SWEET!

Before every single wedding - right about the time I am blow drying my hair while simultaneously feeding my face so I don't pass out post ceremony - I say a prayer to please help me capture this couples' day flawlessly, please let me see all moments with my heart, please let me be accurate and quick, please let me not stress out over altar photos, please let me do justice to the love these people feel, please let my equipment keep in working order, please let Roger not get mad at me when I stress out about those altar photos, and please please - if it isn't too much to ask - please let everyone be nice and easy to work with.

Well praise Jesus! On 8/9/08 my prayers were answered! And I tell ya what, we must've been really deserving that day because this was one for the record books.

Never ever have we had a day go as flawlessly as this.

So grab a snack and sit yourself down, cause honey this is a long one!

Meet Sweet Jean.

OMG - isn't she cute? And listen - they don't call her Sweet for nothin. This girl is just that - Sweet. And isn't it so cute that we got to drive her to the church? This is her in our car. I had to start with that because I was so honored that she rode with us. It reminded me of the day I brought my son home after giving birth - I kept looking back at her to make sure she was OK, and telling Roger to "Drive carefully" because of our precious cargo, and just kept thinking how cute she was. (I apologize - that's weird isn't it?)

OK, rewind to the beginning.

Where to start. Well, first I should start off with one of the many perfect things about the day - The Details.

Sweet is very creative, so between herself and Gary from Loft and Home in Litchfield IL, everything was SO amazing.

(I must give a shout out for Gary, for without him I would not have met this wonderful couple.)

Gary's talent is so far above and beyond what even the elite florist and designers are offering. His vision is cutting edge, and breathtakingly AWESOME! Normally, work with this type of creative flair can only be found in bigger cities, but his shop is in Litchfield IL, and if you are looking for someone for your own wedding - it's worth the drive to meet him and see his incredible work!

Her style was shabby chic, and wowza it was cool!
Sweet made these doors and used them as a backdrop at the ceremony. Oh sure, doesn't every bride have time for things like this? She also made her own invitations, and her cake.

Does anyone else sense a little bit of an over achiever?

Now - first let me say that ya gotta love a bride with 3 dresses for the day. That's right - 3 clothing changes. I personally had sweats and a T-shirt that said Mrs. Doolin, and I thought I was THE BOMB with that. But now that I know Sweet, I would expect nothing less.

Here is outfit #1


A little wardrobe change...

and biggity bam... more hotness.

Yes, I know. Hot.

Now, I've been waiting to get my hands on a birdcage veil, and as fate would have it, this little Miss wore one.


Sure it might have caused a little vision issues...

ah, but come on! It was TOTALLY worth it!

AYKM?!?!? Is that the hottest photo EVER???

(Roger's shot)

Now before you start hating Sweet because she's so fantastically gorgeous, you must know that she is fantastically sweet (no pun intended) and goofy.

I mean who else could go from classic movie star bombshell to this...

I can't not brag on Luke as well, or as I like to call him... Mr.Sweet.

He's very Ambercrombie handsome, so you gotta love him too!

And he was raised with 4 sisters, so you KNOW he's a total catch!

(I know I know - is there a bad looking one in the bunch? Forget it because there isn't)

Sweet and Luke saw each other prior to the ceremony.

Now let me preface this by saying that it has been a long time since I've cried at a wedding.

8/9/08 - I cried 5 times. Enough to where I hid my face because I had one of those scrunch your face - all distorted - meltdowns.

Meltdown #1...

Not only did Luke give her an amazing present, he was brought to tears. You could feel every bit of love in the air. Even though it was just Roger and I in the room with them, they didn't know we were there. They were completely wrapped up in one another.

Time #2 & 3

The ceremony...

That is Sweet's grandpa leading the congregation in praying over the couple. You could feel the emotion. (And I guess I could feel it x 100 because I was crying again)

Yes, he dipped her for that first kiss as husband and wife. And it was a darn good dip!

Now when you put these two together for a photo - you get just absolute SMOKIN hotness.

but then you also get some goofiness...

Now I am sure you can already see why this wedding was an answer to my prayers....

but WAIT! I haven't even told you about the Wedding Party.

First off, please know that we always have at least 1 person (usually a groomsman) complain about having their photo taken, and ask how long I'm gonna be taking photos and then roll their eyes and tell the other groomsman how much they don't like me. I'm used to it. And generally, when kids are in a wedding, I have to bribe them with empty promises of Disney World and Zac Efron. But on 8/9/08... I got paid back for all the badmouthing from groomsmen and all the kicks to the shins from kids, because every single person in this wedding party was fun, nice, cooperative, AND good looking.

Don't believe me? Feast your eyes on this!

Uh-huh

That's right.

I did not tell him to hold his jacket like that - he just did it.

OK - How many kids do you get to do this?

and how many groomsmen do you get to do this?

and yes, the girls played along with me too!

OMG - I KNOW!

No I did not cut these pics out of Gap Kids ads.

And then just like that...

I say don't smile and they all did it.

AMAZING!

SO then the amazing reception...

Meltdown #4 came during the toast, and I am not sure if time #5 counts, because I am not sure if #4 ever stopped until after the father daughter dance. See for yourself...

Love me some nighttime traffic shots!

This gentlemen... is how you dip a woman.

OK, so there was only one car. The shot rocks regardless. It's Litchfield Illinois for heavens sake!


And yes, as I promised - a 3rd clothing change.

HOT TAMALE! Grab some water cuz SWEET JEAN IS ON FIRE!

And so the night ends...

There is one part of my prayers unanswered - and that is that the photos taken do justice to the love shared by this couple. No words, no photos, nothing can tell the amount of love shared that day. I think we did all we could to capture their day well. But there is something special between this couple, and this family, and these friends, that you just can't encompass in a story or a photo. You have to know these people, and see how deep they care for one another. They are a reminder - an example - to all of us on what love looks like and how we should treat one another. We were so blessed to be a part of it.

Thank you all for being so special! I hope you treasure the memories and images as much as we will!

Can't get enough of Sweet Jean & Luke? Well check out all of their photos HERE!