Wes + Sam: A Gorgeous Fall Wedding Day

Who knew what hating pink starbursts would lead to…

Sam + Wes met on Hinge, where Sam’s answer to the “unpopular opinion” question (that he hated pink starbursts) kicked off an intriguing conversation that turned into a lasting commitment, that turned into a marriage to celebrate that commitment! Which is absolutely amazing (even if I love pink starbursts).

The wedding day they planned with the help of their families was phenomenal and had so many sweet touches, including a guest “book” that was actually a phone (where you could leave a message for the couple!), a chest full of blankets in case folks got cold, an outdoor dance floor under the stars, and fake mustaches for the wedding party!

While the day started off rainy, it cleared up just in time for Sam + Wes’ ceremony. The wedding day itself (both ceremony and reception) was held at the property of Wes’ mom and stepdad, and it was the perfect backdrop for such a joyful celebration.

Help me wish these two a big congratulations, and enjoy the photos!

—Sam

Here are the vendors that helped make their wedding day awesome!

Ceremony + Reception Venue: Wes’ Mom & Stepdad’s House

Officiant: Angela Santanni (friend)

Hair & Makeup: Rooted Culture Salon

DJ/Band: William Chorski

Catering: Blue Plate Catering

Wedding Coordinator: Brooke with Your Day, Your Way

Decor Rentals: Tables/chairs/bar/dinner service rentals from Event Essentials; Tent and Dance floor rentals from Madison Party Rental

Traci + Nicci: Wedding Portraits in a Wooded Wonderland

Traci + Nicci wanted to do their wedding portraits in a place that is very special to them

So we headed out to Donald County Park in Mt. Horeb to stop at some of their favorite spots along a trail they used to hike and run when they lived in Madison. It was a gorgeous day, and the spots they picked couldn’t have been more beautiful. Their actual wedding was just a few days before, which was an intimate gathering of close friends and family that they hosted at their house, but they knew they wanted their wedding portraits at the park, and I’m so, so glad they did, because it was just perfect! These adventuring folks climbed trees and rocks and braved all kinds of things to get fun photos, and it was such an honor to get to celebrate with these two!

Help me wish these two a big congratulations!!!

—Sam

Terri + Megan: An Intimate and Joyful Queer Wedding Celebration

Believe it or not, These two had not one but two failed proposal attempts

Megan (they/them) had planned to propose to Terri (she/her) on a gorgeous waterfall hike in Iceland, but COVID ruined those plans, and then less than two months later, Terri planned to propose to Megan at Disney World, but plans were thwarted by a hurricane! After all the plans gone awry, they both proposed to each other sweetly tucked away in their house and then began work on planning a small, intimate celebration in September!

Their wedding day was filled with personal touches, most importantly a beautiful memorial to family members who have passed, including Megan’s brother, and Terri’s father. Other personal touches include their dogs, Lars and Apollo walking each of them down the aisle. Megan gave Terri a beautiful gold bracelet that contained a locket with pictures of Terri’s dad. Terri gave Megan gorgeous custom cufflinks with their various furry friends’ faces. Megan made Terri’s bouquet and their own boutonniere out of pages from their favorite book! (The book is House in the Cerulean Sea by TJ Klune, which is one of my favorite books also!) Megan’s dad wore a tie Megan colored for them back in 1994 and he also made the s’more flavored wedding cake (which was delicious)! Megan + Terri had custom cocktails made for the celebration, and for their wedding favors? They hand-picked different books for each of their guests and wrote a person inscription in all of them.

It was a beautiful and deeply personal wedding day with so much love, laughter, and joy. I am so, so grateful to have been able to celebrate with these two and their family and closest friends! Help me with them a big congratulations!

—Sam

Here are the vendors that helped make their wedding day awesome!

Ceremony + Reception Venue: Air BnB

Hair Stylist: Union Hair Parlor

Bridal Jumpsuit: Strike Bridal Bar

Mx. Suit: Bindle & Keep

Custom Cocktails: Mint Mark

Haylee + Julia: A Chic Modern Wedding at Barnwood Events

These two had a beautiful wedding day!

It was a gorgeous day (absolutely perfect weather) for an equally gorgeous wedding celebration for Julia + Haylee. The wedding was chill and simultaneously chic, and I am so excited to share these photos with you all! I’m even more excited and honored to have been able to celebrate with these two. Help me wish them a big congratulations!

—Sam

Here are the vendors that helped make their wedding day awesome!

Ceremony + Reception Venue: Barnwood Events

Catering: Buck & Honey’s

Madi + Rysa: An Intimate, Queer Downtown Madison Wedding

Madi + Rysa’s wedding day was filled with fun and laughter (which in my opinion is the perfect kind of wedding day)!

Madi (she/her) and Rysa (they/them) met at Plan B originally (A queer Madison bar that sadly is no more) and began hanging out more and more, and planning gay movie nights, Drag Race marathons, and other fun outings, until they made things official. Even though they wanted a small and intimate wedding day at the Capitol building, it was important to them to work in photos at the formerly Plan B “L-O-V-E” mural on Willy St., and we had so much fun goofing off, doing cartwheels, and dancing pre-ceremony.

Once it was time for the ceremony, it was short and sweet (folks after my own heart - mine was also very short and sweet), and then onto more pictures with family and very close friends, and a walk around State street, as well as some fun photo ops with their beloved dog, Trixie (who is a VERY good doggo)!

It was a beautiful and hot summer day, perfect for the start of a very big adventure.

Congrats to Madi + Rysa!!!

—Sam

Here are the vendors that helped make their wedding day awesome!

