Lush & Glamorous Rooftop Chicago Wedding

Lauren and Mike had the lushest rooftop wedding I've seen. I was floored when I walked outside and saw the stylish table decor with the Chicago skyline in the background— framed by warm market lights and hanging greenery. It was inviting and cozy, but still glamorous and sophisticated. I have no idea how it all came together so well, but it had the feel of a perfect urban vineyard! Lauren said "My bridesmaid dresses and the colors of my wedding were inspired by my new last name, Winegardner. We created a wine garden with Jenny Yoo, BHLDN and Reformation in shades of merlot, rosé, chardonnay and ditsy florals."

This wedding was extra special for me because I've photographed not one, but two of her bridesmaid's weddings. It was so incredible to already know so many folks there! A few of my favorite moments from the day include the high five Lauren and Mike exchanged after their vows, the surprise drag performance at the reception, and when Lauren randomly threw her veil over Mike's head during their first look. I also loved how much their friends contributed to the day! Lauren's bridesman did the calligraphy for the seating chart and table numbers, members of Mike's band provided live music for their first dance, and another one of their friend's bands played at the rehearsal dinner!

Photography: Sarah Katherine Davis Photography // Venue: Morgan's on Fulton // Planning and Floral: Christine Janda // Dress: Lazaro // Veil: Toni Federici // Shoes: Jimmy Choo // Bridesmaid Dresses: Jenny Yoo, BHLDN, Reformation // Suit: Indochino // Music: Lake Soda, V.V. Lightbody and Music by Design // Drag: Michael Boettner // Robes: Flora Nikooz // Duster: Spell and the Gypsy // Slippers: Birdies // Catering: Big Star // Cake: Alliance Bakery // Calligraphy: Travis Jones // MUA: Caps Lock Brows

If you're looking for more garden-vibe goodness, then Felicia & Brennan's Oldham Gardens greenhouse wedding is for you! If you're looking for additional Chicago wedding inspiration, then Lucy & Daniel's modern and industrial wedding is for you (plus you might see some familiar faces!)

Greenhouse Wedding at 3rd Turn Brewery's Oldham Gardens

Felicia and Brennan love plants, the outdoors, beer, and family... so the decision to have their wedding at 3rd Turn Oldham Gardens, a local brewery and beer garden, was an easy one! Their ceremony was held in a greenhouse decorated with a lush floral arch and they asked that anyone who could grow a mustache to do so. Some backstory— Brennan has rocked a mustache for a LONG time and it ends up being a topic of discussion often. They leaned into that and supplied mustaches for anyone who couldn't grow their own and had it as a sub-theme of the wedding. It was amazing - although it did make it hard to find Brennan in the sea of white button-ups and mustaches sometimes when I was photographing the dance floor.

My favorite thing about this wedding wasn't the gorgeous greenhouses, the trellises full of greenery, the polaroid guest book, or everyone's amazing dance moves....although I loved all of those things. The thing that stood out to me the most is how much they adore each other. After their ceremony they found a private spot to exchange vows— I was far enough away that I couldn't hear what they said, but just watching and documenting from a distance got me weepy. They clearly have huge depth in their love for one another, but are also able to be completely silly together. I think that is the best balance to have in a relationship.

florals: Mike Ojeda with Mahonia Studio // venue: 3rd Turn Brewing & 3rd Turn Oldham Gardens // coordinator: Susan Mann with Circle and Soul Events // dj: Stephen Crandall with Sound Specialist Entertainment // catering: Katie Calvert with City BBQ // gown: The Bridal Suite of Louisville // gown alterations: Michelle Thomas of Michelle Thomas Alterations

If you're looking for more unique venues that incorporate the outdoors, this intimate treehouse elopement was incredibly sweet and this cozy autumn wedding at Springhouse Gardens will for sure get you feeling the fall spirit. You can also learn more about 3rd Turn Oldham Gardens on my comprehensive list of the best wedding venues in Louisville here.

Portugal Trip // Exploring the Azores, Lisbon, and the Algarve

My spouse had a ticket to visit Portugal back in 2010 (just a few months before we started dating)... but then that volcano in Iceland erupted and halted all flights to Europe for a few days. Long story short, they never ended up being able to visit until now. It's been a bucket list location for a while since their grandmother is from Portugal (and of course I’ve heard all about the perfect weather, clear water, great food, etc.)

Scheduling this trip in the middle of the fall wedding season was certainly a decision I questioned more than once, but ultimately it was the perfect way to recharge. It's really easy to fall victim to burnout in the wedding industry, especially for photographers, but I know I owe it to myself (and to my clients) to genuinely be enthusiastic about what I do. Because I make it a priority to schedule time off for myself, I am lucky enough to almost always love what I'm doing and to bring all my best energy to each couple I work with.

On this trip, we started and ended in Lisbon where we visited art museums and galleries, ate all the tapas, enjoyed live Fado music, relaxed on the balconies of our Airbnbs, and oohed and ahhed at all the gorgeous tile. We explored castles, their gardens, and greenhouses in Sintra— as well as a labyrinth of tunnels beneath one of those castles. In the Azores, we soaked in sub-tropical hot springs on a chilly day (and then ate a stew cooked in the geothermal water!), took many a foggy hike, walked along a crater lake, and swam under a waterfall at the end of a trail. In the Algarve, we stayed inside a windmill built in 1900 by our host's great grandfather, wandered along red rocky cliffs and through caves and tunnels leading to hidden beaches, and braved the chilly ocean water. It was one of my favorite vacations we've been on and I'm so excited to share some of the images with you all!

If you're wanted to see more travel photos, you can see images from our other adventures in the travel section of my blog.