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Logan and Drew said their “I do’s” on a windy and beautiful day at the Bell of Camden Point. The day was filled with so much fun and joy! The Bell of Camden Point provided the perfect mix of rustic and elegant styles to make for a picture perfect day.
Logan said, “Location was major for my wedding venue. It was so close to the airport, which was great for our family. Also, the chandeliers at the wedding venue is what made me fall in love with it. I truly enjoyed working with Chas at the wedding venue as well.”
The bridesmaids wore beautiful shades of green that complemented the eucalyptus in the florals wonderfully. The groomsmen looked very sharp in black tuxes with bow ties! The bride and groom changed into Dunks for the reception, which was a unique personal touch to their outfits.
Logan told me, “I think that looking back my favorite part of my wedding day is having my friends and family and walking around to each of their tables and talking with them. I wanted to be very present on my wedding day and be intentional with my time and see everyone who traveled to watch me marry my best friend.”
After the ceremony, everyone gathered for a smorgasbord of yummy food, a photo booth and dancing! Logan’s advice to anyone planning their wedding is to choose what you want and take time to soak in the day. It goes by too fast.
I had so much fun capturing this day! I’m so thankful I had the opportunity to be a part of Logan and Drew’s forever.
2023 is off to a great start! 2022 brought so many cool and unique themes and trends to the wedding industry. I am so excited to see what my 2023 weddings have in store. With that being said, there are definitely a few 2023 trends I am excited to capture as the Spring season approaches and kicks off weddings for the year!
Bridesmaids in Color
I am predicting that color will play a huge role in weddings this year. Having your bridesmaids all in different colors within the same color scheme is absolutely beautiful and it photographs incredibly well! It also makes it easy to bring a variety of color into different aspects of your wedding day, like florals and decorations.
Florals
Florals are going to be BIG this year. Not just in the sense of popularity, but also in size! I anticipate seeing large, beautiful floral centerpieces, isle displays, backdrops, and statement decor. Whether intricate, or simple, florals are a wonderful way to enhance the style of your wedding!
Statement Pieces
Cocktail wall? Neon Signage? Favor Stand? Multi Colored Arches? It all makes the list! Any kind of unique statement piece that is used to help set your wedding apart from others will be a big hit this year.
Guest Book Alternatives
Traditional guest books are still wonderful and help capture who was there to help you celebrate your big day! But guest book alternatives are growing in popularity and I think they will play a huge role in weddings this year. Some unique guest book alternatives I’ve seen are a voicemail guest book, a polaroid guest book, and having guests sign bottles of wine for you to drink on your 1st, 5th and 10th year wedding anniversaries.
Outfit Changes
For some, picking out one dress is simply impossible. Why not wear two?! A trend I’m anticipating this year is the bride’s outfit change between the ceremony and reception! It could be from one elegant outfit to the next, or from one beautiful floor length gown into a short cocktail style dress. Whatever it looks like, it is so much fun, and helps really define the different phases of the day!
Personal Ceremonies
There has been a large trend toward having a close family member or friend officiate non-religious ceremonies. This tends to make the ceremony feel very personal! It allows the officiate to talk about personal memories and how they witnessed the couple’s relationship grow, firsthand. It creates a very intimate environment!
I am excited to document some of the 2023 wedding trends this upcoming season and am looking forward to seeing what new cool and unique themes and trends pop up for next year!
Sprawling across 128 acres of Missouri prairie 30 minutes from Downtown Kansas City sits Lone Summit Ranch – a wedding and event venue. Pursuing her dream of running a wedding venue, Linda Sallee and her husband purchased the land and buildings in 2016.
“My husband and I bought Lone Summit Ranch seven years ago,” says Linda. “Owning a wedding venue has always been a dream of mine! When my husband wanted to buy the farm I told him we were BOTH getting our dream!”
Bringing the Ranch to Life
The ranch founded in the early 1900’s, it wasn’t until the early 2010’s that it started to transition into a wedding venue.
“When we bought the ranch, it had sat vacant for three and a half years,” describes Linda. “The property was nothing but weeds that were growing so high as to reach the gutters and deteriorating buildings. Everywhere we looked it was in need of repair!” Linda and her husband quickly began work on rehabilitating the property to suit their needs.
“We started tearing down the existing house and built our new home that stands today,” says Linda. “Then we literally brought in dumpsters and placed them throughout the property and just started going through every building.” After renovations were successfully completed, the property boasted the main house, a honeymoon cottage, a bridal cottage, four barns, and plenty of garages. The buildings and landscaping were styled in a manner that would reflect the robust and picturesque scenery – what Linda describes as an “elegant estate feeling”.
