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Jess & Justin tied the knot on Saturday at Inspirador in downtown Chandler.  Now I know what you’re thinking – why would anybody get married in the middle of July in Arizona?  Well, the date of their wedding had a lot more to do with their honeymoon plans than it did with the weather in Arizona!  As I’m writing this, the happy newlyweds are enjoying their time in beautiful San Diego for Comic Con!  Yep.  They’re just that awesome!  We’ve really gotten the chance to get to know this great pair over several dinner dates, their engagement session, bonding over a mutual love for Apple products and lots and lots of facebook commenting!  We couldn’t feel more blessed to have been there to capture their very special day.  Jess & Justin are the perfect match and their wedding was so much fun to shoot!

(Please sign the guestbook if you’d like to be notifed when the rest of their photos are online.)

Jess’ wedding dress was gorgeous – classic and beautiful, just like Jess :-)

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She rocked this cute pair of gold sandals.

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The beautiful florals were created by the ever so talented Amy of Amy’s Floral Design!

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Such a stunning bride.

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While I was over with the girls, Ryan was hanging out with Justin.  Since it only took him about 5 minutes to get ready, they had plenty of time to goof around for some portraits.  Silly, silly boys :-)  These two crack me up!

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Inspirador is such a unique venue, and in this case, it was just perfect for a wedding on a hot day because both the ceremony and reception sites were indoors.  We really loved the cool contemporary spaces and modern details.  Among our favorites were the modern light fixtures and the love quotes that line of floor of the Poet’s Lounge, where the ceremony took place.

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I absolutely love both of these shots we grabbed just before the ceremony.

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Here comes the bride!

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Justin was one happy man as he watched his bride come down the isle.

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This one makes my heart all warm & fuzzy inside :-)

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Mr. & Mrs. at last!

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Since it was like a billion degrees outside, we shot most of their portraits in the Tryst Gallery.  The exposed brick and fun art pieces served as a great backdrop.  The bridal party was small, but a good looking bunch nonetheless!

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Gotta say, Justin was all smiles the whole day!  So sweet :-)

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Rockin’ the gallery in black & white.

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LOVE this shot Ryan took.  It just might be one of my new favorite images :-)

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Couldn’t choose between these next two.  Loved them both so much!

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Jess & Justin really wanted their afternoon reception to feel fun and laid back.  They chose a summertime theme and the guests got to enjoy the music of well known Percussionist Paul McDermand on the Steel Drums.

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There were lots of laughs (and a few tears too) as the maid of honor, best man and both their dads toasted the newlyweds.

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A sweet and touching moment with Jess & her dad as they watched a slideshow of family photos.

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We snuck away for a couple shots of the rings.  Don’t you just love Justin’s custom designed ring?

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Instead of a cake, they opted for yummy cupcakes made by The Cake Cafe! Good choice!

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And a bubble filled exit wrapped things up rather nicely :-)

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For more photos from Jess & Justin’s wedding, click on the view slideshow button below!

To the happy couple: you guys ROCK!  We had so much fun spending the day with you and can’t wait to watch what God has in store for you both in the future.  We look forward to many more hang outs and a long friendship :-)  Hope you guys are having so much fun in San Diego!  Thank you for choosing us to share in such a wonderful day!

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Nerina & David have the best kind of love story . . . one that started a long time ago :-).  These high school sweethearts have been a couple for many years and have two adorable sons Noah & Gabe.  It was such a blast to hang out with them and the fun group of family and friends that made the trek up to Las Vegas for the wedding!  We really enjoyed getting to know them and had a great time running around the strip together having our very own fabulous Vegas adventure!  Many will tell you, “what happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas”, but in this case, the wonderful joining of two sweet people in marriage is truly an event to be shared and remembered for a lifetime.  That’s where we come in ;-)  If you were hoping for Mike Tyson’s missing tiger, random babies showing up in hotel closets, or a naked Asian man popping out of the trunk of a car, you’ve come to the wrong blog . . . or have you . . . Just kidding, we’ve got something even better!  True Love.

(Please sign the guestbook if you’d like to be notifed when the rest of their photos are online.)

The day began at Harrah’s Las Vegas Hotel & Casino where the happy couple was getting ready and where the reception would be held later on that evening.

