Last week, Suzanne got all dolled up for her bridal session. I loved photographing her & Seth for their engagement session: they were all giggles & smiles. This day was no different. Suzanne has a talent for radiating on the inside AND out. Doesn’t she look incredible? She was a trooper as mosquitoes swarmed her, resulting in red welts on her arms & neck and yet she still was up for anything I suggested. I am super excited for her wedding that’s only a few short weeks away!

And, a big THANKS to Tara Winsor for assisting me. Couldn’t have done it without her help

Boy have I been excited to share these pictures with you!

I took Suzanne and Seth’s engagement pictures a couple of weeks ago at Lagoon.

Now, you have to know that I am a fan of amusement parks. A BIG fan. So much so that I have gone to Lagoon the past 3 years on my birthday. Every time I am there, I imagine all the amazing pictures I could take with all the fun backgrounds. It’s chock full of great places!

Anyways, back to the main point of my post… I was stoked when Suzanne suggested doing her engagement session there. We were able to go on a Tuesday when the park was closed, so we had full access to everywhere. Except for the rain, it was a perfect day.

We started out in Pioneer Village with this sweet 1930s hot rod. Suzanne has a picture of her grandparents in front of an old car so it was fun taking part in creating another family heirloom. We then worked our way throughout the park. We shot for almost 3 hours and if it hadn’t been for the rain, I’m sure I would have kept shooting for even longer. I loved spending time with these two. They were both comfortable and natural in front of the camera, plus Seth has a way of making Suzanne laugh. They are so stinkin’ cute together and I am even more excited for their wedding coming up in July. I know there are a lot of pictures for you to look through, but I hope you enjoy viewing them as much as I enjoyed taking them

Time for the best part about wedding photography: the pictures of the bride & groom

These two didn’t need much direction from me as I was photographing them. They interacted so well with each other I’m sure they totally forgot I was there snapping away with a giant camera in their faces. I simply love the series where Mesia has her cheek resting on Brett’s shoulder and couldn’t narrow down which one I liked best, so I included three.

At Sunset Crest Manor, we had gorgeous light as the sun fell into the horizon. I especially love the shots we took down in the ‘forest’. I feel like they are completely isolated from the world, their deep love pouring out from their auras. Lots of beautiful moments captured there.

Chris shot this lovely picture below

haha. Here’s another funny one of me burrowing myself as low as I can into the grass, followed by 2 images of Mesia and Brett that I took from my crazy position.

Mesia and Brett had their reception at Sunset Crest Manor, which is in a gorgeous area surrounded by rolling hills & lush greenery. Picturesque.

Their decorations and flowers were in various shades of purples and greens with twinkle lights to accent the room.

The room where Mesia and all her bridesmaids primped & pampered themselves before the reception was elegant. I loved how several of Mesia’s sisters, sisters-in-law, and maybe even friends all took turns in freshening up her makeup and hair. This bride was definitely surrounded by lots of people who love her dearly.

It was fun capturing candids of Mesia and Brett greeting their guests, cutting the cake, and dancing. The evening was simply perfect, except for the fact that the wind picked up so much, they had to skip out on using the gorgeous patio outside.

P.S. I love how you can see how much Brett loves Mesia by the way he looks at her while they are dancing

Mesia and Brett were married in the Washington DC LDS Temple a couple weeks ago. The forecast worried me because there was supposed to be a 50% chance of rain. Instead of ominous clouds like I imagined, the sky was a happy blue. Plus, we had this amazing wind (I’m guessing most of the ladies & bride didn’t appreciate it like I did) that added this wonderful dimension & motion to the pictures.

I was able to take lots of great candids of Mesia and Brett with their family and friends. Such a joyous occasion. I love being in the midst of all the happiness, hugging, and smiling that takes place on wedding days. It makes me oh so happy.

This is Chris, the second photographer of the wedding day. Chris and Brett were roomies in college: which is also how I met both of them, so it was fun to see Brett get hitched and also shoot with Chris. He got some great shots!

Chris shot this awesome image below. Love how Brett is looking at his beautiful wife

I couldn’t resist….I love the wind & the humorous expressions on the both these lovely ladies. This one goes in the blooper reel

Alright folks. I have shot THREE awesome events in the past week & a half but I am venturing out of town this weekend, so the full posts will have to wait.

In the meantime….enjoy 2 images each, selected from Mesia & Brett’s wedding at Sunset Crest Manor, the Human Chess Game (I know you’re curious, but you’ll have to wait to hear about it next week), and Suzanne & Seth’s engagement session shot at Lagoon!

Enjoy!

And stay tuned

When I was shooting Mesia and Brett’s wedding last weekend, Chris James was the second photographer. He got this great shot of me photographing the bride & groom.

(And when I say great, I mean, I usually look pretty goofy when I’m taking pictures. I mean, why am I crossing my legs? :-p)

I think it’s fun seeing the photographer in the scene & then the final ‘vision’. So…here you go!

After the ceremony, I was able to snag Dominique and Brad away for a few moments for some shots of them together as a newly married couple. The weather was simply perfect: blue sky, a slight breeze, blossoms still blooming and THEY looked fantastic. Their love was overflowing and definitely showed on their faces

Dominique and Brad wanted to keep things simple and special for their wedding ceremony. Only their close family and friends attended the small service.

I loved the intimate feel of the ocassion and cherished all the precious moments. Tears of joy were shed as the ceremony came to an end. It was very special & I was honored to be a part of it all. Hugs and smiles were found everywhere I looked and I knew this would be a perfect, memorable day for this amazing couple.

P.S. Don’t view the cake pictures too quickly!

I can’t tell you how thrilled I was when Dominique called and asked me to photograph her wedding ceremony. I have known her for about a year now and was so excited to hear she would be marrying her best friend. Isn’t that what marriage should be about?

It was a low-key wedding, where family was most important. I loved spending time with Dominique, Brad, and their children before the wedding. The boys all looked dapper in their pin-striped suits and the girls were gorgeous in their purple dresses.

What a joyous day!