Sally and Jacob tied the knot at the Weston Red Barn Farm, surrounded by Kansas City’s Fall beauty. I had the pleasure of capturing their laid-back, rustic celebration filled with heartfelt moments and charm.

Sally’s favorite part of the day was their first look, hands down. She swears by it, saying it brought a calming vibe to the chaos. Seeing your partner before the madness begins? Essential.

I loved their wedding day vibe. They went in with a “whatever happens, happens” attitude, focusing on the fact that they were marrying their favorite person. Simple and sweet.

The Weston Red Barn Farm was a beautiful venue for their wedding day! The cozy, farm feel and those giant barn doors decked out with twinkling lights. Picture-perfect and oh-so-romantic.

One very special feature of the day was the incorporation of Sally’s grandma’s star brooch and Jacob’s grandparents’ wedding necklace. Sentimental touches that made their day even more special!

Their advice for couples that are in the wedding planning process is to talk it out with your partner. Figure out what’s most important to you both. For Sally and Jacob, it was all about photography and food – the good stuff!

Sally and Jacob’s wedding was a cozy, love-filled affair that perfectly captured the essence of fall in Kansas City. It was an absolute joy to be part of their special day, snapping away and soaking in all the warmth and happiness. Here’s to many more love stories like theirs in the KC!

Weston Red Barn Farm | Kansas City Wedding Photographer

On a picturesque fall day Bridget and Peter tied the knot at The Otten on Main. The vibrant colors of Fall set the stage, creating a magical atmosphere that perfectly reflected the couple’s love story. I’ve had the pleasure of capturing moments for Bridget and Peter since the beginning of their engagement! It has been a pleasure to be apart of their story.

Memorable Moments

One of the most memorable aspects of Bridget and Peter’s wedding was their commitment to cherishing private moments together! The day was sprinkled with special moments – a breathtaking first look, shared vows in seclusion before the ceremony, a quiet elevator ride post-ceremony, a moment to savor dinner amid their guests, a private last dance, and a nightcap at the hotel bar after their grand exit. These cherished moments allowed them to fully immerse themselves in the joy of the occasion.

The wedding felt surreal for Bridget and Peter, a culmination of months of planning and excitement. The sheer joy and love surrounding them made the day feel electric. The rooftop view of the Kansas City skyline, adorned with string lights and a spacious dance floor, added a unique touch to the celebration. The Crossroads location facilitated easy access for guests, enhancing the overall experience.

Special Sentiments

Bridget cherished her bouquet, a personalized creation from the City Market Farmer’s Market flowers, crafted with the help of her bridesmaids. Peter appreciated the sentimental touch of using champagne coupes during dinner, a tradition passed down from both sets of parents.

Bridget and Peter’s wedding at The Otten on Main was a beautiful celebration of love, autumn, and the unique bond they share. As a wedding photographer, capturing such heartfelt moments is a privilege.

The Otten on Main | Kansas City Wedding Photographer

Kansas City has so many wonderful options when it comes to wedding venues! One of the things I love about this area is that you can find a location in the heart of downtown, or you can drive 15 minutes and find yourself a little slice of solitude. The Barn at Riverbend is a quaint and classic outdoor venue right outside of KC that offers wonderful amenities and picturesque landscapes.

I loved that Natalie choose two dresses that perfectly captured her personality. One very classic and beautiful white gown for the ceremony and one very colorful floral gown for the reception. Her colors of her reception gown perfectly complimented the colors of her bridesmaid’s dresses and the florals for the wedding and reception.

I had the opportunity to meet Natalie and Colin’s dog, Huckleberry, during their engagement session. I was so happy to be able to photograph him again at the wedding! He showed up dressed to the nines in his very best tie, it was adorable.

The Barn at Riverbend has a unique ceremony area. It is located at the bottom of a ravine, and there is a tiered wooden walkway to get down to the seated ceremony area. Shaded with large trees and overlooking a beautiful field, it makes for a perfectly picturesque moment!

I feel very blessed to have been apart of Natalie and Colin’s journey. From capturing their engagement session, to photographing their wedding – I hope to be apart of many more of their big moments in the future!

