So, for the fun of it, I just had to share Rose and Eric's engagement session with you that we had done during SPA in San Diego, California.  Talk about one AMAZING place!  It took everything I had to get back on that plane to go from 70 degree weather to below zero!  Eeek! 

We had a wonderful time while we were in San Diego, learning and playing all at once.  My friend Rose, also a photographer, asked me to photograph their engagement session while in San Diego...how could one possibly turn that down in such a beautiful setting?!  I am so honored she asked me to do that for them and I'm so excited for them to see all of their beautiful images. 

Rose and Eric are getting married this June in Cedar Falls, Iowa and even though it won't be on a warm, sandy beach, I'm sure it will be beautiful!  Congratulations Rose and Eric and thank you for letting me capture such special memories for you! 

Check out some of my personal favorites!

I love this moment between them...he had just whispered something saucy in her ear and I loved their expression afterwards!

We stayed at the Hotel Del Coronado in Coronado, California...one of the oldest resorts in the nation still standing on acres of beautiful landscape.  These were the rocks out front and I love the way the sun is skimming across them during sunset.  What a beautiful place!

Love the lighting!  These rocks are so fun...and dangerous, I will tell you about my little adventure with them later...

I could so live here...if only I could move all of my family and friends and the studio with all of my wonderful customers!

I think Rose may have thought I was crazy for getting us all in the water, but whats an awesome engagement session without a little excitement?!

So fun!

Okay, so this needs to be my award winning photograph...it just has to be! And this is why....In the process of climbing the rocks to get just the right angle with the sun and water, I so obliviously stepped down between rocks to a very steep spot in the water and dislocated my toe!  I knew right away something wasn't quite right, but I was all excited for the image and needed to work quickly with the sunset, so it wasn't until we were all done that I began to freak out...needless to say, we saw a lot of Coronado during our stay...even their very own Emergency Room!  For all the couples who know me, you know I had this coming to me right?!

 

 

Joe and Moe are quite the couple! I laughed non stop throughout their entire session! They were so much fun and photographing their engagement session has gotten me so excited for their wedding day! Joe is quite the character in front of the camera, and if his groomsmen are anything like him, which I suspect is most likely the case, we're in for a wild day!

Moe is so sweet too and I've enjoyed getting to know her better as well. They both live in Iowa City, where they attend the University. Huge hawkweye fans, they make it a point to attend most games when they can. We photographed their engagement session just before Christmas while they were out of school in the studio and hopefully we get time off together to photograph them in Iowa City as well. They've built so many memories there, so it would be lots of fun to capture them there together. Their wedding is this August in Iowa City and I can't wait! Keep posted for more images of Joe and Moe!

 

 

Talk about one heck of a party!  Kent and Crissy really knew how to entertain their guests all through the evening for the beautiful reception at Catfish Bend in Burlington, Iowa.  I don't think they missed a beat in the planning process!  Val from Petal Pushers beautifully decorated the wedding ceremony as well as the reception, and it was absolutely breathtaking!  Crissy wanted to have a candy bar, which was awesome with their ice sculpture and they brought in the band, Libido Funk Circus, from Chicago and they ROCKED the house all night long!

Kent and Crissy met through work and they have been stuck on each other ever since.  They are also the proud parents of Miley, their big and honery puppy!  She's the one with the tricks, as she showed me should could walk along on two feet instead of four! 

We had so much fun with Kent and Crissy and they are the end of a FABULOUS year of weddings for 2009!  We absolutely LOVE weddings and its couples like these guys that make it so much fun to capture such beautiful moments.  Congratulations Crissy and Kent ~ we wish you much happiness together!

Check out some of our favorite images from their wedding and their video:

Their first moment was perfect!  It actually took place in the bedroom at home, and I loved how Kent teared up after laying eyes on Crissy for the first time.

 

Meet head of the Spratt household, Miley.

Oh, this little guy melted my heart!  He was soo cute all afternoon while taking pictures.  I just love this image as he watches Crissy in her beautiful wedding dress come down the aisle for the ceremony. 

We photographed quite a bit at the golf course of Spirit Hollow since that is where Kent and Crissy have made their home, so it has much special sentiment to them.  An added bonus is that it is beautiful out there too!

