Caleb + Natalie | Southern Illinois Wedding Photographer

I had the honor of photographing Caleb and Natalie's wedding on November 11, 2017.  This was such a perfect day in so many ways.  The weather was gorgeous, everyone was so nice and laid back, and everything down to the smallest detail was in place.  I was so excited about getting to capture their special day.  I have known Natalie since high school.  She is beautiful person - inside and out.  She is so sweet, very organized, and has a great personality.  I knew she would be so fun to work with!  I also knew that she was marrying an equally sweet guy and that they deserved nothing but a perfect day.  And I think that's exactly what they got!  The wedding was a great combination of simple elegance and charm, the importance of family (something both Caleb and Natalie value), and an excellent reflection of their personalities.  Here are some highlights from their gorgeous wedding day...

CEREMONY LOCATION: First United Methodist Church, McLeansboro, IL
RECEPTION LOCATION: Double Tree by Hilton, Mt. Vernon, IL
OFFICIANT: Bill Miller (father of the groom)
​WEDDING COORDINATOR: Jodi Duncan
HAIR STYLIST: NatalieJoseph's, McLeansboro, IL
MAKEUP ARTIST: NatalieJoseph's, McLeansboro, IL
CATERER: Double Tree by Hilton, Mt. Vernon, IL
CAKE: Vicki Barnard
FLORIST: Jodi Duncan
VIDEOGRAPHER: Jacob Cantrell-McKinley, Evansville, IN
DJ SERVICES: Spectrum One by Mark Auten, McLeansboro, IL

I arrived at Natalie Joseph's around 11:30 AM to get a few shots of Natalie getting her finishing touches on her hair, makeup and veil.  She had a great group of girls surrounding her that day.  Everyone was so laid back and supportive. 

Our next stop was the church.  After getting quick bite to eat, the girls began getting ready upstairs.  Her dress was absolutely stunning!    

Natalie's mother helped her get into her dress, and each bridesmaid added an extra detail to make everything perfect.

Family is very important to Natalie and Caleb so they wanted to incorporate all their adorable nieces and nephews into their special day.

Natalie asked for a special moment with her dad where he got to see her all dressed up for the first time.  I loved that she asked to do this.  A lot of my brides don't, and I think this is such a sweet moment between a father and daughter.  Next we headed to the sanctuary for some pre-ceremony family, bridal and bridesmaids shots.

MAID OF HONOR:  Stephanie Niemann
​MATRON OF HONOR: Presley Price
BRIDESMAIDS: Jessi Duncan, Kristi Mayfield, Jaylin Pryer, & Lili Melton
​JUNIOR BRIDESMAIDS: Maggie Miller, Masyn Miller &  Rylee Bowman
FLOWER GIRLS: Alayna Johnson, Emersyn Miller & Marlee Miller

While the girls were getting ready, the boys got dressed in another part of the church.  The boys had been instructed to stay in their part of the building.  Natalie and Caleb wanted to stay traditional and not see each other before the wedding.  ​

BEST MAN: Eric Friederich
GROOMSMEN: Dirk Miller, Derek Miller, Jesse Vineyard, Dereck Johnson & Trent Pryer
JUNIOR GROOMSMEN: Campbell Miller, Peyton Bowman & Fred Ping
RING BEARER: Korbin Heil
USHERS: Dylan Mitchell & Remington Stevens

The ceremony began a little after 3:00 and went phenomenally.  It was simple, elegant, and definitely a good mix of their personalities.  I love that elements from Disney movies were incorporated in the day.  The adorable "guest book" at the door comes from the movie Up and songs from princess films such as Tangled were played on the violin and piano during the ceremony.  As I told Jacob (the videographer) I wouldn't expect anything else from Natalie (she LOVES Disney)!  

The groom's father, Bill, officiated the wedding.  As I am photographing the day, I always love to listen to the ceremony as everyone has their own style and way of doing things.  Bill's message to his son and soon-to-be daughter-in-law was so sweet and simple.  Marriage is based on love and respect for each other, and even though this old world sometimes tries to pull you apart, if you hold on to each other everything will be alright.  ​

The couple exited the church as man and wife through a sea of bubbles. I love that you can see pure happiness on their faces!

After the ceremony, they sent everyone on the reception location while we took some family formals and wedding party shots at the church. 

This was followed by some shots of the happy couple.  We were starting to lose daylight so we had to work fast, but I think we got some sweet pictures of Mr. and Mrs. Miller! :)

The reception was held at DoubleTree by Hilton in Mt. Vernon, Illinois.  The decorations were absolutely gorgeous!  Everything looked so fancy! 

Introducing Mr. and Mrs. Caleb Miller...

The couple entered the reception hall and immediately began their first dance.

This was followed by a prayer by Caleb's brother, Dirk, a delicious meal, and speeches by the best man, maid of honor, matron of honor, both of their fathers, and the groom himself.

Then came the cake cutting.  Let's just take a moment to take in that amazing four tier cake!

This was followed by other formalities of the day - bouqet toss, garter removal/toss, father-daughter dance, mother-son dance, and dollar dance.

Congratulations Caleb and Natalie on beginning this new chapter together!  I am so excited for you both, and wish you a lifetime of happiness, laughter and love.  Thank you again for asking me to photograph your special day.  It truly was an honor!  :)

Miller Wedding Video by Kate Ragan Photography