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Stacy and I have been trying to get together for a shoot forever! Scheduling conflicts were the first hurdle, then.... the weather..... and ultimately, we ended up shooting in the studio.... these are my obsessive faves!!!!!!!
What a great time! April, Todd and Maddox will officially become a family of three later this summer at the end of August and from what I can tell... it's going to be a blast! :) I had the honor of being the wedding photographer at Todd's cousin Alicia & Zack's wedding last summer... so I'm really looking forward to seeing the family again and getting to know April's side too. Can't wait guys!
How fun is that last shot? I love the look on all of their faces.... see you guys again soon!
Recently, Karla posted an update on FaceBook that said something along the lines of, "This was my last day as 'Ms. Engh!" A third grade teacher, her kids are still wrapping their minds around the exciting life-changing event of this weekend. On top of getting a new name and beginning a new marriage, Karla & Mike also recently bought their first home! Lots of excitement going on in their lives... and I got to be there to catch part of it. Thanks for making me part of your day guys.... Here's a quick peek at some quick faves! Ceremony: Southwood Church Reception: Wick Alumni Center Flowers: ABloom
Apparently, I was on a black & white kick for these first few... but can you blame me? Gorgeous!
At one point, Karla's Grandpa asked me, "Do you have a photo of the outside of the church?" I'm happy to say... "Yes!"
Two cheers for the sand ceremony!
You cannot *believe* how windy it was.... I mean, it was howling. Made for some great veil shots though!
How cute! I love Mike's smile in these... :)
Karla was workin' it in a major way!
The reception was gorgeous and flowed with perfection. Nice work guys!
Here's to happily ever after!
The big day for these two love birds is just around the corner.... in August! But they still have a summer full of camping opportunities between now and then.... ;)
Am I a geek? I'm in love with these lanterns! You know the red one is my fave.... ;)
Cute, cute, cute!
Jared is a total teddy bear...
And can you believe Shannon's skin? Every. Single. Cute. Freckle is just.... perfect. Of course, I pointed this out to her... what a lucky gal! (I, on the other hand, am pretty sure I single handedly fund my derm's private practice... ha!) :)
Much love to you both! See you at the end of the summer!
It's only May... and I'm already so excited for October! Lindsey & Scott's big day will be here before we (they!) know it... and I'm psyched I could catch up with them for some imagery to celebrate what their big day in October will be all about.... love!
I love this one!
This light is gorgeous and goes with these two cuties like PB&J! (wha? did I really just write that!?)
Riding the tandem bike can be surprisingly tricky at first... but it's all good fun. I always tell people, if you're having a bad day or feeling down... a ride on the tandem is almost sure to make you smile! :)
Of course, we couldn't leave out the frisbee!
I LOVE this one too!
October... we're all looking forward to you! :) Thx for the fun guys.... see you again soon!
If you were to ask me, "Khara.... what's the best way to have a truly fantastic wedding?" I'd have a few answers for you. Among my many recommendations would be the following: 1) Find the right person to marry (duh!)
2) Invite your loved ones and a great group of friends
3) And if you really like to party..... Book a killer live band and bring along some Bathtub Dogs (read more for info!)
One of the groomsmen at Matt & Stacie's wedding asked me what word I would use to describe them and the wedding as a whole. My answer? "Fantastic." And I meant it. It's inspiring to see the results that come from a lifetime spent cultivating meaningful relationships with great people and then bringing them all together to celebrate something as special as the beginning of a new family... a wedding. This is Matt & Stacie's story. :)
Wedding location: Saint Joseph's Church Flowers: Hy-Vee Floral Reception: Embassy Suites Band: D*Funk
I gasped when I saw Stacie's dress..... classic. Beautiful. Perfect!
Part of the fun of getting ready with the girls is all the commotion that goes along with it... I love to see curling irons strewn about, piles and piles of eye-shadow, bobby-pins and lip gloss. Of course, nothing beats the chorus of gasped breath when the bride slips into her dress and everyone see's her for the first time.
An artist with needle and thread, Matt's aunt Jane made this hand-stitched card for them and I happened to spot it before she sealed it in an envelope. :)
When you first walk in the door at St. Joe's, you can't help but notice the colorful collection of adorable sun-dresses hanging on the wall. They were made by parishioners for the young girls in their sister city in Haiti. Over the years, they have built a very extensive relationship with a church there... and in addition to the sundresses, the parish raised an impressive $98,000 to help the community deal with the aftermath of the recent earthquake. I like to think about the smiles these dresses will inspire when they arrive someday soon!
