Down the Aisle: Lauren + Chad

I love outdoor weddings! Lauren + Chad whipped up a delightful day, complete with moderate temps and clear blue skies! (The gorgeous wedding design is courtesy of MJ Shelbourn! She rocks!)

Yeowsa! I kept telling Lauren that her eyes were amazing... and they certainly were!

You know I'm a sucker for cute Grandpas.... especially with a bolo tie (and a camera)!

The father of the bride, Pete, takes a moment to catch his breath before walking his daughter down the aisle...

You did it guys!!!!!!! May you spend the rest of your lives celebrating the love that brought you together on this day! Cheers!

Down the Aisle: Taryn + Nic

My heart swells with joy for Taryn, Nic, and their families—as these two best friends became husband and wife. :) What a pleasure it was to work with such great people on such a special day. Congratulations to you all!

I enjoyed watching the relationship between Taryn and her father Greg. (A daddy's girl myself... I cried my eyes out during their father/daughter dance!)

Hawaii is waiting for you! xoxo!

What She Said: In the Bride's Words

I love getting messages like this in the mail! A simple note with a some very thoughtful (and powerful) sentiments. Thanks Hailey & Jon—you totally made my day! xoxoxo

Down the Aisle: Kara + Kevin

Kara & Kevin's wedding was Off. The. Hook. Simply incredible. Highlights included:

• balloon animals and a clown in the "Kids Suite" (complete with coloring books, snacks, and more)
• professional face painting
• live band (D*Funk)
• 8ft tall cake (I'm just guessing at the height, check out the photos below and see if you can tell for yourself!)
• 850 really, really, great guests (we had so much fun with them all!)

Hats off to everyone who helped make the day such an incredible success! Including Stem Gallery, Lincoln Cake Lady, A Sound Impression, Lazlo's Brewery & Grill, D*Funk, everyone at the Grand Manse, and the wondrous Nicole Battelle!

Ready for some eye-candy!?

Just in case you missed the cake in the collage above... here it is—again. (It's that incredible!) Seriously... don't you think 8ft? I'm using my height as a guide. At 5'4", I'm guesstimating that if I had climbed on the table and stood next to it, it would've been about 2.5 ft. over my head...

The reception was held at Lincoln's historic Grand Manse. And when I say "at the Grand Manse," I'm not just talking about the Jasmine Room. The festivities were spread throughout the entire building (even spilling over into the Pavillion for some of the fun). Thankfully they provided maps to help people find their way around!

What a great couple! Kara's laid back attitude was so wonderful to work with, and Kevin? He's such a good soul. Emir and I had so much fun making ourselves part of their extended family for the day!

It has to be said that D*Funk KILLED IT. I mean, holy heck. I'm so glad to call them Lincoln's own! :) Talk about soul!!?!

Maria!!! I love watching her and the whole band completely own it. HOT!

Kara's mom Debbie—so cute!

So—that was the party. Wow! :) Previously... there actually was a whole wedding ceremony too, as you might imagine. :)

Curtis (from Stem Gallery) made this incredible "purse" for one of the flower girls. It smelled divine!

You know I love the Grandpas...

Emir and I are so truly honored to have been invited to be part of this historic event. What a great group of people—big hugs to you all!

Bet You've Never Seen a Cake Like This!

Boy did my jaw hit the floor when I walked into the Grand Manse last night and saw this cake by Donna from Lincoln Cake Lady! Come back later today for more from this gorgeous wedding produced and coordinated by (and in honor of) some truly fabulous folks!  :) More soon!

Down the Aisle: Laura + Evan

As the pastor said during his sermon yesterday, "A prescription for a happy home begins with a great marriage." Conveniently, Laura and Evan happen to be in the business of home selling and prescription filling (she's in real-estate and he's in pharmacy). Their love for each other, combined with the love they share with their families, makes for pretty good medicine in the most primo of all locations—their hearts. :)

I have such a soft spot for grandparents... :) How cute is this Grandpa?

