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I know it’s hard to imagine now (in the heat of July!) but Kansas City winters are COLD. As a Kansas City photographer I’m shooting weddings year round, so I’ve seen my fair share of winter weddings. If you’re planning a winter wedding this blog is for YOU.
If your dream is to have a wedding ceremony with white snowflakes floating through the air, wearing the ice queen dress of your dreams, with snow frosting the trees, as your guests bask in the beautiful oasis of your love, I get it.
Here are 5 tips to planning a winter wonderland wedding sucessfully.
1. Provide warmth for your guests
Be crystal clear on your wedding invites that the ceremony will be outside so that everyone can dress accordingly. I’ve seen some couples offer blankets as wedding favors. I’ve also been to a couple weddings where they set out space heaters! I promise your guests will appreciate the forethought.
2. Plan a short wedding ceremony
Work with your officiant to plan a wedding ceremony that doesn’t last more than 30 minutes or so. Everyone is excited about your big day and wants to focus on that without the distraction of numb fingers or toes!!
3. Rent a tent
This is a cute way to get the outside vibe while providing coverage from any inclement Kansas City weather. Make sure to ask if the tent rental company needs insurance! Also ask if they’ll set it up for you. If not, plan accordingly to have some friends set it up the morning of or the day before. You can use cute lights to decorate the ceiling, or hang lanterns around to add to the ambiance.
4. Work with your wedding vendor team on a backup plan
I definitely recommend an indoor wedding reception venue so your guests can be comfortable while they eat, mingle, dance, & hang out. If your dream has always been a beautiful outdoor ceremony, ask your wedding venue what their backup plan is in case of inclement weather.
Last minute weather situations are why I always suggest hiring a wedding planner as well! They can work with the staff & the team of vendors on the backup plan. Planning ahead and delegating jobs means you can enjoy your winter wonderland wedding day worry free.
5. Hot chocolate bar
You could even have this available before the wedding ceremony! This is a fun way to keep everyone warm and to really make it a winter themed wedding. Offer toppings like whipped cream, marshmallows, or candy canes. It’s a cozy and memorable treat everyone will love.
You deserve to have the wedding of your dreams. No matter the season, your wedding will be beautiful and your love will be everlasting. For more wedding planning tips check out these blogs; How to Prepare for Rain on your wedding day, How to choose your wedding photographer, Wedding Planning Advice from real brides, and much more!
As a Kansas City wedding photographer, I’m obsessed with checking out the best local bridal boutiques. Since I’m always in contact with at least a dozen different brides, I always want to know the best places to recommend to them.
Here’s a list of my favorite Kansas City bridal boutiques to make all your dress dreams come true. This list was so much fun to put together since I’m searching for my own wedding dress for my September 2022 wedding!
True Society
With two locations in Lenexa, Kansas and downtown Kansas City, you have to check out True Society! They offer a luxury experience with dozens of designer dresses. From sophisticated chic to classic lace, you’re sure to find a dress to wow the crowd.
They also house a wide range of inclusive sizes! There really is something for everyone searching for that perfect, elegant wedding dress.
Bride.
Located in the east crossroads of Downtown Kansas City, Bride is the hub for unique wedding dresses. They have a wide range of options no matter what vibe you’re going for!
If you’re hosting a simple, boho wedding, they have dresses perfect for that. If you’re planning a personality-packed wedding, they have whimsical wedding dresses as well.
Something White
Kansas City wedding vendors actually voted Something White as KC’s Bridal Boutique Of The Year for 2020! So obviously I had to include them on this list.
Located in the crossroads district in downtown Kansas City, Something White prides themselves on fashion-forward wedding dress options. Everything they house is chic and elegant. If you’re looking for a wedding dress that’s classic yet modern, I really recommend going here!
Bridal Extraordinaire
Bridal Extraordinaire values not only high quality wedding dresses, but the entire wedding dress shopping experience. They offer a VIP shopping experience for brides to receive a private, personal consultation and appointment with their lead stylist.
Located in Shawnee, Kansas, Bridal Extraordinaire is the perfect bridal boutique to find a show-stopping wedding dress!
Fabulous Frocks
This Kansas City bridal boutique is just…. fabulous! Nestled next to the Country Club Plaza in the West Plaza neighborhood, Fabulous Frocks fills their racks with the industry’s top wedding dress designers.
