Zach and Leah's Wedding

Recently, our friend Zach got married in Illinois. We had been there for his high school graduation, his college graduation, and many other events, so how could we not be there for his wedding, too?

It was a beautiful wedding on a beautiful day. For the wedding ceremony, Zach and Leah had asked that everyone just enjoy the moment instead of taking photos and videos and distracting others around you. So of course, we did as they asked. But there were several other opportunities for photos, too.

Also, for the wedding weekend, we actually did not see all that much of the bride and groom. They were busy doing other things. We were there as more of a “parental support group” for Zach’s parents. So most of our photos are of us parent-aged people. But that is just fine.

Family Photos

Before the wedding, the official photographer took family photos with the bride and groom in a beautiful park. I took my camera along and took some unofficial family photos, too, making sure not to get in the way of what the official photographer was doing. Here are just a few photos from that time.

Here are Brant and Karen, the parents of the groom, and Katie, the sister of the groom. If you have been around here at Burnsland much, you have seen them before. They are our extended family, after all.

Jaylin was even able to be there at the wedding, thanks to the magic of airplanes. And it helped that there was not a football game scheduled for that weekend, too. Some might say that is a nice coincidence, but I say that was all in God’s hands.

We have photos of Jaylin and Katie together from the time that they were very young, so why not keep that going as long as we can?

Laura and I were all dressed up for this grand occasion. And as you can see, this park was a beautiful location for these photos.

The Riedel side of the family…

…and the Drewes side of the family. It was great that everyone could be there!

Here are Zach and Katie together, brother and sister. It has been great to watch them grow up from the time they were very young until now.

As we were on our way out, I did manage to get a quick photo with my phone of us and Zach in the parking lot. We are proud of Zach and Leah and quite happy for them.

After the Ceremony

As I mentioned above, we did not take any photos during the wedding ceremony, in keeping with Zach and Leah’s wishes. But here is a photo from after the wedding, when everyone had left the seating area. The ceremony was held in Leah’s parents’ backyard, and it was a wonderful setting. We had assisted a bit in setting up everything the day before, and it was great to see it all come together. The weather was just about perfect, too, even if it was slightly warm in the sun. No complaints!

This was us after the ceremony. Hats and sunglasses were welcomed, fortunately. It is good to protect sensitive eyes and skin, after all.

With the mother of the groom. I am not sure why we did not get a photo with Brant, too. I think he was busy talking at this time.

And here is a better photo of Laura and Karen and their color-coordinated dresses.

The Reception

After the wedding, we all went to the reception. And this was one of the few photos I took of Zach and Leah together. They had the official photographer for that. And I am sure there will be other opportunities in the future for more photos of them and with them. Congratulations to Zach and Leah as they start their life together!

There was a photo location set up at the reception, so we made good use of that. Here are Jaylin and my parents. It was great that they got to be there, too, along with all of Zach’s grandparents and extended family. I said to Laura one time that it was great that all of our main people were all right there together.

And here we are with the parents of the groom, rejoicing on this wonderful occasion, and wondering what our next big life event might be!

It is wonderful to have good people to share life with. I hope you have that, too.

“Therefore what God has joined together, let no one separate.” - Mark 10:9

About the Photos

For these photos, I did something that I do not often do. I shared these photos just as they were, straight out of my camera or iPhone. Except for a few that I cropped slightly when the subjects were slightly off-center. Otherwise, all of the photos were just fine just the way they were, so there was no need to do any more to them. Just another way that the entire day was perfect.

Photo: Each photo is a single JPG exposure, not processed at all. Read more about photography tips, photo software, camera gear, and more at Steve’s Photography Tips.
Camera: Sony Alpha A7 II and iPhone XR
Lens: Rokinon 35mm f/1.8
Date: September 17, 2022
Location: Urbana and Tolono, Illinois