Down the Aisle: Kari + Adam

/

Whether at their engagement session in St. Louis or their jaw-droppingly gorgeous wedding reception at Omaha's historic Orpheum Theater, working with Kari and Adam is pure delight. Both physicians, their meticulous planning and attention to detail are certainly an asset in their professional lives, but also come in quite handy when pulling off such an unforgettable wedding celebration like this. Enjoy the view! :)

Kari's grandpa. He was beaming at the reception where he told me about attending all of Kari's basketball games when she was growing up and how proud he is of his oldest grandchild. <melt!>

Down the Aisle: Mindy + Brett

/

Mindy and Brett's wedding was fun! Of course, with such a fun engagement session, I expected nothing less! From Mindy's purple shoes (hand-dyed Tom's), to light sabers as part of the ceremony (and laptops to make it "Facebook official" right on the spot, these two self-professed love nerds planned a day that was entirely their own.

On our way to the reception, we came across people "larping" in the park (which I'm told stands for live action role play). Mindy and Brett were giddy and played the "it's our wedding day card" with batting eyes to get permission to try their hand at it before heading to the party...

What a treat! I've enjoyed working with you both since Mindy first tapped me on the shoulder at Memorial Stadium. :) Congratulations and best wishes in Oregon!

Album Preview: Karen + Jason

/

My job as a wedding photographer doesn't end when I pack up to head home from the reception. Far from it! In fact, one of my favorite parts about what I get to do comes well after the guests have gone home and the picture making is finished. Happily, I have the honor of creating not only a collection of images celebrating the beginning of their new family, but I get to use those images to build their first family heirloom—their wedding album. Here's a sneak peek of some of my favorite spreads from Karen & Jason's album design...

Down the Aisle: Lauren + John

/

It's not everyday that destiny literally calls to you. Friends for years who had drifted out of each other's lives, Lauren and John were pulled back together with a mysterious phone call.

John was at Boot Camp, with phone privileges only on weekends, his phone was packed away in a bag, closed within a locker when it apparently self-dialed Lauren. Obviously, it didn't leave a message, so Lauren, not recognizing the number, called back only to get John's voice mail. "What's up?" he asked when he returned her phone call. "Ummm.... you're the one who called me," she replied.

After years apart, that unexplainable phone call ignited a reconnection that lead to a wedding. That definitely calls for a celebration!

Congrats you two!

Down the Aisle: Sarah + Darren

/

One of the best things about being a Nebraska wedding photographer is getting to travel far and wide across this beautiful state to capture the day for couples and families in the various small towns that dot our landscape. This past weekend, Emir and I found ourselves in the small town of Stuart, Nebraska. And though its population may be tiny (roughly 600 people), its heart is ginormous. In these small towns, putting on a wedding is a community event in every sense of the word. Not only is practically the whole town invited to the wedding, but everyone pitches in to help. Sarah told me that people she'd never even met (from neighboring towns) came to lend a hand with the decorations because—that's what neighbors do. Amazing.

Of course, that small town magic doesn't start and end with weddings. When one of the local farmers was injured and couldn't work, the rest of the neighboring farmers got together to plow and plant his fields, as if it were their own.

Stories like this are a dime a dozen in small town America, and as much as I love living in the city, there will always be a piece of my heart that belongs in small town USA. :)

Thanks for entrusting us to capture such a special celebration and for inviting us to be part of the local magic for the day. Congratulations to you all!

---------------------------------

The reception was held at the local auditorium which was completely transformed into this dazzling visual feast!

Thanks to Etsy, Sarah was able to have a custom silhouette cake topper made—sensational!

For the record... this is a gymnasium. Can you believe it? Everyone came together to completely transform this space into something utterly magical!

These gorgeous robes are from Plum Pretty Sugar...

Darren was awaiting Sarah at St. Boniface...

I love these ceremonies where the priest stands in the aisle and the entire congregation gets to see the couple exchange their vows...

Both Darren and Sarah's dads are named Scott. Here, Darren's dad (known as "Old Scott") gave everyone a good excuse to smile...

Darren's mom Linda wipes a tear...

To jump start the party, guests gathered in a circle and several bottles of Sangria were passed around while everyone showed off their dance moves while Jerry Jeff Walker's "Sangria Wine" poured through the speakers...

Down the Aisle: Lindsey & Jason

/

As far as I could tell, Lindsey and Jason's wedding went off without a single hitch! (Except for the part where I stepped on Lindsey's veil while the crowd cheered their exit from the church—oops!) Meticulous planning, dedicated hand-crafting, and a holiday weekend that happened to fit quite nicely in between classes in Lindsey & Jason's graduate program. Phew! You did it! I hope you're all basking in the after glow of a fab, fab day!