Blog Posts

April Photo Sessions bring May… Photos!

by Kcityphotography, posted in Graduations, Photoshoots

Have you ever been to a restaurant and your tiny table for two is seated just after the table for 20 was seated and despite your server doing everything they can, your food doesn’t arrive until everyone else is served? That’s what this month has felt like for our amazing clients. We have had back to back to back to back (yes, four backs) weekends in a row of babies, families, seniors, weddings, engagements and cosplay sessions! We are working on hard on getting everything edited and delivered ASAP! But just in case you need a few teasers… here’s what is on deck for sharing this week:

Calvin and Zoe – our Gondola propsal – TIED THE KNOT!!!! I cannot wait to show you the sneak peeks!

Our most recent surprise proposal – Alexander & Carolyn – will melt all of your hearts.

Then… there’s these two. Erin & Brad. They fell in love, got married, and invited me over to help introduce their newest addition, Isiah, to the world. Their story has inspired so many, I asked if I could share it here as well and of course, Erin said YES! So world, meet the Erin, Brad, Kacee & Isiah.

Gabi, our most recent senior session, met me in downtown Lee’s Summit and we walked and talked and of course, snapped a few photos!

And wait… there’s more. MORE? HOW COULD THERE BE MORE? Because I told you… back to back to back to back weekends! I haven’t been this busy since fall and I’m loving it!

A few months ago, this sweet family contacted me and booked a mini session for this weekend. I thought for sure we’d have to reschedule because of weather but the winds shifted in our favor and we had a beautiful day! I’ll tell you all about Michaela and Brandon soon, too!

So, friends, I’m off to edit more of all of these sessions, but stay tuned! I can’t wait to share all the details!

Judy’s Graduates

by Kcityphotography, posted in Graduations, Photoshoots

This weekend, I got to meet one of the coolest families I’ve ever had the chance to work with. Judy came to us planning graduation pics but not for just one graduate – she has TWO – and at the same time!

Julia is graduating from UMKC Law this spring. She will take her bar exam in July and wants to take on the world as a Criminal Defense Attorney. Jake, Julia’s little brother, graduates from McMurry University in Texas and has applied to law schools all over (including UMKC Law!) He opted not to walk the stage in May just so he could watch his sister graduate – because they are scheduled to graduate on the SAME day!

We took some time to walk around the law library, the Epperson house and I even had them both climbing the walls to get just the right shots!

And then Jack showed up… and so did the Law School books!!! They were NOT light and I think this was only a semester’s worth!

We’re all pretty sure that for as much time as he spent helping Julia study, Jack should get his degree too!

Best of luck to these hard-working graduates and congratulations to this beautiful family! We hope to see you again in 4 years at Jake’s law school graduation!

Twinkle lights, chilly fall nights and another newly engaged couple! Let’s talk about Matt & Cierra…

by Kcityphotography, posted in Photoshoots, Surprise Proposals

Matt contacted us a while back while he was plotting his surprise proposal to Cierra. She had no idea what he was planning (insert Morgan Freeman’s voice: she did, in fact, have some idea. She just didn’t know the details). Matt chose the location: Overland Park Arboretum and Botanical Gardens and was very specifc about date and time and even worked out getting their parents together back at Cierra’s parents house while the happy couple wandered through the Luminary Walk. Nothing says romance like twinkly lights and candle lit walks through the woods!

The sparkle!

Matt and I had corresponded through text throughout the week and even on the day of, he texted me the colors of their (dark) coats so that I could find them in the (dark) woods! Well, we did our best! I texted him a picture of where I was and as casually as possible, they strolled by me and asked if I could take their picture in front of this amazing tree. OF COURSE I CAN! So using Cierra’s phone, I captured a few shots of them standing and then Matt dropped to one knee in front of a crowd of people and proposed!

He opened the ring box backwards at first but neither of them minded!

There was a large group that applauded and cheered when Cierra said yes and the rest of the night was a breeze! Cierra and Matt met 12 – that’s right – TWELVE years ago. They attended different high schools and colleges and now after all of that, they have moved back to the KC area – together – and are saving up to buy a house and travel a little and keep doing all the things they love.

Matt and Cierra love getting out and about around town, trying new things together – restaurants and activities – and sometimes, they just soak up being couch potatoes and watching their favorite shows together over and over!

