Here are a few of my favorites. I hope you enjoy!!

They did a first look before the ceremony. It was so fun.

The wedding colors went with my logo colors!

See the string of photos in the bottom right? Staci is quite handy with the camera herself and took most (Corey took one or two, I think) of these photos. Then they had the great idea to print them out, hang them, and let wedding guests pick out one as a gift! Isn’t that awesome? I thought so. Staci also has a lot of her photography decorating the walls of her house. It made me want to do some more up for my house!

Staci and Corey, it was a pleasure to photograph your wedding and I wish the two of you a long lifetime of happiness together!

Everything was so laid back and relaxed, including the ceremony.  The ceremony was actually the FASTEST ceremony I’ve ever attended.  Seriously, from the time the first person started to walk down the aisle up until Jeremy and Nikki exited the building as husband and wife, only eight minutes passed.  Eight minutes!!

As with my last post, I’m trying out a new display method for wedding posts on the blog just like I’m doing for portrait posts. 

Nikki’s hair and tiara reminded me of an old Hollywood, Breakfast at Tiffany’s feel for some reason. I loved it.

A few details of the day. My 2nd shooter, Allison, captured the fun cake shot while I was finishing up with the girls’ photos. It seems that the weather was making the cakes sort of melt with all the quick changes we experienced that day so Allison came to the rescue to make sure that there were photos of non-leaning cakes! Yay!

Handsome guys and beautiful girls!

This top photo of the two of them together is one of my favorite photos I’ve taken this year. I looove it!

Isn’t their little daughter just adorable? She was so good the entire day, too.

I think it is great that the weather cleared and allowed them to dance outside. It was so beautiful. Check out the sweet father/daughter shot captured by Allison!

This wedding was so wonderful. Everyone in attendance were so close and fun-loving. I felt like part of the family because, well, in a way, I am! My husband has been friends with members of Nikki’s family since they were teenagers. I’ve known this tight knit family for about eight years now, so it was an extra special treat to photograph this wedding. It was the first day that I met Jeremy, but I have to say that I was so charmed by the way he adores Nikki. It is evident in so many ways. I kept grinning as we were taking their photos right after the ceremony because he kept pausing to look at her and tell her how gorgeous she looked in the dress. It was so very sweet.

Nikki and Jeremy, thank you so much for allowing me to be a part of your special day. I had a ton of fun! You guys are so fantastic and I wish you all the best in your new life together!!

I was in love with these trees. I’m rather clueless when it comes to fruit bearing trees, but someone said they were crab apples? Whatever they were, I adored them.

Soooo pretty!!

Hah. I’m not sure if Will knows that I took this photo of him getting ready.

A kiss good luck as he gives her away.

You may kiss your bride!

Just might be my fave photo of the day. 

I had the pleasure of photographing the marriage of Michele and Will this weekend at the Shrimpman’s Yacht Club.  It was such a fun day.  Despite a threat of rain, the weather was perfect and everything went so well.

Congratulations, you guys, and I wish you the best of luck in your new life together! 

We really lucked out with the weather this day. It was supposed to be rather nice and clear all day UNTIL the outdoor wedding was supposed to start. I was on pins and needles that entire week watching weather.com, so I can only imagine how Beth was feeling. Oddly enough, once Saturday finally arrived, it started to rain ALL DAY. I’m talking hard, heavy, skin-soaking downpours determined to destroy outdoor weddings. I knew that there were no alternate plans for the wedding, so I was really curious as to what we were going to do if this rain didn’t stop. Invest in a bunch of umbrellas? Try to pack as many of the guests and wedding party into the small chapel as possible? St. Catherine’s at Bell Gable, where they were getting married, is REALLY small. I’m not even sure it can hold 50 people inside. There would certainly be people that would not fit inside. No, worries, though, once it got closer to the time we needed to head off for the getting ready shots, the rain started to ease up and I began to hope. Turns out the weather decided to give us just enough of a break for the before ceremony photos, the ceremony, and then photos after the ceremony. It started to rain again once everyone was tucked safely away in the reception. Thanks, Mother Nature!

