People often ask me how my photography journey started, but I don't think it can be pinpointed to one specific moment. Perhaps it was growing up in my childhood home, looking at the big, beautiful black and white Ansel Adams landscape prints on our walls. Or maybe it was when I was gifted a camera for Christmas and went through a whole roll of film that night. Or maybe it was when I was in college and I had completed the Intro to Photography course, but I wasn't sure if it was for me until the professor who taught the remaining black and white and digital photography courses convinced me that I had found my home.

Friends and family gathered at Thanh and Amy’s home near Appleton for their Sunday morning ceremony honoring their Vietnamese background. KLEM Studio’s Associate Photographer, Krista, had a chance to photograph their first ceremony of the day, exposing Krista to a new aspect of Vietnamese culture she would have otherwise not been exposed to. After the beautiful ceremony, guests traveled to Hotel Northland in Green Bay for Thanh and Amy’s westernized ceremony.

It was a perfect autumn day as Joanna and Derek prepared for their big day. Full of jitters and excitement, Joanna stood at the very top of the stairway, while Derek stood at the bottom to partake in their first “not look” before the ceremony. Joanna beamed, asking, “How are you? Are you okay? I love you, I miss you!” making sure Derek was supported. Derek brings out the most beautiful smile to Joanna’s face, the one where her nose wrinkles and her eyes light up. The love and consideration Joanna and Derek have for each other radiates pure, joyful love. After their first “not look,” they were practically shaking with happiness, and crying a bit as Joanna and Derek were whisked off to walk down the aisle.

An army of mosquitoes couldn’t keep Andrea and Jordan from prepping for their wedding ceremony in the courtyard at Rock Garden as close friends and family gathered on the sunny, fall day. Andrea and her bridesmaids cried with excitement and emotion as they marveled at Andrea in her gorgeous sequined gown and amazing shoes. Before walking down the aisle, Andrea shared a first look with her dad, giving him a handkerchief and saying she will always be his little girl.

When it came to planning our engagement sessions, Andrew and I were really intentional about picking locations and activities that have special meaning for us. Our engagement sessions are another opportunity for us to insert our personalities and hobbies into our wedding journey, and we wanted to do it right! 

For our first engagement session, we headed to my family’s cabin in Spread Eagle, Wisconsin. We love spending time on our private lake with our pups frolicking through the woods and splashing in the water. It’s one of our happy places, made all the more special because my 91-year-old grandma still calls this cabin home! 

About to step into her wedding dress, the first butterflies of the day washed over Johanna, making the nervous excitement a reality. Johanna and Aaron officially married two months prior in an intimate ceremony on their own, but this day was a whole new experience for both. Johanna was thrilled to be putting on her wedding dress and celebrate her marriage to Aaron with their closest friends and family. Johanna and Aaron shared a brief first look with one another to reveal their outfits. Aaron knew Johanna was going to be stunningly beautiful, but was blown away seeing her, and his warm, loving reaction was a privilege to witness. 

The weather may not have been what Brittany and Evan envisioned for their wedding day, but the tornadoes didn’t stop them from saying I do. Every moment was a combined effort of two great families coming together to make sure Brittany and Evan’s wedding would happen. While the family determined the final wedding location due to the extreme weather, Brittany and her bridesmaids prepared for the ceremony. Brittany wore a stunning and simple dress with the most epic bow on the back. 

On an exceptionally warm July summer day, Heidi and Frank’s closest family and friends gathered at the Green Bay Botanical Garden to witness them say I do. An intimate group consisting of Heidi’s mom and sister excitedly helped Heidi into her beautifully beaded, warm grey gown with lace detailing. Frank looked exceptionally dapper in his dark suit as he waited outside the Kaftan Lusthaus Gazebo in the gardens. The small, Scandinavian themed house was filled with joyful guests drawn together amongst the flowers from Schroeder's Flowers which provided touches of pinks and reds, and saturated the air with a wonderfully sweet aroma. 

