Manhattan Kansas Wedding: Amy and Brian October 12, 2009

I love fall. And I love weddings. So you better believe I love fall weddings. :) Amy and Brian got married this past weekend in Manhattan, Kansas, and it was a great fall day — right before the weather turned so cold! They got married in the evening at Seven Dolors Catholic Church with a reception at the Manhattan Country Club.

We started off with Amy getting ready at the church — the details in her dress were amazing.

Amy and Brian chose to see each other before the wedding for the photos, and we had their first meeting outside on the church steps, which was surrounded by beautiful trees with changing leaves. These are from their first few moments together:

I loved the golden tree, so we did a few of Amy’s bridal portraits in front of it, too. The backlit sun was just lovely… and so was the bride!

The wedding party went outside for fun and relaxed portraits, too. This is on the side of the church:

We walked to downtown Manhattan (just a few blocks) for more photos with Amy and Brian. I could’ve spent all day taking portraits… but they had to get married. ;)

I love the next two that Jeff took:

Brian’s family owns Danenberg Jewelers in downtown Manhattan, and that’s where he proposed to Amy. Of course, we had to get some photos in front of the store on their big day!

These next three detail shots are by Jeff — ring shots (of course — the groom is a jeweler!) and the gorgeous church:

Jeff also grabbed this one right before Amy walked down the aisle:

The ceremony was in the evening, since the wedding was on a Friday, and it was really romantic — lit by candles, with the focus on the altar of the church. 

Jeff’s ceremony shots:

And their grand exit (the first is mine, the second is Jeff’s):

I like this shot of the car window as they were pulling away — the people in the reflection are Brian’s sisters and grandparents. :)

When we arrived at the Manhattan Country Club, which sits up on a tall hill, Amy and Brian gave me a few more minutes for portraits!

The reception was very elegant, and had a really laid back and classy feel. Here are a few of the details:

I love to watch the bride and groom during events like slideshows of their love story — the reactions are always great. Here’s one of Amy:

Instead of a bouquet and garter toss, Amy and Brian chose to dedicate it to their grandparents, who have been an example of lasting love and marriage for both of them. It was really special. Afterwards, they had a special dance for them — here are Brian’s grandparents dancing:

The flower girl was Amy’s niece and she was so adorable, especially gliding around the dance floor like a princess. :)

Amy and her dad during the father-daughter dance:

And I’ll leave you with a shot from Amy and Brian’s first dance:

Congratulations, you two! I hope you’re enjoying your honeymoon in Hawaii! :) Best wishes for a joy-filled marriage.

Friends and family, click here to sign the guestbook for the online photo gallery. You’ll receive an e-mail when the photos are all ready to be viewed online!

Manhattan Kansas Engagement Photos: Amy and Brian April 9, 2009

Every once in a while, I have the awesome experience of working with clients who make me look really good. They make my job easy. Almost too easy. :) Amy and Brian are one of those couples. They were so comfortable around each other and in front of the camera that all I had to do was react and catch their relationship on camera.

Jeff and I met up with them for their engagement session in Manhattan, Kansas. Most of our session took place at the K-State gardens, and we took advantage of the varying lighting outside — from really sunny to cloudy, as a storm moved in. The wind also played a large role in our session. :) Even though the gardens wasn’t all in bloom yet, it was still a great location for their shoot.

I tend to take a lot of close-ups. I hardly ever crop my photos during the post-processing, so I like framing my shots close to the “action” (in these, the emotion) and Jeff tends to rock the wide-angle lens during engagement sessions. It gives a really great variety during the session, and I love seeing the two perspectives.

So, here’s my view:

And Jeff’s (so cool!):

My view:

Jeff’s view:

Just as we were about to leave the gardens, a great cloud cover rolled in, so we were able to get some really romantic images in front of the main building, like this one:

In 1966, Brian’s grandfather opened Danenberg Jewelers in downtown Manhattan. The business is still in the family, and eventually Brian will take over the business. The jewelry store is obviously a very big part of the couple’s life and future, and it was also the site of Brian’s proposal! We headed to the store to take some of their engagement photos there, and I absolutely love these images. They are so personal to who they are as a couple… that’s what makes engagement sessions so much fun.

I love this next one. This was my view…

And Jeff’s (what a cool perspective with the old store front!)…

They also let us see the behind-the-scenes operation of the jewelry store and it was so awesome! I have never seen all of the tools and processes that go into making and resizing jewelry and it was so great. If you’re shopping for an engagement or wedding ring, definitely check out Danenberg Jewelers. I’m telling you, the people there are awesome. :) I have to share with you some detail shots of what’s behind-the-scenes. I love how intricate everything is… you know they’re giving you personalized attention!

And we’ll end with one of my faves! You two are just beautiful!

Amy and Brian, thanks so much for choosing me to capture your big day! I can’t wait to see you again in October!

Friends and family, click here to sign the online guestbook and you’ll get an e-mail when all of their photos are ready!