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Madisen and Jordan got married at The Bowery this past year, and it was such a great day! They celebrated with their closest friends and family all night long. The girls wore the prettiest light blue dresses that matched perfectly with her white and green color palette. Madisen’s dress was from True Society and wow, it she was STUNNING. The guys wore light gray suits, while Jordan wore a navy one. Their color palette photographed so well!
They actually decided to choose a new last name for them both to change to after their wedding. (How cool is that!?) They picked “Flourish” to represent their growth as a couple, and it fit them so well. It was a beautiful day for an outdoor ceremony at the Bowery. One of my favorite parts of the wedding day was during the reception! All the women in Madisen’s life circled around her on the dance floor to sing and dance to Mamma Mia/Abba and it was SO FUN!
It was really one of the best days! Thank you Madisen and Jordan for letting me be a part of it!
Noted Vendor:
Makeup | Naturally You Artistry
Bailey and Chris had a beautiful spring Wedding at Powell Gardens! Their wedding day was emotional and FULL of love. They had their closest friends and family at their side, ready to celebrate. You could tell that their families had been waiting for this day for them.
My favorite details of the day were all of the color that they had! Colorful florals and mixmatched bridesmaids are going to be a huge trend for the rest of 2022 and 2023 weddings.
Powell Gardens is has a modern church with insane windows and tall ceilings that feel never ending. It’s truly a magical place to just stand and soak in all the thoughtful design put into the venue.
Thank you so much Bailey and Chris for letting me celebrate this gorgeous day with you!
Vendors
Planner/Coordinator | Morgan with Hooch and Honey
Florals | Elizabeth McKenzie Florals
Dress | The One Bridal
Hair + Makeup | Hello Lovely
Cake | Blue Thistle Cakery
Catering | Plaza Catering
DJ | Beau Vaughn
Kirsten and Ryan’s wedding day with just their family and a few friends was in the beautiful Overland Park Arboretum. And it was such a stunning wedding venue. Highly recommend it to my Kansas City Brides!
Following their wedding they had an intimate dinner at Wandering Vine at the Castle. They road in a vintage getaway car they borrowed from their dad to the reception dinner! How cool is it to have all those special details on the day? This wedding was full of them and I am always a fan of that.
We made sure to make time for a first look separate from their ceremony to have a few moments to themselves too. You’ll see lots of private, meaningful moments in this day and it was so sweet to capture those moments for these two.
Kristen also has great taste in florals and her dream bouquet came to life that day. Make sure you scroll down to see it!! It was full of happy color which is so fitting for them! They are two of the most genuine people ever and deserved this day to be perfect. I was so honored to see all these special memories being made.
I loved being able to share my wedding experience with them for their Overland Park Arboretum wedding day on the blog. Kristen and Ryan, I wish you both the best life together! Thank you for letting me share this day with you!
Once you begin planning your dream wedding you’ll start reaching out to various vendors. The vendor most couples are looking forward to hiring the most is their photographer. You want to make sure your day is documented from start to finish and captured authentically. These images will be your looking glass back to your wedding day, photos you’ll share with generations (no pressure) but how do you know how to choose your wedding photographer?
Here are the top 3 things to look for when hiring your wedding photographer:
Style
Does their style of work align with what you’re looking for?
Look through their portfolio and take note of how they use light throughout different times of day and different types of weather. Light can not be fully controlled during an entire wedding day so it’s important your photographer knows how to get the best images possible with what they have to work with! Request to see full wedding galleries not just the favorite instagram worthy pics.
Do you like how they edit the images? I suggest imagine you’re looking back on your photos 20 years from now, will they still look amazing because they are natural and timeless? or will it be like when your mom shows you clothes from the 80’s – trendy then but outdated now.
Professionalism
I can not stress this enough- make sure you hire a professional photographer for your wedding. There are no re-dos for wedding day photos. I have heard so many horror stories of couples wanting to save money so they hire a cheap photographer or someone that’s never photographed a wedding before then sure enough the photos don’t turn out well or worse…. the photographer bails at the last minute with no solution or replacement.
I would hate for that to happen to anyone. Stay on the safe side and hire a professional. Someone that has a portfolio of work, experience with weddings, and knows how to run their business. A true professional will have a contract, back up gear, and will be prepared for any sort of situation that could happen on your day.
Personality
This may be the most important element when searching through photographers. Choose a photographer that you genuinely get along with. You will be spending so much time with them during the planning process and even more time with them on the day of. Depending on the schedule of your day you might even spend more time with your photographer than your partner! Pick someone that makes you feel comfortable, understand your vision, and has your back on your wedding day.
Once you’ve read these tips on how to choose your wedding photographer check out what questions to ask your wedding photographer.
