Tag: best wedding photography

Dragons & Fairies: A Fantastical Fairytale Wedding!

by Kcityphotography, posted in Photoshoots

It’s not everyday you walk into a reception hall and see a massive cake with a dragon head adorning the top. Was I at the right place? Was this Katherine & Josh Heriford’s wedding?

IMG_7600(Cake by Edible Art by Sara — she’s based out of Lake of the Ozarks)

It was! There was the blushing bride —

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And the grinning groom —

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And a flower girl with the most fitting name — Violet!

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And we can’t forget the groomsmen — the armed groomsmen. There’s a story here, I swear.

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… those weapons the men in the wedding party are holding — it’s a wedding tradition between all of them. They gift each other weapons! Josh also mentioned armed weddings date back to the dark ages — and said the weapons were meant to help protect the ladies!

And with the groomsmen go the bridesmaids! This was a pose I first introduced at Matron of Honor Misty’s wedding — and Katherine wanted to make sure we got a pose like this for hers, too!

Misty also asked that I point out when I did this pose at her wedding — I was 6 months pregnant, laying on my back to get the shot! Haha.

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Plus, dragons, fairies, themed drinks galore! What a fantastic wedding theme!

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It was a hot weekend in Jefferson City, but Josh & Katherine’s wedding at Apple Creek Farm was still stunning.

The happy couple opted to do a reveal shoot — which is something I absolutely recommend. That means they stood back to back, and we had the groom turn around to get a first glance at his lovely bride before she walked down the aisle.

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When he turned around, he couldn’t stop kissing her. He told me he was speechless. At that moment, he felt like the luckiest man on Earth. Or even Middle Earth. Maybe even in the entire Galactic Federation of Free Alliances.

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After the reveal, the head-over-heels couple exchanged gifts. Katherine’s gift to Josh was rather sneaky on her part. She bought it at a convention called JordanCon. Josh had seen this pocket watch and loved it. He had planned to buy it, but didn’t have the money for it at the time.

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Katherine secretly whispered to the woman selling it: “Can you hold this for me?” She went back and bought it later that day, Josh had no idea.

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For Katherine’s gift, Josh bought her a charm bracelet with “Doctor Who” charms for their first Christmas together. A few months later, it broke. She had been wanting a new one, but never got one for herself.

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Josh surprised her with a new bracelet, attached all of her old charms to it — and added a new addition: A Star Wars charm!

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Seriously. These two. Can it get any cuter [oh, it can. Keep reading]?

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Katherine had the longest, most beautiful veil I had ever seen. So long, that it started getting stuck on the brick as she walked down. Sometimes, the photographer also has to work in the damage control industry!

I saw the panic paint across her face as her veil kept snagging as she started the walk down the aisle toward her future husband, so I tapped a wedding guest on the shoulder who was sitting in the back and handed them the veil: “Could you?”

Phew, problem solved! You can see her holding the veil in this photo!

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Thank you, wedding guest!

Their rings were also completely perfect for these two gamers — just look at what the inside of the band says:

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“Score!” Perfect!

After the ceremony, Mr. & Mrs. Heriford made their way to the reception hall. This is where the dragons and fairies awaited us!

It was all handmade from their amazing wedding planner (and best friend and bridesmaid), Misty Stinnett!

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Not to mention the groom’s surprise — a custom dragon topper for his giant pile of cookies (he doesn’t like cake), that was handmade by Misty’s husband, Steve! I seriously couldn’t get enough photos of all the decor, it was gorgeous!

One of the best games at the reception was a cake smash contest. Wedding guests voted on whose face the cake should be smashed into. It was pretty clear who the winner was:

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And so …

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I mean, he did lose fair and square!

There was also the first dance. It was so sweet, and they never took their eyes off each other once. It was a dance full of laughter, kisses, and twirls!

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We at Kansas City Photography wish Josh & Katherine many, many happy years — thank you for letting us be a part of your most special day!

