Last Fall I had the opportunity to travel outside of Kansas City to Effingham, Illinois to capture a good friend’s rehearsal dinner! It was a beautiful afternoon when everyone met at Firefly Grill to rehears for the wedding the following day. Firefly Grill offered a picturesque landscape that photographed wonderfully. I was able to capture some dreamy and romantic moments between Claire and Kyle before the rehearsal began.

As friends and family gathered at the grill I was able to capture couples, family, and friend groups that had made the trip into town for the wedding! The rehearsal dinner is often overlooked when it comes to professional photography. But it is a wonderful opportunity to capture documentary style moments!

They ran through the ceremony as the sun was setting on the lake. Then everyone met at Village Wine and Spirits for the rehearsal dinner!

Village Wine and Spirits is located in a beautiful historic building. The exposed brick walls are complimented by the original crown moldings and gorgeous wooden floors. The tables were decorated with simple and elegant flower arrangements of white roses and baby’s breath. The addition of polaroid photos of Claire and Kyle on each table were a nice personal touch!

Everyone enjoyed dinner and then memories of the bride and groom were shared by family and friends through speeches and toasts. At the end of the evening I was able to sneak away with Claire and Kyle. We captured some fun flash photography moments around the building! I love when my couples are up for some experimenting.

It was a lovely Fall afternoon and evening, spent with incredible friends and family! I feel very blessed to have had the opportunity to capture this special moment. Cheers to the happy couple!