Matt stood in the shade of the buildings in downtown Dubuque, in the Millwork District. He buttoned his jacket and straightened his tie. Christi would be arriving shortly and he’d finally get to see his bride. His Mom came around the corner first to pin on his boutonniere. She gave him a big hug and we were ready for the first look. I told Christi to pause for a minute after she got partway to Matt. I wanted to change lenses and build up some anticipation at the same time. 😉 Christi laughed as she waited to take those last couple steps to her soon to be husband. We stayed back as usual to give them their own private moment. I love first looks so much. They allow for so much emotion to spill out before that walk down the aisle.
We did tons of fun portraits downtown before it was time to head to The Meadows Golf Course for the big event. The weather was beautiful, the sun was shining bright. They said their I do’s overlooking the beautiful green & the lake with the fountain. Instead of lighting a unity candle they had two colors of wax beads that they would mix into a single jar with a wick, making their own candle. The heat had melted the beads to each other and they didn’t exactly come tumbling out of the jars as expected. Matt tapped his jar on the table, hard. “Come on!” he said. Christi laughed, telling him “Shhh” as she quietly shook her jar to loosen the beads. They both laughed, all the guests laughed. We were witnessing the teamwork so much of their marriage would depend on. I loved how they turned that moment into something to laugh about, a lighthearted moment in the wedding ceremony.
The reception was a blast, they had a great hashtag, #moveslikejaeger The dance floor was a blast, the flower girl and ring bearer made sure of that. Matt surprised his Grandma with a dance just for her, which was the sweetest. I can’t imagine a better way to kick off my 2016 wedding season, it was an honor to be a part of Christi & Matt’s big day. Scroll to the end of this post to see their favorite parts of the wedding day.
{Wedding Day Songs}
wedding party introductions : Move Like Jagger – Maroon 5
first dance : Sure Be Cool If You Did – Blake Shelton
father/daughter dance : Cinderella – Steven Curtis Capman
mother/son dance : My Wish – Rascal Flats
surprise song with granny : Summer Wind – Frank Sinatra
{In Their Words}
What was your favorite moment from the wedding day?
Christi – “All of it! I felt it was a perfect day, spent with my closest family and friends!
Matt – “The unity ceremony, it was funny how it wasn’t quite working out but we made it work.”
Any advice for future brides & groom?
“Take a moment to yourself to take it all in, don’t stress the small stuff and the things you cannot change,
and have fun! It’s goes too quickly!”
Funniest memory from your wedding day?
“Probably the unity ceremony. I (Christi) quietly shake the wax beads to loosen them up,
while Matt bangs the glass on the table.”
If you could do it all over, would you change anything?
“Nope.”
Are you going/did you go on a honeymoon?
“We’ll be going to Lake Tahoe. We are excited to zip line and so many other things.
Matt, who isn’t too fond of water, even agreed to go on the lake for a bit.”
***
Makeup | Samantha Trentz @ The Kalon Salon : Dubuque, IA
Hair | Brittany Rausch @ Upper Kutz Salon & Spa : Bellevue, IA
Wedding Dress | I Do Bridal : Galena, IL
Tux | Gordon’s Toggery : Dubuque, IA
Ceremony | The Meadows Golf Club : Dubuque, IA
Reception | The Meadows Golf Club : Dubuque, IA
Caterer | Hy-Vee : Dubuque, IA
Cake | Hy-Vee : Dubuque, IA
Florist | Hand Pick’d : Dubuque, IA
DJ | Scorpio Productions : Dubuque, IA
Lastly, just a few behind the scenes photos, and a photo with the lovely couple!! I had so much fun with Christi & Matt, what an awesome way to kick off my wedding season. Thanks so much you two!
***
Planning an outdoor wedding in the Dubuque, IA or Galena, IL area? I would love to speak with you about documenting your wedding so that after the blur of the busy day is over, you can relive all of those moments again
(and even see some you missed.) Drop me a line @ candid.contrast.photo@gmail.com
