Next Thursday is Jenny's only sibling's 8 month wedding anniversary! We'd meant to write about it back at their half year anniversary a couple months ago, but many other timely blog posts, conferences, and an unforeseen health issue popped up during for the past few months consistently. Like us, Jill and Adam met after college while in their second degree and were together for about 4 years during and after their masters degrees before officially tying the knot. From the start they spent holidays together with our families and Adam gelled well with our family with his biting sarcasm from the start. Jill and Adam were in the same Occupational Therapy program together in Arizona when they met, giving them not only shared interests, but a shared occupation. They're currently in their 3rd year employed as Occupational Therapists near Phoenix, Arizona (living in Scottsdale) and following in our footsteps adopted an awesome big dog Louie in the fall of 2016.
As is often the case, it's always different being in a wedding if you're in the wedding industry as your career. A year and some months ago Jenny met Jill and Adam in Chicago (where they flew in from from Arizona). Since Jill felt pressure from all directions to choose other peoples' favorite dress, Jenny asked around and made a last minute schedule for dress shopping for the morning. As is sometimes with sisters this resulted in a fight, but Jenny was able to get Jill to at least go to one wedding dress boutique in Chicago that morning. Jill gave her preferences and Jenny sat patiently just silently watching Jill's facial expressions and reactions to each of the 4 to 6 dresses. This is the only TRUE way to unselfishly tell what someone else enjoys: to watch how they react to things rather than place your own wishes upon them. (Psychology degrees come in handy sometimes.) Jill is a bit of a worrier about finalizing plans and choosing, so we kept it open-ended upon leaving, but the dress was narrowed down to her favorite and a runner up. Throughout the following months there were more dress appointments and back-and-forth, but in the end she chose the best: The dress she originally liked at the boutique in Chicago. It was a perfect match and we're happy that things worked out so well with such a gorgeous find.
We then photographed their Engagement Session over a year ago in their home state of Arizona during our annual holiday family visit and set out through the process of both creating photographic products for them as well as helping organize events for the wedding. While in the Southwest, Jenny even attended gigantic Bridal Expo in Phoenix, Arizona (far more overwhelming than the smaller ones we do here) to try to see if we could help get any ideas for the wedding or decor.
Throughout last year Jill and Adam also had their Bridal Showers- one in Indiana and one in Arizona- and we designed and printed their cards for them since we'd photographed their Engagement Session just a few months prior. The Bridal Shower near South Bend was held at the Beiger Mansion. It was a nice, relaxed gathering of lifelong friends and family. (Our gift to Jill and Adam was a handmade exclusive piece of pottery- an anatomical teapot- made by Jill's high school pottery teacher who happens to own a local deli!) We quickly designed and printed Thank You cards that weekend of photos from their Engagement that we captured and they spent their plane ride home writing Thank Yous to attendees.
We also made their Save the Dates including more images we captured from their Engagement Session coupled with hand written cursive writing by one of our artists. Jenny helped pick out the bridesmaid dresses since she was the Maid of Honor and since the line was a beautiful Vera Wang series, incredibly there were vests for the groomsmen to match in exact color! Things quickly fell into place as Jenny as well as Jill's best friend planned the bachelorette weekend for across the country!
Jill's Bachelorette party was in June in San Diego, California 9 months ago, so amidst the rush of wedding season the party fit nicely between weekends we had booked for weddings. Jenny headed out to California to meet up with a group of Jill's close friends from all over the country, all the while staying on a Yacht docked in the San Diego Harbor ! It was a fast weekend of mimosas, meals, water sports, etcetera and all too quickly much of the gang was driving back to Arizona and flying back home from the relaxing weekend in the sun.
Only a couple months later it was time for everyone to travel again! Leading up to the wedding, Adam's sisters and parents flew in to Michigan & Indiana to visit Jenny's parents and Adam's aunt & uncle! There was a week of festivities leading up to the wedding and we very much enjoyed some intimate time with the family as well as welcoming Jill and Adam in later in the week for their rehearsal dinner!
Just prior to the wedding we created a few photo products/items in preparation for the big day. This included a 20x30 canvas of one of our favorite images from Jill and Adams' Engagement Session. We also predesigned and printed Thank Your Cards for them to send out to anyone that was generous enough to leave a gift. (We had even included a couple of images specifically for this purpose in the Engagement Session. Preplanning and having these done before the wedding just helped to get things completed and help ease wedding day stress.) We made sure that the hair and makeup location (of our cousin's wife's family salon) was possibly able to accommodate us amidst another wedding that they had that day (which they did so amazingly!). In July we finally found mega long "wedding sparklers" for only 20 cents apiece and also snatched those up for their wedding exit. Since we're experts on wedding day schedules and locations, we also chose Jill and the bridesmaids' preparation location of our own photography studio as well as the post-ceremony portrait locations! (You can't beat a pond with weeping willow and gorgeous groomed foliage with beautiful brick arches!)
When we got to the day itself everything went smoothly as planned. We picked up and made everyone bagels, prepped at our studio, and then it was time for the ceremony at our childhood church/ school! Afterward we headed down the street to utilize our beautiful favorite wedding portrait locations, then headed onward to the Blue Heron, a familiar venue we've photographed at as long as 9 years ago! The whole day was surreal and quick ending with one last little gift of this handwritten song for Jill and Adam's wedding (written by a local Chicago artist): www.songfinch.com/stories/my-sister-jill-and-her-groom-adam
After the wedding there was brunch and relaxation up at a lake in Michigan over the Indiana border. The day wound down and Jill and Adam prepped to leave for their honeymoon. When they returned about a week later, we met them for a bite to eat at an old historic spot and bid them adieu to return to their dog Louie! All-in-all it was a hectic 9 months, but a great reminder of what goes on behind the scenes of every wedding we photograph! The planning and festivities stretch far further back than just the wedding day involving hundreds of people and the marriage itself lasts throughout time with community helping throughout.
Happy 8 Months of Marriage in just one week, Jill and Adam! We can't wait to see you two in August just after your ONE YEAR Anniversary so soon! Give Louie a pet for us and have fun in Ireland in the upcoming weeks!