Katie Jo & Tyler | Decatur, IL Wedding Photographer

If there were ever two people that made the perfect match, it has to be Katie Jo & Tyler. I love watching the way he looks at her & the way she beams when she looks at him. I think I was teary eyed a few times on their wedding day! Watching two people so in love just melts my heart!

Before the wedding, I hung out with the girls while they did their hair & makeup, and Will met up with the guys to photograph them playing soccer. (Guys have it so much easier on the mornings of weddings!!) After everyone was ready, we all met out at Rock Springs Park for the “first look.” Katie Jo & Tyler chose the pine forest as the spot for their first look. The forest has such a magical feel to it…it was the perfect choice for the first look! We then spent some time photographing the rest of the wedding party (and picking bugs out of Katie Jo’s dress! But, it was so worth it!)

We then headed back to the church for family group photos & then it was time for the ceremony to begin. I loved the way that they truly made this service unique and it was very God honoring. I love that they chose to sing a couple of hymns during it! After the ceremony, Tyler & Katie Jo sent everyone on to the reception site, and snuck away for some photo time with just me and Will. We found a gorgeous creek and had so much fun hanging out. We were able to capture some amazing images! (Make sure you watch the slide show below!)

After our photo time, we went back to the reception site & enjoyed lots of yummy food! They were serenaded by Tyler’s family & then spent the rest of the night dancing. It was such a wonderful day & I am so grateful that I was able to be a part of it!

Katie Jo & Tyler answered a few questions for me. Future brides & grooms…be sure to write these vendors down!!

Vendors used:
Hair: Emily at Headlines Salon did my hair. Cloey and Denise helped out with my girls.
Makeup and Nails: Theresa at Headlines Salon.
Florist: Shirley’s Flower Shoppe in Mt. Zion. Shirley was awesome and my flowers were perfect!
Church: First Evangelical Lutheran Church of Decatur
Reception: Hickory Point Banquet Facility
Cake: Sheree Schinzler made our beautiful cake. We chose dark chocolate cake with a peanut butter filling and a white cake with raspberry filling and almond frosting. There weren’t any leftovers at the end of the night!
Dress: The designer is Demetrios. Jackie at Brides by Demetrios in St. Louis helped me find just what I was looking for. It was the first dress I tried on!
Tuxes: Suits from Seno’s Formalwear
Musicians: A good friend of mine, Meagan Hinze, played flute during the ceremony. Fellow church member, Rick Strine played piano for us.
DJ: Our DJ was awesome, the dance floor was packed all night. He works by word of mouth only but I would love to pass on his name! If you are looking for a DJ, please ask me! (I will also vouch for the DJ. He was incredible and made the night all about the bride & groom and not about himself. He kept the talking to a minimum & kept the dance floor full! He was awesome!!!)

First dance song: “You are the Best Thing” Ray LaMontagne
What will you remember the most from your wedding day? The people… being with my girls in the morning, spending time with Tyler while taking pictures before the ceremony, talking to guests at the reception, dancing with friends! We have such great friends and family, they made the night so wonderful.

Funniest memory from your wedding day? Picking bugs out of my dress after taking pictures at Rock Springs only to see one crawling up the front of my dress as we knelt for the blessing!

What was your favorite detail from your wedding day? Tyler’s mom made over a thousand Salbaro (Filipino cookies) favors. Tyler’s Lola (grandmother) used to make these thin coconut cookies for her family. My mom handmade my garter! I kept this one and tossed another.

Any advice you would give to future brides and grooms? Relax and enjoy having all your friends and family in the same place!

Would you change anything if you did it all over again? No!

Where did you go on your honeymoon? We haven’t been yet but we are going to Hawaii! Tyler surprised me on our wedding day.

Katie Jo & Tyler, I hope you enjoy your slideshow!! (Love your choice of song for your first dance!)