Eau Claire, Wisconsin Wedding Photographer | Kate Bentley

So, remember when we had beautiful snow? I know. It’s sort of hard to remember. Thankfully, we had gorgeous snow for Lacey + Brad’s winter wedding at Florian Gardens in January. Want to know something awesome? This wedding was actually their first anniversary and they spent it celebrating their marriage with their loved ones. Erica and I had SO much fun with this group. The guys even forgave me for making them brave the cold for 15 minutes. I think. The silver and blue details were absolutely perfect for a winter wedding and Lacey even rocked out in a silver wedding dress. LOVE!

Lacey + Brad, thank you so much for inviting us to share your day with your beautiful family + friends. I’ll always remember that Brayden teared up after the ceremony from the overwhelming happiness he felt. Wishing the four of you so much joy and love ahead!

PS, the dance party at their reception really set the bar for all future dance parties. All my 2012 couples had better bring their awesome game and pack the floor like woah!

Some of my favorite images from their wedding day:

Cheers,
Kate

The Detials:
Venue | Florian Gardens
DJ | A to Z DJ
Flowers | Allure Floral
Cake | Groom’s Mother {The cake was AMAZING!}

Why are engagement sessions my favorite? Oh, let me count the ways!! They really are a chance to celebrate such an exciting time in your lives without the hassle of a timeline or wedding day stress. The session is all about the two of you enjoying each other. To the max. You get to laugh. Snuggle. Tell stories. Breathe. Relax. Repeat. It’s a time out from the planning. To just be. And love each other. Without worrying about exactly how many items you’re supposed to check off of your to-do list that week. At the end of it all, you get a collection of images and stories to enjoy before your wedding day.

2011 was definitely a year of awesome engagement sessions. Each of you really brought yourselves into your sessions and I loved the time I got to spend with you. To the couples that booked me for their weddings, I can’t WAIT to see you next year. For those of you reading this with engagement sessions coming up with me in 2012, start daydreaming about things you like to do together and just how much hugging you think you can fit into your session.

Now, on to my absolute favorites from 2011:

This year I had the opportunity to spend Saturdays with some of the most amazing people as they joined their lives together. {How rad is that? I big puffy heart my job.} To all of my 2011 wedding couples, thank you so much for making 2011 such a memorable year for me. I wish all of you so much love and happiness in the coming years. Please drop me a line now and then just to tell me how ridiculously happy you are and the adventures you take on together. Years from now even. To all of you, I hope you continue to have your unique love documented as the years go by. Sit down with your wedding collections and relive your amazing day. Print your favorites as those are the things that we actually pass down from generation to generation. Never stop looking at your partner as I have seen you look at them. Never stop finishing the sentence “I love you because…”. Treat yourself to another wedding cake just because {especially if you are Alyssa + Jay and had tres leches cake at your wedding..}. To the lovely Terren, I’m always thinking of you and your David. He changed the worlds he touched with his laughter even though his time here was much too short. He is greatly missed.

To all of the artists I had the pleasure of working with this year, you are lovely. I can’t thank you enough.

Without further rambling, here is a look at 2011 with all of you.

If you were at one of the celebrations below, I would LOVE to hear your favorite memory about the couple from their day in the comment section below!

So much love,
Kate

{And stay tuned! An engagement session post to follow in the next few days!}

Buckle up, lovelies!

Katy and Greg drove to Eau Claire for their engagement session this past weekend. Two weeks ago we had the most amazing snow. It was holiday card worthy. And then Mother Nature sent us rain. And the snow was gone. So Plan B was launched and we hit some of my favorite spots in and around downtown Eau Claire. Things always have an amazing way of working out, and after going through their session I couldn’t imagine it happening any other way. The way these two look at each other is pure amaze-awesome. The images taken of the little moments in between their portraits are my favorite. I am so so so looking forward to their wedding in Door County next year!

Katy + Greg, thank you so much for the absolutely freaking awesome afternoon with you both! You rocked it. All over town. And back again.

And a giant thank you to Jessica for assisting me on their session!

Without further rambling, here are some of my favorite images from their collection:

Cheers,
Kate

Ohhhhhhhh, what an absolutely amazing way to finish out my 2011 wedding season. Alyssa + Jay + Anthony = beyond lovely. Their wedding at The Golf Club at Cedar Creek in Onalaska, WI was such a perfect day. We had beautiful weather for November in Wisconsin. Alyssa wore her mother’s headpiece from her wedding and that absolutely won hands down as my favorite little detail. The day was filled with so much laughter and tears and I am beyond thankful that I got to be a part of their wedding day.

Alyssa + Jay + Anthony, gorgeous light, beautiful ceremony music, a reception filled with loved ones singing to get the couple to kiss, tres leches groom’s cake {a personal fav!}, absolutely gorgeous centerpieces created with love by family, tons of laughter, the most emotionally tocuhing speeches I’ve witnessed this year AND plenty of dancing = such an awesome day spent with lovely people.

Thank you so much again, you guys! Wishing you so many happy, lovely years ahead!

Cheers,
Kate