Christmas Wedding – Hillsboro, Illinois

I’m taking you all back to December, a very cold December day, right before Christmas. Hannah and Matt were suppose to be married in the summer and with the pandemic they were having to push their big day to 2021. Hannah and and Matt really didn’t want to wait another whole year so they decided to plan a December wedding. I’ve only had a handful of December weddings so I was excited. It’s such a beautiful time of year and with the pandemic, I think at that point, everyone was ready to see their loved ones a bit… even with restrictions.

The wedding ceremony and reception both took place at the Event Center in Hillsboro, Illinois. Ben was my assistant that day (it was so nice having him with me that day helping out) and when we arrived we walked into a Christmas wonderland. There were Christmas trees as decoration (many family members let them use their tree for the day) and ornaments, berries, glitter and greenery. It was so beautiful. There’s just something about Christmas lights that’s so perfect for a wedding, no matter if they’re strung up on a tree in December or used in the middle of summer behind a head table, etc. The lady running the Event Center ran home at one point because she thought I might want to use a dress form for some dress shots. That idea was so nice and I welcomed it. Hannah’s dress was absolutely stunning and I wanted to make sure I captured it’s details nicely.

After a quick ceremony to say their “I Dos”, they quickly moved the chairs to the tables and set up for the reception. Most of the portraits had taken place before the ceremony so we just had to wrap up some family formals and move right into the celebration. The whole evening was absolute perfection and the dance floor was full with smiling faces. When Ben and I made the 2-hour trip home, we talked about how wonderful everyone was. It truly was. If any of their family and friends weren’t in the Christmas spirit by that night, they definitely were by the time they went home. My favorite part of the day wa when we took the party bus back to Hannah and Matt’s house for some pictures with their fur baby, Sadie. She was so excited to see her mom and dad and posed nicely for the camera. She’s so cute!

I’m so honored to have been a part of Hannah and Matt’s wedding day. It was truly such a special day and I can’t wait for you to see my favorites. Enjoy!