Laura & Nate

Yesterday I shot my cousin Laura's wedding in Grand Rapids, Minnesota. It was a rough week for Laura and Nate leading up to the wedding. Nate was in a motorcycle accident and thankfully was wearing a helmet and leather jacket but still broke his shoulder blade and bruised himself up pretty good. Pain killers helped him through the wedding. And the morning of the wedding Laura woke up struggling to swallow and went to the doctor only to find out she had mono! So they were both on drugs but the wedding went well and I honestly couldn't tell that Laura was sick. Plus Lee, Laura's brother, who was supposed to be an usher, came down with a violent flu bug on the day of the wedding and was completely out of commission. I'm still up here one more day with my aunt and uncle and now my uncle has the flu! Hopefully I won't be bringing it back to share with all of you in Arizona :).

The wedding was very simple but also very special with many family and friends in attendance.

This is my gorgeous cousin Amanda up from Nebraska:


The dress:


Getting the dress on without messing up the hair is always a fun challenge:


Laura & Nate seeing each other for the first time:


We just walked around the church grounds for portraits but I loved what I had to work with:



Laura & Nate were so sweet together.





Here's the bridal party:


The groomsmen:



The bridesmaids:


Laura's dad walked her down the isle to the country song "I loved her first." It was a tear-jerker.


The cute ring-bearer:


And the sweet flower girl:



I've never seen Laura happier:


Finally married and off to nurse each other back to health :).


If you'd like to see a slideshow with more photos from the day, click here.

Congratulations Nate & Laura!!

Alex & Ryan

Saturday was Alex & Ryan's wedding. These two are a totally sweet couple who are friends of Laura & Daniel -- a couple who's wedding I shot a year and a half ago. So it was fun to see them again--happily married :).

This wedding was a dream to shoot. Even though it was hot and sunny all day, we had great light overall and beautiful places to shoot. Not to mention beautiful people :). We started out the day at a great salon in downtown Tempe -- Mood Swings. If you're getting married and looking for a salon to get ready at--check this one out--I would love the chance to shoot there again.

Here's Michelle--the maid of honor:


Alex getting her make-up done:



Next we headed to The Secret Garden, a great venue in south Phoenix. I love shooting there. My friend Sarah is the coordinator and she is a joy to work with. Also, The Secret Garden has the prettiest getting ready rooms I've seen at all the venues I've worked at.

Here's the dress:


And the shoes--one for style, one for comfort:


The girls were so funny--they really wanted the day to be peaceful and fun so they brought Uno to pass the time before getting dressed:



Alex was a gorgeous bride:



Here's Ryan hanging out with his Best Man, Scott before the wedding. I love how they're sitting the same way:


During the portraits of the guys I was working with the 2-year-old ring bearer to sit like this:


And instead, he came up with his own pose:


So hilarious!!

Here's the adorable flower girl:


Preparing the way for the bride:


The guests looked on as Alex's dad walked her down the huge staircase to get married:


Such a beautiful setting--you wouldn't know we were in Arizona except for the heat!



Some fun portraits with Alex and Ryan after the ceremony:






And the first dance:



A great moment during the father/daughter dance:


And then the par-tay!


If you haven't had enough and would like to see even more photos from the wedding, click here to see the slideshow.

Congratulations Alex & Ryan--it was such a magical day!

Eric & Melanie

Eric & Melanie got married last Saturday in Sedona. It was absolutely picturesque. Buckle up because I have a LOT of favorites to share with you. The day started out with hair and make-up:



I love the old-world feel to this photo:


The dress:


A couple shots of Eric getting ready:



Melanie warned me ahead of time that her family is a bunch of mad picture-takers. And she wasn't exaggerating.


Another one from later in the day:


Melanie's sister, Lindsey, was one of the bridesmaids:


More fun prep shots:



Melanie is absolutely gorgeous:


Walking down the aisle:


I love this shot of Lindsey:


It was an emotional ceremony. Melanie tried her best to hold back the tears:


After the ceremony, the bridal party had a toast. Jamie caught this shot of Eric missing the glass as he poured Melanie some champagne.



