Over the last year and a half, I’ve been looking forward to photographing Bethany and Jon’s wedding day! And now I have the honor to share their intimate November wedding day at The Standard in Rockford!
You might remember these two from their Chicago engagement session (where they first met!) last year. They’re as sweet as can be! I’m thankful that Bethany and I met as students at Illinois College years ago because it was a joy to reconnect and photograph her wedding!
From the Bride
Jon and I first met in December 2017. I was visiting a friend from college in Chicago for the weekend had her sister’s friends were going out that weekend to celebrate a birthday so we tagged along. I didn’t know anyone here except for my friend and her sister, but it turned out that her sister’s boyfriend’s brother also happened to be in town visiting for the birthday celebration.
Being the shy, introvert that I am, I was texting another friend while on the party bus and Jon, who was sitting across from me, kept teasing me saying that I needed to be more social. This lead us to talking on and off through the night and exchanging numbers. He texted me the next day and asked me out to dinner a few weeks later. I knew pretty quickly that I’d found someone special. The old saying ‘when you know, you know’ could not be any more true in our situation!
Jon proposed in April 2019. He asked if I wanted to go to a “nice dinner” later that evening, so I had a slight inkling that it might happen. He went out to play a round of golf while I got ready. When I came down the stairs into the living room, he got down on one knee and asked me to be his wife. We celebrated in downtown Naperville with dinner that evening!
Food is our love language. We love cooking, watching Food Network, and more importantly, love eating (Mexican food, our favorite) together! We also love traveling and we can’t wait to explore Charleston together for a short honeymoon after the wedding.
The Wedding Day
Goodness, this wedding day was our first visit to The Standard in Rockford, and Kyle and I hope it won’t be our last! It absolutely makes sense why Bethany told me that she and Jon fell in love with the venue immediately! From the brick walls and natural light to the rooftop conservatory and other hidden gems, this venue is gorgeous. And it was oh so perfect for their wedding day!
This special day started with Bethany and her girls getting ready at Arch Apothecary while Jon and his guys hung out in the man cave at the venue. The morning flew by and before we knew it, Bethany and Jon were meeting on the second floor for a sweet first look! Jon said she looked absolutely gorgeous and exceeded anything he could have imagined on their wedding day. I love it!
After the first look, we explored the venue inside and out for wedding party photos with Bethany and Jon’s favorite people. This group was so easy going and fun to be around! It made our jobs easy! We loved spending time with all of them and taking photos despite the cold weather. They were troopers and pretty much up for anything! During this time of the day, I also appreciated how Bethany and Jon’s wedding vision with burgundy and navy paired with greenery and rustic elements came together to create a beautiful late fall wedding day.
Then, it was wedding time! Bethany and Jon shared an intimate ceremony with their closest loved ones in the rooftop conservatory at The Standard. It was dreamy! The light and short and sweet ceremony filled with so much love and personal vows – heart eyes! After the ceremony, we celebrated with a few more photos, cutting the cake, and a super fun sparkler exit before the couple shared a low key dinner with their loved ones.
Even though Bethany and Jon’s wedding day was smaller than they originally envisioned, it was absolutely perfect. And best yet?! They’re MARRIED!
Bethany + Jon – Thank you for trusting us to photograph your sweetest wedding day! We are thankful to know you and cheering you on in married life!
Creative credit goes to…
Bethany’s Attire: Maggie Sottero at Cloud Nine Bridal Boutique – Peoria, IL | Jon’s Attire: Calvin Klein | Wedding Party Attire: David’s Bridal + Kenneth Cole | Hair & Makeup: Arch Apothecary – Rockford, IL | Jeweler: Jared + Zales | Ceremony: The Standard – Rockford, IL | Wedding Officiant: Ryan Harvey | Florist: London Avenue Designs – Rockford, IL | Photographer: Kara Evans Photographer – Kankakee, IL | Cake: The Nobel Cakery – Oregon, IL | Invitations + Paper Goods: Minted
