“Congratulations to Scott and Andi who were recently married in the bride’s home town of Decatur located in central Illinois. As boaters ourselves, you can imagine how much we LOVED their wedding and waterfront wedding reception location of The Beach House. Scott + Andi’s early evening dinner and reception events were planned around the 136th annual Kentucky Derby Race. Finding inspiration in the Derby, the couple incorporated a few subtle derby and horses elements along with southern charm. It was a “southern wedding with a hint of Kentucky Derby.” Touches of derby traditions included fashion with elaborate derby hats, southern red velvet wedding cake, potent mint juleps, television screens to view the races, guests making their pick of a winning horse, and fireworks to close the evening. The wedding had all the elements of a memorable and unforgettable day.

 

Andi lived with her family at their private lake home located on the water at Lake Decatur. Since Scott and Andi met, many long weekends have been spent at the lake. And while growing up, Andi enjoyed the active lifestyle of living on a lake spending numerous Summer days in and around the lake, on the pier, lake docks, at the Beach House and in the water swimming and boating. When the wedding day’s clouds rolled, a storm passed by and the sun was shining… it was a perfect day to boat… and an even more beautiful day for a May wedding.

 

Although Ryan and I live within the Chicago area, we are often asked to travel with our couple’s as their destination wedding photographers outside of Chicago and Illinois. Scott and Andi are currently living and working in Tennessee a few hundred of miles away from Decatur. So the couple had the local help of a number of Andi’s Decatur area family members including parents, aunts and friends who according to the couple say were a tremendous help in planning and coordinating a number of the day’s events and details. In pulling all the details of the day together, Andi mentioned these few words of advice, keeping a cool mentality in not getting too overwhelmed with the planning. Andi writes:

 

“I have always been one to shake my head when I found out that some couples spent a small fortune on their big day. I swore that I would never spend the money I saved for a luxury car ( Andi drives a lovely Porsche ) on a single day! I think our occupations have influenced our love of a challenge–especially when it comes to managing cost. We wanted to prove to ourselves and our families that our day could be accomplished stress-free, on a shoe string budget and in a unique, fun, and memorable fashion. The true theme of the ceremony was honing and leveraging the talents of friends and family. All the decorations and bows were made by friends of the family who used to own their own business prior to retiring. The rehearsal dinner was catered by friends of the family who were retired caterers. The music at the ceremony was provided by long-time friends of the family (with my Mother–who sings many, many weddings performing Schubert’s Ave Maria), the DJ was my sister’s boyfriend who DJed in College, the cake was made by my aunt (who, in our opinion makes the best red velvet cake in the state of Illinois), our day of planner is a friend of the family, and of course, the photographers have become our friends as well!!!! ”

 

What an exciting wedding day Scott + Andi. Thank you in hiring and inviting us to your wedding. We felt like a couple of your guests… we are happy we have become friends too! Hope you enjoy these couple of preview pictures and will keep in touch the next time you are in the Northern Illinois region. Best wishes to you both and congrats!”

 

 

 

 

Scott + Andi’s Lake Decatur wedding included many DIY and these details:
Catholic Wedding Ceremony: St. Patrick Church, Decatur, Illinois
Day of Planner: Mary Ann Groves
Church Music: Organist Tom Cantwell, Soloists Lara Vespa and Billie Shay. Ave Maria solo by Andi’s Mother
Reception Venue: The Beach House, Lake Decatur, IL
Bridal Dress Designer: Robin Jillian
Veil + Dress Shop: Formals of Litchfield, Litchfield
Hair: The Little Salon Decatur
Bridal Shoes: Silk heels covered with Swarovski Austrian Crystals by Johnathan Kayne
Shoe Shop: A pagent-specialiaty store called My Best Friend Jenna, Jackson, TN
Bride’s Engagement Ring and Jewlery: Tacori
Groom’s Wedding Band: Handcrafted by a Native American Artisan named Billy Long purchased in Santa Fe, New Mexico
Groom + Best Man’s Suits: Black Label by Ralph Lauren
Bridesmaid Dress: Jessica Simpson Formal Wear off the rack from VonMaur
Menu, Southern Style Dishes and Catering by: The Beach House, Lake Decatur
Red Velvet Cake by: Andi’s Aunt–Teresa Litz
Flowers: Zip’s Flowers by the Gate
DJ: Andi’s Sister’s Boyfriend, DJ Captain Ron Jon Gofron
Day of Theme: Southern Spring Wedding with a Hint of Kentucky Derby
Signature Drink: Mint Juleps
Honeymoon: Hopefully a Trophy Hunt for Andi in South Africa or New Zealand

 

 

Be sure to view our featured blog photos from our engagement session in Chicago with
Scott + Andi photographing them in our high-fashion Chicago engagement photography style.

 

“Steve + Ashley’s were married in the evening on New Year’s Eve day. And once the day’s festivities began, the party basically never ended! It was a combo of both a fabulous New Year’s Eve party and romantic wedding with a TON of celebrating. What a fun way to ring in the year in attending a Chicago New Year’s Eve Wedding! Ashely coordinated a theme… the day was full of sparkle and TONS of bling. The bridal gown, the ballroom’s tables and centerpieces all were glistening, shimmering and glitzy with bling, diamonds, twinkle lights, fluffy white plume feathers, white florals, and burning candles.

