Emily and Tyler Adventure Session | Des Moines Wedding Photographer

Tyler and Emily have been married 5 years and have 2 kids with one more on the way, but at this session you would have assumed they were newlyweds! The way Tyler sweetly joked and flirted with Emily even had me giggling. What can I say I’m a sap.

Lynda from Lavender Blue Floral provided the florals and decor. She had just broke her foot, but you would have never known. She is a true trooper and total professional who truly loves to create! I totally wanted to steal the rug she provided, but I didn’t 😉 It was just so stinkin cute.

Hair and Makeup was done by Nicole of About Face Beauty. She kept it simple with neutrals and an updo that really highlighted Emily’s natural beauty.

Weddings By Design provided the suspenders, bow tie and vest for Tyler’s look. Guys, if you are on the hunt for a suit or any type of wedding apparel this is the place to look. Melissa will hook you up!

Emily’s dress was from Lulus and was so cute! It tied in perfectly with all the details. So ladies, if you are looking for a dress for engagement photos, an elopement, or just for fun, definitely check out their website.

Enough about the details of the shoot, lets get to the actual photos of these two that have me swooning ❤️

Emily put it best when sharing some of the photos on her own feed, “Pictures of your kids and with your kids are great, but when was the last time you and your husband had pictures taken of just the two of you? This was one of the most fun date nights we’ve had in a while and felt like we were getting married all over again! Even if you don’t do a styled shoot, hire a photographer and go get photos as a couple. You’ll have so much fun and be so glad you did!”

Zach and Tia Proposal | Des Moines Social Club Rooftop Proposal

Zach and Tia have modeled for me in the past, so I was pretty excited when Zach texted me and asked if I was available to photograph the surprise proposal he was planning.

Candles, photos of memories they have together, twinkly lights, the outdoors, and a gorgeous ring what more could a girl dream of? How about a fake pop up art museum event to get her to come without drawing any suspicion and a legit Square Space website just in case she had her doubts. 😉 Talk about going all out! Zach was all about the details while planning and made sure everything was perfect for Tia, which I loved!

Tia was totally taken by surprise and it was so fun to capture their proposal for them on top of Des Moines Social Club. Scroll through to see how surprised and happy they both were ♥️

I was literally grinning behind the camera the entire time and had a blast photographing their proposal. Thank you Zach for trusting me to capture this very special moment for you two. I can’t wait to see these two’s relationship continue to grow. Cheers to Zach and Tia!

Mac and Daiya + Goat Cheese Recipe | Dairy Free Recipe

Months ago I posted a picture of my dairy free mac and cheese dinner on my Instagram story and have consistently gotten requests for the recipe since. It took me more than a hand full of attempts to master the cheese sauce, which gave me a real run for my money. Literally I couldn’t get the sauce to thicken. I finally cracked the delicious code and want to share it with the whole world. 😉

Now I can’t take all the credit for this recipe. The original recipe is from Genius Kitchen. I took this recipe tweaked it to make it dairy free + more creamy, because the creamier the better.

For all you dairy doubters, husband requests this dish. He isn’t dairy free and makes it very clear he prefers real cheese.

Lastly, a disclaimer to my fellow lactose intolerant peeps. After a few times of eating this recipe I noticed my stomach was a little upset. Naturally I turned to Google and turns out your body can develop an intolerance to goat milk as well. So, if you feel a little sick after eating it cut down the amount of goat cheese you put in and or try substituting it with a vegan cream or more shredded cheese instead. And let me know how it turns out!

Ingredients

4 oz container of Garlic & Herb Goat Cheese

1 1/2 cups of Daiya Mozzarella Shredded Cheese

1/2 container of Shell Macaroni Noddles

3 tablespoons of Butter

3 tablespoons of Flour

1 1/2 cups of Dairy Free Almond Milk

Pepper (for seasoning)

Breadcrumbs (I specifically use this kind because others have dairy in it)

9” x 9” pan

Extra Virgin Olive Oil/Spray

For a little extra goodness add little smokies, or your favorite meat. If you do add little smokies, try dipping the final result in barbecue sauce (Cookies is our current fav brand because it has the least amount of sugar in it). It’s a very tasty addition.

Prep Time

First Timer: 40 minutes (because trying new things always takes longer)

Knows Your Way Around the Kitchen: 30 minutes

Seasoned Pro: 20 minutes

Cook Time

30-45 minutes depending on how new your oven is.

Directions

First things first, boil some water for the noodles. Get a large pot and fill it at least half full and turn the burner to high. If you are including meat, you’ll also want to get out a pan/pot for the meat now. I like to cook the smokies in water over medium heat the whole time prep time.

Next, we are going to start the cheese sauce base.

Get out a small pot and melt 3 tablespoons of butter on low heat. When it starts to sizzle add in the flour, one tablespoon at a time (3 total), stir and repeat. Once all the flour is mixed in, cook it for an additional minute. After this it should look like a paste.

The water might be boiling at this point. If it is, dump at least half the box of shells in and cook them for how ever long the box tells you to. That box knows it’s stuff. Usually it’s 10-12 minutes. If you want leftover noddles or are really hungry, add in 3/4 of the box.

Now is also a good time to preheat your oven. Set it to 350 degrees and it should be ready when you are finishing up prep.

