When Tim and I got married almost 15 years ago, Jana was a little girl..younger than my own daughter is now (wow..that’s crazy to think about!). I guess I’ve always pictured her a little girl, even as she grew up. We knew when she brought Caleb home that a ring would soon follow. When Caleb proposed, I crossed my fingers it would work out for me just to attend the wedding! They wanted a fall date and my schedule is alway pretty crazy then. I was so thrilled she asked me to photograph the day and also have a little input as to the planning. She and Caleb SO wanted an outdoor ceremony. No matter when you get married in Indiana, there is always a chance of some fluke weather freak-October snow storm or who knows what….but as luck would have it, they had the MOST gorgeous warm fall day. I can say that that the week after was FREEZING and the week after that was crazy windy! We had a team of family members helping with all of the details from decorating the location to moving chairs/directing traffic/lining up the getaway vehicle. This family is wonderful..and I feel so blessed that I got to marry in :)
The wedding took place at Fellowship Point in Berne, IN. Just down the road from Jana’s home, it was the perfect relaxed setting for their early afternoon ceremony. I don’t often get the chance to photograph wedding portraits in morning light….good grief it was sooo pretty! We spent much of Friday decorating at Fellowship and figuring out where we would put everything the next morning. Caleb made this gorgeous arch himself for the altar!
Jana knows I LOVE shoes…especially a pair of sparkly ones ;) Their wedding was very relaxed and with the terrain, Jana needed something way more practical! She surprised me that morning when I opened the box to find these beauties inside!!!
ALWAYS one of my favorite parts of the day when the couple chooses to do a First Look. We tucked Caleb back in the trees and I was the only one who got to witness them. Every couple reacts so differently when they see each other for the first time…I was in tears at the pure JOY on their faces. Lots of laughter and smiles! But that’s how these two are ALL the time :)
Everything went so smoothly all morning. Miles, the ring bearer, was going to be the wild card ;) He pulled his baby sister in a wagon down the aisle and the poor guy just couldn’t contain his excitement! When the best man and maid of honor were taking their turn, Miles took off and made his way THROUGH them…with his sister laying on her back with her feet straight up in the air! It was hilarious!
During rehearsal the night before, Caleb kept picking up his mom after they hugged…I didn’t know if he would do it during the ceremony :)
One of my favorite parts of the ceremony was when everyone stood and sang hymns acapella. I love that Caleb and Jana’s faith and upbringing in their love for the Lord was such a huge part of the day, even though it wasn’t held in a church.
Caleb and Jana literally ran down the aisle and around the building without ever stopping to look back! They had their getaway ready and waiting!
Jana and Caleb greeted all of their guests as they entered the reception. There were wonderful speeches, an acapella performance from the group that Jana’s dad, Ted, performs with, cake cutting, AND the photo booth. This was a first for me and in lieu of party and dancing, this was a GREAT way to involve the guests! We used a quilt made my Jana’s Grandma as the backdrop for another personal touch. I wish I could have posted them all..but these were some of my favorites (and a few people you might recognize!) :)
After their send-off, the three of us went back to Fellowship Point for their portraits. Eventually, the family and wedding party started trickling in and joined the bride and groom for their first dance as husband and wife.
Jana and Caleb, we love you dearly. I still don’t think you’re old enough to be married, but then again I’m pretty sure Tim and I were married when we were that age. It just doesn’t seem possible :) I see such a strong foundation of love and friendship in your relationship. Your faith in God and faith in each other will carry you through a lifetime of joys and trials. I can’t wait to watch you two become parents someday and add to this crazy family!
This was one of those weddings where everything just came together PERFECTLY. It was the beginning of October and being that it took place in Indiana, the weather could have done anything. As it turned out, it was around 80 degrees and gorgeous sunshine..and we managed to hold onto the little bit of color we found that fall! Kayli has impeccable taste and I knew her wedding would be nothing short of stunning. Kayli kept me up to date with all of the colors, textures and details of her wedding as she planned them, which allowed me to tailor the photography to complement those things. Through all of our talks about jewelry and lace, we became great friends and THAT is one of the greatest rewards I could ever take from that day.
Prepare yourself for photo overload :)
Kayli was one of my first brides to choose lace, a personal favorite of mine! It set the tone for the entire day.
Kayli and Doug opted for a first look…and we had all kinds of time for photos and location hopping!
Such a stunner–loved that Kayli used her grandmother’s brooches in her hair-Kudos to Vicky at Salon VeraJoley for getting them to stay and not move all day long!
Ok, Kayli, you in that dress–AMAZING!!! And OOOH, cathedral veils make me jump for joy!!
