Heather and James's wedding

There were so many things I loved about this wedding, starting with the ceremony. It was right near my house (always a plus) in a church I'd been wanting to shoot in for years: Minnekirken, the last remaining Norwegian language church in Chicago. I've been fascinated by Norway since I was a teenager (my maternal grandfather was Norwegian), and visited many relatives there with my mom 8 years ago. Being in the church and listening to the Norwegian prayers and scripture brought back awesome memories of our trip.

Heather and James wanted the bare minimum of portraits, so we took just 15 minutes for all family, wedding party, and couple portraits (good thing I've learned to work fast), then it was off to the party! The reception was so relaxed and fun: there was no schedule, no sit-down dinner, people gave toasts when they were ready, and only at the last minute did Heather and James decide to do a first dance. And kids! I don't know if I've been to a wedding with so many kids; they added so much life and humor to the evening.

Heather waited in the (comfortable air-conditioned) limo outside the church until the ceremony. She was enjoying watching the guests arrive, knowing they couldn't see her.




There were quite a few kids hanging around the alter even after James and his guys walked in.




They kept exchanging sweet glances during the hymns.








This is quite possibly the cutest portrait I've ever shot.










Let the dancing begin!




A coloring corner was set up for the kids.




That's the ribbon from the junior bridesmaid's dress they're playing with.


Taking a little break










Thanks so much for an awesome evening, Heather and James! You two were a blast.