Back to the paste we go!

Add in 1 cup of milk if you want the mac and cheese to be more dry, 2 cups if you want it real gooey. We tend to like it in the middle and use 1 and a half cups of milk. This next step is key to getting creamy and not runny cheese sauce. Add in 1/4 cup of milk at a time. Stir in the milk and continue to stir for at least 1 minute before adding the next 1/4 cup. Once you’ve added in all the milk, if you notice it is still too runny try adding in another tablespoon of butter and flour. At this point the mix should be able to coat the back of a spoon. This is also the perfect time to add in pepper for seasoning.

Add in 3/4 of the goat cheese and let it melt. You may have to break it apart with your spoon in order to help the melting process. Once it is melted, add in 1 cup of shredded cheese. Let the cheese melt for 2 minutes (It should be nice and gooey at this point). Congrats, your cheese sauce is officially ready!

Your shells should be done right about now as well. Drain them and spray/rub the pan with olive oil or spray.

For the best and even cheesiness put down a layer of shells and then add a layer of cheese and meat. Sprinkle in more shredded cheese and bread crumbs to really get the party going. Repeat this until the pan is full. Usually we do this twice or three times before the pan is full.

On the top layer I don’t add more shredded cheese because it tends to get hard, which is a thing with dairy free cheese I’ve yet to master. But if you like your mac and cheese real crispy on the top then put that cheese on the top! Also if you really have a thing for goat cheese crumble up the remaining amount and sprinkle it over the top.

You’re ready to go! Pop your creation into the oven, set your timer to 30 minutes, and once you hear the ding enjoy!

Tag me on social media if you decide to take a wack at this recipe. I’d love to see how it turns out for you/how you make it your own! Happy cooking ☺️

Alison and Caleb Engagement Session | Des Moines Engagement Photographer

These two. Where do I even start. With lots of heart eyes for sure.

I met Alison and Caleb behind the Des Moines Art Center at The Clare & Miles Mills Rose Garden. They specifically requested a nature filled engagement session because like me they enjoy spending their time outside. As soon as we started the session I knew we were going to have a great time together. These two are so sweet and genuine with each other and all their tender moments together were so stinking cute. I was saying “Oh my gosh you guys are the cutest'“ every other photo and they’d just smile and continue to be the cutest.

By the middle and end of the session Caleb asked for few specific poses which I LOVED. Can all guys be this into their engagement session? 😉 These two were so trusting of me and were up for whatever which had my heart pitter pattering and it paid off big time. Scroll through to see for yourself!

Okay, story time about the next set of photos.

At our second location, Caleb had a book under his arm and explained when they were in South Africa they would go to book stores and buy different books together. When family visited they made them take books back because they had so many. So now they have all these books they collected in their home and mementos of their time in South Africa together. He wanted to incorporate one of the books because they spent 6 months together in South Africa. My sentimental heart about exploded.

I love how intentional these two are with their relationship. From the stories they told me to the way the held each other during their session; I cannot wait for their wedding at the Greater Des Moines Botanical Garden this August.

The Loft DSM Wedding Styled Shoot

I thought planning this styled shoot was exciting, but coming together with all these different amazing vendors was a whole other level. It’s always so fun to collaborate with other creatives and everyone knocked their contributions out of the park for this bridal shoot. Not to mention the models drove three and a half hours just to come to the shoot. Usually I’m the one driving to weddings, so it felt so foreign to have them come to me, but I’m super happy and thankful that they did!

Thank you to all the amazing vendors who participated!

Venue: The Studio at One Source Events

Hair: April Marie

Makeup: Cassidy Ariel

Tux: The Tux Shop

Florals: Lavender Blue Floral

Decor: Drift Salvage Decor

Table Setting: Karla Lewenczuk Events

Cake: Creme Cupcakes

Stationary: Full Bloom Creative

Models: Miranda and Collin Barker

We started the day with hair and makeup. Both of these ladies are super talented and are at the top of my lists when brides ask for vendor help. They know their stuff and are so easy going and fun to be around.

I’ve always swoon over Miranda’s ring and it was even more gorgeous than I remember. She even cleaned it just for me. 😍

Next we did a few portraits of Miranda and Collin separately. The Studio at One Source has the cutest bridal room. Miranda was literally glowing thanks to all the amazing natural light the windows provided.

Collin looked super dapper in his suit. The Tux Shop fitted his look perfectly to him. The suit literally looked like it was made for him. We were all so impressed, especially because he didn’t get to try it on before the shoot!

At the last minute, we decided to do a first look. These two were so cute and smiley. You would assume it was the first time Collin had seen his bride in her dress. It’s clear their love has only grown stronger since being married which is what I pray for all my couples!

Don’t even get me started on the details. Every single detail fit together perfectly. From the gold silverware to the gold candlestick holders and gold accent on the cake. The flowers, the blush glasses, and cake stand complimented the blush undertones in Miranda’s dress so well.

Overall this shoot surpassed my dreams and all the vendors knocked my socks off. I would highly recommend any of these ladies if you are in the beginning stages of wedding planning! To say I am ready for wedding season after this shoot is an understatement. My first wedding is in June and I am pumped. To all my couples, I cannot wait to have a blast with you on your wedding day. Let’s do this 👊