My last wedding of the 2024 season was nothing short of amazing! Alaina and Konnor dreamed of an elegant winter wedding day, and all of the details came together to create such a beautiful, romantic, and fun day! Celebrating these two is easy!!
I may be a little biased, but I have so much love for Alaina and Konnor! You might remember them from their winter engagement photos early last year. Alaina is my best friend’s younger sister and Konnor is another dear friend’s younger brother, so I’ve known them for pretty much forever! We’ve always known Alaina and Konnor would spend forever together. Getting to celebrate their love on their winter wedding day was so very special!
From the Bride
Konnor and I met long before we had any interest in each other… Through our sisters being in high school together and Konnor and my older brother playing sports together. We started dating when I was a sophomore and Konnor was a senior in high school. We moved in together in 2020 and now have lived together for 4 1/2 years. Konnor gifted me our dog Hank for my birthday and the day we moved into our first house together. Konnor works on the family farm, and I am a first-grade teacher at the school we both went to. We love a lazy day in on the couch watching movies and snuggling our pup! We also enjoy doing things around the farm, loving on all of our nieces and nephews, and traveling together.
My favorite part of the wedding planning process was probably all the decisions we made together like the venue, photographer, date, etc. My favorite part without Konnor was picking out my dress!
The Wedding Day
Looking back on Alaina and Konnor’s wedding day, there are so many special moments that come to mind! It truly was an incredible honor to be trusted to photograph their wedding day. These friends feel like family, and I loved getting to be the one to capture these everlasting moments for Alaina and Konnor. You better believe that I had happy tears behind my camera. Feeling all the feels as I reflect back on this day!
I love that Alaina and Konnor chose a winter wedding day with elegant Christmas details. Alaina had been dreaming of a winter wedding day for years and years, and her fairytale finally came to life! There were many sentimental moments throughout this day. From the guys getting ready at Konnor’s childhood farmhouse to the girls getting ready at Konnor’s sister’s farmhouse (fun fact: this is my dear friend Kelcy who’s also a photographer!)… These moments are the ones we won’t forget.
Since the girls got ready at Konnor’s sister’s farmhouse, we loved rounding everyone up at the ranch for first look, family photos, and wedding party photos, too. Then, we made our way over to Konnor’s childhood farmhouse to wrap up photos at sunset with the couple before heading to the I Hotel for the ceremony and reception. The sentiment in these locations makes me smile. It makes my heart happy knowing that Alaina, Konnor, and their loved ones will always get to look back on these moments that took place in such special spots!
Throughout this wedding day, we were overjoyed at the beautiful weather the Lord blessed us with! Even though we’d been praying and dreaming of a snowy winter wedding day, you better believe that we were ecstatic that we had winter sunshine and a 40-degree day to celebrate Alaina and Konnor. Midwesterners will understand when I say that the warm sunshine makes all the difference on a chilly December day! If we couldn’t have snow, this weather was the next best thing!
If you know Alaina and Konnor, then you know that they love their people hard. They included all of their siblings and spouses along with their nieces and nephews in their wedding party. All of the kiddos were AMAZING throughout the day, and that is no small feat with a total of seven (!!) kiddos in the wedding party! They even asked our friend Reverend Krista to officiate the ceremony. I loved taking a few moments to look around at the ceremony and reception to see all the family and friends who love Alaina and Konnor in one room. Their day was so much about their union but also about their families becoming one and their friends celebrating alongside everyone. Truly a day to remember!
I could go on and on about Alaina and Konnor’s beautiful winter wedding day. But for now, I think I’ll let the photos speak for themselves! I wish I could have shared every photo on this blog post, but I hope that the photos shared here give a glimpse into the amazing wedding day and even more amazing couple that Alaina and Konnor are together!
Best Wishes for the Couple
Alaina & Konnor – Thank you from the bottom of my heart for trusting me to photograph your wedding day! I’ve been teary-eyed while simultaneously smiling every moment of writing this blog post. I couldn’t have imagined a more perfect couple to end the 2024 wedding season with. Congratulations again, Mr. & Mrs. Knauth!
Creative credit goes to…
Alaina’s Attire: Michelle’s Bridal & Tuxedo – Urbana, IL | Konnor’s Attire: Michelle’s Bridal & Tuxedo – Urbana, IL | Wedding Party Attire: Revelry + Michelle’s Bridal & Tuxedo – Urbana, IL | Hair: Kelli Taylor & Halle Carpenter with Ivy + Mane Collective – Lafayette, IN | Makeup: Kylee Vermillion – Gifford, IL | Jeweler: Kay Jewelers | Venue & Catering: I Hotel – Champaign, IL | Wedding Officiant: Krista Robertson | Florist: Carol Hathaway & Boxed and Bloom – Bourbonnais, IL | DJ: Justin Krakowiecki with Live Audio & Events – Peoria, IL | Transportation: Conner Estes | Photographer: Kara Evans Photographer – Kankakee, IL | Videographer: Raegan Gooding | Cake: Amy Portwood | Stationery: Simply To Impress | Favors: Totally Promotional