Ok, on to what we are all really waiting for, the pictures!

Look at the detail on this dress!

Meanwhile, over at Joe’s parents’ house, my 2nd shooter, Audrey, was taking photos of the guys getting ready.

The girls and I headed out to the ceremony site to get some photos before the wedding…

but the boys showed up EARLY and we had to hide Beth and rush her to the limo.

Time to get this show on the road. Audrey got this shot of the bride and her daddy.

Going in for The KISS.

Audrey’s view.

The new husband and wife. And Beth, this is one of my faves of the two of you.

Bwahahah!! You should see the outtake of this one. It’s hilarious, though not something I think I’ll put up on the blog!

Thank you so much, Beth and Joe, for letting me be a part of such a fun and special day. You two are so very sweet and I always have fun working with you. Joe, I hope you enjoyed the surprise Beth and I put together for you!

After some deliberation, my little panel picked a winner. Allow me to introduce the winners of my 2009 Wedding Photography Giveaway, Kassie and Doug! Aren’t they cute?

Here is the sweet letter that Kassie’s sister Allie sent in for the nomination. (Allie asked me to edit a couple of sentences to protect someone’s identity. I’m a sneaky snake!)

Good afternoon!

I would like to nominate my older sister (Kassie) and my future brother-in-law (Doug) for your photography giveaway. They have been together six years this March. They are so sweet and laid back; they role with the punches… and there have been a lot of punches lately. They take care of everything for everyone. Anytime anyone has a problem, they are the go-to-guys. On a regular basis they receive phone calls for computer support from various members of the family, Doug is building a great website for our older brother’s business, and Kassie plans every event our family encounters. Lately though they’ve had to deal with more than normal. I’ll give you a run down of just the big events of the last six months. We have a family member who has gone through a difficult financial situation, and Kassie and Doug made sure that no one in that family lacked anything during this time.

Around the same time I found out I was unexpectedly pregnant. They were the first to jump on board and get excited for me. Kassie is throwing my baby shower and they have made certain I have or will have everything a baby needs by my due date.

They completely took care of Christmas this year. They bought presents for everyone, including aunts, uncles, and friends, and put all of our names on the gifts so no one felt badly.

Two days after Christmas they found out one of their dogs (Meeka) was sick with a horrible cancer-like disease. They tried everything to save her; blood transfusions, expensive medications, weekly (and sometimes two or three times weekly) vet visits. They weren’t able to save her but after a month and a half they had used a large part of their wedding savings.

I don’t know the whole story of Doug’s family, but in August his sister died in an accident and just before Christmas his mother (who he’s always been close to) had to move home to England for health reasons leaving Doug the only member of his family still in America.

On top of all this they are both Graduate students with full coursework and research schedules and despite all the bumps in the road they haven’t fallen off track with their graduation deadlines.

They are so supportive of each other and I know neither of them would have made it through without help from the other. Together they are a rock. I can’t think of anyone else who deserves this more…they’ve been through so much together and their love hasn’t faltered.

The picture I am including is a couple of years old, but it is my favorite because it is very them. Like I said…they are so laid back!

Thanks for your time!

Allie

Isn’t that the best nomination letter ever? Allie was so sweet to nominate her sister. And to keep the secret! In fact, when I got in touch with Kassie to tell her that she had won, she had no idea and was very shocked that her sister was able to keep the secret for so long.

I had wanted to be able to call to announce the news while on speakerphone and being filmed on my webcam and then post it all to the blog, but I just wasn’t able to make that happen and didn’t want to delay the announcement a moment longer. Kassie was completely caught off guard and it was so sweet. You could hear the excitement in her voice. I wish I could have recorded it! Wouldn’t that have been cool? Oh, well. I still have warm fuzzies from it. I just love that I am able to give such a great gift to a deserving couple.

