The first wedding of the season always sets the bar for me. And this year, that bar is set higher than the sky! Everything about Zack+Betsy’s day was so perfectly meaningful. So wonderful. So them! I’m sure they got asked ‘You’re getting married on a Tuesday?! In a bistro?!’ all the time. But of course they picked Tuesday – it was March 20th… exactly three years after their first date. And now it will be the most memorable Tuesday of their lives. :-)

Even the bistro has a special history – it was where they had one of those ‘really good’ dates. With a great conversation and a decision to stay together forever. Parker’s in Sioux Falls will now be the most memorable bistro of their lives. :-)

Probably two of my favorite images from the day!! Betsy helping her daughter get dressed + Betsy’s mom and daughter helping her get dressed. :-)

You can tell a lot about a couple by the way the groom looks at his bride. These two? They’re TOTALLY in love. :-)

I have SO many favorite parts about their ceremony!!

1. Betsy’s friend became ordained so she could officiate the wedding!

2. The guitarist played Falling in Love at a Coffee Shop by Landon Pigg.

and….

3. This moment. :-)

Okay, and this moment, too! Love exciting exits!! :-)

ceremony + reception | Parker’s Bistro, Sioux Falls, SD

wedding gown | David’s Bridal

flowers | HyVee

guitarist | Geoff Gunderson

Zack + Betsy – I cannot thank you enough for having me photograph your wedding! I hope you’re having a wonderful time enjoying your marriage! And seriously think about a Black Hills honeymoon!! I know all the great places (and faces) to see! :-)

Nora – You make a wonderful Cinderella! I hope someday you find your Prince Charming, and that he is as perfect for you as Zack is for your mom! :-)

I have been SO blessed this year with such wonderful, sweet, loving couples!! Ever since Tyler + Lindy’s engagement session this spring, I have been counting down the days to their wedding!! I couldn’t wait to see all the beautiful details they had planned. I couldn’t wait to meet their wedding party (all 14 of them!). I couldn’t wait for their first look, first kiss, and first dance. And everything exceeded my expectations.

There were so many fun moments throughout the day – starting with Lindy showing up in kids’ size jeggings saying her 4″ platform pumps “are actually really comfortable.”

I always tear up a little when moms help their daughters get ready. :-)

And this one is just for giggles. :-) Lindy, you are cute no matter what you’re doing – including having a veil shoved into your hair!

The first look!!!!

Lindy was SO ready for some outdoor photos – I loved her wrap she found online!!

DANCE PARTY!!

I love being able to capture moments between the parents right before the ceremony – so much excitement!!

In case you’re wondering what true love looks like, check out these next two images. :-)

And you gotta love a fun father-daughter dance! :-)

ceremony | First Lutheran Church, Battle Lake, MN

reception + catering | Thumper Pond, Ottertail, MN

wedding gown + bridesmaid dresses | Alan Evans Bridal, Moorhead, MN

groom + groomsmen tuxes | Tip Top Tux, Elegance by LinDee, Perham, MN

flowers | Designs by Tes, New York Mills, MN

cake | Mrs. J’s Sweet Treats, Wahpeton, ND

dj | Party 2 Go DJ Service, Kelly Reller, Detroit Lakes, MN

Tyler + Lindy – Thank you, thank you, thank you for having me at your wedding!!!! I can’t express how much I enjoyed photographing you on the biggest day of your lives together (so far)!!

And Tiffany was at the wedding!! I love my studio lb brides!! :-) Special thanks to John for taking the photo! Apparently grooms would rather be behind the camera… ;-)

From the moment I arrived to photograph Ryan + Terra’s wedding, I was blown away. Every little detail about this wedding was thoughtfully planned to make someone and everyone feel special. From the personalized dress hangers to the surprise bagpiper at the ceremony to the baseball themed reception and breast cancer awareness ribbons. Not only did Ryan + Terra plan to make everyone feel special, their friends and family even surprised them with a FLASH MOB at the wedding dance!! Terra said it perfectly. “I have the best family ever!!” And what an honor it was to be a part of it!! Enjoy *some* of my favorites… there are LOTS more where these came from!!

Ryan + Terra’s first look was absolute perfection. :-)

Ryan’s son Kaden was absolutely excited to be a part of the day – he even helped with the unity candle during the ceremony and did great!!

Seriously. There are SO many images I wanted to share, but I just had to narrow them down for the sneak peek!!

The next two are tied for my favorite wedding portraits. Ever.

Even their wedding party was stellar!! It started to mist during the end of outdoor portraits but the guys didn’t mind and *thank*the*lord* they let me finish the last three images I needed before we headed off to the ceremony!

There were a lot of ‘reasons’ to get Ryan + Terra tucked away before the ceremony, but the really it was to surprise Ryan with the Bagpiper Terra had hired!!

And it TOTALLY worked. Not a dry eye in the house!! Ryan’s family is very much Irish and the bagpiper was the perfect way to honor that!

After they exchanged rings and vows, their parents and grandparents came up to give them a blessing. SO MUCH LOVE in this family!!!

Okay. One more favorite wedding portrait. Hooray for being married!!!

Ryan + Terra shared such a beautiful first dance, and so did Terra and her father. I love the way her sisters are watching from the corner of the dance floor. :-)

And… the moment you’ve all been waiting for… the FLASH MOB!!!! So much fun in this photo!!!! I especially love grandpa bustin’ a move. :-)

And Terra’s reaction following. :-) Seriously. They have the best families EVER!!!

ceremony | Custer Lutheran Fellowship Church, Custer, SD

reception + catering | Sylvan Lake Lodge, Custer, SD

wedding gown| Maggie Sottero

bridesmaid dresses | Lasting Impressions, Sioux Falls, SD

groom + groomsmen tuxes | Tip Top Tux

flowers | Jenny’s Floral, Custer, SD

cake | Piece of Cake, Rapid City, SD

dj | Flipside D.J. Service, Brian Blair, Rapid City, SD

Ryan + Terra – From the bottom of my heart, THANK YOU!! For having me. For being so wonderful to each other and your families. You are both so beautiful, inside and out.

p.s. Can you get married again next year? I miss you already. :-)

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