Jacob and Amber's wedding day didn't follow your standard timeline, and that was just fine for us! We were up at 4:30 A.M. (which is the earliest I've been up in YEARS) to make the trip over to Des Moines and begin shooting getting ready details at 8:00. Their ceremony followed immediately after at 10:00 A.M. It was nice because it was up into the mid 90s later in the day, and the heat index was well over 100, which prompted the heat advisory that was in place. We were done shooting a little after noon, and while that was still hot, we could have easily added another 10-15 degrees by shooting later in the day in full bake mode. Their cerem ... READ MORE

Alec and Haley got married. It really happened! They were scheduled to have their wedding in September, but COVID... They were thinking everything was going to be manageable by September, but as life played out and cases continued to spike, they decided to accelerate the process to get this marriage thing solidified. They were originally going to fly in last weekend to finalize their wedding plans, but instead repurposed their planned travel to Iowa as an opportunity to have themselves a wedding. And they didn't end up flying either, opting instead to make a safer and more conservative 15-hour drive from NORTH CAROLINA. Haley has such a charm ... READ MORE

Ian and Kari have quite a unique story. They branded portions of their wedding day with phrases like, "This is where we start again," and, "It was always you." They dated each other in high school, and Ian even gave Kari a promise ring while they dated (which Kari kept and I photographed on the wedding day). They went off to different colleges and the distance eventually tore them apart. But after many years, and lots of life in between, these two ended up back together, ready to start again and certain that they were always each other's person. Pretty much a Hallmark movie, as they said. As with any movie script though, there has to be co ... READ MORE

I traveled down to the southeast corner of Iowa for Dylan and Kori's engagement session. Apparently going south means hot temperatures, because it was a toasty one! We started the session in downtown Burlington, which has become one of my favorite places to shoot with all of its character. Afterward, we traveled out into the country, where these two livestock specialists were right at home. This was my first experience incorporating cows into any photos, which was great because I always enjoy shooting something new and different (especially if it's personal and meaningful to the couple). Check out all the heat coming at ya below! ... READ MORE

It was a hot one for this engagement session, and I'm not just talking about Nathan and Lacey. Fortunately these two still look as cool as the other side of the pillow in these photos. Good times and lots of sunshine. We'll take it just about any day. READ MORE