Some wedding days are extra special because of the people you’re getting to celebrate. Alyssa and Eric’s wedding day was one of those for us.
We’ve known Alyssa and Eric for many years. We went to middle school & high school with them, and it has been such a cool full-circle moment to grow up alongside them and now get to capture this chapter of their lives. Eric and I were even president and vice president of the Fegely student council together & both proud Dinos of the Year.
Getting to watch Alyssa & Eric find each other, grow together, and become the people they are today has been pretty incredible. They are both genuinely some of the sweetest people, and you can see how much they care for each other. They really do seem to bring out the best in one another, and we were so excited to be there when they officially made it forever.
A Little Morning Bliss With the Girlies
We started the day at Alyssa’s Airbnb with her girlies, capturing all of those little details and the morning-before-the-wedding energy.
There were PJs, laughter, wedding details, and just enough pre-wedding nerves to remind everyone that this was actually happening. It was that sweet little pocket of calm before the day really got moving.
From there, we headed over to Valparaiso University’s gorgeous chapel to meet up with Eric and his guys.
Before the ceremony, Eric shared a first look with his mom, and it was such a sweet moment. There’s something about watching a groom see his mom on his wedding day that’s so special. Especially after becoming a boy mom this year, those mother-son moments get me every time!
Gifts, First Looks & A Whole Lot of Happy Tears
Alyssa had a couple surprises waiting for Eric, and she absolutely nailed both of them.
The first was a new watch—one Eric had apparently been casually mentioning that he needed. (So basically, Alyssa was listening.)
The second was much more unexpected.
Alyssa had taken a letter written by Eric’s parents and had it engraved onto a beautiful wooden board for Eric’s office. Eric had no idea it was coming, and when he realized what it was, the emotions hit hard. Tears filled his eyes. And Eric said something that really stuck with us: Alyssa really pays attention.
That pretty much sums her up. She notices the little things. She remembers what matters to the people she loves. And you could see that reflected all throughout their wedding day.
Alyssa also shared a first look with her dad and brothers, and there was definitely not a dry eye by the end of it. She surprised them with some unique cufflinks, and watching them see her as a bride for the first time was one of those family moments that you wish you could bottle up.
She also had a first look with her grandparents, which came with a little comedy before the emotion. Her grandpas were being troublemakers and trying to peek before she made it over to them. They said, and I quote, “We didn’t do all this back in our day.” HAHA! Love Grandparents! But once they finally saw her, it was incredibly sweet. Getting to watch her grandparents take in their granddaughter as a bride was such a special part of the morning.
Private Vows at the Chapel
Before the ceremony, Alyssa and Eric shared a first look and exchanged private vows outside in front of the chapel.
And honestly, there might not have been a more perfect backdrop. Add the two of them standing there reading vows to each other, laughing through some moments and crying through others, and it was pretty dang perfect.
We even got the drone up for this one! There’s a unique design in the sidewalk in front of the chapel that looked so cool from above, especially with Alyssa and Eric standing in the middle of it. It ended up being one of those shots that felt like it was made for their film.
Their private vows were sweet, emotional, and completely them. It gave them a quiet moment together before the ceremony and a chance to really take in what the day was all about.
A Chapel That Deserves Its Own Spotlight
Then it was time for the ceremony.
And WOW.
Valparaiso University’s chapel is one of those places that almost doesn’t need an introduction. The stained glass windows, incredible high ceilings, and beautiful architecture make it absolutely breathtaking.
But as beautiful as the chapel was, the people inside were what made the ceremony so meaningful.
Alyssa and Eric exchanged heartfelt vows surrounded by the people who have loved them through every chapter of their lives. And then, at the end of the ceremony, Alyssa’s grandfather—who recently passed away—officially declared them husband and wife.
That moment is one of those reminders of why photo and video matter so much.
Because a wedding day is one of the rare times when so many people you love are all under the same roof, celebrating your love. And years from now, when some of those people aren’t physically there anymore, these photographs and films become so much more than pretty memories. They become pieces of people. Their voices. Their faces. Their hugs. Their tears. Their presence.
And those moments only become more valuable with time.
Before I get too sentimental, we need to talk about these dip kisses.
Getting one good dip kiss is already hard enough... but Alyssa and Eric somehow gave us TWO!
And both of them were fire. The pose was perfect. The hold was perfect. The timing was perfect. We were like, okayyyy, apparently you two have been practicing.
