Backyard Wedding in Wichita: Allyson and Rafe — Part 4, Reception! June 5, 2009

Are you ready for this? :) Here’s the final set of photos from Allyson and Rafe’s beautiful backyard wedding. This post is full of fun shots from their reception — held underneath a white tent on a gorgeous early summer day while the sun set! Beautiful!

I loved Allyson and Rafe’s first dance. It was so entertaining and very well done. I think Rafe might hold the title as “best dancing groom” in the ericamay archives. :) They took dance lessons, and I’d say it was worth it!

The beautiful cakes:

Cutting the cake/toasting — these two are Jeff’s:

And this is mine:

Rafe’s dad said the blessing before dinner (which was AMAZING — kabobs on the grill!).

The first dances with parents — Allyson and her dad and Rafe and his mom:

Since the reception was held in the backyard, the kids got to hang out on the play set the whole time — it was a great way to keep them entertained and nearby… and it made for some super cute photos:

The bouquet toss (too cute!):

As the night went on, we were greeted with a gorgeous sky as the sun set and the moon rose!

And then the party really started. :) I don’t usually share a ton of dance shots on the blog, but today I’m going to — these are too much fun not to.

This next section is dedicated to Aleks, the best man and brother of the groom, who also happens to be my best friend’s husband. Enjoy.

From the front…

Aaand, the back…

And a few more fun dancing shots:

They ended the night with a bang… literally. Fireworks to the tune of “My Little Baby is a Firecracker”… :)

Allyson and Rafe, I’m wishing you a very happy life together. :) Don’t lose that super cute we’re-so-in-love way that you look at each other. :)

Family and friends — don’t forget to sign the online guestbook to be notified when all of their photos are online!

Leawood Wedding Reception: Amber and Josh May 29, 2009

Amber and Josh chose to say their vows at a beachside resort in the Turks and Caicos islands. At the end of April, they took a trip with each of their parents and got married on the beach! Since some resorts don’t allow outside photographers for destination weddings, Amber and Josh opted to have me cover their reception this past weekend, where they celebrated with their family and friends who didn’t make the trip to the islands!

I loved how Amber and Josh tied in their island theme, displayed photos and showed a video from their destination wedding, and really helped share that experience with their guests. The reception was held at Terrace on the Green in Leawood, and it was a beautiful venue with tons of natural light.

This post will have a lot of fun details from their reception — full of great ideas for other couples who want to throw a reception at home after a destination wedding!

First, the happy newlyweds:

And some of the beautiful details:

I loved the big paper lantern globes on the ceiling!

These wedding mints are shaped like seashells!

Wedding favors — with one of their beach wedding photos printed on the box!

The dinner buffet by Above and Beyond Catering — they’re always SO good… yummy food, great service!

The dress (gorgeous!) — and perfect for a beach wedding AND an elegant reception!

Okay, now on to the events! First, they watched a video of the wedding ceremony and a slideshow of the couple through the years. The crowd loved it, and it was fun to watch Amber and Josh’s reaction to their wedding video.

Amber and Josh’s first dance was so cute.

During the father-daughter and mother-son dances, they invited other dads/daugthers and moms/sons to join them on the dance floor. It was a nice touch! Here’s Amber dancing with her dad, and another father-daughter pair:

The couple toasting:

The bouquet and garter tosses:

I love grandparents, and especially grandparents dancing at receptions. :) First up, the cha-cha slide! Secondly, the “anniversary” dance. Amber’s grandparents won the dance — they’ve been married for 59 years! How awesome is that? :)

More fun shots:

Amber and Josh, thank you so much for letting me capture your special wedding reception! Congratulations!

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!!

Marisa and John’s Garden City Wedding May 5, 2009

This past weekend, Jeff and I traveled all the way to Garden City, Kansas, for Marisa and John’s wedding. I have never photographed a Garden City wedding before (and maybe I had never been to Garden City before…), so I was excited to have the chance to shoot in a new place! Marisa and John, along with their awesome families and tons of wedding guests, did not disappoint. It was a gorgeous wedding with beautiful people. Since you’ve been so patiently waiting for this post, I’m brining you tons of photos from their day. :)

We started off, of course, with the ladies getting ready at the church:

Secret: a crochet needle works wonderfully for hooking the threads around individual buttons on a wedding dress!

The bride’s bouquet:

John and Marisa saw each other before the ceremony, which gave us plenty of time for photos! I love these images from their “first sight” moment on their wedding day! John waiting on his bride:

Jeff’s shot (I wish I could claim this one):

Marisa’s elegant dress looked gorgeous with the train spread out:

John and his boys are equally as cute. Check out those adorable little guys in their tuxes!

Marisa was just stunning. Using John’s dad’s vintage car as a background for the photos was also awesome!

This one is Jeff’s view:

The ceremony was very personal and heartfelt. Wedding ceremonies and the traditions in them are definitely one of my most favorite parts to photograph. It’s so moving!