There are tons of things to consider when you start looking for your wedding photographer. As a Kansas City wedding photographer here are the essential questions to ask your wedding photographer.
How would you describe your photography style?
I personally describe my editing style as “true to color”. I want your images to be a reflection of what your wedding day actually looked like. When you open up your gallery the photos should inspire you to relive your day all over again.
My shooting style is a mix between poses, promts, and candids. I love to be a fly on the wall during intimate moments to capture your emotions without even noticing I’m there, but I also know how important traditional posed photographs are (everyones Grandma cherishes a pic of their grandkids facing the camera and smiling for their refrigerator!) Let’s get the best of both worlds and mix it all together. This will give you a wide range of photos to choose from and a variety throughout your wedding gallery.
How long have you been working as a professional photographer?
This year (2020) will be my second official year as a professional wedding photographer. I’ve started taking pictures and learning how to use a camera back in high school. Right before college I realized how big of a passion it was for me so I decided to study the art of photography at Missouri State University. In 2019 I graduated from Missouri State with my Bachelor of Fine Arts in photography and a minor in art history. Throughout all those years I had been photographing all sorts of things until my heart found weddings early on in 2019.
What type of equipment do you use?
Currently I’m using two canon 5D Mark IV bodies.
What if you have an issue with your gear?
This is the advantage of shooting with two camera bodies because I already have a backup on hand ready to go!
If both my cameras are having issues I typically bring my older camera a canon 70D as an additional backup.
What’s your backup system?
Right when I leave a wedding, (sometimes at the reception before I leave a wedding) I immediately upload all my images to an external hard drive. Then as I’m edited the images are constantly backed up to my cloud storage system, I use Backblaze. The final images are then kept on the external drives, backed up to cloud storage, and stored on your personal online gallery.
- Original files on SD/CF cards
- Original files backed up on external drive
- Original files backed up to cloud storage
- Final images on external drive
- Final images backed up to cloud storage
- Final images uploaded to online gallery
Have you ever shot at our wedding venue?
If I haven’t shot at your venue before I will gladly go on a tour with you for any venues in the Kansas City area! If your venue is further away and we aren’t able to tour ahead of time, I can assure you that I am fully capable of all lighting situations and will come fully prepared! I’ll also arrive early the day of and explore all our options and locations within the venue.
How do you handle difficult lighting situations?
There are so many ways to work around difficult light! Between school and my education from additional lighting courses I have learned many tips to work with light. I have an understanding of how light works and how to work with what we have! Sometimes it’s as simple as twisting one way or another to find the most flattering light. Trust me! -I got your back. You’ll look good I promise.
Do you have a portfolio we can review?
YES!! There are images on my website and my blog. I would also love to send you some full wedding galleries so you can get an idea of a full day! -Just send me a quick email and I’ll get those galleries to your inbox ASAP.
Do you offer different packages?
Absolutely. Every wedding day is unique which means your photography needs will be different. To take care of each of my couples I create custom packages for them. You guys will get to enjoy your day stress-free, knowing that I have the photography part covered!
How long until I get my final images back? How many images will be included?
First thing you’ll receive from me after your wedding day will be a sneak peek of images within 48 hours! A little taste of the day. Then you’ll receive your final gallery within 3-6 weeks after your wedding. The size of your gallery will depend on the amount of coverage you booked- typically it averages about 100 images an hour. BUT! I never withhold amazing images. You’ll receive edits of everything besides blinks, blurrys, and duplicates.
Do I get a print release? How can I order prints/albums?
Yes you have printing rights for personal use! You’ll also be able to order professional quality prints directly through your personal online gallery. If you are interested in an album please let me know, I will help you with choosing your album and designing it.
If our event lasts longer than expected, will you stay? Is there an additional charge?
If the event goes longer than expected I can definitely stay! I won’t leave before all the magic is over. If we need to add on additional coverage time it will be an additional $200 an hour for just me to stay or $250 for me and a second photographer to stay. You will be invoiced a few days after your wedding, you will not receive your final gallery until it has been paid.
Will you be photographing other events on the same day as our wedding?
Nope! Your wedding will be the only event that day!
What happens if you are ill, or there is an emergency?
Ugghh hopefully this never never ever happens… but if something happens and I can not cover your wedding my second photographer will take over as the lead or I will find another trusted photographer in the Kansas City area (I have a lovely network of amazing photographers that I trust completely!) They will cover your day, deliver the images to me and I will edit them and deliver your final gallery as planned.
Do you have liability insurance?
Yes! My business is insured by State Farm. I have up to 1,000,000 in liability insurance.
Can you share some recent testimonials?
Of course! Please check out My google business page for the most current reviews.
If you have any other questions I am happy to answer! Contact me here
