Eads Barn Wedding in Urbana

While Emily and Trae‘s wedding day was the day they joined together to start their own family, it was absolutely apparent from start to finish on their wedding day how important their family are to them. With family and fun as the focus for the day, their families put together the most incredible Eads Barn wedding in Urbana for Emily and Trae, and I’m so excited to share previews from their day!

Emily and her bridesmaids started their day at the house of a friend of Emily’s mom Kathy, who happens to live just across from the Eads family property. The home was absolutely gorgeous, making it the perfect place for the girls to get ready and for the detail and getting ready photos.

After Emily got into her dress, she did a first look with her bridesmaids, then her dad and brother. It was so fun to capture their reactions to seeing her in her dress, looking stunning and ready to marry Trae!

After photographing all the details and Emily had shared first looks with all those important to her, it was time for Emily to share a first look with Trae. Before turning to see each other for the first time, Emily and Trae exchanged letters they wrote to one another. I loved that they took this moment to write down all their thoughts leading up to the moment they’d see each other and finally become husband and wife. Emily and Trae turned around, and it was as though all the anxiety and nerves just faded away looking into each other’s eyes finally.

After sharing their first look, we photographed Emily and Trae’s bridal portraits and wedding party portraits before heading over to Eads Barn to get ready for the ceremony. These two surrounded themselves with the best wedding party, full of personality and fun. It made our jobs easy, as they came ready to knock their portraits out and get to the ceremony!

Emily and Trae chose to get married in front of a large shade tree with a gorgeous wooden arbor behind them. Even though they shared a first look, it was so amazing to see just how emotional both Emily and Trae were seeing each other as Emily walked down the aisle to finally marry her best friend! Their ceremony was incredible sweet, as the pastor shared words they had written about each other during their premarital counseling sessions, with lots of laughter and tears throughout. Finally, they were pronounced husband and wife, officially Mr. and Mrs. Cole!

After the ceremony, we wrapped up portraits with their families, and we headed over to the barn to photograph all the reception details. While it was a tight fit with so many loved ones joining them, they left no detail spared. The place settings were absolutely perfect, and the florals by B. Petal Company, which happens to be owned by Emily’s cousin, were jaw dropping!

Continuing with the family vendors, Emily’s aunt Angie made their amazing cake and cupcakes, which were so delicious! In fact, Aunt Angie has made Emily’s cakes for all of her birthdays since she was little, so it is incredibly special that she was able to make this cake for Emily and Trae to celebrate their marriage.

After a delicious dinner of pulled meat sliders and sides from Poole’s Meat Market, we slipped Emily and Trae out for sunset portraits as the sun dipped right below the horizon. Eads family had just installed a balcony and steps that leads down to the fields, and it made the perfect place for Emily and Trae’s portraits to wrap up the night.

We headed back inside for the rest of their reception events, including amazing toasts, cake cutting, first dance, and parent dances. After playing the shoe game with lots of laughs throughout, they wrapped up the reception events with the anniversary dance. It was such a special dance to witness, because Emily’s grandparents were the couple who had been married the longest!

The dance floor officially opened, and after saying our goodbyes, Emily, Trae, their family and friends danced the night away, but not without me jumping in for a couple rounds of Cha Cha Slide.

It was such a joy and honor to be a part of Emily and Trae’s wedding day. It had been over a year of walking through the engagement process and planning for their wedding, and it was just so amazing to watch them finally become husband and wife, looking forward to all the dreams and plans they have for their lives, their property, and their family.

Emily and Trae, thank you for the honor of being your wedding photographer. It was such an honor to celebrate your big day with you and to capture the first day of this new adventure as a married couple. Enjoy these previews from your Eads Barn wedding in Urbana and the beginnings of your marriage!