Down the Aisle: Ashlynn + Matt

Her blue, sparkling eyes looked up at me when I first walked into the bridal room... and I was greeted with a squeal and a huge hug when Ashlynn exclaimed, "Hi Khara!" Tory, her mom, was nearby... and she was already glowing with the love of a mother-of-the-bride, overcome with pride and joy for her daughter on such an important (and exciting!) day. With a super great guy like Matt waiting to greet you at the other end of the aisle, how could you not be pumped? And cute shoes like this?! Ashlynn was smiling from head... to toe!

Wedding: Faith Westwood United Methodist Church Reception: The Paxton Ballroom Live Band: The Wise Guys

The girls formed a ring of support around Ashlynn while they laced up the back of her dress. The symbolism was touching.

In addition to the necklace Matt surprised her with, Ashlynn proudly wore her great grandmother's ring down the aisle.

Beautiful bouquet!

Emir scored this great shot of the boys... you know... just hangin'. :)

In what may have been one of the biggest surprises of all... Ashlynn surprised Matt with a MacBook Pro! He's a big time photo/video guy, so needless to say... he was stoked!

Grandparents. Always so cute!

Emir hits it out of the park again!

The reception was held at The Paxton in downtown Omaha. Be-yuuuuuu-tiful!

Matt's brother Zach rocked the house with his toast! An engineer by day.... he's apparently a chart/graph making ace in his off hours. Hilarious!

Um.... every wedding needs a little cow bell crowd surfing!

L.O.V.E. Congrats guys... you really hit it out of the park not only with a fantastic day... but of course having found each other  in the first place... and over time, building a relationship that is so obviously..... true. Hugs!

ShootShack: Ashlynn + Matt

This crew was rockin' the Shoot Shack... big time. So hard to narrow down my faves... but here's a quick look!

The Good Stuff

Shoots like this remind us what it's all about. Young families. So much love. So much to believe in. So much.... energy & giggles! :) Once Marti got warmed up to me and the camera, she was firing on all 8 cylinders. And little Ryne... he had the most adorable 'scoot' move ever.... even though he often left me in his dust... ha! Here's a quick glimpse at some my favorite moments from our session. :)

Down the Aisle: Betsy + Henry | West Point, NE

In what can only be described as the ultimate compliment, I found myself back in West Point, NE for the third time in four weeks (the fourth time since May). Three years ago I began what was to become an ongoing relationship with this darling town... and I am beyond honored to have pretty much officially become a member of the community. Wedding guests often ask with a smile, "Why don't you just move to West Point? You're here every weekend!" Betsy and Henry's wedding felt like the culmination of all the various years I've had the honor of shooting up in West Point (and Snyder). It was like coming home to my own family in a sense. At several points during the day, I found myself prone to tears for all kinds of random reasons. Maybe it was the way Henry's Grandpa's eyes sparkled, reminding me of my own Grampa we lost quite some time ago. It could've been the way Betsy teared up repeatedly during the ceremony... conveying the sense of the enormity of such a moment, the beginning of a new family. Or, perhaps it was just the overall sense of community that abounds at these classic small town weddings. Everyone knows everybody. No one is a stranger. They've been having the same gatherings in the same places with the same people for a lifetime. It's rich with tradition and the familiarity that comes with time.

Speaking of, this is the handbag from Henry's great grandmother's wedding. I love the texture and design....

Betsy's bouquet was exquisite and smelled as good as it looked...

Perfection... not a hair out of place.

Henry: an all-around likable guy. :)

Some fave moments from the ceremony:

I couldn't take my eyes of this little cutie... he was all smiles!

Those boys....

The girls dresses featured pockets. Love that.

The Fireman's Ballroom in Snyder was stylin'. I love the elegant simplicity of these centerpieces!

What a fun day! :) Thanks for letting this city gal be such a part of your familes. :) Hugs to you all!

Mentee: Katrina

Katrina *gets it.* Since launching her business just over six months ago... she is already well on her way to many of the revelations and epiphany moments that can often take years to arrive at. What separates Katrina from the countless numbers of folks who pick up a dSLR on a daily basis and proclaim their professional ambitions to the world, is that Katrina is willing to invest. Not just financially, but emotionally and even more importantly.... she's willing to invest time. Folks often underestimate the amount of power hours that go into not only mastering your craft, but also... building a viable business. Many of the folks who email me asking for advice are looking for magic bullets, a simple 'to-do' list that will turn them into a guaranteed success story overnight.

But... it just doesn't work that way. There are helpful hints, lessons and strategies you can pick up along the way to accelerate your learning (hence, the mentoring.....) but... in the end... you still have to do the work and put in the effort. Of course, that's why it's all so rewarding!

I was thrilled to hear about her slow and methodical acquisition of new gear... meaning, she buys what she can afford after saving up from the work her business has already brought her. Those of you who know me well know that I'm a bit of a personal finance maniac (thanks dad!), and one of the mistakes I see so many aspiring photographers do, is to rush out and drop mad money on gear. The latest and greatest camera won't turn you into a photographic super star... and the sooner folks realize that, the sooner they can focus on developing the actual skills that will bring them success. As much as I wish owning Emeril's pots and pans would transform me into a gourmet chef.... I'm not holding my breath. :)

We talked about some techniques... and largely discussed carving out your niche, working with clients and balancing life/work/family/personal needs. A compassionate teacher whose heart is handed to her students on a daily basis, Katrina balances her passion for photography with a full-time teaching career and her main priority.... her family that includes her husband and their two young sons.

