When I first met Jenny for coffee earlier this summer, we talked about her life – her daughter, her pets, her fiance, her wedding. And there was SO much smiling. It was obvious how much of her heart goes out to others – especially those closest to her.

Then I met Jerry at their engagement session, and all the love that Jenny felt for Jerry, I could easily see that he had even more love for her. The way he smiled at her, the way held out his hand for her to hold as we hiked around Jenney Gulch, and how he made her eyes sparkle. I actually put my camera down once during the session and said “Jenny – your eyes are SPARKLING!!”

Because that’s what happens when a girl like Jenny has loved so much and finally meets the man that fills her heart – it makes her eyes sparkle. :-)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Jerry + Jenny – thank you so much for inviting me into your lives and sharing your story with me. I am so excited for your wedding this November!!

This past Saturday was my favorite day this month year ever

1. The excitement started on Wednesday when we picked up our marriage license. Who knew the courthouse could be so much fun??

2. The morning of the wedding, I set my alarm early in case I would hit snooze. My alarm went off, I tried to get a couple more minutes of sleep, but I was TOO EXCITED TO SLEEP!!

3. Me with Jill, Bobbi and Halley – my favorite girls from the day! They made me look good. Real good.

4. Our first iPhone photo as husband and wife!!!!!!!! :-D

To recap… my favorite thing this month: getting married. We had a perfect day and are now living our ‘happily ever after.’

THANK YOU to everyone who helped with the day and all the events surrounding it. I thought I would have every single detail planned, but as time got close and life got busy, all those little details got pushed aside. Thankfully we have amazing families and friends who stepped up and got everything taken care of – with only one noticeable hiccup (sorry, Lance, for making you wait at the altar for me!!)

THANK YOU to everyone who came to celebrate with us as well as those who couldn’t be there in person but thought about us that day. We feel SO BLESSED to have so many loving people in our lives!!

THANK YOU to all my ‘studio lb brides’ for showing me how it’s done – I am so lucky to have been part of your weddings to know how quickly the day flies by (believe me, it goes by a LOT faster when you’re the bride instead of the photographer!!). We didn’t get to talk to every guest (who were we kidding thinking that would happen??), but we enjoyed the day to it’s fullest and I have you to thank for showing me the most important thing: to sit back, relax, and enjoy the day. :-)

It really can’t be said enough… I LOVE my clients!! Kris and Ashley’s intimate Black Hills wedding was full of charm, thoughtfulness, and so much love that I simply did not want to stop photographing and leave at the end of the night!!

First, let’s talk about these gorgeous flowers. SO lovely. Those creams and pinks set the tone perfectly for the romantic ceremony I’m about to show you. :-)

 Kris, you look way sharper than Kevin Costner. :-)

 Ashley, you are so adorable. :-)

 Even the moment when Kris was seating parents before the ceremony was sweet – mom hugs are the best!!

 All smiles… and a few happy tears… :-)

 Perfect Black Hills wedding location. Right there.

 I don’t think these two took their eyes off each other for more than a minute during the ceremony!!

 Husband and wife!!!!! :-D

 Simply stunning!!

 Before we headed to Deadwood for dinner, Kris + Ashley’s family had a little slideshow surprise for them. :-)

And finally off to supper at Jake’s where they all sat together, soaking in the events of the day and enjoying their time together.

wedding gown + flower girl dress | David’s Bridal

groom’s suit | Men’s Wearhouse

hair | Maddison’s Too Salon & Spa, Spearfish, SD

flowers | Bent Willow Designs, Spearfish, SD

 ceremony | family cabin near Lead, SD

dinner | Jake’s at The Midnight Star, Deadwood, SD

 Kris + Ashley – I had SUCH a wonderful time getting to know you two!! I am so excited for what your future holds. You have such a special love for each other and it it s so apparent even in the way you look at one another that it warms everyone’s hearts around you – especially mine. I truly enjoyed photographing your love and I hope this isn’t the last time you are in front of my lens!! :-)

I just knew September was going to be a great month.

Day one: Ryan + Jaime’s wedding… total bliss.

Day two: Ryan + Jaime’s trash the dress session… pure awesomeness.

Again. I have no words. Other than to say photographing these guys has been SO. MUCH. FUN!!!!!