Ceremony Venue: Wisconsin State Capitol Building

Jewelry: Rysa’s Band - Chalmer’s Jewelers | Madi’s Ring - Kessler’s Diamonds

Wedding Gown: David’s Bridal

Wedding Tux: Jazzman

Amber + Rachel: A 25th Anniversary Vow Renewal Ceremony

A warm Spring day for a beautiful vow renewal Ceremony

Amber + Rachel’s 25th wedding was special for so many reasons. First, 25 years is a big deal! Second, the original wedding celebration 25 years ago was celebrating these two as a cis-het presenting couple, and so it was extra meaningful for Amber + Rachel to be able to celebrate 25 years together as their authentic, queer selves, surrounded by friends and family who love and support the people they’ve grown into. This time around, Amber was able to wear a gorgeous white wedding dress (that she got for $4.50 at a thrift store if you can believe it!) and it paired perfectly with Rachel’s avant-garde white & navy striped dress!

The love and care everyone showed up with to celebrate Amber + Rachel was beautiful to see, as were their updated wedding vows. I’m so happy to have been able to celebrate with them. Join me in congratulating Amber + Rachel on 25 years together!

— Sam

Here are the vendors that helped make their celebration awesome!

Ceremony + Reception Venue: Olin Park Pavilion

Officiant: Jacy Imilkowski

Wedding Coordinator: Forsythia Events

Charlie + Family at the Epic Campus in Verona, WI

Charlie and their family had a little adventure at the epic campus!

I hadn’t been out to the Epic campus in Verona, WI in a few years, and it was just as fun (and as much of a maze) as I remembered! The colors in that subway area are my favorite, and I love how they worked with Charlie, Chelsea, and Doug’s matching outfits! Enjoy the photos of this sweet little family, and if you’d like to see Charlie’s newborn portraits, check them out here!

—Sam

Katie + Erin: A Big Gay Camp Wedding in Door County

Katie + Erin planned a gorgeous Fall wedding day at Peninsula State Park in Door County

Katie told me that she and Erin spent one of their first dates hiking, and their first trip together was a rain-soaked camping trip in, you guessed it, Door County. These two love the outdoors, and as a family (with Erin’s daughter Evey), they spend as much time outdoors as they can. So when it came to planning their wedding day, they knew they wanted the picturesque backdrop of Door County’s Peninsula State Park!

With a wedding hashtag like #biggaycampwedding you know you’re going to have a great time, and I absolutely did. It was a joy-filled day and Erin + Katie worked in so many special touches. Their vows were made not only to each other, but also to Evey (as every blended family should consider doing), which was the most precious moment of the day and reminded me of my own wedding, where my son walked me down the aisle, just like Erin’s daughter, wearing a badass suit just like her mom, walked Erin down the aisle.

We not only got to enjoy the beautiful weather the weekend had in store, but also got to punk around Peninsula State Park for photo opportunities, including the spooky Pioneer Cemetery after sunset, which was awesome, just like everything else about Erin + Katie’s wedding day!

Help me wish these two brides a very hearty congratulations, and enjoy the photos!

—Sam

Here are the vendors that helped make their wedding day awesome!

Ceremony + Reception Venue: Weborg Point Shelter - Peninsula State Park

Officiant: Nik Shier

Hair Stylist: Revel Salon

Wedding Rings/Bands: Bride Band - Blazer Arts on Etsy and Bride Ring - Moonkist Designs, LLC

Bridal Suits: Bindle and Keep

Bridal Bow Tie (Erin): Jack and Miles

Florist: Bee Enchanted Florist

Desserts: Morgan the Pie Lady

Catering: The Wild Tomato

Table/Chair Rental: Stoughton Lumber Rentals

Luci's Two Year Portraits at the UW Arboretum

Luci’s two year portraits were so fun!

Luci is an adorable kiddo, and had a great time running around the arboretum with her parents, Kris + Lesley! Kris warned me that Luci isn’t quick to warm up to people (not uncommon for kids her age who are pandemic babies), but after a few serious looks at the beginning of the session, Luci softened up and now we’re buds, so I can’t wait for the next set of family portraits for this super sweet family!

-Sam

River + Aaron: A Spring Time UW Arboretum Engagement Session

River and their partner Aaron were hoping for spring flowers, and the UW Arboretum delivered up pure spring time gorgeousness!

We played around in some of my favorite areas of the Arboretum, including the evergreen area, and by all the blooming trees and bushes closer to the visitor center, River + Aaron tied for Rock, Paper, Scissors, and we practiced some badass middle-school dance moves. All in all, a perfect engagement session on a perfect day!

Congrats to River + Aaron on their engagement!

-Sam

Matt + Drew: A Stylish and Modern Madison Club Wedding

Matt + Drew met through mutual friends, and had an instant connection

When these two talked with me about how they met while we were taking their engagement photos, the recurring theme was how quickly they fell for each other, and how they spent pretty much every day together after they met. The other recurring theme was how much they both love their fur child, Olly, the cutest little beagle anyone ever saw (to check out Matt + Drew’s engagement photos with Olly, click here). I was so excited to celebrate Drew + Matt’s wedding day with them, and they had an absolutely stunning and stylish wedding day filled with loved ones, great food, and great music!

Enjoy the photos, and help me wish these two a big congratulations!

-Sam

Austin + Joe: A Graduation Celebration & Couples Session on the UW Madison Campus

Austin and his husband Joe celebrated Austin’s PHD just before they get ready to move cross country!

We roamed around the campus, stopping at Bascom Hall and the Allen Centennial Gardens along the way, and barely escaped the early evening rain (which I feel like is Wisconsin in a nutshell, so it’s a great way to spend the week before you move!) Congrats to Austin and good luck to him and Joe (and the puppies!) as they start their next adventure!

-Sam