Jake and Nicole have had their ups and downs over the years, mostly concerning Nicole’s blood sugar level and the constant monitoring it requires. Through the medical roller coaster, the couple has grown stronger and learned that it’s the little things in life that make it worth living. Their wedding—from the vows to the kiss to the first dance—showed their closest friends and family just how devoted they are to each other.

The ceremony took place at The BARn, located north of Platteville, on May 20, 2017, which happened to be a misty-rainy day. It wasn’t quite what they had planned for their wedding, but there’s no bargaining with Mother Nature and they were able to make the best of the soggy day. All outdoor activities were moved indoors to a large, white tent.

If you asked each of them who was more excited for their wedding that morning, Jake would have had the loudest “me.” Jake was the details guy for the wedding, but one detail he didn’t take part in planning was Nicole’s appearance for that day. Standing at the arch in front of their friends and family, Jake wiped his sweaty hands on his pants showing how nervous he was to see his bride. When the music changed announcing Nicole would be making her appearance, the crowd stood, effectively blocking his view until she was at the end of the aisle, directly in front of him. Seeing her in her wedding gown and Converse shoes walking down the path with her dad brought tears to Jake’s eyes.

The couple was joined by two bridesmaids, two groomsmen, a matron of honor, best man and a miniature bride and groom. The bride’s brother, Reid, served as officiate and the mothers of the bride and groom took part in the ceremony by lighting the candles for the unity ceremony.

Jake and Nicole wrote their own vows, sharing the sweetest, most meaningful promises to each other. Reid announced them Mr. and Mrs. Price and gave them permission to share their first kiss as bride and groom. Their first kiss was one of those only-in-the-movies, you-know-they’re-so-in-love types of kisses. Just when you thought they were done, Jake wrapped his arms around Nicole and pulled her closer for a longer, deeper kiss. When they finally remembered they were standing in front of a large crowd, they danced down the aisle arm-in-arm.

It was a wedding to remember.

I want to formally congratulate this wonderful couple and thank them for allowing me to be a part of their special day.

To me, the most magical moments of a wedding aren’t the pretty decorations, venue or anything else money can buy. The best weddings are about those little moments of love, the glimpses of pure adoration you see between the couple. Sometimes we’re fortunate to capture them, sometimes not. And I’m OK with that. Those moments wouldn’t be as special without knowing that they were just between those two people.

Last fall I had a similar experience. The venue was beautiful—a hillside overlooking a small lake at the peak of the fall colors—and they had everything decorated nicely. It was beautiful. The couple had everything pretty well planned out, as planned as you can get for a small budget wedding (no wedding planner). Things ran smoothly and it was as close to perfection as I’ve seen. But the couple was constantly divided to talk to all of the well-wishers, so when they had those brief moments together—walking to the car hand-in-hand or waiting for the crowd to get set for the next portion of the wedding plans—they showed their gratitude for one another in the little ways that count, the ones that give you butterflies in your stomach when you’re presented with the same type of love.

It was something as simple as a car ride in a borrowed Corvette around the beautiful lake. It wasn’t just a car ride. It was their first few moments alone together as husband and wife. No parents insisting they move on to the next portion of the wedding celebration; no kids demanding their attention; no guests waiting to share their joy over the nuptial; and no photographer following their every move. They needed that down time. And when they came back a few minutes later, they were ready for the crowds again. We took a second drive around the lake, this time with their photographer, to get a few photos of just the couple, something that takes undivided attention and can’t be accomplished with a crowd watching or things to clean up. Following them in my own vehicle, I could see they were talking and probably holding hands. A few times I even saw the groom lift his new wife’s hand to his lips. Who wouldn’t want that special moment on their wedding day? On any day? That pure adoration, that he wants to show his love with the simplest but sweetest gesture. That is love. That is what weddings are all about!

The path to a marriage can be a complicated one. But sometimes it is also a clear picture of a happy, successful future.

Given all that Steph and Jeremy have gone through and worked around in the last few years, it was very fitting that their wedding day was perfect. Surrounded by their closest friends and family, the couple was wed on the summer’s biggest holiday, July 4^th, at the Munson Bridge Winery, located north of Withee, Wis. It was a beautiful venue with outdoor seating set up under a couple of large shade trees. A tent with a variety of chandeliers was decorated in the traditional red, white and blue for the dinner and reception. The evening culminated with a fireworks display across the pond.

Steph claims that Jeremy insisted on having a Fourth of July wedding to celebrate with a big bang.

