Melissa and Anthony were married this past weekend at The Dream Palace in Illinois. Our day started at the home of Melissa's parents in Beecher, Illinois. If I could pick a few words and phrases to describe their day they would be "pink", "emotion", "friendship", "firefighters", "Converse All Stars", "real" and just plain fun. Let's see what I'm talking about...
The bride's shoes are pink Converse All Star sneakers decorated with her wedding jewelry.
Melissa is a self described "laid back bride" and I agree. She was so great to work with as were her bridesmaids. They welcomed me into their hair and make up area and let me bump elbows with them to get my shots. I really appreciate that. Everyone was super casual, but I could tell there were some great friendships in the room and that these emotions were going to show throughout the day and I needed to be ready to capture them.
Pink wedding flowers get delivered at the home of the bride.
The wedding dress awaits the bride as it hangs in front of a window.
Everything was all laughs until it came time for our lovely bride to get into her dress. It was at this moment that the significance of the day really sunk in and the bride and her maid of honor were overtaken with happy tears. The beautiful window light illuminated the veil as tears turned to more laughter and then back again.
The bride wipes away tears in an emotional moment while getting ready for her wedding.
The maid of honor and great friend of the bride chokes back happy tears.
An emotional moment for the bride on wedding day.
After Melissa put on her sassy pink All Star Sneakers, we took a few shots overlooking the vast Illinois farm land.
An outdoor wedding portrait of a bride before her Spring wedding holding her pink bouquet of flowers.
The bridesmaids show off their pink Converse All Stars.
Our next stop was to meet the firefighter groom and his fireman posse of groomsmen. We took shots inside and outside the Lynwood station and then we were off to The Dream Palace for the ceremony and reception.
A group of fireman on their friends wedding day in front of a fire truck at the Lynwood station.
Melissa was simply giddy as she walked down the aisle with her Dad as Anthony smiled when she approached.
A father gives away the bride during a ceremony at The Dream Palace in Lynwood, Illinois.
The groom reacts as he sees his bride for the first time.
Melissa and Anthony did a traditional pouring of the sand with a unique twist by using a picture frame as the destination.
The bride and groom pour sand into a picture frame during their wedding ceremony.
After the ceremony, my assistant and I immediately took family photos, wedding party photos as well as couples shots. We also took detail shots of the decorated hall and then it was party time.
The newly married couple gaze into each other's eyes after being pronounced husband and wife.
Three tier wedding cake with pink trim.
I love to capture real emotion and I found this throughout the day and once again during the reception at Dream Palace. The love shown throughout the first dances with parents was just wonderful. I hope you enjoy viewing these series of images as much as I had photographing them.
The bride tears up during the first dance with her Father.
Father and daughter hug emotionally at a wedding reception at The Dream Palace.
Mom give her son the groom a kiss on the dance floor at his wedding reception.
I hope you enjoyed this sneak peak of photographs from Melissa and Anthony's Spring wedding at The Dream Palace in Lynwood, Illinois. Please stay tuned here or visit the Region Weddings Facebook page for more updates.
