The Heritage Prairie Farm wedding in Elburn, IL with Megan and Dominic offered another opportunity to shoot at one of Chicagoland’s best organic farms. Early in the day, Megan and her bridesmaids gathered in the upstairs room of the farm house to laugh, munch on delicious homemade scones, swoon over bouquets, practice walking in three-inch heels, reminisce with Megan’s mother and grandmother, drink champagne, and gather ‘round a teary-eyed Megan as she opened a handwritten letter from Dominic. Before Megan’s mother and maid of honor helped her into her dress, I was able to have some fun with shots in the garden of the ladies in their matching robes. Dominic and his guys later gathered below in the living room to don matching socks and offer up an endless stream of jokes as they enjoyed a few beers. By this time, the farmhouse was buzzing with excitement; it was time for an intimate first look which we staged outdoors. Megan and Dominic naturally settled into a pattern of making eye contact with each other and enjoying the intimate portrait time by themselves as the guests arrived and filled the rows of lawn chairs.
Both sets of parents beamed while watching their children become one, and special care was taken to honor grandparents, as well. The groom’s sister, a classically trained instrumentalist, played as a part of a trumpet trio which made the music even more special. There were so many special touches to the day, well-planned and executed, but I always take special delight in the unplanned and spontaneous – the tender escorting of the bride’s grandmother to her seat (she actually had an entourage for she was so well-loved), the contemplative look on the groom’s face while he got ready, the look of love and pride between father and daughter as they prepared to walk down the aisle, the groom wiping a tear from the bride’s cheek during the ceremony, and so much more as the rest of the night breezed by with cocktails on the lawn, family-style dinner outside under the tent, and plentiful dancing. I think that the pictures speak for themselves as they tell the story of what a joyous and special occasion this was and what an easygoing and down-to-earth pair Meg and Dom were to work with. I give these two teachers an “A” in my grade book for passing their summative assessment. 😉
Cheers!
Esenam
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