Tracy Carolyn Photography

After doing their engagement shoot on Thursday and photographing their rehearsal dinner Friday night, I had gotten to know Kari and Sam a little bit before the big day on Saturday.  But when family and friends each took their turn at the microphone sharing stories and spreading love for the happy couple, I felt that I really got a sense for who they are for everyone around them.  That’s one of the reasons the toasts are my favorite part of a wedding.  I love hearing all the stories that provide context for a couple’s relationship.

After the toasts came a cake cutting that could have turned incredibly messy.  Kari had planned to have  some sort of cream pie available to smash in Sam’s face after feeding him cake.  I think it was delayed a bit somewhere down the line, and by the time she had the pie in hand Sam had figured out the plan and was backing away from the table.  He certainly lucked out.

The rest of the reception was filled with dancing.  This was my last wedding of the season, and I must profusely thank Michelle for second shooting (and doing a whole host of other things), and Kayla for being an expert with the lightstand.

Congrats Kari and Sam!

Kari and Sam were married last weekend at an indoor ceremony and reception at the Westinin Downtown Denver.  Kari’s dress was, in a word, stunning.  So much so that while she was walking down the aisle a guest exclaimed out at her “You look HOT!”  It was a chorus heard throughout the rest of the day, alongside commentary that Sam was a lucky man :)

After the ceremony, we went through a marathon of family photos (Sam has a large family), and only had a few moments to do photos of Kari and Sam together.  It was dark and cold, and there was a fire truck outside blasting lights and alarms, but they were willing to venture into the streets to capture a few shots in the 5 minutes we had before cocktail hour ended.  It was one of the fastest couple shoots I’ve done, but I think we pulled it off.

Then it was back inside to the warmth of the ballroom for the reception.  More from that tomorrow!