My heart is bursting with joy as I relive Kelly Marie and Dave’s beautiful wedding day at Wandawega Lake Resort in Elkhorn, Wisconsin.  And I’m even more excited to announce that their perfect day has been featured on Martha Stewart Weddings! It was such an honor to be a part of their gorgeous day, and seeing it on MSW is truly the icing on the cake and a huge milestone for me. I’m thrilled to unveil their blog post once again, now that we are officially published!

I met Kelly only a few months after moving to Chicago four years ago, and her warmth, humor, and beautiful spirit instantly won me over. She is a radiant soul, and I could not be happier that she and Dave found love and lifelong partnership in one another.  Their love story makes me smile every time I hear it- Kelly Marie, a floral designer and artist and Davey, the musician and bartender. She had noticed him several times as she sat at the bar at Lula Cafe ordering her regular drink. Her smile and laughter captured his attention instantly and he began to look forward to each time she came in. One day he sent a drink over to her, his intentions clear. Not wanting to lead him on, Kelly told Dave she wasn’t available. But she was drawn to his kindness and the two soon became friends. Dave waited patiently as their friendship grew, falling for her more and more. Seasons passed, and Kelly Marie was single again. And when the time was right, Dave pursued her again. This time she responded delightedly, for over the period of time their friendship grew, she had begun to develop feelings for Dave as well. Today these two are so in love, it’s like they’ve never known a period in their lives without each other. To me they are such a wonderful example of partnership as they both freely pursue the things that make them feel alive while supporting one another, cultivating joint passions, and building a beautiful life together. And the very bar they met at inside of Lula now sits at Fleur and serves as the counter in the flower shop!

Kelly and Dave’s celebration was also a collaboration among many of Chicago’s most talented wedding professionals who have become dear friends to them. It was such a joy to both capture the work of those I admire and spend some time outside of the normal flow of work enjoying the company of some of these incredible friends. With floral design by Kelly Marie’s very own Fleur, the decor was breathtaking. Caleb, Amy, Janelle, and Janessa worked tirelessly to make sure that the rehearsal and day of details were just perfect. And of course Kelly couldn’t resist the urge to do some of the work herself- even on her wedding day!! Heather Vickery of Greatest Expectations made sure everything went smoothly on the big day- and quite a feat having just delivered a precious baby girl!! Katie from Jayne Weddings drove up and styled the gorgeous lounge furniture from Aged Vintage Rentals and Nicole of Truffle Truffle styled the beautiful and delicious sweets display. Suzy of Lily Red Studio designed a custom Kelly and Dave wedding logo that appeared in various paper pieces she created- the invitation, a “welcome to camp” bag, a wedding “field guide,” the wedding day program, napkins and other decor throughout the celebration. Nika Vaughan did Kelly’s makeup, and she wore a lovely and simple dress from J. Crew. XO Pictures was there documenting the day in cinema, and of course I had the immense pleasure of working side by side my friend, Jaclyn, to photograph such a rich celebration. Reception music was provided by the amazing Toast and Jam while everyone danced the night away!

(Above two photos by Jaclyn.) Sweet Jessie and Eric! Jessie, one of  Kelly’s dearest, was a bridesmaid and took a break from being behind the camera for once (mostly)!