Love is in the air...

Can you believe that these two kids are getting married next month?!?  It seems like just yesterday that I took their engagement photos.  This past Sunday was the wedding shower for Brian & AJ  at Carlucci's hosted by Sandy, my mother-in-law, and myself.  The theme for our shower was "Love is in the Air."  Brian & AJ's wedding colors are pale yellow, ivory, and gold with pearl accents.  We tried to incorporate their wedding colors throughout our decor with our own twist.  

You know all the Pinterest fails you see online?  I'd consider this a Pinterest win!  

Check out our kitchen towel cake!

Favors: Individual Cameo soaps in a Bamboo scent & Jordan Almonds

Custom banner designed by yours truly

Custom cake by Vanilla Sugar Bakery in Winfield

We played 2 games - Name that Movie & Wedding Vows Mad Libs.  

Both were great finds on Etsy. 

Some special gifts from the hostesses...

Don't you love this cute sign for the ring bearer? The back side says, "Let's get this Party started!"

A custom hanger for the bride's wedding dress with her new name - Mrs. Backer - along with some crystal "I Do" stickers for the bottom of her wedding shoes. 

A basket full of special items just for the groom...

Thanks to Alana, one of the bridesmaids, for assembling this amazing bow & ribbon bouquet for the rehearsal. 

Congrats to the future Mr & Mrs Brian & AJ Backer

J + T + J

A fun summer photo shoot in Lincoln Park Zoo?  Yes, please! 

Enjoy some of my favorites from my afternoon with John, Tristan, & Jenna. 

Thank Heaven for Little Girls

 

Last weekend, I did a photo shoot with the four little girls in our family for Father's Day.  It was a blast getting these girls together and seeing their different personalities shine through in the photos. 

I couldn't have been happier with the end results of this shoot!

 



Alexandria (5)

Reese (3)

Eloise (21.5 months)

Quinnley (17 months)

Gonzalez Family

This past Mother's Day, all the kids of the Gonzalez family gifted Nancy, the matriarch of this great family, a big family photo shoot.  With all the grandkids starting at just 2 months old, we met up this weekend for a shoot in Gonzalez's backyard.  Our goal was to get at least one big family shot and I think we got it with the help of lots of laughing, a little Frozen, and a little chocolate.  

One of the best things about Nancy is her laugh.  No matter what, she was smiling and laughing throughout the entire shoot.  While this picture may not be perfect to some people, I think it is.  It captures Nancy's spirit of being a fun and loving Grandma.  

 Does anyone remember that Modern Family episode where Claire was trying to organize the perfect family photo but ended up with a great candid shot of everyone being the one she hung up in her house?  These last few photos reminded me of that.

 At the end of the day, my goal is capture people in their element and show off the love that a family has for each other.  The Gonzalez family is a great group with lots of love!