“Get The Suture Kit!” Bret & Hannah’s Cliffside Wedding

September 11, 2018September 11, 2018 by Kcityphotography, posted in Photoshoots

Yes, there was a suture kit. And an IV bag. And 7 medical professionals in the wedding party alone! But we’ll get to that in a moment.

We had the great pleasure of capturing Bret & Hannah’s beautiful cliffside wedding this Saturday! I could sit here and try to explain its beauty, but a picture is worth a thousand words, right?

Tatiana and I both made the trip out to Sunset Bluffs in Washington, Missouri, and was it ever worth it! We couldn’t have paid to capture shots in such a beautiful venue.

The cliff itself is reserved for the bride, groom, and photographers. It was like our own little slice of Heaven away from the hubbub of the cocktail hour after the ceremony.

It was a beautiful 66-degrees … ALL day! It was perfectly overcast, like God was smiling down on these two lovebirds and telling them: “This is your day! And it is a beautiful one!”

Compare this weekend to last weekend — where it reached 105 degrees! What a stark difference, and just in time for their vows! I’ll take 66 over 105 any ol’ day!

The wind was also cooperating, blowing just right and fluffing Hannah’s veil for shots like this:

And we can’t forget our main man, Elijah! Not only was he “ring security,” but he played an integral part in the wedding! He was a big helper, and super excited to help out his dad and new mom!

His cheeser is so adorable! He was such a sport through all of the photos!

Now, let’s get to that medical staff we mentioned earlier. Of Hannah’s “Bride Tribe,” as she called it, there were two EMTs, one paramedic, one radiology tech, and an RN. When a bridesmaid was having trouble with her dress zipper, all of these medical field people started whipping out all the bells and whistles to fix it. A suture kit, and IV needle, you name it!

They were going to fix that darn dress before show time!

And all of these medical professionals I’ve mentioned so far were just on Hannah’s side! This doesn’t include Bret’s groomsmen, or all of their friends not in the wedding party. Like, all of these firefighters Bret works with, for example —

Even the bride and groom! Hannah is a paramedic, and Bret is a paramedic firefighter. If anyone had any health issues that night … they were in good hands!

Although, if it was at the end of the night, maybe in very good tipsy hands … but, hey!

We are so honored to have been there to capture special moments for Bret & Hannah. Things like the joy written across her mom’s face when she saw her daughter:

Or the look on Bret’s face when he finally saw Hannah for the first time:

Or the finishing touches on Hannah’s dress:

Plus, their unique ideas! Hannah had a “Man of Honor,” in her wedding party. It was her very (not gay) best friend, Max! I only included his sexual orientation because during his speech at the reception, he pointed out that Hannah used to introduce him to people as her “gay best friend.” Seeing as his beautiful girlfriend, Amanda, was in the wedding party, he pointed out only the “best friend” part was true.

There are so many more photos I’d love to put into this blog, but I would be up all night editing. I can’t get enough of the beautiful location, the gorgeous bride and groom, and their adorable little Elijah!

Thank you for letting us be there for your special day!

Want us to capture your wedding? Shoot us a message!

Christine’s 7 Most Romantic Photoshoots of 2017!

January 17, 2018January 17, 2018 by Kcityphotography, posted in Photoshoots

2017 was full of amazing photoshoots! From anime conventions to a haunted winery — we had a lot of fun!

But I really wanted to “focus in” (get it? Hahaha) on some of my most romantic photoshoots from 2017. Because why not start off the new year with a little bit of love?

This isn’t a favorites list, just some fond and romantic memories from 2017!

1. Bret & Hannah

I’ve known Bret since college, and was tickled when he filled me in on his secret proposal plan for his then-girlfriend, Hannah!

As far as romance goes — it’s hard to beat a surprise proposal!

Bret’s grand plan was to drive Hannah out to the wineries for their anniversary, so she thought he was being sweet and celebrating that. She didn’t realize he was going to pull out a ring! Now, a tornado watch was also in effect on the day of the proposal, because Mother Nature does what she wants.

Bret & I had a “secret spy mission” going so we could talk about the proposal in secret. You can read more about this fun shoot, here.

2. Lindsey & Dan

Lindsey and Dan made the list because they are so in love, they booked two engagement shoots! Dan loves hockey, so the first shoot was done at an ice rink. Look closely at the scoreboard – that’s actually their wedding date!

The second shoot was a more country setting, which was Lindsey’s dream! Plus, she had 7 outfits all planned out, with what shots she wanted in each outfit. She is the most prepared bride ever!

3. Genevieve, Theodore, Elena, & Jaxton!

And love leads to babies!!!

Let’s start with Jenn and James. They were so tickled to welcome their baby girl, Genevieve, into the world in 2017. She is their first, and very loved by all their friends and family!

