Kris and Shelby were married in Pontiac, IL on October 31, 2015.  It was a rainy and cold day but that didn’t put even the slightest damper on Kris or Shelby’s mood.  Throughout the entire day, they remained giddy and filled with excitement.  To begin the day of photographs, my second shooter Taylor and I stopped by Baby Bull’s Family Restaurant to check in with the boys.  They were just hanging out, having breakfast and talking about the big day ahead.  I loved that when I was on the way, Kris sent me an old throwback photo of the two of us at a Sorority/Fraternity Exchange in college.  He was wearing a Scooby Doo suit and I was dressed like one the Wild Thornberries.  That photo was such a sweet way to start the day and made me even more excited to capture Kris as his bride Shelby walked down the aisle.

After checking in with the boys, I spent the rest of my morning with the ladies.  We started at the hair salon and then eventually made it to the Church.  Shelby was extra excited to put on her dress because like Kris, majority of her bridesmaids and her mother had not seen her dress.  Shelby had been dress shopping with everyone early on in the wedding planning process and thought she had found “the one”.  However, after going back with just her maids of honor, Shelby found an even better dress and instantly knew she had changed her mind.  She didn’t tell anyone else this but kept it a secret until she got dressed on her wedding day.  It was so sweet to see everyones reaction, especially her mother, who just couldn’t grasp how beautiful her daughter looked.

Kris and Shelby’s ceremony was so sweet and their pastor made it very meaningful.  It was apparent that he knew the two of them well and incorporated a lot of personal details which I loved hearing.  After being announced and walking down the aisle as husband and wife, Kris and Shelby shared a long kiss and hug right outside of the sanctuary doors.  Just seeing the two of them embrace each other in the happiness they felt brought tears to my eyes.

For their bridal party of 25, finding a spot to fit all of them on the rainy day we had was a bit of a challenge! Luckily, Kris had scoped out a pavilion that had been recently built in Pontiac.  It was the perfect place to keep everyone dry while providing natural light! After bridal party photos were taken, I convinced Kris and Shelby to use the big golf umbrella (John’s umbrella) that I brought along.  I am SO happy that we did! The yellow trees that surrounded them during the photos matched perfectly with Shelby’s flowers.

Their reception was held at the Walton Center in Fairbury, IL.  I had never been to this venue but was pleasantly surprised when I saw how beautiful it was! I loved the big staircase that everyone walked up to get to the main room.  The ceilings were lined with sparkly lights and I loved the wooden pillars throughout. Their reception was filled with laughs, dancing and a good time had by all.  Kris and Shelby had a wonderful wedding day and I am so happy I was able to be a part of it.