LDS

A Bountiful Wedding

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Today, Mattie and Carston are getting married at the Bountiful Temple!  I'm just packing up my gear and getting ready to drive there, but I wanted to post a few photos from their formals session to celebrate this day:

 

 

 

I often ask the couple if they have any specific poses or places they want photos.  When I asked Mattie, she got the cutest twitterpated look on her face and said "I want one of him hugging me like this."  That moment was precious!  It's fun seeing two people so flirty, so excited to be next to each other.  And they both have such beautiful smiles!!

 

 

 

 

Congratulations Mattie and Carston!  And may you have many happy years ahead of you.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Influential People In My Life

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Hi friends.  Thanks for visiting my blog.  It's quite apparent that I've struggled keeping up with writing posts and updating this site... but I've just made a resolution that I believe will change this.  Yesterday, I had an amazing photoshoot, and then I met with some prospective clients that made me say "wow.  I love my job.  I get to work with some of the most amazing people."  So, here's my lightbulb moment:  The reason I love my job is because of the people, so I want to tell their stories here on my blog instead of just showing you the photos.  I have a lot of catching up to do and a lot of people to tell you about, but I'm really excited to write these posts now!  

Let me back up to 2012 and tell you about my little sister and her husband.

 

Angela is amazing.  She is caring, beautiful, talented, and extremely dedicated.  I am constantly impressed by her ability to work hard on school and work, even when it seems easier to give up...  I took this photo just for fun back in 2010 when they were dating, before she traveled to New Zealand as a missionary for a year and a half.

 

 

Now, through the years I have learned that while my siblings are quite grateful to have a photographer as a sister, it's also kind of awkward for them.  I remember putting a couple of these photos of Angela and Dallin on facebook and several people thought they were engaged - why else would you have professional photos as a couple?  But then, two years later, I took some more photos which actually were engagement photos!  What do you think?  Do they look older to you?

 

 

 

These were taken at our family reunion in upstate New York the DAY they got engaged.  How's that for pressure?  The boyfriend comes to the family reunion to ask permission for the daughter's hand and to propose to her there.  Wow.  But Dallin is so mature and respectful, he handled the pressure quite well.  It was so fun for me to do photos of them - to watch them let go of inhibitions a little bit and actually kiss in front of me!!  Of course I have to tease my sister a little bit about it... isn't that what siblings are for?   But I couldn't help smiling and actually got a bit emotional just to see how happy he made her.  In fact, if I can make myself vulnerable enough to admit it, I actually get tears in my eyes looking through the photos now.  I am so grateful she found someone like him who will treat her well and make her happy!

 

  OK Whitney... enough of that sentimental emotional stuff for now.  Time to see more of their photos!

 

 

 

Choosing which photos to put on a blog has always been difficult for me.  I know which photos look the most professional, I know which photos they put on their wall, which photos their friends comment on... but instead of the most professional photos, I want to show you the little bits of uniqueness, the reason why I love my job.  Every couple brings such a different emotion to it, a different personality and looking through photos like these - the laughing, the romance, the funny faces - it makes me smile.  Besides, Angela has a pretty amazing monkey face in this next photo :)

 

 

 

 

 

Ok, now this was just adorable.  I've done the "first look" a few times to capture the moment when the groom first sees the bride in her dress.  I have never seen a couple this cute, though.  Angela couldn't stop laughing and Dallin kept telling her how beautiful she was.  And it was true.  She looks amazing! These are some of the photos from the formals at Bountiful temple.

 

  

 

 

I feel pretty lucky to have the opportunity to capture such special moments as these.  It's really amazing that all I have to do is click a button and then that moment is recorded for the rest of our lives.  It wasn't hard to find moments with Angela and Dallin, though, they were so in their own world that sometimes I wasn't even sure if they knew I was there!  The day for this formals shoot was FREEZING too.  I am so impressed with how "cheerfully cooperative" they were.  (That's the phrase from my wedding contract that most people laugh at, but I think it's the perfect phrase.  I love to work with cheerfully cooperative people!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I'll often do photos at a few locations for a shoot like this, but Ang and Dallin said they'd rather have more photos with the temple. Not only does it make a beautiful backdrop for an evening shoot, but it gives more meaning to the photos as the location also represents the commitment they are making to each other.  I think this photo sums it up - the temple, the romance of the sunset, two happy and beautiful people.  I'm so proud of them!

 

 

 

 

As the year comes to an end...

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  I apologize for my extended absence and my new years resolution is to catch up on the last 7 months so y'all can see all the adventures that took place in 2012.

 

One of the primary changes I made this year is to limit the number of weddings I will accept.  I decided to put a cap at 10 weddings a year so I can give more time to each couple, have better balance in my own life, and also focus some of efforts towards corporate and stock photography.  I am now a contributor on istock, you can see me portfolio here: istockphoto.com/whitneylewisphotography  But more update on that later.  I want to take you through each of the wedding couples I worked with this year.  There were many other people I did engagements, bridals, and other photos for, but these just showcase the weddings themselves.