But 2017 also welcomed other baby cuties that Christine was tickled pink about! Three of Christine’s very best friends all had them within months of each other!!

Mr. TJ (Amanda & Jordan) and Miss Elena (Steve & Alyssa) need to be highlighted, too! Elena actually POOPED on me during her shoot.

Plus, Christine’s little nephew was born this year. His name is Jaxton! SO MANY CUTE SNUGGLES WERE HAD!!!

TJ also gave everyone quite a scare. Amanda went into labor early.

He was in the NICU after birth, but he’s a tough lil’ guy!! Plus, his guard dog, Truman, is always at the ready! 😉

4. Emily & Stephen

Romance in the windy city! Emily is another one of my dear college friends. We worked together at the state Capitol and graduated from Mizzou together! I try to make it to Chicago at least once a year to visit — and after Stephen’s proposal … it was a must to make it out there ASAP!

With the romantic backdrop of Chicago against the water, it was a breathtaking photoshoot to celebrate their love!

5. Katherine & Josh

These two lovebirds just couldn’t stop kissing each other! I mean, of course it was their wedding day, but even during their engagement session, they kept sneaking little kisses! It was so adorable. A peck on the end of her nose, a kiss ever so gently on his cheek. It just made me squeak from the romance of it all!

Plus, Josh loves kissing Kathy’s hand!

6. Oye Engagement

I really wanted to highlight this adorable engagement shoot because these two lovebirds are in a long distance relationship, but they still made it work!

Months ago, Oye asked Sayo hypothetically, “If I happened to ask you to marry me, what would be your answer?”

Sayo gets so many bonus point for her answer: “You have to ask to find out!”

The happy couple is getting married back on the East coast in South New Jersey at Lucien’s Manor this October.

7. Jeremy & Amanda

This was definitely one of the most romantic settings this year – a gorgeous wedding at a country club.

Amanda & Jeremy had the entire property to themselves. It was spacious, and beautiful, both the land on the outside and the property on the inside! Bright grass, tall trees, a white picket fence surrounding the roadway, plus a deck to stand on.

We hope you had some romantic moments in 2017, and many more in 2018! After all, love makes the world go ’round!

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They Cut The Grass! A Country Engagement Shoot

November 8, 2017 by Kcityphotography, posted in Photoshoots

Samantha wrote to me about her dream to have her engagement photos in tall grass. I scouted around and found some fields in Eureka two weeks ago and she and Josh agreed they’d would work perfectly. But, little did I know this location was not going to work out!

The day before the shoot, I drove by them again, and … they had been mowed!! I reached out to Samantha and told her, but then realized my own property had exactly what she wanted!

I met Samantha at a winery during a bachelorette party for her now sister-in-law, Maria. I should have known we would hit if off — anyone who loves wine is automatically my best friend.

Since we had both had more than one glass, we started chatting about life and work. That’s when she mentioned she was engaged. And that’s when I told her I could help her out with wedding photography!

I feel like I should be able to write off any and all winery trips from my taxes now as a business expense!! Let’s go again, Samantha!! Hahaha.

Samantha and Josh have been together for 3 years and met each other at work. They picked out the engagement ring together and kept it in a safe under their bed.

Samantha told me she would put the ring on and wear it around the house sometimes before he proposed. Isn’t that cute?

Since she knew Josh had the ring, she was getting pretty impatient waiting for him to actually ask her so that she could keep it on her hand permanently.

Finally, after probably the 1,000th time Samantha asked — Josh proposed! Samantha said he did it while they were sitting on the couch because she kept asking him when he was going to pop the question. So, he did it right there!

And, let me tell you what, these two are adorable! And Samantha kept doing silly things and making Josh smile — probably not expecting me to document them:

Never trust a photographer, Samantha!!

I always tell my clients if they do something silly, or if they fall … I promise to take photos of it!

Speaking of injuries — before the shoot, Samantha asked me if I could Photoshop out some stitches. I told her I definitely could, but didn’t realize how severe the stitches were until she showed me her arm! It was a total freak accident involving her kitchen and some broken dishes.

The happy couple also brought along their daughter, Miss Genevieve. She was a hoot! She is actually hiding in several of the photos because she really, really didn’t want to let mommy’s leg go!

Thankfully, I also have a 2-year-old, so I had plenty of toys for distraction — and a nice playset outside for her to play on while we took some shots around that area. But, as any parent knows, if you walk with your child in between the two of you …

This is definitely what’s going to happen next!

So excited for your wedding next year!

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Wedding Series: Tips for Brides — Husband & Wife Shots

June 29, 2017November 29, 2017 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]! 😉

Our “Wedding Series: Tips For Brides” highlights tips and tricks for the bride when working with a photographer.

