A Romantic, Plum Wedding at Country Celebrations in Sioux City, Iowa

I hope my stories today don’t embarrass Jenna, as I love her dearly. She is the most sweet, kindhearted person I’ve been able to meet lately. I don’t think she has a mean bone in her body and wouldn’t hurt a fly! But on her wedding day I had the most amazing moment of the entire wedding season so far.

All of the guests were filing into their seats for the ceremony. Everyone was hugging and chatting, talking about how beautiful the ceremony decor looked, and how excited they were to watch Keaton and Jenna say their vows. The ushers were laughing at the entrance of the church, slapping each other on the back and telling the groom their last words of wisdom (well, at least I like to pretend it’s wise advice). The father of the bride was pacing the tiniest bit and the mothers were finishing up last details they forgot about, buzzing around staying busier than they probably needed to be. Everyone was loving the moment. I had this feeling that I wanted to go tell Jenna good luck and remind her to keep her bouquet low and to walk slow. Right before every ceremony I tell they girls “Ladies, I want to see low and slow. Low and slow.” It’s my thing, I guess.

I walked down the back hall but couldn’t find the bride, so I asked her father and he showed me what room she was in but said that she was a bit on edge. I brushed it off and headed towards the room where the girls were hiding out. I walked in, looked for Jenna and she bursted out in tears! This sweet, sweet girl was so nervous to walk down the aisle. I walked over and asked if she wanted a hug and she nodded so I wrapped her in the best breezy hug I could muster. I absolutely love the fact that we had bonded enough for her to want a hug from me of all people before her ceremony! I wasn’t quite sure what would calm her down, so I asked her if she wanted to see some photos from the back of my camera. We spent maybe two minutes sitting next to each other laughing and “oo-ing” at the images we had created already that day. I wish I could have stayed with her longer, but I needed to be in the front of the church before everyone lined up. I wanted to offer her one more hug, but Keaton was nearby and figured it would be better for him to do it. Jenna didn’t want a hug from him, she wanted one from me! Ha, sorry Keaton! But I didn’t want him to feel left out so I gave them a “breezy sandwich” hug and ran away to get setup for ceremony. Trust me, “breezy sandwich” hugs are priceless and included for free with each wedding package. I think everyone knows I’m a good hugger.

Okay, so this probably seems like a small moment to everyone else, but it means the world to me! I work so hard in my business to provide an awesome client experience and to make connections with each one of my brides. Knowing that Jenna felt comfortable with me around on his big day, at the biggest moment of the entire process, means I think I did my job well. I absolutely loved spending the entire day laughing with her, watching her marry her best friend, riding the party bus downtown with them, joking and singing with them, and most importantly documenting these precious memories. But that moment, above all, took the cake in my opinion. Love ya girl, and I am so glad we got you down the aisle!

Overall, Keaton and Jenna are my kind of people. They are homebodies who love to spend quality time together. They are simple and easy to please, not requiring a lot of fuss or glam to have a good time. They aren’t big drinkers and they hold their friends close. Family is and always will be number one in their lives and I absolutely adore them! I wish them all of the best as they start their life together and hope that they love these photos as much as I do! That autumn sunset was absolutely swoon-worthy and the dip kiss that Keaton pulled out during our portrait time was positively perfect!

THE CREATIVE TEAM

PHOTOGRAPHY // Jessica Brees Photography 

VENUE // Country Celebrations Event Center

FLORIST // Celebrations by Design

DJ // Complete Weddings + Events

MAKEUP // Payton Stolze

GOWN // Dream Dress Express

BRIDESMAIDS // David’s Bridal

TUXEDOS // Tip Top Tux

If you are planning a 2019 wedding and looking for the perfect photography to fit your big day, you can see more of my work here and contact me here! I can’t wait to chat!