Fall in Wisconsin is a uniquely beautiful time of year. The regularly richly green trees explode with warm colors. Forests that were monochromatic transform in to wondrous displays of yellows, oranges and reds. Megan and Ben’s wedding fit perfectly into this season. From the women’s western boots and teddy bears, to the Packers/bears cake, to the board games and apple pie, Megan and Ben did their wedding, how they wanted to … and it was beautiful.

Congratulations Megan and Ben.

May the road rise up to meet you,
May the wind be always at your back,
The sun shine warm upon your face,
The rain fall soft upon your fields,
And until we meet again
May your teddy bear be ever soft to touch and to squeeze.

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Pretty much everyone knows it is good luck if it rains on your wedding day. And while I am pretty sure that is just something we say to make the bride feel better about the whole situation, I decided to look up the origins of the old saying on the most trustworthy of sources: the internet. Guess what? Buried amongst all kinds of tales of fertility and good fortunes I found one I like. The thinking is as follows:

On your wedding day, you “Tie the Knot.” Now if that knot gets wet, it becomes very difficult to untie.

Brooke and Nick I can say with complete certainty, the amount of water that fell on your wedding day guarantees a very long union. Add to that how you took all that rain in stride and managed to have fun all day, I think it is going to be a happy time too.

Congratulations to you both.

"May your love be like the misty rain, gentle coming in but flooding the river."

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Sometimes the true purpose of a wedding gets lost in all the planning, and the craziness of the day itself. We can easily get preoccupied by the dress, the rings, the flowers, and the cake. We can spend all of our time worrying about the weather, or what all the guests are doing, or not doing. It’s always refreshing to have a couple that knows how to enjoy their wedding day, for what the most important thing – Their love. I knew this was the case when Kaitlin and Jake got their first moment to sit down, in relative privacy and calm. Jake leaned in close to Kaitlin’s ear, and almost inaudibly whispered, “I Love You.”

Congratulations Kaitlin and Jake. We wish you many more moments like these in the years to come.

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I tell all my brides and grooms that something will most likely go wrong on your wedding day. There are so many moving parts, and so many other people to rely on that day; it is unlikely there everything makes it to the place it needs to be. We just hope it’s something trivial like a throw bouquet or a tie clip. I say this to remind them to not sweat the small things. I said this to Danielle and Ben, but it was unnecessary, at least from my standpoint. Everything just seemed to run so smoothly, as if the family, wedding party and all of their friends do these weddings every weekend. It was truly a great day for a wedding, and a great wedding for the books … and they certainly do make a burrito-ful couple!

Congratulations to both of you.

Sincerely,
Ryan Murphy and the whole team at Picture This Photography!

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One of the joys of wedding photography is that sometimes you get the opportunity to work with the same family multiple times. This was my third Klug wedding. Like the previous two, Kate and Sam did not disappoint, in fact I don’t think I could have had an easier time working with these two, their family and friends. But as you can see from the photos, we didn’t have any fun … at all … Just a boring day with your straight-forward traditional, dull photos. Since you can’t see my face, that was sarcasm.

Katelyn and Sam are such a great couple. They are so full of life it’s difficult to keep up at times, but I hope I captured their day in a way that really illustrates their lives and their love. I hope you all enjoy this sneak peek, and I want to thank the newest Klug couple for making me a part of their important day. Congratulations to the both of you.

From Erika, Pickle Ryan and all of us at Picture This: May you have a long, happy, and never boring life together.

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14 tornadoes in under 24 hours? That wasn’t going to stop these two. Power out across the whole region, including their church and wedding hall? That wasn’t going to stop these two. A massive storm coming in on the heels of the storm that made the county look like a war zone? That wasn’t going to stop these two.

I’m not sure the apocalypse could have stopped Casse and Brandon from getting hitched! It was literally a whirlwind of a day, all day. We had to change some plans but at the end of the day the bride and groom did everything they set out to do, just maybe not exactly how they had planned. Luckily for us that second wave of storms petered out before it hit us and we were able to visit the Shaken Rock Vineyard and get some great photos. And due to the hard work and sheer tenacity of the management and staff at Romy’s Nitingale we had hot food, lights, a working bar and music all night long.