 

 

Alicia and Craig

Ceremony: Timpanogos LDS Temple

 

 

Reception: Highland Gardens

 

 

 

 

Kenzie and Steve

Ceremony: Draper LDS Temple

 

 

Reception: Thanksgiving Point

 

 

 

Janaika and Chadi

Ceremony: Church Grote Kerk (Den Hague, Holland)

 

 

Reception: Castle Wittenburg (Den Hague, Holland)

 

 

 

 

 

 

Alexia and Gabe

Ceremony: Salt Lake City LDS Temple

 

 

 

 

 

 

Stevie and Conrad

Ceremony & Reception: Millennial Falls

 

 

 

 

 

Becca and Brigham

Ceremony: Provo LDS Temple

 

 

Reception: Cultural Hall

 

 

 

 

Amy and Derek

Ceremony: Oakland CA LDS Temple

 

 

Reception: California Backyard

 

Reception: Utah Home

 

 

 

 

 

Angela and Dallin

Ceremony: Bountiful LDS Temple

 

Reception: Home in Utah County

 

Reception: Austin Country Club (Austin, TX)

 

 

 

Congratulations to each of you and thank you for contributing to my year!!  My clients make my job worth doing, and I am grateful for you!

 

 

 

 

 

St. George Temple at Sunset

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I made a goal this year to visit 50 temples - 50 temples in 2012.  So far, I've been to: Salt Lake Temple, Provo Temple, Timpanogos Temple, Draper Temple, Jordan River Temple, and this one is #6 for the year.  I was so glad we got to stop here right at sunset!, loved seeing the changing colors in the sky!

 

^My favorite picture from the evening.  In the past, I've always tried to avoid the gate in temple photos, I thought it got in the way.  I was excited to find a way to use the gate to add to the photo instead.

 

 

 

 

 

Normally, LDS temples have an Angel Moroni with a trumpet on the steeple.  It was interesting to see that the St. George temple did not.  We asked in the visitor's center and apparently, there are a handful of older temples that still do not.  According to ldsChurchTemples.com, "Eight (8) temples do not have an angel Moroni. They are the St. George Utah, Logan Utah, Manti Utah, Laie Hawaii, Cardston Alberta, Mesa Arizona, Hamilton New Zealand, and Oakland California Temples."

 

 

 

 

Check back tomorrow for photos from Las Vegas!

 

 

 

Nicole & Blake: Park City Engagement Photos

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  Nicole and Blake drove down from Rexburg, ID where they both attend BYU for our engagement photo session.  We managed to get a beautiful and sunny day- even if it was a little windy and only about 20 degrees outside. :D  These two were awesome to work with!

 

 

 

 

 

Weren't Nicole's shoes cute?

 

 

 

 

I love shooting the historic old white barn in Park City.  It's such a landmark, and has some fantastic advantages if you are looking for different "nature" shots.  There's a great field, stream, some nice fence lines and this awesome historic farmhouse all in the same location.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Check out their full gallery here!  There are a lot more awesome photos of these two....

 

 

 

Joelle & Brett- The Reception

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  Before the reception, we got a couple of additional newlywed photos on the grounds around Magnolia Grove.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

...and then the party got started!

 

 

 

 

 

  

 

  

 

 

 

 

Be sure and check out the full galleries for Brett and Joelle's wedding day and reception here.

 

 

The Grand Finale: Wedding Reception at Vineyards at Chappel Lodge

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  Here are the final set of photos from the amazing wedding festivities in Austin.

 

 

The grand entrance!

 

 

The toasts!

 

  

 

 

Katherine sang the song she wrote for Matt.  She really is an amazing songwriter!

 

 

Katherine's brothers also sang a song for Katherine.  This family is so unbelievably talented, it's not even funny.

 

 

Ok, maybe it's a little funny.

 

 

Wedding Pie.  It's where it's at.  Tell your friends, it's like liquid cake.

 

 

The first dance.

 

 

Daddy-daughter dance!

 

 

Now it's time to party.

 

  

  

 

The grand exit.  Bubbles!

 

 

That's all folks!  Be sure to check out all the different galleries here.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Katherine & Matt Ring Ceremony

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First,  let me apologize for my extended absence.   We were supposed to have blogs posting automatically while I was gone for the holiday, but clearly I messed up!  I'll try to make it up to you with a contest for a free shoot this week!  

But back to the Austin wedding...

I have the opportunity to photograph weddings of all kinds.  Themed costumes, crazy dance parties, small family weddings, outdoor, indoor, etc.  Each couple brings in different traditions and personalities.  Every wedding is unique, and that's why I love it.  I grew up in Austin, but I've lived in Utah for almost 6 years now and started my business in Utah.  In Utah, a little over half of the wedding I photograph are at LDS (Mormon) temples.  I love the temples, taking pictures around the grounds, the beautiful architecture, and all the symbolism.  Thomas and I were married in the Timpanogos temple in Utah.  But for all the wonderful things about LDS temples, as a photographer, we don't actually take pictures during the ceremony, we just take pictures after the wedding on the temple grounds.  We don't photograph the "I do's" and the ring exchanges, so it's a different experience.

 

Katherine and Matt decided to do a ring ceremony the day after the temple ceremony.  It was absolutely beautiful.  (Much better than the dream I had of a vow-renewal with Thomas where he forgot to write his vows and everyone showed up late.  I must have been subconsciously jealous of this ceremony :D)

 

It's at a new reception venue in Austin called the Vineyards at Chappell Lodge.  A gorgeous venue with lots of land and trees.  But without further ado, here are the photos:

 

 

 

 

  

 

 

 

 

Below, Katherine's siblings singing to her.  This family is just awesome.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This is the other reason I love ceremonies:  The couple walking hand in hand down the aisle.  I'm female, so I'm allowed to admit that it made me cry... right?  They just look so happy.