To make the wedding dress shopping process easy for brides, they offer two options for their blushing brides. You can get your dress “made-to-order” or “ready-to-wed” right in store!
I hope this list helps you find the dress of your dreams! I’ve been told by many brides that when you know, you know. Kansas City has so many bridal boutiques, so it was hard to narrow the list down to just these five. All of these bridal boutiques require appointments, so make sure you call ahead to schedule a time to meet with a consultant. Happy shopping!!
Once you find your dress you’ll want to start thinking of where you’ll be getting ready on the day of your wedding, check out my blog post all about things to look for when choosing your getting ready location.
Kansas City is full of gorgeous locations to propose to the love of your life. Jackson planned his proposal at the WWI memorial in Kansas City.
Jackson wanted to fully surprise Kiley so he needed a little help. He reached out to me a couple weeks before and asked me to help him plan it so it went smoothly and to photograph it when the time finally came. I was absolutely thrilled to do both!! It’s so fun to photograph a couple at the very beginning of their engagement all the way up wedding day and beyond.
I was so happy Jackson reached out when he did because we are getting close to one of the most popular times of the year for marriage proposals.
The most POPULAR time for proposals
There are two times through out the year that your Instagram feed is more likely to be full of “I said yes!” And “pop the champagne I’m changing my last name!” posts.
The holidays❄️; between November and the new year, and a few spread out till Valentine’s Day.
A great way to celebrate with the whole family!
And
SUMMER time☀️; June through August. There’s more time in the day, people are naturally more relaxed and happy.
With temperatures rising and the rain finally leaving the forecast we are getting closer to summer with each day.
Jackson planned his proposal at the WWI memorial in Kansas City. Kansas City has so many beautiful places to propose including; The Nelson Atkins Museum of Art, Loose Park Rose Garden, Union Station, Crown Center, or The Plaza.
If you’re planning a proposal for the upcoming months reach out and let’s get it all worked out! It can be overwhelming trying to coordinate everything but I’m here to help!!
And you’ll even have photos of your partners reaction 🥰
For more tips on planning a proposal check out my blog Planning the Perfect Proposal in 5 easy steps
As a Kansas City wedding photographer, I get asked all the time how couples can personalize their sessions to represent their relationship best! I’m here to give you my best tips to make your engagement session super personal.
A majority of my wedding packages include an engagement session so that I can meet my couples and they can have a little practice in front of the camera. Once we start the planning process I usually get the same question, and the answer is actually super simple!!
The conversation usually goes like this;
My couple: “How can we make our engagement session feel more… like “us”?? “
My cheesy answer: JUST BE YOU! ✨
My couple: “But like how?! “
📸 Easy- it all starts with the location. Pick a spot that you love or that means something to you!
How to make your engagement session super personal – location. location. location.
Think back to your first date, or the trail you always walk on, or a well known landmark in your city, or maybe your favorite ice cream place, or that cute park you always drive by.
There are tons of options and a good photographer can make any location work!
We can even do multiple locations if you want to explore a new photo worthy spot in your city and then relax back at your favorite local coffee shop.
This is exactly what we did for Elena + Kade’s engagement photos. We started at the Nelson to get some beautiful fall colors and to represent Kansas City. Then we headed to Hi Hat coffee so they could sip their yummy drinks and get a few more photos that really help tell their love story. ☕️
For more engagement photo inspiration check out these blog posts Summer Engagement Session at Loose Park, Engagement Photos with the Kansas City Skyline, Smoke Bomb Engagement Photos, or Fall Engagement Photos at Shawnee Mission Park.
After months, or maybe even years of planning, there’s always one thing we can’t plan ourselves; the weather. But!! We can prepare ourselves for rain on your wedding day. My biggest wish as a wedding photographer in Kansas City is that I could have magical powers to control the weather.
Do you know rain on your wedding day is actually good luck?? 🌧
You know the saying “tying the knot” well, rain on a knot is only going to make it tighter and harder to undo. Rain on your wedding day symbolizes adding strength to your marriage.
