This perfect pair tied the knot with a bright vineyard wedding at Kuipers Family Farm, and celebrated their May 2022 union with a stunning barn reception.
The Perfect Pair
When you see the way Leah and Sean look at each other, the devotion in their eyes is obvious. They’re besotted with one another! And it’s just so romantic. We could not get enough of these two while preparing for their wedding at Kuipers Family Farm. They were always so upbeat and super excited about their big day! Their large group of family and friends were equally loving, so their celebrations we’re certainly a lot of fun for us!
Today we’re so pleased to be sharing the photography from Leah and Sean’s Kuipers Family Farm wedding, and a little interview we did with our Chicago couple. In this Q&A, they share not just their wedding experience, but also some invaluable tips, inspiration, and the story of how they got there. Enjoy!
The Meeting
Online dating app. Bumble to be exact. He’s lucky I swiped right. Ha! After many awkward first dates with other people, we were so lucky to have found each other! And we’ve now been together for around 5 and a half years.
Marry Me
We went out to one of our favorite Mexican restaurants, and when we got home, Sean asked me to come to the garage to look at a piece of wood. (He does wood working on the side and is always making something in the garage!) I didn’t think anything of it and just thought it was another piece of lumber… I opened the door to the garage, and he was down on one knee with a piece of wood in his hand. On it, it had, “Wood you marry me?” written in chalk. It was such a Sean move and I loved it! It was so special and an intimate moment just for the two of us. We will keep that piece of wood forever.
The One
Leah
I knew Sean was the one because I’d never met anyone before that pushes me to be better, to do better, and is always so incredibly supportive. Even though he has this goofy and hard exterior sometimes, he can be so sensitive and has one of the biggest, most caring hearts ever. He would do anything for the people he cares about. He gets me and loves me for me. My biggest supporter, my best friend, and my rock!
Sean
I knew Leah was the one because I was never the type to open up about my feelings. I was always the sort of person that holds everything in, and keep it to myself. Leah became the person I could open up to. She’s been there with me through the good times and the hard times, and allowed me to express myself along the way.
A Stunning Dress
My wedding dress was part of the Stella York Bridal Collection – ‘which brings together dramatic elegance and Australian-inspired sophistication‘. It had a clean sheath silhouette of soft crêpe that featured Stella York’s signature seaming throughout to support a defined figure, and create a completely effortless feel. It’s modern halter bridal style, with center plunge detail, was complemented by a wide diamond opening in the back. The back of my gown flowed into a smooth train detail with fabric-covered buttons throughout.
I went in to Bella Sposa Bridal Boutique in Tinley Park and tried on about 5 dresses or so. All of them were stunning, but this was the very first one I tried on, and it felt most like me and my style. I felt so beautiful in it. Simple, yet elegant and timeless! I loved it and knew it was the one!
Nerves
We didn’t really feel nervous or anxious leading up to the wedding day. But when the first look was about to happen, we were both pretty anxious and couldn’t wait to see each other. As soon as it was time to walk down the aisle, I would say we both got a little nervous, but a good nervous! It’s a feeling you just can’t describe. I was also a bit worried that things weren’t going to go smoothly, or as planned (I’m a planner!).
My advice, if you’re feeling any kind of nervousness before your wedding day, don’t worry, everything will turn out better than you could have ever imagined! The nerves go away as soon as you see your person, nothing else matters in those moments – and it will be one of the best days of your life!
Inspiration
We knew we wanted a farm/barn vibe, but we also wanted it to be classic, formal, and modern. Kuipers Family Farm was just the place for that! It’s on 230 acres and the scenery there is breath-taking! Even though we wanted that type of venue, we still wanted to keep it classic, so we went for black tuxes with vintage rose colored dresses for the wedding party. The tables had ivory table cloths and ivory napkins. Our florist used all ivory/white flowers with lush greenery. We wanted to keep everything light and bright.
Perfection
It was better than we could have ever imagined. From the wedding venue to the vendors, to all of our guests, it was the BEST day ever. It was PERFECT and went so smoothly! We only wish we could slow it all down! Soak everything in because it flies by!
Our favorite part of the wedding was having both groups of friends and family come together to celebrate with us, on our special day. We both got really emotional when Leah was walking down the aisle, which neither of us thought would happen! That was such a special, out of body, experience! After that, it was just all a blur because the day goes by so fast. We absolutely loved partying, making s’mores, and dancing the night away with the people we love the most! We also really loved it when Lauren Ashley Studios surprised us by putting up a slideshow of photos from the day – THAT was special! Both of us, and our guests, loved watching it! So many tears – What a moment!!
Wedding Tips
If you’re not sure about something, ask your photographer! Reach out to them and get some advice. Lauren always responded to my messages and helped whenever I had questions. Moreover, read the emails you receive leading up to your wedding! Lauren Ashley Studios sent an email with a list of everything you should have for your wedding day! That list saved me and was super helpful! I did, however, accidentally miss one email they sent with advice on how to organize formal family photos. I wish I would have read that email because I have a big family, and it was a little chaotic trying to get everyone together! However, Lauren helped a lot with that too!
Finally, order lunch to be delivered the day of the wedding and be sure to include your photographers in the head count!!
Vendors
Kuipers Family Farm in Maple Park, IL was the best wedding venue ever. Nick (wedding coordinator) and the entire staff there went above and beyond. They were straightforward and fun to work with. Nick was responsive and so accommodating when we were making changes leading up to the wedding. From the time we booked, to the start of the wedding day, all the way until the end of the night, they made sure everything went smoothly and got us whatever we needed! I cannot say enough good things about this place!
Blush Blooms & Co. Shorewood, IL – Kaylee was great to work with. We changed quite a few things before the wedding day and yet, everything turned out PERFECTLY the day of!! So beautiful, and she really captured everything I wanted!
Sweet Natalie’s Gluten-Free Bakery/Baby Doll Bakery in Wheaton, IL is where we got our wedding cake. It turned out stunning and it was SO good! We had almost 20 guests with dietary restrictions, including myself, and they nailed it! We also ordered cupcakes from them for our bridal shower, which people LOVED! If you have any food restrictions, I highly recommend them!
Honeymoon
We went to Maui, Hawaii for our honeymoon. We stayed at the Hyatt on Ka’anapali Beach. It was beautiful!!! We did the Road To Hana, watched the sunrise on the summit in Haleakala National Park, and had a couple’s massage with an ocean view! But what we enjoyed the most, was just relaxing by the pool or the ocean, spending time together. We will definitely be going back to Hawaii at some point! Hopefully sooner rather than later.
We Would Love to be Your Chicago Wedding Photographer
It would be an honor to become a part of your wedding team, and create that timeless keepsake of your big day you’ll love forever. Myself and my team of Chicago wedding photographers at videographers at Lauren Ashley Studios will go above and beyond to capture the atmosphere of your special occasion, and share it with passion and authenticity.
We welcome you to browse our portfolio of wedding photography, videography and if you would like any information about our investments please click here. If you’re looking for a wedding photographer in Chicago, or beyond, and you have any questions, please do not hesitate to get in touch.
