The wedding was the perfect time of year to get some shots of these about-to-be-harvested grapes!

Congratulations, T&M!

I absolutely love the feel of the Bartlett Arboretum, and we had some crisp sun to start the day with!

Friend, you are beautiful!

Having just spent the past 3 and 4 years in Mexico, they decided it would be fitting to have a Mexican-style reception:

Congratulations, K&D!

This next one is a fun moment Cage captured while I went to grab a few shots of the guys…

A creative shot of the girls’ shoes by Cage:

Cage snagged this shot of the hesitant ring bearer.  He gained confidence coming down the aisle, though, and did just fine.

And a great, classic balcony shot by Cage.  Isn’t this church awesome?!

Erica, you are gorgeous!

I was so very impressed with Erica & Luke’s resilience to less-than-ideal circumstances and their good spirits in spite of it.  There were some power issues that prevented the DJs from consistently pumping sound into the room.  The songs came in spurts, which really didn’t turn out to be so bad because the guests had some good chat time!  During one of the music intermissions, Luke grabbed a mic and opened up the floor to anyone with jokes.  People weren’t feeling very funny, I guess, so Luke dove into his Harry Caray impersonation, and it was priceless!  You just have to love the charisma and how he turned a dull moment into a great memory…

Congratulations, E&L!  Have a terrific honeymoon in Aruba!

Here’s where we really tried to get creative.  I brought along a small flashlight, which Paul used to sign his name just before posing at the end of the exposure.  I don’t claim to know everything (or that much really!) about using flash, so the four of us pooled our brain power to figure out how to get the shots we wanted.  Here’s what we came up with:

The mysterious-ness of this last one is my favorite.  Thanks for being willing to experiment Jackie, Paul and Scott!

Best wishes for your senior year, Courtney!

I wanted to start with some beautifully incorporated color:

I adore this ring shot that Sarah took!

I had to put this next one in.  This is the bridesmaids shuffling through Kayla’s layers to pull out the little black bugs that were trying to hide in her dress.  I don’t know what it is about layered dress, but I’ve seen bugs crawl up many a bride’s dress!

Okay, so they were laid-back…and SO ADVENTUROUS!  Their reception was at the Mid-America All-Indian Center, and we had planned to go through the “backyard” to get to the Keeper for photos.  Well, the gate was locked.  What’s a bride, groom and photographer to do when their photo plans have been impeded?  Where there’s a will, there’s a way…

Thanks for being so brave, K&D!  The shots we got during that time are some of my very favorites!

The classic, well-made cake from Cheri’s Bakery:

A sweet moment Sarah caught:

Kayla’s sister gave a toast, and it was seriously one of the best ones I’ve ever heard.  Well done, Hannah!

Sarah took these next two shots of the first dance:

The whole wedding party was fantastic.  I loved working with them!

Congratulations, Kayla & Dakota!

I love this first shot of Leah.  Zac was doing a “sneak attack,” and this is the face of, “Oh no – I know what’s coming!”

Zac is so sweet with Leah.  It’s awesome.  He, actually, is a photographer himself, and I think he did rather well on the other end of the camera.  Leah, of course, is a pro because of all the camera attention she’s received from Zac!

Well, I think it goes without saying that they have fun together.  Looking forward to the wedding, you two!

I just love their look and the feel of the session.  Thanks for letting me take your photos, J&J!

This photo is complimentary of the kind server at Knolla’s who bothered to dig up these numbers for the shot:

Somehow the guys were able to negotiate the suite at the Hyatt for their spot to get ready leaving the ladies with the back rooms of the Boathouse.  Sarah Shah started her day hanging with the fellas.  I also thought it was well-suited that L&B’s wedding coincided with the opening weekend of a major international sporting event, the World Cup.

This next grouping is a showcase of the sports theme.  One of the bridesmaids, Brooke Jantz, stated it well – they kept the theme simple and classy without overdoing it in a way that suited them perfectly as a couple.

Lisa, you are beautiful!

Brian thought of this idea to showcase the rings, and I LOVE how it turned out!  Great idea…  I should mention, too, that Lisa’s dad MADE Brian’s ring.  How cool is that?

This next one is a brilliant shot Sarah captured of the rings:

The lovely, bright flowers were done by Moore Flowers, and the delicious dinner at the reception was by Catering by Kaye.

Congratulations, Lisa & Brian!

Jackie Cage and I had an early morning start to make the drive to Meade and be there for the girls getting ready at 9:30 am.  It actually is refreshing to be up at the very beginning of a day, and the morning sun hitting the wheat fields that lined our drive was impeccable.

Cage grabbed this shot of Heather’s beautiful Maggie Sottero dress as well as the following shot of her makeup.

We synced our cameras’ times to start the day, and I thought it was very interesting that these next shots were taken just seconds apart.  I was with Heather, and Cage was with the fellas.

Theirs was such a beautiful and emotional first look.  I feel so privileged to be able to capture these tender moments on camera.  This, my future couples, is part of why it is so very worth it to have a first look.

This is Ryan’s cougar that he’s worked on over the past several years…

I LOVE these next two shots that Cage captured:

Another of Cage’s:

First wedding I’ve seen officiated with the help of an iPad.  :)

I think this comment left on a matted photo sums up what many think of Heather and Ryan.  Guests’ comments and the attendants’ toasts were evidence to me that people hold H&R in very high regards and look to them as role models for relationships.

H&R have many talented vocalists that are close to them.  There was live music for the ceremony and then a few performances at the reception.  Heather’s dad and sister almost pulled off a surprise performance, but Heather decided to ask them to sing a few weeks before the wedding.  One surprise, though, was Ryan and several men performing “I Never Knew” for Heather.  Cage caught a neat from-above shot of that that you’ll see below.

Cage’s awesome view from behind:

And I’ll end with this one because it cracks me up every time I see it.  I went out to take some shots of the guys simply decorating the getaway car with toilet paper and wheat from the field across the street.  I was a bit surprised by the lackluster decor because the talk all day was that there are some pretty ornery people in the family.  A group of girls stood by watching and, with a grin, one told me to keep my eye on the car.  ”This is Meade, Kansas.  There’s always more than meets the eye when it comes to getaways.”  Well, they made their grand exit (as seen above) and then bolted off around the building instead of getting in the car.  So, naturally, I chased them.  And this is the Knight and Day-esque shot I got.  After their loop around the building, they jumped in the car and peeled out, but not without half a dozen cars chasing them.  I’m still a bit confused about what all transpired in those brief moments, who Ryan is calling in this shot and whether or not they intended to leave in the car that they did.  It was a priceless end to the day.  Congratulations, you two!