Kansas City Wedding: Beth and Geoff May 26, 2009

I can’t believe Beth and Geoff’s wedding has already come and gone. It was a gorgeous day, with gorgeous people. I’m going to try to be short on words here and let the photos tell their wedding day story.

We started off the day with the gorgeous bride getting ready:

Beth and Geoff didn’t want to see each other before the ceremony, so their first sight of each other was during Beth’s walk down the aisle. I absolutely love this shot Jeff (my Jeff) captured of the bride as she waited to walk down the aisle with her dad.

The next few are my shots of Beth’s dad giving her away:

Their ceremony, at Blessed Sacrament Church in Kansas City, Kansas, was a beautiful and moving traditional ceremony, filled with amazing vocalists and instrumentalists (Beth was a vocal performance major at K-State).

Jeff’s shot of the entire sanctuary (isn’t it beautiful?):

Husband and wife! :)

Jeff’s shot of the church… amazing!

After the ceremony, we had some time for family portraits at the church and then headed out to the City Market area (where Beth and Geoff will live in a really cool loft!) for a portrait session of the happy couple and their wedding party. It couldn’t have been better.

I love Beth’s cathedral veil:

The girls (my shot):

Some details — the rings and gorgeous bridal bouquet:

We all had a chance to visit Beth and Geoff’s new loft downtown as well. We, of course, took a few photos in their loft, in the building, and around their building. First, on their prized pink vintage couches:

In the hallway:

And outside:

I love these two. They even let us steal them away for a little stroll and photo session in the surrounding areas — it was… awesome! :)

Their reception was held at Painted Hills Golf Course in Kansas City, Kansas. It was a really fun time, full of people mingling, talking, laughing, eating and dancing. Just what a reception should be. :)

 

It was also Geoff’s grandpa’s birthday… so they celebrated with two cakes. The first, a birthday cake. :) The second, a wedding cake (featuring a super cute cake topper so unique to their wedding theme — kissing birds!).

The tosses always make for entertaining photos. I love both of these reaction shots.

Beth and Geoff, I hope you’re having an awesome time in San Francisco! Beth, you’re the first bride to ever text me during the honeymoon! That’s why I love you. :) Jeff and I are excited to catch up when you get back and take a visit to the awesome AMC Main Street Theater. 

For friends and family, click here to view the entire online gallery on Pictage (or pre-register if the photos aren’t posted to be notified when they are!).

Congratulations!!

Wedding traditions: the ceremony! January 27, 2009

So you might remember the little series I started at the end of 2008, taking a look at wedding customs and giving you the chance to vote on your favorites from my 2008 weddings. In case you missed the first posts, we covered wedding cake and engagement/wedding rings. So it’s been really bothering me that the holidays came and I didn’t finish out the series before the end of the year. And you know what they say… better late than never! :) I am totally someone who hates leavings things “hanging” and I’m not what anyone would (ever) call a procrastinator. So, here we are… we’re going to do a few more posts about wedding traditions and favorites from 2008.

For those of you just starting to plan your 2009 wedding, now is a great chance to get ideas! :) If you have any questions about anything pictured as we wrap up out little look back at the best of 2008, feel free to leave a comment and I’ll send you details in an e-mail or connect you with the bride who planned it!

During this look at wedding ceremonies — which can range in length, style, location, and every detail included — we’re going to focus on my favorite outdoor venues from 2008 ceremonies!

Most often, wedding ceremony traditions are shaped by your religion, country of origin and family history. Some events include the lighting of a unity candle or participating in a similar unity ceremony, a traditional tea ceremony in Japanese wedding tradition, the exchanging of vows and rings, serving communion or participating in mass, and so much more.

The best way to personalize your ceremony? Draw from your family history, traditional customs for your background, and remember — you can be the start of a tradition, too! Definitely talk with your officiant and your family members to incorporate events into your ceremony that really express who you are as a couple and where you’re headed as husband and wife!

Choosing a ceremony venue that is a good fit for the style and traditions included in your wedding is important. If you want a very traditional, formal wedding, you might want to think twice about planning an outdoor ceremony — and if you want a more relaxed, shorter ceremony an outdoor location is a gorgeous spot for a ceremony! Your vision for your wedding ceremony should go hand-in-hand with the traditions and wedding rituals you want to uphold!