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Nerina had two pairs of shoes – fancy ones for the portraits/ceremony and some comfy ones for the PAR-TAY!

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The beautiful bride putting on the finishing touches.

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After helping her get into her dress, Nerina’s mom took a step back to take a look at her lovely daughter.  Her expression and sweet teary eyes say all there is to say.  Capturing perfect little moments like this is one of the very best things about our job :-)

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Nerina & David wanted to have lots of time before the ceremony to shoot portraits out on the Strip so they chose to see each other before the ceremony.  Their first look was full of happy smiles and tons of laughter.

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Nerina – you’re adorable!

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Love both of these!  Especially David showing off his awesome kicks.

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As we left Harrah’s and headed out for their portraits we noticed that they were holding pinkies.  So cute :-)

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Shooting on the Strip was quite an experience.  It was a lot of fun, but it did have a few challenges.  The first was the crowds.  It was a Saturday afternoon and there were people EVERYWHERE!  The other challenge was the amount of walking.  Luckily, the day before the wedding Ryan and I had set aside a few hours to scout out some locations that weren’t TOO far for our couple to walk to in their formal attire.  It was pretty entertaining to have so many people “woo-ing” and yelling congratulations as we made our way through the crowds!

We spend most of the session focused on the classic and elegant look of Caesars Palace and The Bellagio.  Love the drama of the high ceiling and curved lines in this first spot.

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Can’t complain when the Eiffel Tower makes an appearance in your wedding photos, right?  Only in Vegas!  (Well, I guess you could get that in Paris too, but the plane ride would be much longer.  Ha ha!)

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We took a little walk through the casino at the Bellagio and just couldn’t help but showcase Vegas’ most popular landmark . . . slot machines :-)  Hilarious!

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Nerina & David were so easy to work with.  They didn’t blink an eye when we asked them to sit on the ground in their formal wear.  Bride & Groom + awesome hallway + outdoor marble floors  = yummy photos :-)

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A couple individual shots of the awesome couple.

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Next, we were off to the Flamingo where the ceremony would take place in a lush garden at the center of the hotel.  Since Las Vegas is such a popular wedding destination, the Flamingo is like a well oiled wedding machine. There are five different ceremony locations and a good possibility that there will be a wedding going on at each one at the same time.  The hotel requires that all of their couples use a photographer and videographer from their staff during the ceremony, so we were actually sitting in chairs the whole time, shooting as guests.  It was kind of a fun challenge to stay in one place and not have our usual ability to move around.  Despite having a little different perspective, we ended up getting some really great shots and our feet got a little rest too so that part was kinda nice :-)

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Super cute :-)

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We did have a little advantage over the other guests that were taking photos from their seats.  With our handy zoom lens, you’d never know that Ryan was sitting in a row of chairs at the back of the ceremony and was still able to snag these awesome shots :-)

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The bridal party workin’ it on the steps of the casino.

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It was so great to catch up with one of our past couples Manny & Rachel that were both members of the bridal party.  They play softball with Nerina & David and that’s actually how they first heard about us.  Happy (almost) one year anniversary you guys!

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The lovely ladies :-)

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Couldn’t help posting this silly one of the guys :-)  It just makes me laugh!

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Congratulations Mr. & Mrs. Gutierrez!

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The reception took place at the Toby Keith’s I Love This Bar & Grill at Harrah’s.  It was super casual with no formal events – just the couple hanging out with their closest family and friends.  We snuck out to grab a couple quick ring shots in the hotel casino.  A friendly Pai Gow dealer let us use his table as a fun photo back drop (with permission from the pit boss of course!)  Does anybody actually know how to play Pai Gow by the way? There’s dice and dominos and cards – what’s the deal?

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Time to get the walking shoes out for some fun night shots on the Strip!

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The one photo request that these guys had was to get some shots in front of the fountains at the Bellagio.  We were more than happy to oblige!  Talk about iconic Vegas, right?

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Don’t be fooled by the images above.  It may look quiet and peaceful, but there was actually quite a crowd to work around and it was TOUGH getting enough room to shoot out there!  It was an adventure for sure!  The fountains go off every 30 minutes and we got there about 10 minutes in advance, but as the big moment got closer and closer people started to line up along the water’s edge to watch.   We had to sweet talk a family, two middle aged men and a rather drunk/crazy local who kept shouting, “I’m having a picnic!” to stake out our territory.  Befriending “Picnic Guy” actually worked to our advantage because he scared off other onlookers :-)  As you can see, the images were well worth it and I don’t think any of us will soon forget it!

