2022 Year in Review

2022 was a great year. I had the opportunity to shoot at many beautiful and personal venues:

Noce DSM, Greater Des Moines Botanical Garden, the pond at West Des Moines Lutheran Church of Hope, The Loft DSM, The Hive at Busy Bee, St. Luke the Evangelist Catholic Church, The District in Ankeny, Valley Church in West Des Moines, and my last 4 travel weddings outside of the Des Moines metro.

Some of my favorite photos are heartfelt, some silly and some just transport me back to the couples wedding day so perfectly. Enough talking, time to show off the photos.

Like what you see? Learn More about my wedding packages below!

Moving forward I am no longer traveling outside of the Des Moines metro to photograph weddings. Here are the cities I will travel for: Des Moines, Altoona, Pleasant Hill, Windsor Heights, Urbandale, Clive, West Des Moines, Ankeny, Bondurant, Johnston, Waukee, Norwalk, Grimes, Carlisle, and Saylorville.

Des Moines Spring Outdoor Engagement Session | Ida & Jacob

Sometimes I get extra blessed with couples were we immediate click and feel like life long friends. The kind of couple who we just get each other and the more we learn about each other the more we ask “Did we just become best friends?”. Ida and Jacob were that couple for me this year.

Ida and Jacob ooze soulmates in the best way possible. While hanging out during their engagement session it was clear to me they are made for each other. The way the look at each other, talk about and with one another. It’s as good as it gets.

They requested nature only, so naturally we went to Water Works Park. Water Works NEVER disappoints and hit it out of the ball park for their engagement session. We got the best of the spring blooms, lake and open fields with yellow flowers sprinkled everywhere. The variety within this 2 mile radius is nuts to me (in the best way possible).

Ida and I bonded over the fact that we both thought dandelions were pretty and it was a shame people try to get rid of them. Seriously take a look at them. They add the perfect pop to these photos below 😍

If you are looking through these photos and saying “Hey! I’m a laid back Des Moines couple wanting quality photos that feel relaxed, real, fun and create memories in the process!” reach out below. We can bond over B-bops french fries being the best, Nacho Libre/Hot Rod quotes and talk about flowers that shouldn’t be considered a weed too.

Olivia & Grant Engagement Session

Olivia and I went to high school together. Grant and I played tennis together in college. So you can imagine my excitement when Olivia reached out to me and said her and Grant were engaged and wanted me to be their wedding photographer. 😀 I love when different parts of my life collide and I get the honor to document them! Both Olivia and Grant had such a calm and gentle presence and it truly reflected how perfect of a match they are for each other in the way the talked and treated each other during the session.

How cute is Finnegan? I’m convinced he is one of the goodest boys out there 🐶 🐾

Olivia wanted fall colors in their engagement photos and mother nature really hit that out of the park this last fall in Des Moines 🙂 I’m so excited to photograph them again on their wedding day this summer at the Greater Des Moines Botanical Garden!

Iowa Taproom Wedding - Carissa & Jeffrey

Carissa and Jeffrey walked down the aisle as husband and wife to a classical version of the Star Wars theme song beaming. They kept their ceremony short but there wasn’t a shortage of tears and smiles during it. Instead of taking additional photos during their cocktail hour they hung out with their guests and ate the delicious appetizers they hand picked out. They didn’t rush from one thing to the next; they enjoyed each moment and I loved being a part of it.

Do what you want on your wedding day, not what you think your mom wants (no offense moms) or what Pinterest tells you is tradition. Do what you want to do on your wedding day. You won’t regret it.

Des Moines Iowa Engagement Session - Megan & Steven

Megan and Steven’s engagement session at Downtown Des Moines ended up being the perfect summer evening. Hanging out with these two felt like we were old friends walking around chatting. These two’s playful energy radiated between them during their session. See for yourself 😍

All the color in their session makes me excited for spring and their wedding day in Des Moines this summer!

Are you looking for a wedding photographer? If so, check out my wedding photography page below! Planning a wedding and looking for a venue still? Check out my Des Moines metro wedding venue guide!

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