 I love this photo for three reasons. 1: their expressions. 2: the water starting to soak their clothes. 3: their guests in the background waiting ever-so-patiently for them to get down that water slide!!! :-)

 Round one. :-D

I love how their hair got even cuter!!

 Awwww, can you tell these guys are so excited to be MARRIED?!?! :-)

 Time to share some of the fun!!

You. Guys. Rock. I love every single one of you for being a part of this!! :-)

 Y’all ready for this??

 Thanks to all my lovely assistants for rocking those splashes!!

 ….and another big sky photo – this time with a blue sky, dripping wet clothes, and some sweet dance moves. :-)

 Yes, I did get a big, wet hug after the session. :-) I didn’t mind. I actually wished I had brought my swimsuit (and a fancy dress) along so I could have joined in the festivities!!

 Ryan + Jaime – Seriously, I can’t thank you enough!!! For having me as your photographer. For having the wild idea to go down water slides in your wedding gown. For having such fun attitudes. For having beautiful blue eyes that match the pool water. For everything!! Hugs to you both and congrats again!

Wow. Just wow. I am still blown away by the fantastic-ness that was Ryan + Jaime’s wedding this past weekend!! I know it was their theme for the wedding, but the day really was full of SO much love, laughter and memories! When I walked into Jaime’s parents’ house, I could hear the dance music playing from upstairs where the girls were getting ready. I walked in on a full-on dance/zumba party!! And some beautiful details in lovely natural light. My favorite. :-D

 The fun and excitement just kept on coming!! After Jaime was dressed and had all of her accessories on, she did a twirl for the girls. And nothing could have dampened the smile on her face…

… not even happy tears. Jaime had a first look with her dad and it was SO perfect. That’s the only word to describe it. Tears, giggles, smiles, hugs. My favorite moment from the entire day was this one. I’m tearing up just thinking about it again!!

 And if that wasn’t enough of an emotional roller coaster for Jaime, we went to the other side of the house for her first look with Ryan. More happy tears and giggles!! :-)

 Before the ceremony, the flower girls were practicing their bell-ringing duties for Ryan + Jaime’s first kiss as husband and wife. :-)

 For all those wondering if having a first look takes away from the excitement of walking down the aisle… it doesn’t. :-)

 Sometimes I wish I was a videographer so I could record their vows – Ryan + Jaime’s were the cutest I’ve ever heard!!

 Mr. and Mrs.!!!

They danced away from the ceremony – really, did you expect anything less from these two??

 *THIS* right here is the reason I’m a wedding photographer. That love-with-your-whole-heart and excitement of being married. This is just moments after they walked (excuse me, danced) back down the aisle.

 During that ever-so-sweet moment, I heard cheering. Yes, cheering. Not the sweet, polite, post-ceremony congratulatory applause. But cheering. I turned back towards the ceremony to find Jaime’s parents also dancing down the aisle. Seriously – could this day get any more fun?

 The answer to my previous question? Yes. The day got MUCH more fun. Crazy-fun to be exact. Jaime is a Zumba instructor, so naturally the party started with a great dance workout. I have another photo of Ryan in the back *trying* to keep up with Jaime. But for the sake of his pride, I’ll just leave that one in their private gallery. ;-)

 And the most fun of all happened in Ryan + Jaime’s photo booth. Every time I turned around these guys had different wigs and props on. :-)

bride + bridesmaid dresses | David’s Bridal

groom + groomsmen suits | Audra’s Bridal, Rapid City

hair + makeup | Candy Alexander, The Hairloft, Rapid City

bride’s accessories | Etsy (jewelry – CreationTwinne; sash – DiamondWeddingVeil) (or just search for ‘swirly’!!) ;-)

flowers | Robin Stevens (mother of the bride), Heather Leon & Jami Ferguson

ceremony | Jaime’s parents’ backyard

officiant | Mary Maisey-Ireland

reception | Rushmore Waterslide, Rapid City

caterer | Dave & Darla Hagel (friends of the bride)

dj | Flipside DJ Service

 Ryan + Jaime – I can not thank you enough for inviting me to be a part of your day!! I had SUCH a wonderful time!! I feel like ‘fun’ is not an adequate word to describe the day because it was so much more than that. I know it’s been said a hundred times by now, but I really do wish you the best and I hope your marriage is full of wonderful memories!! :-D