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.

RECENT FEATURES!

Over the last few weeks we've had so much fun reliving a couple of our favorite weddings & engagements on lovely wedding blogs!! After all of the planning that our couples put into their sessions and celebrations, it is such a joy to see their efforts serve as inspiration for future brides & grooms :) First up was Emily & Dave's classic country club wedding in Milwaukee, featured on the wonderful Elizabeth Anne Designs! Their beautiful wedding day was filled with the perfect amount of sunshine, personal touches, a hint of nautical detailing, and one of the most adorable couples of all time!! :)

Abby couldn't have said it more perfectly in Jess & Dom's feature on Style Me Pretty - these two really are amazing!

"So girls. I think you’re going to kind of love this wedding. Because the “there is just something sexy about a man in uniform” theory definitely applies. Add to that a girl fit to be a princess, a stunning ballroom backdrop and oh, maybe some of the prettiest pics – shot by The McCartneys – I’ve ever seen and bam. Love gone wild."

We are So grateful to have been the ones behind the cameras as Jess & Dom's magical day unfolded in front of us :)

Brittany & Dustin are a sweet, fun couple with this amazing sense of style that is absolutely timeless! Their cozy engagement session was featured on the Midwest's very own destination for all things wedding – thank you, Wisconsin Bride!!! :)

xoxo, Kelsy & Butch

MADISON WISCONSIN ENGAGEMENT PHOTOS | AMANDA & NICK!

From the moment Amanda & Nick reached out to us about their photography, we knew the four of us were an incredible match!! Their style is classic and elegant, soft and romantic, but still fun. After chatting with these two about their wedding day hopes, we found ourselves getting more excited about each element they described :)

We're so lucky to photograph such exciting moments in the lives of couples like Amanda & Nick!! They met while attending UW-Madison, so it was only fitting for us to pay tribute to the city where they fell in love by using it as the location for their engagement session. After bouncing around the Capitol on a warm & sunny October afternoon, we headed to the Terrace for a few lakeside images. You guys, the light was AMAZING and Amanda & Nick can attest to just how excited we were about the crazy-gorgeous evening light we had to play with!! We're so excited to share this session with you all, and we can't wait to be a part of Amanda & Nick's wedding in May at the stunning Madison Club :)

Love | Kelsy & Butch

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

WAUSAU WISCONSIN WEDDING | MICHELLE & RYAN!

Michelle & Ryan's wedding style was a beautiful harmony of classic & elegant meets vintage! If you ask us, this combination couldn't more perfectly reflect the two of them and their relationship. Together, Michelle & Ryan have a calming nature about them that makes you feel genuinely appreciated and blessed to be a part of their lives. Spend one second with them and you can tell that they fill each other up, just by the way they so effortlessly fall into one another. :)

In the months leading up to their wedding day, Michelle & Ryan worked closely with Anna of A.Styled Event and Evolutions in Design to bring their wedding day vision to life! From a charming "welcome to our wedding" sign, the cutest apple cider favor display, expertly created chalkboard signage and countless blooms in stunning amber glass vases, it's clear that no detail was left untouched! Bringing a stylist into their wedding celebration truly elevated it to an event that not only represented Michelle & Ryan as couple, but also brought an element of creative surprise that wow'd their guests! The team Michelle & Ryan assembled to bring their Jefferson Street Inn wedding to another level is one that we are so fortunate to have been a part of.

We're actually starting to think that Michelle & Ryan are an incredibly lucky pair. Their wedding fell on the most PERFECT fall day imaginable, just like their engagement session last fall!! All day long, we were in awe of the vibrant color that had just "popped" and the sunny skies surrounding us. Have we ever mentioned that fall is our FAVORITE?? ;)

Thank you so much, Michelle & Ryan, for choosing us to photograph your wedding day! You two are such a sweet couple, and we feel very lucky to have been the ones capturing these moments for you & your family!! :D

Love | Kelsy & Butch

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

THIS YEAR

When we sit down and think about where this year went, we don't have an immediate answer. It truly flew by faster than any other! Amidst the craziness of bouncing around the midwest to photograph weddings & engagements, we also had some pretty awesome milestones in our personal lives!! Parker James joined our little family on Valentine's Day and he has since been the source of 90% of our smiles! Not long after we became puppy parents, we decided that our little man needed a house! After years of searching for the perfect one, we purchased our first home at the very beginning of wedding season in May. Upon further review, this may not have been the most ideal time to move and make our new house a home, but we wouldn't have it any other way!! We tend to dive in head first and follow our hearts without looking back -- that is exactly how we decided to take our photography business full-time four years ago, and apparently how we make all major life decisions ;)

We also tend to pour our hearts into our photography. The connections we make with the remarkable couples who come our way make it especially easy to get wrapped up in the emotions of their day and be completely invested in them! This year brought so much clarity and change into the way we are photographing weddings, engagements and portraits alike. Falling in love with film all over again has revolutionized our hearts and our business, and for this we couldn't possibly be more grateful!! 2012 really was a giant leap for us, our business, and our little family of three. The relationships & friendships we've made this year alone make us feel absolutely blessed to do what we do, and we cannot even wait to see all of the goodness that 2013 has lined up!!!!

With SO Much Love | K&B

// Film: Fuji Pro 400H & Portra 400 // Camera: Contax 645, Hasselblad 500cm & Nikon F100 //