Jesse + Elizabeth are some of the sweetest, most laid-back, super fun people I have ever met and I had SO much fun photographing their wedding!! A lot of the planning was done spontaneously, which was so fitting for them. I know I say this a lot, but I really do have the best couples and the most important+exciting thing to them is the fact that they are getting married. And wearing fun shoes while doing so. :-)

 A lucky coin from Elizabeth’s grandma was her ‘something old.’

 Even their first look was both sweet and funny. They couldn’t help but hug and kiss right away, but the INSTANT after they kissed, thought out loud “Oops!! Are we supposed to wait until we’re married to kiss each other??”

 They had the cutest little fan girls and ring bearer!!! (The girls handed out colorful fans before the ceremony for guests to cool down with, but we were fortunate to have clouds to keep us from over-heating :-)

 Jesse’s brother and his friends played some live jazz music at the reception – so fun!!

bride’s dress + shoes | BHLDN

groom’s suit | J.Crew

 ceremony | Chapel in the Hills, Rapid City, South Dakota

reception | The Dahl

cake | Jerry’s Cakes & Donuts

caterer | Angel’s Catering

 Jesse + Elizabeth – thank you SO much for having me!! Minus my allergies and raspy voice that day, I had a wonderful time at your wedding!! I am so excited for you two and your marriage-ment, and I hope you find a reason to come back to Rapid City!! :-) Sincerely, your photographista, Laura. ;-)

Trevin and Audrey had the perfect plan for their wedding day – they were going to get married and they were going to have fun. But there were also sweet, stolen glances. An emotional first look. Love letters. Fun dancing. Nurse/medic rival jokes. And more wonderful things that led to a perfect day!!

Their first look was SO beautiful. These next few photos are ALL from their first look – with hugs, kisses, smiles and tears, I couldn’t help but photograph every single emotion that was pouring out of them!! :-)

After their ‘moment’ we took a stroll down by Sylvan Lake, the backdrop of their wedding ceremony.

Trevin also brought his bike out to the hills, which is how their story first began – after finally getting Audrey to go on a date with him, Trevin picked her up on his motorcycle… and brought her home that night with a burn on her leg. Thankfully she’s a nurse and was able to fix herself right up. ;-)

These cupcakes are the reason I am so willing to travel to Sioux Falls as often as I do. Oh My Cupcakes in downtown Sioux Falls made these for Trevin and Audrey, and their friend Ashley brought them all the way to Rapid City in her car!! (and not too many went missing during the drive ;-))

These guys had SUCH a fun dance surprise for the guests!! After Trevin + Audrey’s first dance, the wedding party came up and each had their own little solo dance as well as a medley of other fun group dances. What a fun way to get the party started!!

ceremony + reception + caterer | Custer State Park Resort – Sylvan Lake

cake + cupcakes | Oh My Cupcakes, Sioux Falls, SD

Trevin + Audrey – It was such an honor being your wedding photographer!! Thanks so much for having me for your special day. I had such a fun time, it didn’t even feel like I was working!! :-) Love you both, and next time I come to SF we’re having a cupcake date!!

Scott and Sarah had the most perfect, intimate, detail-filled, laid-back wedding and I was so excited to be a part of it!! We started with a quick little first look before walking over to the ceremony site at Blue Bell Lodge in Custer State Park.

Waiting at the ceremony were goody bags filled with water, tissues and a little fold-up fan. Sarah’s mother made these wonderful little bells with Scott & Sarah’s names, their wedding date, and CSP scenery – trees and buffalo. :-) They were a perfect way to ‘ring in’ the new couple! :-D

I love that Scott walked Sarah to the ceremony – they even shared a little kiss on their way over! :-)

Scott + Sarah had arranged for the park’s Jeeps to take everyone around the park – and to find the buffalo…

… which we totally did find!!

A little more portrait time before dinner – yay for being married!! :-)

I could have made a blog post just with all the fun little details at their reception (birdhouses, fabric napkins, chocolate-covered sunflower nuts, pinecones, a tin lunchbox, the list goes on…), but my FAVORITE was their ‘guest tree’ – so fun and so cute!

I also had a lot of fun with the rings – so many fun details to take photos of!!

ceremony + reception + caterer | Custer State Park Resort – Blue Bell Lodge

wedding gown | David’s Bridal

groom’s suit | Halberstadt’s

hair + flowers + cake + decorations | themselves!!

Scott + Sarah – Thank you SO much for including me in your big day!! I am so excited for you and I hope there are fewer than normal forest fires this summer so you can spend lots more time together. ;-)

Being Patrick and Kimberly’s photographer for their destination wedding was such a treat! The Inn at Whittier was a perfect location – scenic, secluded and so so beautiful. But what made the weekend even more enjoyable were Pat & Kim’s wonderful personalities and welcoming families.

With destination weddings, it’s common that I never meet the couple until the weekend of the wedding. Lucky for me, Pat & Kim were naturals in front of the camera. Their love and excitement was just so apparent, it was impossible to get anything but great images – which actually made it harder to narrow down my favorites for the blog!! :-)

Patrick + Kimberly chose to have a first look, which gave us a lot of time for all kinds of photos, but it didn’t take away any excitement of meeting each other at the end of the aisle. Patrick’s expression while watching Kimberly and her brother walk down the spiral staircase was so priceless!!

Whittier is a town known for it’s tunnels – you can’t get to the town by land without going through a 2.5 mile one-way tunnel – and only on the half-hour can you get in!!

Everyone who lives in Whittier lives in the same building. In the winter, this tunnel across town gives the residents no excuse to skip work!! We had fun exploring. :-)

Pat + Kim – I can’t say enough how great it was to meet you and what an honor it was to be your wedding photographer!! I had SUCH a wonderful time in Alaska!! I hope you two have a wonderful honeymoon and enjoy your time together as much as you can before school starts again!! And please, call me next time you’re in Rapid! :-)

My friends Adam and Josh from AJ Production Company also made the trip to be their videographers. I love working with them because they see things so beautifully and get just as excited about weddings and great lighting as I do!! :-) Check out their highlight reel for more Alaskan wedding wonderful-ness!!

Jeff + Alissa’s wedding was seven years in the making and it went SO well!! They had perfect weather, wonderful families and friends, and so much love happiness. And with that combination, you really can’t go wrong. :-) We started the day with beautiful lighting (my favorite)…

…and a sweet, tearful first look (also my favorite)!

It made me happy that there were no ‘sides’ for people to choose at this wedding. Even Jeff + Alissa’s parents sat together! :-)

I triple LOVE this image. Immediately after the ceremony, I found Jeff and Alissa sharing this little moment outside the chapel. Melts. My. Heart!!

And before we took off for the reception, we did a few ‘married’ portraits. :-D Ask me to do photos before AND after the ceremony and I’ll gladly say yes!!

Jeff and Alissa had the smartest centerpieces I’ve ever seen. Bridesmaid bouquets at the head table, and cakes at the guest tables!! Beautiful AND efficient. :-)

ceremony  | Augustana Campus Chapel, Sioux Falls, South Dakota

reception | Starlite Ballroom, Holiday Inn City Centre

wedding gown | Maggie Sottero from The French Door

bridesmaid dresses | J.Crew

groom + groomsmen suits | Men’s Wearhouse

hair | Ambiance Salon

flowers | Country Garden

cake | The Cake Lady

dj | Musical Edge

Jeff + Alissa – thank you so much for having me as your wedding photographer! I had such a wonderful day and I feel so blessed to have been a special part of it! I hope you are enjoying being married in Maui!! :-)