Jean-Guy and Sylvie drove their motorcycles here all the way from CANADA! They made their way here in time for the Sturgis Motorcycle Rally and had a few other stops in the US before heading back home. Their wedding day forecasted rain, but the clouds parted just in time for them to get married alongside Sylvan Lake as originally planned. We started the ceremony as the last raindrops fell and I *love* how the rings in the water will remind these two of just how lucky we were that Mother Nature cooperated with us! :-)

Mary from Your Joyful Wedding proved once again that hiring a professional officiant makes a wedding ceremony the most unique and memorable part of the day.

Second to the raindrops trailing off at the beginning of their ceremony was their vows – READ IN FRENCH. Why is everything more beautiful in French?

This first kiss makes my knees weak – the tightest hug, the biggest kiss, they are so excited to officially be married!!

I wasn’t aware that a group of bikers had stopped to witness the ceremony, so when I heard cheering during Jean-Guy and Sylvie’s first kiss as husband and wife, I turned around to see this sweet group of guys!

Evan + Megan’s fall state park wedding had me feeling more like spring! Showers in the morning, sunshine in the afternoon, and lovely pink details. Just ignore all the leaves on the trees being yellow/orange/red. ;-)

I loved the details Megan had picked for her wedding day – especially the pin from her great-grandmother that she wore in her hair!

First look (in the rain)!!!

‘Merica. ;-)

Mr. and Mrs.!!! Woop woop!!

We took engagement pictures at this lake, so I just *had* to take a couple more on their wedding day. 

So… I might have been a *little* excited that the sun decided to come out for the evening… I can’t resist sun flare!!

If you’re around Custer State Park ever, you know the buffalo like to hang out in the meadow next to the State Game Lodge. This guy and a few of his friends were the official ‘welcoming party’ for Evan + Megan’s guests. :-)

Evan + Megan hired DubBus for transporting their wedding party, plus Koda for their photo booth, and both were a huge hit! For those planning their Black Hills wedding, Kevin and Melina are super kind people who know how to treat a wedding party right!

Evan + Megan – Thanks for having me photograph your wedding! I still can’t believe we lucked out with the leaves still on the trees *and* the sun coming out after your ceremony!! What a beautiful, perfect day for you to look back on. I hope you enjoy this sneak peek – I can’t wait to show you the rest of your images!

Arek + Jori’s wedding honestly made me want a do-over on my own wedding (seriously, you 2017 brides are really stepping it up!!)! Jori’s gown had an illusion neckline, sleeves, and buttons down the back, with those oh-so-lovely lace scallops at the bottom. And her bridesmaids? GORGEOUS in mixed gold. So, so good.

They also had an amazing team working for them – Black Hills Receptions, Victoria’s Garden, Black Hills Video, Bakehouse and Occasions by Cory.

However, all the lovely (and tasty) details aside, what made Arek + Jori’s wedding truly wonderful was their love for each other and from their family + friends. Their wedding party was so kind + helpful + cheerful all throughout the day, and their family and friends stood up to give the most lovely advice at the reception.

Instead of doing a first look, Arek and Jori did a ‘first touch’ instead. They squeezed hands, tried not to cry (along with us behind the cameras), and told each other how excited they were to see each other and to get married. It was so, so sweet!

Arek, I hope you don’t mind me sharing this. This deep breath that you took when seeing Jori walk up the aisle was everything. Cool, collected, and “WOW!” :-)

ALL THE CAKES!!! 

Okay, so not all speeches are created equal. Jori’s maid and matron of honor put together a little something to the tune of ‘Goodbye Earl’ and it was cutest, most hilarious ‘speech’ I’ve ever witnessed. Jori – you are seriously blessed with the best family!!

Arek + Jori – Oh man, I can’t thank you enough for having me at your wedding! What a beautiful, wonderful day! Also, I can’t wait for you to move here because I’m totally holding you to that coffee date!! ;-)

When Tarrise + Amy’s scheduled engagement session time called for rain (which ended up including a bit of snow), we agreed a sunrise session would be better weather-wise. We had no idea the lake we picked for photos would be steaming when we got there! I think it’s safe to say, the early wake-up was TOTALLY worth it!!!

Tarrise + Amy – Thanks again for getting up so early! I hope you enjoyed your weekend in the Black Hills, and I can’t wait to see you again in August!!!

September is always a favorite thanks to open-windows weather, our anniversary, and new this year: fresh produce!

Milo quickly switched from shaking his head ‘no’ to clapping and doing ‘so big.’ We love that we can sit him in the middle of the room, leave, come back, and find him still sitting in the middle of the room. If he’s on his tummy, he will quickly army-crawl over to the door stop or nearest book. Everything still goes in his mouth, and his third tooth has finally poked through.

Elodie is continuing to add to her vocabulary and even putting small sentences together. “Off go, bye house.” “Oh, mom.” “Love you, da.” She is getting the hang of her tricycle, but still likes a push to get going. ‘Bat ball’ is a favorite outside game, although she has different ideas every day of how to play.

We celebrated our fifth anniversary with a quiet day at home and it was wonderful. No work, no errands, just naps and walks and meals together. And playing with the kids, of course.

Our ‘new’ house (can you believe it’s been a year now since we moved?!) has an apple tree, and we also planted a few vegetables. We now have a freezer full of sliced apples (thanks to my parents for their help), and we are very tired of eating green beans for a while. :-)