Sarah & Paul’s Intimate Backyard Wedding
The pandemic shifted the wedding industry in many ways, and while the last two years have been incredibly difficult there are beautiful things that came out of the trials we all faced together. We have truly loved the recent shift towards smaller, more intimate weddings . . .
The pandemic shifted the wedding industry in many ways, and while the last two years have been incredibly difficult there are beautiful things that came out of the trials we all faced together. We have truly loved the recent shift towards smaller, more intimate wedding celebrations. While a big party has its place, we love the quiet and joyful energy of a backyard wedding.
Christy met Sarah and Paul’ beautiful family at their Fall Mini Session last year. Sarah and Paul are deeply in love and are the best parents to Paul’s adorable son’s Greyson and Lincoln. I was so thankful and honored that they invited me to photograph their backyard wedding. Paul met me in Long Grove with his boys and we took some fun photos together while we waited for Sarah to arrive. Sarah looked so beautiful; after their sweet first look on the historic covered bridge the five of us had the best time exploring Long Grove and enjoying a lovely afternoon before their wedding ceremony.
Once we got back to Sarah and Paul’s house their closest friends and family were excitedly waiting for the wedding to begin. Their backyard looked so pretty set up with the white tent and thoughtful details, including a place set at the table for Sarah’s parents who had passed. Greyson carefully carried the rings into the ceremony while Lincoln sweetly walked Sarah down the aisle. After the emotional ceremony Sarah and Paul cut their cake and shared their first dance with the boys, it was just the perfect evening.
Congratulations, Sarah and Paul, we love you and wish you a lifetime of happiness together!
To see all of Sarah and Paul’s beautiful backyard wedding photos, click here
VENDOR DETAILS
PHOTOGRAPHY
Something Blue
FLORIST
Lake Zurich Florist
CAKE
Blawesome Cakes
Margaret & Kyle’s Beautiful Backyard Wedding
Margaret and Kyle both grew up in St. Charles and met in high school. They became friends and had high school crushes on each other (they had their first kiss in the basement of their friend’s parent’s house!) but never dated. . .
Margaret and Kyle both grew up in St. Charles and met in high school. They became friends and had high school crushes on each other (they had their first kiss in the basement of their friend’s parent’s house!) but never dated. They stayed close throughout college and started officially started dating after they both graduated. Since then they have had many adventures together – they love traveling (taking trips to US National Parks, Mexico, Germany, Austria, Czech Republic, Canada, etc.), hiking, camping, Halloween parties and hanging with their friends and family!
As the pandemic wore on Margaret and Kyle decided to get married in front of their very closest friends and family in Margaret’s picturesque backyard on the Fox River. Their backyard wedding was intimate and beautiful thanks to lots of hard work leading up to the big day; both of their Dads put in a lot of hours to help make Margaret’s backyard look perfect (and poison ivy free!) Margaret created the bouquets herself with flowers from Costco and their friends pitched in to help set up everything before the ceremony.
When we arrived at Margaret’s one thing was very very clear – this couple is surrounded by love and joy. Their friends and family made this wedding one that we won’t forget. We can’t wait for their big celebration next summer at Salvage One, if it’s anything like this intimate gathering we know it will be an absolutely perfect event!
Congratulations, Margaret and Kyle, we love you and wish you a lifetime of happiness together!
To see all of Margaret and Kyle’s beautiful backyard wedding photos, click here
VENDOR DETAILS
Photography
Something Blue Photography
Hair
Jenni Lutz
Wedding Shoes
Express
Florist
Costco
Wedding Rings
Ethan Lord
Desserts
Costco
Amanda and Zach’s Intimate Backyard Wedding
Amanda and Zach always wanted to have a small, intimate backyard wedding. When so many couples were forced to go in that direction because of Covid, these two embraced the opportunity to plan the wedding of their dreams…
Amanda and Zach always wanted to have a small, intimate backyard wedding. When so many couples were forced to go in that direction because of Covid, these two embraced the opportunity to plan the wedding of their dreams. Zach is a firefighter and Amanda is a nurse, celebrating these two essential workers like this was so perfect. They invited only their closest family and friends, and Conrad got to go along to photograph this beautiful day (his friend’s Mom is the groom’s Aunt and officiated the ceremony).
