joe + ashley MARRIED!! Rapid City wedding photography
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The highest honor a wedding photographer can receive has to be a tie between 1) photographing another photographer, and 2) photographing the sister of a previous bride. This past weekend I had the privilege of documenting Mackenzie‘s sister’s wedding and it was the perfect start to the wedding season.

My favorite fact about Joe + Ashley is that they met through the Newman Center at SDSU (it’s where my husband and I met, as well as several of our married friends). Another fun fact is that they were in a photography class together, which gave them an excuse to go on dates that were technically for photo assignments, so it’s kind of like God *and* photography brought these two together!! :-D

Okay, okay, I’m over-the-moon excited for these two. You get it. Time for photos!! Let’s start with THAT DRESS!!!! Lace, buttons, and a fluffy tulle skirt – it’s what dreams are made of, right?!studio lb rapid city wedding photographer 01

Natural beauties! Especially the flower girl – she was beaming (and twirling) all day long!!studio lb rapid city wedding photographer 02

Don’t let these tough faces fool you – they seem to be genuinely nice guys. But they make a good photo, right? :-)studio lb rapid city wedding photographer 03

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Hearts in my eyes for DAYS over this next photo!!!!studio lb rapid city wedding photographer 09

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Joe + Ashley – thank you SO MUCH for having me!! It meant the world to me to be a part of your wedding. I hope you enjoy your sneak peek and I can’t wait for you to see the rest!! :-)studio lb rapid city wedding photographer 19

Also, me with the sisters!!! Love you guys! Thanks for being so fun and sweet and for finding the best husbands. :-)studio lb rapid city wedding photographer 20

best of 2015 MOMENTS
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There is SO much planning that goes in to a wedding day. And yet the number one piece of advice I hear from my brides after their wedding is to not stress about the details – just enjoy the day as it happens. Which, if you’re in the process of planning a wedding, is really hard to do, because obviously you want the day to be beautiful and perfect and fun.

So I’m here to *show* you a handful of these wonderful moments that happen on a wedding day – some which can be planned, but most of them are not. Some are sweet, some are funny, and on the day of, some might even make you cry. I hope you enjoy! And if you are currently in the planning process, keep these in the back of your mind if you happen to get stressed about anything… Your wedding is going to be great! You’re going to marry your best friend, your friends and family are going to have fun being together, and soon after you’ll have photos to re-live the day over and over again. :-)

Let’s start at the beginning, shall we? Classic wedding dress goodness with buttons and a bow plus having to put it on over the head. :-)

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Here’s a dad who had to step in when the bride’s necklace clasp was a little tricky.studio lb moments 02

A grandmother who was there for the bride when the mom couldn’t be.studio lb moments 03

And the mom who *almost* cried but didn’t because once you start, it’s just too hard to stop. So let’s turn those tears into laughter, shall we? :-)studio lb moments 04

Note to future brides – if you have your bridesmaids get dressed before you, they’ll look great when they help you get into your dress!. :-)

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A helpful groomsman.studio lb moments 06

A father passing on the tie he wore at his wedding to his son.studio lb moments 07

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And first looks… these are one of those planned moments we talked about, but are easily one of the most memorable ones from the day. :-)studio lb moments 09

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Next up: portraits. Yes, unexpected moments can even happen during portraits! Like when someone says to the bride and groom “go pretend like you’re doing your unity sand” and then it happens in an unrealistic but still photo-worthy way.

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Or when a groom helps his bride look perfectly put together…

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Or when he probably whispers something inappropriate in your ear…studio lb moments 19

Or when there’s a piano in the house where you’re getting married and you want to ‘normalize’ your big day by incorporating a little ‘daily life’ into portraits.
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Now, let’s add the family and wedding party to the mix. Things are getting better already, can you tell? Like when this dad gives his son a congratulatory hand shake.

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Or when your family’s ‘getting ready for a portrait’ photo is more ‘like them’ than the actual portrait. (Mrs. Kouba, it still cracks me up that you ordered this!!)studio lb moments 13

Downtown Deadwood – you never know who is going to walk in to your photo!

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Me: Oh, uh, I guess these branches are a little low for you to stand under…

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Me: Let me just test my light.

Priest and Groom: *cheese*

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Sweet “here’s some Taco John’s because I know you’ve got to be starving” moment.studio lb moments 22

On the count of three “let’s get married!!”

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Grandparents are just the best. studio lb moments 24 Getting married time!! Another one of those planned moments, but you never know how emotional parents are going to be when they walk their daughters up the aisle. I get misty-eyed every time.
studio lb moments 26 studio lb moments 27 studio lb moments 28 The way brides and grooms look at each other during weddings is seriously the best!!studio lb moments 29 studio lb moments 30 studio lb moments 31 studio lb moments 32

Okay, and sometimes there’s those moments between best friends…studio lb moments 33

And flower girls. :-)

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Or when a groom surprises his bride with a song medley!!!studio lb moments 35

And the whole wedding party (okay maybe just the bridesmaids) are reduced to tears!studio lb moments 36

But then it’s that moment. THE MOMENT. The one when bride and groom are finally pronounced husband and wife!!

