Beautiful fall Southern Illinois Wedding

November is beginning to be one of my favorite months to shoot weddings in. When I was growing up, I remember the colors of fall starting in early October but it seems as if the colors are showing up later in October and early November. When Jessica contacted me about shooting her and Hans’ wedding and that it was going to be in November, I got excited. I don’t normally have a packed November schedule and this past year I did.

Jessica and Hans were married at Trinity Lutheran Church in Darmstadt. It’s a little white church in a small town and when I pull up to little white churches I always start singing the song “Little White Church” by Little Big Town. I’m probably the only one who does that LOL.

It was a very rainy day, unfortunately, so we had to do all wedding portraits in the church. Now, I realize it’s good luck to have rain on your wedding day, but I’m a portrait photographer who loves shooting outdoors! Jessica and Hans wasn’t going to let rain ruin their day, though. Their bridal party and family were so much fun to work with and we ended up getting some really pics at the church.

The evening ended at a reception at the Adams Center in Belleville, IL. The event center there is huge and there were tables on both sides of the space with a big dance floor. There was karaoke for music and when I left I remember seeing a full dance floor. Jessica and Hans certainly had a good dancing crowd at their reception! If I had to narrow down my favorite moments from the wedding day, I would say it was when Jessica and Hans got up and started the reception off with the first karaoke song of the night. I loved watched them up there and smiling back and forth at each other as they sang “I Got You Babe” by Sonny and Cher.

Congratulations to Mr. and Mrs. Carpenter! It was an absolute honor to be a part of Jessica and Hans’ wedding day.