Faith United Methodist Church + iHotel + Conference Center, Champaign, IL

I first met Christie over coffee (Starbucks, of course) and we hit it off. She’s got such a cool, calm, sweet manner and is so laid back! She had just moved from Atlanta, Georgia and was looking to connect with other professional photographers! Now, months later, we were able to meet up again to shoot a wedding together! My day as the second shooter started pretty typically, in a hotel room with the groom and his men (or in this case, dog) and we hung out until it was time to officially get ready! Once Jacob looked all sharp in his wedding day suit – we headed out for the Faith United Methodist Church, where I shot some of the ceremony details while the guys relaxed in a back room. The ceremony space was beautiful, with the aisle lined in white pillars topped off with glass vases adorned with pink florals and candles floating in water. The front of the sanctuary has a dramatic impact upon arrival, with a very large cross in between gorgeous silver organ pipes. The ceremony was sweet, and I’m pretty sure Angelica’s smile never left her face, not once. After joining Christie and the bridal party on the U of I campus for a bit, I headed to go shoot reception details before the room was opened to guests. Getting in the room first is the best since guests can quickly dishevel a room with drinks, purses, coats, etc. You put all that time and effort into your reception decor, it deserves the proper attention! And trust me, this decor did! The centerpieces complimented the decor at the church with the glass vases, water, and pink flowers, and each chair had a carefully (and artfully) placed pink sash on the back of them, which was a nice contrast against the dark wood of the chivari chairs. The room was filled with all things pink, but complemented with blue uplighting, which added a lot of color into each of their images! Soon after, the bride and groom arrived and danced the night away! It was a blast working alongside Christi and the other staff at the iHotel and the ladies with Perfect Glow Wedding Events.