Vendors

Planner: @truelovecoordingatinganddesign
Photo: @natalie.nichole.photos
Video: @a.r.c.media
DJ: @platinumdjkc
Catering: @brancatoscatering
Florist: @beyondthebloom_kc
Hair: @hairsalonkc and @shelbydoesmyhair_
Makeup: @olivia.taylor.makeup
Dress: @truesociety_bybellevogue @essenseofaustralia
Dog Service: @katies.kennel
Shuttle: @showtime_transportation
Venue: @thebarnatriverbend

The Barn at Riverbend | Kansas City Wedding Photographer

As 2023 comes to a close and 2024 begins I wanted to hop on and recap my busiest year yet! A letter from Nat, if you will.

Over the past 12 months I captured a total of 101 sessions, 23 of those being weddings. That averages to almost 2 weddings a month!! I had a total of 40 Lightroom catalogs for the year, each with lots of time spent editing. I also filled 5 hard drives and 28 SD cards!

Just to give you a glimpse into what an average year in photos looks like – I took 159,944 photos total. I edited 39,488 of those photos and delivered 124 total galleries!

The most popular sessions on my schedule were couples, families, and maternity. But I captured so many different sessions and had a BLAST!

It may vary from month to month, but overall, my most used apps this year were Honeybook (client and project management), Google Docs, Instagram, and Gmail. 

It was the busiest and BEST year yet. I feel so incredibly blessed to serve Kansas City and surrounding areas because I truly have the best clients! I look forward to many more great years ahead. Cheers to 2023; let’s see what you’ve got in store 2024!

XOXO,

Nat

A Letter From Nat | Kansas City Wedding Photographer

I have photographed many moments between Katherine and Cody. Their wedding day at UNION Event Space was no different than the other fun, unique, and whimsical moments I’ve captured with them. 

They decided on such vibrant and trendy decorations and colors. Most with bright pinks, oranges, and lots of mirrored and metallic pieces. Their flat-lays for their day-of detail photographs were stunning! 

After getting ready they decided to share their vows in private, just the two of them, rather than at the ceremony. It was a very special and intimate moment before the wedding. If you aren’t the kind of person to publicly share, having time set aside on the day of your wedding to privately share vows with your spouse before the ceremony is a great idea! 

One great thing about UNION Event Space was how large the venue was. It offered plenty of space to break up the day into different areas. This provided multiple backdrops for photographs and a lot of room for creativity with decorating! 

Katherine DIY-ed a lot of the decorations for the wedding, but one of her favorite pieces of decor was the fringe she made to hang over the dance floor. It truly made the space feel magical and serene! 

I asked Katherine if she had any advice to share with couples that are planning their wedding day. She said, “Spend time on your wedding day focusing on just your significant other. We took 20 minutes for ourselves to have dinner together in the bridal suite and it was so nice.”

I had a BLAST capturing this special day! I hope to continue to capture big and small moments for Katherine and Cody in the future. Cheers to the Fiola’s!

UNION Event Space | Kansas City Wedding Photographer

Along with winter comes proposal season! Thanksgiving, Christmas, and the New Year are great times to pop the question because family and friends are already gathering. I had the opportunity to capture a special backyard proposal this past proposal season.

Kristian set up twinkly Christmas lights in Catelyn’s Parent’s backyard for a very romantic proposal. It was a cold evening, but that didn’t stop anyone from coming out to celebrate the newly engaged couple! After he led her to the backyard and popped the question, their family and friends came out of the house to congratulate them. They celebrated with a champagne pop, treats, and toasts.

Kansas City has a lot to offer when it comes to venues and locations for proposals, but nothing is as special as popping the question in a place that is special to the couple. I always recommend choosing a spot that has special sentiment for the proposal and then having a small celebration after! It could be at someone’s house, a restaurant the couple loves, a coffee shop they frequent, or a park they love to go to. Regardless of where they decided to pop the question, this next step into their relationship will be remembered forever.

Backyard Proposal | Kansas City Engagement Photographer

There are so many special moments to be captured on your wedding day! Family portraits are a great way to remember what loved one’s were there to celebrate with you. Depending on the size of your family, this process may be quick or take a little while. The best way to ensure it goes by smoothly and everyone gets a photography is to be prepared! I’ve put together some tips for how to prepare for fast and organized family portraits.

Make The List

Once your RSPV’s have come back and you know who will be attending the wedding start by making a list of everyone who will be attending the “family portrait” portion of the wedding. This typically takes place right after the ceremony. It is important to make a list because sometimes it is more than just family who needs to stay. It is also important to let anyone who should be staying that they are on the list, so they don’t leave!

