the blog
I met Hannah and Justin in the beautiful downtown area of Parkville, Missouri for their engagement session. We wandered around the streets, snapping photos in front of the little shops and having a great time.
Hannah and Justin nailed it with their wardrobe, finding pieces all in the same color family and coordinating instead of matching. Always a win. Hannah’s dress also had texture in the fabric and movement in the design – it worked perfectly for all the dancing/laughing shots we got at the end.
When we were done on the streets, we moved to a beautiful spot on the river right outside of Parkville. These two are so in love, and it was fun to capture their dynamic together. You can tell they have a lot of fun!
Hannah & Justin, thanks for choosing me to document this exciting time in your life! I loved shooting with you two!
Want to book your own engagement session? More info HERE.
I loved this couples session at the KC Loves mural in downtown Kansas City!
Kathleen & Logan were just the sweetest couple, and braved the cold for their session. Their joy and love is infectious, and we laughed a lot during this couples shoot. And shooting at the #KC Loves Mural is always such a great way to capture the vibe of the city.
I loved capturing all those in-between moments for them, where you can really see their authentic relationship. That’s always my goal with these sessions: to capture you. The truest version of you both as a couple.
Kathleen & Logan, thank you so much for choosing me to document this time in your life! I had a wonderful session at the KC Loves Mural with you two!
Looking to hire a Kansas City Photographer? Inquire HERE.
Jessica & John chose Shawnee Mission Park for their engagement session in the snow and I couldn’t have been happier.
These two were so cute and in love. We walked around the park together, snapping photos in the snow and laughing the whole time. They looked so classy in their all black outfits. Their look contrasted so well with the snow, and really made them pop from the background.
I also loved their more casual outfits they picked. We got to play in the snow, and get some great photos in a less formal setting as well.
I love working with authentic couples, and helping you document your relationship in it’s truest form.
Jessica and John, thank you for choosing me for your engagement session in the snow!
Looking for a photographer for your Kansas City wedding? Inquire with me HERE.
I met up with Katie & Ryan for their couples rooftop session in Kansas City near the Crown Center. As you’ll see these two are just FUN.
Their session was full of laughter and goofy faces and intimate moments between the two of them. Their love is very evident and authentic.
And let’s not even mention their STYLE. I mean, checkered pants and a black jumpsuit?! These two are classics.
I loved every second of this session, and highly recommend this location to any of my clients looking to get this couples rooftop session vibe.
Looking for a photographer for your Kansas City wedding? Inquire with me HERE.
Morgan and Chris had their engagement session at the Museum of Prairiefire, here in Kansas City. I love this location for photo sessions because it allows for so much versatility.
The colorful windows add some color to the background especially in the Winter & early Spring before things are blooming. And they give you a wide range of outfit options! You can choose to wear warm or cool colors, either looks great.
And bonus: there’s so many great restaurants nearby – I always encourage my couples to make a date night out of their engagement session since they’re already all dressed up already!
Looking to hire a Kansas City Wedding Photographer? Inquire HERE.
This October couples session was sooo much fun with McKenzie + Ian! The first location was a cozy, cuddly in-home photoshoot at their house. The second location was at Tiffany Castle, which was perfect for their classic, spooky October photoshoot!
My packages include multiple locations as long as time allows. I love finding versatile spots to help my couples feel comfortable in front of my camera! Whatever location you have in mind, I’m totally down to try anything that helps us capture your unique love story!
You don’t need to wait til the weather is warm to have your couples shoot! In-home shoots are gaining popularity and for good reason. Exhibit A: these pics of McKenzie + Ian!!!
Cozy, In-home Photoshoot
I looooove doing in-home photoshoots because it’s capturing such a real part of their lives! This is the home Mckenzie + Ian live in together and the couch they cuddle on every day. Plus doing an in-home shoot means that your photos definitely won’t look like anyone else’s. This captures them in an authentic way, especially with how goofy these two are together!
Five Tips For Your In-Home Photoshoot
1. Include Your Pets
The BEST part of doing in-home photoshoots is 110% hanging out with furry friends. They’re a part of the family, so why shouldn’t they be included? Photos with your pets will forever be a beautiful way to remember them. As a cat mom myself (shoutout to Mozzie!) I loved having these two cuties jump in a few pics. And their adorable dog, Rosie, was such a sweetheart.
2. Find Good Lighting
Good lighting is KEY to having a beautiful photoshoot. Of course I’m trained and experienced in all kinds of lighting, but glowy, gorgeous lighting is absolutely the way to this photographer’s heart.
We can find good lighting in your house by shooting near windows, like these amazinggggg windows in McKenzie + Ian’s sunroom.
Another tip is to consider the time of day and the direction your windows face. If your windows face west, then right before sunset will help us get the dreamiest pics of you two.
3. Be Yourself!
A lot of people get nervous in front of the camera, and that’s okay! If you want to loosen up, let’s kick off our shoot by making a drink. For example, if the two of you love mojitos, I can start photographing you two making drinks together. This movement not only creates ADORABLE candids, but doing something helps you relax a little.
To keep your mind off of the shoot, or to get unique photos, you guys can keep doing things while I take photos. Make cookies together or cook a special family recipe. Don’t try to be perfect – show up as yourself and that will be more than enough!
Try dancing in the kitchen, cuddling on the couch, kissing and hugging your partner. I’ll certainly help direct you, these are just some tips to get super authentic photos!
4. Wardrobe
Some people love dressing up for their photoshoots while some people dread it! My number one tip will always be to find something you’re comfortable + confident in.
If you’re unsure what to wear for an in-home photoshoot, I suggest something a little more casual. I’m assuming that you guys don’t wear formal outfits to hang out at your house together, right??
I love how McKenzie + Ian had colorful, patterned socks on for their in-home shoot. And then because it was quick and easy, McKenzie threw on a cardigan for a little versatility!
When we do an in-home photoshoot, you can totally wear your slippers. Like I said, just wear whatever makes you comfortable!!
They switched into their more formal, spooky outfits for our pictures over at Tiffany Castle. Just like how their jeans matched the in-home vibe, these all-black fits were gorgeous for a spooky shoot!
5. Go Outside
It’s not a classic October photoshoot without some pumpkins on the porch, right?? I love how these turned out. It’s a great reminder of the details of their engagement season.
The second location was Tiffany Castle, a beautiful Kansas City castle built in 1909! Someone actually lives here but McKenzie and Ian got permission to use their house as a backdrop.
The spooky vibes were amazing with their dark clothes. And the red shoes McKenzie chose were adorable!
I love how we got to celebrate McKenzie + Ian’s engagement with a photoshoot that showed off so much of their personalities and their lives together. The October theme and in-home setting really tells their love story in such a unique way!!
Photoshoots always make for the perfect date night but here are some other really great fall date ideas.
For more fall photo session inspiration check out Sofi + Robert at Shawnee Mission Park and Chelsea + Thao at James A Reed.
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.
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.
