Mark + Katie traveled all the way from Washington state to have a beautiful backyard wedding at Mark’s parents’ house in Rapid City on the first day of summer. And. Then. It. RAINED. But it couldn’t have happened to a more laid back, carefree couple. They had their first look under the cover of the back patio, then went to the front of the house when the rain started coming down sideways, then relaxed inside with their family + friends while waiting for the storm to pass.

Finally the sky cleared and everyone came outside for the ceremony and a few portraits – in the most beautiful light! (I may have been jumping up and down with excitement)

We weren’t outside for long before another storm pushed its way in – but I didn’t mind, because LOOK AT THESE TWO!! They make threatening clouds look gooooood! :-)

Back inside for supper, cupcakes, and more relaxing. The perfect ending to a perfectly imperfect day. :-)

Thanks, Mark + Katie, for being so happy and relaxed and letting me steal you away for some photos down the road! This was probably my favorite first day of summer ever! :-) Best wishes to you both and have a safe trip back to WA!

In between days of threatening thunderstorms, the clouds parted and the sun shone on Kris + Gretchen’s wedding day! I was so happy to work with blue skies and green grass, and of course these two lovebirds!! :-)

We had to take a few breaks in between photos to free flies that became trapped in the layers of tulle on Gretchen’s dress, but my-oh-my did move beautifully in the wind and when she walked! Wedding gowns are so magical like that. :-)

If you remember from their engagement session, we did a bit of ‘exploring’ (aka climbing around fallen trees) to get to a beautiful location. Since I knew they were troopers and up for anything, we ventured down a barely-used pathway for a scenic change.

Can I just say something? WORTH IT. :-)

Kris + Gretchen – Thanks again for being up for anything! I had a wonderful time with you on your wedding day and I hope these photos help you remember just how beautiful your day was! :-)

Spring is here!!

May brought lots of enjoyment in the form of beautiful weather, baskets of fresh fruits and veggies, and an adorable live feed of kittens.

That’s right. Kittens. They’re so cuuuuute!! It’s so much fun to see them run and play, but they are equally as adorable when they are sleeping and using each other as pillows. If you’d like to see how cute they are for yourself, here’s the link: http://www.apl.tv/kittens.htm

Bountiful Baskets is something I’ve heard of for a while, but was never interested in doing because I heard it was *so* much food. That is, until a good friend of mine suggested we split a basket! We tried it for the first time this month, and I’ll be honest, the fruits were eaten up before the veggies. It has been wonderful to have healthy snacks and side dishes lately!

Lastly, it’s flower planting season!! My in-laws were in town for Mother’s Day weekend, so I had some help in picking out blooms for the planters this year. Hopefully my thumb will get a little greener – last year’s flowers weren’t doing so great by the end of summer. Okay, by mid-summer. I promise I’ll do better this year!!

What wonderful things have you been loving this past month?

Everyone, meet Tim + Teresa. They are fun, cute, smiley, and they love any movie with Will Ferrell. We got along swimmingly. :-)

They also love the color gray, so I made it my mission to splash a little color into their session. This wall did the trick, don’t you think? :-)

Ohh, the giggles. Thanks, Tim + Teresa, for playing along with my silly games. I *LOVE* this photo of you two!!

There were so many things about John + Heidi’s wedding that I absolutely loved – I don’t even know where to start! The way Heidi couldn’t stop smiling after she put her dress on. The fact that both John + Heidi’s favorite part about the day was seeing each other for the first time. The mention of Magnus (you remember Magnus) during the ceremony. These flowers…

Love, love, LOVE when dad hands his daughter off to her groom – just look at the love and excitement going on here!! :-)

John + Heidi – Thank you for inviting me into your lives and to document the first day of your marriage! Keep on doing what you do – the way you laugh with and love each other is so beautiful, and it will bring you so many years of happiness. Hugs to you both!! :-)