As an Illinois and Wisconsin wedding photographer, I love rustic weddings! I’ll take pine trees and ponds with denim jackets and burlap ribbons over an elegant downtown affair any day. Whispering Woods in Harvard, Illinois did not disappoint.  That is not to say I can’t appreciate a formal wedding; Rustic weddings just fit my personality and photography style so well. However, that is not why I chose this wedding to blog about. It is because of COVID. Like everyone else, I am OVER IT!!! But it did bring about one really cool thing for me.

I photographed a few couples both in 2020 and 2021. That was a first. Sarah and Kyle are a perfect example of why that was kind-of awesome. Just to be clear, I want to acknowledge that changing their wedding date multiple times and planning two events was never ideal. This is a silver-lining situation.

This sweet bride lost her mother and her dog within days of each other shortly after their small ceremony last fall. I’m so glad her mom was with her that day. But this year was different. The nerves went out the window and it was all about enjoying the day and being together. That was true of the other weddings I shot both years too. Can’t you just see the fun in these portraits? I hope there is a lesson about what is worth stressing over for all of us as we move forward.

If you are interested in learning more about what MIA ink. offers, check out miaink.com. Oh… and do you have any silver linings of COVID? Please share them in the comments. 🙂

~Mia