Zach’s Mom helped pull together all of the pretty details to transform Zach and Amanda’s backyard for their wedding day. Their yard was the perfect backdrop for their joyful ceremony, once Amanda and Zach were declared husband and wife there was a lot of clapping and hugging to go around!
After some photos and a champagne toast, Zach pulled his motorcycle into the backyard for photos (another perk of getting married at home!) From their yard Conrad took them to downtown Bloomingdale for some golden-hour portraits against the town’s quaint backdrop before they headed back for a relaxing dinner. It was the perfect day for this amazing couple!
Congratulations, Amanda and Zach, we love you and wish you a lifetime of happiness together!
To see all of Amanda and Zach’s beautiful backyard wedding photos, click here
Nicole and Jesse’s Beautiful Micro Wedding
Nicole and Jesse had grand plans for their wedding celebration, but like so many were forced to scale back and reconsider when the pandemic settled in. They shifted gears and decided to celebrate in their front yard, and it truly was the sweetest and most intimate ceremony.
Conrad loved working with this laid-back in love couple when he shot their engagement photos last fall, and was so excited to see them again on their wedding day. In their kindness, they trusted Conrad to lead them to Wildwood Nature Center to take their wedding photos. Wildwood happens to be across the street from where Nicole went to elementary school! After their sweet first look at home with their adorable dog, Nicole and Jesse were up for anything as they adventured off the path at Wildwood to get the perfect shots. Punctuated by their beautiful florals created by Romance in Blooms this was THE perfect backdrop for their wedding photos!
After finishing at Wildwood Nature Center they returned to their home for an emotional wedding ceremony in their front yard. There wasn’t a dry eye present as Nicole and Jesse exchanged their vows in front of their (socially distant) guests. It was a beautiful day that Conrad was so thankful to be a part of.
Congratulations, Nicole and Jesse, we love you and wish you a lifetime of happiness together!
To see all of Nicole and Jesse’s beautiful backyard wedding photos, click here
Sara and Pat’s Sweet and Simple Backyard Wedding
Sara and Pat hosted an intimate micro wedding in his parents’ backyard that was truly perfect - from their emotional first look to the surprise drive-by wedding parade through their cul-de-sac to a magical sparkler exit we loved being a part of this beautiful day!
Sara and Pat chose to turn their large wedding plans into a sweet and simple celebration in his parents’ backyard. Over the summer they bought their first home together across the street, so celebrating their wedding in the same cul-de-sac made perfect sense. They only invited immediate family and their closest friends, and it was truly the most perfect and beautiful day.
Sara looked radiant as she got ready along with her bridesmaids at her sister-in-law’s beautiful home. When we arrived at Pat’s mom’s house he was anxious for his first look with Sara, and they were both surprised to see him cry when he saw his bride. It was a rainy afternoon but we managed to squeeze in some beautiful bridal portraits before their ceremony. Under the little white tent, Sara and Pat exchanged vows in the most emotional and beautiful ceremony officiated by the amazing Melissa Wall. Melissa filled the ceremony with personal stories and meaningful moments, we all thought that she was close friends with Sara and Pat, I would absolutely recommend her to ANYONE looking for a caring officiant!
After the ceremony ended we heard honking coming from the street, when we ran to the front of the house we saw dozens of cars parading by to wish Sara and Pat well on their wedding day!! Joyful Covid parades have to be one of the best things to come out of 2020, right?! It was so sweet to see their friends and family drive by with signs, balloons and cards all while honking and cheering for the newlyweds.
Congratulations, Sara and Pat, we love you and wish you a lifetime of happiness together!
To see all of Sara and Pat’s beautiful wedding photos, click here
Jessica and Matt’s Beautiful Backyard Wedding
In the turmoil of 2020, Jessica and Matt decided an intimate backyard wedding suited them perfectly. They invited only their closest friends and family to their adorable new home in Barrington for the perfect outdoor celebration.
In the turmoil of 2020, Jessica and Matt decided that an intimate wedding suited them perfectly when faced with the decision to change their big plans. They recently bought a beautiful new home in Barrington and transformed their backyard for the most beautiful celebration over Labor Day weekend. Every pretty detail looked amazing, Jessica made everything look so beautiful (with help from the amazing florists at Aberdeen’s). But what really made this the perfect backyard wedding was the LOVE between these two. Jessica and Matt were clearly made for each other. They light up when they are near each other, and after their romantic ceremony (that her brother hilariously officiated) these two couldn’t keep their eyes off each other. It was such a joy to be part of this unforgettable day.