Portrait time was so much fun with Melanie and Eric. What a beautiful setting!







It was fun seeing their custom-designed guest book put to use:


The flowers and table settings were beautiful:


I got the chance to play with my new off-camera lighting equipment for the first time at a reception. Here's the results:




What a great wedding! Thanks Eric & Melanie!!

If you'd like to see a slideshow with even more photos from the day, click here.

Josh & Molly

Josh & Molly got married Saturday at the Ocotillo Golf Club in Chandler. It was a beautiful day. We started off, of course, with the girls getting ready.



I love this shot of Molly putting her earrings on with her mom in the background:


Getting in the dress:


Super-cute flower girl:


Then on to some fun portraits. The girls:


The guys:


The sky was beautiful as the ceremony was about to begin:


The beautiful bride:


The handsome groom:



I love how Josh looked at Molly after the first kiss:


Man & wife:


A few of my favorite portraits of Josh & Molly:




The reception was a kickin' party with Ken, my favorite DJ at the helm. I also liked the candy bar they had set up. You could fill a bag with an assortment of your favorite sweets:


The first dance:


Molly and her dad have a special bond. I teared up during the father/daughter dance:


One more fun end-of-the-night portrait:


If you would like to see a slideshow of more images from the wedding, click here.

Thanks Josh & Molly for allowing me to be a part of your wedding! It was so fun!

Jake & Taryn

Saturday was Jake & Taryn's wedding. They got married at Sassi, a beautiful venue that I was excited to get the chance to shoot at. And it didn't disappoint. It was not only beautiful, but the staff there was such a joy to work with--everyone was so kind.

I also got to work with Kim Horn, an excellent wedding consultant, who helped the day to run SO smoothly.

Of course the day started with all the getting-ready fun:


Taryn seemed very calm:



The dress was unique and had a vintage feel to it:


The veil:


The bridesmaids wanted to check out the reception site:


Jake & Taryn wisely chose to see each other before the wedding and we got some great shots of the two of them:



Taryn's dad walked her down the isle:


Check out how gorgeous the ceremony site at Sassi is:



The family members and flower girls looking on:


Jake was so excited to marry Taryn:


Husband & wife!


The reception room was beautiful. Designs by Design did a great job with the floral arrangements.


The cake was simple and elegant and the best part about it was that it tasted SO good. One of the best I've had and I've eaten a lot of wedding cake :). I will definitely be referring them in the future. Way to go Barbara with Let Them Eat Cake!


Jake and Taryn also had one of my favorite bands: The Shining Star Band. They rocked throughout the reception--amazing stuff! Here's the romantic first dance:


It was a great day! To see a slideshow of more shots from the wedding, including some from the rehearsal, click here.

Thanks to Jake & Taryn for allowing me to be a part of your wedding as well as to all the amazing vendors who worked together to pull off a great day!

Rhonda & Clay -- South Carolina Wedding

Rhonda & Clay are two friends who I love dearly. They got married on Saturday and I was so blessed to be able to be there to witness their vows and to document the day of their wedding. It was really special to me.

The girls hung out and got pretty in the morning at Rhonda's mom's house. Rhonda held nothing back from the camera:


Rhonda is the cutest lil' southern bell with a drawl and all. I find myself wanting to talk like her when I visit :).



She looked absolutely gorgeous and glowed all day:


Clay and Rhonda saw each other before the wedding and we got some great portraits around the Furman University Campus that was absolutely beautiful.

This is Clay and Rhonda seeing each other for the first time:






The bridal party was large and a lot of fun. I got to know most of them as we hung out in the days prior to the wedding. Clay and Rhonda are both so good at being friends and it showed by the quality people and the amazing support they had in this group. Some came from as far as Taiwan to be there.



The ceremony was in a beautiful chapel on the university campus. Rhonda's dad walked her down the long isle:


And gave her away:



The ceremony was really full of meaning. I cried a little :).


Man and wife! Finally! :)


The first dance was sweet:



And they had a fun sparkler good-bye.


It was over so quickly--everything just flew by!

To see a slideshow with more photos from the day click here. The song is sung by one of the groomsmen and was played at the wedding--more on him later.

