Wedding Celebration at The Waterhouse, Justin & Rachel, Peoria IL

“He’s not really an emotional guy so I wouldn’t think he’d cry… I mean, we’re already married”, Rachel told me as she was getting ready.

Justin and Rachel had an intimate wedding ceremony a year prior to the reception with just their closest family members. It was such a special way to say ‘I Do’. As a way to celebrate their commitment, Justin and Rachel had a wedding reception/celebration at The Waterhouse in Peoria and invited more of their family & friends to join in the party.

Before their wedding celebration, Justin and Rachel decided to take wedding portraits as well as family photos. When I put Justin in position to see his wife, I could instantly tell he was nervous. Despite what Rachel thought, Justin said it felt like a really big deal because he had never seen her in an actual wedding dress. He bopped anxiously up and down as I had him wait for Rachel to come tap him on the shoulder.

When she approached and had him turn around, the guy who she wouldn’t think would cry was overwhelmed with emotion. Justin had the biggest smile on his face but at the same time, happy tears rolled down his cheeks. He told Rachel how amazing she looked and was even more excited when he saw her shoes. Rachel surprised him with custom made Yankees toms for their day.

I knew as soon as I met Rachel, I loved her. She has such an easy personality to be around and so does Justin. I love how they laugh together. I love their common interests like their beloved pups and their Yankees baseball team. Justin and Rachel are one of those couples that just click perfectly. I had so much fun being a part of their day of celebration and am excited to share lots of favorite photos from their day!