“You can’t replace the beauty of the property and now with the renovations it is breathtaking,” says Linda. “The 15 acre lake provides guests with a beautiful backdrop for any event, and our pristine green space is line no other venue in the Kansas City area.”
Making a Statement in the Industry
Some included amenities are:
- All day access from 9 a.m. to 11 p.m.
- Indoor and outdoor ceremony sites
- Beautifully decorated reception hall
- Covered veranda with an outside patio
- Honeymoon cottage
- Pool area
- Bridal cottage
- On-site catering
- And plenty of space for engagement photo opportunities
With the many amenities available to couples, Linda hopes to streamline the wedding planning process by being flexible and accommodating.
“Our goal is to provide a streamlined, stress free day for all of our couples,” says Linda. “We provide a 30-day meeting to go over all the details of their day so that everything is taken care of and runs perfectly the day of their wedding.” Couples are also invited to attend a private tasting with the venue’s exclusive caterer to build custom food and alcohol packages.
Not Just a Wedding Venue
Weddings are not the only event-type Lone Summit Ranch hosts! Events range from weddings to corporate events and from Christmas parties to proms – and many more in between. But, Linda’s favorite event (not including weddings) is the Mother’s Day Brunch Lone Summit Ranch hosts every year.
“We start selling our tickets in March and sell out in two weeks or less,” describes Linda. We host 600 people and offer a delicious brunch, stunning dessert bar, live music, flower tuck for pre-ordered bouquets, a photographer, face painting, and a bouncy house.”
Linda’s Advice
When asked what advice she would give to prospective couples, Linda says:
“Pick a venue that when you tour you can’t imagine your dream day anywhere else! Pick a venue that offers a stress-free, seamless day with a staff that cares.” Creating a relationship with the couples is important to Linda. Making sure they have the perfect day is her top priority! She takes great pride in fostering a culture at Lone Summit Ranch that will create lasting relationships.
“When you drive in the entrance, through the tree-lined drive, there is something very special about Lone Summit Ranch, and you can feel it when you arrive,” says Linda.
Styled Session at Lone Summit Ranch
I had the opportunity to plan a styled session at Lone Summit Ranch and capture the wonderful amenities the venue has to offer! A day filled with fun and laughter led to some beautiful photographs. I was able to capture a “morning after” session at the honeymoon cottage, a couples sessions at the mini golf course and swimming pool, and wedding sessions throughout the venue!
Linda and her team are a pleasure to work with! I hope to capture many more moments at Lone Summit Ranch in the future!
Getting engaged is such a big milestone in the timeline of you and your partner’s relationship! After they pop the question there tends to be many things to do and plan. It is so important to bask in this special time together! One way to do that is to capture this time with engagement photos. If you’re planning a wedding, or thinking about getting engaged, you’ve probably seen the traditional engagement photos that highlight the ring and the couple kissing in the sunlight – there’s nothing wrong with those! But if you are wanting photos that are personal to you and your relationship I have some tips on how to make your engagement photos unique.
USE A LOCATION THAT REPRESENTS YOU BOTH
Pick a location that means something to both you and your partner. It could be a park that you frequent together, the place you met for the first time, family land, or your home. If you choose somewhere that you are comfortable and used to being at, it will show in your pictures!
OUTFITS AND ACCESSORIES
Whether you decide to completely match outfits with your partner or to mix it up within a cohesive color pallet, make sure you are both comfortable in what you are wearing! It will make the process much more enjoyable for you both. Accessories are such a fun way to spice up any outfit and help express yourself in ways that outfits can’t! Don’t be afraid to bring a bouquet, veil, sunglasses, jackets, etc. that help your personality shine.
MIX UP YOUR POSES
There are definitely traditional poses that are standard when it comes to engagement sessions. If that is what you want out of your session, let your photographer know and they can make sure to capture those. A good way to make your session unique to you is to mix it up and get both traditional and non-traditional poses! This can look like capturing natural movement, fun interactions and
GO ON A DATE
Sometimes you and/or your partner aren’t super comfortable in front of the camera. One good way to help ease those nerves is to take your photographer along on a date! You can go to a couple of your favorite spots and they can capture you both in your natural environment just hanging out! Kansas City has so many wonderful date night locations and I’ve found that sessions like this really capture the essence of your relationship.
BE UNAPOLOGETICALLY YOURSELF
This is good advice for anytime you are in front of a camera! If you want your personality to shine through in the photos, you have to show it! Don’t be afraid to be playful, sarcastic, loving, and energetic during your session. Being able to capture that will help make your photos very unique to you as a couple!
I hope these tips on how to make your engagement photos unique are helpful when planning for your engagement sessions. Don’t be afraid to be yourself and have FUN!
