The Dress, Darling
There is something so amazing about laying a gorgeous, flowing wedding gown out on a hotel bed covered in white linens. I was alone in the room for about 30 minutes until the bridal party arrived from the salon and got to move about with this gown freely. I remember seeing this dress for the first time and even though I was alone, I said aloud "Oh my gawd"...my heart fluttered with excitement. This was from the first wedding of 2013 and was such a great way to start off the wedding season.
Accessorize
There is nothing I like more than items that have a great story to go along with them. This table is chockfull of items with meaning and sentiment. The bouquet was created by a former co-worker and friend of the bride who's design and talent was showcased throughout the wedding day. The pearl necklace and earrings were a gift from her oldest son. The gorgeous bracelet was her mother's in the original vintage box. The twigs of bittersweet in the upper right were part of her vows and also her favorite type of flower. Brides put so much trust in us as photographers to handle these precious items with care, and to capture their essence…and I simply love this pic.
Getting Ready
The face of an angel. I love trying to achieve what is called "the eyelash shot" and this is one where I felt like I nailed it! The beauty this bride has radiates through this image. It's a moment where the excited brides can close their eyes and take a deep breath as I click. The calmness of a photo like this, on one of the busiest days of their lives, is something so special to me.
The First Look
The instant a groom greets his bride for the first time is a very sacred and intimate moment that I love being a part of (from a distance of course). This one tugs at my heart because this groom is such an even-keel, straightforward gentleman and during these few clicks I saw his tender, soft side. He was grinning from ear to ear and tearing up as he admired his gorgeous bride. They exchanged a few minutes of conversation, hugs and kisses and were ready to walk down the aisle to marry their best friend.
Bridal Party
Not every "jumping bridal party" shot is a successful one. In most cases one person either has their foot on the ground too soon or hasn't even left the ground while everyone else is soaring in the air. This one went off without a hitch. The blue sky in the background brings so many great memories of this fall wedding day, and this picture captured everyone's excitement to be part of their big day!
Ceremony Action
People say they fall in love for many reasons, and one that I hear often is "they can always make me laugh". I know for a fact that laughter is essential to a happy marriage, and life for that matter. Well, this little lady was giggling throughout the entire ceremony. This is only one of the 10+ pics that I have of her beautiful laughing face. Now, her groom is an exceptionally funny guy and he did write some pretty clever (and comical) vows, so he gets all the credit of creating this moment for me to snap.
Give Me a Ring
I have had a long standing love affair with trees; I incorporate them into a lot of my work. For this particular ring shot I found this beyond amazing tree knot that was dying to cradle these bands. It was like a needle in a haystack and I still look and this and think, how beautiful. I wish I had a shot of my wedding rings in this exact tree knot…maybe one day I will :)
Bride & Groom
These two are so much fun to be around. Seriously, the faces they made throughout their wedding day were so uniquely "them". This photo took place as they were waiting to start their first dance. As Tyler lovingly cuddles up to Katy, her look is simply priceless. She has her deer in headlights look mastered as proven below.
Laugh Out Loud
People come up with some really creative ways to "pose" their bridal parties, but this one was a first for me and I LOVE IT. This is a bride running from her zombie bridesmaids. Her face shows a real sense of urgency and genuine terror that her bridesmaids might actually eat her brains. It still makes me laugh to look at this one.
The Dance
Most bride and grooms dance at the reception, but Chad & Jenna did everything their own way including the dance which was at the end of their ceremony. They had an amazing vocalist performing "Marry Me" by Train. It was so romantic, sweet and emotional. I had to choose two photos to show the love and care these two have for one another.
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End of Evening
Who wouldn't want a lake for the backdrop of their wedding? Well, maybe besides someone who couldn't swim. But regardless, we timed this shot perfect to capture this silhouetted sunset moment at the end of a fantastic wedding day. The clouds and the ripples in the water help remind us how beautiful this world really is. If there is a sunset with a lake, a bride and a groom to capture…sign me up!
Light Up the Night
This 4th of July wedding came decked out with festive details but by far my favorite were the amazing Rockford fireworks that helped to cap off the evening. The blue strings of smoldering gun powder reflecting on the water with these two lovebirds admiring each other is enough to get me humming "America, The Beautiful". Such an amazing way to light up the night!
My Fave
| This wasn't a 4th of July wedding but it did have its very own sparks. Tara wanted to try for a sparkler shot and I was all for it. It was a game-time decision of whether or not we were going to make it happen. This bride pulled herself away from the dance floor, recruited some young boys to help and we went for it! After about 20 sparklers and directing the two boys to run around, move them up and down all while trying to "stay away from their faces"…we got this gem of a shot. I cannot even begin to express how amazed I was when this showed up on the back of my camera. This is my personal favorite photo of the year. I hadn't had the opportunity to try a sparkler photo until this wedding and I will definitely be going for it again in 2014. I couldn't have asked for a better bride and groom to photograph, and love how this turned out - my magical moment of 2013. |  |
Thank you, 2013 brides and grooms for making this year so very memorable. It was truly a pleasure to work with each and every one of you. I hope your New Year is filled with many more memories as husband and wife. Cheers!
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