Congratulations, Jessica and Matt, you are SO loved! I wish you a lifetime of happiness together!
To see all of Jessica and Matt’s beautiful backyard wedding photos, click here
Joanne and Casey’s Gorgeous Garden Wedding
Joanne and Casey were friends before realizing there could be something more to their relationship. After her divorce, Casey would help Joanne with projects around her house, and eventually their friendship grew into a loving relationship. They are both avid gardeners and worked tirelessly to make their yard perfect for their beautiful garden wedding. Casey is proud of the different types of conifers he has in their yard, while Joanne is always in the garden and worked very hard to have it perfectly manicured for their wedding. Casey joked she would be weeding in her wedding dress!
Lindsay loved photographing all of the many details that made Joanne and Casey’s garden wedding unique. Casey made homemade wine for the wedding – red and white – while Joanne’s daughter created the beautiful labels. Joanne asked her caterer (Dave’s Specialities in Mount Prospect) to use some of her own delicious recipes. The flowers by The Eiffel Flower in Arlington Heights were gorgeous, they worked closely with Joanne to create her dream garden wedding.
Congratulations, Joanne and Casey, we love you and wish you a lifetime of happiness together!
To see all of Joanne and Casey’s beautiful wedding photos, click here
Lauren + Ian’s Magical Backyard Wedding
Lauren and Ian didn’t let a little pandemic stop them from having an absolutely gorgeous micro wedding in her parents’ backyard in Crystal Lake, Illinois. We had the most magical time celebrating with their closest friends and family.
While 2020 has forced all of our Something Blue couples to radically alter their wedding plans, Lauren and Ian didn’t let a little pandemic stop them from having an absolutely gorgeous micro wedding in her parents’ backyard in Crystal Lake, Illinois. We had the most magical time celebrating with their closest friends and family. Lauren looked radiant as she got ready at her parents’ home, and she rocked THE most amazing silver bridal shoes EVER. I definitely shed a few tears when Lauren saw her Dad and then Ian for their “first look” in the front yard.
After a few quick (and very entertaining) family and wedding party pics in the yard we followed Lauren and Ian’s trolley to Crystal Lake Beach for their lakeside ceremony. Ian’s father officiated the intimate ceremony that was filled with laughter and emotion. When they were pronounced husband and wife Lauren and Ian sweetly snuggled before walking back down the aisle together. We took more wedding party photos in downtown Crystal Lake before heading back to her parents’ home for an amazing night of toasts, dancing, roasting marshmallows and sparklers. We loved spotting all the personal details sprinkled throughout this day, it was the perfect celebration.
Congratulations, Lauren and Ian, we wish you a lifetime of happiness together!
To see all of Lauren and Ian’s beautiful backyard wedding photos, click here
Sarah and Dean’s Small and Sweet Backyard Wedding
Sarah and Dean’s wedding was our first Covid cancellation. It seems like so long ago now, but the sadness that we all felt when those spring wedding plans screeched to a halt still feels raw. All of their details were in place for their April wedding, but the universe had different plans for these two.
Sarah and Dean’s wedding was our first Covid cancellation. It seems like so long ago now, but the sadness that we all felt when those spring wedding plans screeched to a halt still feels raw. All of their details were in place for their April wedding, but the universe had different plans for these two. Yet through it all Sarah and Dean held their heads up and stayed rooted in their love for one another. While they were forced to move their big celebration to 2021, Sarah and Dean still decided to make things official this August with a very small and intimate ceremony at her home church, Holy Family in Inverness. While only their parents and her sister looked on, Sarah and Dean exchanged their vows quietly in the beautiful sanctuary before heading to her parents’ backyard for a humble celebration. It was quite honestly so perfect and romantic – while the day wasn’t anything like they first envisioned, it was still a truly special evening bursting with love and joy.
Congratulations, Sarah and Dean, we love you and wish you a lifetime of happiness together!
To see all of Sarah and Dean’s beautiful wedding photos, click here