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Wedding Series: Tips For Brides — The Family Shots

by Kcityphotography, posted in Wedding Series: For Brides

You’re getting married! There’s so much to do, and so many things to get done. Find a caterer, a florist, get the perfect dress, and then make sure you’ve hired the right photographer to capture all of your hard work!

Well, you’ve definitely taken the right step as far as a photographer goes [oh hey, we travel]! 😉

Every Thursday over the next six weeks, I will be doing a piece for our “Wedding Series: Tips For Brides.” It’s going to highlight tips and tricks for the bride when working with a photographer.

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WEEK FOUR: THE FAMILY SHOTS

There are really two types of family photos I’ve found people want — traditional or non-traditional. 

Traditional is typically done at the altar. After the wedding, everyone stays at the church. You line everyone up and get shots like this:

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Sometimes, brides who are fairly traditional (or come from families that are) want these types of shots. The only issue I ever run into with these is lighting. I always ask what it’s like inside their venue, because sometimes churches can be very dark, which make it hard for good pictures — even with lights!

If it’s a well-lit location, and this is really the style you like, then let’s go for it!

The second type of family portraits after the “I Dos,” are the non-traditional. These are ones we take outside. This is also where we can get those candid shots!

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But we can get non-candid, regular smiles, too!

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Or strike a silly pose!

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Make sure to talk with your photographer about the style of photos you are wanting. Do you want them at the altar? Do you want them outside? What’s the lighting situation inside? These are all things to think about!

Tune in next week!

Want to see the series so far? See the entire “Wedding Series: Tips For Brides” series!

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Wedding Series: Tips For Brides — It’s All In The Details

by Kcityphotography, posted in Wedding Series: For Brides

You’re getting married! There’s so much to do, and so many things to get done. Find a caterer, a florist, get the perfect dress, and then make sure you’ve hired the right photographer to capture all of your hard work!

Well, you’ve definitely taken the right step as far as a photographer goes [oh hey, we travel]! 😉

Every Thursday over the next six weeks, I will be doing a piece for our “Wedding Series: Tips For Brides.” It’s going to highlight tips and tricks for the bride when working with a photographer.

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Week Three: It’s All  In The Details 

You’ve been planning this wedding for months — maybe even years. You’ve put a lot of thought into the details, so make sure your photographer captures them!

Each bride puts different details into her wedding. For this country farmhouse wedding, the groom surprised the bride by writing on the soles of her boots she was going to wear walking down the aisle. That was clearly an important detail to capture.

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And while it’s important to capture those unique details, there are some that tend to be the same at every wedding. Make sure your photographer gets these:

  • The Cake

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  • The Rings

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  • The Table Decor

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  • The Bouquet

  • The Boutonnières & Corsages

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  • The Dress (Before it’s on the bride)

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These are some good basics to make sure to capture. If you’re the bride, make sure you communicate with your photographer which details are really important to you. If you’re the photographer, make sure you schedule a meeting with the bride to go over these types of details.

Everyone is unique and different, and these details are often incorporated into the wedding. I am always on the hunt for special things to the bride and groom that they felt important enough to work into their wedding decor.

See the entire “Wedding Series: Tips For Brides” series!

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Wedding Series: Tips For Brides — The “First Look,” / Bridal Reveal

by Kcityphotography, posted in Wedding Series: For Brides

You’re getting married! There’s so much to do, and so many things to get done. Find a caterer, a florist, get the perfect dress, and then make sure you’ve hired the right photographer to capture all of your hard work!

Well, you’ve definitely taken the right step as far as a photographer goes [oh hey, we travel]! 😉

Every Thursday over the next six weeks, I will be doing a piece for our “Wedding Series: Tips For Brides.” It’s going to highlight tips and tricks for the bride when working with a photographer.

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Week Two: The “First Look” / Bridal Reveal 

One of the first questions I ask at my meetings with brides: “Did you want to do a “first look,” or will walking down the aisle be the first time he sees you?”

