That’s right, little ol’ me from South Dakota had my very first destination wedding in St. Louis!!! I’ll expand on that more in a different post, because now I want to introduce you to my beautiful cousin Gladys and her dancing-machine-husband Matt!!

Matt + Gladys met at a swing dance event in St. Louis. She needed a ride home. He had a car. Since then, they have become great swing dancers and fallen deeply in love. I LOVE seeing my cousins marry people who make them laugh and smile, and Matt does just that for Gladys.

These guys had the most involved suits I have ever seen – they all had to help each other get ready. At one point, I think there was a line of guys putting on each others’ suspenders. :-)

Gladys couldn’t have picked better shoes to wear all day and dance in all night!

Gladys’s niece Eden is just as shy as I was when I was a little girl!

This wedding was one of the craftiest I have seen in a long time – the girls bought these flowers at Trader Joe’s and arranged each bouquet themselves.

Matt + Gladys chose to see each other for the first time during the ceremony – here’s Matt seeing Gladys for the first time.

And he could NOT keep his eyes off her! :-)

Some people are jumping-challenged… but not these guys. Holy smokes!!

For those of you who were at the wedding and chillin’ at the reception, this is what I was up to:

Gladys had fun shoes and Matt had fun argyle socks! I love me some awesome details! :-)

THIS is my cousin. Fun, gorgeous, and happy to be married!!

And Matt’s ‘button’iere? He made it. And one for all the other guys. SO much craftiness at this wedding!

Gladys’s niece Elise recently earned her angel wings due to a disease called Tay Sachs and was Gladys’s flower girl in spirit.

You can read her story here and make your own contribution to cure Tay Sachs here.

Sqwires is such a unique place and it was perfect for Matt + Gladys’s wedding reception!

The father-daughter dance…

And let the swingin’ begin!!

ceremony | Lafayette Park United Methodist Church

reception | Sqwires

bridesmaid dresses | a selection of stores

men’s suits | Men’s Wearhouse

flowers | Trader Joe’s

I am backing up photos from my cousin’s wedding in St. Louis today and I just HAVE to share a photo with you! :-)

Today I am soaking in the luxury of not traveling in snowy weather.

Today I am enjoying spending little nuggets free time with my boyfriend in between work.

Today I am answering emails and fulfilling print orders before I’m away from the computer for two days.

Today I am eating the last of my stash of Thin Mints.

Today I am mentally preparing myself for my very first ‘destination wedding’ in St. Louis this weekend.

Today I am looking at photos of my two favorite boys.

That’s what my Fat Tuesday looks like. How about yours?

If you’ve ever been in Rapid City, you know about Armadillo’s. If not, I’ll take you there next time you’re here. Promise.

They have amazing soft-serve ice cream – including a new sherbet flavor every other day. EVERY OTHER DAY!!

They just opened for the season a few days ago, and I have been looking for an excuse to go ever since. So today while I was out running errands (in the 2″ of heavy SNOW we got last night), I decided I would treat myself to either ice cream at Armadillo’s or a latte elsewhere, depending on what today’s flavor would be. Because having to run errands after a heavy snow is a good excuse for a treat in my book. :-)

The sign read “Today’s flavor: COFFEE”

It was meant to be.

BOTH coffee AND ice cream?! Win for me!

In case you’re wondering, I got the coffee+vanilla twist. It was fabulous. :-)

All of you brides out there (already married or soon-to-be), I want you to raise your hand if you tried on your wedding dress before the wedding.

Now, I want you to raise your hand if you tried on your wedding day makeup. Hair style? Accessories? Shoes?

These might sound like silly questions, and some of them might not even apply to you, but as a wedding photographer I have seen some pretty ridiculous scenarios all because someone forgot to make time to ‘try it on.’

First of all, please please please don’t try out brand new make up on your wedding day. I once had a bride look like a pumpkin because her brand new foundation wasn’t the right shade to match her skin tone. Thank goodness she was used to the brand – how awful would that have been if she had an allergic reaction to the new makeup?! My advice: hire a makeup artist and do a trial run a few weeks before the wedding (right when your spray tan is the perfect shade). Makeup artists know how to make makeup look good in real life AND in photos. Also, ask if they’ll stick around during photos to help with touch-ups.

Your hairstyle? Try it on! If you want your updo to stay up or your curls to stay curled all day long, ask your stylist to have a practice run to make sure you love how it looks from all angles.

Your accessories? Try them on! There are so many cute accessories out there – from necklaces to earrings to hair clips to garters – and they are all meant to help you feel even more glamorous on your big day. Find a worry-free necklace that won’t twist or hang too low. If you don’t wear earrings every day, wear them for a few days before the wedding so your ears don’t get irritated on the day of. And this is just me, but I can’t stand wearing a garter. They’re itchy and annoying and I’d rather not have anyone try to take it off with their teeth. But that’s just me. However, I happened to find this little beauty a few weeks ago, and if it’s anything like VS’s lace-waist hiphuggers, it has GOT to be comfortable.

And, last but DEFINITELY not least. The shoes. I have seen some pretty rockin’ shoes this past year, and some pretty amazing girls have worn them all. day. long. However, if you are planning on wearing stiletto heels for the big day and but your everyday shoes are flats, make it a point to wear your wedding shoes around your apartment for a few weeks beforehand. Your feet will thank you.

AND if you’re planning on wearing some Manolo Blahniks (ahem, Paige…) please be advised that I WILL dedicate a portion of your wedding day to photograph your shoes. :-)