We had a hard time narrowing down our pictures for this blog post! Melanie and Todd had a perfect fall day to celebrate their wedding in Clinton IL.We met up with the couple at Clinton Presbyterian Church. This was the first time we had actually photographed in that church. The church was a beautiful old church rich in history. We thought the beautiful stained glass was the perfect backdrop for Melanie's gorgeous gown (from Michelle's Bridal in Champaign).
It's clear the dress was made for her! She looked radiant!
Forget Me Knot flowers put together this beautiful bouquet for her, and we love that her
shoes matched the flowers!
We understand the tradition of the bride and groom not seeing each other before the ceremony, but we LOVE when couples actually do what we call a first viewing before hand. This allows us to get a large portion of pictures done before the ceremony, so afterward the pictures are minimal and we can get them to their party! We typically find a place for the groom and make sure he's facing away from the bride. Once he is in place, we'll bring the bride in, have her tap his shoulder and he'll turn around to capture his bride for the first time! There is still that special moment where he gets to see her for the first time, but what makes it sweet as they can then have a special moment, to say a few words and release some of that anxiety. When you see each other for the first time in front of the congregation it's hard to talk to each other and say what you are feeling. We alway stay far enough back too, so we aren't in the middle of your special moment. Here you can see Todd's smile as he sees Melanie in her dress for the first time...ear to ear!
Here are shots of Melanie and Todd (his tux also came from Michelle's Bridal) in the open park conveniently across the street from the church!
And a shot of the two of them with the church in the background,
Because they had their first viewing we were able to get all the formal shots, bridal part and family, done before the ceremony even started!
Their fur babies then popped in and made an appearance! How cute are these 2!
The happy little family! She Clicks is happy pictures don't come with an audio recording, because what you would hear is She Clicks barking like a dog to get their attention! Always a little entertaining! They are looking at her like she's crazy!
Always a special moment when the father walks his daughter down the aisle.
Here is a wider view of the historic church taken from the balcony, What you can't really tell from this church is how bad the lighting can be in some of these old churches. Often we are asked if we have experience shooting in dark churches. We sure do and we pride ourselves that our experience and gear allow us to do this without constant flashing disrupting the service. We try to be as discreet as possible so once the processional is over we turn off our flashes. We also try to stay behind the guests (again, after the procession is over) so we are not blocking the view of any guests. Our goal is to respect the church/venue, and not distract from the ceremony in any way.
The first kiss!
Picture perfect blue skies...check!
Awesome historic church...check!
Happy, fun, beautiful newly married couple...check!
The bridal party then piled into the limo (Elegant Limousine) and we headed to the square in downtown Clinton, IL for some quick fun pictures before heading on to the party.
The reception was held at the Copper and Brass Room in Clinton. Again, a new location for us. Fabulous Affairs did a great job with the decor! The tables, chairs, centerpieces, and place settings were amazing! A purple paradise!
Hilltop Catering from Mt Pulaski put on a delicious spread. Trust us...we know our food...we wouldn't lie! DELICIOUS! It always feels good at this point in the day (usually around 8 hrs into being on our feet all day) to sit down and refuel our bodies to get us through the reception.
Mowry Baking in Decatur is the talent behind the cake! They were very sweet with their cake cutting, no injuries and no frosting-covered faces.
The first dance was to Brad Paisley's Then, The rest of the night was one big party. Our DJ friends at Absolute Light and Sound kept the dance floor packed until the very end! Melanie and Todd we wish you many years of love, laughter and happiness!
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