Kari and Sam live in New York and were unable to make it back to Denver before their wedding weekend, so we decided to do a quick engagement session before all the wedding related events kicked into full swing.  Unfortunately the windy weather kept us inside for a good portion of the shoot.  Luckily there are some great places downtown that allow photography, such as Union Station, the Tattered Cover Bookstore and the Jet Hotel.  Many thanks to them for sharing their spaces with us.

Stay tuned for much more from Kari and Sam’s wedding weekend coming soon!

Anyhow, no prom photos were taken at Angel and Lance’s photo shoot.  We cautiously avoided it (although I will admit that the last one looks a little like it…)  Instead, we took several lovely photos around the Botanic Gardens in some fabulous light.

These two are getting married in Costa Rica next year – congrats to them!

We took Lisa and Ryan’s engagement photos on the grounds of The Broadmoor Hotel in Colorado Springs last weekend.   People must take portraits there all of the time, because the staff was incredibly helpful and not at all surprised to see us, and nearly everyone else completely tuned us out.  I’m not surprised they have photographers around frequently – the grounds are quite lovely.

Lisa and Ryan are getting married next summer in Larkspur.  Congrats to them on their engagement!

Becky and James are getting married this October at the Magnolia Hotel in Downtown Denver.  It’s the same venue where John and I were married last November – in fact, that’s how Becky found me.  After googling around for the Magnolia, she stumbled upon my wedding photos and my website.  I’m thrilled to be shooting their wedding this fall – now that I know all the ins and outs of the Magnolia, it will be so much fun to shoot there.  Plus I know they’ll have great vegetarian food :)  See you in October guys!

Stasha’s patience waned.  As the wind flung hair across her face for the umpteenth time in 40 minutes, she let out a sigh of frustration.  I can empathize – nothing kills a woman’s self confidence in front of the camera like hair blowing across her face.  (Especially when it gets stuck in your lip gloss.  Ew.)

While Sunday afternoon’s blustery weather put a bit of a cramp in Stasha’s hairstyle, it failed to ruin our shoot.  Frank and Stasha deserve credit for tolerating the freezing cold gusts up at Red Rocks for over an hour.  And I do mean freezing.  The wind may have tested Stasha’s patience, but she never complained, and the two kept smiling through the shivers.  By the end, all of our fingers had frozen nearly to the point of immobility – mine in the shape of a camera-clutching claw.  I must get some fingerless gloves.

Stasha and Frank will be married this fall in Charlotte, likely followed by a honeymoon in Ireland.  I hope the wind stays calmer for their big day in October :)

It’s wedding planning season!

To help the newly engaged who could use a little advice about wedding planning, I’ve reached out to some Colorado wedding experts for assistance.  Next week I’ll be featuring articles written by five guest bloggers.

Check out the first article by Danielle Odil of Something Classic Events on Monday!

Wedding planning and I did not get along.  I procrastinated a lot.  I got frustrated and confused.  I cried (more than once, I’ll admit.)  Not everyone has a dream for exactly how their wedding should look, myself included.  I wasn’t sure what I wanted for anything, which made planning feel like a lot of pressure and stress.  Now that I’ve been through a wedding as the bride (and not just the photographer), I understand that more than ever.  Below are just a few small slices of advice I can give to those who are starting the planning process, and might not be entirely looking forward to it.

Focus only on what you care about. There are a lot of elements to a wedding.  Just because something is “always done” doesn’t mean you have to do it if you don’t care.  We didn’t have programs, favors or a guest book.  Why?  Because we didn’t care.  As a result, I didn’t have to spend any time overanalyzing decisions for things that were not important to me.  If it’s not important to you, let it go.

Avoid meetings for the sake of meetings. Every bridal magazine will tell you to meet with 3-5 different people for each vendor category.  Who has time for that?  If you like the first DJ you meet with, can afford their prices, and trust they’ll do a good job – book them.  There’s no need to meet with four other DJs just to say you did your due diligence.  Your time is probably worth more than that.

Hire people you like. Price is an excellent reason to choose a particular vendor, but it isn’t the only important thing.  Regardless of the type of vendor, you’ll have to meet with this person at least two more times.  And they are going to be present at – or privvy to details about - one of the most personal and intimate days of your life.  Do you really want to invite someone you dislike into that?  Hire people that you enjoy being around, and whom you can trust, not just those with the lowest price.

Trust your decisions. Stop looking at wedding dresses after you’ve ordered one, and stop perusing venues once you’ve signed a contract.  You have a lot of time to change your mind between decision time and wedding time.  Instead of making yourself crazy by flip flopping, just trust that you made the best decision the first time.  You did.

Trust your vendors. You’ve hired people you like and trust – now let them do their job.  These people work weddings every weekend and they know what they’re doing.  Stop taking on extra responsibilities and stress, and just let them do the work.

Seek professional help. If you aren’t excited about planning your wedding, hire someone who is.  Professional wedding planners live for details, love brainstorming ideas, and will be happy to think about all the little things you don’t even want to know about.  Their fee is worth the time you’d spend doing things you don’t want to do, and all the ensuing meltdowns.

Change the subject. Everyone around you wants an update on the wedding planning process each time they see you.  Why?  Because it’s something new and interesting to talk about – at least to them.  To you, it might feel like a constant reminder of all the things that need to be done.  I discovered late in the planning process that asking friends if we could talk about something other than wedding plans never hurt anyone’s feelings, and kept me from feeling like my entire life revolved around the wedding.  If you don’t want to discuss the wedding anymore, change the subject.  No one will be offended.

Get great photos. I realize I am biased with this statement, I do.  But the ONLY thing you get to keep from your wedding (besides a dirty wedding dress, extra invitations, and maybe some dried flowers) is the photos.  They are what you can show people who couldn’t make it to the wedding and pass on as heirlooms to your children.  You don’t have to hire me, but do hire a good photographer.  You’ll be kicking yourself later if you don’t have good photos to remember the day by.

I struggled in 2010, and I’m not ashamed to admit it.  Having moved to Denver in November of 2009, I spent most of 2010 trying to settle in my new/old home, trying to become known in a city filled to the brim with highly talented photographers.  My place in the St. Louis photography world had been quite cushy up until my departure in 2009, so this year of struggle to find work hit me kinda hard.  But as I look at the year in review, I am full of gratitude that even in a year I call a struggle I was still able to do what I love full-time.  I met and photographed amazing people in 2010, and I only hope that 2011 will bring more of them into my life.  Am I starting to get too gushy?  Perhaps that’s what New Year’s does to you :)

I’ve never posted a year in review before, but I figured why not?  If nothing else it serves as a reminder of all the wonderful people who invited me into their lives this year.  And so I bring you the Best of 2010 Part One – Weddings and Engagements.  I had a difficult time narrowing it down, but these photos represent some of my favorite moments of 2010.  Look for Part Two – Portraits tomorrow!