Today, I am finally talking about one of the most extravagant, beautiful, and absolutely stunning wedding days that I had the pleasure of capturing in August at Haley Mansion in Joliet, Illinois. This venue was honestly the most perfect choice for Mikaela and Declan, as it captures the turn of the century vibes that their wedding day was drowning in. Haley Mansion was built in 1891 featuring handmade embellishments, intricate detailing on the woodworking, and elaborate fireplaces, making it the head-turning elegant wedding venue that it is. This venue was my dream as a photographer to capture with the stunning outdoor areas, amazing lighting in the interior, perfect gardens, and some of the most beautiful decor. To say the least, this venue was such a dream and absolutely perfect for Mikaela and Declan.

Mikaela and Declan’s wedding day in August was straight out of a photographers dream; their day was one of the most extravagant, beautiful, and absolutely stunning wedding days that I had the pleasure of capturing. Their wedding day was filled with color, attention to detail, greenery, royalty vibes, and of course the most lively celebration.

How The Day Began – Details + Getting Ready

We started out the day by taking photos of some of their beautiful details such as their invites, rings, special personal touches, shoes, and of course Mikaela’s dress. One of my favorite things that couples bring on their wedding day for details is something that means a little extra to them or has a personal touch; for Mikaela and Declan that was their perfume bottles that they wore on their wedding day. Those perfume choices even fit the vibe of their day, which I thought was such a cool touch, whether it was done on purpose or not.

The ring box is another one of the aspects of details that I love to capture, and theirs was so unique and beautiful. The box was glass with golden-lined edges, filled with a moss that seamlessly surrounded the rings. Their rings were purchased from Van Sipma Jewelers here in Illinois and they were the perfect choice for the individualistic styles of the rings.

Declan’s Getting Ready + Attire

After capturing some of their details at the beginning of the day, we moved on to photograph Declan and the groomsman getting ready in the mansion. The venue had a beautiful, fresh charcuterie board made for them in the suite, which I think was such a nice touch that was incredibly thoughtful. Declan took some time to finish writing his vows, which they would share privately with each other later in the day. Declan finished putting on his wedding day attire, fitted with a stunning green tie with leaves printed on it to match the dark green vest under his suit.

You can honestly tell how much thought and effort was put into their day when you consider how well the vibes on the groom and groomsman attire flowed with the vibe of the day. The groomsman wore plain green ties to match Declan, as well as creamy tan colored suits, which looked so seamless alongside the lighter pallet of their outfits.

Mikaela’s Finishing Touches + Dress

Mikaela was getting ready off site with her girls, but when she arrived later that morning we did capture some finishing touches of their getting ready process as well. Her makeup was done during the beginning portion of the day, so we did not capture those details, but it was beautifully done by Arbella/Izabela Beauty Co. Her bridesmaids helped her get fitted into her dress, add the flower and pearl details into her hair and around her shoulders, and curling a few last pieces of hair.

Everything turned out so beautiful and the details were so very Mikaela, which makes them the perfect addition to her wedding day attire and accessories. Her bridesmaids were wearing pastel pink, yellow, and green extravagant dresses, which Mikaela and the girls mostly DIYed themselves (literally how amazing??). These dresses were so incredibly fun and added so much color and personality to their day, and also making for so many creative opportunities for us as photographers.

While Mikaela was getting ready with her girls, we took some time to capture some photos of her absolutely stunning wedding dress; this dress is probably in the top five most beautiful dresses I have ever seen. She actually went to New York to visit Kleinfelds and get fitted for her dress, which had some of the most gorgeous lace details and a uniquely shaped train. I absolutely adore capturing wedding dress details, so we spent a little time doing so while the girls finished getting ready.

Before The Ceremony – Vows, a Surprise, and Individuals

First Touch + Vows

After spending some time capturing all of the sweet getting ready moments between Declan and the groomsman and Mikaela and her bridesmaids, we moved on to do the first touch with just the two of them. First touches can be such a beautiful addition to a wedding day, taking some of the pressure off of seeing them for the first time later on, getting to connect physically in the midst of the chaos, and of course being able to have a private moment for the two of you.

