After spending nearly a year apart, a couple of familiar faces are now married! You may remember seeing Sara and Andrew last year as they were one of our sweet summer engagement sessions. If you don't remember, Sara told us that she and Andrew would be spending their entire engagement apart to make their wedding day that much more special. And, after almost a year of distance growing the fondness in their hearts even stronger, Sara and Andrew are officially Mr. and Mrs. Saba!
With college being a big, scary new place, anyone would want to find some friends to help make their college experience feel more like home. Coincidentally, Sara and Andrew had both joined the same church group on campus, and remembering him from their most recent retreat, Sara wanted to say hi to Andrew after the class they shared. Utterly exhausted from their biology exam, Andrew gave Sara a blank stare when she introduced herself after class. They look back on the interaction now and laugh, but they didn't really become close until their sophomore year of college as they bonded over soccer and countless rivalrous games of Mario Kart in their friend's dorm!
Sara and Andrew have always found solace in each other's company and love spending time together outdoors. Andrew loves fishing, and both Sara and Andrew love to go hiking! On one particular hike through a gorgeous Indiana trail, Andrew stopped in his tracks and turned to Sara. There, he shared with her his deep admiration and love for her, and how he wanted to spend the rest of his life with her. Surrounded by the picturesque beauty of nature that they both loved, Sara happily said yes to Andrew's sweet and intimate proposal!
Now, flash forward from the proposal to their big day! These two had been apart for about an entire year before the day they said, "I do." As the saying goes, "Distance makes the heart grow fonder," and Sara and Andrew wanted to make their wedding day extra special! So, in anticipation of seeing her love again, we started out their big day with getting some pictures of the gals getting ready and some heartwarming and exciting first looks with her bridesmaids and dad! Then, it was time to head to St. Francis of Assisi Catholic Church and meet up with the guys!
After arriving at the church and getting some shots of the guys putting their final touches on their outfits, we headed to a special area where Sara and Andrew shared their last prayer together before their ceremony. The strength of Sara and Andrew's faith in both their religion and each other was such a sweet and touching sight to see! Then, it was off to the ceremony where these two finally became Mr. and Mrs. Saba! We grabbed a few traditional family shots and then made our way to Cog Hill Golf and Country Club to get some spectacular outdoor shots before the reception!
Sara mentioned how much she loves seeing the bright, beautiful natural light of the sun in her photos, but the Sun wasn't working very well with us on their big day. However, even without the sun, the dazzling light from Sara and Andrew's smiles throughout their wedding day lit up every picture we took! Once the first round of pictures were over, it was time to get our grub on and share in the joyful vibes emanating from everyone in the room as Sara and Andrew made their grand entrance and were showered with love from their closest friends and families with toasts and speeches.
Then, after Sara and Andrew shared their first dance with each other and their parents, we ran outside to grab a few evening portraits of the bride and groom before opening up the dance floor for everyone to bust out their dance moves! To Sara and Andrew, thank you for allowing us to be part of such a special and unique wedding experience. We are truly honored to have captured your reunion after a year apart, and your union in forever. Thank you for being the sweetest ever, and once again, Congratulations to Mr. and Mrs. Saba!
And our deepest gratitude and thanks goes out to all of these lovely companies and vendors that came together to make such a captivating wedding at Cog Hill Golf & Country Club come to life!
Ceremony: St. Francis of Assisi Catholic Church
Reception: Cog Hill Golf and Country Club
Invitations: The Knot
Tuxes: Jos. A Bank
Wedding Dress: Vayda Jane Bridal
Dress Designer: Sophia Tolli
DJ: DJ John with Fantastic DJs
Florist: Karen Steen with Flowers by Steen
Catering: Cog Hill Golf and Country Club
Cake/Sweets: Orland Park Bakery
Hair: Jeffrey LaMorte Salon and Day Spa
MUA: Beauty by Taghreed