About expedition joy
MY PERSONALITY.
I am an extrovert. I love laughing and talking, especially when it's over coffee or wine! I'm an ENFP Meyers-Briggs personality type, a 2 on the Enneagram, and my love language is gifts and quality time! I love all things vintage, exploring old bookstores, re-watching epic movie series (Harry Potter, LOTR, & Marvel), shopping for home decor, and men's watches! My favorite place on the planet is the beach at night under a star-filled sky while listening to the sound of crashing waves!
I'M MARRIED!!
I got married when I was 20 years young! Russell and I met at one of his jobs, after being set up by my grandma! My maiden last name was Winters, and now my last name is Winter!Yup, I filled out all the government paperwork to remove the "s"! Russell and I love living in our hometown Genoa, IL, and talking walks around downtown. We love to travel, and we've visited Egypt, France, Peru, and Portugal!
I LOVE SPORTS.
I was that girl in PE that played tackle football with the boys while the rest of the girls sat on the sidelines. I'm not afraid to get my hands dirty! I love playing basketball with Russell, training in Krav Maga martial art and teaching a kickboxing class! My family and I are die-hard New England Patriots fans! Go Pats! Im always down to talk football or pick up a volleyball and just play!
I'M A CHRISTIAN.
For me, this is a really important thing to share because it has a lot to do with who I am. I went to a Christian school as a kid before being homeschooled and going to public school. I volunteer as a youth leader for my small group of high school girls, and block off a week during wedding season to go to summer camp with them! I love people, and I believe that everyone has a purpose!
Expedition Joy started as a blog when I was a newlywed housewife. I wrote about home projects and recipes, and as our friends got married, I fell in love with everything about weddings. My brother and sister in law had a backyard wedding on the family farm in 2015. As the day progressed, there was a lot of things needed to be done during the chaos of a wedding day. I jumped in to help direct, setup, and make sure they could just focus on enjoying their day. I fell in love with weddings, the joys, and the chaos a little too. In 2017, I started my day-of wedding coordinating business, finding the best parts of myself came out when I was helping organize a wedding party and giving peace of mind to a bride and groom. Shortly after, I added photography to my business, as I pursued a dream to be a photographer, and fell in love with the idea of love. The love of a family, the love of giving people tangible memories, and most of all the love between a bride and groom on their wedding day.
What does Expedition Joy mean? To me, life is an adventure, filled with highs and lows, learning, travel and adventure. Beyond the pursuit of the things we all crave as human beings: true love, security, wealth, success, and so much more, we can never be truly happy with these things. There will always be something missing until we find what truly satisfies our soul: God. My faith is the basis for everything I do, and my life is a constant search for true happiness in the things that I already have. So as I am adventuring and navigating through life, I look through a lens of God, in a pursuit of finding joy in the little parts of everyday life. And that is what Expedition Joy means!
Who am I? I am first and foremost, a Christ-follower. The core of who I am is representing Him to the best of my abilities. Whether it be in photography, wedding coordinating, my passion for people, my role as a wife, and every other crevice of who I am has been shaped by the greatest I Am. Fueled by a love to connect with the people surrounding me, to influence them, and to give them a joy-filled wedding or images to capture a small space of time in their lives, I hope that through my work, writings, and images I can be a light to those around me. I truly love the people I get to meet, and I sincerely hope I get the chance to meet you in person, hopefully as a small part of your wedding day or capturing memories for you to keep forever! I would love the opportunity to get to know you and be a small part of your wedding day!
I'm a hopeless romantic at heart. I believe in handshakes that say something about you, genuine conversations, and loving fully. I believe in marriages that last a lifetime, that fight through hardships, laugh often, and focus on bettering one another through unconditional love. I love capturing love stories more than anything else, whether it be on top of mountains, or in the place you made into your home.
I'm Courtney Adelle! I'm the face you'll see throughout the whole process, from sitting down at our first meeting, to clicking the shutter behind the lens at your photoshoot or wedding. I'm the person that fixes your dress as you make your big entrance down the aisle, and giving you peace of mind so you can fully enjoy your wedding day. I'm a photographer and coordinator by profession, but I really hope to be a friend to you by the end of our time together!