Ben and Erin

I've never had a couple have to take the words 'in sickness and health' so literally on their own wedding day. The night before Ben and Erin's wedding, Erin sent me a text to let me know that Ben had become violently ill at the rehearsal dinner. This wasn't just any sick, it was so-sick-he-spent-the-night-before-his-wedding-in-the-emergency-room, sick. At 2pm., an hour before Ben and Erin's ceremony was supposed to begin, Ben was still in bed feeling absolutely terrible. Yet despite the royally unfortunate timing of the flu and the brutally hot weather, you'd have never known Ben was in pain. Nothing could distract these two from the happiness that was marrying their best friend! I truly believe it when I say I get to photograph the most incredible couples in the world. Ben and Erin's ceremony was so touching and their words so sweet and, as is a reoccurring theme with all of my weddings this year, as Ben and Erin vowed to spend forever together I couldn't help but feel truly lucky to be in attendance.

Ben and Erin (and both of your incredibly warm + loving families!!), thank you so much for your never ending smiles and your kind hearts and your wonderful hugs. Your joy was so beautiful to watch and left me with only the warmest of wishes for your new adventure as husband and wife!

Lots of love and a million thanks!! Michelle

Married!!

Life on the Farm

Growing up we spent many a summer traveling to Wisconsin. There was the time we took a month to camp through all of the west's National Parks in the back of our blue Jeep Cherokee. The time we took Amtrak across the midwest until we arrived in Milwaukee. And the time we flew back when my uncles were giving public tours of the nationally recognized tree farm. As mentioned in Joe and Jessie's wedding post, last month I had the chance to make it back to my mother's little hometown in northern Wisconsin. We stayed at the farm, the same home she and her six brothers and sisters grew up in, and spent every morning (and most afternoons) walking in the woods. We saw bears and deer and turtles and cranes and loons and turkeys and in between animal sightings we caught bluegill on the lake. We spent late afternoons kayaking with my cousins and spent late summer evenings enjoying fish-fries and dinner on the deck. We fed the cows and picked fresh lilacs for the kitchen and more than anything we cherished spending time with family. It was the most wonderful start to summer and my only regret is not having stayed longer.

While my mom gets to return this month for the Solin family reunion, I'll be staying home and shooting three (3!!) weddings that week. I'm jealous that my mother will be getting another dose of warm summer nights, big skies full of stars, and fishing on the lake, but I think it just means I'll have to plan another trip soon with Colton. Until then we'll be relying on these pictures to remind us of sweet Wisconsin life on the farm.

Joe + Jessie

Last week I had the opportunity to spend some much needed time in the Midwest with my mom's side of the family. I stayed at the 100 year old family farm, walked daily in the woods, saw bears and deer and turkeys and loons and spent many an afternoon in a kayak on the river. But what I was really doing, what I've been looking forward to for the past six months, was photographing the wedding of two of the most kind, real, down-to-earth and truly wonderful people you'll ever meet. Joe and Jessie, your wedding date has been written in bright colors on my calendar since the middle of January. Getting to travel to Wisconsin to watch you two become Mr. + Mrs. Marshall will most certainly be a highlight of my summer and I cannot thank you enough for inviting me to document your day. You went out of your way to make me feel like family and there truly aren't words to express just how much this meant to me. From start to finish you made me feel so valued and appreciated and for this I will forever be grateful. I know I speak for everyone in attendance when I say that the way you two love each other is so beautiful and heartwarming to watch. Thank you for being incredible people, inside and out, and for letting me share your day with you. Your absolutely perfect wedding - and traipsing through the woods with you!! - will always hold a special spot in my heart.

A million thanks and lots of love!

Michelle

After the ceremony Jessie allotted an extra generous amount of time for us to leave the city and head for the woods. We were able to spend over an hour taking bridal party and bride + groom portraits and I couldn't have been more thrilled about it. These two make the forest look pretty incredible.

Jessie planned her entire wedding while also finishing her last six months of medical school at the University of Wisconsin. Which just goes to show how incredibly talented and organized and superhuman she is!

And I'll end with this photo of Joe and Jessie's first dance as husband and wife, wishing them the happiest of congratulations on the start of forever together!!