I like how the wet and rain made the aesthetic of this session a bit different. At the end, we were not only experiencing the rain, but also the wind carrying the spray of the crashing waves below us up to completely soak us. (Thank goodness for weather sealed photography gear, right?!) It just shows, that the "perfect" photography conditions are a myth. What's perfect to me, is the real experience and the connection between hearts.
With the wind and Brooke's willing, adventurous spirit, we we able to capture the stunning views of the river and the hills, amazing backdrops of moss-covered boulders, and the strength of this beautiful woman.
Kyle and Jess were married on a beautiful day that you wouldn't believe was at the end of October in the Midwest. There were a lot of fun, memorable highlights from their special day, especially the reception. First was the absolutely fun dancing. From the dollar dance to the multiple dance trains, it was a blast! I loved that so many of Kyle and Jess' relatives got involved, including their sweet grandparents. The DJ also got all the guests involved, most notably with an exciting scavenger hunt/musical chairs game that you'll love seeing photos of!
"Luke and Allison had such a lovely day for their October wedding. It was held in the small town of Coshocton, Ohio at a cute, all-inclusive venue, Clary Gardens. This location has everything from a path through the woods, an amphitheater in a bit of a valley for the ceremony, and some historic 19th century homes where they got ready for their big day.
This sweet couple, who are actually college friends of mine and my husband, was so relaxed the entire day, and of course they should be because everything was planned by the bride, a theater stage manager, and executed so smoothly. Allison's planning gave us plenty of time to capture everything. They opted to do everything from their first look to the family formals prior to the ceremony so they could immediately join their guests at their reception up the hill. It was perfect."
Alex and Courtney's wedding day had absolutely perfect weather and made their evening ceremony warm with the setting sun. The ceremony was followed by golden-hour sunset portraits—what every photographer dreams of—and an amazing reception inside the lodge. The reception was fun and classy with live music by an AMAZING band, Blue Water Kings Band. They had quite a variety in their set, but I'm a sucker for live jazz, and theirs made just made me melt. I couldn't mention the reception without adding that the bridesmaids had a surprise for Courtney. They sang her a song and the Maid-of-Honor, Courtney's identical twin sister, showed her skills on the electric guitar. All-in-all, it was a fun, beautiful day celebrating a wonderful couple.
"One of my favorite parts of wedding days is being able to witness all of the behind the scenes moments. I was able to witness Alex writing a note for his bride-to-be and then her opening it during their first look and it bringing tears to her eyes and a huge smile to her face. Oh man, witnessing their overwhelming love was such an honor."
The mix of Danish and American cultures was such a fun interplay to observe on Kristin and Stefan's wedding day. While I could and do go on for a while, enraptured with tradition and culture, I do have to say how wonderful Kristin and Stefan were. So gracious, graceful, and kind. Elegant. Beautiful inside and out. It was truly an honor to be able to get to know them throughout this process, as well as an honor to be able to photograph the outpouring of that inner beauty and love for each other. They could hardly keep away from each other and took every opportunity to sneak a kiss. It made my heart so happy. I love their love.
Patrick and Tina's wedding day wasn't just a joining of two in marriage, but a joining of three into a family. Their beautiful little girl may have legally only been one of their daughters before, but it absolutely warmed my heart to see how everyone already absolutely held each other as family without question. As a person who holds family so dear, it was so beautiful to see this. This is what weddings are about—commitments and love like this. It didn't hurt that the celebration was a blast, too. ;)
Brandon and Hannah smiled on their wedding day maybe more than any other couple I've seen. They're emotions were worn for the world to see and what everyone saw was a deep, anchored love for each other and for God. I left their wedding day feeling inspired in my faith and encouraged in my marriage. It was incredible!
What else was wonderful was Brandon and Hannah's willingness to adventure all over the farm that Hannah grew up on. That makes for the best photos, let me tell you! :D At first we were walking, then Hannah's dad came by with a tractor and the idea to take us to the top of the hill in the cow pasture that had the best view of the area. Oh, those hills! And such a sweet father. And such a gorgeous couple! Their smiles and laughter couldn't be anything but one of the most beautiful things that pulls your heart into their love story.
I love when I have the opportunity to photograph a couple who loves to adventure and hike; Alex and Courtney enjoy doing just that. During their engagement session, we ventured out into a small, cute park near Dayton, Ohio just before I moved to Portland, Oregon. We ventured through the woods, around the mud, an even got into the water. :D It made my heart so happy to capture their love and nature alongside each other like that. The water may have been slightly cold, but it was so worth it because it turned out amazingly. Even the sun was in favor of us getting in the creek because the light was coming through the trees so nicely behind them. :)
Ed and Debbie are an amazing part of a great organization, and because of that we were able to have the opportunity to take their family portraits there. After checking out this adorable family's portraits, you should check out what's going on over at Athletes In Action! :)
Little Mr. Byer is a tiny piece of perfection surrounded by a whole lot of love; you can see it in the everything his parents do for him. He also has an amazing nursery decorated with an adventure theme (Oh my heart! It's amazing!) where he gets to sleep, one of his favorite things of course. But it's not a favorite thing when a lady with a big black thing in front of her face just keeps looking at him, haha.
Everything was simply perfect for Alec and Kristen's wedding day. Not only the weather, but the ceremony venue had amazing windows that let in all kinds of wonderful natural light (swoon), the vendors were absolutely the best people to interact with and were amazing to work alongside, and even the perfect bridal party. The bridesmaids were beautiful in their long, flowy dresses. I really have a huge love of long, flowy dresses, and these were extra beautiful. Each bridesmaid looked absolutely lovely. As far as the groomsmen, I had such a blast hanging out with them. What a fun group of guys! Everything came together wonderfully for a wonderful couple. :)
Love isn't just about the big events, like the first time you hold hands, the first time you say "I love you," the proposal. Love is really about all the little moments all strung together: the everyday, the glances of admiration, cuddling while watching Netflix, sharing an inside joke and making each other laugh. The biggest take-away from my opportunity to see Kyle and Jess' love was the power of these "little" moments.
A little glimpse into a fun, last minute lifestyle session with some friends.
