Kristina + Jacob || Kansas City Wedding :: Union Station
Kristina's and Jacob's wedding was a classy affair to say the least, and the venue only added to the ambiance! We've wanted to shoot a wedding at Union Station since we arrived in Kansas City 3 years ago. There's so much history packed into the building and it's a beautiful work of architecture. Mark actually started his career as an architectural photographer, so he's always amped when he sees the opportunity to combine his love of architecture with that of photographing people... so this was perfect.
Kristina's and Jacob's wedding was a classy affair to say the least, and the venue only added to the ambiance! We've wanted to shoot a wedding at Union Station since we arrived in Kansas City 3 years ago. There's so much history packed into the building and it's a beautiful work of architecture. Mark actually started his career as an architectural photographer, so he's always amped when he sees the opportunity to combine his love of architecture with that of photographing people... so this was perfect. Jacob and Kristina hail from Boston, so planning a wedding in KC was no easy chore. However the day went off without a hitch, thanks in large part to Hannah Klamann of Weddings By Hannah. Here's what it looked like to us :)
Megan + Luke || Engagement :: Columbia MO
Hey, look at us... a blog post. Yes, we always seem to be a bit behind on sharing our images, but we just had to get some up from this shoot with Megan and Luke! We shot in the woods just outside of the MU campus in Columbia, MO. Wooded areas have always been one of our favorite places to photograph. Part of it may be that Mark grew in the country, exploring the woods nearly every day of the summer with his older brother. Part of it may just be the sheer beauty of nature. Whatever it is, we're so glad that Megan and Luke wanted to shoot here... we loved the backdrops that the location offered and it was well worth the drive :)
Here's a little sample of what we captured...
Katlyn + John || Kansas City Wedding
Katlyn and John... what a pleasure to work with these folks! They were so easy going... so natural... and so fun! It was our first time shooting at 1890 Event Space... and we LOVED it there! There is a beautiful old home on the property (where the girls got ready), a nice red barn, and a clean, crisp event space where the reception was held. There is also a great patio where the guests can enjoy a cocktail hour.
Courtney + Jeff || Kansas City Wedding
Rarely in my life have I seen 2 people laugh so much in one day… genuine, joyful laughter and smiles… all day long! Courtney and Jeff are not only SO apparently in love with each other, but they exude this authentic love and care to everyone around them. It’s beautiful to witness, it’s lovely to experience, and it makes you want to love better. I need more people like this in my life on a regular basis! Thanks, Courtney and Jeff for letting us into your world… it was truly a pleasure.
On a side note, we began offering video services as an extension of what we’re able to offer to our clients. Courtney and Jeff allowed us to create our pilot episode at their wedding (scroll down to view). More to come soon!
Ariele + Trevor || Kansas City Wedding
More Spring weddings, please... Wow! What a beautiful day in Kansas City?! We had such a fantastic time shooting engagement photos for Ariele and Trevor (didn’t hurt that we did the session right around the corner from our house out in the country, south of the suburbs), and we couldn’t wait to join them on their wedding day! Despite being behind schedule at the beginning of the day due to delays in makeup prep, we caught up, got some amazing images, and had a blast doing it!
Ariele and Trevor got ready at the Westin Crown Center, photos at Liberty Memorial and Loose Park, Ceremony at Colonial Church in Prairie Village, and Reception at 28 Event Space
Ariele + Trevor || Sneak Peek
Ariele and Trevor were married just a couple weekends ago right here in Kansas City. We're almost done with the photography post production, but couldn't wait to share a couple of our favorite images. Keep your eye out for more from this beautiful springtime wedding!
Jessica + Tim || Kansas City
It’s always fun, and often a little nerve-racking, to shoot for other photographers. But when Jessica asked me to shoot a couples’ session for her and Tim, I jumped at the chance. Not only is Jessica a friend of mine, whom I’ve have I had the joy of working with on multiple occasions in the past, but I also loved the idea of the shoot. They wanted something simple that just captured who they are in real life, and they wanted to shoot in their new loft in the Western Auto building in downtown Kansas City. I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again and again: I absolutely love shooting in people’s homes. It’s a place that holds so much intimacy and vulnerability. It’s a place where it feels completely natural to be completely ourselves. An added bonus was rooftop access with a view of the city, of course!
Jamie + Aaron || Engagement :: Kansas City, MO
Jamie and Aaron live in the River Market area in downtown Kansas City. They love Kansas City and wanted to do the shoot on their stomping grounds. I mean, can you blame them? They live in one of the coolest parts of the city.
This was one of my favorite engagement photo sessions to date. I feel like I've been saying that a lot lately... I guess this fall has been good to us: great clients, fun shoots, and people buying me drinks... who could complain, right? I think one of the biggest reasons that this was such a successful shoot is that Jamie and Aaron were both very invested in it. By that I mean, they put a high value on the production of these images and made a huge effort to make them what they were... and it showed (both during the shoot and during post production). They picked out the perfect wardrobe (Jamie even procured a dress just for the shoot), and together we planned out exactly where to go in order to capture the imagery that would showcase their style and their life in the urban environment in which they live. Jamie even had her hair and makeup professionally styled at Posh KC!
By the way, I highly recommend doing this, and Posh KC did a fantastic job! Normally, hair & makeup artists are reserved for commercial shoots and wedding days. However, it makes a big difference on any shoot to have a professional stylist involved. They are "professional" for a reason, and there is a high value in their skill.
This good lookin' couple is getting married next September and we are stoked to have a part in telling their story:
Wedding Tips - Part I : The First Look... or not
It’s an often debated topic, and understandably so. There are a lot of pertinent questions surrounding the decision of whether or not a bride and groom should see each other on their wedding day before their ceremony. Weddings are wrought with tradition. That’s not a bad thing. And traditionally speaking, brides and grooms typically do not see each other before the bride walks down the aisle at the beginning of the wedding ceremony. However, it has becoming more and more common for the bride and groom to do what has become a buzzword in the wedding industry… A “First Look.”
