Not only did I have amazing couples in 2010, I also had awesome wedding parties! I saw so many hugs and laughs and teary-eyed speeches that I realized how special bridesmaids and groomsmen really are.

They’re the bride and groom’s best friends and closest relatives. They are the ones who make the bride and groom laugh all day long and stand as witnesses as they vow to love each other for the rest of their lives.

I want to thank all of the wedding parties I’ve worked with this year. You are the best friends to my couples and you really do add the ‘party’ to the wedding. Thanks also for going along with my different poses, having fun and pretending to laugh at my super lame jokes!

Richard + Erika – 5.21.2010 – St. Thomas More – Brookings SD

Nathan + Emily – 10.9.10 – Stephen, MN

Dave + Melissa – 7.30.2010 – Mitchell, SD

Andy + Abby – 7.10.2010 – Our Lady of the Black Hills – Piedmont, SD

Patrick + Mackenzie – 8.14.2010 – Ellsworth Air Force Base

Bryce + Brittany – 7.31.2010 – Sabin, MN

Beau + Lisa – 8.20.2010 – Washington Pavilion – Sioux Falls, SD

Ryan + Annalee – 7.24.2010 – K Bar S Lodge – Keystone, SD

Ryan + Krystal – 9.25.2010 – Buffalo Ridge Resort – Gary, SD

I have never really thought about the New Year holiday as being one of my favorite. Because really, why shouldn’t it be?

It’s the time of year when I get to make goals and lists and resolutions.

It’s the time of year when I get to organize all my papers to prepare for my meeting with my accountant.

It’s the time of year when I get to re-assess everything I’ve done to try and do better for the next year.

It’s the time of year when I get to look back and remember all the fun places I’ve been and all the great people I’ve worked with!

Without further ado, here are my top twenty-five wedding portraits of 2010!!

Richard + Erika – 5.21.2010 – St. Thomas More – Brookings SD

Dave + Kendra – 5.29.2010 – Dell Rapids, SD

Brandon + Laurie – 9.11.2010 – Buffalo Ridge Resort – Gary, SD

Aaron + Jillian – 6.26.2010 – Cathedral of St. Mary – Fargo, ND

Brian + Barb – 6.5.2010 – Huntimer, SD

Andy + Abby – 7.10.2010 – Our Lady of the Black Hills – Piedmont, SD

Ryan + Annalee – 7.24.2010 – K Bar S Lodge – Keystone, SD

Bryce + Brittany – 7.31.2010 – Sabin, MN

Patrick + Mackenzie – 8.14.2010 – Black Hills Receptions – Rapid City, SD

Beau + Lisa – 8.20.2010 – St. Michael’s – Sioux Falls, SD

John + Tiffany – 10.2.2010 – Wahpeton, ND

Nathan + Emily – 10.9.10 – Stephen, MN

Let’s say you are looking around for the perfect photographer for your wedding. You’re checking out websites, asking for pricelists, etc. You finally find THE photographer who is available for YOUR day. Yippee!! Now what? Hire them to spend all day with you at your wedding? Better yet, hire them for the wedding as well as an engagement session!!

I think it is so important to get to know your photographer. Not just their photos, but the actual photographer. Anyone can look at photos of other people and say “oh, they look so pretty!” Discover how you look through your photographer’s lens. Relax and have fun!

If you’ve picked the perfect photographer for you, you should feel comfortable around them and you should LOVE your photos! If you are happy with how your engagement photos turned out, you can relax and trust in your photographer to get amazing images on your wedding!

I like to make the entire wedding photography process simple for my clients and so I offer a complimentary engagement session with every one of my wedding collections. I put myself out there on the blog and on facebook, but I want to get to know YOU. I want you to know it’s okay to laugh at my lame jokes. I want you to have fun and show me how much you love each other and are excited to get married!

The photos that result from an engagement session are an awesome reminder of how in love you are with each other. You’ve met the person you want to spend the rest of your life with and you’re about to make it official! I can’t stress this enough – HAVE FUN!!

It’s no secret that my absolute FAVORITE part about weddings is the moment the soon-to-be husband and wife see each other for the very first time on their wedding day. It’s so sweet and romantic and special!

I am so lucky that most of my couples opt to do a ‘first look.’ As soon as they are ready, I arrange for just the couple to meet someplace quiet before we start taking portraits.

I keep my big zoom lens on for these photos so I don’t distract my couple. I want this moment to be for them. So that they can have this time to hug and kiss and hug some more and tell each other how GOOD they look!!

I think I forgot to mention how exciting this is for couples!! Sweet, romantic, special and EXCITING!!

I let my couples have as much time as they’d like to have to themselves. Again, this is their wedding day. They are the ones getting married. And for the rest of the day, they will be talking with all their friends and family who have traveled so far to help them celebrate.

Of course, this is the perfect time to exchange letters or even (surprise) gifts. :-)

After the ‘first look’ I move right in to couple portraits. Doing a ‘first look’ before the ceremony gives us as much time as we want to explore different locations for photos. This also extends the ‘just bride and groom’ time before inviting the wedding party to join us for some more photos!

If you have any questions about the ‘first look,’ let me know!!

When Emily first told me that she was getting married in October, in northern Minnesota, I feared the worst. I was sure we would be trapped in a snowstorm and we’d all have to wear snow boots and big, heavy parkas.

When I showed up on Saturday, there was not a cloud in the sky or a breeze through the trees. It was 75 degrees and sunny. In October!

No one had to wear snow boots.

Edie, I apologize in advance if any of these make you cry! Again!! :-)

The first look!!!

There was ONE tree with pretty leaves on it. We took full advantage of it!

Emily said “I KNEW my shoes would make you happy!!”

That’s right, ANOTHER shoe shot. You see, every chance Emily got to dress up in a costume she would ALWAYS be Dorothy from The Wizard of Oz. She probably has ruby red sippers in every size. So it was only natural that she would have a pair for her wedding… the biggest, most special ‘dress up’ day EVER!!

Emily and her beautiful bridesmaids:

The entire wedding ‘party,’ who fully lived up their name later that night…

Nate and his dapper groomsmen:

A little sparkly love…

Nathan + Emily win the award for having the cutest flower girls and ring bearer. But then again, how can you NOT win with TRIPLETS?!

Pretty sure I’m not the only one who realizes how cute they are!!

Nathan + Emily also win the award for having the cutest grandparents. :-)

The reception was full of fun people and beautiful details:

Emily’s sisters finally got to dig up all of Emily’s dirt *without* getting in trouble for it. :-)

Me and the happy couple and my go-go-gadget arms!!

Emily moved before our senior year in high school, but if you were to substitute her for the two foreign exchange students we got that year, this would be 4/9ths of our graduating class. We pretty much could have called this our five-year class reunion.