Jackie and Brian met on the water skiing team at the University of Kansas. She told me at our first meeting that they spent those days skiing all day and then camping out at night, partying with friends. I kind of wished I could have experienced that in another life. I knew two people who fell in love in that scene would be people I would like to know.
Jackie’s bridesmaids were either family or friends that she had known since, like, kindergarten. I have friends like that, so it was fun for me to see that same dynamic among them- stories upon stories- a million days of laughs built up. And all the moms were there too! Though I didn’t get to know Brian before the wedding day, I immediately liked him for the way he treated his friends, family, and Jackie. A kind smile and warm eyes. One of my favorite things about these two is how authentic and unfussy they are. they went with the flow and didn’t sweat the small stuff. Really looking forward to seeing you all next week!


What a gloriously real wedding this was.
I have thoroughly enjoyed my time with Megan and Jacob. Megan values good photography to the core. From the beginning this was very impressive to me. Since then I have had the pleasure to know her sister and her sweet little niece when I photographed her in the studio as well as having Megan attend one of my workshops for amateurs, finally spending a wonderful afternoon with her and Jacob out in the country learning about them during their engagement session. Each step of the way I learned more about this wonderful couple and what makes them tick. In addition to Megan’s love for great photographs her love for Jacob, family, and a simple life came very apparent by the end of their wedding day.
In the first meeting with me Megan explained the wedding they were planning. It was to be held in Weston, Missouri with a very familiar feel with a ceremony in a quaint chapel and reception at the Weston Red Barn Farm surrounded by family and BBQ from Jack Stack. Everything sounded perfect to me. As the months rolled by and we got closer to the wedding day there was only one this missing to complete her vision of the day. This is where this wedding took a turn for me on a personal note. During their engagement session we got to talking about the day and the schedule and they asked my opinion about a good get away car for the ceremony. I happened to mention that I own a 1969 Land Rover. Jacob being a farm boy and used to weird machines perked up. Fast forward to the Thursday before the wedding and our last minute planning meeting. The idea of the Land Rover comes back up. I vowed to do what I could to get her running for the big day. Problem was time was not on our side. Jacob even offered to go work on it himself but luckily he was not needed as I was able to get it going quickly. This truck means a lot to me. It has a ton of history in my family as my first car at age 16 to years of use through high school and college. It was wonderful to see someone else enjoying it. Plus I got to ride in it again while shooting!
The day was perfectly comfortable for all involved and I am honored to be trusted with documenting it.
The images:
Megan’s sister helps her get dressed in a great bed and breakfast in Weston.

I used to run around dressed as Daisy Duke with a do-rag. Char seemed to dig the look.

Charlotte this morning before I left to shoot my wedding today. My late Nana’s necklace.

I am sitting here trying to think of how to articulate how much I love Marissa and Arna, and I am completely intimidated, because Arna is one of the best writers I have ever met, and for two days, I heard these two exchange some of the deepest, most sincere, and passionate words. So I will not be able to do justice with my words, but hopefully you will be able to get an idea of the extraordinary nature of these two people and their love from my pictures. You guys have been a joy and an inspiration to know. Slideshow coming…..


Family bond. That is what comes to mind when I think of Marlys and Matt and their wedding day. I have felt that from day one with these two. Marlys had a perfect attitude towards this wedding from the beginning. Basically she just let others do most of the work and allowed herself to be surprised and put faith in serendipity. It paid off. Their wedding was a seemingly stress free roll with the punches day that everyone enjoyed including me. What I enjoyed most was being able to witness such great family dynamics. I was able to see how close her and her parents were during the planning of the wedding but got a little cherry on top when I was able to witness and document the wonderful connection of Marlys and Matt’s siblings the day of the event. All of them were wonderful to photograph. Marlys and her two brothers and Matt and his three brothers provided a day full of laughter. It was an honor and joy to document. I feel like I really got to know these two and got a window into their lives from the engagement session done in the same neighborhood I grew up in that they now live in, to a bridal session with Marlys. They did not disappoint being so welcoming and enjoyable every step of the way. Thank you guys for everything.
The details:
Floral and room design- Studio Dan Meiners
Church- Our Lady of Sorrows
Reception- The President Hotel
The images:
Marlys checks out her dress during some down time by herself.

Linda and Nick booked me from Iraq. They were both stationed in Baghdad while planning their Kansas City wedding. I was excited about them from the beginning, not only because I could tell that they had adventurous spirits, but Linda had a background in journalism and really knew her stuff when it came to storytelling. When we met once they were back in the States, I loved their unconventional ideas and attitudes about their wedding. At the end of the day, they just wanted it to be a really fun party for all the people gathering in Kansas City for their marriage.
And it was a PARTAY. Many of my favorite images from the day were from the reception. Jewel and I had a lot of fun playing with light and we even joined in on the party a bit. Thanks again guys for your hospitality!

Amanda and Brett are wonderfully easy to photograph. The day we shot their engagement pictures, it was cold, rainy, and early. I got out my camera, pointed it their way, looked through the viewfinder, and they were perfect. Cute and connected without any instruction. I certainly do not expect that from people, but it’s such a fun thing when it happens!
I just got finished hanging out with these two, showing them their pictures for the first time, and one of the things both of them said was that they loved the getting ready time- because it was relaxed and leisurely time with their favorite folks. This is very descriptive of these two to me. That they seem to love these kinds of “normal” times with friends and family. As they “awww”-ed over pictures of people that they loved instead of pictures of themselves, it reinforced to me how much they love their people.
Thank you Gramlichs and Adams for letting me capture this wonderful day.


Weekend in and weekend out I find myself realizing how fortunate I am to be able to be let into my couples lives and witness not only their love for each other, but the wonderful family dynamics at work as well. Molly and Caleb are both wonderful people that I was not at all surprised when I was welcomed by their whole crew so warmly. A bonus with this wedding is that I really love it whenever prep is done at home. Molly got ready surrounded by family and her friends in the house she grew up in. All over the place you get an insight into who they all are as a family with their pictures around the house or as they were lounging around the kitchen like they had done for years and years.
The Details:
Church: Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception
Reception: Hilton at the Airport
The images:
Below is just a small sampling of this family dynamic. You can tell they not only love each other, but like each other too. Here is Molly, her sister, brother and nephew. What a face!

Can I just say that I go to a ton of weddings and this one is one that I will remember for a long, long time. Both the ceremony and reception took place at The Terrace on Grand. The whole day was full of emotion, from tears to laughter. Abby and Bryce have a zest for life and fun that is contagious. I caught myself smiling along with them much of the day. These on again, off again high school sweethearts really know how to be themselves and just throw caution to the wind. I am sure they get it from their equally amazing families. Plus they are lucky enough to have found friends that want to share in their energy and joy. Enjoy these images and note how much you can tell they love to dance and have a good time. I have never seen anything like it and I wonder if I ever will!

Abby getting a bit emotional reading a card from Bryce.
