NATALIE + CALE

They met in law school. She thought he was a smooth talker.  He thought she was beautiful.  And had a bitchin jean jacket on. Both thought the other was smarter than themselves and shared great conversation. Right from the start, Natalie and Cale clicked.
On their first date, the two went and had drinks at a fancy bar in Kansas City. Cale tried to impress Natalie by paying with a $100 bill (that he got from his grandma for Christmas).  He was caught up in the date and distracted and forgot to ask for change, so Cale gave a 120% tip!
The two dated for 3 years.  She fell for how much he cares for his friends & family, and he treasured the fun they have together.
On September 6th, 2020 Cale convinced Natalie that they needed to go to the spot that overlooked the Missouri River in Jefferson City to go look at the barges. Instead, he had both of their families waiting and he proposed on the lookout.
The two mainly wanted a wedding day that kept it simple in order to be able to be present in the moment and appreciate the day with all of their family and friends. They could have chosen to have their wedding anywhere, but they chose Natalie’s roots of Hillsboro IL.  Every single place and choice was something sentimental that paid homage to family, friends, and the community.

We looked very forward to this day, and as you’ll tell by the photos exactly why.  Enjoy a look at Natalie and Cale’s wedding day!You gotta love a bride who wants to get in a tub after putting on her wedding gown, kick back, and drink champagne.  Could not adore this girl more!Natalie got ready at her parent’s home, which happens to be the home her dad grew up in.  So special that the porch that her dad played on growing up was the place where he first saw his daughter on her wedding day.“We both were so excited for the moment that Natalie walked down the aisle and we both saw each other for the first time on our big day. It exceeded both of our expectations! “So here’s a little secret… most people’s favorite moment of a wedding day is when the bride walks down the aisle, or when the groom sees the bride for the first time, or when they walk down the aisle after being pronounced husband and wife. But Roger and my favorite moment from a wedding day is right here – the 15 seconds at the end of the aisle that the couple spend alone before anyone is surrounding them.  I believe you can judge an entire relationship and love based on how those 15 seconds are spent.  And let me tell you – Natalie and Cale are the real deal.  This is exactly what your reaction should be.The couple’s requests all honored their most important places and people, (and pets!)Natalie’s special request was a photo in front of the Hillsboro water tower, and the historic Red Rooster Inn – the place where her parents first met!So fun fact – we did Natalie and all of her brother’s senior photos!  Natalie and I remained Facebook friends over the years, and when I saw her engagement announcement I secretly said a little prayer she would contact us about her wedding, and my wish came true.  She could have chosen anyone, but the fact that she didn’t have to even think about it and asked us meant the world to us.  Natalie is the 3rd bride this year that we had done senior photos for, and that is an honor we do not take lightly.  I tear up thinking about how lucky we are. It was our first time meeting Cale, and we ADORED him.  He is super charming, kind, and funny.  The perfect match for Natalie!

When you find a wall that perfectly matches the bridesmaid dresses…Natalie’s parents own The Abbey on Broad in Hillsboro where the reception was held.  The weather had gotten rainy so it was the perfect place to retreat indoors before the reception kicked off for a few quiet moments with just the bride and groom.The details of Natalie and Cale’s reception were beautiful, but they struggled with issues with their tent.  “We faced a lot of obstacles with having a tent for our reception venue. But the community of Hillsboro came together to make sure we weren’t dancing in the rain! “  When you give support and love into your community, it’s so fitting that your community gives that love and support in return. “Even with all of the mishaps, we wouldn’t change anything! We were able to get through a very stressful time with the help of family and friends – nothing like mishap shows who truly loves and supports you!”“We were both so surprised by the Iowa & Mizzou shakers that Natalie’s family surprised us with! Natalie’s brother, Riley, made sure Natalie had a bottle of champagne to walk in with and Cale took the moment to dip Natalie and kiss her to start off the night!”The hardest thing about this wedding was narrowing down the favorites for this blog post.  The way these two are together is pure magic.  You can’t make something like this happen on a wedding day – it just is so effortlessly them.Pretty sure the reason why Natalie and Cale are such great humans is because they were raised by great humans…SONGS:
Cale & Darla: you’ll be in my heart – Phil Collins
Natalie & Jim (&Kelly): wildflowers- Tom Petty
Cale & Natalie: Head over feet -Alanis Morisette

Advice for future bride/grooms?
“Take a minute during the reception to just be with your new spouse- the day goes by in such a blur but the slow moments stick with you!”

Vendors:
Photo: TenSixteen
Video: Complete weddings + Events (Brandon was awesome!)
Florist: Main Street florist
Catering: Milanos’
Dress: Mia Grace Bridal
Church: St Agnes Catholic Church
Reception: The Abbey on Broad
“We are so grateful to our vendors that showed up for us and made the day so special. Because we had some great humans working to make our day great, it was so easy for Cale and I forget the mishaps when it came time to stand up in front of everyone and commit our lives to each other!”

The two call Columbia, MO home

Congratulations Cale and Natalie!!  Roger and I are forever cheering you on!!  Your day was one of our favorites of all time!  Thank you for the honor. xo