The Batzler's

Sarah + Cade — such a beautiful October wedding. They each started the morning getting ready with their people in different AirBnB’s in downtown La Crosse.

While Cade was getting ready, he opened up this wedding gift and card from his bride to be.

Nothing like a shot of tequila to get the morning rolling! Once all the ties were tied and buttons buttoned, everyone made their way to The Waterfront to prepare for the afternoon ceremony.

Sarah shared an emotional first look with her father upon her arrival at the venue, and her mom stood close by to join a beautiful family moment together. They each had perfect sentimental gifts for each other, and Sarah got her “something blue” for her big day.

After her moment with her parents, Sarah made her way down to the dock where Cade was waiting for her.

After the first looks were finished, Sarah + Cade rounded up the people closest to them and we all made our way to Riverside for some group photos. These people truly were a party! It is so clear how loved the bride and groom are by all those around them.

First looks offer such a different feel to wedding days. Sarah and Cade were able to spend the morning surrounded by all of their people instead of hidden away from each other, and this also gave them time together before their ceremony. They sent their wedding party away, and spent the next 40 minutes loving on each other before they say their “I do’s”.

And suddenly, it was almost 4:30. Their guests filed in, buzzing with excitement, and everyone settled in to witness two become one.

Sarah + Cade included readings from family in their ceremony, and they wrote their own vows. As you can see, there was not a dry eye in the audience, including myself silently sobbing behind my camera.

Mr + Mrs Batzler celebrated their way back down the aisle, and waited to embrace their guests before everyone made their way to cocktail hour. What a beautiful golden hour ceremony.

Let the party begin!!

The Batzler’s chose to kick off their reception with their Grand March and then moved straight into their first dance, father/daughter and mother/son dances. This was a unique touch, and truly kept all eyes on them before dinner was served.

Family and close fiends gave toasts and blessings to the newlywed’s, and it was so touching how truly emotional this day came to be. Happy tears overflowed from start to finish, and it was an honor to capture that for Sarah + Cade.

After dinner, the candy and cookies came out to play. I absolutely loved all of the skull details Sarah sprinkled throughout the day - from the socks, to the centerpieces, to the cookies at the end of the night.

It wouldn’t be a wedding day if something didn’t go wrong. Enjoying herself on the dance floor, Sarah’s dress found itself a victim of red wine. Not to worry! Her ladies came prepared, and pulled her into the bathroom suite with a trusty tide pen before sending her back out on to dance with her friends. This day was so filled with love and friendship, and it was beautiful to see everything come together for this perfect couple.

Boulder Colorado Outdoor Boudoir Session | Alexa's Boudie Babe Moment | Travel Photographer

A DREAM. I literally screamed when Alexa said she wanted to fly me out to Denver for a weekend to do an outdoor boudoir shoot in the mountains. we knew each other from high school, so she scooped me up from the airport and I crashed on her couch for a night and a half. we spent the day driving around scouting out the perfect low-key location for her session, and stopped at this gorgeous spot in Boulder. the perfect place for this goddess energy.

the sun kept peeking in and out of the clouds, and it even sprinkled for a few minutes on and off. Alexa rocked this shit! I loved watching her confidence grow the further along we got in the session.

I am so thankful to have had this experience <3 Alexa + I had a blast climbing around together, and it was so amazing to get out of my comfort zone and my usual locations to photograph somewhere totally new. and her confidence shines so bright! the mountains made a perfect backdrop for her ABSOLUTE hot girl moment — my girl, I hope to see you again soon to make more magic <3

Shaena's Pregnancy | Maternity Photos | 8 Weeks to 40 Weeks

if you’re new here, meet Shaena Elize, my best friend in the world, the person that’s been around for it all. i’ve spent minutes typing and deleting sentences about who she is and the type of true friendship and love she embodies and offers to those close to her, but it really doesn’t feel like enough. there’s nobody better suited for motherhood than Shaena, and it’s my favorite version of her to have the honor of knowing. her pregnancy was so beautiful, and i’m so thankful to share these memories that came and went in the blink of an eye. I brought my camera to her apartment early last year when she was around 8 weeks pregnant. she made tea and we laughed about how much she felt like she was pushing her stomach out and how she’s actually growing a person in there.

spring rolled around and we were itching for sun on our skin and fresh air. Shaena was around 20 weeks at this point, and had just shared that she’d be having a boy (not pictured: me crying every time we took photos).

i’m, again, trying to type coherent sentences about Shaena — what she embodies, who she is, what she stands for — and I am failing. she’s the most grounded person I know. she’s more empathetic than anyone i’ve ever met, she’s in tune with herself in ways I didn’t even know existed, she’s kind and loving, she’s constantly learning and growing and healing, she’s a teacher and a student, and she accepts her natural self. she’s a home with open arms. it’s hard to capture all of those things through photos, but I need to make sure the world knows what’s trying to be conveyed in these still moments. truly a goddess and a light, and glowing through every single second of growing this baby.

these were around 34 weeks, taken at her mom’s house. natural, close to earth, grounded, peaceful.

the moments before their baby joined them earthside. Shaena and Hoza were packing their hospital bag, putting together the crib, and wanting to remember these slow, easy days. I snuck into their apartment for a cozy in home maternity session around 38/39 weeks.

little man gave mama one last studio session before he made his arrival <3 me, still sobbing, still no words. really not trying to be dramatic, just truly so thankful to be here

Jackson | West Salem WI Senior Portrait Session

Meet Jackson, part of the West Salem High School class of 2023, and also my little brother. We spent the day mostly roasting each other and trying to get him to smile (he’s the quiet one). my most successful attempt was catching him off guard by asking which sister is his favorite :) it apparently isn’t me. He wore his dad’s Cubs jersey for his first outfit at Vet’s Park in West Salem, and then we went to downtown La Crosse for his next two fit changes.

Katie | Onalaska Senior Portraits | Downtown La Crosse + Goose Island

Meet Katie, part of the Onalaska class of 2023. I took her older sister’s senior photos and was so excited when she chose me to take hers as well! we got a warm summer day, but Katie didn’t complain once and we had so much fun. her mom came along and was the best, we love Kim. the session started out in downtown La Crosse, bopping around to a few different areas, and then we finished the night at Goose Island.

she got in the freaking water!! when Katie said she brought her prom dress, I was excited… but when she said she wanted some photos IN the water, we went for it!