Christmas Themed Wedding at the Destihl Brewery | Jessica + Daniel
Destihl / Bloomington, IL
Jessica + Daniel put together one of the coolest and most unique wedding layouts I’ve photographed, and they did so in one of my all time favorite venues in Central Illinois. Today we’ll be taking a look at their one of a kind Christmas tree themed wedding at the Destihl Brewery & Beer Hall in Normal, Illinois! There’s a lot about their wedding that I want to talk about, so let's get right into it.
Cocktail Hour and Dinner at Destihl
The Barrel Room at the Destihl Brewery was seriously the perfect space for Jessica + Daniel to celebrate their wedding. The space is open and airy, with tons of natural light pouring which makes it fantastic for photos. The space also has a ton of character of its own thanks to the barrels the space is named for that line the walls, though couples can add their own touches of décor to fit the vision for their wedding day. As it turns out, Jessica runs a local Christmas Tree fundraising event every year, and so it was only fitting that she used some of the trees from her event to decorate the space and give their January wedding a Christmas feel!
The evening began with a casual cocktail hour with Destihl’s famous pretzels and beer cheese before everyone sat down for a delicious dinner. In addition to Destihl’s renowned beer, their food is also fantastic and yet another selling point of this already elite wedding venue!
Wedding Ceremony and Reception at the Destihl Brewery & Beer Hall
After dinner was finished Jessica snuck away for a quick wardrobe change into her white sequin dress. After her and Daniel had a quick moment with one another the three of us made our way back to the Barrel Room for their ceremony. With the wall of barrels and white frosted Christmas trees as their backdrop, Jessica + Daniel had their friend perform their wedding ceremony in front of their friends and family. After saying their I do’s the two were able to spend the rest of their wedding evening celebrating and dancing alongside their guests all night long in the Destihl Brewery’s Barrel Room.
It was so much fun and such a pleasure to document and experience Jessica + Daniel’s wedding at the Destihl Brewery & Beer Hall. These two put such a creative spin on the traditional wedding timeline and I think it turned out phenomenally! For a look at more of my wedding day galleries head on over to my blog, and if you’re ready to book me as your wedding photographer be sure to head to my contact page to send me an inquiry!
Vendors
Wedding Venue - Destihl Beer & Beer Hall
Engagement Photos at Fullerton Beach in Chicago | Molly + Dave
Lakefront / Chicago, Illinois
Chicago is home to a seemingly endless array of iconic locations to choose from when looking for a setting for an engagement session. Today’s blog takes a look at one such location, as we’re checking out Molly and Dave’s engagement photos at Chicago’s Fullerton Beach! Their session is more than just the beautiful Chicago setting though, as these two included a second location into their session that made it uniquely personal to them.
Engagement Photos at Chicago’s Fullerton Beach
Molly and Dave’s session began on the lakefront, and lucky for us we had THE most beautiful December day for their session. The weather was surprisingly warm for this time of year in Chicago, but we weren’t about to complain as it definitely beats the alternative! The warmer temps meant Molly could wear her lovely floral dress while Dave was looking sharp in a casual button up. A huge draw of taking engagement photos at Fullerton Beach is of course the incredible views of Lake Michigan and the Chicago skyline. Usually Fullerton Beach is one of the busier locations in the city, but since we chose to have our session in the morning we practically had the space to ourselves. It felt truly special and we honestly could have called the session there, but we chose to make one more stop and I am so glad we did!
Ending Our Session at All Together Now
After getting the photos we wanted at Fullerton Beach, we headed to All Together Now for the remainder of Molly and Dave’s engagement photos. Just south of Chicago’s Ukrainian Village is this wine shop which was the perfect place to end our session. Chicago is home to SO many incredible small shops, and they’re part of what make the city the one of a kind place it is. Documenting their love in a space like this really gives their photos that authentic Chicago feeling. There’s another reason we chose All Together Now though, and that’s because Molly and Dave have a special connection to the shop. This is actually the store where Dave got the wine he’d use for his proposal to Molly! It’s details like this that help to make your engagement photos all the more personal.
Molly and Dave’s engagement session really has it all. They were able to incorporate an iconic location like Fullerton Beach in their engagement photos, capture the spirit of Chicago’s small businesses, and add a personal touch unique to them. It’s the whole package, and I’m just so glad they chose me to document this incredible moment for them! If you’d like to book me to document your engagement or wedding day be sure to send me an inquiry through my contact page so we can get to planning.
