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Allison and Todd had an intimate courthouse wedding with their closest friends and family. They had their wedding day at Johnson County Courthouse before celebrating later that night. They also had their beautiful daughter with them to celebrate, which was so sweet!! She was wearing a little white dress to match her Mama 🙂
Allison’s bridal party wore blush pink dresses and held small bouquets! Todd’s men wore darker suits than his light gray, which made for such a cool contrast look! We grabbed family photos right outside the Johnson County Courthouse before heading to Lake Olathe for some portraits of the two of them.
I loved this day and the intimacy of it! Courthouse wedding days should never go over looked because of how special and intimate they are. Thank you Allison & Todd for having me along on this amazing day! You are surrounded by some of the best family & friends and I felt lucky to be apart of it all!
Justin reached out to me to set up the most gorgeous Bellafete Proposal in downtown Kansas City! He wanted the afternoon with Andi to be perfect! Bellafete is a luxury event planning service, and they did an INCREDIBLE job bringing Justin’s vision to life! Once you see the photos below you’ll understand what I mean by ‘gorgeous!’
Bellafete also put together a luxury picnic to help surprise Andi! This included champagne and a light snack for the two of them to share. They also had a frosted glass sign set up at the scene that read “will you marry me?”!
If you’re wondering if the bride-to-be was surprised, the answer is YES. Andi thought they were meeting up with Justin’s coworkers for a company picnic at the memorial – she was completely surprised and overjoyed when he asked her to marry him. We headed to a spot with the most perfect skyline to add some variety to their session after she said yes. And then we came back to the park to pop the bottle of champagne!
I loved everything about this Bellafete proposal and working with their company was such a pleasure!
Grace and Abby drove from St. Louis for their engagement session with me!! We started at the Nelson Atkins museum, followed by Casual Animal Brewery! We ended the session on a rooftop with a great view of downtown Kansas City! This session was so organic and true to the two of them. Having a beer downtown with good company and great conversation was the vibe was knew we wanted for them!
I met Grace through my sorority at Missouri State, and knowing they trusted me enough to shoot their engagement session after having to drive 4 hours felt like such an honor!
As I said above, we were able to use the Nelson Atkins museum as a great starting point for us! We utilized the steps and the giant Pilars right out front! There’s always great light bouncing off the building later in the day too so we took advantage of that!
Then, at Casual Animal Brewery, we grabbed a beer and made it more as if they were on a date! Truthfully, I’d love all my sessions with my couples to feel like you’re on a date! I want them to be that relaxed! We were able to get that done for Grace and Abby after a quick outfit change and their fav beers.
We ended this great night on a rooftop over looking the cities skyline! I feel like the rooftops in the city always go overlooked so I’m glad we had great weather and were able to take advantage of this space! Thanks Grace and Abby for making the trip! I loved spending this evening with you!
Megan and Nick had such a fun fall engagement session at Antioch Park in Kansas City! You guys know how much I love this park and all it has to offer! We started at the gardens, where luckily flowers were still blooming! Megan wore a long white wrap dress with nude heals and Nick wore a tan colored sweater with a dark pair of blue jeans!
The second half of the shoot Megan wore a light sweater while Nick wore a flannel!
They are actually getting married in July of this year at The Hawthorne House! I can’t wait!!
We spent the evening enjoying the nice crisp fall day. They didn’t have a lot of experience being in front of the camera so I guided them into poses that felt natural and kept them moving. It’s always about keeping everyone comfortable and feeling like themselves! They kept each other laughing which put all of us in a great mood and we had a lot of fun!
They ended their fall engagement session with popping a bottle of champagne to celebrate! I can’t wait to shoot their wedding this summer!
Daniella and Jack had the best Westbottoms Summer engagement session last year in Kansas City! The Westbottoms use to be a place for manufactured warehouses and is now all historic buildings! They have antique stores, lofts, studio spaces and even a few haunted houses in the fall!
As you can see it also makes a great space for an engagement shoot!
Daniella and Jack brought two outfits for the shoot that we picked out to compliment the spaces we were shooting at! The first spot was a huge underpass that even had string lights underneath! The whole space was both modern and industrial.
We then went to a brown stone building with a giant blue garage door! I love finding hidden gems in the most unexpected places!! And then we ended the shoot with some greenery! It was so fun just walking around and chatting with the two of them as we went from spot to spot! The Westbottoms Summer engagement sessions are one of my new favorites!
Thanks Daniella and Jack for hanging with me that evening!