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There are many more great images from the day so make sure to click on the “view slideshow” button below!

To Nerina & David:  You guys are so perfect for each other.  It warmed our hearts to have the chance to capture such a sweet and honest love story.  Thank you so much for inviting us to be a part of it.  We truly enjoyed every moment!  You guys ROCK!

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Now where did we leave off?  It was something pretty important, right?  Oh yes – the kiss!  And not just any kiss, but Amanda & Caleb’s first kiss together!  There were many tears AND cheers from the friends and family (and us) that got to witness the joining of these two very special people.  How cute are they?

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They were all smiles as they took their first walk as Mr. & Mrs. Thompson!

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Nothing like making up for lost time!

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Amanda: you’re adorable!  I believe this expression was her response to one of her girls asking, “So, is he a good kisser?”  LOVE it!

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As the guests began to head to the reception, we took a little stroll up to the hilltop for a few post ceremony portraits.  How cool is it that CCV has its own little mountain?  What a view!

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Sun flare = some very cool sunset portraits :-)

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We decided to head down the hill and leave the lovebirds for a few quiet moments to themselves, but Ryan just couldn’t help grabbing one last shot of such a perfect scene.  (Don’t tell them we were spying, ok?)  Ha ha!

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The reception took place in the backyard of Amanda & Caleb’s brand new house!  They closed on it about six weeks before the wedding and have been working tirelessly ever since to get it ready to host 125 people.  How cool is it that their first home together will also hold the memories of such a special day?  They did a great job creating a really beautiful setting.

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Outdoor wedding rule #1: lots of lights are essential for great ambiance AND awesome photos!

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The first dance: this one makes my heart happy :-)

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It was so fun to watch these guys interact with their families.  Lots of love in this group!

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A sweet moment from the father daughter dance :-)

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Caleb & Christabel had their very own father daughter dance too!  What father daughter dance is complete without a little acrobatics here and there?

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Time to party on the dance floor!

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Sparkler exit = awesome!  So much fun!

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A little sparkle for the road and it’s off to Sedona for the honeymoon!  They were literally driving away when Caleb grabbed this.  Way to make an exit Thompson’s!

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To see more photos from Amanda & Caleb’s wedding day, click on the “view slideshow” button below.  And don’t forget to leave us some love in the comment section at the bottom of the post!

To Amanda & Caleb: from the moment we met the two of you, it was clear that you guys were something special.  I doubt we’ll even forget that excited text message from you after our first meeting ;-)  You guys ROCK!  We are so honored that you chose us to be a part of your day.  Now it’s time to relax and enjoy being married!  May God bless you abundantly and always remain the source and the center of all that you are!  We heart you guys!

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Amanda & Caleb’s wedding was so much fun for us!  Having just shot their Sedona bridal session the week before, we knew exactly what to expect from their wedding day and it did not disappoint!  It was completely filled with joy, love and countless beautiful memories.  Amanda & Caleb met while attending a bible study at their church.  Their relationship is so  special and God centered.  You could really see the evidence of their faith and God’s blessings throughout the whole event.  We are so glad that they choose us to capture it!

(Please sign the guestbook if you’d like to be notifed when the rest of their photos are online.)

The day began at Christ Church of the Valley where the happy couple was preparing for the day.  Love this shot of Amanda’s dress.  CCV was a great place to shoot.  It’s HUGE and has lots of colors and textures and a variety of backdrops for all sorts of photos.  One of the coolest churches we’ve had the pleasure of photographing in a long time!

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How cute are these?  Love the fun dangling rhinestones on the straps of her shoes!

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Amanda’s daughter Christabel was their flower girl.  Love this sweet moment between them as she was showing Christabel how to drop the petals as she walked down the isle.

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How awesome is this shot of Caleb’s brother Christian?  Hilarious!  Ryan snagged this as the guys were getting ready.  Everyone kept commenting that Christian totally looks like Caleb’s identical twin with a little more hair :-)

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The bouquets, created by the talented Sara Skinner at Bliss Occasions, were so fun!  Love the great mix of colors and the variety of flowers that complimented each other so well.

