Millennial Falls Wedding Details

  The interior of the reception center at Millennial Falls was outstanding.  If you are planning a wedding in Salt Lake County near Draper, you may want to check them out.  It's apparently all-inclusive, so they took care of the catering, the cake, flowers, and even did an ice sculpture for Tara and Chris.

The cake was gorgeous, and I loved the ballroom that they had it in.  Don't you look at the photo on the left and just sort of say to yourself, "wow"?

  

  

  

I may be a sucker for beautiful wood floors, but exquisite stone tile and gorgeous reflections aren't bad either.

    

I kind of want an ice sculture now.  A big one, with my face on it.  Maybe we can squeeze in Thomas there somewhere, but mostly me. :)

Chris and Tara gave out these custom decks of cards as favors, and so I had to steal a deck for a couple of photos....

However after seeing me set up the last shot, Chris and Tara's friends suggested a small substitution that might be more fitting.

Final installment of the big party and this awesome night to come.  Chris and Tara certainly knew how to get down with their bad selves on the dance floor, so we'll have some fun pictures to share with y'all.

Chris and Tara- Millennial Falls Wedding

  Ok, this post might be a wee bit longer than some others.  I have loved working with Chris and Tara through their save the date shoot, their engagement shoot, Tara's bridal shoot and now their wedding day.  They are both such awesome and easy going people that it's an absolute delight to be their photographer.

Chris and Tara's ceremony and reception were both at the Millennial Falls Reception Center in Draper.  It's quite possibly one of the most beautiful wedding locations that I have ever shot at.  Very sophisticated and elegant feel to the grounds and the buildings (somewhat like Sleepy Ridge in Orem).  Look for a separate details post showing off everything the place has to offer in the near future....

We'll start off with some of the photos of the bride and groom getting ready.  Now most reception centers have rooms for the bride to get ready in, and they are always gorgeous.  However, more often than not the groom gets the short end of the stick.  I actually did one wedding where a venue had this unbelievable suite for the bride to get ready in.  Sitting room, three full mirrors with raised pedestal to check the dress... the works.  The groom had a 6 x 15 foot room with a dented metal folding chair and a table.  The poor guy actually had to enter the room sideways to be able to clear the table and get to the chair- I kid you not!  Millennial Falls is a bit more equitable.  They not only have some gorgeous sunlit rooms for the bride, but have a nice suite for the groom as well.

I loved Tara's dress.  Clean lines, beautiful fabric, and a subtle design add up to a gorgeous and tasteful choice. The fact that Nancy, Chris' mom, made the dress is just icing on the cake of awesomeness.

  

  

It's time for the show to start!  Tara gives her mother-in-law to be a big hug and we're ready to go.

  

There are few times that a woman is more beautiful than walking down the aisle towards her sweetheart.  It's that look of happiness just beaming out for everyone to see.

  

I loved these parasols that all the girls had.  So fun!

  

I'm always a sucker for a beautiful waterfall, so we had to start out Chris and Tara's newlywed photos there.  Doesn't this photo just epitomize the summer wedding day?  Beautiful sunlight, greenery and gorgeous trees in bloom, and a kiss on a footbridge.  Summer love in a nutshell.

Not just a good-looking couple, Chris and Tara were simply fun.  Fun to talk to, fun to shoot, fun to be around.

  

  

Once it started getting a bit later, we snuck away for a couple minutes to get some more pictures of the two of them.  I love when reception centers light up the grounds and the building well.  It really can make or break the photo.

  

More posts to come soon, with details and other photos from the reception.

Goin' to the temple and we're...

  Congratulations to Brittany and Scott on their wedding today at the Salt Lake City Temple.  We're headed to the Springville Art Museum for the reception but had a couple minutes to post a sneak peak!

Kara & Chris: Formals at La Caille and Temple Square

  Kara and Chris were married today!  What a fun couple to work with.

Chris hadn't seen Kara in her dress, so we arranged a first look for the first part of the formals session at La Caille.  I love doing formals, and LOVE getting to capture moments and expressions like this.  This little footbridge was perfect for the occasion.

La Caille has this awesome private drive going up to the main buildings paved with these stones and lined with these gorgeous trees.  The whole place is full of locations that just scream out "take a photo here!  take a photo here!"

  

  

We also got a couple of night shots at Temple Square to finish out the day.

And since they were married today, here's a sneak peek from the big day itself!

  

Grateful

  So often in the wedding business, we like to share the crazy stories.  And sometimes that's fun.  It is a crazy industry, after all.

Like the weekend we shot a wedding on Thursday, Friday and Saturday... and Saturday was in Portland.

Or The groom who broke his nose a week before the wedding.  Makeup can fix black eyes, right?

The nephew who got overheated on a summer day and vomited at the beginning of the reception.  He was much more comfortable and definitely in style after that!

The bride whose dress got stepped on after the ceremony and ripped.  Of course she still remained composed and confident!

...the couples who forget to bring the marriage license, the 103 degree weather at Salt Lake, the 9 degree weather in Logan, the wedding day that was 14 hours long without a break, the cake that fell over, etc.  It keeps life interesting, and these seem to be the stories we share.

But I've been thinking over the last week, and the reason I am a wedding photographer is not because of stories like these.  I am motivated to keep working hard because of the amazing people I get to work with.

First, my husband.  He takes care of most of the website, the contracts, and taxes.  He holds lights, lifts me up on his shoulders to get a better angle, and helps with those all-nighters before bridal fairs.  And he does all this as a second job.  He has another full time job as a financial representative, but still comes home to work with me in the evenings and weekends.  I couldn't do this without him.

   

Then, my mentors and teachers.  I've been blessed with the opportunity to shadow and learn from several photographers throughout the years, but 4 have had the greatest impact.

