Laursen/Jones Wedding Sneak-Peek

I had such a great time on Saturday - but, of course, I always have a great time at weddings!


I met Niki and her mom in February, I think, and when she walked in she blew me away with her beauty! She is such a doll, too. She and Mike are perfect for eachother.

Niki told me of their love beginning in Junior High. They have been together ever since High School - High School Sweethearts don't always end up in marriage, but it's obvious that their romance was destined for forever.

Niki booked a collection that included an engagement session. She had such a great idea for their session - you can view her session HERE to see where they decided to have their session. It was one of the most unique sessions I've ever done! I designed a Guest Book for Niki & Mike's reception. It turned out beautifully! This image was on the cover of their book. I'll come back to it in a few more paragraphs...



Niki got ready at Hotel 43. Believe me, Ladies & Gentlemen, this is probably my favorite hotel in Boise. It is so modern and decorated so beautifully. It's a fantastic place for those "getting ready" shots. Many of the bridesmaids were family - Niki told me that their family is so close, they take a vacation every year. The bridesmaids helped Niki get on her veil and her dress in the room at the hotel.




Niki and Mike chose to meet each other for the first time in the lobby of the hotel. When Mike saw Niki, I think he actually said, "Holy Cow!" It was so cute :). And who wouldn't have a jaw dropped when she came in? She is a beautiful girl anyway, but add a crazy gorgeous dress, beautiful hair, and great make-up and she is sure to stop traffic. Yes - all of these photographs were taken in the lobby. If anyone wants to randomly gift me, I love the furniture in Hotel 43. Thanks :).







After that, we headed to The Cathedral of the Rockies to do some outdoor photographs.





The Bridal Party was awesome! Like I said in my previous post, I love it when Bridal Parties get silly! I asked the girls to squeeze in and the boys gave me this. Love IT!



Here are a couple of each group :). Such a gorgeous Bridal Party!




After formals, we headed back into the Olivet Room where Niki spent the hour before her ceremony resting. I advise my brides and grooms to make sure their photographs are done at least 45 minutes before the ceremony for relaxation time. It's a big day and you need to make sure you are fully rested! However, I did take advantage of that time to photograph Niki by herself.




The ceremony began right on time (thanks to Niki's planning ;) ) - she is quite organized! This gentleman is Steve, Niki's Uncle. He was the ringbearer for their wedding and looked quite handsome. Carolyn, the wedding planner from the church, is on the left. She did a great job and was very kind and low-key :). I loved her hat!



Dad walked Niki down the aisle. I love how you can see Mike's blurred expression in the background. He was smitten!



The ceremony was beautiful! Afterward, the guests ushered outside to see the newly married couple off to the reception. I loved these shots. They are so full of genuine emotion...




We headed over to The Powerhouse where the guests played! Niki sneaked a peak at the guests and decor while she awaited her "Grand Entrance". She was please at how well-liked the Cheese Fondue from Ripple by Bridget Wright was! We continued with cocktails and hors 'oeuvres followed by a delicious meal by the in-house catering.







Another creation by Greg Marsh of Marsh Cakes. He is truly a master at his craft. His cakes not only look amazing, but they taste fantastic!



I love to shoot details. These little pieces are really what makes up your wedding. Who wouldn't want these in their album???
These gorgeous flowers??? They are from Boise at it's Best...GORGEOUS flowers...did I mention that they were GORGEOUS???






I love this sequence of photographs - they are feeding eachother the cake and having a great time doing so. It was super cute to watch. And no, she is not getting ready to hit him in that last shot...okay, maybe she is.









If you have followed my blog at all, you know that I love photographing dances. They are just so...how shall we say it...fun??? :). The Band, Signature Sound (208-514-8383), was great fun, too! I love bands and these guys really helped get the party started!










And - to end the post - I must include this shot of a couple of crack-up guests. Remeber that photograph on the cover of their Engagement Guest Book (I referenced it earlier in this post)? These two family friends were giving Mike and Niki a hard time about this shot because - and I quote - "That's not how it works". They thought they would give Mike and Niki a REAL-LIFE shot in this same pose. Here it is:



Thanks, Niki & Mike, for letting me share your day with you! Enjoy your Sneak-Peek and Consider Yourselves Loved...

Merida/Kern Wedding Sneak-Peek

What a beautiful, wonderful wedding! We had an incredible day of light with crazy clouds in the background and God's very own diffuser :). It was absolutely gorgeous! And - we were so lucky because the only two hours we spent photographing before the wedding were completely clear of rain. As soon as we headed back to the hotel before the ceremony, it began raining.

We began our day at The Modern where Kelsey got ready with her lovely, beautiful and supportive bridesmaids. There was so much love that was in that room for Kelsey and her handsome groom. It was so very sweet! They were so excited to see their friends commit their lives to one another.






Kelsey & Josh chose to meet each other for the first time in the Lobby of the hotel. Josh was smitten! It was so sweet to see him look at her for the first time that day - you could see that he was ready to have her as his wife.



This is when Kelsey's dad saw her for the first time - so sweet :).


When Kelsey and I visited about what kind of photographs she was hoping to get from her wedding, she mentioned that she loves the urban look. I have only had a couple of brides request it, but it is one of my favorite backdrops! One of the great things about The Modern is that it is located in a fantastic part of Downtown Boise. So - we used the amazing backdrops around the area - all within, literally, a 1/2 mile of each other.











After our shoot, we headed back indoors to relax before the ceremony. This is when I headed over to the ceremony and reception site at The Linen Building. I really love this building and had it been around when I got married, we would have had the reception here. The gorgeous flowers & decor were another creation by Bliss Events.





Like I said, it was POURING rain on their wedding day. So - when Kelsey and her bridesmaids walked over to the ceremony site, they looked so cute using their umbrellas and hiking up their dresses.



The ceremony was - literally - the shortest ceremony I have ever been to. I think it was about 3 minutes. Seriously. I had to be a speedy-gonzales to get the shots! I always love the shots when the bride and groom have been pronounced and they come down the aisle. This was no exception.



I loved the look of the cake from Amaru Confections! And - I really love shooting rings :).




The rest of the evening, I was able to witness a really funny toast, a really touching one, two guests who made me laugh, a baby I loved, and a couple of very beautiful dances. I have the best job in the world...








Congratulations, you two! Enjoy your Sneak-Peek and Consider Yourselves Loved...