THE SSP JOURNAL

Joyful, fine art wedding photography for real couples. Serving Chicago, Washington DC and beyond.
Based in South Bend, Indiana. Available for travel.

Romantic Celebration at the Armory – Anna & Aaron – South Bend Wedding Photographer

Anna and Aaron’s wedding day was perfection from the start. The weather was a gorgeous 70 degrees and sunny and there wasn’t a cloud in the sky. I’ve been looking forward to this day since we first met back in October. We bonded over our love of dogs and the fact that Aaron is a fellow Boilermaker! 🚂

These two wonderful people met over 3 years ago through a coworker. Their first date was at a Notre Dame hockey game where a kid spilled pop all over Anna’s shoes. Luckily it didn’t spoil the fun. 😉 Fast forward to September 2021 when a family vacation in San Diego turned into a surprise proposal. Aaron popped the question at the top of a hill, overlooking the water at Torrey Pines State Beach.

Aaron loves Anna’s caring personality and the fact that she always thinking of others. Anna loves how thoughtful Aaron is and that he’s always one step ahead. They have an adorable puppy, Hemi, that they adopted while fostering dogs. He’s high energy and full of love!

Their wedding day began at Anna’s parent’s house just as the gals were returning from the salon and starting their makeup. As Grace captured Anna getting her makeup done, I laid out the wedding details. Lilac was the main color of the day so I wanted to show case that in the ring shot. The roses in Anna’s bouquet were so large that it was easy to lay the rings inside without smashing the flower. It’s simple and elegant. 💍

Anna’s bridesmaids helped her with her makeup. It was a team effort and she looked amazing! 💄

The shenanigans began as the girls scarfed down Panera Bread and Ali gave Anna a piggy-back ride around the kitchen. 🤣

The house had a lilac door in the front room so it was the perfect spot to hang the dress. 👗

Now it was time to get dressed! Anna’s mom and sisters all helped her get ready, which included adorable paw print earrings to represent Hemi. So cute! 🐶

Bridal portraits – Doesn’t she look beautiful! 😍😊

Before we left, Anna did a first look with her dad. He was so happy to see his girl! ❤️

Grace and I met the guys at the church. We headed outside so the boys could help Aaron with his finishing touches. They seemed to take their jobs very seriously. 🤣

Sorry ladies, this one’s taken! 😎

They did a first look under the church gazebo. They were both beaming from ear to ear. ❤️

He loves her so much. 🥰

Ceremony time!

Even though Anna and Aaron did a first look, the walk down the aisle is still a precious moment. This is the moment when they come together before God to become husband and wife. 😊

I love the architecture of this church!

Father Ben opened with a prayer and then everyone was seated for the readings.

Anna’s godfather, Jeff, did both readings and later on her mom, Patti, read the benedictions.

LOVE!

Anna and Aaron exchanged vows and rings. 💍

Officially husband and wife in the eyes of the Lord.

Father Ben prepared the alter for communion then gave the nuptial blessing.

Sign of peace.

Father Ben gave Anna and Aaron communion first and then offered it to their guests.

Anna and Aaron forgot to kiss at the end of the ceremony so when they got all the way down the aisle, Aaron pulled Anna in close and stole their first kiss has a married couple. 🥰

Family formals – The Roberts and Pozivilko families.

Our wonderful wedding party!

Mr and Mrs Pozivilko! ❤️

This church had so many beautiful stain glass windows. I was lucky enough to find one in the balcony that Anna and Aaron could sit in front of. Grace lite them from behind and I exposed the photo for the window. So stunning, I’m obsessed! 🤩

While walking down the stairs, I noticed the sun light coming through another stain glass window. It was like the perfect little spot light. I had Anna and Aaron stand on the stairs and I shot from above, leaning over the balcony edge. So worth it! ❤️

And here we are again, another time that I stood in the middle of traffic for a shot. But in my defense, there was no where else to stand. 🤣

Everyone hopped in their cars and headed to Battell Park. It was the perfect half way point and always has plenty of great spots for wedding party photos.

The gals went first and the giggles were non-stop. 🤣❤️

The boys answered right back with some hilarious moments of their own. 🤣

The old switch-a-rue!

The florals complemented the color theme perfectly! 💐

Such a fun group! 😊

As the wedding party enjoyed some beverages (😉), it was time for Anna and Aaron’s portraits as husband and wife.

These two jumped right into it. I barely gave any direction at all; they were just so darn happy to be married. ❤️

And the giggles didn’t stop either. 🙂

Love! 💕

Now it was time to party! Everyone hopped back in their cars and drove to the Armory for the reception.

The ballroom was decorated with purple accents and cute M&M party favors.

Before the guests arrived, the wedding party had a little fun in the bar. 🥂

We sent the wedding party off to relax as Anna and Aaron shared a quiet time of their own.

The bar area at the Armory never disappoints. ❤️

I moved Anna and Aaron closer to the window and shot through a light that had hanging crystals. The result – An intimate and artistic location for the perfect wedding photos. 🤩😍

❤️❤️❤️

The reception started off with a welcome and blessing by Anna’s father, Tim. After a very YUMMY dinner, Tim and Patti took the mic again for a hilarious speech that was a ‘day-in-the-life’ for Anna and Aaron. Patti’s impression of trying to control Hemi was pretty spot-on! 🤣

Aaron’s dad, John, welcomed Anna into the family and told some pretty hilarious stories about Aaron.

The sisters were up next with each one saying, “I’m Anna’s older sister!”. Melissa said it so fast that the mic was already in Ali’s hand before we knew what was going on. 🤣

John told stories of his and Aaron’s fun times at Purdue during his best man speech.

Let them eat cake! 🍰

Anna and Aaron had their first dance together as husband and wife. It’s hard to beat a first dance under a gorgeous chandelier. 😍

These two have got the moves! 💃🕺

Since their wedding day was on Father’s Day weekend, Anna and her dad invited all the dad and daughters to join them on the dance floor.

What was even cuter was that all of Anna’s sisters came up and the 5 of them danced together. Such a sweet moment that they’ll never forget. 😍

Aaron danced with his mom, Kathy, to the song My Wish by Rascal Flats.

The bouquet toss got a little crazy. 🤣

Party time! 🥳

For Anna and Aaron’s night shot, I wanted to do something different from what I’ve done in the past, plus it was still light out so I couldn’t take them outside anyways. I wanted to incorporate the gorgeous chandeliers into the image but the room was filled with people, chairs, tables, etc…

There’s a small balcony at the Armory that overlooks the dance floor. I went up there to figure out how I could make this work. There was no way to do it without someone or something being in the shot. So… we did it anyways! The location was too perfect, the light too gorgeous and the couple too awesome not to try.

After a little post-production magic, you get these two (one is the main photo above), jaw-dropping moments that truly one-of-a kind. 🤩

It was the perfect ending to Anna and Aaron’s perfect day! ❤️

To Anna and Aaron – Thank you for such an incredible day and for bringing me along on this wonderful journey with you! I’ve had a blast getting to know you and your families and of course, Hemi! You both light up when you see each other and it’s easy to see how perfect you are for one another. I can’t wait to see what the Lord has in store for you in this next chapter. I’m always here if you need anything. All my love – S

To see their full day, click here.

Vendors:

Photography: Sarah Sage Photography LLC

Church: St. Vincents de Paul Church

Venue: The Armory Kitchen

Catering: Navarre Hospitality Group

Cake: C’est La Vie

Hair: Shear Perfection

DJ: In-Tune DJ Service

Floral: Matcke Florists

comments +

  1. Patti Roberts says:

    Absolutely stunning!!!

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