Intimate Wedding at Arlington’s in Springfield, Illinois | Nicole + Conner

Today’s wedding is an extra special one that I’ve been itching to share on the blog here for a WHILE now! Nicole and Conner’s intimate wedding in Springfield, Illinois means the world to me, not only because of the incredible day they created, but also because Conner and I go WAY back. We’ve known each other for over 10 years at this point, as we were good friends in high school. We saw movies together, played in band together, you name it. That’s why when it came time for me to document his and Nicole’s wedding day I couldn’t say yes quick enough!

Getting to Know Nicole and Conner

I wanted to share a little bit of Nicole and Conner’s history before we get into their intimate wedding in Springfield, Illinois to sort of set the scene for their day if you will! Nicole and Conner met during their freshman orientation at SIUE and quickly became friends. Fast forward to the start of freshman year and they reconnected and almost immediately became inseparable. It wasn’t long before their friendship blossomed into love, with their first kiss happening during a free movie night on campus!

During their time at school the two would visit St Louis frequently, and had planned to head there for a vacation to celebrate their 8 year anniversary. Conner mentioned the idea of heading to the SIUE gardens for a trip down memory lane. After walking through the gardens they used to frequent while in school they stopped on the bridge over a pond where they had carved their initials years prior. Their initials were still there on the railing, slightly weathered by the years. From there they made their way to the gazebo near the pond that they call The Lantern. There they danced to some Ed Sheeran, and to Nicole’s surprise Conner dropped to one knee to propose! Through tears of joy she of course replied yes, at which point Conner put his mother’s ring on her finger. 

The two then went on to have the best vacation ever celebrating their engagement, and that’s what brings us to today’s blog! Our first stop is their outdoor ceremony at Washington Park, which you may recognize from this article I wrote!

A First Look, a Ceremony, and Portraits Oh My!

Their intimate wedding day started with Nicole having a first look with her father next to a fountain in Washington Park. Seeing her father’s face light up with joy the moment he saw her was an easy early highlight of the day, but I knew there would be PLENTY more moments like that to come! Nicole and Conner didn’t have a first look between the two of them so that Conner would be able to see Nicole in her dress for the first time during their ceremony. This was Nicole’s goal for ALL of the guests though as we actually had to sneak her into the ceremony using a spare blanket I had in my car! Easily one of my favorite wedding moments to date, and it just goes to show that Conner’s advice to “always be prepared” is something I took to heart!

When it came time for the big reveal everyone was in awe of Nicole in her dress, none more so than Conner. It was such an incredibly beautiful moment, and set the tone for the rest of the ceremony. On either side of Nicole and Conner were their 2 wedding party members, Rebecca who was Nicole’s best friend since Jr High, and Spencer who has been Conner’s best friend since childhood. Having such an amazing group around these two made it all the more special to celebrate this moment in their relationship. After reading their vows to one another and officially being newlyweds it was time for A LOT of portrait photos. We knocked out family photos, wedding party photos, and newlywed photos while surrounded by the stunning beauty of Garfield Park. Soon though it was time to head to Arlington’s Pavilion in Springfield, Illinois for their intimate wedding reception!

An Intimate Wedding Reception at Arlington’s Pavilion

Arlington’s Pavilion is one of my all time favorite places for an intimate wedding reception in Springfield! This probably doesn’t come as a surprise as I featured it in my list of top 5 intimate wedding venues in Springfield, Illinois, and have talked about it in other blogs like Dani and Ben’s! 

The space has this classy, rustic feel to it that makes for the perfect setting for an intimate evening celebrating with those you love most. This was very much the case for Nicole and Conner as their evening was full of wonderful moments with friends, family, and of course some alone time for the two newlyweds. This alone time was in the form of some evening portraits out in the streets of Springfield, and WOW did we have some epic clouds overhead! Before long it was time to head back inside so that Nicole and Conner could join in the dance party that would carry on into the late evening.

There are SO many things that make Nicole and Conner’s intimate wedding celebration in Springfield, Illinois special. From the choice of venues, to the small but equally important details like Nicole wearing her great grandmother’s pearl necklace and a charm with a Cardinal on it in honor of her grandmother who had recently passed. Everything came together to create a wedding experience that these two will be able to reminisce on forever, and one that I am SO happy to have been a part of! If you’re looking to book me to document your wedding day be sure to send me an inquiry through my contact page!

Vendors

Gown: JJ’s House

Hair & Make Up: Clark & Co. Beauty Lab

Tuxes: Savvi Formalwear

Décor: Rustic Love Rentals

Cake: The Cake Shoppe