Wow, talk about a fun photobooth!  We have been introducing our all new photobooth to this year's weddings and it's been a blast!  We wanted to feature Reghan and Jeff's photobooth during their costume ball reception and it's hilarious!  The photobooth was designed to bring out the fun and silly side of people and capture the guests who attended your wedding.  We think it's going to be a hit next year and can't wait! 

Another thing that is coming all new for next year is themixture of video into our images.  We create these awesome DVD's already with just our images, but now we can incorporate video! It just doesn't get any SWEETER than that!  Yay!  Watch out 2010!

We are so very honored to become friends with Jeff and Reghan and to have been part of their wedding day.  It rocked!  They selected Halloween for their big day and played it up perfectly!  Their guests were able to dress up in their costumes for the reception and we even did a photobooth for them to get everyone all dressed up!  It was great!

We had a perfect fall day!  The sun was beautiful and we had wonderful lighting throughout the entire afternoon.  Jeff and Reghan saw each other for the first time in beautiful Vander Veer Park and it was absolutely breathtaking!  We then took the wedding party after the ceremony down to the Village of East Davenport and along the riverfront. 

Jeff and Reghan's reception was at the University Club in Moline, and it was full of lit pumpkins and yummy treats, it was beautiful!  The reception was a blast for us to capture, as well as for every guest and ghost that attended! 

Take a peek at our favorites!

Captured from their first moment in Vander Veer Park...it was so sweet!

The lighting was brilliant that afternoon!

I just love these two!  They were so in love and wonderful to photograph!

 

These three were just the cutest little ones!

Isn't he the cutest little guy ever?  Love him!

This is Jeff's second all time love (the car)!  It was only fitting to have her in photographs too!

Taken in front of an old fire station in the Village of East Davenport.  A very cool place to photograph!

Their reception was so neat!

Check out their video below!

Wow! Boomer and Kelly's wedding was absolutely BREATHTAKING! Their engagement session in Chicago was one of my favorites, so I just knew we were going to get great images for their wedding.  Their wedding ceremony and reception was at the beautiful Eagle Ridge Resort in Galena, Illinois.  For anyone who has never been before, plan a romantic weekend getaway, its not only beautiful up there but there is tons of things to do! 

It had rained all week prior to their big day, but when Saturday arrived, the sun was shining brightly and it was a beautiful fall day.  We drove to downtown Galena for some fun images, as well as took in some beautiful landscapes of the hills.  Kelly and Boomer's friends and families drove for miles away to meet up in this gorgeous place and every single one of them had a fantastic weekend with them.

Their ceremony was one of the sweetest and most romantic we have seen.  As they spoke their own vows to one another, there was not a dry eye in attendance...it was perfect! Kelly and Boomer are perfect for each other and every one invited could feel the love in the air, really!  I feel so blessed to have been able to capture their wonderful bond and one of the many, many wonderful days they will experience together.  Congratulations Kelly and Boomer!  We loved being a part of your day, thank you!

Kelly is so beautiful!  It was so much fun capturing her and her great personality all day. 

Their first moment was awesome.  The light was shining so beautifully and I love their connection with each other!

So sweet!

Images from downtown Galena.  We love the colors here!

The buildings in Galena are very historical and possess such character, it was fun capturing images there!

Gorgeous!

Busy, busy, busy...it almost felt like we were back in Chicago!

The hills and fall colors are a beautiful background in Galena...I love this place! I think it's a little piece of heaven!

Kelly is stunning!

Boomer is a natural in front of the camera...he's had plenty of practice in blue, but he looks pretty darn handsome in black too!

I believe this is my favorite image of the day...I still can't get over how amazing Galena is!

Check out Kelly and Boomer's video!

Love, love loved the colors for Doug and Kim's engagement session.  We went through downtown and Mosquito Park in Burlington.  Doug and Kim live in Iowa City, where their wedding will be next year.  They love to tailgate and attend as many Hawkeye games as possible, which is why some of one favorite images is them decked out in Hawkeye gear.  Check out our favs!

So sweet.

See what I mean about the color?!

