Baker Memorial Church & Hotel Baker, St Charles Wedding - Jenna & Matt

There's a moment during every wedding where I get choked up. It's never the same moment every single time and always, even after 7 years, a bit unexpected. But for Jenna and Matt's wedding day this was the first time ever it was when the two of them saw their reception room at Hotel Baker. Jenna's overwhelming gratitude and her tear-filled hug to her dad, thanking him for giving them the perfect wedding day was nothing short of special. But before we get to that, there are a million little moments in between. From the absolutely gorgeous color of her bridesmaid dresses (I'm totally taking note for my own wedding!), to the stunning setting of Baker Memorial Church where these two first said, "I do." You are just going to have to scroll through this beautiful day to get to the grand reveal of their reception. Grab the tissues friends. You can't say I didn't warn you ;-) 1) Jenna! Holy cow girlfriend, are you stunning! 2) When Jenna told us that one of her maids of honor lent her the very same earring she wore on her own wedding, I knew we had to spend a little extra time photographing these beauties. These are the stories that make detail photos so important. It's not about everything you buy for the wedding. It's about the relationships and the history held within something as simple as an earring. Decades of friendship and a lifetime of stories are held within these earrings as they were passed from one friend to another. This moment was made all the more special by both of Jenna's brothers opening the doors for her dad to walk the two of them down the aisle. The anticipation and emotion not only on Jenna's face moments before, but on her brother's as well was just the sweetest! The grandeur mixed with simplicity of Baker Memorial makes for the perfect wedding day setting! The big emotions are what we expect of wedding photos. The fist pump after you are announced officially married and the bear hugs from dad. I adore those moments. They are what give you butterflies when you think about the reality of your wedding day actually happening, amidst the busyness of being engaged and planning. But the ones that always surprise me - stopping me in my tracks when I'm sorting through so many photos taken after a wedding day - are the quiet moments. The unexpected moments. The empty church after you've walked down the aisle, when you have even just a brief moment to look at each other as spouses before you celebrate the night away. Those moments... oh man. Those are the moments.I am obsessed with this wedding party's sense of style! Navy suits and neutral bridesmaid dresses? Yes.Please. Seriously, obsessed with these dresses. A big part of what makes photography so special to me is it's ability to continue a story over years. As we documented these quiet moments Jenna & Matt spent together before arriving to their reception, I couldn't help but remember the very first time Jenna put her left hand on Matt's chest with that brand new ring. There was a clear picture (literally) in my mind that would compare so easily to the one below here, because I captured it moments after Matt proposed. I can envision taking this photo years from now, with scars from exciting vacations or wrinkles from decades of hand holding, showcasing even more of their love story than just this past year and a half.And the moment you've been waiting for since reading the start of this post... I'd be remiss if I didn't mention that amidst all of the emotional and beautiful moments of Jenna & Matt's day, there is also one other moment that will stay in my memory forever. Never before have I ever seen such a passionate, committed rendition of the Backstreet Boys sung by a group of guys ;-) Congratulations Jenna & Matt! It was an honor to journey alongside of you two from the very beginning and I'm so thrilled you had the wedding day of your dreams.

The Baker Memorial Church Wedding Team

Jenna already did such a lovely job of thanking this great vendor team, that I'll simply quote her kind words to give credit where credit is due: "One more thing.... thank you so much to all of our vendors who truly pulled everything off unlike anything I've ever seen! Hotel Baker was the most perfect venue and their team was outstanding. A huge thank you to Leanne at You Name It Events for coordinating our whole day and making everything stress free. Thank you to Rebecca Marie (Rebecca Ickes) photography who photographed not only our wedding, but proposal and engagement - She is beyond talented. Veiled in Elegance in Geneva gave me the most amazing dress experience which I am so grateful for. Thank you to Salon Agape in St. Charles and their amazing hair and makeup team for making me and my girls look and feel beautiful. Thank you to Town and Country Gardens for the most beautiful arrangement of flowers. Last, but certainly not least, thank you to Lisa Gonzalez for watching my sweet Charles and my parent's dog max (for any of my friends who live in the city, if you need someone to walk your dog, Lisa is the best! She walked charlie from the first day we got him and is the most reliable sweetest person in the world. She drove from the city to watch our pups on our wedding day which means the world to us). Thank you again to all for the wedding of our dreams!!!"