Whitney and Brian held their Vista wedding in early September! The first moment of being around these two, you feel so welcomed and you can tell they are each other’s best friend! Whitney and Brian met through mutual friends, and they ended up playing on an ultimate frisbee team together in the summer of 2017. Throughout the season they formed a connection that narrowed the dating playing field. When the season ended, they continued to spend time together and deepen their connection. From there, the rest is history!
Brian Proposed to Whitney in 2021 just before Christmas. Whitney’s parents were hosting a party for her extended family to celebrate the holiday. Before the party started, Whitney and Brian went for a walk around her parents’ neighborhood. And during their walk, Brian got down on one knee and proposed! It was perfect timing, because when they returned to Whitney’s parents’ house, their family had arrived and they were able to share their big news with everyone!
I’m not exaggerating when I say that Whitney and Brian’s wedding day was one of the most relaxed wedding days I have ever experienced! I always send my couples a wedding guide magazine with a suggested timeline. As a seasoned wedding photographer, I’m pretty familiar with what works and what doesn’t. Whitney said all she did was follow the suggested timeline. I was so proud!
After the couple’s first look at their home, we headed to the lake to take family and wedding party photos. The weather was sunny and perfect for the beginning of September, but it was a little too windy by Lake Michigan, which is where we were originally going to take photos. I think the wind was a blessing in disguise, because the photos by the river were stunning! Their wedding party consisted of their siblings plus a few close family friends, and both sets of parents joined us on the bus, so we got to take all of the formal pictures at once! I loved that their core group got to spend time together before the ceremony and reception!
Whitney and Brian’s wedding ceremony took place on Vista’s rooftop patio! The views of the city were absolutely amazing! At the beginning of the ceremony, the couple chose to do a ring blessing. They tied their rings to a pillow made out of Whitney’s grandmother’s wedding dress that Whitney’s mom wore to her wedding years ago. The pillow was passed from guest to guest so they could say a quick blessing over the rings. I thought it was such a unique idea! The guests really enjoyed it, and the rings were passed back to the front just in time for the couple to place them on each other’s fingers. The ceremony was performed by Brian’s brother’s partner, so it was really personal. I always get the warm and fuzzies when someone the couple knows performs the ceremony and can truly speak on who the couple is!
The wedding reception was held in Vista’s third floor event space. It was such a beautiful space! The third floor features exposed brick, a large bar, a vaulted ceiling with skylights, and floor to ceiling windows. There was so much natural light! The couple’s décor was modern and simple, so it complemented Vista’s space perfectly!
Since Whitney and Brian enjoy playing games with their loved ones, each guest received a deck of cards as a wedding favor. Each card in the deck read, “This is my lucky deck!” Again, I thought that was such a unique personal touch, and the guests loved them!
The couple chose to serve dinner family style, which always gives a cozy feel to your wedding day meal. The caterer, Nadi Plates, designed a beautiful spread at each table for guests to share and the food was crazy good!
The speeches were touching and personal. Each person who spoke told stories about the couple and had the whole room laughing. It was easy to see that Whitney and Brian had a super close group of friends and family who loved them to the moon and back. I was so honored to be a part of their big day!
Whitney and Brian – Thank you for choosing me as your wedding photographer! You two are so enjoyable to be around and I loved every minute of your wedding day! I wish you both the best of luck and I can’t wait to see what the future holds for you! Hugs – Taylor
Vendor Team –
Dress – White Dress Bridal Boutique
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