WEEK SIX: BRIDE & GROOM SHOTS

These are the absolute most important shots of the entire wedding day, the reason everyone gathered together, the reason behind the big celebration: The bride & groom!

No matter how busy the day gets, no matter if we happen to get behind — the No. 1 most important shots during a wedding are of the bride and groom, alone. When photographing a wedding, we always schedule time to whisk the bride and groom away from the crowd and take photos of just the two of them, in love.

This is also the reason we absolutely recommend doing a first look. Not only is it an intimate moment between just the two of them, but also one that isn’t being shared with a crowd of 100+ people watching them get married.

After the first look, we also have way more time to get these kinds of shots — some of just the two of them, eagerly anticipating the moment they say “I Do!”

If, for some reason, we aren’t your photographers (the horror!), make sure to talk with your photographer about how much time is set aside for photos of just the two of you.

Check out the entire “Wedding Series: Tips for Brides” series, click here.

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Dragons & Fairies: A Fantastical Fairytale Wedding!

June 14, 2017June 14, 2017 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?

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

It was! There was the blushing bride —

And the grinning groom —

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

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

… 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.

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

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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

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

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!

Thank you, wedding guest!

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

“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!

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:

And so …

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!

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!

Wedding Series: Tips For Brides — Ceremony Photographs

May 25, 2017June 29, 2017 by Kcityphotography, posted in Wedding Series: For Brides

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

Our “Wedding Series: Tips For Brides” highlights tips and tricks for the bride when working with a photographer.

WEEK FIVE: THE CEREMONY

There are two types of ceremonies — inside or outside. I love the outside ceremonies, mainly because there is more room for me to walk around and get different angles. However, I understand when a couple wants to get married inside their home church!

Inside Ceremony:

One thing to make sure to ask the reverend is if flash photography is allowed inside the church. There are some that don’t allow it — and in those cases, it can be very hard to get good indoor shots, especially if the church is dark. This is something to consider when booking your location!

Some churches are extremely well-lit, so even with that flash limitation, we can capture some great moments from the ceremony.

Keep in mind, since there’s an altar at many indoor church locations, we will only be able to shoot from 1-2 locations — directly down the aisle, and possibly from the far side of the pews. Catholic churches will not allow anyone but the bride and groom up on the altar, so this is another consideration for you and your photographer. Some shots just may not be possible with the location.

If your dream is to get married at your church, though, then we will absolutely make that happen. We just want you to understand the limitations we as photographers often have with indoor ceremony shots.

Pros: You can get married in your hometown church, and you can have a religious aspect to the ceremony.

Cons: Lighting can be awful, sometimes there are flash photography limits, etc.

Outside Ceremony:

This is definitely preferred. Nature gives us so much light — and space — to work with.

We can get side angles of the bride and groom —

We can be right in the action during the sand ceremony —

The list goes on!

Pros: Numerous angles to work with. Mother Nature gives the best lighting! Definitely preferred by us!

Cons: The weather can cause problems with outdoor weddings sometimes. It does take out some of the religious aspect, as in, you aren’t in a church.

Check out the entire series, click here.

Some of our latest entries:

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

Wedding Series: Tips For Brides – Portraits

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

Wedding Series: Tips For Brides — The Family Shots

To keep up with the latest, follow us on Facebook!

Our New Website!

April 25, 2017April 25, 2017 by Kcityphotography, posted in Photoshoots

I tried to log onto the Kansas City Photography webpage last week. I was met with an error message. I may have panicked a little, but I figured it’d be an easy fix. I reached out to my web person — but it was crickets. My face was probably equivalent to Miss Luna’s:

My bells and whistles started going off — and here’s why. This happened one other time, with the same web person. I reached out to him (the same one, I never switched) and he responded saying I needed to pay him to get it back online. I was confused as to why, and he said it was a maintenance fee, and he had to re-build it. I actually lost a potential wedding client over this — they had seen my site, loved my work, and then got concerned when my site suddenly went down.

You’d think I would have learned my lesson then … but, long story short, I stuck with him and he put the site back up (after I paid him again *grumble*), and it has been sunshine and roses since then.

Then, the error (again). And no response.

Instead of waiting around, this time I decided to go ahead and just build it myself. This way I can make changes and add photos any time I want, without having to pay every time I want an update. It was really a long time coming, I should have done it a lot sooner.

Go check it out and tell me what you think! –> http://kansas-city-photography.com

On a side note, I recently tried to get Kansas City Photography published on Wikipedia, but I need some press coverage for that to happen. They have really strict guidelines, and I meet all of them but that one. Stay tuned!

A Creepy Car & Playing Around At West Bottoms: Dawn’s Family Photoshoot!

