ROTHSCHILD PAVILION WEDDING | MELISSA & BRANDON

Fun, romantic, rustic, and filled with DIY elements! Melissa & Brandon planned a wedding that not only fit their style, but also shared so much of who they are with every guest who brought joy to their wedding day. A sweets table, the most creatively flavored cupcakes we've ever heard of (cardamom vanilla with honey buttercream – yum!!), and adorably named signature drinks were there to make sure that their guests were well taken care of and enjoying their celebration. Melissa & Brandon's passion for music also played a huge roll in personalizing their wedding from beginning to end with friends performing their ceremony music, a live swing band drawing their guests onto the dance floor, a rendition of the classic German Oktoberfest song "Ein Prosit", and a surprise performance by Brandon & his gentlemen for his beautiful bride!! You might remember the beer they worked into their engagement session last fall, so it was only fitting that they incorporate this element into their wedding day as well :)

After a cozy ceremony inside the Rothschild Pavilion, we were blessed with a gorgeous afternoon and enjoyed photographing Melissa & Brandon surrounded by the ones they love. As a couple they are thoughtful & genuine, and being around them made us feel both completely at ease and ready for FUN! We consider ourselves very lucky to have been chosen to document their wedding day! Melissa & Brandon just returned home from a two-week honeymoon in Italy (jealous!) and we are bursting with excitement for them to relive all of the wedding day moments that we captured on film!

Love, Kelsy & Butch

All images captured with Contax 645 and Pentax 67 on Portra 400, Tri-X 400, and Delta 3200.

DOOR COUNTY LAKESIDE EDITORIAL WITH A.STYLED EVENT!!

Where do we begin with the excitement, planning & FUN that went into this styled shoot? :) It's no secret that we McCartneys are lovers of everything Door County. :) Not to mention the wonderful friendship that we're so blessed to have with A.Styled Event!! Pull those elements together, along with a crazy-talented team of vendors, and you can only imagine how excited we were to collaborate on this little labor of love!

With Anna leading the way and bringing endless creative direction, we dreamed up an intimate rehearsal dinner set along the shoreline of Lake Michigan in Sturgeon Bay, just behind the bride's childhood home. For those of you who aren't familiar, Door County is an absolute GEM!! As the peninsula of Wisconsin, Door County is surrounded by Green Bay & Lake Michigan, and it truly feels like the charming New England area – Wisconsin's own little slice of paradise. :) It's filled with gorgeous views, countless art galleries, and impeccable dining options, the best of which are to be found when tipped off by one of the locals!

Buds 'n Bloom designed stunning centerpieces to compliment a soft & romantic tablescape, along with the bride's bouquet, floral crown, and teepee adornments! The most charming custom letterpress invitations from Monograham were sent to the couple's immediate family, and Flourgirl Patissier created a sweet ombre cake for the occasion. Door County Olive Oil shared a selection of their favorite oils to be enjoyed with fresh Washington Island Bread, which was followed by a traditional Door County Fish Boil dinner! Guests were welcomed into the county with a basket filled with Door County goodies including cider, specialty oils & seasonings, and bread from Madison Avenue Wine Shop (a must-visit if you're in the area!).

We had an absolute BLAST photographing this beautiful setting, complete with our sweet models who happen to be a real-life couple! Aren't they adorable!! We're so excited to share these images with you – you may have seen some of them featured on Style Me Pretty earlier this fall, too :) Truly, the team that brought this shoot to life is so full of passion & love for what they do that each one of them is an inspiration!! Capturing their designs & creations was an absolute honor... and SO MUCH FUN!!! Can't wait to play again soon ;)

Lots of Love!! | Kelsy & Butch

All images captured on film with Contax 645 or Hasselblad 500cm on Fuji 400H. 

Floral Design: Buds ‘n Bloom | Creative Direction + Event Styling: A.Styled Event | Invitations: Monograham | Olive Oil for Tasting: Door County Olive Oil | Cake: Flourgirl Patissier | Welcome Basket Goodies: Madison Avenue Wine Shop | Hair + Makeup: Jessica of Clipper’s Mate | Bride’s Dress: Victoria’s Secret | Groom’s Attire: Banana Republic

THE IMPORTANCE OF A PHOTOGRAPH

Family, friends and loved ones. They've got to be the meaning of life, because when they go it seems you'd give everything to have them back. Telling stories with friends helps; especially while flipping through photos of your most beloved memories. Lately, we have been viewing our photography in a different way. Pointing our lenses in a slightly different direction. We've always been aware that photographing someone's family was important, but it seems the more we photograph special events with couples who we become so close with, the more we realize how important these photographs are. These words aren't anything ground-breaking, and perhaps it's because we don't really know how to express what we are feeling at the moment with words.