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!
I met with Eileen & Ben at The Colonnade in Kansas City for a maternity session! Eileen wore a STUNNING red dress during the session that was an absolute statement piece during this shoot!
The Colonnade was such a perfect setting for this shoot. We had a perfect sunny glow to work with early on in the session. And at the end, the sun literally hit Eileen perfectlyyyy to compliment her pregnancy glow. Like jaw dropping perfectly. You guys know we love any sunset session we can get!!
She also brought her fur coat and crown to add even more flare to the shoot! Which worked out perfectly! We used some of the shoes she planned for their baby girl.
Thank you so much Eileen & Ben for having me along for this sweet session! You both are a joy to spend time with and I felt honored to shoot this session for you before giving birth to your daughter!
I met with Ariel for a Fall Senior Session at Shawnee Mission Park right outside of Kansas City! We were able to sneak in four outfits for this session! I honestly love when my seniors want to incorporate their own style in a variety of ways during the time we spend together shooting!
At Shawnee Mission Park we started underneath the trees where the perfect amount of leaves had fallen and given Ariel the best area to work in! Her first outfit was dressy but comfortable! I love that it found that perfect sweet spot between trendy and timeless. That white and denim combo is a fav.
But we couldn’t leave this Fall Senior session without adding in a bit of spice to her outfits! Check out that INSANE red dress she brought!! She brought the fire to add the perfect amount of flare to this session! I love all my seniors that come to me for their sessions! It’s such an exciting time in their lives, and it’s fun to document that. We laugh, joke around and just have the best time! It makes me so grateful to be a Kansas Senior Photographer!!
Thank you Ariel for the best evening!!
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.
If you opt in for a elopement at the courthouse this blog post is for you! Plan with these Kansas City courthouse wedding pro-tips in mind.
Make Your Appointment
Be sure to call your local courthouse to make your appointment. My KC people; I went ahead and found the phone numbers for you for both sides of the state line – Jackson County (MO) (816-881-3191) and Johnson County (KS) (913-715-3428).
Get Your Marriage License
Depending on which courthouse you go to you might need to apply for your marriage license ahead of time. Double check all the requirments on the county government websites – Jackson County (MO) and Johnson County (KS)
Decide Who Will Officiate
When getting married at a courthouse you have the option of having a Justice of the Peace or a Judge preform the ceremony, but you also have the option of bringing in your own private officiant.
Pro-Tip: If you bring in your own private officiant choose someone that is special to you and your soon to be spouse. Possibly an official from your church or a close friend that can become an officiant for the day.
Hire Your Photographer
Even if your wedding will be on the more simple side your photos can still be EPIC.
PRO-TIP: You don’t have to only stick around the courthouse for your photos! There might be some hidden gems a couple blocks away or hire your photographer for some additional hours and somewhere with a breathtaking view.
to hire Natalie Nichole Photography please fill out my contact form here or at the bottom of this page.
Week Day ceremonies = $500
-an hour of coverage
-sneak peek photos the same day
-50+ final images delivered 3-5 weeks after your wedding
Weekend ceremonies (Nov-Feb) =$700
-two hours of coverage
-sneak peek photos the same day
-50+ final images delivered 3-5 weeks after your wedding
additional hours can be added on to any package.
Hire Professional Hair and Make Up
Hiring professional hair and makeup is a great way to pamper yourself before your ceremony. You’ll be able to look your best without all the stress of having to do it yourself.
Pro-Tip: Make sure you have a hair and make up trial with your beauty team, you want to make sure the look still feels like you and sometimes the best way to know is to take it for a test run!
Flowers are Always a Good Idea
If you love flowers don’t forget to bring some for your special day! You can get a gorgeous bouquet from a local florist with all your favorites.
Pro-Tip: If you don’t feel like carrying around a bouquet as a florist for some little blooms to add to your hair. All the flowers with less hassle.
Add a Personal Touch to the Day
Add a little something that truly reflects you two as a couple. Some ideas; bring a special getaway car or motorcycle for after the ceremony, grab something to eat afterwards at your favorite restaurant, or have your closest friends and family waiting at the next location ready to celebrate your new marriage with you!
Pro-Tip: Keep your photographer around for the special events- you’ll want to look back on those memories.
Keep these Kansas City courthouse wedding pro-tips in the back of your mind while you plan your special day.
Not wanting to elope at the courthouse but still want to keep it low key? – here’s how to plan a simple wedding
