I cannot WAIT to share Brooke and Hunter’s wedding at Venue 1929 in Springfield with you all! I’ve been obsessing over these two and their wedding day since it took place this past August. They created a one of a kind wedding day that truly represented them as well as let them and their guests celebrate in a way totally authentic to them and I CANNOT get over it! Their love story started way back in 2018 when their college friends “shipped” them together. After months of their mutual friends group and even their college RA’s working to set their relationship up the two finally gave it a shot and haven’t looked back since. With that in mind it makes total sense that not only Brooke and Hunter, but all of their friends and family were SO eager to celebrate this day with the now newlyweds!

Getting Ready for Their Ceremony

Brooke and Hunter both started their wedding day getting ready with their respective wedding parties at The Wyndham in downtown Springfield. Everyone was smiling ear to ear for the entire getting ready process, you could really feel the anticipation and excitement in the air! Once ready we made our way downtown for some first look photos which were so fun and it was so great seeing both Brooke and Hunter light up with joy seeing one another. Shoutout to Brooke’s AWESOME floral veil! It really stole the show and set the floral tone for the rest of their wedding day. After the first look we of course made a quick stop by Cold Stone for some ice cream before making our way to Washington Park for wedding party photos, immediate family photos and wedding portraits! 

Having this all done before their ceremony was HUGE for their timeline which is something I talk about in greater detail in this article. As a special note, Brooke’s dad sadly passed away unexpectedly a few weeks prior to this blog going live. She texted me letting me know how much these photos of the two of them together mean to her, and I wanted to highlight that for anyone doubting the importance of family photos on their wedding day. You never know how much time you have left with those you love, so make the most of it and be sure to capture those memories to relive them for years to come. Next up on their wedding day was of course their ceremony at Venue 1929 in Springfield!

Their Wedding Ceremony at Venue 1929

The grand vision for Brooke and Hunter’s wedding day was one full of laughter, color, and love. They wanted their guests to feel the same comfort and joy on their wedding day as they did, and they succeeded with FLYING colors! Venue 1929 in Springfield turned out to be the perfect wedding venue for their day. It has a warm and inviting feeling to it, a feeling similar to the comfort of your own home so that everyone could relax and enjoy themselves. The ceremony itself had an equal amount of thoughtful planning go into it, with Brooke’s brother being their flower guy (a hilarious highlight of the day), Brooke’s parents walking her down the aisle, and their friend Carter being their officiant. 

With Carter being their friend from college who took the lead in getting these two together, it felt poetic to have him be the one to officially announce them as husband and wife! As the newlywed exited their ceremony they stopped halfway down the aisle for a dip and a kiss which was SO freaking cute. After the ceremony we were able to finish extended family photos as well as photos with their coworkers who drove and flew all the way from Michigan (where Brooke and Hunter now live) to be there for their day.

It’s Time to Party

Everything leading up to Brooke and Hunter’s reception was already perfect and SO them, so it only makes sense that the reception would continue with this theme! The reception started with some incredible food from Mission BBQ, followed by some fun and moving speeches. Brooke’s maid of honor, Deora, gave an exceptionally emotional speech in which she asked Brooke to be the godmother of her daughter. Brooke of course accepted while crying just a few happy tears! Brooke actually made a minute by minute playlist for their wedding reception. This hand picked track list was made thanks to her and members of the wedding parties being counselors at 4-H together for years where they all discovered their love for dancing together! Brooke even planned a special song for her to sneak away to switch into her dancing dress and Converse shoes, she thought of everything!

Margaret and More Dancing

You may have noticed some photos throughout the reception of a goose statue wearing an “I Don’t” sign, that is our lovely haunted friend Margaret! Long story short, Margaret was purchased by the 4-H crew one summer and was thought to be haunted due to the girls swearing they saw her turn her head. She’s now an inside joke, and a treasured member of their friend group. Another special note is Brooke’s seamstress, who has altered every one of Brooke’s dresses from homecoming until now, seeing Brooke spin in her dress for the first time. It was truly a magical moment! The rest of the evening included sneaking out for evening portraits, some limbo where grandma absolutely crushed it, and of course a TON of dancing!

That is the incredible story of Brooke and Hunter’s wedding day at Venue 1929 in Springfield! These two created such an incredible day, one that I am SO happy to have been a part of and that I’ll be thinking about and dreaming of for YEARS to come! If you’d like to see more love stories I’ve photographed, check out my blog page, and if you’re ready to book me for your wedding day send me an inquiry so we can start planning it together!

Vendors

Venue: Venue 1929Hair & Make Up: Willow and Birch SalonFlowers: Locust Creek Flower Farm (Additional Flowers from Brooke’s Mom’s Garden)Gown: Gowns Bridal and Formal BoutiqueWedding Party Dresses: Birdy GreyCatering: Mission BBQ Hotel: Wyndham Hotels