Not THE tunnel of love but we certainly made it theirs!

The best thing about night photography (or really any dimly lit location) is that your subjects really have to stay still for a period of time to get some of the best shots. Thankfully, this couple was all about sticking the pose for the camera! They really committed to these shots and I had so much fun capturing them – and all of the love they share! Congratulations to these two, thank you for letting me be a part of your special moment and evening and I can’t wait to hear about all the wedding plans!!!

‘Tis the Season… for getting hitched! Meet Emily and Hayley…

by Kcityphotography, posted in Photoshoots, Surprise Proposals

Recently, we had the pleasure of witnessing this ‘YES!’ moment at Prairie Fire Museum in Overland Park (note to self… add this to the list of fantastic places for photos! The colors! I’m obsessed!) Emily and Hayley met WAYYYYYY back in middle school but didn’t start dating until a little over a year ago!

I was never spotted until it was time!

When Emily decided to propose, she went to great lengths to pick the perfect ring, the perfect spot and hatch the perfect plan! She enlisted Clara, her bestie, as a distraction and Clara’s sister, Elsa, came too – all under the premise of taking pictures of Clara and promised Hayley there would be lunch!

Emily even went as far as sending me a map, a plan of attack, a route we would take afterwards, all leading to a surprise lunch with Emily’s mom and Hayley’s great-grandma! Hayley is very intuitive and Emily was sure she would know something was up – and she was right! Hayley was suspicious but didn’t know the plan and loved how it all played out!

So many spots to stop and take some great shots of these two!

As we walked through the shopping area, we stopped to take all kinds of pictures! There is no shortage of beauty anywhere around here. We also had plenty of time to chat about their cats and dog, about how they get to spend their time doing all the things the love and how they both work in education (LOVE OUR TEACHERS!!!)

Don’t worry – we went back and edited out the damage the wind tried to do to their hair! I’ll update with that picture soon!

As we were strolling down the street, headed toward lunch (the surprise lunch with mom and great-grandma) – here comes mom, driving right down the road next to us! Emily and Hayley just laughed – mom definitely didn’t follow the plans or the map! HA! But even though the cat was out of the bag, and the wind was blowing at what seemed like 100mph, we had so much fun finishing out the shoot!

AH THE RING!

When we finally met at the lunch destination, Emily’s mom, Hayley’s great-grandma, Clara, Elsa (and of course Emily and Hayley), all stopped to pose for one last picture together and off to lunch they went!

Congratulations to this beautiful couple! Can’t wait for the updates on all the camping, visiting Colorado (one of my favorite spots), and, of course, the WEDDING PLANS!!!!

From Alabama To Mississippi To St. Louis – A Surprise Proposal Under The Arch!

by Kcityphotography, posted in Photoshoots

Mack’s mom reached out to me about a month ago, asking if I could help with her son’s surprise proposal. He wasn’t from the area, and had big dreams of pulling off a surprise proposal to his now fiancée under the St. Louis Gateway Arch!

I clearly wouldn’t be writing this blog post if we didn’t knock it out of the park:

These two traveled quite the distance to make it to St. Louis! Mack and Belle are both from Alabama, but now both live in Mississippi, but even more exciting … are looking for houses in St. Louis!

As for making this Arch magic happen … we hatched a plan! Mack’s mom has a good friend who lives in St. Louis. Mack made up an elaborate fib that this friend really wanted to show them the arch! She was supposed to be meeting them there and then they were going to lunch. Well, safe to say she never showed …

I asked Mack to program me in his phone under the friend’s name, just in case Belle peeked over his shoulder to see who he was texting. The next challenge? Getting Belle in position. There was some rope blocking off this gorgeous expanse of grass right in front of the Arch. I instructed Mack to step over it. He did … and Belle wouldn’t.

After some gentle coaxing, and Mack getting a stranger to take their picture with his phone, Belle relented and stepped over the no-no ropes. Worth it! Sorry, City of St. Louis … we promise it was worth it, and we didn’t ruin any of your grass!

The couple told me they crossed many times in college, and Belle says they joke they were always destined to meet (maybe it’s not a joke, though, because it seems true!). What officially sealed the deal was when Mack moved into the apartment upstairs from Belle.

