Hannah and Sam's Wedding Sneak Peek - St. Joseph, Missouri Photography

Sam and Hannah were married last weekend in St. Joseph, Mo. We had such a good time with them, such wonderful people!

If you'd like to see a few more of their sneak peek, stop by my other blog.

A little good news today

There is this cool blog out on the net (it's only a few months old actually), that is a little different than most wedding blogs. Many wedding blogs feature detail shots of flowers, shoes, centerpieces, etc etc. However, "Moment Junkie" specializes in the emotion of the day. Both are important, but blogs like Moment Junkie are rare.

So yesterday, a photo of ours was featured on Moment Junkie! Please go visit and check it out, and be sure to leave a comment!

Elizabeth and Dennis - Wedding Photography - Maryville, MO

Elizabeth and Dennis were married this winter in a beautiful ceremony here in Maryville, Missouri. You would instantly like them both as they are sweet, kind people with probably the most beautiful daughter that I've ever seen. (I keep offering to take her home, but no one will take me up on it!)

You can see the rest of this wedding on Cease Fire Studios website.

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Telling the story

I once read, some place, a long time ago, from someone that I can't remember...

"A good photo has a beginning and a middle and an end."

I love the story that is being told in one solitary frame, 1/320th of a second, of one special day, tells the whole story.

Jenny and Drew get Married! St. Joseph, Missouri Wedding Photographer

You might recognize Jenny. She was one of my bridesmaids at Lauren and Josh's wedding back in July. Nope, they had no idea that they both booked me. I had no idea they were friends until I saw them in a photo together on facebook. In any event, it's always so much fun to see a lot of the same players at multiple weddings as you get to know everyone a little better. Both are really sweet people, and I'm not just saying that because. I'm saying it because it's true. I have both Drew and Jenny on my facebook and every few days, Jenny posts a sweet little love note on Drew's wall. It's so obvious that these two are head over heels for each other.

To see the rest of the photos, please visit here.

Front page feature at The Wedding Chicks!

I am SO EXCITED!

I've been keeping a secret for a WHOLE MONTH. I'm actually very good at secrets, but this one has me about ready to bust from excitement.

About 5 weeks ago, myself and several other vendors pulled together to create a styled inspirational wedding/bridal shoot. It was specifically to inspire brides for ideas for their weddings! Morgan was our model and she did such a great job considering how cold she was! My husband, son, and Morgan's mom and sister were my pit crew. Everything fell into place almost perfectly. My husband didn't understand it completely, but he followed me with blind faith, and then he "got it" Half of the fun has been seeing him be so proud and excited. He's even talking to strangers on the street about it. LOL

*blush*

I submitted to The Wedding Chicks and heard back quickly that it was accepted for a front page feature! YAY! It took a while to get up (I think they had a backlog!) but today, it was finally there! It's been one of my proudest moments in my photography career yet.

It was even picked up by our local paper, the Maryville Daily Forum, as a front page news! From that, also a possible magazine feature! Isn't it funny how all these things are connected and good things happen?

What's next??

I can't wait!

THAT'S ME!!

Photographer: Cease Fire Studios
Hair & Makeup: Rockin’ Rollers Salon
Dress Designer: I Can Has Kitsch
Floral Design: Bittersweet Floral
Jewelry: Cease Fire Heirlooms
Stationery: Pink Orchid Invitations
Veil or Hair Accessories: I Can Has Kitsch

Married! Lori and Michael get married - St. Joseph Missouri Wedding Photographer

"Love, free as air at sight of human ties,Spreads his light wings, and in a moment flies."

~ Alexander Pope

"Who would have thought, all these years later, I'd be marrying little Michael M?" she said as she put on her dress.

Most junior high experiences involve puberty, learning algebra and awkward gym classes. But these 2, well, they experienced a little more. They first were "a couple" then. They parted ways and years later found each other again. Isn't it funny how the universe sometimes says "wait a minute, I had it right the FIRST TIME" and sends you backwards?

To see the rest of the photos, please visit here

Kandy and Ryan Get Married! Iowa Wedding Photographer

Kandy and Ryan, were married in my home town in Iowa, on a deck, in her parents yard. Oh.. it's also in the middle of a pond!

Yeah, that's what I thought too.
Saaahwweeet!