Organize The List

After you’ve made you list it’s time to start organizing it! I recommend starting with one partner’s side of the family and then work your way to the other’s. Write down all the different groupings you’d like photographed. Parents, siblings, grandparents, etc. Narrow your groupings down to the exact photographs you want. What I mean by this is if you want photographs with each grandparent, write them down individually (ie. picture with Grandma, picture with Grandpa, and picture with Grandma AND Grandpa). This way there is no confusion between you and your photographer. There will be so much going on that you may not remember that you wanted individual pictures with them and if you don’t write it down you will likely just get a group photo.

Share The List

When you are done creating all your groupings it is important to share the list with your photographer! If you have a wedding planner or a day of coordinator it is important to share with them, as well. If you want everyone to be informed, you can also share it with anyone who is on your list so they know they need to stay back after the ceremony. When they ceremony is over, have the Officiant make an announcement reminding anyone who is taking family portraits to stay back instead of leaving.

List, or no list, you’re wedding day is going to be perfect! Family members will hang back so they can be photographed with the Newlyweds and then head to the reception. Being prepared just helps move the process along quickly!

How to Plan Fast and Organized Family Portraits | Kansas City Wedding Photographer

I had the opportunity to capture at fall engagement session on a gorgeous day at The Nelson Atkins Museum of Art. It was the beginning of November, but the colors on the leaves were still out to play! We were not complaining. The weather was absolutely perfect and the colors added so much warmth and depth to the photographs. They also complimented Kristen and Chris’s outfits wonderfully!

There’s not much that’s better than a fall golden hour engagement session at The Nelson. Catching the sun as it peaks through the trees creates the dreamiest photographs. It is an easy way to romanticize the session!

The Nelson also offers a wide variety of locations to take pictures, which helps create the feeling of a multi-location session. But you only have to do a little walking, instead of taking a drive! As a location, it also offers a good variety of both earthy and industrial/modern backdrops. Multiple areas with trees, plants, and greenery compliment the beautiful structure.

If you are trying to decided where to go for an upcoming session, the Nelson Atkins Museum of Art is always a safe choice! Whether it’s a family session, an engagement session, or a senior session. The Nelson has plenty to offer!

Fall Engagement Session | Kansas City Engagement Photographer

There isn’t much quite like a late summer golden hour engagement session in Downtown Kansas City! I had the opportunity to meet up with Victoria and Kody at the library district in Downtown KC. We were able to capture street side and skyline moments for their engagement session.

If you are looking for a good mixture of greenery and industrial vibes for an upcoming session, I can’t recommend the library district enough! There are plenty of plants and trees at the street level that help bring some color and depth into the photographs. With Kansas City being known as the city of fountains, there are also options for elegant fountain backdrops! If you schedule your session right at golden hour you can catch the sun peaking through the buildings at the perfect time for photographs.

One thing about downtown as a session location is that you can quickly change your scenery. We accomplished this by simply taking an elevator up to a rooftop. Kansas City has such a wonderful skyline! The skyline photographs well from many different angles. Which gives you a lot of options when it comes to choosing a location. You can pick a location based on wanting the Western Auto sign in the background, or wanting a neutral background. Once you know what you’re wanting it is easy to decide on a location!

An added bonus of splitting your session between street side and skyline is that you have a good transition point for an outfit change. This can give off the feeling of having two separate sessions. You can aim for one half to appear more elegant and elevated with fancier clothing. Allowing for the second half to appear more casual with relaxed outfits.

The Library District | Kansas City Engagement Photographer

Fifteen minutes Northwest of Kanas City is the quaint town of Parkville. Downtown Parkville is picturesque with it’s small, locally owned businesses, brick front buildings, and small-town feel. Parkville Coffee Shop is a great place to meet up with friends to catch up and grab a cup of coffee. It is also a great location for an engagement session!

I met Hannah and Jake in Downtown Parkville on a beautiful Spring day to capture their engagement session. We had a great time at Parkville Coffee, where I was able to capture them in a cozy environment that really individualized their photographs. I always recommend that the best way to make your session unique is to choose a location that is special to you and your spouse!

Once we were done at Parkville Coffee, we headed outside to capture some street side photographs around town. They brought their dog with them, which was such a special treat! I always love capturing couples with their four-legged, furry friends. We stopped at a few different locations around downtown to get a mixture of backgrounds for the photographs. Between some greenery, the brick fronts, and the coffee shop, I was able to capture a variety of different photographs!

If you are ever at a loss for where to have your engagement session, think about going somewhere special. If you can’t think of anything specific, consider Downtown Parkville!

Downtown Parkville | Kansas City Engagement Photographer