This saying might have only come around to help keep couples calm when the weather isn’t ideal on their day, but the sentiment is cute☔️
And as a Kansas City wedding photographer, I have a few real tips to actually help you if it rains on your day:
1. Have a back up plan
If you’re planning for an outdoor ceremony have a way to prevent your guests from getting soaked. This could be moving your ceremony indoors or a big tent on hand you can set up if needed.
2. Buy some clear umbrellas
Clear umbrellas are great for your wedding party to use during photos, this will add to the aesthetic of the day and you’ll still be able to have photos outside! Check these out from amazon.
3. Embrace it!!
I know rain on your wedding probably isn’t what you were dreaming about since you were little, but remember when you were a kid and you begged your parents to let you go play in the rain? Bring that energy into your wedding day!
And besides; who doesn’t love a romantic kiss in the rain? Your whole wedding day will be like a movie.
Always remember; even on the rainiest of days the storm will always clear. You might even get a few precious moments of you and your love outside with the cloudy skies or maybe even a little sunshine.
For more wedding planning tips by a Kansas City wedding photographer check out a few more of my blogs.
like How to Choose your getting ready space or how to downsize your wedding.
As a Kansas City wedding photographer, my couples frequently ask me where the best place to shop for wedding stationary is. One of my favorite sites to recommend is Basic Invite. Their save the date templates are not only beautiful, but incredibly easy to use and to customize to fit your wedding style.
Basic Invite offers over 900 different wedding invitation sets which means that no matter what your wedding style is, they’ll have an invitation that fits your vision. All the wedding stationary you need can be found on one website. They have save the dates, wedding invitations, menus, programs, and even matching thank you cards!
My favorite thing about using Basic Invite is all the ways you can customize your wedding stationary to truly reflect you and your spouse’s style. They offer almost unlimited color options. So many other websites only give you a few color choices but Basic Invite has over 180 different hues. All of the elements colors are customizable, even down to the last detail.
But the personalization doesn’t stop there; Basic Invite offers over 40 different colors for envelopes! When you ask your guests to please save the date you won’t want any of their envelopes to get lost among their junk mail. Best part? Their envelopes are peel and seal, makes the entire process quick and easy! Plus, no paper cuts on your tongue!
Make your wedding stationary a statement! Standout with a unique envelope and an even more unique card that you helped design yourself.
For all my couples that have already been planning, if your wedding has been affected by COVID-19, have no fear because Basic Invite has tons of adorable change the dates to send out. Instead of having to double check that all your guests have seen your facebook post, just pick out a cute card on Basic Invite and send it straight to them. It’s simple and fun! Also your guests get a little bit of mail, and everyone loves surprises in the mail!
Whether you’re sending out save the dates, change dates, or full wedding invitations Basic Invite has tons of features that are hard to find on other sites. For instance they offer custom samples which lets you see a printed sample of your invitation and actually get to hold it in your hand before finalizing the design and sending it out to your guests. They also offer free address collection, all you have to do is share a link to your social media or email it out to all your guests, they enter their info and Basic Invite collects their info and will print on the envelopes for free. Super simple and will save you tons of time while wedding planning.
Basic Invite includes so many ways to make sure your wedding stationary matches your theme. Their save the date templates can be customized and personalized to ensure your wedding stationary stands out from the crowd. Check them out on their social media accounts for inspiration and get designing!
For more wedding planning tips and inspiration check out my Blog and for more info on Basic invite check out this post or give them a follow on Pinterest or Instagram.
*this is a sponsored post by Basic Invite
Planning a COVID-safe wedding reception might look different, but that doesn’t mean it needs to be difficult or any less fun. You can still have the day of your dreams with all the people you love! Keep reading to see ideas on how to entertain your guests while still keeping them safe.
Outdoor Wedding Reception Games
For crowds that aren’t big into dancing, or to follow COVID-19 safety protocols, yard games are super popular. You can get cornhole, ladder toss, or giant Jenga to set outside for your guests to play. I’ve even seen some couples use trash cans or buckets to make giant beer pong!
If you anticipate bad weather, or if you don’t want to risk it, you can plan to set up the games inside. If you want people to stay at their assigned tables but want entertainment, here’s an idea that is sure to blow your guests away.
Dueling pianos.
I seriously recommend Felix and Fingers. Your wedding will be the talk of the town for years, if not DECADES to come. They took song suggestions from the crowd, sang things from all genres, and even brought their own colored lights. They encouraged people to sing along, so it was not only a great show, but super interactive! This is perfect for a socially distanced wedding.
