Ryan and Aubree - October 31, 2013

February 24, 2014 • Leave a Comment

Ryan and Aubree’s relationship has been full of fun and romance right from the beginning, and it didn’t stop with their wedding last fall. They invited Artistic Photography to spend the day with them, and capture the wonderful moments of their union.

Since Ryan was involved in theatre, and Aubree was involved in art, it was no surprise that they met in the theatre lobby of Rend Lake College in 2010. They hit it off right from the start, when they “violently shook hands, jumping up and down!”

Ryan proposed by recreating a painting of Aubree’s. The painting was of two trees with a couple holding hands underneath them. Ryan took Aubree for a walk, and had to keep her from putting her hand in the pocket where he had the ring box hidden! He proposed underneath the trees, just like the couple in the painting, and had even brought a blanket and hot cocoa since it was mid-January. Aubree says she knocked him to the ground, hugging and kissing him, because she was so happy that it went just like she had fantasized.

While there are many reasons for this couple to be in love, Aubree says what she loves most about him is how thoughtful and sweet he is, as well as fun. They do everything together, from joking around and play fighting, to going on walks and listening to music together. She says he is home to her.

And what does Ryan love most about Aubree? He says she is the perfect companion. She’s always understanding and willing to listen, yet also willing to travel and try new things. It’s a very secure kind of love.

When asked about their funniest story together, they recounted the tale of a sleepover at a friend’s house. They were cuddled up together on the couch, when Aubree jerked in her sleep and back-handed Ryan across the face. Like everything else, Ryan took it in good humor and they have joked about it ever since.

When it was time to walk down the aisle, Aubree had eyes for only her groom. Though they were surrounded by the love of their family surrounding them, for them they were the only people there and time had stopped. That, Aubree says, was the favorite part of their wedding day.

Congratulations to the happy couple!

Josh and Katie - October 20, 2013

February 13, 2014 • Leave a Comment

Katie and Josh joined their lives forever at Blue Sky Vineyard on October 20^th. Family and friends came from near and far to help them celebrate, watching the beautiful bride march down the aisle to her teary-eyed groom. They enjoyed everything about their day, and asked Artistic Photography by Sydney to help them remember every minute.

Katie loves that Josh can always make her laugh, and keeps her in check when she tends to fly off the handle. He’s always there for her, yet lets her be an independent woman. Josh knows Katie is her true love because he can always be himself around her.

On their first date, the couple had gone to Wal-Mart to kill some time. Little did they know there would be a tornado warning and they would be stuck in the store for two hours with lots of other customers! Fortunately, they didn’t mind spending all that time together and were engaged three years later. He surprised her with an engagement ring on the bridge over the koi pond at SIU’s Japanese garden. Her response? “Oh my God! Are you serious?”

He was, and they are now living happily ever after! Congratulations!

James and Sarah - October 26, 2013

February 04, 2014 • Leave a Comment

Meet James and Sarah, an example of a blind date gone right! They were introduced by a work colleague, and nine months later found themselves engaged. He proposed to her at a New Year’s Eve party, pulling her into the middle of the room and telling her he didn’t want to be her boyfriend any more. Sarah wasn’t sure if he was going to break up with her in front of everybody, but he proposed instead and they started planning their wedding.

Sarah has a hard time pinning down one thing she loves the most about James, because there is so much. He’s easy to be around, and has supported her no matter what. She also says that James has a habit of hitting his face on glass doors, windows, and even the side of a skill crane machine! Fortunately, she finds the smudges on the glass endearing.

For James, he loves that Sarah accepts him for who he is, and that she’s such a kind and caring person. An extra bonus is that she can “cook like a boss”!

The couple couldn’t pick a single thing they liked most about their wedding day. Even though James messed up the vows, everything was perfect.

We couldn’t agree more. Congratulations James and Sarah, and thanks for letting Artistic Photography by Sydney share in your special day!

Under the Crinoline Part 2 - Colonial America

January 09, 2014 • Leave a Comment

Underwear. We take it for granted. It’s a normal part of our everyday lives, and quite often peeks out as part of our wardrobe. In photography, we often pay tribute to time periods long gone, when women were finally able to show off their garters and their femininity. But how did we get the undergarments we know and love? It all had to start somewhere, right? Grab your flux capacitor for a journey back in time, to explore the history of underwear with our blog series, Under the Crinoline.

Part 2 – Colonial America

For the second part of Under the Crinoline, we travel to colonial America, from 1607 to 1776. People from all over Europe were coming to America, many of them to escape religious persecution and heavy-handed governments. A lady was nevertheless appropriately dressed.

-Shift – Pretty much the same as what we described for Tudor England, this was made of plain cotton or linen and worn next to the body. Typically, women didn’t wear any sort of underdrawers.

-Stays – The predecessor of the corset, the stays were not for uplifting and accentuating the bust so much as support and posture. Even children wore them to develop their posture. Colonists were aware that lacing their stays too tight could cause injury, and often criticized those who did so for fashion.

-Pocket – Women in colonial America did not carry around Coach purses or tuck their money in the back of their Levi’s. The pocket was tied on after the stays, and could be accessed through a hole in the skirt of the gown. The very first fanny pack!

-Hoops – Tied on over the corset and shift, these provided shape to the skirt, but didn’t push it as far out horizontally as those of Tudor England.

-Petticoats – Often there were two layers of petticoats. The first was for warmth and volume, and the second for fashion since it was visible underneath the gown.

-Gown – While we are mostly concentrating on underwear, we can’t help but share this fascinating fact: Gowns were fastened with straight pins! The two halves of the gown were pinned together in the front, with the sharp ends buried in the layers of clothing. It provided a neat and tidy closure, and allowed for clothes to be more adjustable.

A far cry from running to Walmart in your yoga pants!

Check out our Pinterest board for this blog series: Pinterest - Under the Crinoline Part 2 - Colonial America

Under the Crinoline Part 1 - Tudor England

January 01, 2014 • Leave a Comment

Part 1 – Tudor England

Let’s start in Tudor England, 1485 – 1603. Fashion dictated what people wore underneath their clothes, and was mostly a support system for the clothes themselves. The heavy extravagant gowns of the upper class required quite a support system, and even the lower classes wore several layers. Here are the most common types of underwear for the time:

-Stockings- Not your stretchy pantyhose of today, stockings were often wool or silk, and held up with garters.

-Chemise or Shift- Made of linen and worn next to the body, this was most often the only garment that was washed on a regular basis.

-Petticoat- This was basically an underskirt, often with ropes, reeds, or even whalebone sewn in to give stiffness and structure to the rest of the garments.

-Roll or Rowle- This was tied around the waist in substitute of a petticoat to make the skirt of the gown extend horizontally. Just imagine a Boppy pillow tied under your dress.

-Kirtle- Worn over the petticoat, the kirtle often had decorated or jeweled hems and showed around the neckline of the gown itself. The forepart of the kirtle worked similarly, and showed through the front split of the gown’s skirt. The kirtle also served for corset-like support, shaping the upper body with whalebones. Separate corsets were not seen until the very end of this time period.

Far from the simple bra and panties we wear today, just imagine how long it would take a woman to get dressed even with the help of a servant. Next time your man complains about waiting on you, just tell him he should be grateful for Victoria's Secret.

Check out our Pinterest board for this blog series: Pinterest - Under the Crinoline