This session makes me long for warmer days! I can’t wait to get back outside with my clients in the warmth and sun. Blaine and Jess met me at Lone Summit Ranch for a couples poolside session on this hot Summer day. We had the pool to ourselves and I had so much fun capturing their fun and loving personalities.
Lone Summit Ranch is located in a quaint and secluded area, with beautiful white buildings and a gorgeous pool! I always suggest to my couples that we go somewhere special to them or go do something they enjoy doing together. This helps their personalities shine through and makes their photographs really unique to them! The case was no different for Jess and Blaine.
I had such a great time helping pose them in this unique setting. They were up for anything and so great to work with! The pool area was a decent size, so we had room to move around and get creative with poses in and out of the pool.
If you are considering doing something out of the ordinary for your next session this is your sign to go for it! As long as your photographer is on board and it’s something that isn’t dangerous it will be so cool to have the unique moments captured!
Victoria and Nick tied the knot this past Fall on a beautiful day and The Venue at Willow Creek. Their day was full of love, laughter, and gorgeous Fall colors. The Venue at Willow Creek offered a beautiful space for the wedding party to get ready. Victoria said, “Our venue was so accommodating and organized. Not only did we love Jaimee, our coordinator, but the day was a beautiful fall day and the venue had an immense amount of natural beauty inside and outside.”
The wedding party wore a mix of blues, gray, and maroon, which photographed wonderfully with the full Fall foliage. Their wedding party was so fun and carefree! The groomsmen all wore crazy socks with their suits, which was a nice touch to their individual personalities. After getting their gallery Victoria mentioned, “I LOVE the pictures of my bridal crew! I think Nick feels the same, in regards to his groomsmen. Those pictures are SO fun and natural.”
The ceremony was outside under a beautiful oak tree. It was the end of October, so the Fall foliage had just reached peak color and the weather was perfect! The reception had yard games set up outside to keep the guests busy, along with a fun signature cocktail.
“The Tripod” signature cocktail was created after Nick and Victoria’s dog, Belle. Victoria said, “Our favorite detail of the day was having our figurine of our dog, Belle, right by the cake. We had Belle present for our engagement photos, but because she is a wild and happy 13 year-old tripod, we decided to not involve her physically in the wedding.”
The reception was full of laughter and excitement as the pair made their debut as a married couple! Between the speeches, yard games, cocktails, cake cutting, and hitting the dance floor, this was one party to remember. I feel so blessed to have been able to capture this special day and am so happy for Nick and Victoria as they start their forever together.
The saying time is a thief can really start to resonate as families grow. Family photos are a great way to capture different phases of life and freeze those moments in time so you can revisit them later! The process can seem daunting, especially when it comes to figuring out how to plan for a family photo session. I’ve compiled some tips and tricks to help make the process as smooth as possible!
COORDINATING OUTFITS
The best way to coordinate outfits is to pick a pallet with 3-4 different colors and mix up textiles and patterns that use those colors within your outfits. A good rule of thumb is to only have 1-2 people wear a pattern of some kind. This will keep the photos from looking too busy! Layers are a good way to add texture and variety to photos.
LOCATION DECISION
Pick a location that offers multiple different locations to take pictures. This will give everyone space and will offer a good variety of backdrops for photos. Being able to move around will allow the photographer to capture some good candid’s along with the portraits, if that’s something you’re interested in! Kansas City has so many great locations to choose from.
FULL BELLIES
I know rounding everyone up and getting them out the door on time isn’t a small task! But making sure everyone has a full belly will help you get the most out of your time with the photographer. You could even bring some snacks along that aren’t messy and are easy to quickly distribute between photos to keep everyone happy!
PREPARE FOR OUTFIT CHANGES
If you are in the “babies” phase of life, it is a good idea to have an extra outfit on hand in case you experience a diaper blowout or they spit up on their original outfit. You can do a quick outfit change and keep going! You know your kiddos better than anyone else. If you have littles that are prone to spitting up in the car, I recommend putting them in their outfit after you arrive at the location.
I hope these tips on how to plan for a family photo session make the process less stressful! The point of family photos is to capture the phase of life you are currently in! If that means you are wrangling toddlers and wiping spit up off of little cheeks, that is what you should capture. You will be able to fit some good portraits in between and there will be years in the future where you will be able to get everyone to sit still. Every moment is precious and I would be so grateful to capture whatever phase of life you are currently in.
Kansas City has so many unique wedding venues, one of them being Union Horse Distillery. This location is perfect for small, intimate weddings! Antoinette and Seth didn’t want a huge wedding. They wanted to make sure their day was intentional and personal to them and this non-traditional venue granted their wishes.