 

With Christmas being less than a week before, remnant shades of green and red, holiday wreaths, and decorated trees were trimmed aside the bridal party and Steve + Ashley while on stage during their 5:00 PM evening ceremony. It was a romantic setting for their winter ceremony. The romantic aisle was lined and illuminated by flickering candles along the path down the narrow chapel’s aisle at the historic La Grange First Congregational Church. The church’s rich dark wooded pews and beams of the chapel and windows featuring stained glass warmed the room creatIng a cozy environment. Smiles, tears and vows were exchanged during the emotional ceremony.

 

Being Winter with a limited time for daylight photos, Steve + Ashley though creatively choosing a unique Lombard wedding photography shooting location which was very close by their Westin Hotel’s reception ballroom. The bridal party went bowling! – and we loved the modern photo backdrop the dubbed Hollywood iconic bowling alley Lucky Strike Lanes Lounge in Lombard offered. With black lights, moody lit lanes, and vintage hollywood decor, the style was fitting for the couple’s excitement of their NYE date. A special thanks to S+A in getting creative in picking the location and in reserving the couple of lanes for us. The later part of the day was packed full of energy, entertainment, and of course a few choreographed dance performances ( naturally with the bride being a professional dancer. )

 

Steve + Ashley’s New Years Eve evening’s reception events, cocktails, heavy hors d’œuvre dinner, dancing, photo booth, midnight countdown, and fireworks all ringed in the year at Harry Caray’s Ballroom in the Westin in Lombard. The bridal party’s arrival into the ballroom was one definitely not one unnoticed, nor unheard as each couple entered blowing into personalized vuvuzelas blow horns which everyone was madly honking as Ashley and Steve were announced! You would think that after an amazing dinner, special dances, speeches, and guest’s rockin’ our “Rock the Drop photo booth“, the night couldn’t get any more fabulous, but after the strike of midnight, the celebration moved outdoors onto the terrace where guests watch a spectacular NYE fireworks show over the pond. The Westin’s Harry Caray Ballroom has inside a perfect neutral decor with floor to ceiling windows and doors leading onto a private, outside terrace which overlooks a pond. A great venue not only inside, but giving room to roam outdoors with accessible outdoor terrace space.

 

The strike of midnight was EPIC! Guests were having a great time on the dance floor for the countdown, balloons and confetti were floating in the air, and everyone was on their feet. The rest of the night was one huge dance party with an unbelievably spectacular fireworks show on the terrace at 12:15 And who could forget the abnormally warm, fifty degree weathered day, which made it easy to be outdoors enjoying the amazing fireworks show. Steve + Ashley… spending New Year’s Eve with you is definitely one we’ll never forget! We loved, loved, loved working with the two of you! Thank you in choosing us as your engagement and wedding photographers. We enjoyed being there on such a big day in your lives and we wish you MANY wonderful years of happiness in your new lives together. Congrats!”

 

 

 

 

A few more details from Steve + Ashley’s amazing Chicago New Year’s Eve celebration:
Church: First Congregational Church, La Grange, Illinois
Reception: Harry Caray’s Ballroom in the Westin., Lombard
Bridal Session: Lucky Strike Bowling Alley, Lombard
Dress Designer: Rina Di Montella
Dress Shop: A L’Amour, Barrington
Bride’s Shoes: Jessica Simpson
Jewelry: The Wedding Etc., Downers Grove
Hair: Via Moda, Lisle
Make Up: Jodi Carey Makeup ( A good friend of Ashley’s … who does not only bridal and also make up for HGTV )
Custom Made Veil and Garters: Sandra’s Designs, Lombard
Bridesmaid Dresses: Belsoie
Tuxedos: Black Tie Formalwear, Naperville
Food: Harry Caray’s ( pasta station, carving station, mashed potato station, sweet station )
Cake: Creative Cakes
Flowers: Shamrock Garden Florist, Lombard
DJ: Fun Times DJ
Honeymoon: Riviera Maya
Reception Fireworks: The Mad Bomber
Miller + Miller’s Reception Backdrop: Our Rock the Drop photo booth ( ask us about this optional upgraded photo service we offer )

 

Other Fun Details: New Year’s Eve guest favors included New Year’s hats, noise makers, confetti shooters, feather tiara crowns, and personalized blow horns with Steve + Ashley’s names and wedding date. Decorations featured tons of clocks ( tying in the NYE countdown as a theme ) which they put all over the reception hall, tables, bars. And the “bling theme” was developed with bling touches of silver diamond brooches put on the cake, bling-ing table number frames, diamond jeweled dress and jewelry, bling on the centerpieces, cake cutters, and cake topper, and a tad of bling in the bridal veil. Vuvuzela horns were a tribute to Steve’s love of soccer and Ashely, the DeForest Dance Academy teachers, and bridesmaids did a dance to “Single Ladies”.

 

 

Viewed the engagement session in Chicago with Steve + Ashley yet?
Click here to see their modern Chicago engagement photography session’s blog post.