Alright… on to the best outdoor locations of 2008! :) I’ve given you two views of each ceremony site, so you can get a feel for different angles and what it was really like to be there. These were all gorgeous weddings with tons of personal touches, so I’m letting you do all of the voting to choose your favorite. :)

 

First, Emily and Nate’s wedding last August at the Circle S Ranch near Lawrence, Kansas. This location is nestled amongst the hills and plains of this northeastern location in the state, and the ceremony site itself has gorgeous archways made from tree branches and natural limestone comprises the ceremony focal point.

 

Next, Sheridan and Justin’s May wedding in her grandparents’ pecan grove near Humboldt, Kansas. Yes — this gorgeous property belongs to her grandparents, and Sheridan was the first person to request a wedding here… I love this, because it was so rooted in family tradition and memories, and they created an awesome memory here together!

 

Third, Brooksie and Kevin’s gorgeous-weather May wedding day at Botanica the Wichita Gardens in Wichita, Kansas. Their ceremony was held on a little hill, with their guests below on a tree-covered patio. The entire area was shady and had some gorgeous late afternoon light filtering through!

 

And finally, Jessica and Seth’s late June wedding at Nathanael Greene Park in Springfield, Missouri. Their ceremony was in the park’s hasta garden, complete with a stone hill, waterfall, winding paths, a picket fence and gorgeous flower beds throughout.

Now, vote for your favorite! :) Want to say more about why you love these locations? Just click on the “Comments” link at the bottom right of this post!

Kicking Off 2009: Stephanie and Daniel’s Leawood Wedding January 6, 2009

We didn’t wait long to kick off our 2009 wedding season — on January 2nd, while the confetti and noisemakers were still being swept off Times Square, Stephanie and Daniel were getting ready for their special day! :) It was an awesome way to ring in the new year, celebrating the love and commitment of two people.

If you missed the sneak peek of their portraits, check it out first.

The day started with Stephanie getting ready. I love this shot!

Stephanie’s dad was finally allowed into the room to see his daughter in her wedding dress! Priceless!

Stephanie and Daniel decided to not see each other before their ceremony, so we coordinated two separate portrait sessions before the ceremony. Here’s a shot from Daniel’s:

And two from Stephanie’s:

Their ceremony was held at The Church of the Nativity in Leawood, Kansas. It was still decorated for Christmas and was just beautiful!

Stephanie’s dad giving her away to her new husband!

See what I mean about the gorgeous Christmas decor?

One of my favorite moments to capture is the time right after a wedding ceremony, when friends and family shower the bride and groom with hugs and congratulations! I love this shot of Stephanie right after she became a wife, with her bridesmaids all around!

Since the couple didn’t want to see each other before for photos, and it was dark when their evening wedding was finished, we didn’t get to do an outdoor portrait session. Since the church was so lovely, we did all of their portraits inside, and I love the wintertime feel they have!

I love this one!

The reception was at the Lodge at Ironwoods, a really neat modern barn in a park in Leawood. It was a fantastic venue!

Toasts are some of the best times for capturing great reactions! Stephanie’s sister and maid of honor gave a funny toast with advice for Daniel and things he should know about Stephanie — there was a lot of laughter during this one! :)

Double camera coverage capturing the best man (and groom’s brother) speech!

This shot of their first dance has such a dreamy quality, which I love. It reminds me of an old black-and-white movie.

And this expression on her dad’s face is so proud. I love this one of their father-daughter dance:

The tradition of throwing the garter and bouquet is always approached differently from couple to couple. I’m sure this garter approach took Stephanie by surprise (it’s okay…they’re married!). :)

And the bouquet toss reactions were just too great!

I can’t get enough of dancing grandparents — here are Daniel’s grandparents joining the fun on the dance floor!

Stephanie and Daniel, congratulations on your marriage! Wishing you the best 2009 as husband and wife!

Family and friends, click here to sign the guestbook for the online gallery — you’ll be notified when all of the wedding photos are available for viewing!

So, what do you think? What’s your favorite image from the first wedding of 2009?