Fall Wedding at Pear Tree Estate in Champagne, IL | Caitlin + JC
Pear Tree Estate / Champaign, IL
Today’s blog is a special one, as I get to talk about a favorite wedding of mine that happened at one of my favorite wedding venues in Central Illinois! Caitlin + JC’s wedding took place at the wonderful Pear Tree Estate in Champagne, Illinois. The venue was the perfect space for these two to celebrate their love alongside their closest friends and family. As you’ll soon see from the gallery, it was a very emotional wedding day, and it makes total sense. These two are some of the sweetest humans around, and had been together 11 years before their wedding. They and all of their loved ones were eager to finally celebrate this incredible love these two share with one another!
Getting Ready with Their Loved Ones
Both Caitlin + JC started their day off by getting ready in the company of their best friends. It’s a tried and true way to kick off a wedding day, as there’s no better feeling than having your best friends all hype you up before the festivities begin! Once dressed and ready Caitlin + JC met up on the grounds of Pear Tree Estate for their first look, which was SUCH a sweet moment. They both teared up seeing one another for the first time, and those would be far from the last tears of joy from their wedding day!
Having a first look as part of their wedding day meant we were able to take wedding party portraits and a majority of the couples portraits early in the day. This gave Caitlin + JC more flexibility for their wedding day, allowing them to really enjoy their time with their loved ones. We also got to take advantage of the gorgeous fall colors that were sweeping through Pear Tree Estate during their wedding day. Caitlin + JC honestly couldn’t have asked for a more perfect fall day for their wedding!
Their Tear Jerker of a Ceremony
Caitlin + JC’s wedding ceremony took place in Pear Tree Estate’s indoor venue space, which was stunningly beautiful. The tall ceilings and abundance of natural light give the space an open and inviting feel to it, while the exposed wooden beams in the ceiling give it a bit of a rustic feeling. It’s truly gorgeous, but that beauty was easily outshined by Caitlin + JC’s ceremony itself! It was a sweet and moving ceremony, with each and every member of their wedding parties crying afterwards. Immediately after the ceremony was the outdoor cocktail hour, where Caitlin + JC had the chance to mingle with their guests while the indoor space was converted to its reception layout.
Wedding Reception at Pear Tree Estate
Before long it was time for Caitlin, JC, and their guests to make their way back inside for the rest of the evening’s festivities. It still blows me away at how wonderfully the indoor space at Pear Tree Estate works for both the wedding ceremony and reception, and how seamless the transition between the two is! It was the perfect set up for both parts of Caitlin + JC’s wedding day. The reception itself was full of fantastic moments, from tear jerking speeches, to sunset portraits on a cool fall evening. Both Caitlin + JC had the best time celebrating alongside their guests to cap off what was already a perfect wedding day.
Caitlin + JC’s wedding day at Pear Tree Estate has been a favorite of mine for a while now, and I’m so glad to be able to share some of the highlights from their incredible day with you here! If you’re looking to have me document your wedding day be sure to head to my contact page to send me an inquiry so we can start the planning process.
Backyard Farm Wedding / Morgan + Lauren
Backyard / Champaign, IL
Venue - Backyard in Champaign, IL
Wrigley Field Engagement Session / Jenna + Ryan
Wrigley Field + Lake Michigan / Chicago, Illinois
Winter Wedding at Pear Tree Estate / Andrea + Tommy
Pear Tree Estate / Champaign, IL
Venue - Pear Tree Estate
Getting Ready - iHotel
Makeup - Timothy John Salon
Cake - Chicago Pastry
Dress - Maggie Sottero
Fall Wedding in Chicago / Steve + John
Museum Of Surgical Science / Chicago, IL
Venue - International Museum of Surgical Science
Florals - Branches Floral Design
DJ - Fig Media
Cake - Vanilla Patisserie
Intimate Summer Wedding at Pear Tree Estate / Michaela + John
Pear Tree Estate / Champaign, IL
Venue - Pear Tree Estate
Band - LCF Entertainment
Dress - Lihi Hod
Suit - Indichino
Makeup - Something You Salon
Industrial Barn Wedding at Bluestem Hall / Katelyn + Matthew
Bluestem Hall / Champaign, IL
Picnic Proposal at Allerton Park / Ethan + Emily
allerton park proposal champaign illinois
Allerton Park / Champaign, IL
State Park Engagement Session At Maquoketa Caves / Victoria + Isaac
Maquoketa Caves State Park Engagement Session.
Maquoketa Caves State Park / Illinois
Chicago Engagement Session at The Field Museum / Luma + Ramsey
Field Museum / Chicago, Illinois
Katelyn + Matt
Champaign, Illinois engagement session at Meadowbrook Park.
Meadowbrook Park / Champaign, IL