First, let me say that we firmly believe that this decision rests solely upon the bride and groom. We, as the photographers, are there for the predominant reason of telling the story of your wedding day. That story should unfold exactly how you want it to, and our job is to support you in making that happen, and to make creative decisions on how to best document that singular story in a multifaceted way, and in the ordered segments, that make the most sense for YOUR particular story. I have heard of photographers giving their clients the ‘ol hard sell trying to convince them that they know what is best. Be assured, that is not what I’m trying to do here. I am simply laying out a few things to think about when it comes to making that decision. These items are based both on our experience as well as on the many conversations that we’ve had with many different engaged, and newly married, couples.
So, here are a few reasons based upon which we generally recommend that a bride and groom do a “first look” before the ceremony:
1. SCHEDULING A FIRST LOOK CAN LOWER YOUR WEDDING DAY STRESS
Possibly the most important reason is this: A first look can, and almost always does, make the day less stressful for you, and in many cases your parents as well. Since you’d be getting a large chunk of the photography completed before the ceremony, you will gain much leeway when trying to fit events into what can be a very limited window of time between the ceremony and the reception. We almost always still schedule time for a photo session after the ceremony, but if we’ve already had time for photography beforehand, this session can easily be much shorter without sacrificing that particular element of your story. If this secondary photo session is, thus, much shorter, you also don’t have to fret about your guests waiting and waiting for you and your wedding party to arrive at the reception (we all know what happens when Uncle Bob has too much to drink before the food is served).
2. A FIRST LOOK ALLOWS YOU TO DOCUMENT ANOTHER FACET OF YOUR STORY
There’s a marked difference in the emotions of the bride and groom before vs. after the ceremony. Both are amazing, and both are real, and I love to photograph it all, but there is almost always a subtle difference in facial expressions as well as interactions between the bride and groom before the ceremony vs after. I chalk it up to a sort of nervous energy. One has never, in my experience, been diminished by the other, but they are different enough that it’s a pretty great way to document your progression throughout the day and to tell the whole story. There’s a special kind of excitement in the air when you see each other at that moment. There’s the anticipation of becoming husband and wife, yet you’re not married yet. It’s a private moment, without anyone watching… except us :), and one that can be savored for an extended period of time. Most importantly, it’s one more thing that you will never get to do again: be with each other, on your wedding day with no one else around. It is a VERY special moment.
3. EMOTIONAL RESPONSES ARE NEVER DIMINISHED AS A RESULT OF HAVING A FIRST LOOK
Some people, and understandably so, fear that the emotion that will overcome them as they see each other for the first time at the start of the ceremony, will be somewhat diminished due to the fact that they’ve already been together that day. Again, based on my experience (as well as everyone we’ve talked to), I would tell you this: nothing can change that moment. Even though a bride and groom may see each other earlier that day, there is absolutely nothing like watching your bride, soon to be your wife, walk toward you, ready to take you as her husband. And there is nothing like being a bride and walking toward your husband. Nothing changes that moment.
4. ALL SAID AND DONE, A FIRST LOOK GIVES YOU MORE PHOTOGRAPHY
The final, and most obvious, reason is that a first look gives you more photography from your wedding day. Wedding Day timelines are often fairly tight… they often have to be in order to fit everything in that you want to do. There are a lot of important things to schedule in a relatively short period of time. However, when a bride and groom do not see each other before the ceremony, many of those things end up being stacked end-to-end. Without a first look, you’re typically jumping from the ceremony right into family portraits (when all you really want to do is be together and revel in the fact that you’re married). By the time that is said and done, usually your guests are already arriving at the reception. A cocktail hour is a great solution to that, so that your guests don’t have to sit around and wait, but even that puts you on a tight time frame because your guests start to get hungry. And when people drink too much before dinner, you may be in for a different sort of trouble (need I mention Uncle Bob again?). You’re probably looking at about an hour or so window after your done with family photos, before you want to get back to your guests at the reception. Not having been able to take photos with your new husband/wife before the ceremony, that could leave you pretty pressed to get a few images at a great location before you need to be entering your reception.
...Okay, ‘nough said :)
Take it for what it’s worth.. think about it, talk about it with your spouse-to-be, ask others who have been through the process, and by all means, hit us up with a phone call or an email and pick our brains too. We’ve seen it unfold both ways, many times.
If you choose to work with us to capture your wedding day, we will never try and pressure you into something that you don’t want to do. We simply see it as our responsibility to make sure that you receive the absolute best photography of your wedding day as is possible. Part of that, for us, is making sure that all expectations are heard and that they are met to the absolute best of our ability. Regardless, we will work with whatever you decide to do, and the day is going to be amazing either way.
Ariele + Trevor || Kansas Country Engagement
What a fun shoot! Ariele and Trevor put a lot of thought into wardrobe choices, and I LOVE that! They brought a carload of clothes and I got to help them pick and choose what to wear. I HIGHLY recommend doing this, if at all possible. It leaves your options open and gives you the ability to, not only change your mind on the spot, but also to make an informed decision based on the environment that you’re in. I chose the locations for the shoot, so Ariele and Trevor had never seen them. They were able to update their wardrobe on the spot after seeing the different locations and deciding what would look best on them... and in the environment.
We shot in our own backyard, out south of the suburbs. I love getting to drive home as the sun is going down on most days and I have fallen in love with how the light rakes across the trees and the fields in these open spaces. I LOVE shooting here and was stoked when Ariele and Trevor were into the idea :)
We had a blast working with them, and can't wait until their wedding!
