Not too long ago, I saw a few other photographers post similar blog or Instagram posts, and I thought I’d jump on the bandwagon! After all, sometimes brides want the input of a photographer but don’t know what questions to ask. So, here you go. Some of my top directions for 2020 and 2021 weddings! Did any of them surprise you? What would YOU include!? Leave a comment, and make sure to let me know if you’re considering any of these ideas for your wedding day.
Oops… I’ve been working on blogging these wedding photos for a week now! Worth the wait, they sure are. Kirsten & Mike married outdoors on a cool, rainy Saturday in the woods of Michigan. These two met at Au Sable Institute, where they interned during a summer and fell in love with the land & each other. Mike proposed to Kirsten on a bench there just last summer, and they finally married on their dream wedding date (8.8.2020!) despite a pandemic and surprise rainstorms.
curious how to add some flavor & personality into your senior photos, so they look like YOU and less like… well, everyone else’s!? this blog post will help you plan for your senior photography experience with Amelia! make sure to follow along on Instagram for more ideas & behind the scenes fun!
After graduation, Audrey moved to Chicago with some friends. They made a life there, she started grad school, and she also met a cute guy at church. That friendship turned into something more, and not long ago I got an email from Audrey telling me that she and Jordan were engaged!! She asked what my availability was this fall for wedding photography, and here we are. Since I was coming through Chicago to get home from Michigan, we picked some spots to take engagement photos… now October can’t come soon enough!
These two are so much fun! I met with Kristina last year, before the world changed drastically, and we dreamed together about her wedding day at the Tea Room in downtown Des Moines. Well, 2020 turned on us and Brian + Kristina moved their wedding reception to next year, with an intimate ceremony planned for this fall. Thankfully, they made time to take engagement photos this summer & it was a blast to hang out in East Village and a nearby lake.
I’ve said it many times… and I’ll say it again. I LOVE being a senior portrait photographer! And I also am convinced that I get to work with the sweetest, kindest senior gals. Sarah fits that description perfectly, and if you can’t tell that just by her stunning smile and enchanting eyes, well… you might be blind. ;)
Looking for non-traditional and adventurous engagement pictures!? I've got some great ideas for you right here! Whether you're looking for a way to capture your love in the city, or way out in the desert, everything you want is right here. Let me help you make the most of your engagement photos and have a blast with your boo! Destination engagement photos or in your backyard... let's go!
Claire found me through Instagram (of course!!) and booked me for her summer senior photos. We clicked immediately, and spent a few hours laughing together around the downtown Des Moines area. Claire attends high school in Huxley, at Ballard High, where she’ll be a senior this year! She plans to study music and is going to be great at her future pursuits—I have a feeling that any high schooler who can rock a blazer can do anything!
A girl from Iowa and a guy from Idaho meet during college and after graduation and grad school and long distance, settle in San Diego… where he proposes! They roadtrip to see her family in Iowa, and get engagement photos done on a magical summery evening. Click to see more sweet engagement pictures!
Flowers bring joy to just about everyone. I mean, what kind of sad life would we have without flowers!? So, getting to visit a local and true life family flower farm last week made my summer dreams come true! Bochner Farms invited me over to photograph their summer blooms, specifically their daylily fields, and it was a magical evening. Click to see more photos of this lovely flower farm in Indianola, Iowa!
You won’t believe how much fun this photo session was! Kennedy is going to be a senior this coming school year, and we explored downtown Des Moines and the surrounding area for some really fun senior pictures. Check out the blog post for the perfectly sunny evening, and lots of sweet photos.
This session was full of great light and lots of laughter, and even some magical wildflower fields! Hannah giggled at all my dumb jokes, and made our time together a blast! We started downtown in Des Moines, canvassing a wide range of locations, before heading up to the lake for some dreamy sunset photos. Enjoy a few favorites from Hannah’s senior photo session!
Megan and Evan’s wedding day remained a gorgeous celebration of love, despite the months of hectic re-planning due to Coronavirus. They kept their original date, and chose to marry outdoors in the gorgeous space of Rock Creek State Park in central Iowa— with just immediate family and a couple close friends to witness their nuptials. Click to see more of this stunning outdoor wedding!
I uploaded a few new photos, along with some previous work, because I’m having such a blast with the class of 2021! Summer is my favorite season to take senior photos —maybe this will show you why! The light is soft, we get late sunsets and lots of pretty wildflowers. Plus, it might be hot… but at least it isn’t cold! After all, Iowa seems to spend half the year in winter. ;) Enjoy some stunning senior portraits and email me if you’re in need of your own senior pictures here in Des Moines, Ankeny, Ames, or even Cedar Falls or Dubuque!
Click to see more engagement photos of Kayla and Michael in Ames, Iowa!
Evette and I met during our college years, and we didn’t really stay in touch. However, social media has a way of keeping even acquaintances connected. So when Evette moved to Des Moines, and got engaged, she sent me an email. It was so much fun to reconnect with her during engagement photos with her and her fiance, Cole!
Sierra’s vibe is “boho bride” and I loved the outfits she put together for this session! I just can’t wait to see her vision for their wedding day come to life. It’s going to be one AMAZING event, and I am so excited to celebrate with these two and their families! Check out more photos from this sweet summery farm engagement session, just outside the Des Moines limits.
Everyone has their own bucket list, and photographers have two— their personal one, and their business bucket list!!! This girl has a looooong list of locations that I can currently only dream of traveling to for the purpose of photographing a proposal, engagement, or even “elopement” style wedding! I don’t know that my list has ever formally been shared on the blog before… so I’m laying it out now and throwing it into the world wide web! Maybe, just maybe, someone I know will decide to take me up on a destination engagement (or anniversary or wedding!) session. Because you really don’t have to look far for some really epic spaces!
Madeline officially graduates from high school this month, and although we took her senior photos back in March, it was chilly and overcast… so we decided to take a few more with the green spaces and flowers that pop up in late spring. The Rose Gardens in Des Moines set us up for the perfect June evening— I’ll never get tired of it! Plus, I hadn’t taken any senior photos there yet, so I’m glad Madeline was up for it. :) She brought along her cap, gown, and tassels for the occasion, perfect for celebrating high school graduation!
This wedding day is as sweet as the almond cake I snuck at the reception! ;) Cody and Noelle’s covid-altered wedding absolutely made the month of May such a joy! They married in an intimate ceremony at St Joseph’s church, with a reception at Izaak Walton in Des Moines. Click through to see photos of this wonderful wedding day!
