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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.
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.
Lakshmi and Abhitej wanted a gorgeous location for their couples photoshoot. We scheduled their romantic pre wedding photos at the Nelson Atkins Museum of Art in Kansas City. Lakshmi and Abhitej are from Kansas City but were getting married just a few weeks later in Dallas Texas.
There are a few keys to having a perfectly romantic engagement session that makes you feel like you’re a part of a romantic comedy movie; the location, your wardrobe, and your connection.
Lakshmi and Abhitej scheduled their session in November so the fall colors were vivd across the grounds and the classic architecture gave us a variety of background options. The contrast between the natural landscaping and the architectural structures makes for the perfect romantic location.
Their outfits were elegant almost as if they stepped off a movie set. Lakshmi’s red ballgown was the perfect pop of color. She looked incredible walking on the steps of the Nelson. Abhitej’s dark suit jacket complimented her dress and made it pop even more.
The main key to having romantic pre wedding photos is to have your true connection between the two of you SHINE. Focus on each other and lean into the directions from your photographer. I always pose my couples in a natural way to get candid in between moments that really show their love for one another.
Lakshmi and Abhitej’s romantic pre wedding photos at the Nelson Atkins turned out amazing. For more inspiration check out Christina and Nick’s winter couple session at the Nelson Atkins.
As the air begins to cool, the trees transform from green to orange, red, and yellow. The leaves start to fall towards the earth and all is calm. Autumn has arrived in the midwest. The best way to capture this new season is by taking fall couple photos at Loose Park in Kansas City.
Loose Park is one of my favorite locations for couples and engagement pictures because there is such a wide variety of breathtaking spots for backgrounds. In the spring the roses are blooming and in the fall the trees are bursting with color.
Nena and Tony hadn’t had professional photos of themselves taken since their wedding day. This year they wanted to get some fall couple photos taken at Loose Park. They both wore comfy sweaters and paired them nicely with jeans. I always encourage couples to wear outfits they feel comfortable in, that way we aren’t limiting ourselves to certain poses or prompts. The more comfortable you are in what you’re wearing the more confidence and happiness you will radiate through your photos.
We started our session in the Rose Garden and to my surprise there were still some roses blooming which is rare for late October, the best time for the roses is late May through September.
We then headed down towards the pond stopping by beautiful trees on our way. It was a pretty chilly autumn day so I was sure to give them lots of cuddled up poses and prompts with lots of movement to help get them warmed up.
The photos turned out gorgeous with such great pops of color. If you’re interested in booking a session with me at Loose Park fill out my contact down below, also please know that Loose Park requires all professional photographers purchase a photo permit a few days before their session ($25/hour fee).
Check out Bridgette and John’s summer engagement session for an example of Loose Park in the warmer months.
Scheduling an engagement session is one of the best ways to personally get to know your wedding photographer before your big day. Many of my wedding packages include a complimentary engagement session simple to give us a chance to meet, get you both comfortable in front of the camera, and of course give you guys some cute photos that are a little more laid back. Sofi and Robert chose Shawnee Mission Park for their fall engagement photos. The trees and bright warm colors gave us a ton to work with and really made their session POP!
I photograph at Shawnee Mission Park a lot so each time I try to make my couples session as unique as I possibly can. Luckily the park is so big we never run out of great photo worthy locations.
I was incredibly excited to meet Sofi and Robert for the first time in person. I had been talking with Sofi through instagram for almost a year (!!) She originally reached out when she was living in Colorado and her and Robert weren’t officially engaged yet, but she knew it was coming soon. We instantly clicked and when the time finally came for Robert to propose it truly felt like one of my best friends was getting engaged.
When you first meet Robert and Sofi you can tell right off the bat how in love they are. They are constantly having a blast and making jokes together. I swear we laughed throughout their entire session. By the time I got back in my car I felt like I had been working out my core from laughing so hard for an hour.
I always like to hear my couples tell their love story, I asked Sofi how they met and they met online while they were living in Colorado, but the crazy part is there hometowns (St. Louis and Chicago Area) are only 300 miles a part, so they had to move about 1800 miles away to end up in the same city and meet each other – talk about a coincidence.
I love to know how my couples met but my absolute favorite question to ask is “How/When did they know their partner was THE ONE?” This question always gives a little peek into each of their hearts. Usually their answers are different. Sometimes it’s something simple, or funny, and other times it is a big monumental moment. I asked Sofi and Robert and they both knew the same night. It was the night they met. They drove around in a blizzard to get ice cream and then stayed up talking till 5 in the morning. During those hours of conversations were a million little moments that Sofi was falling in love. Robert was so sure Sofi was the one he even called his mom the next day and told her all about it.
Hearing these love stories is why I love my job SO MUCH. Photography has always been my passion, but making these connections with people and listening to their stories makes it all the more meaningful.
Shawnee Mission Park is perfect for fall engagement photos, it’s really a great option for anytime of year. Check out Jordyn and Austin’s summer couples session.
If you’re getting married look no further for the dream team- for photography fill out my contact form here and for wedding planning and coordinating check out Sofi with Philosofi Celebrations
EvanLee and Brad are getting married on Halloween ( and YES it will be a Halloween Themed Wedding!!) I am absolutely thrilled to get to photograph their wedding because it is going to be EPIC! Since their wedding will be a little spooky they wanted to reflect that in their save the dates and engagement photos. We set up their smoke bomb engagement photos in Lawrence Kansas.
I am a wedding photographer based in the Kansas City area so I serve clients all around the metro on both the Kansas and Missouri side. I headed out to Lawrence to meet EvanLee and Brad on their family owned property.
When planning the session we agreed it would be a good idea to do a mix of smoke bomb pictures and some classic photos of just the two of them, that way they can use these images as decor in their houses, social media posts, and decor at the wedding. Evan though their wedding is Halloween themed, they are still the main focus.
EvanLee and Brad have been together for quiet some time, they seem like the perfect pair. We had a great time getting to know each other. They told me all about their plans for the wedding, without giving too much away I’ll share two hints …. fog machine and costume contest. Honestly I don’t think anything else even needs to be said for it to be clear their wedding is going to be one of the coolest weddings ever.
I loved that EvanLee and Brad decided to bring in some smoke bombs for their engagement photos. It gave me the opportunity to really get creative and incorporate a cool element that I don’t typically use during sessions. They just picked up some smoke bombs from their local fireworks stand, super easy and afforadable!
Smoke bombs are a great way to add in a little pop of color, or you can make your session a little more moody by using a darker color. No matter what shade you get ALWAYS make sure you are in a location that allows the use of smoke bombs. We were on family owned private property so we had full permission. Public places, parks, or even places that seem “abandoned” all have rules that photographers and clients need to respect. Be sure to do a little research before bringing in a smoke bomb to your session.
These smoke bomb engagement photos in Lawrence Kansas were insanely fun be sure to check out my tips and tricks on how to best prepare for your engagement photos
