Holli and Jeremy | Wedding @ Refinery, Champaign IL

Holli and Jeremy win the award I think for the year for worst weather. We hope that instead of remembering how cold and rainy it was they will instead reflect on the AMAZING day that they had and the epic party that they threw surrounded by so many loved ones and friends. I’ve known Holli since like forever now, we spent all of grade school and high school in the same class and I think there was maybe even some preschool in there too and she’s always been one of my favorite down to earth people because she literally lives her life to the fullest. She was always the one in school smiling and being happy and I remember a lot of laughter when we were all together hanging out and that literally hasn’t changed about Holli. Jeremy is one lucky guy and I can tell by his actions and his spirit that these two are PERFECT together. I made a few jokes on Saturday about Kabbess weddings (you may remember Kim and Adam’s wedding that took place in the monsoon storm that swept over their reception earlier this year) bringing on the worst weather but no matter what happens at these weddings, the couples ALWAYS overcome and still enjoy themselves. Such was the case with Kim and Adam and Holli and Jeremy. We started the morning in the Champaign area at Comfort Suites where the girls from Foxy Styles in Effingham came up to create the bridal looks for Holli and her bridesmaids. They did a fantastic job with hair as always and while we were photographing the group we snapped a few photos of Holli’s dress and details. Holli chose the most AMAZING wedding dress (HOLY TRAIN BATMAN!) for her big day and it fit her perfectly, it was made for her for sure! Holli’s mom, future mother in law, and sister helped her get dressed and then she exchanged a very sweet first look with her father presenting him with a handkerchief and tie. Then we got ready for the big reveal where Jeremy saw her for the very first time and put a bracelet on her that he had gotten for her, it was a very sweet moment. The forecast for the day was abysmal and they had called for steady rain, wind, and freezing conditions all day however around this time we got a small break in the rain so we decided to head to Boneyard Creek in Champaign to chance some outdoor photos. We got through a good number of bridal party and family photos before we had to call it quits due to the rain and wind. Holli and Jeremy, along with their bridal party, were troopers to work through the cold wind and rain to attempt a few photos at the spot Holli chose before we headed to the Illini Union for some indoor photos. I was thankful for the indoor space and we finished up with portraits there before heading to the ceremony and reception site for some formal photos with the rest of the family. Holli and Jeremy had chosen a very pretty and unique venue for their ceremony and reception, the Refinery in Champaign, IL. When we arrived the amazing wedding whisperer Mary Dust was there making centerpieces for the reception (which looked amazing) and gathered up the bridal party to finish up formal photos so that all the photos were done before the ceremony. Holli and Jeremy had a packed house for their ceremony and the groom was all smiles as she came down the aisle. They exchanged vows and then joined their wedding party and family for a champagne toast to celebrate the new marriage. We really loved that the couple participated in cocktail hour so that they could mingle with their guests and by that hour it was very dark and rainy so we were very thankful that we even got a few outdoor photos at all, we know a lot of our photographer friends in the area weren’t so lucky. It was nice to see so many familiar faces in the bridal party and at the reception and our bride and groom enjoyed visiting with all their loved ones. There were some incredible speeches by the bridal party and the couple was serenaded by cousin Sidney to a beautiful cover of “A Thousand Years.” She really sounded amazing, what an incredible talent. The reception was packed with love and fun the entire night and was complete with amazing cake pops, cookies, fudge, and dinner by Witts Catering. Their food is legit, if you haven’t tried it, you’re missing out. We also filmed Holli and Jeremy’s big day, we’ll be sharing their wedding trailer in the coming weeks! We are so happy for Holli and Jeremy, despite all the challenges of the day, the most important thing to remember is the marriage that began with the support of all of those loved ones. Congrats Holli and Jeremy, we wish you all the best!

-The Keys