Here's the darling couple! You may remember their winter-wonder-land loveshoot session... hard to believe their wedding day was already here!
The boys kept themselves entertained before the ceremony with some paper football. 
Love this shot from the ceremony...
Matt's dad and the cutie-pa-tootie flower girl, Ellie (a.k.a: Matt's niece).
Stacie rejoicing in the fact that it wasn't raining... She had been feverishly checking the weather reports... every. single. hour. for weeks. :)
Ok. So... the boys. What a great group of good natured fun, funny and downright entertaining guys! They kept me laughing all day long and had no trouble working it for the camera. Thanks for all the fun guys! (Wait 'til you see their dance moves!)
The girls were truly gorgeous! I was in awe of their incredible up-do's courtesy of Sweet Jane Salon.
What can I say? The camera loved these guys...
The Embassy looked fabulous... (your centerpiece shots are in the can Stacie... Good stuff!)
Matt hooked the guys up with white Keds for the reception. They totally owned the look....
While the girls took five in the ladies room...
Matt's toast was followed by a slide show, where at the end, he surprised everyone with a video where he introduced Stacie to.... THEIR NEW PUPPY! The crowd went wild as Stacie burst into tears of joy. Touché Matt!
The surprises continued as after the first dances, Matt and the groomsmen invited Stacie's mom onto the dance floor where they rocked out to "Stacy's Mom." You go Sue!
I love this shot of Andy owning the dance floor!
Here comes the par-ty! D Funk took the stage and erupted with a funk dance party explosion of epic proportions. If you've never seen them live... you are in for a treat! You can check their schedule and catch them at an upcoming gig. Lead singers Eddie Brown and Maria Lozoya are truly gifted entertainers. I can't wait to take Emir to a future show!
Of course, the night would not be complete without a performance by Matt and the crew from UNL's Bathtub Dogs. They took the stage and serenaded Stacie with not one, but two songs. Gold!
It's always interesting when I'm invited to get in front of the lens.... :) Thanks for the good times crew!
Matt & Stacie... what an epic time! Thank you for inviting me to be part of it... enjoy your trip to Mexico!!!!!
It happens now and again... I'm honored to work with so many wonderful families... and occasionally.... they make me cry (in the best of ways). When I see a family so full of life and love, it carries me through the day, into the reception... and sends me home with a warm-fuzzy feeling that reminds me how important it all really is. To know what it means to share a father's hug, a laugh with mom, a sisterly glance or a brotherly joke... is to understand what love is all about. The more I learned about what wonderful people Chris and Micaela have in their lives.... the more inspired I was by them. How fortunate they all are..... they have between them, a gift. One that only grew larger and more precious yesterday with the official expansion of the family, to include the newlyweds.
I am honored to have shared in this momentous occasion... and sleep well at night knowing there are so many fabulous people in the world. Thank you!
These are Micaela's shoes that were as daring as they were darling... what you can't tell in this photo is that they easily added 4+ inches to her height on wedding day... brave girl! :) She pulled it off flawlessly.
Micaela had the incredible fortune of having much of her family present at the wedding, including grandparents and great grandparents! This photo captures four generations of women.
So... the purple 4+inch heels were just the beginning.... Micaela had lots of fun details that made for a photolicious good time. Here, we catch a glimpse of her pink hair as she and Chris have their wedding day 'first look.' :)
The wind was blustering at a speed that can easily be described as 'uncomfortable,' but we managed to get this shot.... Chris and Micaela are so cute!
OK wait...we need to talk about her dress! It was knee-length and hand-made from an artist she found on etsy. Why did I not think of this for my own wedding? Genius! Nothing for people to step on and it shows off her cute shoes (the heels and the sandals)! The dress is actually two separate pieces (three if you count the belt). Let those wheels of inspiration turn ladies! (Great choice Micaela.... you were simply gorgeous!)
I snuck into the back room before the ceremony and caught this moment of Micaela with her dad, Mario. Not only are they both adorable, but they also happen to both be runners. Micaela ran Lincoln's Half-Marathon last weekend too... and completely kicked my butt! Again.... very inspirational...
Their wedding took place at St. Michael's Parish in what used to be the town of Cheney, Nebraska. It's now part of Lincoln, but is still charmingly somehow different.... just darling!
I l-o-v-e this...