You know those photographs of your parents and grandparents that you hold in your hands every now & then and absolutely adore? That's what we are trying to create. We want to capture a moment within our images that 25 years from now — even 45 years from now — makes you feel something. If our bride & groom's grandchildren are holding the prints that we delivered to them and smiling from ear-to-ear, telling their sisters and cousins how young & beautiful their grandma is… then we've accomplished our goal. That's how much value we place on the moments we see happening at the weddings we photograph.

We recently had the privilege of photographing an amazing event. It was a wedding. Family & friends flew and drove from near and far. Smiles and happy tears were everywhere to be seen, and this particular Saturday in July was absolutely beautiful. The property at which the wedding was held was that of the bride & groom's home, and it was decorated SO beautifully by the incredible Evolutions in Design team here in Wausau, Wisconsin. It was the joining of two beautiful families. We had never witnessed a wedding like this before.

We've only personally known the Hugus family for a short time. Just two weeks before their wedding, they asked us to photograph their celebration. Thankfully, we happened to have that day available! A few conversations over the phone and connecting with them on their wedding day has been the extent of our interaction. But it didn't take long for us to realize how incredible this family is. Words can't quite do justice when describing the affect they have on you — we guess it's that when you are around them, you can truly feel their warmth. And John, who ended his 17 year battle with cancer just a few days ago, had an especially welcoming presence. The smile he gave us, having not even known us for more than a couple weeks, made us feel important and genuinely appreciated on his wedding day. We are so very thankful that we were able to capture the happiness that surrounded John on his & Robin's wedding day. We will remember that day always, and couldn't be more grateful to have been a part of it.

Love | Kelsy & Butch

All images captured on film with Hasselblad 500cm, Contax 645 or Nikon F100 and Fuji 400H + Ilford HP5 film. 

OUR LITTLE FAMILY :)

The very moment we knew our branding was about to change in a huge way, we immediately reached out to Laura Ivanova. Not only is she a great friend of ours, she also happens to be a crazy-talented photographer who we're able to be ourselves in front of!! :) If you've seen any pictures of us on our website EVER, Laura is the lady who captured them. So planning another session with her was a no-brainer!!

Next we started thinking about outfits and this process took a bit longer. Being on the other side of the camera is SUCH a great experience for us because it really puts us in our clients shoes! For weeks we were trying to find and decide on the perfect outfits & styling that were complimentary and visually interesting yet really felt like US. Can we say thank goodness for online shopping?! We played the online shopping game and had dresses & ties arriving on a weekly basis until two pretty options presented themselves ;) And you know what it made us think? If only we were as cute as Parker, then we wouldn't have to worry about fancy outfits!!

Fast forward to our photo shoot and we were both excited/a little nervous at the same time as we headed to Minneapolis. Those little nerves quickly faded after Laura fired away her fifth frame, but it made the entire "client experience" feel very real! After being photographed around Wayzata's piers and beach, we were blessed with the most beautiful sunset and were so happy the four of us could enjoy our little picnic & a glass of wine to round out the session :)

Laura, we cannot thank you enough for these images!! Giant smiles (and even some laughter!) takes over as we pour over them, and we love them SOOOO much!

Love | Kelsy & Butch

A huge thank you to Julie Lam for hair & make-up, too! :)

ROMANTIC MILWAUKEE WEDDING ON FILM | EMILY & DAVE!

Emily & Dave made a classic bride and groom. Pair their elegant style with a hint of nautical, enough happiness to affect everyone in the room & the most genuine family, and you can imagine just how BEAUTIFUL their wedding day was!! The ladies looked stunning in navy blue dresses paired with soft white bouquets, the guys' whimsical personalities were balanced perfectly by their sharp grey suits. Emily was absolutely stunning!! Elegant from head to toe with the brightest blue eyes and a giant smile for her handsome groom!

We are nothing but smiles as we post these images and relive Emily & Dave's wedding day! Thank you two SO much for having us, we consider it the biggest honor when we get to photograph amazing families like yours!! :)

Love | K&B

// Film: Fuji Pro 400H, Ilford HP5 & Delta 3200 // Camera: Contax 645, Nikon F100 & Hasselblad 500cm //