Today, we’re throwin’ it back to the day Matt + Emily got married. To the day it rained nearly nonstop. To the day we captured a rainbow during bridal party formals. To the day our groom + his amazing, pregnant bride climbed a massive, muddy hill for a shot in the rain during the reception. To the day we got to document a gender reveal garter toss. To the day Matt + Emily’s love + affection for one another was evident from the first moment they spoke at their first not look.  No rain, mud, or change of plans could keep these two from exuding JOY all day long! 

   I mentioned Emily was pregnant, right? 7 months pregnant! And stunning! Glowing, truly.

   Such a sweet moment for their first not look on Main Street Saint Charles. 

    Their ceremony was held at 370 Lakeside Park, which was a beautiful location despite the clouds rolling in. If you look closely, you’ll see the sky get gradually darker and darker as the images continue!

   We managed to stay dry during the ceremony only to get SOAKED during bridal party photos. Everyone was so flexible though! We hopped in and out of cars, traded off umbrellas, and then…

…a RAINBOW appeared!

   There were so many perfectly personalized rustic touches for their day. Everything was DIY and so well suited to their pink, green, and gold color scheme.

    Our favorite part of the evening was during the garter toss. Normally, I could take or leave the bouquet + garter tosses, but this one was especially fun because Matt + Emily were using it to announce the gender of their little one! They’d kept it a secret for WEEKS and it was so much fun to see everyone’s reaction when Matt pulled out that PINK garter!

   Pay attention to the moms on the right side of the image. So great.

During the reception, I stole Matt + Emily away, forced them to walk up a humongous hill in the rain and mud to take a few night shots. Confession: I had never taken a night photo before. Never even attempted it. I told my assistant that if we were going to make them walk all the way up this hill, we had better nail this! If I’m being honest, I was sweating bullets, but I was so excited when I saw how the images came out! I’m so thankful I have clients who trust me (even when I’m not sure if I trust myself)!!

    Want to see more throwback weddings? Check out Eric + Keri’s DIY urban navy and yellow celebration or Neil + Jill’s eclectic chic day in the Central West End!