From the Chapel to the Party
After the ceremony, we cranked out some portraits, got the marriage license signed, and then headed off to The Design Barn for the big celebration.
We had never filmed at The Design Barn before, and it was such a fun, unique space to explore. Between the murals, unexpected structures, and the way the entire inside is laid out, there were so many different places to shoot and so many little visual details to discover.
But Alyssa and Eric had also filled the space with some of the coolest guest experiences we’ve seen.
First up was a quilt activity where guests could write encouraging words and messages on individual cloth squares. The plan is for those pieces to eventually be turned into a quilt, creating something they can actually keep and use long after the wedding day.
Then there was the seating chart.
Alyssa and Eric had individually printed photos of every single person attending the wedding and used those photos as their seating chart. For married couples, they even used their wedding photo of them together. And when we walked in and saw a photo of US on the seating chart!! We were not expecting that one & it meant so much! It was such a small but incredibly thoughtful touch, and honestly, it felt very Alyssa and Eric. They put thought into the people they love, and they made sure their guests felt like they were part of the day—not just attendees.
Then there was the vending machine. But not just any vending machine.
This one was dedicated to their dog, Tito, who sadly wasn’t in attendance. Instead, it was filled with dog toys, and guests could play the vending machine game and walk away with a little toy to take home to their own pup.
Because apparently even the dogs of their guests needed to be included in the celebration. :) Our kinda people!
A Reception Full of Personality
The reception was full of the kind of details that made the whole day feel so uniquely Alyssa and Eric.
They had two caricature artists there drawing guests, which has quickly become one of our favorite interactive wedding additions. Guests absolutely love it, and they get to leave with something completely customized to them.
It’s such a fun way to give people an experience instead of just another wedding favor.
At the cake cutting, Alyssa and Eric had custom Funko Pop Yourself figures made of the two of them and Tito, which were absolutely adorable and made for the most perfect cake topper.
Their siblings took over the microphone for speeches, with Eric’s sister and Alyssa’s brother both giving the kind of speeches that somehow manage to be equally heartfelt, hilarious, and just a little bit embarrassing—the perfect combination for sibling speeches.
Then came the first dances.
Alyssa and Eric shared a sweet first dance followed by the mother/son and daddy/daughter dance.
But one that we just loved was the mother-daughter dance between Alyssa and her mom. Oftentimes the mothers of the bride don’t have any special traditions and we love seeing you all change that.
They were both crying and you could just tell that they are genuinely best friends.
Stealing Them Away for Golden-Hour-ish Portraits
Alyssa and Eric were very popular on their wedding day. Which is great for them. We love that for them. But not great for us when we’re trying to steal them away for portraits.
Eventually, we forced them outside for some time alone and grabbed some fun portraits in the field next to The Design Barn. The light had this beautiful blue, hazy quality to it, and it created such a cool contrast to the warmer, more colorful energy of the day.
And of course, Alyssa and Eric were down for every random idea we threw at them.
Random pose? Sure.
Walk over here? Absolutely.
Do this weird thing we swear will look cool? They were game.
Run it back one more time? Bet.
Those are always some of our favorite couples to photograph and film because we can actually create with them. We aren’t worried about whether something is perfectly traditional or whether they’ve done it before. We can just have fun.
And actually, Alyssa & Eric were the final push we needed to officially create something new for White Pack Media: The Duo Package! We’ve typically been booked for either photo or video, but after getting to experience their day through both lenses, we finally caved and created an official in-house photo + video package. So, Alyssa & Eric… you’re officially the reason The Duo exists.
The Midwest Goodbye
At the end of the night, we had one of those classic Midwest goodbyes.
You know the one.
You say goodbye. Then you keep talking. Then you say goodbye again. Then somehow you’re still standing there twenty minutes later talking about something completely unrelated.
And honestly, we loved every second of it.
Because that’s the thing about getting to capture weddings for people you’ve known for a long time. It’s already special to be trusted with something as important as someone’s wedding day, but there’s something different about watching people you’ve known for years step into this next chapter.
We’ve watched Alyssa and Eric grow up. We’ve watched them find each other. And now we got to watch them be loved—not only by each other, but by the incredible group of people surrounding them.
Alyssa and Eric, we are so incredibly happy for you both.
Thank you for trusting us to capture this chapter. It was such a joy getting to celebrate you, and even more special knowing how long we’ve been lucky enough to know you.
Here’s to this next chapter, to a lifetime of paying attention to the little things, to Tito forever being part of the family, and to many, many more Midwest goodbyes.
With so much love,