I love when couples are so at ease with each other, it doesn’t matter if there’s a camera around. You can see the love and trust and comfort. In the way they smile at each other, hold each other and even just look at each other. It’s all there. And I LOVE seeing that in my couples!!

You might recognize Hannah – she’s been helping me with a few weddings here in the Black Hills and now it’s finally her turn in front of my camera! I just couldn’t wait until this summer to photograph Hannah – so we decided to do a mini session this weekend!!

Here are my top favorites, but be on the lookout later this summer for more of Hannah’s beautiful face! :-)

To the mothers and grandmothers of the brides and grooms I’ve had the pleasure of meeting.

To all my brides who have become mothers.

And especially to my mom and soon-to-be mother-in-law.

Hugs and a picture of a pretty flower to you all!! :-)

He’s already daddy’s little boy. :-)

He seemed to be happiest in momma’s arms. :-)

*big yawn!!*

Babies always tend to do the cutest things just as I’m packing up to leave. Chaz decided to make faces at me. :-)

Jeff and Emily are such a great match. They met while studying at a bookstore and sparks flew immediately. I’m fairly certain they went to study a lot more often after meeting that first time. :-)

I love how these two fit together – ‘just like a puzzle.’ :-)

1. Words With Friends – I finally upgraded my free slider phone for an iPhone (yay!) and now I can play all sorts of fun games (double yay!) However, I do still prefer Bananagrams over Words With Friends.. because I can use pirate language whenever I want. :-)

2. My BFF – Jill was here for a couple days and we had so much fun eating ice cream and drinking coffee. It’s what we do.

3. “Oh Darling” by Plug In Stereo – I heard it on my Ingrid Michaelson Pandora station the other day and I couldn’t get enough!! Video bonus: they both have amazing hair.

4. Homemade Vanilla Extract – vanilla beans + vodka = yummy vanilla extract!! It takes a few weeks to ‘process’ but after that, it just keeps getting better! Or so I’ve heard. I haven’t used mine yet because I know once I start using it, I’ll never want to use the bottle of store-bought vanilla extract still in my cupboard!

But not going to our parents’ meant I had to cook a ham.

I almost changed our plans last-minute so I wouldn’t have to.

And then I discovered hams are pre-cooked… I figured I could handle that.

We found the tiniest ham we could, prepared a chocolate pudding pie, and made a family-size dish of cheesy potatoes (we love cheesy potatoes!!!). But it wasn’t officially Easter without Easter bread mailed from my mom and a basket full of goodies from his mom. Thankfully they both arrived in time.

Hope you all had a wonderful weekend!!

1. Rice Krispies Treats – In this month alone, I made three pans of these bars. For the first pan, I thought to myself “I forgot how easy these are to make and how tasty they are!!” So I made another pan. And then another. Because they were just SO yummy. (Honestly, I don’t ask for much in life – just Rice Krispies, marshmallows, and butter.) But don’t worry, I didn’t eat three pans all by myself… I shared. :-)

2. Crafting parties – Projects are so much more fun when friends, grown-up drinks, and girlie movies are involved.

3. Coffee dates – Before Zack + Betsy’s Tuesday wedding in Sioux Falls, I spent the entire weekend just chillin’ with my bff (Hi, Jill!!). Typically when I come to town, I’m only around for an afternoon or evening, so it was nice to have the entire weekend to just hang out. No rush of needing to be anywhere. Just lots of fun!

4. I Don’t Know How She Does It – It’s true. I only read books that are going to be movies. Because then I’ll know they’ll be good.

Even the bistro has a special history – it was where they had one of those ‘really good’ dates. With a great conversation and a decision to stay together forever. Parker’s in Sioux Falls will now be the most memorable bistro of their lives. :-)

Probably two of my favorite images from the day!! Betsy helping her daughter get dressed + Betsy’s mom and daughter helping her get dressed. :-)

You can tell a lot about a couple by the way the groom looks at his bride. These two? They’re TOTALLY in love. :-)

I have SO many favorite parts about their ceremony!!

1. Betsy’s friend became ordained so she could officiate the wedding!

2. The guitarist played Falling in Love at a Coffee Shop by Landon Pigg.

and….

3. This moment. :-)

Okay, and this moment, too! Love exciting exits!! :-)

ceremony + reception | Parker’s Bistro, Sioux Falls, SD

wedding gown | David’s Bridal

flowers | HyVee

guitarist | Geoff Gunderson

Zack + Betsy – I cannot thank you enough for having me photograph your wedding! I hope you’re having a wonderful time enjoying your marriage! And seriously think about a Black Hills honeymoon!! I know all the great places (and faces) to see! :-)

Nora – You make a wonderful Cinderella! I hope someday you find your Prince Charming, and that he is as perfect for you as Zack is for your mom! :-)

I had a very clear vision of what I wanted our wedding to be like, but I had no idea which vendors we were going to pick… other than our photographers and priest – we chose them before we knew our wedding date. So I started asking my photographer friends. “Who cooks the tastiest wedding food?” “Who bakes the yummiest desserts?” “Who is the best and most creative florist you’ve worked with?” I trusted their recommendations because they have been to SO many weddings and have worked with these people before.

Our top three priorities in finding our perfect vendors were:

The quality of their work – Knowing they have impressed other vendors at past weddings assured me that they know what they are doing, and they are really good at doing it.

The fact that they love what they do – Attitude is everything. By hiring vendors who are living out their dream job, I knew that they were excited to book another weekend. Not for the money, but for the love of their craft.

They are easy to communicate with – I might have been ahead of the average bride by being in the wedding industry for a few years, but I still have a ton of questions and ideas to bounce around.

Finding vendors who meet all of our ‘requirements’ is SO comforting. In all the uncertainty of planning a wedding for the first time, they are there to take care of us by doing what they do best and letting us enjoy our engagement. We are planning on this being our one and only wedding and we want to thoroughly enjoy the day.