Kelly & Kyle's Wedding at Viper Alley in Lincolnshire
This past weekend on Friday, October 5th 2018, Kelly & Kyle got married! I had the honor of photographing their special day. Here’s how it went…
The day started at Hampton Inn & Suites Chicago/Lincolnshire. Kelly and her bridesmaids had a suite and the guys were in their own room adjacent to the hotel lobby. As I walked into the hotel suite, I was hit with the aroma of perfume and Lou Malnati’s pizza! I love Lou Malnati's pizza so it was difficult to concentrate, but I managed to stay professional :)
The first thing I noticed when walking into the suite was Kelly’s wedding dress. It was absolutely beautiful. Simply stunning.
I photographed the dress as well as some of Kelly’s jewelry. And her shoes? Well, they were a pair of white Converse!
As the ladies were finishing up getting ready, I made my way down to the guys. Kyle seemed a tad nervous, but confident and happy to get married. This confidence photographed well and he was looking very sharp.
Kyle and the guys!
Before the planned “first look”, Kelly and Kyle exchanged gifts. Kelly received one of those super heavy blankets (which I want!) - she said she always wanted one and would make Kyle lay on top of her sometimes for that pressure comfort. Kyle received letters that Kelly wrote him during their relationship. Watching him read these letters was a very sweet moment. He also got a pair of gloves! He said he would always mention how his hands were cold when the two of them were out and about. Now they won’t be!
After Kelly opened her gift, it was now time to get into her dress. The suite that they were in had two rooms that was separated by a double door. Kelly wanted to surprise her bridesmaids with their own first look so she got ready in one room and everyone else waited in the other. Then, the reveal…
Kelly and Kyle also decided they wanted to pray together before seeing one another. We were able to do this at the bottom of the stairwell, using the corner. They were able to hold hands, but not see one another. This was also another sweet moment.
Now it was time for the “first look”! We decided to do the first look in the courtyard. We had Kyle wait on one end with his back turned and his eyes closed. We then had Kelly come out into the courtyard. I made Kyle wait a few minutes to build anticipation :)
When Kyle turned and saw his bride for the first time in her stunning wedding dress, well, it was emotional. It was such a beautiful moment.
After the first look we did bridal party pictures and family formals. First looks are great since we are now able to knock out these photos before the ceremony. This allows the bridal party and family members to enjoy cocktail hour.
After the formals, we did a quick session with just Kelly and Kyle. Then we made our way to Viper Alley to prepare for the ceremony.
The ceremony was short and sweet. The vows were thoughtful. Everything was perfect.
The reception kicked off with the introductions, first dance, and a DONUT TOSS! This was a first for me and hopefully not the last. All the guests were on the dance floor, creating a circle around Kelly and Kyle. This was such a fun moment.
Everyone then made their way to their tables for dinner. Speeches were made and even Kelly’s dog made an appearance! After dinner, the MC started getting everyone in party mode and people started making their way to the dance floor. Kelly danced with her father (which got me emotional thinking of my daughter, even though she’s only two and has at least 30 to 40 years before getting married!). Then Kyle danced with his mom and Kelly surprised everyone with a dance with her mom! Another special moment.
Then open dance floor happened. I don’t recall an empty dance floor, not even for a minute, the entire night. Everyone was having a great time and so was I!
Then before you know it, it was 11:30pm and time to wrap up. The entire day was filled with smiles, laughter, and sweet moments. It was a privilege to be the one capturing all of these moments. Both Kelly and Kyle are great people - they’re kind, loving, and fun! Their wedding reflected this. The only downside is that it’s now over! I wish Kelly and Kyle the absolute best - congratulations you two! And to think it all started with a date at Chipotle!