Those suspenders???!!!!!!! Brides, if you’re having a wedding during warm months, consider these…makes for happy groomsmen when I let them take their jackets off for photos ;)
Such a wonderful color palette for fall! Fabulous pinstripe suits and printed ties on the groomsmen, and wait until you see the close up of the bridesmaids’ necklaces…gifted from the bride.
One of my favorite details of the day was that Doug chose his Dad as his best man :)
Love Doug’s dad’s expression here!
If you remember their engagement session, Kayli has a thing for willow trees….I made it my own personal mission to find one on the way to the reception for more photos…We literally parked their bus (and my truck) along the highway and ran across four lanes of traffic to get there. There could not have been a more perfect time of day to shoot here.
That light, that color…that COUPLE!!!
No wedding is without a few hiccups….when we got back to the bus to load up…IT WOULDN’T START!!! Luckily, I am married to a mechanic and he always makes sure I have jumper cables in my Trail Blazer (even though I have NO idea how to use them!). Doug’s Dad to the rescue and in just a few extra minutes, we were on our way!
Yeah, that’s Doug’s sister and bridesmaid Chelsey…someone was a little unhappy that she didn’t catch the bouquet ;)
Above is the Bedwell/Keiffer clan on the dance floor! Erin is Doug’s cousin and I photographed her wedding just two short weeks after Kayli and Doug’s! Tim and I also traveled to Puerto Rico this past January to photograph Neil’s wedding (Neil is Erin’s brother/Doug’s cousin too–confused yet?!)
Oh….where do I start?! Kayli and Doug, thank you so much for calling me, involving me, trusting me, and becoming our friends. We’ve made so many fun memories the last year or so and I hope to make many, MANY more! And yes, I DID see Luke Bryan win Entertainer of the Year last night…and I’ll finally admit, I agree, Kayli…he is kinda cute ;)
One of my favorite weddings from 2011 was that of Kelly and Aaron. I had known Kelly for a few years and always loved being in her company. She’s the kind of girl that when you meet her, you just know she’s good. She’s kind, caring and she loves with a huge open heart. For as long as I’ve known Kelly, I secretly hoped and prayed she would find her Prince Charming. She was the girl who loved big and she deserved for someone to love her back in the same way. Then along came Aaron :)
I was thrilled be asked to photograph their day. It was one full of emotions…of love, of being thankful. Just a few months before the wedding, Kelly’s oldest sister, Jen, was diagnosed with breast cancer and was in the middle of her chemo treatments. I felt such a connection with their family during this time as the wedding took place two days before the 1 year anniversary of losing my own Aunt to breast cancer. Jen was such a trooper all day and while I know she didn’t feel her best, the day was completely focused on Kelly and Aaron and how everyone in their families loves out loud.
One of my favorite pictures from the day….Kelly and family wore their pink bracelets in constant support of Jen. She’s also wearing her twist tie “engagement” ring from Aaron. Aaron had asked Kelly to marry him once before the official proposal, telling her the twisty ring would be her wedding ring ;) When Kelly gave up her ring to have the wedding band created, she wore this one in it’s place :)
Our time was limited after the ceremony, so Aaron and Kelly opted for a first look. Shortly after they said their hellos, they realized they had an audience lurking in the balcony!
Kelly hadn’t seen her ring and had NO idea what it was going to look like…Aaron designed the perfect set!
The day started off rainy but cleared to provide the perfect overcast blue cloudy sky. Aaron had family friends that brought their antique car for photos…it so suits them, don’t you think?!
Kelly’s two oldest nieces literally GIGGLED the entire way down the aisle….what I didn’t show you was her youngest niece toddled in before them and cried the whole way until she got to her mom :)
Love this Air Force tradition! Kelly got an unexpected tap on the backside from the sword on the left as she passed through!
In the past couple of years, wedding party entrances have become a time to show a little personality. Here, each couple came in and did a little dance or something else to get a quick laugh from the guests. Jen and her groomsman surprised EVERYONE by lifting off her wig-I love how they took the moment and embraced the situation with a bit of humor (and check out middle sis Jaime’s face back in the doorway–no one had any idea this was coming!).
Oh, Aaron..always the showman :) He did a little dance and sang along to “Foxy Lady” before he took off Kelly’s garter..he had us all rolling!!!
This was seriously one heck of a party. One heck of a day. One heck of a couple.
And I’m also happy to say that a year and a half later, Jen is CANCER FREE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Kelly and Aaron-I absolutely adore you guys. Thanks for inviting me along on the journey-CONGRATS MR. & MRS. SPENCE!!!!!!!!!