I love this little park in downtown Burlington. It has everything from old brick paths to colorful trees and a kids park that can occasionally be used by big kids too...

They are so fun!

What a fun and crazy couple!  I had the pleasure of photographing Carrie and Dan's engagement pictures here in downtown Burlington.  They both live in Davenport, Iowa where their wedding and reception will take place.  I am very excited too, because I just photographed at the University Club in Davenport this past weekend, and that is where Carrie and Dan's will be next September!  Beautiful it will be!

Dan is very honery and one must watch out for this guy! They were not too used to a little PDA (public display of affection) in public, certainly not on Main Street in Burlington, but they were so much fun to photograph the offbeat moments and spontaneity.  I cannot wait for your wedding guys, we will have a blast!

Here are some of our favorites from the session...Did I mention before I LOVE FALL! 

Carrie and Dan met at work and have been together, laughing with and at each other ever since!

Dan made the funniest facial expressions throughout the session, which was great, because he really knows how light up Carrie and make her laugh.

One of my favorite places that I haven't been back to in what seems ages...but we hit it at the perfect time...I love the colors in this image!

Aren't they sweet?  I LOVE FALL!

It is not uncommon to be driving through town and find a couple dancing in the middle of the street and a photographer laying down shooting, so watch not only for Kids at Play signs but random obstacles along the road!

Congratulations Carrie and Dan, can't wait for your wedding!

Talk about a sweet pair!  I loved these guys from the moment I met them and just knew they would be a lot fun, and they absolutely were! Alaina is fun and bubbly and Russ was so easy going and laid back.   It was so much fun capturing their personalities together during their engagement session and I think we may have given them their first PDA photo session!  But it was all in fun and they have great images because they are so amazing together. 

The day was a bit cloudy and rainy, but we still managed to capture the fall colors and the beautiful river, where Alaina and Russ like to spend as much time as possible.  They love just about anything outdoors including fishing and boating and are very close to their family.  They plan to get married next July with a beautiful reception at the Pzazz Event Center in Burlington. I can't wait!  Especially if their friends and family are as much fun as they are! 

These two are at home here.  This is one of my favorite river views  along the bike path.

So sweet!

You can tell it had rained all morning, but its great because it makes all of the colors pop so vividly.

And this is why we LOVE fall!

Congratulations Malea and Darren!  We had such a wonderful time with all of you!  Since it had only been two weeks since I had baby Anabelle, my friend Heidi, from Studio U Photography, helped Jessica and I photograph their beautiful wedding! The great thing about getting photographers together to shoot, is that the creativity abounds!  You  may notice in their video below that there are actual video clips instilled in the creation of it...soooo cool!  I have been dreaming of the Mark II, but it wasn't until working with Heidi that I finally decided we MUST HAVE IT!  Heidi captured video clips throughout the day, getting different angles and true emotion alongside our photographic coverage and I've got to tell you, it was SWEET!  To all of our upcoming couples, prepare yourselves, we've got some pretty exciting stuff ahead!

Malea and Darren were married in Oskaloosa, Iowa and celebrated at the Mahaska County Fairgrounds. With creativity and hard work, they transformed the fairground building into a beautifully illuminated reception for their guests. 

The weather was a bit challenging, raining what seemed like icicles for October!  But we were able to get some pretty amazing images of our awesome couple and their great friends and family.  We captured images at park and also on the square, which was my personal favorite!  We even photographed them where they first met, at the Smokey Row Coffee cafe on the square...what a neat place, it even had an old fashioned phone booth!  Not everyday you see one of those huh!

Malea and Darren are so in love, and it makes photographing wonderful couples like this so much fun. We truly wish you both the best guys, CONGRATULATIONS!

LOVE THIS IMAGE!  I love the romance it portrays as they walk through icicles!  No, not really, but it was pretty chilly at this point...

Such a sweet couple!  I love the look on Malea's face as Darren spins her around.

This log cabin was nestled in the park where we began photographing Malea and Darren with their entire wedding party.  I love the tranquil mood here, with a hint of red from her bouquet.

Love their expressions!