I've decided that rather than always showing all photos in both locations, I'll direct you to the photos on my business website. I know I've been showing a lot of photos over here lately. Considering I'm working 14 hour days and I'm a photographer, you shouldn't be shocked by this revelation, however, I feel an urge to talk more about chickens and spiderwebs instead of bouquets and diamond earrings over here

Just sayin'.

Two Weddings - Two Sneak Peeks! Missouri Wedding Photographer

Amy and Dustun from last weekend....

And Lori and Michael from just yesterday.....

I have officially declared that all weddings shall occur from now on in October. So be it.

Josh + Lauren = Married!

This past year, I will admit, I've hit the jackpot with brides. Really! I have yet to have a bride where I looked at them and thought "Oh how am I going to make her look good?" Each one has been absolutely beautiful.

I met with Lauren and Josh this past winter, and my first thought was "why isn't she modeling?" In reality, Lauren is a nurse instead. I'm sure she's the nurse that every guy crosses their fingers they'll get on their floor. When you spend some time with her, you realize that she really should be a nurse. She is sweet, kind and kind of quiet.

If you spent 3 minutes with Josh, you can tell how much he loves his new wife. He looks at her with absolute love and admiration. He might even be a bit sentimental, but I can neither confirm or deny that information. ;)

It was obvious how much they loved their families and friends, and trust me, all that love was sent back 10 fold to them both.

They were married in a beautiful historic church in downtown St. Joseph, Missouri called Twin Spires Cathedral. A historic church that has been on the St. Joe landscape for over 100 years now. I've driven by it and admired it a thousand times, but this was the first time I've been lucky enough to be inside. The details are amazing and the history is obvious.

The whole event was beautiful and fun... except for the heat. It was REALLY hot that day - but everyone did so well.... except for me, I turn beet red when I'm hot and was glad I wasn't IN the photos. LOL.

Thank you so much Lauren and Josh for letting me photograph your day, you guys are awesome wonderful people.

Keysa + Andy = Get Engaged!

I have to introduce you first, to this special couple. They remind me that it's kind of a small world at times, and that I'm getting old.

Sigh.

Keysa (which is a rockin' name) first met me over the phone. I was calling her place of employment looking for trash service. She worked in the front office. Sadly, her first encounter with me, was me complaining about my former service! LOL. She was cool about it, and that makes her awesome in my books. So anyway, I really didn't MEET Keysa until one of my dearest friends started working in the front office too - just the two of them.

I would go to visit my friend Stacy, and chat with Keysa while I was there. It was so funny, I really didn't "know" Keysa, but she is so easy to talk to, it was like I've known her for ages. At one point, we had decided we were all going to star in "The Real Housewives of Nodaway County" (where we live), and do a total redneck spin on it. Keysa was going to get to be the pretty one.

Now Andy, I've known Andy since he was like - 6 years old. What I can tell you about Andy back then, was this... he was ornery. There's no other way to say it except he was a trouble maker. Adorable as heck, but ornery. His dad and my ex served on the fire dept together. His mom and I both worked for competing newspapers around the same time. Plus it's a pretty small town if you wanna get technical about it.

Imagine my surprise when about 20 years later, he's a full grown adult. Exactly when did that happen? I dunno, all I can remember is he's this little 6 year old toe headed blond little stink butt. (see how I made that whole sentence with no commas? pfft)

So then one day I'm talking to Keysa, she says something about her boyfriend, I ask her who it is and she said "Andy W" and I'm like "GET OUT! He's grown up now??"

(I live in a bubble I tell ya - this is how I can tell people that I'm 28 with a straight face).

So one day, I'm sitting in a local restaurant. I happen to see Andy sitting there a couple tables over, and I say to myself "Good god when is that boy going to ask her to marry him already?" No really... those were the exact words that were in my head.

Approximately 2 weeks later, Keysa is announcing an engagement ring!

Keysa, you are welcome! I put the marriage juju on him.

I was happy when they decided that they wanted me to shoot their wedding! They are pretty awesome and fun people - in fact, Andy is a wedding DJ himself!

Both love to play softball, and spend most of their summer evenings at the ballfield (no that's not how they met - they met in high school) so it was no big suprise when they wanted to do most of their shoot at the ball fields! Thank you guys, I had fun, and it was one of the more interesting engagement shoots I've had yet!