SOUTHERN ILLINOIS MICRO WEDDING: BEN + MEGAN

7 min readJan 28, 2021

Megan and Ben’s wedding was so special! I’m always so excited to shoot micro-weddings! The simplicity brings out an overwhelming feeling of love that you feel from each guest carefully invited to the ceremony. I am so blessed that I got the opportunity to witness this gorgeous bright couple become husband and wife!

Megan and Ben are both so much fun and their love story is as wonderful! I sent them a Q&A so everyone can enjoy their warm-hearted personalities!

Where are you from?
Ben Childers is from Marion, IL and Megan Childers (Witt) is from Jerseyville, IL.

How did you meet?
Megan: We met through our church. We had known each other for about 3 years before really getting to know each other at the small group Ben is a leader in.

How did you know it was love?
Megan: I don’t think there was one specific moment when I knew it was love. I remember from the very beginning how easy it was to talk to Ben about literally anything. I feel like after various situations where I got to see how he treats people — not just me — that’s when I would say I really knew. His character was great from the beginning.

Ben: I don’t know the one moment I knew it was love but I do remember after our third date we sat in my car and talked until 2am. The next day I remember just being amazed at how easily the conversation flowed and the depth that it went. Soon after that I started telling my friend that I loved her, but I was too scared to say it yet.

How did Ben propose?
Megan: In May, Ben bought a house by Cannon Park in Carterville. Over the summer, we took a lot of walks around the park. We talked about our future and discussed things that were important to us.

In July, Ben asked if we could go on a date the Friday right after I had gotten back from a girl’s trip to South Carolina. He wanted to surprise me, which wasn’t out of the ordinary. I thought we were just going on a regular date since we had not seen each other much. After I got off work, I headed to his house to find a dress and shoes from Eccentrics Boutique (where I work), flowers, and a sweet card he had written to me. The card told me to put on the dress and meet him at Cannon Park. (This is when I knew something was up!)

I got to the park to find Ben at the pavilion with lights strung all around, and a table with photos of us set up in front of the fireplace. He met me at my car, walked me to the photos, and got down on one knee. Honestly, I barely remember what either of us said because we were so nervous! But I do remember feeling like I was in an actual dream.

After Ben proposed, we had engagement photos taken by our good friend, Shane. Then our family and friends all showed up for a little surprise party that Ben had planned.

Tell us about your experience planning your wedding during the pandemic:
Megan: Our experience with planning a COVID wedding is…try to avoid having to plan a COVID wedding! Haha It was more stressful than we anticipated but I think it also pushed us to have an even better wedding day than we could have imagined. We both always thought we would want a giant wedding and I said I’d never want it outdoors. But two of my favorite things about our wedding? It was small and intimate with a handful of our favorite people and we got to be outside at the park where we already have so many amazing memories.

What was your inspiration for the decor?
Our original inspiration/theme was Gatsby for our New Year’s Eve date. When we switched to a different day we went with more clean, classic, and nature inspired.

What was your favorite part of your wedding?
Megan: My favorite part was the vows. I didn’t think I’d get emotional, but I actually teared up and I just remember being so happy and thankful.

Ben: I think my favorite part had to be how small and intimate it became after re-planning it. It allowed us to put so much more of an emphasis on the meaning and importance of God in it, and less on all the meaningless details. It ended up being so much better than I could have imagined.

What was the most memorable moment of your wedding?
Megan: I think the most memorable moment for me was shivering…just kidding! It was actually getting photos taken! It was so cold the whole time, but I remember just thinking “Wow, this is really happening. We’re at our wedding and it’s all for real!” That’s when I was really able to soak it in.

Ben: I think the most memorable moment for me was repeating our vows. It’s one of those things I’ve heard countless times at other weddings and until you’re standing their saying them to your soon-to-be spouse it’s easy for it all to feel like a dream.

What made you choose Alanna Milby Photography? How was the experience?
Megan: I knew Alanna from all the time we each spent at Crown Brew when it was in Carterville. I remember her always being so sweet and friendly, I knew she would be so fun to work with! I cannot go without mentioning her talent too! I love how all her photos look so natural and candid. That was one of the most important things to us. We knew she would be able to capture each moment perfectly.

With all the changes we had to make due to COVID, we’re so thankful we had Alanna as our photographer. We could tell she genuinely cared about helping to make our day perfect. She was so kind and supportive when we had to change things multiple times. For example, we had to cancel the reception, then cancel the big wedding, and then throw together the small wedding three weeks early, but kept our original date for formal wedding photos. She knows what she’s doing when it comes to weddings so I loved knowing I could count on her to guide and direct us on what to do.

Would you recommend Alanna Milby Photography to other couples?
100%!! Alanna is truly gifted at what she does. We say that if you book her as your photographer, you’ll never regret it.

In all the uncertainty in the world, I can say confidently that Megan and Ben’s love is certainly long-lasting and true. I’m excited to follow their journey in marriage graced by God!

To Megan and Ben, Congratulations! I’m so happy for you!

Alanna