Photography started out in monochrome, and although I’m thankful for color—sometimes it just makes sense to freeze the moment in the most classic of ways… Black and White! Here are some of my favorite moments from this past year’s weddings sans color. I can’t believe that I’ve photographed weddings everywhere from Cedar Falls and Des Moines to Vail, Colorado and small town Kansas! What a year 2018 has been. By the way, I’m still booking for 2019 weddings, so please feel free to send me an inquiry.
It doesn’t matter when their first kiss was— each time my couples were pronounced married at the alter, the next kiss they shared was first as husband & wife. Each one was sweet, and tender, and often full of smiles! It's such a joy to be somewhat of a "fly on the wall" during these intimate moments. Nothing like kissing in front of someone holding a camera to show how unabashedly in love you are. ;) It’s going to be a sweet thing to watch these love stories continue to grow & mature with time!
Wow. What do I say!? Lizzy, as I know her, roomed with me, in my first Ames apartment. She was a junior at ISU, and not long after moving in, this guy Nate started hanging around. He was kind of quiet at first (especially compared to her!) but slowly started sharing more of himself as we all crossed paths. Us girls figured out by the end of the year that we though he was the one for her… and we were right. ;)
I thought that November was going to be my “wedding-less month” this year. Then I received an email from Kirsten, asking if I was available the weekend before Thanksgiving! Of course, once I double checked my schedule, I said yes. :)
What words can I use to describe this day! Intimate, snowy, full of love. Sarah and David’s outdoor tent wedding in small town (Ladysmith) Wisconsin— north of Eau Claire— was truly a day to remember forever. If you want to read a little more about them, check out their engagement photos in this blog post. (Which we took the night before!)
I know it’s only October, but looking back on this past year, I’m just so thankful and amazed that such incredible couples have chosen me to capture their wedding day on film. (Ok, it’s digital, but it’s more fun to say film! And who knows? Maybe someday I’ll add in some fine art film elements to my wedding photography packages!) These are just a few of my favorite outdoor and indoor photos from my weddings over the past year. I’ll do a more comprehensive blog post at the end of the year, but for now, it’s just fun to reminisce on these sweet days! From proposals to engagement photos to weddings… these are my people. Brides & grooms who are kind, joyful, adventurous, romantic, and who have hearts of gold. I couldn’t do this without them!
Nick and Kenzie’s day was full of details, family, and friends that mean much to them. It was intimate and incredibly sweet! Even though our Iowa Fall has felt more like Spring, and poured for a few hours straight during the afternoon of their wedding, the rain couldn’t stop this love one bit. :)
Here's to the past, for all that you've learned,
Here's to the present, for all that you share,
Here's to the future, for all that you look forward to together
-Lauren’s dad
A year ago this weekend, I photographed a sweet wedding at the Celebration Barns in Eastern Iowa for Katie and Jackson. At the wedding, during family photos, they told me Jackson's sister (Mariah) and her fiancé (Will) were getting married the next year. I ran up to them at the end of the day, handed them my business card, and the spent about a week in bed recovering from the worst cold I'd ever had. Possibly because I'd been sick, I didn't remember that interaction until I received an email in the winter from Mariah-- asking if I'd be interested in photographing their destination wedding in Colorado!!!!
The answer to Colorado (or any destination wedding photography) is always yes in my book. ;)
Cole and Erin heard of me through a friend. We photographed their engagement photos at a pond near Cole's childhood home... so it was only fitting that we took some photos at the pond next to Cornerstone Church, where they got married! This day was such a sweet one. Erin's bridesmaids were all so much fun, helping her with her dress and laughing with each other. I want to be friends with all of them!
Joelle and Kyle complement each other perfectly. They're yin and yang, tall and short, laughter and thought, social and shy. These two had been acquaintances for a while, until a year of college in the same dorm made them more. ;) They had a gorgeous day, nestled in the city of Ames in central Iowa, and I had the joy of photographing this wedding day!
Savannah & Nathan first met up with me a few months back. We went out for drinks and an appetizer at Roca, in downtown Des Moines. It was obvious to me pretty fast that these two are FUN! We connected easily and quickly. I knew that I’d love their wedding day!
I meant to have this post blogged long ago—but fall and early winter are always chaotic, and I just realized this week that Lindsey & Matt’s gorgeous fall wedding in the mountains of Colorado (in Silverthorne, near Vail!) had never been blogged. This beautiful venue and amazing wedding day deserves to be shown off on the blog, so here it is!
This wedding day was the unicorn of wedding day! A gorgeous first look, seriously overwhelming amount of bridal portraits, the sweetest ceremony at Kingsway Christian Church (where the couple WELDED together the final bits of a beautiful stained glass piece), an outdoor reception at Falconwood Park, homemade pie, the absolute best comfort food for dinner, and much laughter and dancing! Click on the post to see the whole amazing day!
WHERE DO I START. WOW! Natalie and Alex happen to be some of the most laid back, kind, fun people you could know. And they sure know how to pick their friends! (Just wait until you see the bridal party portraits. Some of my fav. Ever.) This west des moines wedding photographer was DREAMING the entire day!
One of the biggest parts (and first parts) of planning a wedding day boils down to venue. Without a wedding venue, you really can't get married. ;) And a venue can completely set and influence the aesthetic and theme of your day! So, I'd say that picking a venue is both vital and important. Not to mention, a pretty large amount of your wedding budget will go into renting one.
Shelby and Preston's wedding day at Riverside Bible Camp was an absolute dream! Shelby wanted things to keep with a simple, springtime feel, and I have to say that I'm slightly obsessed with ev.ery.thing. The girls and guys began their day getting ready at a hotel in Story City, making it easy for everyone to sleep in a little before the big day.
Jillian and Anthony met in college, but they didn't feel immediate sparks. However, after months together on the road for a traveling class, their friendship slowly grew into more. They bought matching bear hats together (you'll see them later!) and share a love for the outdoors, family, and simplicity. All of that was evident in this gorgeous outdoor spring wedding at Oakwood Country Club in Coal Valley, Illinois!
Lizy and Kyle's day left nothing to be desired! After waiting for years, they finally married in Lizy's home church (New Covenant Bible) in Cedar Rapids... just weeks before her graduation from Iowa State University! New name for graduation, how bout dat. ;)
Jenny and Jeremiah's story began back in the summer of 2012. They both attended a summer program in Florida for two months; however, Jenny was a staff member and Jeremiah attended as a student! (I also participated and met them both, however, since I was from a different university, didn't interact much with either one.) The next summer, Jenny led a missions trip overseas, and Jeremiah was one of the (again) students on the trip. That summer created a strong friendship between the whole team.
