Styled Hometown Wedding with Kinsey and Ryan

wedding

Oct 23

If you didn’t already know, I grew up in a very small town in central Illinois. And even though I love my crazy life on the road, there’s something special about coming back to your hometown. It’s even more special when you can make something old new again.

I specifically wanted to shoot in my hometown church. I know; churches are not the vibe anymore. I wanted to prove that an old church could still absolutely be the vibe. And I think we did just that.

I reached out to Kinsey and Ryan to help me with this styled hometown wedding shoot. I told them I wanted to do something pretty unique. They were excited about the idea and couldn’t wait to get started.

Hometown Wedding with a Twist

Maybe it’s nostalgia. Maybe it’s wishful thinking of what my church could have been. But I feel so inspired when I go back home.

My main idea for this hometown wedding shoot was to bring some modern and unique twists to something traditional. Almost giving a new pulse or a jolt of electricity back to the old haunts.

The vibe was very 80’s wedding, and I loved how seamlessly the decorations and attire came together with the space. When you think “hometown wedding,” you usually think of a rustic barn ceremony with lots of neutral colors.

This was NOT that.

There were so many little details that I could obsess over. The cake was adorable. The floral arrangements were amazing. The puffy sleeves on Kinsey’s wedding dress were perfect.

All in all, I felt really excited about what we captured. Inside and out.

An Old Church and an Outdoor Dance Floor

While we leaned heavily into the nostalgia factor for this hometown wedding shoot, we also brought some cool modern takes to it.

Putting a black and white dance floor out in the middle of the field next to the church? Incredible.

And Kinsey and Ryan were so game for anything. Plus, they have a ton of experience, so it was easy to direct them and find some really fantastic shots.

They looked like a couple of college kids getting married on a Monday cause they just couldn’t wait any longer. Ryan slicked his hair back, and Kinsey had the most incredible veil. They worked so well together, and I had a great time doing this with them.

Final Thoughts

If I could snap my fingers and make this styled hometown wedding shoot a reality, I’d do it in a heartbeat. I loved featuring the unique architecture of my hometown church and finding a way to make it resonate with the times.

Growing up, I don’t think I ever would have envisioned myself doing non-traditional wedding and couple photography. But now, I can’t imagine myself doing anything else. And being able to combine my passion with my roots was a really special experience.

If you have a wedding coming up and want a photographer with experience in non-traditional weddings, I’d love to connect with you.

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