Walter recently sent me a message and asked if I could blog their wedding as a Christmas present for his wife of over two years now, Jessi. How sweet is that?! It has been really fun to reminisce on their wedding, especially because it is one of the weddings that started inspiring me to begin shooting weddings again after taking a break for a couple years.
Walter + Jessi met while working at Texas Roadhouse, got engaged in July 2017, planned an intimate beautiful wedding at Lake of the Woods in Mahomet, IL in ~3 months, and got married on October 27th, 2017. From the moment I met these two at their engagement session, it was obvious they love each other relentlessly. They know their priorities, and they value them dearly. Family is definitely one of those, and it is a really endearing trait of theirs. They fiercely love their families, especially little Khloe. She came to the engagement photos too, and we snapped some photos of all of them playing, blowing bubbles, and walking around the park. Khloe is a huge part of their world, as you will see in the photos from their wedding day. Jessi and Walter held her at the altar and it was the sweetest thing.
A few photos from Jessi and Walter’s engagement session in Urbana, IL.
Jessi, Jessi’s mother, Khloe, her three bridesmaids, and a couple friends got ready for the day at Jessi’s childhood home. Getting ready in nostalgic and sentimental spaces is extra special, I think.
As guests began to arrive, hugs and smiles were everywhere. It was a cold October day, but they had plenty of blankets for their guests to cozy up with. They had many lovely handmade decorations, an instax photo guest book, and even a bucket of Hershey’s kisses. Meanwhile, Jessi was in her dad’s truck awaiting the aisle. Both Jessi’s mother and father walked her down the aisle, as she held Khloe in her arms.
Walter’s father played saxophone during the ceremony. You could hear that he was putting his heart and soul into it, and it was beautiful. Many happy tears were shed by their friends and family.
After the ceremony and some celebrating in the park on that lovely autumn day, we went back to Champaign. They rented an adorable bed and breakfast near downtown, and we went there to take some photos in the historic neighborhood. They went to dinner afterward to continue celebrating with their loved ones.
It was SO fun working with Jessi and Walter, and I’m excited to photograph their family in the future. For some ~bonus~ Jessi and Walter photos, scroll down to see a few shots from the Bluestem Hall open house, where these two modeled. It’s always a joy being around them, and they have a way of making everyone they surround themselves with feel loved.
I’m so glad I know you, Jessi and Walter. Your love is inspiring and contagious. Thanks for having me photograph your wedding back in 2017. And Merry Christmas, Jessi! Such a sweet and thoughtful gift that Walter thought of. And thank you Walter for the idea of doing some throwback wedding blog posts—since I just started blogging this year, there are many weddings I’d love to share on this platform that I photographed in the past.
I hope all of you have an incredible holiday! Savor these moments with your loved ones, eat what you want, laugh a lot. And if the holidays are hard for you, that is OKAY, too! Treat yourself to something that makes you happy and allow yourself some self-care. You are loved, and there is great hope in a fresh, new year. I’m personally very excited for 2020 for a variety of reasons, and being a full-time freelance photographer again is a big one. 🧡Thanks for reading, and always feel free to reach out with any questions, friends! Xoxo