I wanted to meet his lovely bride and be apart of their celebration here in Wisconsin. Minutes before the ceremony was to begin it looked like rain was coming, they decided to risk it and the rain stayed away until we were off taking photographs, but that didn't stop their smiles on this lovely Monday.

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.

Although Nicky and Tim live in Chicago, they decided to get married in the backyard of Nicky's family cabin - a beautiful home on the Wisconsin river. This day was perfect - starting the early day with mimosas, floral arranging and up-dos, followed by exploring the woods surrounding the property with Nicky & Tim and their wedding party - a late afternoon (and sunny) ceremony followed by a cocktail hour with an archery tournament (this was a first, and this was the best), ending with a wonderful dinner, and an epic dance party. I have had the privilege of knowing Nicky since middle school, reconnecting last year for a mutual friends wedding allowed me to meet and get to know Tim better and the two of them as a couple. When they came to me to ask if I could document their day, I was so excited. Being at the venue for a vacation last summer, I knew it was going to be a beautiful day in a place that holds importance to both Nicky and Tim.

A few weeks back Samantha and Ryan had the perfect day for a wedding - a wonderful sunny Saturday filled with loved ones from all over this world, an afternoon together at Wingra park and a Children's Museum rooftop ceremony that brought everyone (including me) to tears. The love these two have for each other is beautiful, spending time with them on their sailboat for their engagement session last month was my first glimpse of them together and hearing their vows was such a beautiful moment, and by far my favorite part of the day.  

You two are lovely, I am so happy to have been apart of your celebration! 

Years ago Sammy moved to the Milwaukee area to join the photography team at Kohl's Studio where Melissa was already a stylist, they started out as coworkers, soon became best friends but then one dinner date cooking Kung pao chicken together led to an amazing love. These two own a house outside of Milwaukee and made it their own with an incredible kitchen and a every girls dream closet.  

On Thursday, June 18th these two met at Klode Park on the shores of Lake Michigan with their immediate family members and exchanged vows in 25 MPH winds -- an epic, wonderful and intimate ceremony and I am so thankful to have been apart of it. On Saturday, June 20th we all got together again with their extended family for an amazing meal and celebration.  

I met Josh and Beth a few years ago at a wedding I was photographing, Beth was pregnant with Oscar and when he arrived they contacted me and I went to their home to document their new little guy. Now Oscar is 5, hilarious and it was quite fun spending the afternoon over at their beautiful home documenting a day in the life of the Peterson family.  

  I met Ericka my first week of moving to Madison and my first day of college, we quickly grew close and did many photography projects during school and continued to work together from time to time after we graduated. So when Ericka messaged me about her plans to get married, and that she was about to have a baby boy (named Riff who is perfect) and she wanted me to document her wedding, I was so very excited. This was a true DIY wedding, a wedding based on community - everyone having a part in it -- Ericka's mother made her dress, the food and the ceremony was in the backyard of Ericka's parents, and the home where Ericka grew up. A beautiful ceremony where at the end of it, Ericka and Jake planted a tree at the very spot they both said 'I do' .  The reception was in a friends barn filled with projects Ericka and Jake did together to make their wedding be about their life together. Jake and Ericka put together a playlist that made the party last all night and it was a wonderful day to witness and be apart of.

T  

Back in 2013 I photographed Katie & Trent's wedding at the wonderful venue Whistling Straits in Sheboygan (blog link here) and a few weeks ago I went to see them at their home and meet their awesome son, Luther and document their life. Luther has just turned one and he is such a happy kid, he really made it easy for me.

I love when I get an email from a past wedding client with the exciting news that they are having a baby and want to schedule a family session with me. I love that I get to continue documenting their life events and meeting their children. I photographed Susannah & Alex's wedding back in 2012 and a few weeks ago I was reunited and had the chance to meet their beautiful daughter, Serena.

  I feel strongly about the the importance of human connection and my photography - I feel if you have a difficult time connecting with the person holding the camera, you will see it in the image, in the face and the body language. I want the people in front of my lens to forget about the camera and just hang out with me. With Mathias and Kiley this came easy, for we have a friendship to fall on, so when we decided to make this session about hanging out, building a fire, drinking some beer and in-between and during all that documenting the process, allowing moments to happen naturally instead of forced. I am so excited for these two, their love is ridiculous -- the first few times I hung out with these two together, I felt like they were never not be each others side, and to me, that is the best way to be with your partner.

You two have already started your life together, you have started this great adventure years ago and now you two are going to celebrate such a wonderful love.

  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 weeks back Lauren, Jonathan and I met in Paoli, WI to spend some time together as well as capture their silliness and love. Lauren and Jonathan have been together for 5 years now, a few years back they purchased a foreclosure home and have been making it theirs together ever since. These two are wonderful, they make each other laugh, they support each other and they are really fun to hang out with.

A rainy and foggy Sunday afternoon forced Sammy, Melissa and I's shoot to be indoors, luckily these two own a beautiful home right outside of Milwaukee. We poured some Whiskey, took sometime to get to know each other and I documented them in their space. These two will be getting married in a month, a small gathering on the beach followed by a reception with family - I am so looking forward to spending a few more days with these two in front of my camera!  

Matthew and Abby Rajala live on the East Side of Madison, they have a lovely poodle named Frankie and they have a 6 month old named Henrik. A few Sundays ago I went over to the Rajala's to spend the afternoon documenting their lives, from nap time to bed time I hung out with them and allowed them to live their life in front of my camera to tell a story of how they spend their days together.