It can be incredibly difficult to get time to yourselves on a wedding day, so I always love to see couples carve out a specific time in the day for this. Mikaela and Declan went inside the mansion to have this moment together and read their vows to each other. This was done in the doorway between two rooms in the building with simplistic details behind them that didn’t take too much attention away from them, which I loved.

Surprise For Declan

After the first touch and Mikaela and Declan reading their vows to each other, Declan went out to the courtyard to find Mikaela’s surprise gift for him: an owl. Declan loves owls and would even love to have one of his own one day. So, this surprise to him was something that he very much enjoyed and was mesmerized by. She hired an owl handler to bring to the owl to the venue and we captured the moment on video and photo for the two of them to be able to look back on. It was such a fun moment to capture!

Individual Photos of Mikaela + Declan

Before the ceremony, we also took some time to capture some individual photos of Mikaela and Declan. For anyone who is on the fence about having individual photos taken of you on the wedding day, take a look at these and I hope that they change your mind. Individuals may seem like something that you can skip out on and may not be incredibly important, but I think it is so amazing to be able to look back on photos of just you and remember all of the feelings of the day.

You can also admire a little closer as to how much work and attention to detail that the wedding day attire, accessories, and makeup took, forever encapsuling the whole look. I am going to share a few of their individual photos here because I think they turned out so beautiful and they really gave me so much creative freedom.

The Ceremony

All of the guests started to arrive and be seated, so the ceremony could begin. Mikaela and Declan had a harpist and a violinist during the ceremony, which was such a beautiful touch and it was incredible to listen to while capturing this part of the day. This ceremony was filled to the brim with personal touches for Mikaela and Declan besides the string instruments; they decided to do a unity ceremony complete with mixing tea together.

They actually met at a Teavana store, so this unity activity was something that clearly meant a lot to them to include it in their wedding day ceremony. They also did a wedding time capsule that they added a bottle of mead, their vows, letters to each other, and some tea to, which was another wonderful and personal touch that I thought was so sweet. I have also never seen anything like this done before, so it was just super cool and unique to see in person!

We then went to take some wedding party photos and photos with just the two of them together. It was so much fun to capture these moments between Mikaela and Declan and their wedding party, as well as being able to run all around the mansion for their photos. We went all around the outside of the venue, which was so fun to be completely creative and think outside the box for. I wish I could share the entire gallery for this part of their wedding day because every single photo of them was just so breathtaking.

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The Reception

After most of the day was complete and Mikaela and Declan were officially married, we captured their entrances into the ceremony area of the venue. They had so many absolutely stunning additions to the ceremony part of their day: a live human fountain, a live typewriter poet, dueling pianos, and a lot of personal touches to the music that was being played. These additions to the night really created the perfect atmosphere; everyone was on the dance floor enjoying the night and it was just such a fun way to do something different for your day.

The live typewriter poet was an amazing touch as well because Mikaela and Declan didn’t know her beforehand, the writer just went off of the vibes and the energy that she was feeling from the two of them and their reception night. She read it aloud at the end and I can see this meaning so much to the two of them to have this be a part of their night.

As the night came to a close, I remember feeling so grateful and ecstatic to be a part of Mikaela and Declan’s wedding day, and to be able to freeze all of their moments in time forever. I truly love what I do and the couples are such a massive part of why I will continue loving wedding photography forever and ever.

If you are in the process of planning your wedding and would like to have your big day at an absolutely beautiful, classic, and elegant Joliet, Illinois wedding venue, I would highly recommend Haley Mansion. If you are also looking for a photographer to capture your day at this venue (or any others), I would simply love to chat with you about what your day and working together would look like!

To see more of my work, click here. To book a session with me, click here!

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Location: Haley Mansion

Photographer: Noelle Thies + DJ

Videographer: Elijah Thies

Dueling Pianists: Felix and Fingers

Bakery: Sweet Goodness Cakes

Jewelry: Van Sipma Jewelers + JewelryFashionArt

Makeup Artists: Arbella/Izabela Beauty Co.

Bridal: Kleinfelds

Grooms Attire: Indochino + Black Tie Formalwear

Makeup: Lorena / Izabela Beauty Co. (bridesmaids) + Maddie Muersch (bride)