Jackie and Matthew’s gorgeous March wedding started off with getting ready pictures at the Marriott in Normal, Illinois. The day was perfect – with the best weather we’d had all year –  and I was happy to be reconnecting with a couple that feel like old friends. Jackie and Matthew’s relationship is so endearing, and they are such a joy to photograph. They laugh, have fun, and incorporate their own story into their wedding day. For example, Jackie requested we shoot a couple photos outside of their ceremony location at Second Presbyterian Church. “Okay,” I said, “Where are you thinking?” And as we walked outside, she and Matthew showed me. “There.” They said, pointing at the parking garage across the street. Although I didn’t quite understand the parking garage’s importance at the time, Jackie quickly shared with me that it was in the middle of the sidewalk, next to the shabby old parking garage, that Matthew had proposed and she had accepted. As it turns out, these photographs became some of my favorites. It is stories like Jackie and Matthew’s that bring a smile to my face. Their relationship is as genuine and true as the two people they are independently. Jackie and Matthew, thank you for entrusting me to photograph your day. Best wishes as you start your new life together as a married couple!