To all my present and future clients,

If you need some convincing that you should see each other BEFORE the wedding.. Here you go:

All of these amazing images were taken BEFORE Jena and Justin’s ceremony. If they had not taken the risk and abandoned the tradition of waiting to see each other, there is no way we could have gotten all these gorgeous images. Otherwise we would have left the guests waiting for hours! Not to mention that their wedding ceremony was fairly late in the day, so there was very little time left between the end of the ceremony and sundown. Jena is a fellow wedding photographer, and she understands the importance of leaving plenty of time and light for photos.

Here is an example of how a First Look happens…

We find a nice, secluded area and then we step aside to give the couple plenty of space. Then we have the bride walk in, and let the groom turn around to see her for the first time. Why is this so great? Well, for starters, we get to pick the location, the lighting, and the time, resulting in beautiful photos and a special, private moment. Many churches force us to shoot from the balcony or won’t even allow us to shoot the ceremony at all, and even lenient locations are restricted with shooting because we don’t want to interrupt the ceremony, so if you want a great shot of your fiance seeing you in your dress for the first time, often the First Look is the best way to get it.

Okay, enough lecturing about the First Look. Onto the important stuff!!!

Jena is one of my best friends in the world, I love her dearly, and we have been discussing her wedding for over two years now. She and Justin have been together since they were in high school, so she has had plenty of time to plan out her dream day! In addition to being a talented wedding photographer, Jena is also extremely crafty and creative, and her DIY decor was as inspired as most of the professionally planned decor I have seen. Can you guess from this collage what her wedding colors and fabric pattern were?

I was on lime green and gingham overload - it was adorable! Jena put so much thought into every aspect of her wedding, and it truly showed. From the decorations to the photography to the many little “secrets” she had planned for Justin throughout the day to the music they played (My Jason actually wrote the song she walked down the aisle to - I was so proud!), everything reflected Jena and Justin’s personality and relationship.

I am trying something different for this blog post.. I am only posting the posed group and couple shots. If you want to see the candids of the preparation, ceremony, and reception, you will have to wait for a slideshow later this week!

Some of Jena and her hilarious bridesmaids, who were absolute troopers for letting me drag them all over the countryside in their heels!

Jake did an awesome job on the guys’ portraits, as usual!

It was pretty much impossible to take any photos of this wedding party without cracking up.. These guys are fun!

One of my new all time favorite photos!

And a few more of the happy couple after the ceremony

And last but not least.. RINGS!

Jena and Justin - you two are among the kindest, friendliest, most gracious people I have ever met. Your love for each other is so genuine and true that it just radiates outward. I have so many great memories with you, and I can’t wait for a whole lifetime of more fun with the Millers! I am so honored to not only call you clients, but very close friends, as well. Jason and I love you guys