This is one wedding I will not soon forget. Congratulations Casse and Brandon! You earned it!

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This must be the summer of small intimate weddings. Missy and Al took their vows outside a little chapel with just their closest family members in attendance.

It seems to me, this is the way to get married. The location was beautiful, as was the weather. As we all prepared for the ceremony, the young boys were playing in the water (which drew some warnings from the adults from time to time). The older kids sitting around a park bench joking around, while the adults hustled around making the last minute adjustments. The beautiful bride and handsome groom strolled up to the chapel, helping Missy’s grandmother through the gravel before walking down the aisle, together, holding hands. Missy and Al exchanged rings and promises and then gave their children each a small gift before stealing that first married kiss. Weddings are about solidifying the relationship between two people and bringing two families together. Right from the start I could tell these two families weren’t being brought together, they were already one family.

Thank you both for making me a part of your important day. Congratulations Missy and Al and the whole family on this now official union. We at Picture This wish you all happy lives together.

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Such a beautiful day!  We couldn’t have asked for more beautiful weather, and I don’t think anyone could have planned a more beautiful wedding. I’m not talking about the flowers, the table linens or even the brides dress. (Side note: all of those things were pretty too) The groom was indeed handsome, and the bride was stunning as she walked down the aisle. I’m speaking of the personal nature of the day Tiana and Andrew had planned. The wedding party consisted of their sons, which perfectly symbolized the joining of the two families. Tiana and Andrew were both escorted in by their two sons. It was a family member who took on the role of officiant for the ceremony. The chairs were filled with family and close friends. Even as an outsider you could see the love in the room when the guests filled the dinner hall to watch the first dance and the speeches.

I feel very honored that Tiana and Andrew invited me to play a role in their wedding and hopefully captured the essence of what truly was, such a beautiful day.

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Jessica and Travis may have been the last two people in Wisconsin hoping the snow was going to hold out until mid March this year. I have a feeling they were the only people last week hoping for more snow … and snow they got, and it couldn’t have been more perfect timing. The real magic however, came from the two of them. I was a bit surprised there was snow left outside the church when we left because Jessica had melted the hearts of all the fans when she sang to Travis at the opening of the game. I thought the team might falter with their hands and feet hurting from the cold, but they only needed to see their Captains Jessica and Travis pushing on, to know they would see these photos through to the end. Boy was it worth it to keep going inning after inning of pure fun and excitement. Let’s not forget our entertainment during the seventh inning stretch; I think it was called “The Vacuum Dance.” It had been performed many times before, but the gusto with which the performers glided around the dance floor lit a fire in the hearts of all those little fans, just waiting for their time on the field.

I want to thank Jessica and Travis for inviting us to take part in their special day, and a special thanks to the wedding party, who stuck with us in the cold. Congratulations Jessica and Travis, and remember, it may feel like the bottom of the ninth inning after all that planning and work going into your wedding, but truthfully your real game has just begun. Go Get ‘Em!

“Love is the most important thing in the world, but baseball is pretty good too” – Yogi Berra

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As I look back on Marie and Josh’s wedding, one word comes to mind: fun. Despite that pretty much the first thing that Marie said to me when I arrived at the church was, “I really hate getting my picture taken,” we had fun all day. It started with the neighbor’s cat crashing our photo shoot in the morning, to the jovial pastor who made this whole thing happen, to the time we spent at some local watering holes. Lots of dancing, joking, and just all around people having a good time filled our day. To top it off the Electric company and Shrek paid a visit to the dance. Congratulations Marie and Josh, it was truly a wonderful day.

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Bethany and Colton are pretty laid back people. While many brides protect their wedding dresses at all cost leading a gaggle of bridesmaids all tending to the veil and the train as they march between locations, Bethany was out of the veil by the receiving line and was a serious pro at slinging that train over her arm and would toss it aside as soon as we stopped. Colton was a great sport all day, even when he was asked to consent to being picked up by a group of bridesmaids who weren’t too sure about how great an idea that was. We had some fun at the nature preserve and a couple of bars on the way to the reception. Drinks were slung, tables were danced on and a buffalo was ridden, but I think the really special thing about their day was all the friends and family that came out to support them.  The church had to set up chairs in the lobby to accommodate everyone, and the hall was packed from wall to wall for dinner. They even showed up on the dance floor, keeping it rocking to the very end. It’s not only a testament to those giving the support but a testament to the kind of people Bethany and Colton are. To be able to gather that many people together to celebrate your love is a rare thing. For so many to stay after desert has been eaten and the bouquet has been tossed, even rarer. Congratulations to Bethany and Colton, and thank you for including us on your wedding day.

