This last wedding was so so much fun for Jason and I, as Luke is Jason’s cousin! We got to experience all the fun of a family wedding and got the pleasure of capturing Luke and Paetyn’s wedding story!  They hired me shortly after I moved to Iowa, and so I have spent the last year helping out as much as possible with the wedding planning! Paetyn asked me to help design the invitation suite as well as the programs, and they are some of my absolute favorites!

I absolutely adore the color palate that Paetyn chose! The grays and deep maroons match the autumn season without being overly “theme-y.” The bridesmaids all looked marvelous in the dresses…which I was drooling over the stone belt embellishments…totally wish I had a dress like that for myself! A photographer can dream, right? It was seamless how they included the navy as well, on the parents of the bride and groom!

It is no surprise that I love balloons…I have begged plenty of clients to include balloons as props in their sessions. But this is the first time I’ve seen a balloon release done for relatives that have passed and it was so touching! I loved the table that included a photo of each family member and a balloon for each that the bride and groom then released on their way out of the church! That is a moment that I will never, ever forget!

Luke may be family, but I am still allowed to put him on the “poo list,” right? I asked him at least four time to cry in the photos and he wouldn’t even pretend…but then when I walk away to give him a moment with his bride, what does he do? Breaks down and I am not even close enough to catch it! Rude! It was not an overly emotional day, because boy-oh-boy was this a party crowd! This group of friends and family absolutely know how to have a good time and enjoy some good dancing tunes! I enjoyed every minute from the party bus to the last dance before my work day was over!

Luke and Paetyn – thank you so much for including me in your wedding day! I now that there are tons of options for photographers in our area and the fact that you trusted me means more to me than you now! I hope you enjoy this blog peek at your gallery, and that you’ll treasure your images and memories for a long, loving lifetime together!