Here is a first look we did before the ceremony, below. I was able to get this close and intimate specifically because it wasn’t done during the ceremony. It was a special moment set aside for just the two of them (and me … the third wheel photographer). 🙂

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If the bride asks what I prefer — it’s always that we do a special “first look.” It’s where I set the groom up, his back facing away. I bring in the bride. She puts her back against his, or reaches her hand around the corner. There is always so much tension in these shots — the can’t wait to see each other.

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From there, I snap the shots and either take the bride back to her room, or … we let the groom turn around.

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I prefer this because I can catch the intimate one-on-one response of the groom the first time he sees his bride. It’s special. It isn’t a moment that has to be shared in a crowd. It’s just the two of them. 

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Now, sometimes I can’t convince the bride and groom otherwise, and that’s ok. It’s your day! I can only speak from a photographer’s standpoint, because after that reveal, we can take the bridal party / bride & groom shots, etc. — all before the ceremony! After the ceremony, we can snap the family photos, and then send the bride and groom off to the reception and not have to keep their friends and family waiting.

That’s not to say we can’t get great photos if the first time the groom sees his bride is when she walks down the aisle.

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We definitely can, but if I am ever asked my preference — it’s to have a special first look. So I can get shots like this:

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Check back next Thursday for the next post in our “Tips For Brides” series. To read them all, click here.

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Wedding Series: Tips For Brides – Portraits

by Kcityphotography, posted in Wedding Series: For Brides

You’re getting married! There’s so much to do, and so many things to get done. Find a caterer, a florist, get the perfect dress, and then make sure you’ve hired the right photographer to capture all of your hard work!

Well, you’ve definitely taken the right step as far as a photographer goes [oh hey, we travel]! 😉

Every Thursday over the next six weeks, I will be doing a piece for our “Wedding Series: Tips For Brides.” It’s going to highlight tips and tricks for the bride when working with a photographer.

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Week One: The Bridal Portrait Session

This week, I’m giving tips for the bride during her portrait session! I always set aside time from the chaos to make sure I get shots of just the bride. You’ve gotten your hair done, your makeup perfected, and spent weeks (maybe even months!) picking out your perfect dress. It’s so important to get shots of you as you are in that moment — ready to marry the love of your life, about to walk down the aisle surrounded by your closest friends and family members. There’s so much excitement shining through your eyes — and a world of possibilities in your future.

There are a few shots I always love to get: 

The Eyelash Shot:

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It’s a classic shot, your head tilted slightly, gazing down, capturing your perfect lashes.

The Silhouette: 

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Definitely one of my favorites. I love playing with the light. I had one bride call me a “lighting wizard.” I’ll take it! These are so pretty and fun to do.

Just The Dress: 

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You spent so much time (annnd probably money, if we’re being real) to find the perfect gown for your big day. I like to get details like this!

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Lacing It Up: 

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Some of the most important people in your life help lace up the dress. It’s usually a mom or Maid of Honor. Although, I’ve had to step in to help countless times when they couldn’t figure it out! I’ll never leave ya hangin’!

Full-Length: 

You’re in the dress, it’s almost show time!

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My last little tidbit to mention is the bouquet.

Where To Hold Those Dang Flowers! 

As every bride will tell you whose wedding I’ve shot — the one thing I repeat over and over and over is: “Hold the bouquet at your belly button!”

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I say it to to the bride and bridesmaids at the beginning of the day. I repeat it before every shot. Sometimes I turn it into a question and ask them, “Now, where do you hold the bouquet?”

I get that chime of a teacher lecturing her class, “At the belllly buttttton,” they repeat back.

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I remind them right before they walk down the aisle when I stop them to take a shot before they continue the rest of the way down. This way you don’t get shots with the bouquets all over the place!

Let’s review! Here are some important shots to make sure your photographer gets!

  • The eyelash shot
  • The silhouette
  • Just the dress
  • Getting “into” the dress / lacing up
  • The bouquet / holding the bouquet at the belly button

Check back next Thursday for the next post in our “Tips For Brides” series. To read them all, click here.