Alicen & Brenton got married in November at the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic, so their guests’ safety was their number one priority. The dueling pianos entertained the guests after dinner at the Arterra Event Gallery in Lawrence.
Serving Food at a Socially-Distanced Wedding
Instead of the traditional buffet-style dinner, consider having pre-portioned food at various stations throughout the room. This prevents people from all touching the same serving utensils, and your ushers can direct a couple of tables at a time to prevent crowding.
Ask your caterer if they have servers that will bring plates to each guest at their tables.
Food trucks are gaining popularity in the wedding industry as well! This makes it easier for the caterer to distance from the guests.
If your venue has an outdoor option, see if you can make a few campfires. Set out a table with marshmallows, chocolate bars, & graham crackers. I’ve seen S’mores at a couple of weddings and they’re always a big hit.
At the Table of a COVID-Safe Wedding Reception
You’ll definitely want assigned seats at a COVID-safe wedding reception. To avoid awkward silences or restlessness, offer some table games! I’ve seen tic-tac-toe, decks of cards or even question starters to spark conversation. If you’ll have lots of kids at your wedding, print out coloring pages!
Include These in Your COVID-Safe Wedding Reception
- Get personalized masks for your guests as party favors – you could even make them themed to match the decor!
- Set up hand sanitizer stations throughout the area.
- Make cute signs that encourage social distancing.
COVID-Safe Wedding Ceremony
Congrats to the Hilbigs!
Check out more Covid safe weddings here on the blog Dakota + Jake; How They Went From a Large Wedding to Intimate an Elopement or How to Downsize Your Wedding
You’ve found the perfect wedding venue for your ceremony and reception but don’t forget about the morning of your wedding! The getting ready space for the morning of your wedding is a fun place to spend your last moments as a single gal preparing for the day of your dreams. Choosing your getting ready space is easy once you know what to look for.
You want cute pictures with your best friends PLUS you need a practical space to do your hair and make-up. Don’t stress or wonder about what to look for. Here’s a simple guide on choosing the PERFECT getting ready space for the morning of your wedding.
Features in a Perfect Getting Ready Space
Look for a space with natural light: big windows & lots of open space for the inevitable pre-ceremony dance party with your girls. A good photographer can shoot in any light but natural is always best!
Look for a house that has big counter space, lots of plugs, and lots of mirrors. You might need to bring some mirrors from home, depending on how big your party is! Bonus points if there’s a full-length mirror.
My brides always love to find a big couch or bed to take cute pictures on with them and their bridesmaids in their robes or matching shirts. Plus this is a cozy place to relax if someone needs a minute to sit down.
A space with plenty of chairs or tables to sit down at is helpful if you have any moms or grandmas getting ready with you – and for a sweet spot to write your vows or a letter to the love of your life. This is also helpful to sit down and put your shoes on.
For an iconic wedding dress picture, find a place to hang your wedding dress. Some brides find a place outside, in a closet, or in a room somewhere. While this makes for a gorgeous and memorable photo, it’s also important to have a designated spot for your dress so it doesn’t get in the way.
Choose a place with neutral backgrounds – no tacky art on the walls, nothing distracting, and no crazy or bright wallpaper. We don’t want anything in the back of your photos to take away from the moment.
Wedding Morning Tips From a Kansas City Wedding Photographer
Another way to prevent distracting photos is to keep your area clean. I always suggest keeping all your stuff on one side of the room so there’s space for everyone to move around. Doing this also means there’s less clutter in the back of your photos.
If the weather is nice, take the party outside for a few shots with a different background.
Find a place that is close to your wedding venue to save time and gas money.
Look on Air BNB or VRBO for houses that have the features you want. If your wedding party needs a place to stay for the weekend, book the house for an extra night!
It’s actually pretty common for venues to have a bridal suite for getting ready the morning of your wedding. Check with your Kansas City venue to see if their space works for your group and unique needs!
You don’t need to spend more money than you need to. If any of your friends offer, get ready at their house!
These are just some tips to choosing your getting-ready space for the morning of your wedding. As a Kansas City wedding photographer, I’ve seen it all. Feel free to DM me on Instagram or shoot me an email if you have any questions!