Clay & Rhonda--I'm SOOOO happy for you guys and miss you already!

Hazel & Elias

Hazel & Elias got married Saturday at Seville Golf & Country Club. It was an unusually warm February day and the wedding was beautiful. Around 230 of Hazel and Elias's family and friends surrounded them to celebrate--including their two Yorkshire Terriers: Zazz and Mimi. They were a big part of the wedding. So I apologize ahead of time for showing more pictures of the dogs than the groom but I can't help it -- they stole the show and were SO cute.

Anyhow, the day started out with hair and make-up at Changes Salon in Scottsdale:


Hazel was peaceful and glowing:



Then we progressed to Seville for the final steps of preparation. Getting in the dress is always a challenging task. I love this shot of Hazel's mom helping her put on her gown:


Two hands help speed the lacing up of the back:


Hazel was an amazingly gorgeous and photogenic bride. I couldn't pick between all of these shots of her. If you want, comment below and let me know which one you prefer. Number 1:


#2:


#3:


#4:


The ceremony setting was beautiful with the mountains in the background. But I was nearly blinded by the sun reflecting off of all the white chairs:


Zazz was dressed in a doggie tux and bow tie:


Mimi was outfitted in a cute pink dress. Here she is chilling before her job of being wheeled down the isle in a wagon by one of the ring bearers:


Zazz and Mimi in the wagon:


Elias as Hazel said her vows:


I love this shot of Hazel shortly after walking down the isle:


This next shot has to be my favorite of the whole day.


Hazel giving Mimi some love (I warned you--lots of cute dog shots):


A sweet shot of Hazel and Elias after the ceremony:


The harsh sunlight is good for some things:


The cakes:


The first dance:


What a great wedding! Thanks Hazel & Elias for allowing me to be a part of it!

Click here if you would like to view the slideshow. It ends with the most violent bouquet toss I think I've ever witnessed, so you'll want to see it!

Kara & Bob

Last Friday I shot Kara & Bob's wedding at Villa Siena in Gilbert. For Kara & Bob, this was a destination wedding--they live in Virgina near the DC area. Nearly all of their guests flew in from elsewhere and made it to the wedding despite the ice storms that have been plaguing the eastern half of the country.

I felt bad because Friday was a rainy, drizzley day and the ceremony had to be moved from the beautiful outdoor courtyard to an indoor ballroom at Villa Siena. But Kara and Bob were both so upbeat and didn't complain once.

I didn't know this couple too well before their wedding day but they really struck me as being made for each other and as extremely kind people. I really enjoyed myself on their wedding day.

I'm putting far too many photos on my blog from this wedding, but here goes. The day started at Dolce salon.


Kara's neice, Taylor, came along to hang out:


The stylist that did Kara's hair had a fun tatoo:


A cute shot of Kara during the hair process:


Next we went to Wild Horse Pass Resort where Kara and Bob were staying, along with a number of guests. Kara and Bob are such hospitable people. They were always offering to get us something. And I thought these were cute tags that they made up to put on welcome gifts they gave to their guests:


Kara's cute even when she's on the phone:


I was impressed with Bob's ironing skills:


Next we made our way to Villa Siena for the final preparation for the ceremony. Kara's dress was beautiful:


The shoes:


Kara's dad was very handsome and fun to photograph.


Getting the dress on:


Kara and Bob saw each other before the ceremony and it was a really special time. We got some great shots:






Kara and Bob were so sweet together and so easy to shoot:


This one is shot through an outdoor fireplace:


Kara looked so stunning:


Instead of a traditional guest book, the couple set out old-fashioned post cards for guests to write well-wishes on:


I got this fun shot of some guests coming in from the rain:


Kara's dad walked her down the isle:


Although it was sad that the ceremony was moved indoors, Villa Siena's ballroom was a beautiful setting for the ceremony:


I thought this was such a sweet shot of Bob's mom after the ceremony. She couldn't stop crying:


What a great wedding! If you'd like to see a slideshow with more photos from the day, click here.


Thanks Bob and Kara for allowing me to be a part of your beautiful wedding!

