Within the past week or so I have had a huge amount of engagement sessions, all amazing in their own way.  I LOVE doing engagement sessions.  It gives me a chance to be a bit more creative and play with light.  It also gives me a chance to really get to know my clients and I feel that is so important before their big day.  By the time their weddings roll around, we are old friends and it’s a blast hanging out with each other all day.  That is why I offer engagement sessions in all of my packages as a complimentary thing.  It’s always in everyone’s best interest to have one done.  I think this post proves why!  I am lucky to always have such an outstanding group of clients, they are always so beautiful on and inside and out!

Wedding season has begun in full swing and it started with a bang!  The first wedding of the season was absolutely STUNNING.  Not only that, it was so much fun.  I feel like I know this family very well because I have shot 3 of the 4 girls’ weddings and the 4th was already married when they met me.  So, it was bittersweet as they have no more daughter’s to marry off!  But, now I get to begin the pregnancies and babies I know they will have!  They held their reception at The Des Moines Renaissance Savery hotel downtown.   It couldn’t have been a more beautiful way for me to start off my 2012 wedding season.  Congrats again Andrea & Justin, thank you for allowing me to be a part of your day!

I wanted to throw a quick few photos up tonight because I absolutely adore them.  Spring is my favorite season of the year and this is why.  All of the gorgeous blooming trees and shrubs (not to mention the PERFECT weather!).   I’m still working on editing this session, but so far, it’s pretty amazing.

It’s been quite a while since I’ve blogged (sorry!) but since I am getting ready to kick back into full swing wedding season in about a month  I thought it would be a good time to post a few of the recent engagement sessions I have shot.  I’ve been pretty busy with newborns and engagements and children to hold over my wedding season fever.  The cold doesn’t stop anyone and it doesn’t stop me from taking beautiful photos!  Though, sometimes I feel like my fingers may just fall off.  All of these 3 sessions were shot at the same location which happens to be one of my favorites.  So, I thought they’d fit well together in a blog post.  Why not, right?

I have some pretty exciting weddings coming up this year including one on the beautiful beaches of Negril, Jamaica!  I absolutely cannot wait and I LOVE LOVE LOVE shooting destination weddings.  I also have a pretty awesome shoot I am working on putting together.  It’s not wedding related, but I still can’t wait to do it and it should be beautiful.  It’s an idea I’ve had for a while, so I can’t wait to put it together and do it!  Keep an eye out for what is to come this year!

One more thing, I wanted to point out that I have added PIN IT buttons to my blog as well as a link to my pinterest board up on the left side of my blog.  Feel free to pin my images.  Brides, I LOVE pinning wedding ideas so feel free to follow my board as well and get some great ideas for your weddings.  I warn you, it’s addicting!

Last weekend I had the honor of photographing Margeaux & Denver’s wedding.  Although he is not in uniform for the wedding, Denver serves in the navy as a pilot.  He just got back from deployment about a month ago.  What is even more amazing is that 2 of his 3 brothers (all the groomsmen are his brothers) also do the same for the navy.  They all have wives and families and yet they feel the need to serve and protect our country.  So firstly, I want to thank them for EVERYTHING they do.  Also a big thank you to Margeaux and all other military wives/families for sharing their families for our freedom.

Their wedding was at St. Ambrose cathedral downtown and reception was located in the AMAZINGLY beautiful Embassy Club in the Ruan Center.  It was a cold winter day, but they braved the weather for photos and I think it paid off!  Margeaux and Denver, thank you again for letting me share in your special day.  It truly was beautiful!