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Courtesy of Amy and Kristal Hanson

It’s hard to imagine two people who complement each other the way Amy and Kristal do. I sometimes fear that engaged couples don’t get the kind of the day they truly want in a wedding day because they stay true to every tradition. This was not a concern with Amy and Kristal. From the pinwheels, to the elephant toothpaste, to the poke-a-dotted handkerchief, and let’s not forget all the board games, this was not your traditional Wisconsin wedding. And take it from someone who was there, it was grand! They are both so full of life, and so alive in each moment as we worked, it would have been difficult not to capture their personalities in their wedding pictures. I hope you all can see what I see in these pictures.  Congratulations Amy and Kristal. We at Picture This wish you long, happy lives together.

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Though it was cold, there is a certain type of magic that takes place as you are convoyed down the tracks to the ceremony site over looking the Fox River. The National Railroad Museum provided the perfect setting for a couple with a deep respect for trains. As they stood in front of all there friends and family, you could see the passion and love in each other's eyes as they proclaimed their love and commitment to one another. Laura and Andy married their best friends today! Their playful interaction made capturing their day pure delight. 

In my experience with Melissa and Aaron, they are both quiet people. As far as I can tell, they are not the couple to have a flash mob proposal videoed and shared on YouTube for the entire world to see. Loud public displays of their love just don’t seem to be their style, but if you all could see the look in Melissa’s eyes and how Aaron’s tired (I’m done with pictures) smile would glow when the two of them looked at each other all day, you would know why such a display is unnecessary for these two. This is why the Sepia chapel was such a perfect venue for Melissa and Aaron’s wedding. On the outside it is very unassuming with its red brick walls and modestly tall steeple. The inside, while a bit of a blank canvas, has a grandeur fitting for this particular wedding. Melissa and Aaron were able to make this space their own with their décor, their laced sign-in book, baskets of flowers lining the main aisle, and center pieces of flowers and lanterns. It was the personal touch, the extra thought that went into every detail that made this wedding special and unique to this beautiful couple. Congratulations Melissa and Aaron. We wish you a long and happy life together.

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They say rain on your wedding day is good luck, well if that is true, I think Charlie and Ryan got just the right amount of both. It was beautiful all morning, rained ever so slightly during the ceremony, and cleared up just in time for a beautiful sunset after dinner. The people closest to them were great to work with, the ceremony of beautiful with just a touch of humor, and the reception is fun; but it was Charlie, Ryan and the family they were building that made the day special. At first glance, they may not seem like the likeliest pair, but when you spend a little time with them, it becomes obvious: they just work together. Dare I say they are a bit like a certain princess and a scoundrel? With all of that said there is one thing, for better or for worse, which will always stick in my memory of the day Charlie and Ryan were wed: the final song of the night was a particularly interesting request from the Mother of the Bride. In fact the song has been stuck in my head all week. Thank you  Shelly.

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It's moments like these that make our job truly special. This is the look that every bride hopes to see on their mother's face when they see you for the first time in your wedding dress on your wedding day. At Picture This it is our goal to catch every one of these moments and when we do it's makes for a magical picture. 

When you plan your wedding, you can't plan these moments. You can't sit down with your mother and tell her how she will respond to seeing you with your dress and veil for the first time. Well I guess you can do that part, but believe me when I say, it won't turn out like this. What we can do is set up the situations in which these moments possible, maybe even probable, depending on your mother. 

This bride and Mother of the Bride knew how the mom would react. They knew they wanted this picture. So we kept mom outside until our bride was ready to be viewed, and when she was ... well you can see for yourself. What we have here is a picture of a very happy Mother of the Bride. We love this and we'd love to help you make moments like this happen for you and capture them to preserve this memory of their joy.