Dan Johnson & Traci Sterling Engagement Session – Private Residence

Wedding days can be inundated with utter chaos. Choosing to shoot an engagement session with your wedding attire can alleviate part of the ceremony day stress. Dan Johnson and Traci Sterling choose to keep their wedding day simple by allocating a few hours from their wedding day photography package to a prior date. The couple chose their current Meridian residence as the setting for this lovely little Sunday afternoon shoot. It was truly evident how madly in love these two were with every click of the shutter. Such inspiration!

A nice bottle of champagne to mellow the mood.

Traci getting a helping hand.

Dan anxiously awaiting.

A quick note to remind Traci of his deep affection for her.

Sassily strutting down the stairs.

Gazing out at the beautiful November afternoon.

Dan’s platinum wedding band.

Fits like a glove.

Some of the great architecture that Dan designed himself.

Ahh yes, I think it’s time for that champagne.

“The Love Tub”

A quick transformation in to the casual attire.

Looking out over Dan’s expansive six-acre view.

Lean with it.

Another gorgeous Idaho sunset.

Showing off the dance moves.

Such a great way to spend a Sunday afternoon. Thank Traci and Dan for bringing me into your home to capture the true connection you have for one another! I can’t wait for the actual wedding in December.

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Season Hamilton & Glenn Thornton Halloween Wedding – Kathryn Albertson Park & Fifty-one Fifteen

In my line of work I tend to see wedding dates falling most frequently in the summer months or ones that coincide with days that match months and years (9-9-09…). That being said, Halloween weddings are a bit of a nontraditional place in my world. Season Hamilton and Glenn Thornton were the perfect couple to break this unconventional status quo with their October 31st wedding. These two brought a breath of fresh air into my often unvarying routine. Don’t get me wrong, every wedding that I’ve photographed thus far has been an absolute joy. However, I tend to get a little more wide-eyed with destination and unique weddings.

It was a warm overcast Hallows Eve afternoon when we first caught a glimpse of Season and her father strolling down the walkway of Kathryn Albertson Park.

Season joined Glenn at the alter with officiant, Jake Schizel

Touching handwritten vows were given by both Season and Glenn

Season made a fitting boutonniere for Glenn signifying his passion for music

Guess what, they made this beautiful bouquet too!

Shoes’n'Socks

After the ceremony, I grabbed Season and Glenn for a few couples shots at various textural locations downtown

Season and Glenn took a break from the wedding day activities to hang at their room in the Grove Hotel the post ceremony session. The reception ensued several hours later in the evening at the chic Fifty-one Fifteen clothing boutique. Tina Maxwell rents this great space out at a super affordable price. Check them out off of Orchard on Gage Street. Following in the Halloween spirit, a line of S&G lanterns led the way to the entrance of Fifty-one Fifteen.

A eerie mad scientist invited guests in at the entrance with a framed version of Season and Glenn’s wedding invitation sitting close beside

Aged yet relevant images of Season and Glenn’s parent’s wedding gave a glimpse into their family history as they hung by clothes pins throughout the store

A fun make-shift photo booth with masks and mustaches invited guests in for a fun quick pic

A magnificent Corpse Bride cake caught everyones attention. And yes, it tasted as good as it looked!

Glenn and Season toasted to their family and friends for joining them on such a special day

Season keeping Glenn in check

Fellow friend Mark Beaver ran the tunes to get people movin

Glenn wasn’t afraid to showcase his air guitar genius

Or his air saxophone skills

Season picked up a few pointers from her new nephew

Ring Pops all around!

Time for those pesky shoes to come off

The first dance

Followed by an epic air guitar solo

Ahh, the bouquet toss. You never know how it’s going to turn out

A little carnage never hurt anyone

Especially when they’re still friends after all is said and done

I can’t thank Season and Glenn enough for bringing me on board for their wedding. Their smiles, inviting attitudes, great friends and warm family made this truly a special Halloween that I will not soon forget!

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Tiffany Ellingson & Nolan Ellis Wedding – Sawtooth Winery

These days it can be quite a struggle when deciding how many guests to invite. Do you want everyone in the world that you might know there or would you rather spend it with just close friends and family? From the weddings I’ve shot, my humble opinion is that the 50-100 person range is just about right. It’s not too overwhelming, not too intimate, just the perfect balance. This past weekend I was graced with the delightful Ellingson-Ellis wedding in which fifty lovely guests attended. With such a small group I actually had an opportunity to get to know a few people here and there while shooting their picture rather than being overwhelmed by the need to move from one group of attendants to the next.

Comfortable low seventy degree temperatures comforted guests on a marvelous October afternoon outdoors at the Sawtooth Winery. My day began with the groom, Nolan Ellis and his groomsmen piecing together their “penguin suits”. Nolan had a little bit of flair under his suite. Being a huge Spidey fan, he opted for the Spiderman undershirt.

Larry Ellis, showing his son how it’s done

Mad Hops!

On to the beautiful gals for their getting ready shots.

Tiffany’s dress elegantly laced up in the back.

Nolan anxiously awaited the arrival of his bride to be.

Lucky Shades

Sarah Hart of Story Book Weddings payed amazing attention to detail with beautiful seat covers, tent decorations, aisle lanterns.

Tiffany, her daughter Vanessa and Nolan poured individual vases filled with their own uniquely color sand into one large vase in a lovely unity ritual.

Tiffany’s father, Larry Ellingson gave a welcoming blessing.

We took advantage of the vibrant fall sunset for a few pre-reception couple shots.

Greg Marsh created yet another master piece cake incorporating the same flowers used in the bouquet as well as focusing on the unity sand vase.

Who said you could have a little with the cake cutting.

First Dances

Nolan and his mother Jean put a little twist on their mother-son dance. These two brought the heat to the “Cha Cha Slide” by DJ Casper before inviting guests to join them. It was a fun way to get people siked on the dance floor!

Thanks so much Tiffany & Nolan for giving me the opportunity to capture your wedding day!

More pictures will be made available by clicking here.