Val and Brad’s Hotel Baker Family Affair
Val and Brad have been friends for a long time, and they found their friendship grew after they each navigated divorce after kids. They bonded and soon fell in love, but their amazing children also developed a beautiful connection with each other. As this family relationship grew stronger…
Val and Brad have been friends for a long time, and they found their friendship grew after they each navigated divorce after kids. They bonded and soon fell in love, but their amazing children also developed a beautiful connection with each other. As this family relationship grew stronger, Val’s daughters and Brad’s son REALLY wanted them to get married. Val and Brad’s kids were the driving force behind them deciding to get married, and they were SO excited when that day finally arrived.
Set against the charming backdrop of the Hotel Baker in St. Charles along the Fox River, Val and Brad’s wedding day was nothing short of perfect. Our friend Elyse of Two Sisters Events served as day-of coordinator to make sure everything went smoothly and created the most GORGEOUS bouquets and arrangements for the wedding. Val looked absolutely STUNNING in her form-fitting gown from Crystal Bride. It was such a sweet moment when her daughters helped her into her wedding dress!
Congratulations, Val and Brad, we wish you and your beautiful family a lifetime of happiness together!
To see all of Val and Brad’s beautiful wedding photos, click here
VENDOR DETAILS
VENUE
Hotel Baker
PHOTOGRAPHY & VIDEOGRAPHY
Something Blue
FLORALS & DAY-OF COORDINATION
Two Sisters Events
Sweet Snowy Session with the Weathers Family
This is a quiet time of year for us here at Something Blue. Photographer life has been even more quiet than usual as the pandemic wears on, but we are so thankful for the opportunities we have had to check in on our Something Blue families.
This is a quiet time of year for us here at Something Blue. Photographer life has been even more quiet than usual as the pandemic wears on, but we are so thankful for the opportunities we have had to check in on our Something Blue families. We met the sweet Weathers family through our friend April (look for a blog post about her coming soon!) and Christy just LOVED spending a snowy afternoon with them for some updated family photos!! Ashleigh did an AMAZING job styling everyone (on short notice, no less!) and the kids braved the cold and showed off their smiles to earn pizza after they finished!! We love how these photos turned out and can’t wait to see this beautiful family again soon (hopefully in warmer weather!)
A Celebration of Life, Love and Rainbows –Kate’s Maternity Session
When we hear the good news that one of our Something Blue brides is expecting, we celebrate together by sending a little flurry of excited texts to each other. Inherent in this job is an ongoing celebration of love in the unfolding beauty of life.
When we hear the good news that one of our Something Blue brides is expecting, we celebrate together by sending a little flurry of excited texts to each other. Inherent in this job is an ongoing celebration of love in the unfolding beauty of life. I first heard that Kate was expecting on Facebook, and when she reached out to schedule two maternity sessions I was humbled and honored and just SO excited! We have such beautiful memories of celebrating Kate and Adam’s wedding downtown at Hotel Allegro, a day that may well have been remembered as our rainiest wedding ever but yet was still unforgettably gorgeous. Because we found beauty in the rain, and at the end of the day we were able to reflect on that beauty and continue to celebrate LOVE. The only thing that matters.
As Kate and I worked together to schedule her sessions, I realized that she was expecting a rainbow baby. After experiencing the loss of her first child (a grief that I also navigated before my first was born), Kate wanted to properly celebrate this pregnancy. We did so in grand style – a studio session that started with our stunning new blush Odette dress against our freshly painted white walls. Kate was pampered by the talented Elisa before her session, and while her hair and makeup looked amazing it was her inner beauty, joy and connection with this new life that truly made these photographs so gorgeous.
As Kate told us the heartbreaking story of losing her first, she excitedly pulled out these stunning rainbow heels to celebrate this pregnancy. We were all truly impressed at how easily she transitioned from one pair of killer heels to the next!
Kate came prepared with a suitcase full of accessories and shoes to her studio session, but the best shoes she brought along were definitely these adorable cream floral baby booties!
Kate had one last request as her studio session drew to a close – she wanted to do some sexy shots in her amazing black boots, covered up only by a trench coat. This was such a fun way to end her session, what an amazing day!!
The next day, I met Kate and her husband Adam in the city for a couples’ maternity session. While the temperatures lingered below freezing we took a quick tour around the Riverwalk together. Adam was a trooper in the cold! It was wonderful to reconnect with both of them and get some sweet photos of this time in their lives together. The winter light was absolutely gorgeous near the river, it was a magical morning.
On her wedding day, Kate ROCKED a gorgeous dark blue velvet cape that she borrowed from her Aunt. It was so special that Kate brought the cape downtown again for her engagement session! Adam said she looked like Little Red Riding Hood, but Kate really does know how to work a cape (in heels while 30 weeks pregnant!!)
Thank you, Kate, for inviting us to share in another beautiful celebration of love in your life. We can’t wait to hear the good news of your baby girl’s safe arrival this spring!!