Kristin + Lonnie | A father's love

Saturday, July 26, could have been the hottest outdoor wedding I've photographed this year. The meteorologist said that it would be at least 93-degrees with a heat index of 100. If you asked me, I would have told you it was at least 110!

Kristin and Lonnie's wedding took place at The Elms, in Excelsior Springs, MO. This resort is rich in history and it has a beautiful gazebo behind the hotel. What's most memorable to me about this wedding is that Kristin's father truly loves his daughter or should I say both of his daughters (Kristin's sister was her maid of honor). When Kristin and her father came to our gallery several months ago, I could tell that he was one of those fathers who would give anything for his daughter. A touching moment to me occurred during the reception when Kristin, her sister and father all danced. The glow on his face - while holding his daughters - was deep!

The wedding party was small and made up of mostly family but it's evident that both families will share a endless connection. Their wedding cake was gorgeous! The DJ, "Complete Music", did a awesome job in keeping the guest entertained. Kudos to the cake designer and DJ.

View Wedding Slideshow









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Kristin + Lonnie | A father's love

Nicole + Ryan | A bride with a cathedral veil

Since I've lived in Lee's Summit, I've always wanted to photograph a wedding at Woods Chapel United Methodist Church. I pass this church at least once a week and every time I see the grounds I've said to myself that I hope to photograph a wedding there someday. From the freeway, the church looks beautiful. Well that opportunity came and went. Nicole and Ryan, a young couple, said, "I Do" to each other on July 12. The disadvantaged part for me was that I didn't get a chance to photograph their wedding - my good friends Terry and Denise did.

However, I did get a chance to take their e-session last Fall.

Nicole told me about a week before her wedding that she was going to wear a cathedral veil. WOW... She had to rub it in my face :) But it was all good. Terry and Denise did a phenomenal job. Good work ladies.




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Nicole + Ryan | A bride with a cathedral veil

Keep Watching | Our newest advertisement

2008 has been a wonderful year for us and it's not over; 2009 is going to be better.

A lot has happened and we have a lot to be thankful for! One of our recent accomplishments was receiving The Knot 2008 Best of Weddings and that truly came as a surprise to us. We would love to know who were the brides that made positive comments so we could personally thank them but since we don't, please accept this as a huge THANK YOU! We take wedding photography very seriously and thrive to ensure that the brides we photograph are willing to recommend us to other brides. Our motto, "It's your wedding...you deserve the best!" is part of our DNA and branded slogan.

Stay tuned because as the year progresses, we will be redefining our products and our biggest project....let's just say watch for the big announcement!

We spend thousands of dollars in advertising within various mediums but the best referral is word-of-mouth. In the next month or so, we wanted you all to be on the watch for our new advertisement in the upcoming The Knot magazine. Below is the ad you will see.

Thank you to all of our brides!

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Keep Watching | Our newest advertisement

Meet the Hughes | A Evening in the Park

Saturday late afternoon I took the Hughes family pictures at Loose Park. I have been good friends with the family for many years and felt it a huge honor to capture a few brief portraits. Mark and Dana told me that they were going to bring their dog but I had no idea that he was that big - 7 months big. Nevertheless, he was very playful and responded well to pictures. We couldn't let the even go by with out capturing a few romantic images of "mom & dad".




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Meet the Hughes | A Evening in the Park

Kaylene + Phillip: A Perfect Match

When we meet the love our lives and decide to get married, we are saying to one another that we have found our soul mates and are willing to stand beside each other through anything in life.

Kaylene and Phillip's wedding July 12 at the Hawthorne House needless to say complimented their wedding day dreams. Their wedding theme was "A Perfect Match". Indeed it was! Their engagement pictures were taken on The Plaza back in October.

I'm sure you all remember that it rained that Saturday morning and early afternoon. When I left my house, I wondered if we would ever get a chance to take outdoor pictures. The grounds at The Hawthorne House is gorgeous and it's a photographer's intent to take pictures outdoors. Most often brides get scared because they don't want it to rain on their wedding day. From what I've been told (I haven't been able to prove it) rain on your wedding day is a sign of good luck. My prayers is that God continues to shower his blessings and shows them favor.

One key point that I must mention about the wedding is that Kaylene's two brothers walked her down the aisle because her father had passed away several years ago. Her mother preceded him when she was five years old. However, her step-mother along with extended family were present at the wedding.

Kaylene and Phillip...may God bless you and thank you for allowing me to photograph your wedding.

THE WEDDING DETAILS WERE:

• Wedding / Reception - Hawthorne House
• 5 bridesmaids
• 5 groomsmen
• 1 ring bearer
• Colors: Navy Blue and Ivory

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Kaylene + Phillip: A Perfect Match

LaDanya + Ontret: Today, I Will Marry My Friend

Saturday, July 5, LaDanya married her true love, Ontret.

The wedding was beautiful. When the doors opened at the back of the church, I watched his eyes fill as his bride-to-be walked down the aisle on the arms of her father. I personally believe that when she saw Ontret cry, she began to cry half-way down the aisle but as she got closer to him, those tears turned into a huge smile of joy. Her father was one proud "poppa".

Ontret looks like Kobe Bryant (in my opinion). Just so that I didn't sound like a young groupie, I polled several of his groomsmen as well as his father and they all agreed that he has been told that before. LaDanya followed in her mother's footsteps and became a proud member of the historical greek organization Alpha Kappa Alpha sorority (AKA). During the reception, her sorority sisters surrounded her and serenaded her with the sorority's song.

LaDanya and Ontret, congratulations!

THE WEDDING DETAILS WERE:

• Wedding Location Palestine Missionary Baptist Church


• Reception Location John Knox Pavilion


• (4) Bridesmaids


• (4) Groomsmen


• (1) Ring bearer


• (1) Usher


• Colors: Orange, Red, Yellow, Khaki, and Cream

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LaDanya + Ontret: Today, I Will Marry My Friend

Mirror Mirror

A photojournalistic wedding photographer usually dresses comfortable on a wedding day - in most cases he/she would wear predominantly black slacks and a black shirt. This allows the photographer to maneuver during the wedding un-noticed. Well I didn't have that many button down black shirts so I invested in a box full of black polo shirts with my company logo. It was an investment and it was hard writing the check for them but I knew I needed them.

Last night I was modifying a few wedding images and realized that my wife had taken a few images of me photographing a wedding a few weeks ago. Believe it or not, I've never seen myself at work during a wedding. Some of the guests are a hoot to work with and it's not uncommon for them to snap photos of me while I'm taking pictures of them. Do I see the photos? No. But I ran upon these photos last night and thought I would post them to give my clients a visual.

What's weird to see is that even though I'm wearing all black, I still look like I'm weighed down with camera gear. Last season, I made it a promise to myself to minimizing the gear/equipment I carry at a wedding but from these pictures, it appears that I need to either lose weight or lose some of the gear.


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Mirror Mirror