Sammy + Mike | Schlitz Audubon Nature Center | Milwaukee Wedding Photographer

Sammy and Mike are kindred spirits and creative souls. He, a classical guitarist and cellist (and MD to be), and she, a marketing and advertising guru, who clearly has a knack for all things creative, planned a wedding that was simply beautiful and uniquely “them.” They both love the outdoors so, naturally they chose the magnificent Schlitz Audubon Nature Center for their ceremony and reception site, which is just blocks away from Sammy’s childhood home and overlooks Lake Michigan. They carefully selected many of the details for their decor, such as the elements for their chuppah, which they were married beneath and which symbolizes the home they will build together. Theirs was made of birch, commonly found in Russia where Mike was born, and also included many of their favorite details, from succulents to hanging terrariums. Sammy even hand-painted her own wedding invitations using watercolors, which became the inspiration for the wedding’s color scheme. In addition to all the beautiful, elegant and perfectly planned details, what really struck me about their wedding day was how perfectly relaxed and truly in the moment Sammy and Mike were. I felt like I got to know them at their engagement session last summer well enough to write sincerely about their love and how perfect they are for each other, but I realized after hearing their family and friends speak about them on their wedding day, that I had barely scratched the surface. These two truly are a perfect match, and everything about their day reflected who they are and the life they want to create together. After their ceremony, as friends and family enjoyed cocktails on the veranda on a beautiful July evening in Wisconsin, Sammy and Mike snuck away to spend their first moments as husband and wife alone among nature, where they have created many of their favorite memories. It was the perfect way to begin their happily ever after.