CONAN + ERICA

INDEPENDENCE GROVE LIBERTYVILLE WEDDING: CHICAGO WEDDING PHOTOGRAPHER: MELISSA MARIE PHOTOGRAPHY: CONAN + ERICA

The emotions of this wedding were palpable. She lost one of the stones to her engagement ring the morning of the wedding. What'd she do? Got a mimosa, snuggled her dogs, and laughed her way through hair & makeup. She didn't skip a beat. I've seen a bride melt down over the wrong bagel order the morning of her wedding. Ok....Maybe that was a stress reaction. But we aren't talking about a bagel. In a stroke of wedding miracle, the stone was found! A family friend of hers rushed it to the jeweler to fix it in the nick of time. She had every right to let that worry derail her, but she didn't. She kept perspective and soaked in every moment. Ah! That's what it is! I couldn't culminate the thread of why I loved this wedding so so much. (Other than of course, it's a stunner!) The bride & groom, their friends and their families were always soaking it up. It made the emotion palpably genuine. There is nothing I love more than to capture authentic moments, and this wedding was founded on them. As I hugged Conan & Erica goodnight, I think we all had a tear in our eye. My heart couldn't have been more grateful that I got to capture this day, with these absolutely gems of people.

Oh! And as if this wedding wasn't 'epic enough, the Best Man and the Maid of Honor are dating! So they tag teamed speeches. But not just any speech... In honor of the bride and groom's love of movies, they instead made a full fledge professional short film montage of movie classics to formulate a story of how they got to that day. A total surprise to the bride & groom. (And everyone for that matter). This wedding is why I do what I do personified. Conan + Erica, I adore you! So much love.