But it started for Mack a little earlier, “I’ve been planning this proposal for months now. I asked for her mom’s permission to marry her daughter back in July and have been coordinating everything else since then. I’ve wanted to marry Belle from the moment we met.”

If that isn’t the most romantic thing you’ve ever read …

From Belle: “The first time I met Mack, I was like a little kid again, excited to sit next to him and scared to talk to him. I thought Mack was so chill and funny and not to mention, attractive.”

So, one would think a romantic trip to St. Louis might have tipped her off a proposal was coming? Nope!

“I’ve been joking for several months about a proposal, but he played it off so well I had no idea. I’m seriously the hardest person to surprise and I’m still shocked!” Belle wrote to me.

Since this blog post is truly about their love story, I will let the couple have the last words.

Belle: “Mack is the man I’ve always dreamed of. He completes me. It’s crazy that we grew up in different towns and I didn’t know him for 19 years of my life. I don’t know how I ever lived without him.”

Mack: “Belle is the most kind hearted giving person I have ever met. Her attitude towards life and hard working funny personality is what makes her truly special. She is always ready for an adventure and I can’t wait to spend the rest of my life loving her.”

Congrats, you two! Hopefully we will see you at the wedding! 😉

Suprise Engagements: What to expect on the big day!

by Kcityphotography, posted in "How To" / Tips & Tricks!, Photoshoots, Surprise Proposals

So you’ve planned, you’ve plotted, you’ve thought of absolutely every detail imaginable and your photographer has helped cover everything in between. So now all that’s left is to POP THE QUESTION! How does it all come together? Well… every proposal has been a bit different but it usually shakes out like this:

The day of the event:

Usually I don’t get to meet my wonderful clients until after the surprise proposal but I’ll always send you the link to our website ‘meet the team’ space so that you have a general idea of who to look for! https://kansas-city-photography.com/meet-the-team/

When you’ve arrived at the pre-determined location, I’ll climb trees, hide under bushes, pose strangers for pretend pictures and all the while be snapping pictures of the moments you’re sharing with your future spouse!

I took this gem while hiding behind a bridge pillar!
I tailed this couple on their walk through Loose Park!
And these two were both genuinely surprised I wasn’t actually taking pictures of dogs at the park!

Once you’ve popped the question, celebrated the moment (aka ALL THE KISSING), my location is revealed and we head into the rest of our photo shoot! Usually at this point the stress from the planning and the anticipation of the day’s events have subsided and we all have a really good time!

Remember, any time is a good time to start planning and we are ready and able to help you with each and every step! Book your surprise engagement today!

Surprise Engagement! Dinner? Detour? A dream gondola proposal…

by Kcityphotography, posted in "How To" / Tips & Tricks!, Photoshoots, Surprise Proposals

Calvin and Zoe met a year ago and as far as Zoe knew, this was just going to be a normal fun evening at the Country Club Plaza celebrating their one year anniversary at her favorite restaurant – The Melting Pot. What was actually going to happen was a well-planned surprise detour with a dream gondola ride!

Calvin and Zoe have enjoyed this last year together exploring Kansas City, going to local festivals, laughing together (a lot) and drinking all the coffee – so when Calvin received a call on their way to dinner telling them their reservation was pushed to later in the evening. She wasn’t too disappointed, she figured they would just walk around the plaza until it was time to eat. The caller was Calvin’s best friend and this ‘delay’ was all part of the master plan. Calvin lead her down to Brush Creek and suggested walking by the water… where the gondola ride awaited.

She was blown away by the detour and was just soaking up the spontaneous fun. She had no idea what the rest of the trip would bring. The gondola ride headed west while I headed east to set up for the rest of the trip!

As they turned around and headed under the bridge, the gondolier signaled to Calvin and he reached over the edge of the boat and brought up a bottle from the side of the boat that contained a message – a handwritten love letter just for Zoe. The details of the letter remain a mystery but I can tell you from afar, there was nothing about this letter that Zoe didn’t love. When I tell you Calvin took the time to plan this…. there wasn’t a detail missed.

While the boat circled near the bridge, the couple appeared to just be enjoying the evening ride when Calvin made his move and got down on his knee, IN THE BOAT, and proposed.