It is so much fun and it gives us a surge of creativity, when we can photograph vehicles other than limos!  This car was so fun to photograph and it couldn't have went better with the cafe, where we also photographed Malea and Darren.

Old cars...Ahhh!  It's like candy for a photographer!  It really was fun to try out different angles and get creative with them.

Cute!  Isn't she stunning?!

I love Darren's expression and the feel of this image. Very sharp!

And this is where it all began...it makes it so special and that much more meaningful to photograph in locations that are treasured memories to the couple.  Malea and Darren first met here just a few years ago and now here we are!

Love the warm colors here...and such a fun wedding party!

So romantic!

Their reception was transformed into a beautiful and romantic setting for their party with all of the twinkle lights and decor...it was amazing!

Check out their wedding video below!

CONGRATULATIONS WILL AND AMANDA!  We are so excited for both of you and I am personally bummed that I missed photographing your wedding, because I just knew how much fun you guys would be.  Plus, Heid keeps saying how great and amazing it was photographing your wedding... But, we are very excited to design your album with these incredible images, you guys look great!

My baby girl was born September 14, just 5 days before Will and Amanda were married, so needless to say, I had to miss out.  But, my amazingly talented friends Heidi and Troy, from Studio U Photography, filled in and photographed their wedding in Storm Lake.  It was a beautiful day, so I hear, and Will and Amanda and their friends and family were amazing, so I see! 

We just wanted to share with all of you some of our favorite images from Heidi and Troy's collection.  Guys, I can't thank you enough, you outdid yourselves again...THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU!

I love this image because of the meaning behind it...those of you that know Amanda and Will can appreciate this too, as both of them are pharmacists in Colorado.  So cute!

I love this angle...so cool.

What a great angle!

Timeless.

Breathtaking!

See why we love these two so much?? And why we think Heidi and Troy are so amazing?!

Check out their video!

 

Wow, what a beautiful day to photograph a wedding!!!  Being 9 Months pregnant, I'd have to say I could not have asked for a more perfect day and Kate and Jared were wonderful!  My good friend, Heidi, from Studio U Photography came down to shoot their wedding with me and we had a blast! I wish I could have her all the time!

Kate and Jared booked their wedding last year with us and I just knew they would be fun.  They're both so laid back and easy going and we ended the night with some incredible images!  Kate shares our passion with photography as well, so I know she will love them as much as we do!

Their wedding ceremony and reception took place at the Port of Burlington in downtown Burlington, Iowa, right on the riverfront.  The weather was perfect and we loved their little touches for decorations for their wedding.  Jared's other baby, his Harley, made it in quite a few shots not only for their engagment session but also on their wedding day, and Heidi and I had so much fun hanging out of the car capturing their passion together in action! 

Check out some of our favorite shots from their gorgeous day!

Isn't she a beautiful bride??  This photograph was taken outside of the Pzazz Event Center  where the girls were getting ready the morning of the wedding.  Love the colors!

We took the wedding party to Crapo Park in Burlington before the wedding to capture the beautiful greens and make her sunflowers pop.

I still think this is the prettiest restroom I have ever seen...!  Located in Crapo Park as well, this setting looks so romantic!

The boys on Cobblestone Alley in downtown Burlington.  We took this just before heading over to the wedding ceremony.  The boys posed themselves, we just happened to capture them in action!

Heidi choreographed this photograph...I love it!  This was also taken at Cobblestone Alley...and I love the setting!

We just had to include the most romantic part of the ceremony right in front of the Mississippi River!

I love the connection Kate and Jared share...they truly just enjoy being with each other.

One of my favorite photographs from the day!  Heidi and I hung out the windows of our car, while Jessica drove the same speed along side them!  It was so fun shooting with Heidi, there was so much energy and excitement all day long and I think Kate and Jared had a lot of fun too!

We stole away at sunset to photograph Kate and Jared at the fountain...this was taken on our way back to the Port and I really like this of Jared!

So, I had my fun capturing them dancing and twirling on the fountain, while Heidi envisioned this image from a distance...I LOVE it...the moment and the setting!

Thank you so much Kate and Jared for letting us be a part of your wedding day!  We had an awesome day and I hope you guys had as much fun as we did!  We wish you both the best!!!

