On July 15th we were fortunate to capture a truly magical day for Gretchen and Artem as they became husband and wife. the day was beautiful and the forecast for humid, sunny, and 80 couldn’t have been more wrong as we enjoyed gorgeous weather.
The day started for Gretchen and her girls (who are all wonderful I might add) at Geneva National. They wore stunning magenta floor length dresses that captured the slight breeze beautifully. They spent the morning laughing and reminiscing as they prepared the gorgeous bride. Gretchen was breathtaking her her lace mermaid gown.
Just before she went to put on her dress Gretchen received these beautiful flowers and note from her groom to be…
As if surprise flowers weren’t enough he also wrote her a letter and gave her a card that surprised her with pop up flowers. The emotions in these images are so genuine.
Gretchen had a piece of her favorite childhood dress as her something blue, I love this idea!
It’s time to dress the beautiful bride…
When she was in the dress everyone got excited….
Time for dad… this moment was so sweet.
Now for the other man in her life, this first look was priceless. We had groomsmen acting like the secret service to block off the sidewalk for these two to share this special time.
Look at that smile!
The groomsmen earned a few shots of their own!
This bridal party was amazing, we got so many portraits because of this!
These girls were all STUNNING!
After a wonderful time at portraits we sped off to the ceremony.
At the charming First Congressional United Church of Christ in Lake Geneva Gretchen and Artem became Mr. and Mrs. Beer. Their ceremony was beautiful and complete with a funny pastor, a trumpet, a reading called “Love is like Owning a Dog”, and a lot of smiles.
The exit with church bells ringing was joyus!
Little Ella was a doll, she is Gretchen’s big brother’s newest addition.
Both sets of parents were too cute not to capture, they raised amazing children who are sure to have a wonderful marriage.
After the ceremony we had MORE portrait time. We went to areas around the church and had a blast with the new Mr. and Mrs.
At the next location this sweet woman brought us all waters and told the bride and groom to “love each other well.” This kind gesture and advice were memorable and so amazing.
Then it was time to celebrate at the reception. It was full of beautiful details, love, friends, family, and amazing food.
These two hiked the bouquet, threw and caught the pass, then had an epic high five. Grand entrance….nailed it!
How sweet are Gretchen’s brother and his girlfriend and her brother and his daughter?!
Gretchen and Artem had to kiss for 10 seconds during this toast, so fun!
Gretchen’s dad gave a heartfelt welcome where he introduced his family to everyone. It was a wonderful speech that everyone seemed to enjoy.
Gretchen’s grandma made this beautiful cake that she cut with the knife from her parent’s wedding… these little touches were so special. The rest of the guests got to enjoy delicious cake from Country Rose Bakery!
After some clever planning by Gretchen’s mom we surprised the bride and groom with this fun filled entrance…. the trumpets played UW-Madison and Minnesota’s fight songs as the guests waved their chosen colors. It was beyond fun and the energy was palpable.
Gretchen and Artem shared their first dance….
Followed by this slow then fast dance with Gretchen and her dad…. they were so funny singing an dancing together.
Artem and his mom kept it slow and sweet, then his mom did something so amazing as she left the floor and handed her son to his new bride. It was so sweet and symbolic.
This anniversary dance was great as the final four switched partners at the end 🙂
A little bit softer now….
This was one of my personal favorite moments as these two did an amazing dance to “Bye Bye Bye” by NSYNC. It was so entertaining, and as a huge NSYNC fan I can say they nailed it!
Gretchen and Artem, thank you for letting us capture such an amazing day. Your love is a joy to see and be around. It was hard to put it into words. Thank you again!
Dress: Justin Alexander from Bridal Extraordinaire Shawnee Kansas
Florist: Crazy For You Flowers Delavan, WI http://www.crazyforyouflowers.com
Ceremony Venue: First Congregational United Church of Christ, Lake Geneva http://www.lakegenevachurchucc.org/
Reception Venue: Geneva National Resort http://www.genevanationalresort.com
DJ: Enclave Light and Sound http://elightsandsound.com
Cake: Country Rose http://www.countryrosebakery.com
Catering: Geneva National
Bridesmaids Dresses: Jasmine Bridals from Images of Racine http://www.imagesofracine.com
Groom and Groomsmen attire: Men’s Warehouse http://www.menswarehouse.com
Greatest Story Photography 