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Their second First Look was just as sweet as the first time around.  Even though they had already seen each other in their wedding attire for the bridal session, it was really important to them that they had some time alone before the ceremony.  A first look worked out to be the perfect way to spend some time together and take in the day before things got started.

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Yep.  We lucked out with these two :-)

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Love the great mix of greens and yellows in this next shot.

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Say cheese!  Christabel was proudly showing off that she had just lost a tooth :-)

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We had a lot of fun shooting their bridal party.  Such a great group!

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This was a first.  The guys came up with the idea to do a “peeing on the wall” shot!  I was shooting the girls while all the male bonding was going on, but I laughed pretty hard when Ryan told me about this shot.  Gotta, say, I’m kinda lovin’ the results!  Ha ha ha!

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As Ryan was taking some candid shots prior to start of the ceremony, he discovered that he has his own little paparazzi!  Their wedding was just full of great little moments like this one.

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Can’t you just feel the anticipation in this shot as Caleb waits to make Amanda his wife?

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Caleb’s reaction as Amanda & her Dad came down the isle.  He was one happy guy!

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No wonder he was smiling :-)

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The ceremony was so heartfelt and sweet, especially with Caleb’s Dad acting as the minister.

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Just after taking communion, they shared a few quiet moments together in prayer.

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There’s one thing that you may or may not have noticed about their bridal session – there are no shots of them kissing!  Well, that’s because they didn’t.  Early on in their relationship, they decided to make the commitment to each other and to God to not kiss until their wedding day.  So as you can imagine . . . everybody was pretty anxious to get to the “you may now kiss the bride” part of the ceremony!

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It was pretty cute how much Caleb’s Dad playfully “dragged” out his final remarks, knowing it was so important to them.  So we decided to take a little lesson from him and make all of you wait for it too!  Come back and visit our blog tomorrow for the big kiss and part II of Amanda & Caleb’s wedding!

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The day that Caleb asked Amanda to marry him, he had an elaborate plan. They would drive up to Sedona and spend a romantic day together in one of their favorite places . . . and then he would pop the question. Well, things didn’t exactly go as planned. On the way up to Sedona, the car broke down. They ended up in Cottonwood and had to wait around for the car issues to get resolved. Not exactly what he had in mind. In a last ditch effort to salvage the day, they decided on a sunset picnic by a lake. Frustrated that the day had taken a turn for the worse, Caleb had pretty much decided to save the proposal for another time, but there was just one thought that he couldn’t seem to shake. While he had been upset and stressed about all the issues they had encountered, Amanda has just rolled with the punches and been totally upbeat and positive. Her attitude in the midst of such a mess was just another confirmation that she would be an amazing wife. As the sun went down, he realized that the day God had planned was even more perfect than what he had imagined. And of course, underneath a star filled night sky, she said “Yes!”

We feel so blessed to be able to tell love stories like theirs. Not only are Amanda & Caleb deeply in love with one another, they also know that it’s because God has brought them together. That is one AMAZING love story if you ask me! Today, on the day that this blog will post, they will become man and wife :-) We had the huge pleasure of hanging out with these two last Saturday to capture their bridal session. And since it is one of their favorite places, we thought it made perfect sense to do their photos among the iconic red rocks of Sedona.

(Please sign the guestbook if you’d like to be notifed when the rest of their photos are online.)

The day began at the Los Abrigados Resort. Their first look was soooo sweet and totally filled with emotion. I swear they forgot that we were even there!

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They were so in the moment, we didn’t want to interrupt them to start doing some portraits! Adorable :-)

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These two were such a joy to shoot all day. I mean seriously, how adorable is this?

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You know it’s going to be a good day when you get shots like this within the first 10 minutes :-) Absolutely love this shot that Ryan took. Pretty sure that this will be a canvas print hanging in our studio someday.

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Next we headed over to Tlaquepaque. Amanda really wanted to find a spiral staircase. We weren’t sure that there would be one in the area but we thought it was worth a look around to see what we could find.