Zoe said later that she had no idea any of this was going to happen and feeling surprised was a true understatement! After she said YES!, he revealed I was there to capture it all and we headed back to the dock for our photo shoot!

Congratulations to this amazing couple! Thank you so much for letting me capture this moment — I can only imagine the fun you two will have in the years to come!

Surprise Engagements: Making Plans!

by Kcityphotography, posted in Photoshoots

Details, Details, Details!

So you’ve chosen your partner, picked out your ring, picked the day, your photographer and even your location (see last blog post!) What else do we need to talk about, right? EVERYTHING!

Because this is a surprise, we need to think through our ruse. Is it a picnic in the park? A stroll before dinner? Perhaps an early happy hour just because… Whatever the ruse, the more we plan, the better!

This picnic was set up by a local company – all arranged as part of the plan!

Your photographer can help with a number of these details:

  • Picking up flowers, cookies, etc
  • Contacting the location
  • Working with vendors
  • Advise you on best times for the best lighting
  • Help with positioning at the location

Sometimes (if you share accounts with your partner), its better to work with someone else who is close to you so no suspicion is raised! We want to help make this day as easy as possible for all involved! And never underestimate the power of your future in-laws! They can always help with outfits, nails, transportation, etc! And in my experience, they love to be included, if possible!

I picked up and set up these beautiful flowers and cookies before Cole and Nicole arrived!

Moral of the story… Think through the whole experience – and don’t be surprised if your photographer asks about a million questions just to make sure you’ve covered all your bases!

Here are some great places we have collaborated with in the past that are always in for being a part of the surprise!

Next up… what to expect on the big day!

Surprise Engagements!

by Kcityphotography, posted in "How To" / Tips & Tricks!, On-Location Series, Photoshoots, Surprise Proposals

Timing, Locations, and Outfits, oh my!

Nick & Sydney celebrate their special moment in Loose Park

After my most recent clients (Nick and Sydney) celebrated their ‘Yes!’ in Loose Park yesterday, I was stopped by another couple and asked for some details on engagement photography and how did we pull off *another* surprise engagement, especially in such a busy location? And I thought… why not tell the world? So if you’re ready to propose to your partner – you’re in the right spot! I’m going to spill the beans on surprise engagements! We’ll review the top spots in Kansas City, how to prepare, what your photographer can help you with — and more! But first… Let’s do a quick recap of our other recent proposals and some of their special moments!

SURPRISE ENGAGEMENTS: LOCATIONS

Most of my clients have picked out the ring, the day, and sometimes even their outfit but when I ask, ‘where are we going for this special moment?’ the answer is almost always, ‘I’m not sure, do you have any recommendations?’ Yes, my friends, yes I do. Here are the list of questions to ask yourself (or that I will ask you) before we decide on a spot!

  • Is there a local spot that’s special to you? Maybe your first date? Maybe a spot you go to regularly?
  • Is there a specific background you’re looking for? Water? Flowers? Trees? Cityscape?
  • When you think back on this special day, is this a location you’re going to want to be able to access (if possible, think wedding, anniversaries, etc).
  • Formal/Casual dress attire?
  • Are you planning any activities pre/post engagement session?

Once we get through those – we can narrow down that right location for you!

If my clients have no preference on location, I refer to this blog post: https://kansas-city-photography.com/2017/02/03/top-10-photo-locations-in-kc/

But also I like to add in these options:

  • Powell Gardens
  • Nelson Atkins
  • Plaza
  • KC Rooftop Bars (think Crossroads area!)
  • Longview, Smithville and WyCo Lakes!

There are a number of locations to choose from and when recommending a place I like to consider the season – what’s blooming, what colors will show in the background? Is it rainy season? Are we going to get muddy (this might be something planned!) What’s planned for after the photoshoot – do you have time to get where you’re going if we pick a certain location over another. Also, are there several backgrounds for the photos or will we just have one or two to work with? Your photographer will work with you to brainstorm ideas and they’ll also take into consideration lighting, weather, permits (if necessary) and review all of that with you. Overall, a lot to think through but in the end, this is the backdrop for your special moment so we want it to be right!

Up next… How to prepare: The details for your special day!

Click here to book your engagement photos with Kansas City Photography (which is in both St. Louis & Kansas City)!

(Note: All photos in this blog post were taken by Kansas City Photography. You may not re-use without permission.)