Between the rehearsal, watching Antoinette put on her Nike dunks, and capturing the couple order their favorite drinks at the bar, this day was a perfect representation of them. These two were so fun and carefree throughout the day and it was reflected in the moments I captured. The venue allowed us to visit the cellar and take some really unique photographs in front of the barrels. They also provided a small barrel that displayed the Union Horse Distillery logo for the couple to use as a guest book!
The couple didn’t have a traditional wedding party, which made the ceremony feel very intimate. But their family and friends all came out to help celebrate them! The flower girls all wore Nikes that matched Antoinette’s, which was so cute with their dresses. After cocktail hour, everyone gathered for dinner and dancing! The couple decided on flavored popcorn as party favors, which doubled as a fun late night snack after some time spent on the dance floor. Thank you Antionette and Seth for allowing me to capture this unique and fun day!
I met Sally and Jake at Penguin Park on a beautiful fall day for their engagement session. We decided on Penguin Park because it is a place they frequent for trail walks together! The couple met at Northwest Missouri State University and dated for a few short months before going their separate ways. They reconnected two years ago and the rest is history! They enjoy spending time together by being active, going to the movie theater, and going out to dinner at Mr. Le’s for sushi.
Sally said she knew Jake was the one because he always makes her laugh. “We would stay up for hours talking and just laughing together. It felt more like being with my best friend than previous relationships.” They were visiting Jake’s family in Iowa when he popped the question. The two had decided to walk the property with their dog and at one point she turned around and he was down on one knee! When I asked her what she was most excited about for her future marriage she said, “I am excited for a future with my best friend, and all the trips and memories we will share. Having a family together, staying active and traveling to the mountains!”
The pop of emerald green they wore helped bring out the colors in the beautiful Fall foliage at the park. These two were so much fun! We had a blast walking around the park and down the trails. Thank you so much Sally and Jake for the opportunity to capture such a special time in your life!
Picture this: you’ve found your person, the special someone you want to spend the rest of your life with. You can’t wait to ask this person to marry you! They keep dropping hints about wanting to be engaged and you’ve picked out the perfect ring. But how?! How do you plan a day that is deserving of the one you love? Don’t fret! I’ve got 5 tips for planning the perfect proposal.
ONE – FIND THE RIGHT MOMENT
First, make sure you are both ready for this next step. It’s a big one and something you should discuss in depth before getting down on one knee! Once you’re both ready, wait and find a time that feels right – don’t rush the proposal. Whether you wait until your anniversary, a date that is special to you both, a big life event, or just an ordinary day, make sure it feels right!
TWO – PICK THE PERFECT LOCATION
Take them back to the place you first met, a childhood home, your favorite park/trail, or your go-to restaurant. Pick a place that is sentimental or meaningful to your relationship! If you don’t have a special place, don’t worry! Wherever you choose your purpose will end up being a special place in the timeline of your story. Choose somewhere pretty- a garden, a rooftop, a city landmark. Stumped for ideas? I can help with that too!
THREE – HIRE A PHOTOGRAPHER TO CAPTURE THIS MOMENT
This moment is the next big step in the story of your lives together. You and your significant other will likely both be nervous and/or surprised and your adrenaline may leave you in a foggy haze. Hire a professional to capture all the details so you can look back and remember every second. Photos of this once in a lifetime event are priceless!
FOUR – SURPRISE THEM
If you’ve discussed wanting to get married chances are your significant other has given you some tips for the proposal. If not, give their friends and family a call! This will allow you to plan something that will really knock their socks off! Keep it a secret so the moment is a surprise. Even if they start picking up on what is going on, don’t spill all the details!
FIVE – HAVE FAMILY WAITING AS A SURPRISE FOR A CELEBRATORY PARTY
After you’ve popped the question and the adrenaline has settled a bit it’s time to celebrate!! Coordinate with you and your significant other’s family and friends to hide at the location you are proposing at, or to meet you at the next location for a second surprise! What better way to celebrate your engagement than with all your closest loved ones. Engagement parties are so much fun!
SAL + GABI
Sal and Gabi are high school sweethearts! They had been together for almost 10 years when Sal decided it was time to pop the question. They had talked about getting married, so Gabi knew it was coming but she had no idea when it was going to happen! Sal enlisted the help of his family in planning the perfect proposal. He got them all in on the secret and they disguised the proposal as an ordinary family dinner at The Bowery. Gabi had NO idea what was coming! The decorations were beautiful and the couple’s family and friends were there to help them celebrate! This was such a sweet and special moment to capture. Thank you so much Gabi and Sal for allowing me to be a part of your proposal!
