2013 Wedding Favorites

Where has the time gone?

2013 was a beautiful and fruitful year. I captured, I cried, strangers became friends, fiancés became husbands and wives. I cheered and cried some more. I learned and grew. I traveled and I stayed. I got to know so many beautiful stories; stories of real people and real love. It was a joy and blessing to capture every single moment, family and face. Here are some of my wedding favorites from this year.

{The moment you realize it's going to be a pretty perfect day}

{The moment a venue takes your breath away}

{The moment your bride and groom walk into a barley field just for photos}

{The moment you realize the bride will be a dear dear friend of yours for a long time to come}

 {The moment you start weeping from behind your camera}

 {The moment reenacting Dirty Dancing's final scene becomes a moment of terror, then a moment of laughter in 3 seconds)

 {The moment after a couple becomes husband and wife, walks down the aisle, kicks their heels together … then makes out}

 {The moment 8 hours of calligraphy becomes worth it}

 {This perfect moment}

{The moment you watch a bride and friend realize this is really happening}

 {The moment you realize these faces will be Mr and Mrs faces in just a couple of hours, as you fight off tears of your own}

 {The moment everything is perfect}

 {These moments where on the outside everything is calm, but you know that butterflies are roaring on the inside}

{The moment you once again cry from behind your camera}

 {Or the moment you and your pre-marriage counselor are hanging out at the back of the ceremony for like the 100th time that summer}

 {The moment you see your friends' faces light up}

 {Or these sweet moments where my instructions are not needed nor are they heard}

 {The moment where you can't handle any more of their gorgeousness}

 {Or this moment}

 {The moment you witness a mother and a sister cry hysterical tears of joy then it makes you think of your family and then you start crying}

 {The moments rain slows everything down,

 … making these moments a little more magical}

 {The moment where stepping half way out of a tent and your back and legs get soaked … becomes totally worth it}

{The moment you capture the biggest, truest smiles of the day} 

 {The moment you realize you are shooting possibly the most perfect and adorable bride and bridesmaids .. ever}

 {Wedding day pillow fight in football jerseys and perfect sock buns … I can't even handle it!}

 {They were perfect}

 {Seriously, all day, they were perfect}

 {The moment you once again fall in love with the Crystal Pool}

 {Or the moment you find yourself swimming in a beautiful pool of blue}

 {The moment you realize their kids are going to win "best looking" for their high school superlatives}

 {The moment cutesy is trumped by steamy} 

{The moment the brides gives her Maid of Honor/baby sister a diamond right before her wedding ceremony. This moment was unreal. }

 {The moment a bride's brilliant idea comes to life}

 {The moment you realize this photo will be engrained in your mind forever, for all the best reasons. It's a forever fave}

 {The moment you realize you're not going to take a bad picture all day long with these folks, this location, this weather, and this light}

 {See}

{..what..} 

{..I..}

{.. mean? Even test shots came out perfect} 

{Even my husband's shots were all perfect}

 

{The moment the-already-pretty-amazing bridal party … becomes more amazing}

 {The moment you do absolutely nothing but step back and click away}

 {The moment you realize the bride and groom can do no wrong} 

{The moment you realize these girls will actually laugh at your jokes} 

 {The moments you just stand ready and watch your bride "work"}

 {The moment the groom and groomsmen don't want you to stop taking their pictures, so they suggest shots that are pretty friggin awesome}

{The moment the rain loses, and the perfect alley, overhang, random corner wins…because it works}

 {The moments you just stand ready and again watch your bride "work"}

 {The moment you get the best kind of goosebumps, not because of the December wind, 

but because of a group of men who love God and who love on their friend}

 {The moment you just lose it, you start weeping uncontrollably … trying to hide behind your camera but there's no way you can because you're gasping for breath and sniffling like crazy}

{The moment you rejoice with friends you've only meet in person once} 

{The moment you take the last bridal party shot of the year, in the dead of winter, in the freezing cold, but no one is complaining, and everyone is listening, and everyone is just amazing}

Thank you to everyone I've met, captured, or had the pleasure of calling my new friends this year. You've blessed my life and I'm so thankful that our stories have {even for a moment} over lapped. Hope 2014 holds many blessings and grand adventures for you and your loved ones!

Happy New Year!