Mainstreet Abbey Wedding – Columbia, Illinois

If you know me and you’ve been following my work, you know that I usually take January off every year to relax and get a breather from all things photography. Sometimes I’ll get on social media but it’s really just a month for me to relax and not think about all the things I should be doing behind the scenes. Being a photographer is wonderful in so many ways, but it’s not just simply taking beautiful images. There’s the editing, blogging, paperwork, social media planning, etc. It’s a lot of work and usually by the end of the year I’m ready for a little break. With that break, though, I start to get eager to get back in the swing of things. It’s exactly what I need to feel refreshed and ready to start the new season. Since it’s too cold to be doing photo shoots in the winter, I’m taking the next couple of months to catch up on blogging last year’s weddings and engagement sessions. I can’t wait to show you all of my favorites from the most amazing clients ever. Up first… Taylor and Adam’s wedding.

Taylor and Adam were married at the Mainstreet Abbey last year and it was an absolutely perfect day. It was a Friday wedding and there was no bridal party, just them. That meant that they had a little bit later start to their day and they didn’t have to be there at the crack of dawn. Taylor had her hair done at Expressions Salon and Spa in Sparta, IL and then she met up at the bridal suite at the Mainstreet Abbey where Paige. did her makeup. I had oodles and oodles of time to take pictures of all the bridal details, which was AHHH-mazing. If you’re a wedding photography… you know what I mean! Taylor was so relaxed and calm while she was getting ready and she just had this constant smile on her face. My favorite moment was when it came time to put her gown on. Her mom went in to help her and once it was on I walked in and saw her and I was blown away! Seriously, it looked like that dress was made just for her! It was a stunning Stella York gown that she purchased from The Ultimate Bride. Just wait till you scroll down and see it! Once she was ready to go, it was time for me to meet up with Adam to get him ready for the day.

Adam didn’t arrive at the venue til early afternoon and I’m sure he was thrilled to have the whole morning free. What groom doesn’t have anything to do till early afternoon on his wedding day? That’s very rare! Adam’s suit came from Macy’s, his bowtie and suspenders were from Amazon, shoes from Johnston & Murphy and he also had some rocking awesome socks from Divvy Up Socks. After a few shots of him getting ready, we moved right along to shooting some family portraits before the ceremony. Taylor and Adam were not going to be seeing each other before the ceremony and I thought it was so sweet. I’m all for traditional weddings. I love me a good first look and portraits before, but there was really no need since it was just the two of them. Since there was no bridal party, we had plenty of time after their ceremony to get portraits in before the reception.

After a short and sweet ceremony, and while I took Taylor and Adam to a nearby park for portraits, the space at the Abbey was transforming into a reception space. Taylor’s mom did all of the flowers and the decorations were very minimal with greenery, blooms and candles. Taylor wanted simple and clean and fresh. The Mainstreet Abbey is a gorgeous venue and whether you go all out or keep it simple, the space in itself is just perfect.

I left that evening with a big smile on my face and couldn’t wait to import the images and start working on sneak peaks. I always try to get previews up as soon as I can so that my couples don’t have to wait long to see some weddings images. Friends and family, of course, always share their images on social media, but seeing images from your wedding photographer is truly worth the wait! I had the best day with Taylor and Adam and I’m so honored that they wanted me to be a part of their special day. Enjoy looking through my favorites below 🙂