{Products} Engagement Album / Guest Book

Our Engagement Albums/Guest Books are so popular ... they're one of the most commented on items at the Bridal Expo at Century II.

While you can view a full collection of our engagement albums/guest books HERE (there is also a big gallery on our Facebook page HERE), I've shot a quickie iPhone video to give you a feel for what they look like and what to expect. {Diclaimer: I'm not a professional videographer, our specialty is in still imagery ... just as a reminder!}

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{Wichita Wedding Planning ; Tips & Tricks} Do I need a Wedding Planner, Part 1

The Wichita Bridal & Pro Expo starts TOMORROW. How excited is everyone??!?!?!? :) Be sure you cruise on over to Ryan's blog post about preparing to go to the Bridal Expo HERE. We'll be in the booth with Janessa, one of our 2014 brides who can give you the scoop about how Heartland Photography photographed her wedding at Abode.

For awhile, I've been wanting to write a blog post about wedding planners/coordinators. I emailed a few of my favorite clients for their feedback, and they replied with novellas. So instead of one big blog post, I've decided to break it up into several posts. Today will be the first installment. :)

Wedding planner. Some people in KS think "I don't need a wedding planner/coordinator, I have a mom/sister/friends who will help take care of everything." .... What would you say to a mom or bride who has this attitude? What does a wedding planner do for them?

Toni is the mother of Megan … and she had this to say:

"As the mother of the bride, having a wedding planner provided me the opportunity to enjoy my daughter's wedding day knowing that all the little details my daughter had worked so hard to plan were being taken care of.  I was there to enjoy seeing the bride dress, get her hair and make up done, spend that special time together before during and after the ceremony. 

Some brides may think this a place to save some money or cut expenses, but do you really want your family and friends working during your big event rather than spending the time with the bride and the rest of the wedding party? 

 

I've had two daughters plan their weddings in KS while they were living out of state.  The oldest did not want to hire a wedding planner, I told the youngest if she didn't hire a wedding planner she should just plan to elope.  I was not handling another wedding without the help of a planner!  Fortunately the youngest opted for a wedding planner and it was an amazing experience for me as the mother of the bride!"

Toni / mother of Megan, about Jubilations.

Janessa, who will be in our booth this weekend has the following to say: 

"I am an organized person. As an engineer I am very detail and logistics-oriented. I also have a reasonably artistic/creative streak. I always figured I would plan my own wedding, and that I would be proud to say when it went smoothly that I did it all myself.

"When my best friend got married, she did all the planning herself, and one of her husband’s cousins coordinated logistics on the day of. Her wedding turned out great, but I realized that I didn’t have anyone that I really trusted to hand the whole production over to on the day of. Most of my friends are men, and all of my cousins are too. I wanted the people I trusted enough to take on those responsibilities (my mom, sister, and closest friends) to be relaxing and enjoying the day with me and not rushing around haggling with vendors. Also, I was ABSOULTELY not coordinating my own day. Everyone told me that the day would fly by and be a whirlwind and I wanted to be able to relax and take as much of it in as I could (P.S. everyone was right, the day is a COMPLETE whirlwind).

"I originally intended to hire Faith (based on a recommendation from my wonderful photographer) only for day-of coordination. I would do the planning and she and her staff would show up on the day of and wrangle all the monkeys so all myself, my groom, and my family had to do was show up. No matter who you are, having a day-of coordinator is invaluable to your experience and that of your family and friends. There is a lot of responsibility and stress involved in making sure everything and everyone is in the right place on that day. There are already enough challenges for the bride and her entourage on this emotional day.

Do yourself a favor, and leave the logistics to a pro. They have done this so many times that they are prepared for anything (Faith had to glue/sew parts of my bridesmaids’ jewelry back together on the fly just as we were getting ready for pictures).

There are so many details that go into a wedding. I had done lots of research, but throughout the planning process, Faith would routinely ask me questions about how I wanted things that I had never thought of before. No matter how organized you are, you can never anticipate all the details that an experienced planner has learned to handle through coordinating many events. Also, since they do this professionally, planners don’t take concerns or criticism personally. If something isn’t the way you want it, you can feel free to ask them to change it without worrying about hurting the feelings of your mom/sister/friend.

SUMMARY: The day of the wedding is hectic. Make sure you, your family, and your bridal party actually get to enjoy it by leaving the vendor wrangling to a pro…in the end, it really doesn’t cost that much (especially considering the planner can be invaluable in making sure the rest of your budget is used efficiently).

Janessa about Bel Amour Events

I'll show a few photos from the well-coordinated Not Wedding in Wichita, which was also at Abode and produced by Events by Ashley.

Gracious! I realized that for a lot of reasons, I never blogged the NotWedding shoot. I'll put that on my "to do" list for 2015. :) 

Whew! Lots of info there! Stay tuned for future installments about wedding planners in Wichita.

{Wichita Wedding Photography at Tallgrass Country Club} Lacey + David

Oh, Lacey & David! It takes a very special couple to tie the knot on New Year's Eve. From the start, Lacey said it was going to be a classy, elegant affair, and she did NOT disappoint!

