This couple has just the sweetest story ever!! They kind of sort of met in high school. Didn't keep in touch, moved around, had kids, and just lived life. They reconnected via a Facebook group for their old high school friends. They started talking on the phone and low and behold they fell in love!!!! At this time Sally was living in Arizona and Dave was near their home town in Michigan. They quickly decided this wouldn't do. So Sally picked herself up and moved back to Michigan to be with Dave! During their vows they talked about their journey to finding one another. It was so beautiful I teared up!!! Sally and Dave, congratulations and I wish you a LIFETIME of joy and hapiness!!!!
Aaron and Tori
Blushes, and blues, and backyards, oh my!! This wedding was just so well thought out from start to finish. There were so many little details that put it above and beyond your traditional backyard wedding. I think my favorite part was the backdrop they set up in the ceremony space. It was so unique! Listening to the stories, and watching the faces during this wedding was something special. Tori and Aaron couldn't stop looking at one another and smiling all day!! Those looks of love and stolen moments are what I LIVE FOR during weddings. And this wedding had no shortage. Thank you so much to Sara Bishop for having me come alongside you for this wedding. It was an absolute privilege!
Planning and florals by the lovely and talented Skyla Brooke.
Andre and Ailed
This wedding, this couple, oh man!! There was so much joy and so much emotion. Thank you to Suzy Goodrick for having me assist on this special day. I loved how each and every detail of this wedding was a reflection of Andre and Ailed. There was so much care in every piece of greenery, every candle, and every piece of decoration. The families came together and created an atmosphere of joy and harmony to promote this union. I hope you enjoy the photos as much as I enjoyed taking them!!
Dave and Danielle
So when I have my own weddings (scheduled through Old Soul Imagery) I tend to spend the majority of my time with the bride. When I get a chance to assist other photographers, its an opportunity to spend most of the day with the groom! Sometimes I feel like sometimes the groom gets the short end of the stick on the wedding day, so when I'm spending time with them I like to make the most of it!! Thanks to Jennie Karges with Jennie Karges Photography, I got to spend a number of hours hanging out with Dave as he got ready to greet Dani on their wedding day. It was such a joy getting to listen to his stories about his future bride, and watch his face light up as he spoke about her. When he finally got to see her for the first time that day, it was sheer bliss. The love these two share just leaps out at you through the photographs! They are so passionate about one another, and they have so much JOY in one another's company! This couple is #goals. Here's to you Dave and Dani!!
Groom's hotel was the Downtown Sheraton
Beautiful ceremony held at Heritage Square
Stephen and Aubrey
I was super privileged to assist Lux Wedding Studio and be present for Stephen and Aubrey tying the knot! They were married at the beautiful Whispering Tree Ranch at the base of the Estrella Mountain range in Phoenix Arizona. These two were super fun and outgoing the whole day! It was a non-stop party from start to finish ;) Just wait until you see her dress!! It is so gorgeous! And her bouquet, stunning. Enjoy a look into their fantastic day!
Beautiful wedding hosted and furnished by Whispering Tree Ranch
Vermont Dreamy Wedding Part 2
So last week you were introduced to Alex and Emmy, the amazing couple who flew me to Vermont to capture their wedding day! I took you through the morning of getting ready, the ceremony, the portraits, and their fun excursion into the local Country Store in full wedding garb! (PS- they were a HIT in the store!!) Today, we get to look through the rest of the day! Once the ceremony was over, we headed over to the reception. It was ADORABLE!! It was brunch time, so of course they had a coffee cake cutting ;) After the reception we all drove down to Brattleboro Vermont and relived the day of Alex and Emmy's engagement. From there, we headed to the local Art Gallery and kicked the night off with reception number 2!! Again, I cannot stress enough how flipping fun this wedding was!! I hope you enjoy the photos as much as I enjoyed taking them!
When the day is done.....What's left?
At the end of the day, when the vows have been said, the lips have kissed, when the last strains of music have faded,(...) what's left?
I have a confession to make; I spend a LOT of time on photography forums ;) I love it because I get to hear life experiences, different ways of doing business, see TONS of different bodies of work, and hear lots of different questions.
One scenario I see happen quite often is an email that wedding photographers get from clients. The gist of the email is this "We LOVE your work, but we just can't afford the extra $500"
Now before I get to my response, I just want to say this; being on a strict budget is not a bad thing!! Everyone has a budget, and sticking to it is important, no matter how big or small that budget may be. :)
My solution, luckily, is quite simple and practical! Prioritize and itemize your budget!!! It sounds so simple, and yet so many couples don't do this at all! Simply put, when you are creating your wedding budget, make sure you put a priority on each item. So if your top priority is your dress, put a number 1 next to that. Here's the reason for prioritizing; a wedding budget is a fluid thing. You will likely have to move money around within your budget to make everything fit. Some things will cost more, and some things will cost less. So with a prioritized budget, you have a built in scale! You don't take away from number 1, you take away from number 10 to ADD to number 1.
Now one thing to consider when creating and prioritizing your budget; What's left? At the end of the day, when the vows have been said, the lips have kissed, when the last strains of music have faded, the last piece of cake has been eaten, the last bobby pin pulled out of your hair, the dress hung in the closet, the chairs folded up, and you are on your way to your honeymoon, what do you have left of the most special day of your life? Is that expensive meal you provided for your guest left? Are the fancy chairs you splurged on left?
Just in case you were wondering, it's the photographs ;) The photographs are what you have left. Years down the road when you want to remember your wedding day, you pull out your album. You see the expression on your husband's face as he sees you for the first time. You see the tears in your mother's eyes as she gives you away. You see the look of love on your father's face as he sways on the dance floor with his baby girl. You see the day, that moment that has been frozen in time forever, that was the beginning of your life together.
Leilani+Hilson: Ceremony and Reception
The final installment! These two were all smiles from start to finish :) I'm so excited to finish off this blog series with everyone celebrating with them :) This wedding was one of the happiest weddings I have ever seen! As friends and family started to show up, the smiles and the laughter just got more and more pronounced :) These two got to celebrate their love along with all of their guests, and I think that's just about the best part of any wedding! Enjoy the rest of the photos!!
Selfie before the kiss!
Finally man and wife :)