Soon we shall set a date for the engagement photos, which I just can’t wait to do. The wedding is in December, so I suggested doing the engagements earlier while we have beautiful weather and so we wouldn’t have such a long wait before we could have some fun with the camera! I can’t wait!!

Thank you so much, Allie, for nominating your sister. Kassie and Doug, I look forward to working with you.

As for all of the other nominations, I’ve extended offers for engagement sessions as consolation prizes. Thank you all for participating in my first Wedding Photography Giveaway contest. I hope to make this an annual thing because it is just a great feeling to give back.

You can see all the little snow flakes swirling around in these photos. I love it.

A quick shot of the bride alone. See? Glowing.

This hand belongs to the best man as he was passing out the rings.

A sweet moment between the new husband and wife. And the snow.

I hope this is enough to hold you over until the rest are ready!

And speaking of weddings, this is the last day to get in nominations for the Wedding Giveaway!

I love surprises, as I’ve mentioned, and I love giving, so I thought it would be fun for this contest to have the opportunity for both. I want to give while someone gets a great surprise. Do you know an engaged couple you absolutely adore? Do you think it would be awesome to surprise them with a fantastic gift because they are so deserving? Well, tell me how much you love them and why they are the best because the winners of this contest will receive 8 hours of wedding photography by me, an engagement session with all images on DVD, a bridal session with all images on DVD, a Day After session with all images on DVD, and all wedding images on DVD with printing release, and a Storybook album! That’s a value of over $2400! How’s that for love, giving, and surprise?! I’m so excited.

Here’s how it’ll work. Send in a photo and a letter telling me why you think that this couple deserves wedding photography. Are they the hub of your social circle, always making sure there is a place to crash? Do they volunteer for a great cause? Never afraid to lend a hand during a big move? Just an all around awesome couple? Tell me about it!

DEADLINE FOR ENTRIES 11:59 PM ON MARCH 1ST

Photos (1mb and under, please) and letters are to be sent to raininglightphotography@yahoo.com

Here are a few rules. The wedding will need to be in 2009 and in the Northwest Arkansas area. There will be no 2nd shooter, though there will always be the option of adding one at the normal rate.

Good luck and Happy Valentine’s Day!!

I would like to share a few of my favorites of the day. It was such a gorgeous wedding. I can not stress that enough. The ceremony was held at the Botanical Garden of the Ozarks, an absolutely beautiful location! The weather was perfect with brilliant skies and fat clouds. I love big, fluffy clouds in photos!! Tessa and Drew had so many wonderful details in their ceremony like poetry, orchestra music, friends and family singing…it was just all so…well, perfect! I’m sure they agree!!

Isn’t that veil lovely! And I loved the little branches in her flowers.

They released doves at the end of the ceremony. It was really fun to watch them fly about in the sky. This little guy was relaxing in a cage during the ceremony.

This was taken during the first dance through a mirror in the ceiling.

I’m so happy to have been part of such a wonderful day!! Melissa, thank you very much for asking me to photograph this day with you. It was amazing from beginning to end!

Eric and Angel had a very intimate ceremony beneath a lovely gazebo in a gorgeous park this weekend. Fun fact: it was the same gazebo where my husband and I eloped almost five years ago! This wedding brought back wonderful memories of our own small wedding and I have now made plans for photographs of us to celebrate our anniversary! I’m sure there will be more details in another post because I’m very excited about it!

A bit of time together before the ceremony. Can’t you just feel the love!!

This was one of the sweetest things that I’ve ever seen. He whispered the last part of his vows to her. Something about whispering words for her and only her made me melt. I love it!

Eric read vows to Angel’s two beautiful boys. His words promising to be there for them were so touching. I was even tearing up at this point!!

Eric and Angel, again I thank you for letting me be a part of such a special day. It was wonderful, you guys were gorgeous, and the boys were beautiful. You two are truly special.