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And they may now kiss!!

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And proceed to wipe off any lipstick left behind!
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And LOOK – they’re MARRIED!!! Are you feeling all the feels yet?! :-)studio lb moments 42

I know I brought up first dances in the best of weddings post, but here’s one more…studio lb moments 43

And okay, first dances with parents are pretty  heartwarming, too! :-)studio lb moments 44 studio lb moments 45 studio lb moments 46

Now for some more silly-ness. I *love* seeking out people taking pictures!studio lb moments 47 studio lb moments 48 Isn’t this new family just adorable?!studio lb moments 49 studio lb moments 50studio lb moments 51

I almost considered making a best of moments part two: KIDS… but I couldn’t keep all this cuteness to myself any longer!

studio lb moments 52 studio lb moments 53 studio lb moments 54 This ring bearer decided he didn’t like the moss in the ring box – but before you freak out – the rings were in the best man’s pocket. Another good idea for all those planning a wedding out there: not all ring bearers should be entrusted with the actual rings. :-)studio lb moments 55Modern-day Cinderellas put their shoes back on when they fall off. ;-)
studio lb moments 56 And some little princesses take other matters into their own hands…studio lb moments 57 Hooray for rocks and pinecones! Waiting for weddings to happen can get real boring.studio lb moments 58 Sometimes dresses and flower crowns are itchy. studio lb moments 59 studio lb moments 60 studio lb moments 61 I love that kids are always the first to the dance floor!studio lb moments 62 And flower girls *love* to twirl!studio lb moments 63 These guys crack me up – apparently I need to work on my stealthiness when taking candids. :-)studio lb moments 64 And finally, this little girl just melts my heart Look how excited she was to be asked to dance – she is absolutely beaming!studio lb moments 65

Thanks for following along on this year-in-review! I hope you have enjoyed these moments – I look forward to capturing many, many more! :-)

best of 2015 WEDDINGS
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Engagement sessions are fun because they’re so laid back, but weddings are great because the excitement levels are off the charts! The best part about weddings are the moments (blog post full of those coming next week), but one of the main reasons I’m hired is to get awesome portraits for the bride and groom to remember and share how much they love each other. Here are my favorite portraits from 2015 – enjoy!

First, let’s take a moment to savor the beauty that is bridal portraits!!! 

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Okay, let’s add the groom, shall we? :-)studio lb best wedding photos 05

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Let’s pause for a moment and have a little fun with the wedding party… :-)

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Ok, now back to portraits, this time POST-CEREMONY GOODNESS!! :-) I looooooove it when couples opt to do two portrait sessions during the day – pre-ceremony so they can see each other and calm each others’ nerves, and post-ceremony when all the stress is gone and it’s time to soak in the fact that they’re married!! :-)studio lb best wedding photos 50

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And those first dances – which are really more like moments (coming to the blog soon), but they are still some of my favorite ‘couple portraits’ because the way they hold each other is more loving and natural than any pose I could imagine!studio lb best wedding photos 57

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Okay, let’s steal the bride and groom one last time for a sunset photo. ;-)studio lb best wedding photos 61

 

layne + alexis MARRIED!! Black Hills wedding photography
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Layne + Alexis got engaged in New York City on New Years Eve, so they wanted to incorporate a little sparkle and magic to their wedding day. I’d say it was a success! :-)

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These two were cracking each other up all day. They are as goofy as they are sweet, and it was so fun to watch them enjoy their wedding to the fullest!studio lb woodlands receptions wedding photos 05

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CONFETTI CANNONS!!! studio lb woodlands receptions wedding photos 12

After the ceremony, we took a stroll at sunset for some more photos, which has to be the most romantic thing ever, right? How many couples take time to enjoy a moment to themselves during their wedding day? Love these next few!!studio lb woodlands receptions wedding photos 13

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Back inside for a little cake and a little dancing and the beginning of a lifetime of love and happiness. :-)studio lb woodlands receptions wedding photos 18

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Layne + Alexis – Thank you so much for inviting me to be a part of your special day! studio lb woodlands receptions wedding photos 20

pete + erin MARRIED!! Sylvan Lake wedding photography
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Weddings in the Black Hills are beautiful, but Sylvan Lake really does have it all – mountains, water, and that seasonal splash of fall color.studio lb sylvan lake fall wedding 01

Erin and her girls. :-)studio lb sylvan lake fall wedding 02

 

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There’s something about the way brides and grooms look at each other during their wedding ceremony – it’s the most perfect combination of love and excitement and it makes my heart flutter every time!

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Just married!!! :-)

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Pete + Erin – Thank you so much for choosing me to photograph your big day! I hope you have enjoyed your first few days being married! :-)

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