Tyra & Nehemiah’s summer wedding at the Wyndham Springfield City Centre was a perfect mix of emotional, fun, and elegant. Though this couple came all the way from hot and sunny Texas for their wedding day, they didn’t escape the heat at all. Their midwest summer wedding day delivered a heat index of over 105 degrees.

It was a stark contrast to the day I met this sweet couple. While visiting family in Illinois for Christmas, they arranged for the first part of their engagement session. I met the couple downtown Springfield where the weather was a bone-chilling -5 degrees. These pour souls did such a great job during their session and we kept them inside as much as possible. I knew at that point that this couple was going to be super special to me. I always try to form a relationship with my couples and these two made it so easy. They even gifted me the perfect coffee mug because they saw on Facebook that I had just celebrated my birthday!

I was so excited that we were able to fit in another engagement session when they came home in the spring for some final wedding planning. That day was much more enjoyable and we even found a little beach in Springfield to use.

Fast forward a few months to their wedding day. When I met up with Tyra and the girls in their hotel room, everyone was so relaxed. I hung out with the girls photographing the details and getting ready while my second photographer went to hang out with Nemo and the guys. One of my favorite photos below is when the sweet flower girls saw Tyra in her dress for the first time. We didn’t get outside for photos before the ceremony, which was great because of the oppressive heat, but we did find time to grab Tyra’s dad for a father-daughter first look. I think that’s the first time I got teary eyed that day, but there were many other moments as well. Tyra’s dad is pretty special to her, and there wasn’t a dry eye in the room during their moment together before he walked her down the aisle.

The wedding ceremony was full of emotion. From the moment Tyra began walking down the aisle, the couple’s eyes were wet with tears. Tyra’s mom was wiping tears and Nemo’s mom was beaming with pride as he accepted his bride from her father. The most heartfelt moments of the day had to be their vows. I’ve been to many weddings where the couple wrote their own vows, but this one was truly special. Both Tyra and Nemo’s vows were sentimental and had all of us wiping tears. Tyra had a hard time getting through her vows and Nemo had to grab a tissue from the best man during his.

After the ceremony, we headed out with the newlyweds and their bridal party to a couple of locations around Springfield. Thankfully, we were blessed with some great shade and a breeze! It was hot, but bearable. It was a true blessing! Tyra and Nemo are one of the most photogenic couples I’ve photographed, and I was so thankful that we were able to be outside long enough to get so many amazing photos of them.

Back inside the Wyndham for the reception, the guests were having a great time and were ready to dance! Their grand entrance led them to their wedding cake followed by toasts and a message from the couple. Dinner was served and then the newlyweds had their first dance. Many more tears were flowing as the father-daughter dance began. Nemo then danced with his mom, which was both sweet and fun! It’s so clear that she was so proud of her son and excited for his wedding day. The dance floor heated up next with some fun dancing. My favorite part was watching the flower girls and ring bearers, who definitely had better moves than I do.

Tyra and Nemo, you guys will always hold a special place in my heart. I wish you the absolute best in your marriage and hope to get to photograph you again sometime.

Amazing vendor team:

Venue: Wyndham Springfield City Centre

Venue Coordinator: Loren Ray

Florist: True Colors Floral

Cake Artist: Three Twigs Bakery

DJ: Radio Pro DJ

HMUA: Alex Glover & Laurie Grady at Agape Love Spa & Salon

Bridesmaids Dresses: Brickhouse Bridal

Musician: Archer Logan & family

Videographer: DoubleShot Artistry

Bride’s Dress: Brickhouse Bridal

Bride’s Dress Designer: Sottero & Midgley 

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Interested in booking me for your wedding? Fill out the contact form on the home page or email me at karen@karenshoufler.com. I would love to talk with you to see if we would be a good fit!