April 24, 2017April 24, 2017 by Kcityphotography, posted in Photoshoots

Tatiana here! It was a real pleasure to capture one of my dearest friends being so in love with someone who is also so in love with her! It’s been a long time coming and it just warms my heart that she has reached her “relationship goals.”

Dawn’ son, Aidan, was the explorer for sure. He is so full of energy and kept wandering off, climbing on things and I just let him do his thing! He just started jumping on things and I was like, “WELP! Since you’re already there…” *snaps photos*

This one below makes it seem like Lilly and Aidan are about to drop the next hot album in KC. And Aidan plays the drums, so who knows? Maybe this will be a thing!

In this below, I specifically asked them to do a funny pose. I think the quote was, “act like you guys are in a street gang!” This is a perfect depiction of the Vieux clan ready to rumble! And also proof they could never be in an actual street gang.

It took Miss Lilly a little bit to loosen up, but I think she enjoyed the pictures! She really liked the ones of just her, which is great, ’cause I would love to rock a senior shoot with her! Hint, Dawn, hint!

Lilly was just standing on this rock trying to stay away from everyone, but me, being totally impervious just went, “Joke’s on you, ’cause you look cool on that rock!!!” *snaps photo*

This is my favorite picture of Dawn and her kiddos! It also shows off some hidden treasures of this area known as “West Bottoms.” We just happened upon this hobbit door, it was super random!

But you never know what you’re going to run into here, which is why we love this location! It even made it in our Top 10 Photoshoot Locations in KC list!

Although, there was one bizarre incident — there was a black car at the end of the bridge with tinted windows. When we started to take pics, the driver revved the engine and opened the driver’s door … but no one got out! Later, the driver shut the door, and turned the car sideways. This is when I began thinking, “Am I gonna die?!” And Dawn is just like “what poses should we do next?!”

Anyway, no one died … so here we are!

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One Of My Most Important Photography Lessons: Shoot ‘Through’ Things

April 21, 2017September 27, 2017 by Kcityphotography, posted in "How To" / Tips & Tricks!

I have a Bachelor’s Degree in Broadcast Journalism from the University of Missouri. Broadcast works a lot with the camera — and one of the most important lessons I ever learned was to shoot “through” things.

It completely changed my perspective behind the lens. It was one of those “ah-ha!” moments. Shoot “through” things. Things other people may not look at — it completely changed how I view the world.

Apply it to photography. See a cool shape? Shoot through it.

A fence or netting? Shoot through it.

A bride’s veil? Shoot through it.

How about a beautiful blooming flower? Find a space between the leaves and shoot through it to the subjects in the background.

And it can be subtle. I was squatting down in some tall grass to get this shot!

It’s not that every shot needs this “shoot through” treatment, but it should be a component to think about at every shoot. If you see your photographer squatting in the grass, or rolling around on the ground … they’re likely using this technique!

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Want more photography tips? Follow the “How-To” series!

The Easter With 8 Baskets & Too Much Candy

April 19, 2017 by Kcityphotography, posted in Our Silly Family

My girls somehow managed to get 4 Easter baskets a piece this holiday. I’m not complaining, and I am grateful to those who thought about our kiddos, but I am pretty sure I have eaten about as much chocolate as I do on Halloween … you know, poison control. 😉

We woke up Sunday morning and hid Easter baskets with our cousins Caley and Ezra. Lily and Ezra are little besties, it’s so cute!

From there, we went to my grandpa’s house. Grandma Karen told me every time I went over there that she had dreamt of hosting an Easter egg hunt on their big, gorgeous yard, but had never done it — and then all the kids grew up. Good news! The kids had kids, and now she was finally able to host her egg hunt!

My two girls, Lily & Luna, were dolled up in their Easter dresses. Lily’s favorite color is purple, but pink is a close second. When they didn’t have purple, I knew it’d be ok to go with pink!

Luna’s favorite color seems to be yellow (she’s 2, so it’s hard to tell, but she gravitates toward that color and uses it a lot). My favorite color is orange, so when yellow wasn’t available …

It had started drizzling, but that certainly didn’t slow anyone down! The egg hunt was really clever — each kid was assigned a certain color of egg. This way, they all got equal!

We also made sure to get a shot of grandpa with all four of his great-grandkids!

After that, we went over to Bryan’s (my hubs) uncle’s house for his family get together. More eggs to hunt! Luna considered herself an old pro by this point. Lily also killed it at cornhole. That’s the game where you throw the bean bag into the hole on the other side of lawn. Am I making sense? Haha.

It was a great Easter weekend, I only wish it was mandatory to take Monday off, too!

Want to read more fun stories with our family? Did you know we have a pet pig?