Part of what made Ben and Kristi’s wedding so memorable were the personalized details. As mentioned in part 1 of their wedding post, Ben’s parents did an excellent job of preparing the house and yard for the wedding. Ben’s dad hand-built an outdoor bar, walkway, and dance floor. The dance floor had tiny white lights strung across the top making it feel magical. For years, Ben’s mom carefully tended to the yard, making it look and feel as if it belongs on the cover of a “Homes & Garden” magazine.

The backyard location for the ceremony was amazing. It felt as though we were in a huge garden full of life and colors. In fact, the green bridesmaid dresses and orange bouquets added the perfect compliment to the summer-feeling.  Kristi’s idea to have orange flower petals scattered down the aisle added a very nice touch.

It was raining in Bellingham the day before the wedding and we were worried that it would affect the outdoor ceremony. However, Ben, Kristi, and the family remained hopeful and the heavens listened. Not sure what type of non-rain dance you guys performed, but it worked!  It was overcast during the morning, but began to clear up while we were shooting formals.  By the time the ceremony began, it felt like a warm summer day! It was perfect, and the sun filled everyone with joy and happy spirits!!

After the ceremony, the guests moved to another part of the yard where delicious appetizers, iced tea, wine, and beer awaited. Not only that, but they were entertained with music by very talented fiddlers, who filled the garden with music. The guests were enjoying themselves, and Kristi’s face was beaming with joy!

Cocktail hour after the ceremony

For the reception, the tables were adorned with green tablecloths, orange flower centerpieces and white candles. The tables were set with an old barn as the backdrop. It created a real country feeling to the outdoor wedding.

Outdoor reception with barn as background along with the perfect green and orange details

Next to the dance floor, Ben set up a brick fire pit and started the fire for s’mores. Chocolate, Marshmallows, and Graham Crackers were easily available for all the guests to make their own s’mores. How perfect! Even though it was very dark outside, I was able to turn up my ISO to capture a few great pictures of Ben and Kristi making s’mores while their guests danced in the background.

Good Music, Dancing, Fire, and Delicious S’mores = PERFECT

One of my favorite memories of the evening was when it started to rain. Everyone was dancing outside when the rain began but nobody wanted to leave! The music was good, and there was so much energy, that everyone stayed outside and danced the night away in the rain. Even though we were all soaking wet, including the beautiful bride, it was totally worth it! One of my absolute favorite wedding memories!!

One of my favorites because of the joy on their faces as they walked into the rececption

A special moment on the dance floor

The morning began with Kristi getting her makeup and hair done at Zazen Salon Spa. It was a fun time full of laughter and funny moments as the girls joked around with each other and talked about the wedding. There was a moment when Kristi sent a text to Ben and he responded. I immediately took a picture of the text and looking at the message now brings back the excitement of the day. Their joy and love seems to jump out of the phone.

Kristi’s dress and shoes were perfect! They looked so good on her!

When we arrived at the house, the guys got ready and we went outside for some of the formal pictures. It seems like the guys always get ready so quickly. Well, I guess there’s not much variation in a tux. They’re all pretty much standard issue, right?  But nevertheless, they looked very classy!

Ben getting ready for his big day!

Ben’s parents did such a good job preparing the house and yard for the wedding day and all the details showed. In fact, they had a human-sized chess board in the back yard! How cool!!!  This was a fun place to shoot a few pictures.

Before the ceremony, Ben and Kristi were waiting in their respective rooms. Ben found the secret to calming his nerves

A detail shot of Ben and Kristi’s rings. This is one of the many awesome shots that Tanvir captured.

I’ll be posting Part 2 of the wedding showing the beautiful backyard wedding and reception. The details were amazing and included a homemade dance floor, fire for s’mores, great music, a popcorn machine, and an outdoor bar.

Being a drummer, I immediately felt Chicago’s rhythm- a city with its own pulse. The river winds peacefully through the skyscrapers bringing tranquility to the rushing traffic. While overhead, “the L” rumbles through the city, as if perfectly timed to a metronome. Honking cabbies and soaring 737’s add their own melodies to the massive buildings. 

Around every corner, the diverse architecture evokes crescendos and staccatos, bringing fresh perspectives to the same thing. Old, behemoth landmarks, hold their ground among the fresh, sleek, modern, structures. The festive Millennium Park forms a buffer between the Magnificent Mile tourists (who swarm like ants) and the vast, peaceful, Lake Michigan.
 
Every month, the city lights up with new colors celebrating current events such as the Blackhawk’s victory or honoring St. Patrick’s Day. The photo below was taken from the Adler Planetarium, looking across Lake Michigan towards the Chicago Skyline. This month, the city was lit up with pink lights to support breast cancer awareness. With a 30-second exposure, the city lights reflected onto the lake, revealing the most amazing glow of colors. There will be many more pictures of Chicago, as I have barely scratched the surface of this Midwest oasis.

34mm f/8 ISO100, 30 second exposure- Adler Planetarium- Chicago Skyline