Christine & Lance | Champaign-Urbana, IL Wedding Photographer

Christine, thank you for taking the time to share your vendor information with all of us!!

Event Planner:  Tonia Ribbe and Beth Burr of Eastland Suites Champaign.

Hair: Ashleigh, my 17 year old cousin, she’s so talented!

Makeup:  Chole Leyden my wonderful cousin.  She owns her own spa business called Traveling Spa Bella, Tinley Park, IL.

Florist:  Brittany Frost of Blossom Basket, Champaign

Ceremony:  Eastland Suites

Reception:  Eastland Suites

Cake:  Lori Martin from Cakes by Lori, Champaign

Dress:  Pronovias bought from Eva’s Bridal of Orland Park, IL.

Tuxes:  Fancy That, Danville, IL.

DJ: Elite Entertainment, Champaign IL

First dance song:  L.O.V.E. Nat King Cole

How did the two of you meet?

Lance and I met at Eastern Illinois University while taking a general education Speech class.  The following semester we were in another course together that required us to take “field trips” off campus to visit different recreation facilities.  I didn’t have a car and Lance was the only fella I knew so I asked for a ride.  While driving to our different class destinations he would be chatting away trying to strike up a conversation with me. Needless to say he hasn’t stopped talking since and the conversations are still just as interesting as those held in our first car rides together  🙂

How did he propose…and what made you say yes?

Lance came down to visit me 2 weeks before I graduated from EIU with my bachelors degree.  He asked if we could walk to dinner… that’s when I knew something was up.  Who wants to walk in December when the Mercury is dropping as night falls? ha!  But I was more than thrilled to go on a walk and happily obliged.  As we were heading to dinner we ended up strolling in front of Old Main,  which is a prominent building of EIU that looks like a castle.  It was lit up with Christmas lights and it just started to snow when Lance got on his knee and proposed.  It couldn’t have been more perfect, I knew this was the man I wanted to share the rest of my life with.

What was your favorite memory from your wedding day?

My favorite detail hands down was my collection of wedding photos from family and friends.  I had at least 25 photos dating from 1919 all the way up to 2011!  It was beautiful to see generations of marriages and happy memories from our guests special day.
What was your something old, something new, something borrowed, something blue?I had two items that were something old, borrowed and blue.  One was a pin with blue and white ribbon and a heart charm that my aunt and also my cousin pinned in their dresses during their separate weddings.  I also wore a blue garter that I borrowed from another aunt.  And for new… well practically everything else: the dress, shoes, jewelry, and veil.

Any advice you would give to future brides and grooms?

Plan every detail and DIY crafts if you want to!  Those were my favorite parts 🙂  Also feel free to break tradition or to put a twist on things.  We did what we wanted for our big day and was absolutely perfect for us!

Would you change anything if you could do it all over again?

I wouldn’t change our day for the world!  We have never seen our family and friends have so much fun, it was such a blessing to share such a wonderful day with the people that matter most to us.

Where did you go on your honeymoon?  

Estes Park, Colorado.  Neither of us had ever been to the Rocky Mountains and we wanted to have ourselves an adventure!  It was beautiful and fun trip for the two of us!

Kellie and Will, the two of you were fantastic!  I had all sorts of crazy photo ideas and with your direction and enthusiasm we were able to crank out so many fabulous pictures in no time it didn’t even feel like work, even in the heat!  Gosh it was so much fun!