Kayla and Michael | Wedding @ Kibbie Cabins, Oblong IL

Beware this is long….

When your photo bestie gets married, you pull out all the stops. I had told Kayla that because of my morning flight to Minneapolis today and the fact I’d be traveling this week I’d likely be unable to post her blog on my normal “Wedding Wednesday” blog tradition. She wasn’t upset in the least because she’s a photographer and she gets it. She understands that I had popcorn for dinner last Tuesday and that I had so many meetings on Wednesday I couldn’t edit so now I’m a day behind. I just couldn’t accept that she wouldn’t get this amazing blog until Friday at the earliest so I packed up her wedding (after backups, promise) and brought it with me. Throw in a little plane editing and wholla, you have the wedding blog!

Now this blog is a whopper for many reasons (see photo bestie comment above). A few years ago we were blessed with Kayla entering our lives to start helping us out with some weddings here and there so that she could get a feel for how we manage our wedding days. Quiet and ninja like she has captured beautiful images for our clients at the weddings she has helped us with. I hold her personally responsible for assisting with the lighting of several of our most popular images online and I’m telling you that anyone who can put up with my bossy butt during a wedding deserves twice as many blog photos as I posted. Something happens when I shoot weddings that morphs my personality a bit and I become this very focused and obsessive character who pushes forth towards the goal at all costs. Kayla has graciously worked with me through frustrating times and has always maintained her helpful approach and beautiful personality. We are absolutely so grateful to have her in our lives to improve our business.

Now on to the wedding! The moment she got engaged my first thought was “oh man this is gonna be amazing” and boy did it live up to its hype. No one deserved a more perfect wedding day than Kayla especially when it came down to the breezy, 70 degree pre-fall day that we were given and the glorious fluffy clouds that had me singing (yes, literally and obnoxiously singing) the entire day. Being well schooled in all things wedding photography related, Kayla gave me a schedule that all other photographers would envy complete with a first look, no transportation between the ceremony and the reception, and an EPIC venue to work with. Pretty sure she ordered the perfect weather too because the entire day was very laid back, chill, and enjoyable. We started the morning at Bladez Salon in Robinson where Kayla and her bridesmaids welcomed Doug and I into their club. We laughed and bonded all morning and then headed to Kibbie Cabins in Oblong where the bridal party got ready and Kayla and Michael had an epic first look. We can’t say enough how much we enjoyed this venue and the ample amounts of time we had to take photos. The schedule was an absolute dream and after the first look we just took portrait after portrait. GLORIOUS! The ceremony was so intimate and beautiful especially when Kayla and Michael opted out of the traditional “unity candle” and added dirt and water to a tree they plan to plant in their yard. I beamed with pride as she said her vows and walked back down the aisle a married woman. We love this girl so much and we are so thrilled she had this amazing day!

The reception had delicious food and great speeches and we loved working with Kayla and Michael’s family and bridal party, they were all so welcoming and enjoyable. We of course included some sunset and night shots into the mix and I left this wedding completely satisfied with all of the photos we were able to capture. It was actually nice shooting a wedding for another photographer because I didn’t have to explain to the couple the few extra minutes (or seconds in some case)  that we would work to get just the right shot and Kayla was equally as giddy even before seeing the photos on the back of the camera at the stunning yellow sunlight we worked with after the ceremony. We loved shooting a wedding for someone who has literally been in our shoes and who understands that a good schedule and some planning ahead can make the day run so incredibly smooth.

I could keep going on and on about this amazing day and this amazing couple. Can you imagine poor Michael having to deal with Kayla and I saying “oh just one more photo, just one more the light is beautiful!” He is such a standup, kind hearted guy and even though he can be quiet sometimes we know by the way he looks at Kayla that he loves her with all of his heart and that gets our approval 100 percent. We love you guys, thanks so much for picking us to photograph your big day. We know that with your knowledge of wedding photography you could have chosen far greater talent than us and it means a lot to us that you picked us. Doug filmed their wedding day and we are so excited to share it with you on the Key-Films blog in a few weeks. Stay Tuned!

Congrats Kayla and Michael! Much Love!

-Kate and Doug