Laura was enjoying herself... lots of great laughter photos! :)

With a crowd like this, I am happily reminded just how much I truly love my job (even on days where the mercury pushes 100 and the humidity soars). Hugs to you all!!!!! :)

Down the Aisle: Rachel + Jeff

When you plan a summer wedding in Nebraska, taking a gamble on smothering humidity comes with the territory. Suffice it to say that yesterday's weather had no mercy (as in, none whatsoever). Thankfully Rachel, Jeff, their families and the entire wedding party were great sports. Thank you all for your cooperation! I'm heading out the door to celebrate my birthday (cake anyone?), but couldn't go without sharing some images for the new Mr. and Mrs. Dias! :) Enjoy!

Here, makeup artist extraordinaire Natalie Bartling gives Rachel a wedding day glow (that held up like none other despite the smothering humidity!).

The band On the Fritz rocked the reception!

Down the Aisle: Heidi + Nick

We lucked out with great weather for Heidi & Nick's wedding yesterday! Here's a few quick highlights. :) (Are these the shoes of a dance teacher, or what? Wowsers!)

Congrats and well wishes for a great time in St. Lucia!

Down the Aisle: Shawna + Todd

The crowd would be roaring, the band rocking, pom poms rustling—and in the corner of my eye, there was always this curly haired cutie with a huge grin on her face running around watching the commotion. I don't remember her exact age at the time, but Shawna and her sister Nicole could usually be found near the Lincoln East sideline at Seacrest Field where their Dad, "Mr. Gingery," coached the football team (while yours truly tried to remember the kick-line routine for that night's half-time dance performance). Sometime last year, I got an email from Shawna asking about having me photograph her upcoming wedding.  The curly haired cutie I remembered from the sidelines had blossomed into a beautiful girl who shares her father's gregarious grin. And as it turns out, she had fallen for a boy named Todd, who happens to be the son of another East High teacher—Mrs. Ogden. (Go Spartans!)

Yesterday—their storybook tale became a reality. I'm so honored to have been invited to capture it all. :)

PS: Shawna's dress had zip away bottom, converting it into a short dress for the reception (see the later photos). Brilliant!

I love Shawna's mega-watt grin. Combined with her laugh... simply beautiful!

So—this isn't your traditional portrait, but I think it's rad.

As the ceremony was about to start, Todd watched through this window...

Then he caught me watching him with the camera. Doh!

Married!

What a fun reception! Shawna's dad announced the wedding party as they arrived, then they turned their father/daughter dance into a disco revival a la Saturday Night Fever. To top it off, there was a dance off between the top contenders to see who could best impersonate Todd on the dance floor. (Not to mention Shawna's zip-away dress!)

Two great families becoming one. Congratulations to you all!

Down the Aisle: Carrie + Mitch

The sound of Carrie's laugh still echoes in my head. "Make me a Kardashian!" she exclaimed to her make-up artist extraordinaire, Natalie Bartling (Sweet Jane Salon). Well—as you'll see in the photos that follow, perhaps the Kardashian girls are at a salon somewhere saying, "Make me a Bergen!" (Isn't the personalized hanger adorable? :)

Gorge!

I l-o-v-e this photo. :)

(jaw-drop!)

Carrie's mom Joyce looks on as they honor Grandma by wearing her wedding ring down the aisle. :)

Emir scored this awesome shot of the St. Mary's church in the background. Doesn't it remind you of the castle at Disneyland?

More from Emir's cam...

Prepare yourselves: What follows is all-out, jaw dropping beautifulness from none other than Stacy Combs at Petal Creations. She is nothing short of magical. You could literally hear people gasp as they entered the Embassy Suites ballroom. (wow!)

PS: Reception venues are all about the lighting! Theatrical Media Services helped bring this to life with accent lighting galore. Totally worth making room in your wedding budget!

The Rumbles were on-hand to get the party started!

Sorority sisters for life!

Nothing twirls quite like a wedding dress! :)

Buen viaje a Mexico! :)

PS: Special thanks to Cali Hlavac from A Sound Impression for being so easy to work with and Darcy and crew at Embassy Suites for accommodating the Shoot Shack so graciously! xoxoxo!