These two have been together for several years... often mentioning throughout the day and into the evening that they 'grew up' together. I love thinking about them continuing on their life journey together... and one day growing old together. :) I picture them huddled around their wedding album looking at these photos and thinking about how beautiful they were, all the love they have in their lives, and what a great day their wedding day was...
Such a handsome groom! Love that soft smile...
Chris had great spiky/curly hair.... love how it looks in this shot...
The vintage lace on Micaela's wedding veil was a worthy photo subject all its own!
I l-ooooooo-vvvv-eee this too... I think it's the look on both their faces.....
The reception was full of great surprises like video tributes from Chris and Micaela throughout the evening and Mario's 'father-of-the-bride' toast delivered as a video montage with a speech that left me in tears..... (So glad Emir was shooting with me.... speeches like that make me miss him so much!)
Simply fantastic. Huge big strong hugs to all of you!
The first Shoot Shack of 2010! So much fun.... thanks for all the laughs guys! :)
Having a hobby is such a joy. My exploration of new adventures continues with home-made bread making, from scratch. Ever since reading "In Defense of Food," and watching "Food Inc.," & Jamie Oliver's "Food Revolution," I've felt like I have a better understanding of what I'm eating (what it really is) than ever before. Friends with new babies and severe food sensitivities, combined with a vested amount of time spent reading nutrition labels left me looking for alternatives, even for something as simple as bread. I wanted no additives, preservatives or industrial processing. Just simple ingredients that I recognize. (Have you looked at the label of your bread lately? Even what you find in your local grocer's bakery can often make you cringe!) I decided I would make some myself.
So, I turned to my trusted friend, amazon.com, and came across this book about baking healthy artisan breads at home, from scratch in 5 minutes a day. A quick trip to Open Harvest for things like yeast and vital wheat gluten in bulk (the book also features gluten-free recipies, for those who are interested) and a stop at Bed, Bath & Beyond for a baking stone, and I was ready to go!
So far, I've only made one batch of dough (which yields 4 x 1lb loaves)... and it's been so much fun! Anyone who knows me well can tell you I am not a cook (my mom will gladly tell you all the horror stories I've generated in the kitchen starting at a very young age). And a baker? That's even more of a stretch! But if I can do it, so can you! This recipe has 5 ingredients, including water. (Whole wheat flour, yeast, salt, vital wheat gluten &.... water). I sprinkled the top with sesame and ground flax seeds. YUM!
I baked this loaf up this morning, and it's been the best yet. They say that the longer the dough sits in the refrigerator, the more intense the flavor. I guess tomorrow's loaf will be even better! I'm going to explore a different technique for shaping it and see what happens.... time to start getting fancy. :)
In the meantime, I ate the entire loaf.... by myself.... in one day. I blame it on Sunday's half-marathon. :)
PS: No breadmaker or fancy tools required (except maybe a baking stone). And, once you make up the dough, you can store it in your fridge for up to 14 days (yes... the book explains it all). So, making a loaf takes 5 minutes of "work" time. Once the dough is 'rested,' you pop it in the oven and 30 minutes (and one yummy smelling house) later, you can dive in!
"I, Jessica... take you Brett, to be my husband." When that life altering phrase came from Jessica's lips, it hit me hard for three reasons:
1) Those are incredibly powerful words
2) I got lost thinking about how as a young girl, she wondered about the man who would eventually become her husband, and what he might be like.... where he was at that very moment and what he might be doing... and how it would feel to be standing across from him saying that very phrase
3) The way her voice sounded as it came from her mouth and bounced off the cathedral walls at Saint Mary's church... You could hear how heavy the words were with their purpose and meaning
This is their wedding day story, in a pretty little nutshell.
I love the way kids can bond so quickly over something as simple as a matching orange dress. The way these two girls played together, I thought they were cousins who almost certainly lived within blocks of each other. Instead, one was Jessica's cousin, the other Brett's. Too cute!
Brett's mom Sue made the decorate wraps for all the stemware... so darling!
West Point was ready to party on the dance floor! I love the shot of Jessica's parents, Bob & Sherri, cutting loose!
What a beautiful, beautiful day you guys! Thank you for including me... it's always fun to make the trip up to West Point.... I may seriously start showing up at everyone's Christmas parties up there.... you all feel like family! Congrats and safe travels to Jamaica Jess & Brett!
PS: You can see their radtastic video, done by none other than Brian, the fabulous guy behind the magic at The Wedding Storytellers. :) Enjoy!
Khara Plicanic. Instructor, Photographer, Designer, Advocate. Here you'll find tools, inspiration, and empowerment to help you on your own creative journey.
