Jessica & Dan | Abraham Lincoln Hotel Springfield, IL Navy & Silver Romantic Wedding Photographer

I have known Jessica from Girl Scout days and getting to photograph her wedding was such an honor for me! She has always been kind, beautiful and full of laughter. It is so obvious how much Dan adores her, and he is the perfect match because he is always joking around making her laugh. The pair have their own saying ‘all the exclamations,’ which made appearances throughout their magical day!

I had an awesome blast from the past the morning of their wedding hanging out with a Jessica and her bridesmaids, most of whom I have know for years. It was so sweet to see Jess surrounded by so much love while she prepared for her big day. We had the most amazing weather on Saturday with the Spring flowers starting to bloom. Dan and Jessica were both so nervous before their first look, but when they finally set eyes on each other all of their nerves melted away and they were able to enjoy the moment together.

Dan is hilarious – he loves to make Jessica laugh – and so I have plenty of bloopers from their big day, which rival the fun we had at their engagement session (click here to view more). These two are so much fun to work with, honestly–I didn’t feel like I was working all day and rather enjoying time with old friends!

Dan and Jessica were married by his fraternity brother and longtime friend surrounded by family and close friends. It was a very personal occasion. Their vows included how they would love each other forever, how they would put the other one first and finally with ‘all the exclamations.’ During the ceremony, Dan’s fraternity brother told guests how Dan had proposed to Jessica and that, despite his family being in on the secret had almost let the cat out of the bag on more than one occasion. Dan popped the big question after downtown Springfield’s FatAss 5k marking the one-year anniversary of when their families met for the first time. A very important milestone to them!

With such great weather, we were able to make the very most of springtime and take all the photos outside. We found some awesome backdrops with a mix of textures. At golden hour, we took Dan and Jessica to the roof of the Abraham Lincoln Hotel parking garage overlooking Springfield. Stealing a moment together in the sunlight these two looked as happy as can be. I loved that I was able to give them a few quiet moments together.

Down below their reception took place in the hotel’s ballroom and boy do those two know how to throw a party! Decorated with silver and navy blue accents, the room looked fabulous. Dan and Jessica shared an adorable first dance. Twirling each other around on the dance floor, their eyes meeting as they came together. It was so sweet! But, the best moment of the night was Jessica’s dance with her father. There was not a dry eye in the room–including mine. That beaming smile from her proud dad was absolutely magical. I feel so lucky I was there to share in, and capture the moment!

And the dancing didn’t end there. The floor was packed, and I mean to the brim, all night long. My favorite moment of the night was when the chicken dance came on and the floor was more packed than I have ever seen at a wedding. This dance is a tradition in Dan’s family, which helped bring everyone together.

I had so much fun photographing Dan and Jessica and I want to congratulate them for putting on what has to be one of the best wedding celebrations I have been lucky enough to be part of. Their photos are worth a million words, I hope you enjoy them!