Her recent FB post said, "I had multiple epiphanies during my chat with Khara today about what my goals are and how to accomplish them, what an awesome experience! Thank you Khara, you ROCK!"

YOU rock Katrina! You should be proud of where you are and all that you've accomplished already. Congrats on taking the first leap! :)

Love Shoot: Jackie + Monte

This... is Jackie + Monte. Together, they make up the dynamic duo that is often known to take Lincoln by storm with all of their mad talent in the worlds of business, marketing, and all things creative. They're witty. They're sharp. They would likely kick your butt at any genre of movie trivia.

And... they're planning a very unique wedding coming up this September. Monte selected the poem "Habitation" by Margaret Atwood for their wedding invitations. It reads, "Marriage is not a house or even a tent, it is before that, and colder: the edge of the forest, the edge of the desert, the unpainted stairs at the back where we squat outside, eating popcorn. The edge of the receding glacier where painfully, and with wonder at having survived even this far, we are learning to make fire."

Being as how their house is such an extension of the two of them, I suggested we shoot there to capture them as themselves doing what they do. I love this series of the next 3 images...

The other members of their family include Samples and Mia... who couldn't decide if they wanted to participate in our session or not. :)

Jackie's studio is the kind of place you just never want to leave. Monte often keeps her company amongst the beads, fabric swatches and various notions.

One of my favorite things about their house is the staircase that greets you when you arrive at the front door. This mirror hangs on the landing... conveniently making this image possible... :)

Connoisseurs of fine architecture and design, Monte & Jackie have thoughtfully collected inspiring furniture pieces throughout their home... not the least of which is this love-seat (complete with Samples, posing next to Jackie).

Trees frame their home on one of my favorite streets in the city.

September will be here soon... we're all anxious to celebrate with you!

Down the Aisle: Ashley + Jason

My role as a wedding photographer is a colorful and varied one to say the least. In addition to my actual photographic duties, I often also play the part of wedding coordinator, mental-health cheerleader, and.... occasionally... custodian. :) I happily roll up my sleeves and push a broom (or, as last night.... a mop) with the best of 'em. :) Often times I tell my clients that I will be like part of the family on wedding day... and I mean it. Pulling off a huge wedding in a small town is very much a family activity... and if that means we need to break down 10 tables (center pieces, table cloths and all) to make room on the dance floor before the bride and groom can have their first dance... well.... I'm not about to just stand there and twiddle my thumbs while the rest of the crew goes to work! (Even when it's 100 degrees out with all the famous humidity Nebraska can muster.) Becoming part of my clients' families for the day is something I very much look forward to... and is how I know I'm truly doing my job (whatever all that happens to involve on any given day). Thanks for letting me join the club guys!

Just in case Jason were to forget... he is indeed... the groom. :)

Ashley's hair was a golden swirl of wedding bliss...

l.o.v.e.

Jason was such a great sport! You can't tell from these photos... but it was literally 100 degrees out... with a humidity level that made me seriously consider jumping in the near by neighborhood pool... camera and all. :) Yet, look at that smile on his face!

Love the pink shoes Ashley!

All together now... "awhhhhh!"

Proof! This is my car's rear-view mirror with built in outside temperature gauge. Yikes!

Happily back inside the air-conditioning at the church... I caught these glimpses of Ashley while she watched the crowd gather from the choir loft. :)

A very ornate church in the middle of a very small town. (population 3,660) Beautiful!

Small town tradition (and early ceremony times) lends itself to the time honored pit-stop at the neighborhood watering hole before heading to the reception.... and if you can squeeze in a game of pool... well.... all the better. :)

Jason was so happy to be in this moment.... the day behind him, the ring on his finger. Ashley is his forever now..... :) Congrats you two!

Love Shoot: Lauren + Bobby

Lauren said to me, "Let's go fly a kite!" To which I responded, "You bet!" She and Bobby are getting married in November and after shuffling back and forth between Kansas and Nebraska (and soon to be, back to Kansas) I'm amazed we were able to make this shoot happen! But... happen it did... and we had a blast! Aren't they sweet? Can't wait for November you guys!!!! Enjoy all the miles in the meantime!

Mentee: James

Of all the fabulous folks I've had the pleasure of providing photographic mentoring to, James is certainly the youngest. He's an amazing young man whose excitement for photography is hard to miss. We've been working together for quite some time and the improvements he's made in his images is notable... and of course, above that.... he's having a blast (definitely a key component). :) I recently caught up with James and his sister Catherine for a shoot to commemorate his senior year as well as to provide some additional hands-on shooting experience with his sister as the lovely and cooperative subject. Nice work guys!

Down the Aisle: Allison + Trevor

Me to Allison: "How are you feeling? How'd you sleep last night?" Allison: "I felt tachycardic!"

The night before your wedding day is enough to make most anyone's heart race... even a cardiac nurse's. :)

But all was well... and how cute are these???

Allison's signature scent... I'm told all of the bridesmaids were wearing it as well. Poor Trevor! Do you suppose he got confused? :)

Last minute hair touch-ups...

The ladies...

The girls planned ahead for the possibility of rain with these darling umbrellas... I don't think they were too sad that they didn't need to use 'em. :)

When Allison's parents met... there was a song that provided the soundtrack and years ago at their wedding, the DJ didn't have the song available.... so now.... they got a much deserved and long over-due dance. :) I love stuff like this! (It was a surprise from Gary to Tami!) :)

Well done. :) Enjoy your down time before having to put  your feet back on the ground again! :) May your hearts always be together in the clouds!