Caitlin and Jared | Wedding @ Newton, IL

I want to brag a little bit about this amazing couple. This is the FIRST and I mean the FIRST wedding I have ever shot where I actually looked at my watch, breathed a sigh of relief and said “we have extra time for photos?!” Caitlin did a PHENOMENAL job planning this wedding and making out a schedule which everyone followed to a T. In an added plus, her wedding party was outstanding. They were helpful, fun, prompt and attentive (and they were a large group!) We started out a Mainly You in Teutopolis for Hair and Makeup and then headed to Newton for the ceremony. This was my first opportunity shooting in the Catholic Church there and it is a beautiful site for a wedding. I instantly became obsessed with Caitlin’s choice of a cathedral veil (fist pump) and how fun her bridal party was. She had a perfect location picked out for photos after the ceremony and you could tell that she had done her research when finding the perfect spot for photos! It was a stunning property and matched their theme perfectly. I had been wanting to find sunflowers for photos just about all summer and we lucked out with some on the property. What was so nice about this wedding is that everyone followed the schedule and everyone was cooperative and fun and at the end of taking photos after the ceremony we literally had extra time to enjoy (taking more photos of course) and for the couple to take a breather and hang out with their friends at The Brickbat. Its very rare that a wedding is this laid back, I typically describe it as “chaotic” only because most weddings are bound to be that way. You have a large group of people you are trying to get to do ONE thing, on time and looking good and believe me, it can be a challenge. The chaos is always fun to photograph and when people ask me “what does it take to be a wedding photographer?” my usual response is you have to know how to organize and motivate absolute chaos (oh, and make it look good). The reception was full of family, fun, and wine (with labels designed by my good friend Tanya at Design Pro). Jared and Caitlin had a very unique and beautiful cake and their wedding party gave memorable and touching speeches. We had a lot of fun working with this couple during their engagement session and the wedding day was even more enjoyable. To be honest, in this blog I have featured SEVERAL photos that Doug shot during the day. Typically he is behind the video lens for weddings but for this particular wedding he stepped up to the photography plate and had awesome images, which I have included also in this blog. Thanks Caitlin and Jared for including us in your special day, we wish you many years of joy together!

-Kate and Doug