Saneta + Kensheen || Starved Rock State Park
Making images at Starved Rock State Park has been a dream of ours for quite a few years now. Having been to Illinois on a few separate occasions, never have we had the opportunity to consider Starved Rock State Park until we started discussing potential engagement session locations with Saneta and Kensheen.
In mid-September, Jon had the chance to realize this dream. Arguably, the best part of this trip wasn’t exploring the majestical carved canyons in the middle of Illinois. Nor was the best part spending a few hours with this wonderful couple, getting to know their story a little better. Truth be told, it was finding out that they (especially Kensheen) loves Panda Express as much as Jon does.
Starved Rock State Park is certainly one of the most exciting places we have ever ventured to for an engagement session. Nearly nobody believes us when we try to describe the steep cliffs and narrow waterfalls that makeup this park in Central Illinois, as if we were on the television set for Doyle’s The Lost World.
After a few hours of venturing through the park, we ended our time together with an amazing Puerto Rican sandwich only found in Chicago. Think of a roast pork panini, but in place of bread, crispy deep-fried plantains crusted in minced garlic. That is a jibarito sandwich.
To Saneta and Kensheen, we look forward to photographing your wedding celebration in the spring of 2016, and we thank you allowing us to be a part of it all!
Gayatri + Shiva (Day 1 of 2) || Darien, IL
We’re proud to feature Day 1 of Gayatri + Shiva’s traditional Hindu wedding celebration.
Of the 100+ weddings that we’ve had the opportunity to photograph over the last few years, we can recall only one other instance where we have started photographing before 5am. This Thursday celebration began bright and early around 4am. What began as a super-early start quickly transformed into an incredibly fun (yet rewarding) day of colors, celebration, laughs, and tradition. From the early morning wedding ceremony at the renowned Hindu Temple of Greater Chicago to the myriad of rich colors + textures, G + S’s wedding ceremony was simply unforgettable. We finished off the afternoon with a delicious vegetarian lunch banquet. Special thanks to Matt of MSW Photos for assisting me on this day.
Lindsey + Keith’s Wedding || Ann Arbor, MI
While our lack of recent blogposts may hint at a quieter winter, we’ve actually been quite busy working on a whole lot of exciting things. While Howie and his wife are expecting a new addition to their family any day now, Jon has been spending the last few weeks in Honduras, doing documentary + portrait work with Signs of Love. In fact, this very blogpost has been written + uploaded from Honduras. Enjoy!
Never before have we seen a wedding with so many beautifully-crafted + handmade ideas infused into one wedding day. Keith and Lindsey certainly take the cake when it comes to celebrating their wedding nuptials in a very personal + creative style. Among some of our favorite things were (in no particular order):
+ Bride’s hair accessory, bridal shrug, and all the mens’ ties were handknit by Lindsey’s grandma
+ Bouquets & boutonnieres were handcrafted from the forest
+ Home brewed/bottled beers served at wedding reception by Keith’s housemate
+ Wedding & Engagement band belonged to Lindsey’s great-grandmotjer
+ Table centerpieces + ring shot included birch wood handcollected by L & K
+ Wedding ‘guestbook’ via finger prints
+ Homemade pies by Lindsey’s mother
+ Handmade, lifesized communal Crossword Puzzle for guests
+ Cedar leaves thrown by the guests at the grand exit
For a January wedding in the state of Michigan, we were certainly blessed with a mild wintry day. Their wedding ceremony took place at the Campus Chapel in Ann Arbor, MI, followed by a cozy reception at the Cobblestone Farms. We topped off the night with warm speeches, homemade pies, and a vegetarian/vegan dinner menu so delicious (thanks to Angel Food Catering) I lost all desire for meat that weekend. Four words: Butternut squash bread bowls. If that wasn’t enough to make you wish you were at their wedding, check out the square dancing/River Jordan dancing photos below.
Congratulations once again to Lindsey + Keith, and thank you for letting me be there to tell your story.
