BAILEY + CHRIS

Would you believe me if I told you that you may find your future husband on Bumble? Because that’s exactly what Bailey did when she swiped Chris’s profile.  What can she say – he had a cute dog in his photo. They set up a date to meet, but Chris cancelled not once, but twice. Things were clearly not off to an ideal start, but Bailey has a competive streak and took it as a challenge. On a random Monday she text him “Let’s meet for drinks tonight”, and finally got her first and last first date from a dating app.

As she was driving into Springfield she noticed a white truck driving like a maniac and said out loud to herself “I bet that’s my date”. Sure enough, she arrived at the restaurant and the exact truck pulled in not 60 seconds behind her, and out walks Chris.

Chris’ first impression of Bailey – “she was sooo pretty and she had the bluest eyes. Also she talks A LOT”
Bailey’s of Chris – “he was cute, but didn’t talk much. He says its because I talk A LOT, but we may agree to disagree on that.”

Not even halfway through the first date, Chris asked Bailey out on a second date.

At the end of the date, Bailey got nervous so Chris walked her to her car like a gentleman, and gave her the most awkward hug of her life…. “yep, still mortified about how awkward that hug was 3.5 years later.”

Some serious life happened throught their dating timeline. COVID of course, and they bought a home together, but also Bailey lost her dad. “Chris is literally my rock. I NEVER would’ve made it through losing my dad if it wasn’t for him. He drove me to Nebraska in silence, to only be interrupted by occasional sobbing. He has the biggest heart and puts his friends and family above everything.” After her dad passed away, her mom moved in with them for almost 6 months. “Chris and I were just dating at the time and he NEVER complained about my mom living there. BEST MAN EVER!”
The day came when Bailey’s mom bought a house and moved out. Both Bailey and Chris’s families came to help her mom move. After they got her moved in, everyone kept telling Bailey to go home and sleep because she looked tired. She really didn’t think anything of it at the time. She went home and made Brisket for dinner and took it back over for everyone to enjoy, and after they ate, Bailey’s mom wanted to give a speech to say thank you to 2 people who had gone above and beyond helping her get back on her feet after her Dad died. She held 2 presents, one for Bailey and 1 for Chris. Bailey opened her box first, and inside was a large ring box with an ornament and a diamond ring. Inside Chris’ bag was a sign he’d written in chalk, “will you marry me”. “I bawled in inaudible tones for like 3 minutes. He said babe, I nodded and kissed him. I said he never said the words…he says I never answered yes…. we agree to disagree on those details BUT we got married nonetheless.”
And get married they certainly did!  On May 28th, 2022 Bailey and Chris said “I Do” in the most gorgeous way! Enjoy a peek at their wedding day!
“Some of my favorite things about Bailey are that she is the most loving individual of anyone I have ever met. She has the most determination of anyone I have ever met when it comes to anything competitive. Lastly, she is the hardest working person I know.” – Chris abdout Bailey“Have you ever looked at your spouse and thought, “out of everyone you could’ve picked, I’m so glad you picked me?”. Chris is soo funny – terrible Dad jokes but even when I’m stressed or frustrated about something, he can make me laugh.” – Bailey about ChrisWe did a reveal with Bailey and her bridesmaids that was maybe the cutests moments ever. If you are like me and cherished “Parachute Day” in P.E. class, you can imagine my glee for this moment!Bailey also did a first look with her brother. Bailey didn’t see the moments that lead up to their first look, so it was an honor to capture that emotion for her.“I wore my mom’s wedding ring – and my brother wore my dad’s wedding ring. Sounds a little strange to open with that, but my Dad passed suddenly during COVID, so my mom handed me the rings to wear for my wedding day. My dad’s ring didn’t fit so when I did the first look with my brother, I gave him my Dad’s ring to wear – which made us both cry. Thank GOD for fake lashes!”And then, one more big reveal. Bailey & Chris’s first look… the most anticipated moment of the day for them both and what both mentioned being a moment that will last with them forever.“We are so fortunate and blessed to have so many family and friends that came out to celebrate us. That’s not unique, but we have talked about this 100x since our wedding how grateful we are.”
The two wanted a day that was simple with a touch of fun. “We love the movie Up because of the story about how Ellie & Carl met… plus that movie is filled with so much color and we wanted for our wedding to be simple and have small touches of Up.”
Bailey & Chris chose the church Bailey grew up going to as a child. “It was the only church I can really call home – so it did carry some sentimental value for us to get married there.”
Humble bragging on Roger a minute – I about passed out when I saw the next few photos. I have to say – he is the one who captures those moments that take your breath away. He patiently waits for moments to unfold, anticipates what is coming, and tells a story with the way he captures moments.
Example 1: Bailey perfectly in the shadow with her brother angled towards her. The way this is taken makes my heart skip a beat.
Example 2: Being able to just see Bailey’s hand and the raw emotion on her brother’s face.

Example 3, 4, and 5 – you get it.
Example 6: The moment the doors opened and Chris waiting at the end of the aisle in between the bride and her brother. Seriously.“My brother walked me down the aisle – and I couldn’t of asked a better replacement for my dad. We walked down to “See the Light” from Tangled – was from my dad’s favorite movie Tangled. Since he wasn’t there to walk me down the aisle, it made me feel like he was there with me. Also, Matt Daniel who sang it was a Paul Bearer for my dad’s funeral, so it felt right to have him singing it.”One of Bailey’s favorite moments was “the part during our vows when he choked up a little bit, I was thinking I’d get at least 1 tear out of him during the day!”
The two walked down the aisle as husband and wife to Married Life from Up! “We LOVE this movie mostly because we love to travel and we describe our own relationship like Carl and Ellie.”
For their reception, the two picked somewhere “simple, local, and when we met Lesa – we knew that everything for our wedding was going to be FLAWLESS. She’s the event planner at the reception hall and she knocked every detail out of the park. She was incredible.”
First Dance Song: Better together by Luke Combs – “we feel like we make each other better people and we can face anything that comes our way as long as we have each other.”
Again… Roger. I would have this photo printed BIG, put it in my home, and never ever take it down. When you have bad days and need a reminder of why… look at this and remember.
At the end of the day the two felt: “EXHAUSTED but also weren’t ready for the day to be over!! It was the best day ever and we couldn’t of changed a thing.”The two honeymooned in Jamaica and call Pawnee IL home.