Marisa’s dad walked her down the aisle:

Jeff hid up close in the choir section of the church. We love it when churches allow us to get two very different perspectives on a ceremony. See how cool Jeff’s shots turned out? I love how close he is to the emotion and action!

Driving away after the ceremony:

The reception was at the Clarion (formerly the Plaza) Hotel in Garden City. It was just as elegant and well-done as the rest of the day’s details. I love the fun shots captured during the reception.

See what I mean about the details? This cake was incredible, both in looks AND taste!

The next image is from Marisa and John’s first dance. The dramatic, romantic effect with the lights is so fun. I wanted to capture the real feeling of their first dance, so I turned off my flashes during part of the dance to capture the moment as it happened.

The toasts were beautiful. Jeff captured both of the shots here from each of the toasts. Can’t you just feel the emotion? First is the bride’s sister and maid of honor giving a very heartfelt toast, and the second is the best man — and groom’s cousin — raising his glass to the newlyweds!

The garter tradition:

This shot (Jeff’s again) is just so sweet, and a moment that passed by quickly but is captured forever. Ahh, I love photography. :)

The dance was a fun party, with some of the best two-steppers in all of Kansas. :)

I’ll leave you with one portrait from our quick trip to Marisa’s family’s ranch, where we grabbed some photos with the field of cattle. This is a great example of how fun it is when couples personalize their wedding day and wedding photography to include things that are special to them! Aren’t they cute? :)

Marisa and John, I hope you’re having an awesome time on your honeymoon. Thank you for inviting us to capture your special day. For family and friends who want to see all of their photos, click here to sign the online gallery guestbook and you’ll be notified via e-mail when all of the images are available online!

Tara and Tom’s Wedding Details February 3, 2009

Tara is a planner. A seriously talented, detail-oriented lady who can really pull off a gorgeous wedding celebration. She’s also now a married woman! :) I’m wondering when Tara is going to start her wedding coordination business…

Tara and Tom‘s wedding this past weekend was filled with fantastic details, as I shared in their previous post. All of the details — from the dresses and flowers, to the programs and centerpieces — were all thought-out and coordinated in a classy, elegant way.

Their wedding colors were simple, which works so well with an elegant style. They used mostly ivory with gold accents — perfect for a winter wedding! Okay, on to the photos…

The bride’s bouquet:

The wedding ceremony programs:

The awesome “flower” balls hanging down from the arches of the church (hint: Tara made these out of tissue paper — you can’t even tell!):

The “D” initial (tied with the same ribbon…) that graced the sanctuary doorway on each side:

One of the best personalized details — instead of a traditional guestbook, wedding attendees signed their name on quilting squares that the couple can use to compile a family heirloom! I love this!

The reception at the Uptown Theater was also simply gorgeous. The table setting:

Placecards so guests knew which table they were to sit at… notice the repeating element with the same bird design that appeared on the ceremony program. The calligraphy is also a nice touch for a more elegant feel. And the table names? All named after types of trees, which is Tom’s specialty… another personalized element!

The tree name table markers:

If you love what you see here, leave a comment! I’d be glad to find out more information for you on where they drew their inspiration from, and how to coordinate details like this. What’s your favorite detail pictured here? Do you have any fun tips to share?

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?

Wedding: Terah and Chris October 10, 2008

“Don’t forget to let the other person be the one you fell in love with.”

True, powerful words spoken by the the groom’s older brother during a very emotional — and funny — toasting time. Reminders like this kept popping up throughout Chris and Terah’s wedding day. Reminders of how awesome and supportive their families and friends are of their relationship.

It’s refreshing to see two people so committed, loving and excited about each other… and even more refreshing to see family members and friends so committed to seeing their happiness fulfilled.

Terah, Chris and families: thank you for including me as you start this awesome journey together.

Now, onto the big day! :)

The beautiful bride:

The proud groom. You might recognize Chris from Matt and Becky’s wedding back in July — Chris and Matt are brothers!

The dip-and-kiss ceremony finale!

And some shots of the two lovebirds…first up, a fountain outside of Capitol Plaza Hotel in Topeka.

The next set was taken outside of the reception site, Heritage Hall, part of the Topeka Expocentre. A really great venue!

 

I typically don’t put very many reception photos on my blog… but these were just too fun to pass up! These families sure knew how to have fun.

Terah and her mom, two lovely ladies!

Chris and his mom — I love her expression in this photo. So proud.

Quite possibly my most favorite reception shot yet — the flower girl, singing her heart out to “You Make Me Wanna Shout!”

Chris’ grandparents have been married for 59 years! How awesome is that?!

Okay, usually the bouquet and garter toss don’t work out as great as these did. I think Terah and Chris must have practiced beforehand — and they had some determined participants, which always makes for some great photos. :) Check out this leap!

I think the guys actually wanted the garter — that’s a first. :)

Terah and Chris, thanks so much for choosing ericamay photography. It was a joy to see you again — I hope to catch up soon! :)

Family and friends, the entire album will be available online soon. Click here to sign in for a gift certificate and notification when it’s available!