Then Comes Marriage

One of the first things that Jennifer did after she found out she was pregnant was book her newborn session with me.  This session has been in the works for months so I was so excited to meet the new parents and, of course, beautiful baby Leighton. Jennifer has a very good taste in photographers and I am beyond honored that she choose me to take her baby girl’s pictures.

When shooting newborn sessions I’m in very close proximity with my clients for a long period of time.  I’m so fortunate to have such amazing clients to get to know.  Jennifer and DJ are no exception.  DJ had me cracking up the entire time.  Jennifer and DJ balance each other perfectly and are already amazing parents.  I’m so excited to be able to document their first year as a family!

I can’t get over how much Leighton looks like my baby girl.  Good thing Kennedy has a birth mark on her head.  Otherwise, I might not be able to tell the difference!

Here are some of my favorites from Leighton’s first shoot!

What’s better than Ferris wheels, ice cream sandwiches, and a couple in love?  Really, nothing.  Weddings like this make me love my job more than I already do.  Not because of the Ferris wheel or Cool Haus ice cream sandwiches.  Those were icing on the cake.  No, weddings like this where there is so much love make me realize how lucky I am to do what I do.  All the guests were so happy to be there.  So genuinely happy for this couple to start their lives together.  Ryan couldn’t take his eyes off of Nichole.  Nichole couldn’t stop smiling.  There were tears of happiness and joy.  And laughter.  Lots of laughter.

Ryan and Nichole, thank you so much for allowing me to document your love for one another.  Not only was it great to work with you, but it was fun getting to know you two and your families.  You and your family and friends made me feel like a guest at your wedding rather than a vendor.  It was such an amazing day!  I hope you are having an amazing time on your honeymoon!  Here’s your slideshow!

Nichole’s Monique Lhuillier gown was perfect for her!

The flowers and wedding coordination were done by the awesome girls at The Hidden Garden Flowers

Nichole’s nieces are the cutest!  I took way too many pictures of them

In her toast, Nichole’s sister Korri said that Nichole is the best aunt.  I would have to agree.  She has a very special relationship with her nieces and nephew.

I love Calamigos Ranch!

I love the carnival decorations they had at their wedding!  It was all Nichole’s vision and they were made with help from her brother in law.

I’ve never seen the Ferris wheel actually used at Calamigos before.  It was very cool!

I really wish I would have thought of this for my wedding!  I might just have to do it for Kennedy’s first birthday!  Such a fun piece of art to hang in your home!

The chandeliers were brought in for the wedding!  Love them!

Another great DJ at this wedding.  11H Entertainment really kept the party going!

And my personal favorite… Cool Haus ice cream sandwiches.  Of course I had to try one.  They totally lived up to the hype!

It’s an honor when anyone asks me to be a part of their wedding day.  But, it’s especially an honor when I get asked back by a family to shoot another one of their children’s weddings.  I first shot Matt and Rachel’s wedding in Idaho in the summer of 2008.  Next up was this wedding, Matt’s younger sister Kendall and her husband also named Matt.  And lastly will be their brother Cameron and his bride Annabelle in November.  I practically feel like family now

It makes shooting weddings like this so much fun.  It’s great to see familiar faces and to know everyone’s stories.  It makes going to work not seem like work.  You feel like a guest because everything is so much more personal.  I got teary when Kendall walked down the aisle with her dad and saw how excited she was to see Matt.  I had to hide my ugly crying face behind my camera when Kendall danced with her dad.  Not just because I know how close their relationship is, but because it was the first wedding I shot after my baby girl Kennedy was born.  All I could do was picture Chuck dancing with Kennedy at her wedding.

It was so fun to see how excited Kendall and her mom, Kaylin, got seeing their vision of the wedding come to life.  Kaylin cried.  A lot.  She even cried when she saw the amazing dessert room   It was so cute!

It was an absolute honor to photograph Kendall and Matt’s wedding.  Thank you to the Murray family for asking me back and entrusting me with the memories of one of the most important days in all of your children’s lives.  It means so, so much to me and I can’t wait to see you all in November!  Here’s the slideshow!

Venue:  Pacific Palms Resort

Coordinator:  Platinum Weddings by Kerrie

Florist:  Flower Allie

DJ / Lighting:  LSM Entertainment

Cake: Sweet and Saucy Shop

I love Flower Allie.  Her flowers are always unique and beautiful!

This locket belonged to Kendall’s grandmother.

Kerrie Underhill from Platinum Weddings from Kerrie did an amazing job making Kendall’s vision a reality.  I love the touch of vintage details while keeping the wedding romantic and elegant.

The buffet was so tasty!  They had every type of food imaginable including a “Kiddie Station”.  Perfect for kids and picky eaters like myself  

Kendall and Matt didn’t just have a desert table.  They had an entire dessert room!  Hello?  Amazing!

If there is one piece of advice I can give to couples planning their wedding I would tell them to invest in good lighting for your reception.  Good lighting can transform a boring ball room into a beautiful and elegant reception.  Makes such a remarkable difference!  LSM Entertainment provided the lighting as well as the DJ services.  One of the best DJ’s I’ve worked with.  Kept the party going the entire time and played AWESOME music!