Kelly & Tyler

Kelly & Tyler got married last Saturday on a slightly chilly but beautiful December day. It was a fun family affair with lots of people involved and plenty of action to shoot. The day started with the girls at the salon. Here's Kelly's cute toes:


There were five cute little girls involved in the ceremony and all of them had their hair done:


And their make-up:


The brightly-colored flowers:


The pretty bride:


The ceremony was held at Tyler and Kelly's local Catholic church. The sky was amazing:


I caught a sweet moment between this father and son as they waited for the ceremony to begin:


Kelly was walked down the isle by her father:


My second-shooter for this wedding was Ray Talamantes. He was a lot of fun to work with and got some great shots. These next three were his:


I love the colors in this shot and it has qualities that look like a painting:


The little girls were all SO cute. I like this shot Ray got of one of them at the reception:


And one last shot of the happy couple:


Click here to view the slideshow with more of my favorites from the day.

Thanks Kelly & Tyler for allowing me to be a part of your wedding!

Chris & Heidi

Last Friday I shot Chris & Heidi's wedding. I don't usually cover only a few hours of a wedding day but that's what Chris & Heidi wanted and it ended up working out for me to do it. The wedding was intimate and simple. Heidi is from China and moved here to marry Chris. Unfortunately her family wasn't able to come to the US for the wedding. Heidi looked lovely:


The day was a beautiful one for a wedding and the ceremony took place at the Church of Christ in Chandler:


Grandma was dressed up beautifully and I liked how these shots of her in the church turned out:



One of Heidi's friends escorted her down the isle:


I wasn't the only photographer at the wedding :) :


Man & wife:


A sweet moment right after the ceremony:


I liked the unique champagne glasses:


And the cute couple:



Thanks Chris & Heidi for allowing me to be a part of your wedding!

Jon & Whitney

Jon & Whitney got married on Saturday evening at Tempe Mission Palms. They were high school sweethearts and have been together for 10 years. They are so sweet together and I really enjoyed getting to know them and documenting their rehearsal dinner and wedding. Their family and friends were so kind and fun to be around as well.

Whitney & Jon's rehearsal dinner was at the House of Tricks in Tempe. Here's a cute moment I caught that night:


The day of the wedding flew by. I have a lot of favorite images to share with you. For some reason I really liked a lot of the shots from the preparation and portrait parts of the day. The ceremony and reception were beautiful as well and we captured some fun moments. To see more of my favorites from the whole day, click here to view the slideshow.

The day started off with hair and lots and lots of makeup--I love all the colors:


Here's the beautiful bride as the day starts off:



After makeup it was time for hair:


I love this shot with David's scorpion tatoo:


Here's the cute flower girl, Emma, getting her hair done. There's a quality to this photo that I just love:


Here's a shot of Whitney's gown reflecting in a piece of artwork that hung on the hotel room wall--kinda fun:


Whitney said her favorite thing she was going to wear that day were her shoes--very stylin':


Here's the gorgeous bride ready to meet her groom:


Whitney & Jon chose to see each other before the ceremony, which was a great idea since the ceremony took place after dark. Tempe Mission Palms is a beautiful venue and we were able to take advantage of the natural light to get some great shots:




The ceremony was in the courtyard and was a beautiful setting in the evening lights:


Yay! Husband and wife!


And finally, here's a really sweet moment during their first dance:


Whitney & Jon--thanks so much for allowing me to be a part of your amazing day!

Click here if you'd like to view the slideshow.

Scott & Melissa

Last Sunday I shot Scott & Melissa's wedding. I had so much fun with these two. They were so easy-going and comfortable around the cameras. They also have amazing taste and their wedding was unbelieveably stylish and beautiful.

Before I go any further, I need to give a shout out to my friend and fellow photographer, Stuart Thurlkill, who helped me out by 2nd shooting with me at this wedding. He is super-great and talented. He also shot a number of my favorite photos below :). THANKS Stuart!

Ok, on to some of my favorites. How lucky am I that I get to shoot such beautiful brides!?
Unbelieveably gorgeous!



Here's Melissa's sister trying out a new hair-styling technique--cute! :)


I loved the color Melissa chose--yellow: