Jess & Chirag celebrated their October nuptials with their closest family and friends during an intimate, New York City wedding. Chirag is originally from India and all of his family still lives there. The two planned on traveling back to his country to have their big Indian wedding (a first time visit for Jess) but they still wanted to celebrate with Jess’s family and all of their New York friends.
For a city with such a crazy, “on the go” vibe, the weekend was very laid back. Their wedding festivities kicked off on Friday evening when Jess hosted a henna party in their apartment. It was a great opportunity for me to get to know these two on a more personal level. Their friends and family are so wonderful and I feel like I’m best friends with Jess’s grandma. She was quite the storyteller and we got along wonderfully!
I can honestly say that I loved everything about Jess and Chirag’s wedding day. The two got ready together in their NYC apartment. The details were on point and her dress was simple but gorgeous. An absolutely perfect choice for an unseasonably warm October day. Although there were a few hiccups throughout the day, Jess and Chirag handled everything with such grace and just laughed it off. Things like having a ceremony start almost an hour late and having no music to walk down the aisle to couldn’t sent someone into a meltdown, but these two just laughed as their friends and family hummed, “Here comes the bride” as Jess walked into the room. The couple wrote their own vows which were very heartfelt. There was even a Game of Thrones reference thrown into Chirag’s.
Jess and Chirag had their ceremony at the historical 3 West Club in the gorgeous Solarium room, which opened up to a patio that overlooked St. Patrick’s Cathedral. After the ceremony, everyone headed to Tarallucci E Vino for dinner and polenta party. I highly recommend checking this place out if you’re in the NYC area. The food was phenomenal and the cheese display was out of this world amazing. I can’t even begin to describe. Just scroll down to see its’ awesomeness. As a girl from Wisconsin and lover of cheese (and wine), my heart skipped a beat.
I asked the couple what they were looking forward to most about being married, and they said “just being together”. Having nothing to do but hang out on the weekends and to start their lives together. Congratulations to Jess and Chirag and thank you so much for asking me to be part of your amazing day and the start of your new journey as husband and wife!
Vendors that helped make this day amazing:
Wedding Dress: BHLDN
Florals: Alma Floral Design
Ceremony: 3 West Club
Reception: Tarallucci E Vino
Invitations: Minted
It was a beautiful September day. Unseasonable warm for this time of year in Wisconsin. One of the hottest days we’ve had all summer. When I drove down the wooded driveway and approached the house, there was a sense of calm. None of the hustle and bustle you’d expect on a wedding day. When I walked into Mauria’s mom’s house, the girls were sitting around the table, finishing up breakfast, drinking mimosas, laughing and listening to chill music. They had under eye patches on-the same ones I had been wearing earlier that morning. I knew right then and there that I was in great company. Mauria introduced me to everyone, but because they were all so close, I had a hard time keep track of who her real sisters were when I first got there.
I met Mauria for coffee a few months back. She told me about her wedding, her bridesmaids and what they were wearing. She went on to describe her wedding as a simple backyard wedding with about 100 of their closest family and friends. When I arrived on site, it was much more than what I had envisioned. The property was lined with tall trees and fields. Mauria and Sarandi were married under a willow tree in her parents backyard and it was perfect. On our coffee date, Mauria had mentioned how artistic Sarandi was. It was one of the things she loved about him. Sarandi was responsible for painting all of the table numbers at the reception. They were beautifully done.
Mauria’s sisters went on to talk about the many phases of Mauria. There was lots of laughter in the audience. Some of these phases I could even relate to. And then they talked about the Sarandi phase, which is her forever phase. Sarandi and Mauria lit each other up the whole day. If there was a brief moment of stress that arose, Sarandi instantly brought a calm to Mauria. It was as if the two just kept front of mind what the day was about: the two of them starting their lives together and nothing else mattered.
I asked them toward the end of the night if there was any last minute pictures they wanted before I headed out. They said no, so I went inside and packed up my gear. When I came back to find them to say goodbye, they were dancing off in the distance by themselves. I always advise my couples to take a few moments by themselves to just take in the day. It goes by so quickly. I’m glad they listened and had their own moment separate from me taking them out for pictures.
Sarandi and Mauria, thank you so much for choosing me to document your wedding day. Congratulations to you two! Cheers to a lifetime of love and happiness!
Special thanks to these vendors for making these photos possible:
Photography: Maria Campbell Photography
Hair: Betsy Arsnow
Dress Designer: Cristiano Lucci
Bridal Boutique: Amelishan Bridal
Groom Attire: Calvin Klein at Men’s Wearhouse
Caterer: Saz’s
Flowers (Bouquets,boutonnieres, corsages): Parkway Floral
Flowers (Centerpieces, Table arrangements): Shoua Vang’s Bouquet
Jeweler: Custom designed at A Trio
Bakery: The Cake Lady
Planners: Cara Turkowski and Dianne Hofmann
Taylor and Kyle had the most perfect wedding day anyone could’ve asked for. It was so much fun hanging out with them all day long and I’m still so honored that they asked me to document their big day.
I had the joy of hanging out with the ladies at the salon before the bridal preparations took place. Because Jamie had another wedding that same day, she had to fit Taylor in earlier in the morning. Afterwards, we all had lunch together before heading to the venue.
One thing I learned about Taylor and Kyle is that everyone at their wedding had a long history with them. These two definitely make friends for life, which should be a given since they’ve known each other since they were kids themselves. It’s so amazing to see a couple that has grown up together and who are still so in love after all these years of really knowing each other.
Congratulations Taylor & Kyle! Thank you for asking me to be your wedding photographer and for making me feel like part of the family.
Key Players
Ceremony & Reception Venue: Schlitz Audubon Nature Center
Cupcakes: Miss Cupcake Bakery
Bride’s Dress: Mori Lee @ Amelishan Bridal
Groom’s Suite: Men’s Wearhouse Navy suit
Florist: Rachel Block @ Reflections of You
DJ/Entertainment: On the Limiter Productions
Bridal Party Hair and Make up: Impressions
Kacie & Justin knew each other in high school. They were two grades apart from one another and it wasn’t until after Justin graduated from high school that their paths crossed and a relationship blossomed. Justin decided to propose on the coldest day of the year. He had carved in an ice patch behind their house, “Will You Marry Me?” and had to do some strong convincing to get Kacie outside. After some resistance, she went outside and was so surprised at what Justin had done…in the freezing cold weather.
These two are meant for each other. They light each other up and we laughed the whole time during their session. Kacie wanted to do their engagement shoot at her parent’s horse farm where grew up in Southeastern Wisconsin. We had so much fun walking around her parents’ land and finding all sorts of random things. These two will be married next July and I can’t wait to celebrate the beginning of this new chapter in their lives together.
Melissa & Victor have been on the blog before and this more than likely won’t be the last time you see them. Melissa is due with my NIECE in July and I can’t wait to photograph that little bundle of joy. For their maternity shoot, we chose Hubbard Park in Shorewood, WI. I couldn’t wait to photograph here and play around with the tunnel. A few weeks ago, Victor contacted me asking me for my opinion as to how he should pop the question. He threw around a few ideas, one being at her maternity shoot. I said it would be perfect and I knew exactly how I wanted to set up the shot. It took a lot for me to keep this secret and I did my very best not to let anything slip. I’d say I did a pretty good job 🙂 The ring is absolutely gorgeous and neither one could stop smiling all morning long. It was adorable. Congratulations Melissa & Victor! You both have so much to look forward to and I can’t wait to be there right beside you both.
A few months ago, Shannon from Simply Weddings, LLC reached out to me asking if I’d be interested in collaborating with her for an idea she had for a winter wedding shoot. I immediately said, “Yes!” and she got to work creating her vision. She worked with Lisa from Sunborn Flower Farm & Florist to create a beautiful tablescape, a gorgeous bouquet, and a flower crown that I would’ve worn all day, given the chance. Shannon and her husband were also models for the shoot. They got married 6 years ago at the courthouse and had a very small wedding right before Shannon deployed overseas, so they never had the opportunity to get dolled up and take “wedding” photos. I was happy that I was able to provide them with that experience.
Being a newer business owner herself, I took the opportunity to ask Shannon some questions about her company, what she likes about working for herself and what her ideal bride is like. Here’s what she had to say!
Tell me about Simply Weddings, LLC…What made you decide to go into wedding planning? Jonathan (husband) and I officially founded Simply Weddings, LLC two years ago. We have actually been doing weddings prior to that, but not under a business yet. I got into wedding planning kind of on a whim. Jonathan had a wedding that he was officiating at and I was there to support him and to attend the wedding as a guest, as it was for a family member of a close friend of ours. Since it was one of Jon’s first weddings, he had a general idea on how to run the rehearsal, but what he (we!) found out was that it is really not up to the officiant to coordinate the entire processional with the wedding party. He is there to marry the couple and to perform the ceremony, not space out bridesmaids and coax the flower girl down the aisle with candy. I ended up taking over the coordinating for the processional and recessional during this event and was there on the day of (at the bride’s request) to herd everyone up and get them down the aisle. It was a little chaotic, but thanks to Google and having been at a few weddings, I struggled my way through it! When the bride thanked me and told me “I don’t know what I would have done with out you!” that sealed the deal. I even happy cried when the bride walked down the aisle after, of course, the flower girl had dumbed her flower basket out at the end of the aisle and walked off. After I realized that I loved helping brides on their wedding day, I found a wedding planning certification program, became certified through the Association of Bridal Consultants and Jonathan and I officially opened Simply Weddings.
What has the process been like in starting your own business? Owning a business is definitely not something I ever thought I would be doing. I really didn’t like business classes in college, because I tried a lot of them, so that part was and still is a little daunting. I had to quickly realize that the things I’m not good at, like building a website, I had to pass off to the experts. That is definitely one piece of advice I would give anyone starting out-let the experts do what they do and you do what you’re good at. Graphic designers, web designers, photographers, videographers, etc. are there for a reason. Use them!
Describe your ideal bride. Since each bride is so different in their likes, dislikes and how they envision their big day, I would have to say that I truly appreciate the bride that knows what she wants, but is also open to suggestions that I may have to make her vision even better. I also very much appreciate the brides (and grooms) that understand if and when changes may need to be made to accommodate budget, seasonal items or even weather! Sometimes things happen that are out of my control (such as rain during an outdoor ceremony) that we will need to adapt to and find a different alternative that they are just as happy with.
What is your favorite thing about working for yourself? I love the freedom of building our own business from the ground up. Jonathan and I get to set the tone and vision for our company. Sometimes we agree and sometimes we don’t, but at the end of the day I usually win and he agrees with me…KIDDING! At the end of the day, it’s about our clients and how we can make one of the most important days in their lives even better. I think because we didn’t have a large wedding, we get to live vicariously through the couples we marry and I’m completely fine with that!
I loved having the opportunity to work with Shannon and her business! She has an awesome personality and great eye for detail. If you’re planning a wedding, definitely head on over to Simply Weddings and take a look.
Details, details details…
Location: Bridle Barn & Gardens
Flowers: Sunborn Flower Farm and Florist
Hair: Mariah at Shear Style Salon
