Kristen and Erik | Wedding at Eagle Ridge Resort in Galena IL

Last summer I sat on the patio at Starbucks and I was introduced to Kristen and Erik by Kristen’s parents. This was unique meeting for me as I already had a meeting with Kristen’s parents. They were at a meeting earlier in the year when I had booked Kristen’s sister, Kelly, for her fall wedding. One of the first things Kristen told me was that her and her sister were exactly the same, yet completely different.

As I pondered that statement, Kristen told me what she wanted for her wedding. She wanted it to feel almost like a family vacation, a time where two families can be together for an extended period of time and just enjoy the presence of family. As I was left trying to ponder both those statements now, I found myself really being excited to be a part of this wedding. It is not too often I walk into a wedding with having very little idea what was going to happen. Sure we had a timeline and a sequence of events but Kristen was clear, this was to a family experience where a wedding takes place, not a wedding that is a family experience. So I did my best to just be a part of the family and see where the day took me. Through all the rain, all the laughs and even a little anxiousness, I found myself surrounded with two families that took me in. At one point I sat at the kitchen counter and talked to various family members for almost an hour. After being a part of two weddings with Kristen and Kelly’s family in the span of 8 months, I really felt like a family member with a camera.

So Kristen and Erik, I hope my family member photographs bring you back to the moments of your day. I hope your honeymoon was a tad bit less rainy than your wedding. More than anything, I hope you understand just how much it meant to me, to be a part of your family!