At the end of the day, you’ll be married to your best friend and the love of your life, so don’t sweat the small stuff. Enjoy your morning preparing for the most romantic day ever. Let yourself be spoiled by your loved ones! The photos from the morning of your wedding will be authentic and take you right back to the moment before the best day of your life.
Check out these blog posts for more inspo on great getting ready spaces: Summer Wedding at The Hawthorne House, How to Elope in Kansas City -Advice from a Real Couple, and Wedding Photos at the Museum at Prairie Fire Overland Park, Kansas.
Sydney and Joey wanted to have a pizza date photo session in Lawrence, Kansas. Lawrence is one of their favorite towns so they headed down Massachusetts Street to grab their favorite pizza from Papa Kenos Pizzeria and a couple sodas, then they set up a pizza picnic date at South Park.
Originally this session was supposed to be Sydney and Joey’s engagement photos before their wedding day; however with COVID they ended up rearranging their plans. They got married a few months before at a small court house ceremony in Topeka and are planning on having a big reception to celebrate the next fall.
When we started planning their couples session I asked Sydney and Joey if they had any ideas on locations or a vision for their session. They said they wanted to keep it casual and make sure it felt like THEM!
We decided on starting our photo session at South Park because it is a really special place to them. Sydney used to work for the Lawrence Park department, so she spent a lot of time taking care of the park and making it beautiful. I love when clients choose photo locations that mean something to their relationship.
If you’re wanting some couples photos done I highly suggest choosing a spot or going with an idea that truly represents your relationship. Sydney and Joey love having laid back date nights so we grabbed some pizza and went to the park. If you and your love have a go-to date night that you absolutely love – you should have photos of those magical memories together.
I’ve photographed couples doing all sorts of activities to show off their relationship together, for example I’ve taking pictures at a couples favorite coffee shop, on their farm land with their cows, picnics on the Nelson Atkins lawn, at their house, and even with their dogs. Whatever brings you both joy and feels comfortable for your relationship is exactly what we should do at your photo session. Couples session are about YOU and YOUR LOVE.
You deserve to have photos that represent your relationship exactly as it is. If you need help brainstorming ideas for ways to make your couples photos feel more like you guys, I have a guide I like to share with my couples and I’m more than happy to help spark some ideas.
This pizza date photo session in Lawrence Kansas turned out amazing and I know your photos will too!
Check out these tips on how to have the best engagement session ever or find more inspiration for fall couples photos here and here.
Everyone deserves to have their picture taken by a professional, even your parents. A photo session would make an amazing gift for any occasion; birthday, mother’s day/father’s day, Christmas, or an anniversary. Here are the top 3 reasons you should book a photoshoot for your parents.
1. It’s probably been years.
It’s probably been years since your parents have had professional photos taken of just themselves. Whether it was family photos 10 years ago or their wedding day 25 years ago. Time flies and life gets busy, but everyone needs updated photos of themselves throughout all stages of life.
2. Photos are the perfect keepsake
You’ve given your parents a ton of gifts over the years, it gets hard to think of something unique, creative, and something you haven’t given them before. A photoshoot is a great option because it’s not only a gift for them, but the pictures can then be given to other family members or even passed down through future generations.
3. A creative date
If your parents have celebrated a lot of anniversaries they’ve been going on dates for YEARS. Sometimes it’s hard to break out of a dating rut and bring new creative ideas to the dating side of their relationship. A photo session can be an amazing date idea. They get out of the house, get to go to a beautiful location or spot that is meaningful to them, and take photos together. During a photoshoot they’ll be able to have fun together and show their love for one another in a new way.
Those are the 3 main reasons I encourage you to book a photoshoot for your parents. It makes for a great gift, is a lasting keepsake, and is a different date night than they’re used to. Instead of giving them an object they don’t actually need or already have a million of; give them a gift that is truly priceless. Photos of themselves in a new stage of life that show the true growth of their relationship. Having photos of their love will be timeless. A true memory everyone will cherish forever.
When Amanda booked this session for her parents she also included her grandpa. Amanda’s mom, Connie, was overjoyed when she realized she would get updated photos of her and her dad.
There will come a day when these photos mean more than the world to this family, your family deserves to have these memorable moments preserved too.
If you’d like to book a session with me please fill out my contact form here.