Check out their wedding video below!

I loved getting to know Sarah and Kevin better!  They are so sweet with each other and it was so neat to photograph their connection.  We met Sarah a couple of months ago to help her plan some of her wedding details.  They are getting married in Princeton and celebrating with friends at the beautiful Renwick Mansion in Davenport, Iowa.  I can't wait!  It's going to be beautiful...I've seen some images taken of the mansion and property and it will be an awesome backdrop for their wedding portraits.  We are so excited to begin shooting more weddings in the Quad Cities, it's such a neat place and pretty close to home! Sarah is good friends with another couple we photographed a couple of years ago that were a blast - Luke and Heather in Iowa City.  So I just know Sarah and Kevin's is going to be just as much fun! Check out some of their engagement images below!

Meet their sweet baby, Norman.  He liked to steal the show and hog the camera!

I loved how the sun was coming in from right...it was beautiful lighting!

Sarah and Kevin are so laid back and playful with one another.  It was great to capture this between them!

I LOVE this moment between them!  Perfecto. 

Looking for different angles definitely brings its rewards...I crawled down to their height several feet away and this is what we caught!  Yay!

I can't wait for their wedding next May!  Stay tuned!

I have very much been looking forward to photographing Ashlie and Ryan's wedding! From the moment I first met with Ashlie, I knew she was a sweetheart through and through! Ryan is pretty great himself too! We had a great time during their engagement session that we took during the fall, so I knew their wedding would be unforgettable. I loved the pink for their summer wedding and their reception at Comfort Suites in Burlington was absolutely beautiful, adorned with twinkle lights,a chocolate fountain and elegant table settings. Their wedding took place in a little church in Stronghurst, Illinois and we found some pretty neat places around and about to photograph them and their wedding party. I'm so excited to have been able to capture their wedding and be a part of their day! We had such a great time and here our some of our favorite images from the day!!

I love the detail in Ashlie's wedding dress...she was breathtaking in it! 

The moment Ashlie saw Ryan for the first time...I LOVE her expression here!  She was so anxious and nervous and she just let it all out as soon as she saw him for the first time.  It's moments like these that I LOVE!

There's not too much excitement in Stronghurst, but there is a beautiful house by their church! Ashlie grew up in the area which is why the town has sentimental value to them.

I love this of the two of them...the connection they share is just incredible. 

Even the smplest of places make for amazing images....this is a garage in Stronghurst!  I loved how the girls dresses just popped from the background.

This was a great group of guys!  They were wonderful for us all day, and it was hot!  But they never complained once and don't they look good?!

I loved Ashlie's idea of throwing rose petals...it was perfect!

Ooohhh! One of my favorites!

So sweet!  These guys are of the sweetest couples I know!

And this one is dedicated to Ryan...both his loves!  Ryan's mustang was their getaway car and it was very cool.  We stopped downtown for a quick minute in Burlington before heading to the reception to get a bit more edgy!

Check out their wedding video below!

Oh, where to start for Kayla and Randy's engagement session!  We literally laughed just about the entire time!  I'm not sure they were used to being in the spotlight, but they did awesome!  Together they really complimented each other and I really loved the images from their session!

Their wedding is next June and they plan to have an outdoor wedding in West Point, which will be BEAUTIFUL!  From there we plan to photograph downtown Ft. Madison and end at Comfort Suites where their reception will be.  We can't wait, I know it will be a great time!

Here are some of their images we took in a nearby meadow and in downtown Burlington!

I kept putting Randy on the spot for some moves throughout the session, and this time it was Kayla's turn!  I love it!

And they were worried about their dancing skills...Randy's got the dip down already!

We found an abandoned home in Downtown Burlington that was partly painted white, so it worked great for their background! 

As crazy as people think I am sometimes with the locations I pick, even this parking lot was a great opportunity to capture some emotion!

Randy and Kayla are seriously troopers!  We were kinda bummed that the fountain downtown was shut off, but the water spraying from the ground was up and going, and we made up for it!  I liked this shot through the water, and they even ran through it, soaking wet, but the image is fun and worth a minute of chilliness! Thanks guys, you're the best!