1. My dad.  A hobbyist, enthusiast, but appreciates photography, taught me business principles, and encouraged me as I started to work.  Bought me my first camera for my birthday, gave me my first camera upgrade as a wedding present.

2. Scott Jarvie.  He shot my wedding 3 years ago.  He's been a good example of creativity and one of the reasons I was pushed towards weddings, not other types of photography. (The photos above from my wedding are taken by him)

3. Andy Barfuss.  Not a photographer, but he taught an entrepreneurship class I took at BYU.  Not someone I spent lots of time with, but a few things he taught had a significant impact on me.  Among them are:

-The difference between marketing and advertising.  Marketing is building a brand, and is a long term and never-ending process.  Advertising is trying to find for clients/gigs immediately.  Both are important, but serve different purposes.

-"If you are willing to work like no one else will for the first five years of your business, you can live like no one else can for the rest of your life."

4. Kenneth Linge.  I took a couple classes with him on Photographing People and on learning the wedding business.  Much of his advice has proved invaluable to my business and to my skill.  He's extremely talented and creative, and he and his wife are wonderful people.  I will always be grateful for the lessons learned from them.

I'm grateful to the interns I've had.  Currently, it's Abby Alger holding the fort down.  She is an amazing assistant and does a great job with her own business also!

Lastly, I'm grateful to my clients.  I get to work with so many amazing couples.  They are good examples, and I enjoy weddings because there is an emotion, a relationship.  It's like a friend said on my Facebook wall "Your pictures make me believe in love again :)"  And it's true.  In a world filled with divorce and lack of commitment to each other, I feel so grateful to be here.  To see the honeymoon stage, to see vows and commitment, to see two people happy to be together.  Positive, supportive, and caring relationships.  That's what I've been thinking about.  I'm blessed in my career to spend it around happy people on an important day in their life as they promise to spend time and all eternity together.  And I feel lucky.

Spring Wedding Highlights

Realized we never did a post for Amy and Jordan's wedding!  Here are a few highlights from their spring wedding at the Salt Lake Temple.

  

  

  

  

Vintage Formals: Highlights with a Classic Car

Wanted to share a few favorites from Andrea and Steven's formals shoot in Daybreak.  We did their session in two parts- part one was with a vintage 1937 Buick Special from SomethingVintageSomethingBlue.com.  Part 2 will be a change a scenery for an urban look in downtown SLC.

I loved being able to work with Daisy (the car) and Sam (the driver)!  It just added an element of class that matched Andrea and Steven so well.  It also happened to match their wedding colors!

  

Andrea and Steven are swing dancers, so they've got this dip down.  Amazing!

I highly recommend Something Vintage Something Blue if you're looking for unique transportation for your wedding, or something extra for an engagement or bridal session.  They are absolutely wonderful.

Kandis & Greg - Part 2 (Formals at Temple Square)

As promised, here are the photos from the second formals shoot that we did with Kandis and Greg.  We feel so privileged to work with these two.  I have never met another bridal couple so kind and sincere.  They treated each other well and were simply happy to be there.  Wonderful examples and a joy to be around.   The photos with the temple were very important to them, and I was so pleased to discover this new angle to show off the gardens and the temple!  

  

  

I loved Kandis' dress.  It was very understated, very elegant, and was beautiful in it's simplicity.

This next shot was where an older couple walked up to Kandis and Greg and said "You are sooo lucky!  How unique to have wedding photos like this!  No one else will have photos with the night sky like this."  And that is why I love evening bride and groom sessions with the temple.  The romantic blue sky and the temple all lit up - it really is unique.

See more of Kandis and Greg's photos here.

Kandis & Greg - Part 1 (Formals at Sleepy Ridge)

  Kandis and Greg were married yesterday!  I loved getting to hang out with them and their families. I could completely tell where Kandis and Greg got it from, because each of their families were as cool as they were.  They are just some of the nicest, relaxed, and genuinely positive people I have ever met.

 

We actually did a two part formals shoot for Kandis and Greg, and the first part was where the reception was to be, at the Sleepy Ridge Golf Course Reception Center.  I believe I have already mentioned how much I love this venue- it's absolutely gorgeous!

We did a "first look" with Kandis and Greg in the upstairs ballroom, or the "Sunset Room".  For LDS weddings in particular, a formals session that includes a first look can be a huge advantage, and a source of some fantastic memories.  At the beginning of the photoshoot, we'll set up the groom and then let the bride come out and turn him around.  Because it's just us, we can take all the time we need and get some great photos of the groom seeing his future bride for the first time in her dress.  It's awesome, and I can't recommend it high enough if you get the opportunity.   Greg and Kandis were particularly cute with their first look.  Greg just looked completely dumbstruck, and they both took their time together, just enjoying the moment.  I'm pretty sure they actually forgot Thomas and I were there for a bit- and I loved it!

Because Thomas and I met dancing and it was such a huge part of our lives for so long, we are both suckers for a really beautiful (and danceable!) wood floor.  The floors in the Sunset Room are to die for.  And the really high arched ceilings aren't too bad either... ;)

Sleepy Ridge not only has this gorgeous reception hall, but being right on the golf course means there are some really great views for outdoor shots as well.  As it happened, we got some really wild colors in the sky that night, and the wide open vistas were really able to show them off.

  

One of my favorite times to shoot is what my friend Kenneth Linge calls the "blue hour".  It's the time right after sunset where the reds, oranges, and yellows have all gone, and we just start getting these deep blues in the sky.  It's so romantic, and just creates a mood that you can't really get any other time of day.

  

Congratulations Kandis and Greg!  You guys were so fabulous to work with yesterday, and I hope you have a fantastic honeymoon in Las Vegas!   I'll be posting part two of the formals shoot from the Salt Lake Temple and Temple Square tomorrow, so be sure and check them out.