Wedding Guide Shoot

Well, I had the privilege of doing a photography shoot for the Wedding Guide this past fall. It was just released this past month, so I can officially blog about it. Yeah! This was so much fun b/c there was so many details, yet I could completely see this done at a wedding. That's what I love about the Wedding Guide, I feel like it's something my brides could actually use at their wedding. This shoot was no different!

This time Laura from the Wedding Guide was helped out by the amazing duo from Tying the Knot, event planners Brooke and Christine. Everyone did such an amazing job, we got a 2 page spread in the magazine! The shoot took place at the lovely Wilder Mansion in Elmhurst. I was blown away by the place. It's gorgeous! Here'a list of vendors that all participated to make this day awesome.

Floral and Decor Design: Phillips Flowers
Cake: Toni's Sweets
Invitations & Placecards: Tying the Knot Wedding Consultants
Linens, Tableware, Tables, Lounge Furniture, Bar and Barstools: Classic Party Rentals
Lighting: Precision Sound and Lighting
Popcorn: Garrett Popcorn

Look how great this turned out. And the chandelier, it's part of the mansion!



I absolutely love the chargers!



This was harder to shoot than I originally thought. I think b/c there was so much to see on the table! But I love this idea.







So this shoot was more difficult than ones I've done in the past because there were 2 shoots in one! There was this whole other lounge space, which has become pretty popular at weddings. The mansion worked perfect because it already had a designated space, and the drapings added a little touch of elegance.



Fortunately for me, this was just colored water...but boy did it look inviting!



Even though the drinks were just for show, the popcorn was not! I was able to take some of that home with me, and Kailee was very grateful. :)





And last but not least, a girls always needs a bouquet.



I love photographing set ups like this! We had such a blast, and I hope to be working with these vendors at a real wedding
this year!

Thanks everyone!

That Time of the Year

Howdy!

Well, the new year has started as crazy as I thought it would be. Not that I'm complaining, I did see it coming. But this is always the time of year that everyone gets sick, and I hate that. First, it was Kailee and it took about a week and a half before she felt good. No sooner was she better, Rylan got sick, with something totally different. He ended up having it for about 2 weeks, and then the biggest baby of them all, my husband James, got sick. :) And he's still sick. Somehow in all of this, I have miraculously stayed healthy. I just think it's b/c I know I can't get sick, I just can't. I won't let it happen. So sickness, if you think you're gonna get me down, I'm here to tell you that you won't win!

Then, there's my little niece Emily. She had what we thought was the flu, for about a week. But after not getting better, they admitted her into the hospital. She officially will have been in the hospital for one full week tomorrow, and we still don't know what's the matter with her. They have done every time of scan known to man, blood tests up the wazu. She been poked, prodded, and then some. I feel so bad for her. The worst part is they don't know what's the matter. As a parent, that's probably the most frustrating part of it all. I couldn't imagine. Luckily she is at a great hospital, she's at Advocate Christ Medical Center. My friend is an ER doctor there, and he told us her doctor is the best, so she is in good hands. Now we're hoping they'll find something soon so she can finally be treated and be able to go home.

I didn't know how else I could help, so I decided to take in Emily's sister, Grace, for the meantime. She was with us already for a big part of the week, and now is back tonight. So we have a full house! Grace really misses her family, but at the same time, I think she's having a lot of fun playing with Kailee and helping take care of Rylan, so the distraction is great for her. Tonight, we skyped with Emily at the hospital, and it was great to see her. Technology is amazing. What a great way to communicate with someone when you can't physically be there. Why I didn't think of this earlier, but now Gracie gets to see her family as much as she needs to, until everyone gets to come home. How perfect.

So say a little extra prayer for my little Emily the next few nights. She needs it. And everyone knows I can't do a blog post without putting a photo, so here is a photo of Emily and Kailee holding Rylan after he was born. How cute are they?