These two were married on New Year's Eve, on a very cold December day at Tallgrass Country Club in Wichita.

Stunning, stunning bride!!!!

Since David has plenty of hair, the schedule for the day included some time for the groom to have  his hair done ... which was a first for us. :)

Oh it was so, so, so cold ... but these two weathered it like pros!

A few final touches ...

Mom & Dad walking daughter down the aisle is always so priceless!

The ceremony was so emotional! 

A little sass? The bridal party had some to spare.

We just love Lacey! She's so cute. The bouquet toss wasn't traditional - instead, she opted to include a single girl's survival kit .... items single ladies need to survive the dating world.

The groomsmen WANTED the garter! Or maybe just the money attached to it. ;)

A quiet, in-between moment.

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!! And a very happy Weekiversary, Lacey + David! :)

{Personal} 1 week 'till Christmas ... just slow down!

The holidays are a beautiful time, but they can also be stressful! Full of "I need to" & "I should" .... and then we end up feeling frazzled!

Right now, my son is spending some time with Nana "being the perfect child" and not climbing out of bed or staying up late. 

So last night, I had the rare opportunity to go out and just mosey around. It was divine. I stood outside of the mall and watched the snow fall in the lights of the parking lot. It was beautiful. Peaceful. For a half a second I thought "I should take a picture of this" ... and then I thought "Nah, let's just live life. Just soak it in." So I did. It was majestic.

I know I always feel a little bit overwhelmed during this time of year, and love sending little reminders to our clients that life is beautiful ... THEY are beautiful. Just slow down & remember that, even amidst the chaos of life right now!

We've received many thanks for our ornaments this year, but I thought I'd share this one ... 

This is also a welcome reminder to ME .... that even though we don't have a tree up (we have a cat, dog & 2-year-old, let's be real!) and it's true that I've not yet purchased the perfect gift for my in-laws (but I know exactly what I'm going to get them!) ... that it's a magical time of year ... and just to savor it!

{Salina Senior Portraits} Cooper

Dropping in to share a few quick faves from Cooper's senior session. We met in Salina last month and enjoyed a beautiful day for his portraits. As the senior portraits drew to a close, I noticed how amazing the sky was, so we drove slightly north of Salina to grab a few photos right after the sunset, which was spectacular!

{Salina Extended Family Portraits} Lori + Mark's Family

Today, I have a wonderful extended family portrait shoot to share with you! Lori & Mark are a fun couple, and decided it was time to do extended family portraits! Above, you'll see Lori's parents, along with Lori & Mark, their adult twin daughters, all of their grandkids and their niece. It was a fun group to work with! And did I mention they have some amazing land right outside of Salina where we took their family portraits? It was a fabulous day!

With their pupster, because dogs are members of the family, too!

With all of the grandkids.

Love dramatic sunsets, and that night did not disappoint. We grabbed a few quick sunset pics of everyone.

Lori's parents (right) are so cute! :) And her niece has a sweet little boy, too. It really was an extended-extended family session!

Last photo to share today! This is similar to the large, panoramic portrait that will hang on the wall in their living room, with a nice grouping of the families around it! I can hardly wait until it's on the wall ... because you know I'll share it!

{Emporia Wedding Photography} Meghan + Brock

Nov. 1 was a brisk day in Emporia, but Meghan + Brock's wedding ... but the warmth of this couple toward everyone around them ... their desire to celebrate and honor each of their guests ... made this one of the most beautiful weddings to date!

Hair & Makeup began at Bravo Salon.

There was a TON of bling on her wedding shoes!

The couple opted for a First Look as part of their wedding photography. These first few moments when a couple sees one another on their wedding day are so special.

The fall colors provided some nice background.

The groomsmen busted into the rehearsal dinner sporting Lego costumes ... and along came the heads for a few casual pictures.

There were so, so, so many amazing details! Meghan is the third generation in her family to walk down the aisle carrying this Bible. The hankie & her garter were both made from her mom's wedding dress (love!).

:) As parents, this photo makes us giggle. It's just live with a little one. But she made it down the aisle!

Inside the ballroom, the ceremony was beautiful!

A quick hello to every single guest was such a personal touch.

The First Dances were so sweet!

The first night Meghan + Brock met, a pushup contest followed. I think Meghan won that one. Well, during the reception, a rematch ensued. Yes, the bride was IN HER WEDDING DRESS for this competition. Anyone want to guess how many pushups were completed? 30+. Yes, I said THIRTY.  It was pretty intense. Brock finally prevailed, and afterward, he quipped "I thought she'd make me do a dozen or a few more ... but  not nearly 3 dozen."

Yes, the Lego heads strike again. ;)

Emporia State University has a beautiful campus .... The Memorial Union is so pretty at dusk.

A final and GIGANTIC thank you to Kathryn from Everyday You Photography, who assisted me with this wedding. It's always fun to shoot with you, girl! :) 

Wedding Photography • Family Portraits • Senior Portraits