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

Ryan + Heather are the definition of fun. Since the day they first met, they’ve been doing things out of their comfort zone and have been SO rewarded with the outcome! Heather was prompted by a friend to give Ryan her phone number almost immediately after meeting him, which she doesn’t normally do. Ryan called her despite knowing almost nothing about her, which he doesn’t normally do. And they have been nearly inseparable for just about two years!!

Which leads us to their engagement session this weekend. I had them giving eskimo kisses, laying in the grass at the park, and snuggling in public. Which is something they don’t normally do. And look how good they made it all look!!!! :-)

 Ryan + Heather – the countdown is on!!! Right? Hopefully your internet is finally switched over now so you can check… ;-) I hope you have a fun and wonderful engagement and I can’t wait to celebrate your wedding with you next summer!!!

I have had so much fun spending time with high school seniors lately – talking about summer jobs, future plans, and all the excitement of leaving home and being on your own. Sean has big plans and he is excited to work hard for them. In just the couple hours I spent with him, I can tell he will do great things and I am excited to see what life brings him. :-)

 Sean – have fun and enjoy your senior year!! I had a great time meeting and photographing you!

Let me just start by saying… I love this girl. She has helped me at a handful of weddings over the past few summers, and now that she’s starting her final year of high school, I finally had an excuse to photograph her beautiful face!! She laughs at all my jokes and she can make any pose I throw at her completely adorable just by being her. I wish I could photograph her every week. :-)

 Oh, and we also like try out new locations… and find hidden gems like this here and there. :-)

 And despite having a dog pee on her shoes, she still giggles like a sweetheart just for a great photo. Such a trooper!! :-)

 Round two: straight hair and more new locations!! Yay!!

 Hannah – thank you SO much for having fun with me and trying out all these new locations!! We’ve had lots of memorable adventures and I can’t wait for more to come!! :-)