On a beautifully warm and sunny summer day, the excitement in Katelyn and Lucas eyes and smiles was eminent as their anticipation grew to say I do. Starting their day at 6:00am, the ladies gathered at Salon Forte in preparation for Katelyn and Lucas’s Sunday lunch wedding. The bridesmaids wore light purple dresses, which was perfect for the summer day and their setting at the Green Bay Botanical Garden. Katelyn prepped in one of the bridal areas at the Botanical Gardens, and did a first look with her dad before walking down the aisle. Katelyn’s beauty moved him to tears.

The skies might have been overcast, but that did not stop Alex and Corey from taking flight on their wedding day. Close family and friends gathered together to witness Alex and Corey say I do. Corey and his best man knew each other from the military, and made the ceremony all the more special by organizing it in an airplane hangar! Clothed in a smile and her stunning wedding dress, Alex said I do hand in hand with Corey, a flight of planes providing quite the backdrop underneath a high ceiling. A sand ceremony and a joyous kiss sealed Alex and Corey’s union, as their family and friends applauded. 

On the warmest spring day, Stephanie and Alex‘s closest family and friends gathered at St. John’s Church to witness them say I do. The sun shone brightly, filling the church with light. Before the ceremony, Stephanie and Alex shared a moment holding hands around the corner so that they wouldn’t see each other but would still be able to feel one another. They hand  wrote letters to one another filled with sweet words of love and happiness. Both her eyes filled with tears, and Alex was especially touched as he opened Stephanie‘s gift of a small pin with photos of his grandparents who’ve passed.

Have you heard? We’ve got something pretty cool going on here in Green Bay, and it’s making waves. The second Tuesday of every month, a group of creative business owners gathers together at a local business in the Green Bay area and talks about different topics that relate to running a business and living a well-balanced life. What is this magical, mystery group? Why, the Rising Tide Society of course! The Rising Tide Society is a community for creative business owners with chapters all across the country. It began in 2015 in only 12 cities (Green Bay was one of the first!) as a way for local creatives to learn from one another, network, and grow themselves and their businesses.

To My House on Division Street:

I’m not sure that there are enough words and emotions to encompass everything I want to convey. You, my sweet little colonial home, were simply magical. When I started looking for a home, I was young and didn’t know what to expect. I fell in love with you as soon as I walked through your stained glass front door and saw your warm hardwood floors, enchanting fireplace,  and arched doorways. Your stairs creaked with each step, telling stories of the people who had lived here before. In your 92 years of life, I’m sure you had seen and heard some pretty incredible things.

It was a cold winter’s day when Joanna and Derek ventured out into Green Isle Park with their mastiff/weinheimer mix, Larry, for their engagement session with KLEM Studios’ associate photographer, Krista. But the chilly weather wasn’t enough to dampen Joanna and Derek’s moods! They were always laughing, giggling and had a warm embrace when they got close. They didn't take things too seriously and were down to make crazy faces, dance, snuggle and give lots of eskimo kisses. Larry was willing to do just about anything, as long as he was bribed with lots of carrots!

Andrea and Jordan knew they wanted to create a fall engagement session that would capture their deep, exuberant love for one another. They had met at work, fell hard for one another, and Jordan’s proposal followed soon after. Self-proclaimed “weirdo goofballs”, these two are constantly smiling and making each other laugh. During their fall engagement session at UWGB, they talked about when they first knew they loved each other, and how excited they were to have recently moved into their new home. Andrea and Jordan strolled hand-in-hand along the trails in the UWGB arboretum, snuggling close as the yellow and orange leaves floated past them.

Dave reached out to me with his fall proposal plans a few weeks before he and his girlfriend of three years, Lauren, were going to be in Green Bay. They live in Chicago, but Lauren had visited Wisconsin often with family and friends while she was growing up. She loves this area, and Dave wanted to include this special place in his plan. Lauren thought they were going to be celebrating her new job with the weekend getaway, but Dave had more elaborate ideas. Dave knew that he wanted to propose at the Green Bay Botanical Garden in the Stumpf Belvedere.

Budget is often the overriding factor for many wedding ceremony and reception decisions.  If you and your future spouse decide to have alcohol served at your wedding reception, you'll have to choose among having an open bar, a cash bar, or a combination of both.  Here's a pros and cons list for each choice.