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!

Jewel’s photos of the guys below

Jackie’s mom’s wedding bouquet in the fore ground as she finishes getting dressed

There are strict rules of staying at the back at this church, so I planted a remote camera to get this angle of the unity candle

the getaway car was Jackie’s dad’s vintage corvette

one of Jackie’s bridesmaids took the mic for a few songs

Jackie dancing with her middle school boyfriend

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.

Jacob and the guys get ready at a nearby hotel.

I love this image.  Megan’s mom fixing Megan’s dad’s hair in the church cry room as family wait for the ceremony to begin.

A quick moment with Jacob and his mom before walking down the aisle.

Waiting for Megan.

Great moment immediately following the ceremony outside the church.

A perfect day for the top off of the Rover.

Megan and Jacob arrive at the barn in English style.

I found this great.  Jacob flung his tie out of the way while eating BBQ but if you look closely he has BBQ sauce on the back of his shirt!

First dance.

Megan and her brother share a dance.  I absolutely loved that her brother and father immediately removed their tuxes and changed into something more comfortable.

Possibly my favorite moment of the night.  Megan barefoot with her friends singing to their favorite Carrie Underwood song- if I remember correctly.

Megan’s dad waiting by his truck to load up what was left of the reception.

Marissa is 10 or so years older than her little sister, and she took care of her a lot growing up, so there is a really tender sense of love between them.  As Marissa did her little sister’s makeup, she said “Marissa, do you remember when you used to kiss me on the forehead, and on the nose and on the mouth before I went to bed?”.  So beautifully precious.

Marissa opening Arna’s wedding gift…my favorite gift I’ve seen…a 50th Wedding Anniversary Cake topper, with a note promising 50 and beyond.

It was wildly hot that day, and Arna was never without his handy cold towel

Arna’s dad is the beloved former Chancellor of the University of Kansas, so the school has always been in the context of Arna’s life.  Here as he dresses for his wedding day, his room overlooks the iconic Campanile

Jewel’s photo of Marissa just before the ceremony

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.

Love this moment.  Marlys’ brothers came in to the room where she was getting ready and saw her for the first time that day.  In true brother fashion started joking with her about messing up her hair.

Meanwhile down in Matt’s room a heated brotherly discussion was underway as to if the shirts got switched.  This is where audio would have paid off.  Arguing like only brothers can.

Great shot by Kate of Matt, in center, and two of his brothers.  I bet they are still discussing the shirt mishap.

This was so great.  Marlys is taken back the moment she saw herself in the mirror as a finished product.

Adjusting the veil.

Marlys’ father checks on the status of the rain.

Sweet bouquet by Studio Dan Meiners.

Dad and daughter getting ready to leave for the ceremony.

If you have been to the President you know how long the elevators can take.  Makes for a great moment as Marlys and her dad wait.

The wonderful people at Pech limo help out with some rain protection.

Matt escorts his mom to her seat.

The celebration.

Not sure what they are doing here but it apparently has meaning.

Father daughter dance as mother son make their way onto the floor for their dance.

This little guy was an awesome dancer and never left the floor all night.  Quite the ladies man.

Time out for a quick shot with friends.

I loved this.  They decided against the garter and bouquet toss during the reception.  Then as the band was packing up and people were on their way out Marlys decided to give it a go and gathered all the single ladies still left.  It was great.  I have never seen it done at the end of the night before.  Serendipity in effect!

Thanks for a great day guys and see  you soon!

Tyler

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!

Linda has such an elegance about her.  I had fun photographing her lovely delicate features- the way her arms folded, her long neck

one of her bridesmaids rubs her feet as she gets her makeup done

Jewel’s photos of the guys below

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.

Jewel’s photo below of the guys at Brett and Amanda’s house

Amanda and her dad kid about “reeling it in” on their daddy-daughter dance

there was trouble with one of the zippers- it seemed to be broken and there was talk of having to sew this bridesmaid into her dress- one of the other bridesmaids insists that a drink of champagne is in order

the girls make sure that the cost is clear of the groom

Maybe I only think this is hilarious because I have a toddler.  This shot by Jewel

Jewel’s photo below

this little guy liked to be a puppy

Jewel’s photo below

Jewel’s photo below

Amanda’s grandparents “won” the anniversary dance, and their family danced around them, and it was so cool that I cried

Their friends heckled them as they walked down the street to their hotel

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!

Again, getting ready at home has some major advantages. Here this image of Molly and her sister getting the wedding dress down is framed by an image from their parents wedding.

Getting ready.

The pride in her Dad’s eyes is easy to see.

Nice grab by Kate as Caleb is getting ready to head over to the church.

The emotions/tears were starting to flow a bit on both Molly and her Mom’s end. Here Mom is pep talking her before they head to the church.

What a way to head to the church. A high school friend of Molly’s Dad drove them to the church in his vintage car.

Waiting for the ceremony to start. Nice peaceful moment.

Caleb and Molly’s Dad before the ceremony.

Caleb was overwhelmed with emotion when he saw Molly coming down the aisle.

Mr. and Mrs….you can just see how happy they both are.

Party time!

First dance was accompanied by a slide show of some images of Molly and Caleb through the years.

How many brides can you find in this picture?   Molly and Caleb passing another newly married couple after their reception.

Calling it a night!

Thanks again guys for including me in your day. I loved seeing you all at your finest and wish you the best life has to offer.

Abby getting a bit emotional reading a card from Bryce.

Abby and her Mom enjoying some down time (and mimosas) before the wedding begins.

Love this shot. For me it is the composition of one groomsmen seen 3 times…for him it might be remembering how many times it took him to get the tie tied right!

Nice shot by Kate. Bryce and his sister enjoying some pre-wedding time together.

Dress time!

Pam went crazy over these shoes. I just thought it was a pretty shot.

Loves Dads expression when he sees Abby for the first time dressed for her wedding day.

Quick last minute check in the mirror meant a beautiful impromptu portrait for me.

Here come the tears…and the laughter. It is ceremony time.

Wonderful moment with Bryce and his Dad.

Ring shot from a different vantage point.

Time to get comfortable and party.

Pam happened to notice (although I must say I did not) that even the cake topper is dancing at this party!

The grand entrance lets the party  begin!

What bride and groom ends the party with an alligator dance? Well, these guys! Holy cow.

Winding down at a bar nearby with their closest friends nearby. Life is good.

Thanks guys for showing me how to let down my hair and just enjoy. You are truly unique and wonderful to be around. Your day was amazing. Congrats again!