Steph said her favorite part of the day was walking down the aisle and seeing the look on Jeremy’s face. Jeremy’s favorite part of their wedding day was going in for the garter.

Jeremy and Steph met through a mutual friend. In late 2011 they started their lasting relationship simply by talking, lots of talking. In March 2012, they had their first date and Steph found herself driving several hours north every spare moment she had to ride in the milk truck with him. To spend more time together, Steph moved in with Jeremy that fall, further solidifying their relationship. Together they bought a house the next summer near Owen.

Jeremy has a very big heart. Not only did he fall in love with his bride, but has accepted her daughter as his own and welcomed his own son with Steph last summer.

It’s a story with a happy ending, yet it’s just the beginning.

I met Eric and Erin at Chestnut Mountain Ski Resort where we spent our winters skiing and teaching others to love the sport. After hearing their infertility story over the years and following their progress joining the foster care system, I was very excited to be asked to photograph a very important day for them: the adoption of their foster children. This was a first for me, and I was overjoyed to share this emotional event with them.

First came love, then came marriage…

Erin and Eric met in the spring of 2006. After a few years of getting to know each other, they married on May 22, 2010, and together purchased a home in Lena, Ill., a small city of 2,900. After several years without any success conceiving a child, they assessed their options and decided that adopting through the foster care system was the right path for them. They went through all of the proper steps with the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services (DCFS) and were ready to accept a child into their lives at the start of summer 2013.

Their plan was to foster a child with a high probability of leading to adoption. Initially, that plan only consisted of one child. They said they would be open to a sibling group as well. They were looking for a child under 2 years old, but had their home licensed for caring for children under 6 years.

When they secured their foster parent license, their licensing worker thought they were an interesting couple and spread the word that Eric and Erin were looking for a long-term fit. Things moved quicker than anticipated.

In June of 2013, Erin received a phone call that changed everything.

“Erin got the phone call that they had two children—our kids—for us,” Eric said. “Erin called me because she wanted my opinion. I told her: ‘My opinion doesn’t really matter. You already have your mind made up and gave them your answer.’ A couple weeks later I told her it was the best decision she ever made.”

Busy from the start

On June 21, 4-year-old Jaxon and 6-month-old Ella arrived at the Korte house. They immediately started their family lives by going on a camping trip Eric and Erin had already committed to. Since then, the family has stayed very busy going camping numerous times, boating and canoeing, attending car shows and visiting Door County, Wisconsin Dells, Madison and St. Louis. Both children know how to ski—and Jax is dual-disciplined on snowboard—and spend nearly every weekend during the winter at Chestnut Mountain perfecting their skills. The kids have also been taught how to ride bikes and scooters and learn to enjoy the outdoors. Jax anticipates fishing this summer.

“Sometimes I can’t remember what it was like before we had the kids,” Eric said. “Things have definitely slowed down.”

Every situation is different.

It took just under two years to complete the adoption process. At 9 a.m. on May 1, 2015, the Korte’s swore an oath in the Winnebago County Courthouse in Rockford, Ill., to love and protect their two children as if they were their own. Eric and Erin, along with Jaxon and Ella, were surrounded by approximately 20 family members that day, filling the courtroom with love, tears of happiness and applause.

I’ve photographed them twice before, once right after Erin and Eric became foster parents of the two children and last winter for a Christmas session. They are such a sweet family and I wish them all the best as they OFFICIALLY move forward.

This year I followed two little gentlemen from birth to their first birthdays. It was quite an experience, and I am very happy I could be a part of their first year. I not only got to know the babies, but became better acquainted with their parents.

At the request of a few families who wanted an affordable way to track their child’s growth with photos, I created a “Baby’s First Year” plan. I had photographed plenty of newborns and a few one-year-olds and two-year-olds, but I hadn’t photographed between newborn to one year. I found each session, generally every three months, to be completely different. Each baby progresses at his own speed, and every session they showed me a different skill set they had learned, from sitting to standing to walking and talking.

The plan was to have 30-minute sessions for $50 each (newborn session is $75 because it generally takes at least 2 hours with feedings and sleep times). The parents can pick however many sessions they want, from monthly to quarterly to every six months.

It has been a learning experience for me as well. Photographing children is no easy task. You never know what sort of mood they’re going to be in, what you’ll need to be prepared for and the little “disasters” that turn out to be photographic events. Both little guys proved to be a challenge, but I was always eager to see them again and capture their facial expressions and the love their parents share with them.

William

Alex