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We had been in the area for maybe 10 minutes when all of a sudden, we started to feel rain drops . . . uh-oh. We headed to this little tunnel for cover and just as we got inside we realized that it was not only raining, but it was actually HAILING! In typical Amanda & Caleb fashion, the two lovebirds made the best of their downtime with a bit of snuggling. Not a care in the world :-)

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One of the store owners nearby happened to notice us and asked if we wanted to come into her store to get out of the weather. “You may even want to take some photos in here actually” she said, ” The store is really cool – I even have a spiral staircase.” You would think getting stuck in a hail storm during a bridal session would be a bad thing, but not for us. We had somebody looking out for us all along and HE was determined to lead us right where we needed to be :-)

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After a short hail delay, we were able to venture back out for a few more shots before heading to our next location. This is another one of my favorites from the whole day! Love the moody feel and their sweet embrace.

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On our way to Red Rock Crossing, we pulled over and hiked up a hill to take advantage some classic Sedona views!

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We heart these two!

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Another favorite :-) Love their interaction.

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We finally made it creek side. By this time the sun was setting pretty fast, but the scene was just amazing.

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I think this photo is proof that my husband is hillarious. I don’t know what he said, but it must have been pretty funny to get this laugh! (Maybe it was his, “You’re gonna love these pictures” song?

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Gorgeous couple + beautiful setting = Photo Heaven

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Um-Yeah. They can work it too!

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Love the texture of the ground in this one. And the trees too. It feels very “wintery”.

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All for of us were having so much fun we weren’t really ready to stop shooting, but sadly, we did eventually run out of sunlight. Boo.

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To check out more photos from their session, click on the slideshow button below and make sure to stay tuned for their wedding day photos coming to the blog soon!

To Amanda & Caleb: we feel so honored that you choose us to capture such precious memories. Your love is so beautiful and pure. We have full confidence that God will bless your marriage in ways you can’t even imagine! We enjoyed our time together so much and can’t wait to watch you two make it official!

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“We want to get married at our church, but it’s not very pretty and we’re afraid we’re going to miss out on having great photos.”

“We want awesome shots of us as a couple, but we also don’t want to miss out on spending time with our family and friends on our wedding day.”

“We are on a tight budget so we’re having a friend take photos on our wedding day, but we really want to have a professional take the most important shots – the ones of us as a couple.”

The answer: A Bridal Session!

A bridal session is a portrait session of a couple in their bridal attire on a day other than their wedding day. These types of sessions can take place before or after the wedding. The concept may be a little untraditional, but it can also be the perfect solution for couples struggling with how photography will play a role in their big day. In addition to that, we LOVE to shoot them! We decided that rather than have us tell you how awesome bridal sessions are, we’d have some of our past clients do it for us! We sent a little survey to three of our awesome couples and here’s what they had to say about their experience . . .

Why did you choose a bridal session?

Meghan & Matt: We choose the bridal session for two reasons: we wanted to get some great photos of Matt and I in our wedding attire and secondly, we wanted our wedding day to just be about our love and sharing that love with friends and family. The bridal session enabled us to get amazing wedding photos with many different poses and backdrops without worrying about taking time away from the activities on our actual wedding day. On our wedding day we had no idea when photos were being taken, we were simply in the moment. I think that’s the way it should be!

Julie & Jimmy: We decided to do a bridal session to eliminate stress and pressure from the day of our wedding. I wanted our photo session to be a personal, intimate time as a couple that did not have the pressure of time and schedule. We also had the chance to use a unique location for our bridal session other than our actual wedding venue. In addition, taking photos on the day of the wedding keeps your guests waiting around and getting impatient so we wanted to minimize that too.

Katie & Justin: We chose a bridal session for many reasons, but primarily to allow us to have a variety of backdrops for our wedding photos. We knew our backyard would be a great ceremony site, but did not offer many photo backdrops. By choosing a bridal session we could choose a location that reflected our personalities and taste. On top of that, by shooting our photos before the wedding we were able to spend more time taking our photos and enjoying our wedding day with our family and friends. After all, you pay for the wedding you should be there to enjoy it, right?

How did you choose the setting for your session?

Meghan & Matt: We choose Sedona for our bridal session because that’s where we were getting married. We originally choose Sedona because that’s where Matt proposed while we were in college :)

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Julie & Jimmy: We were blessed to have someone volunteer their amazing old fashion 1920′s car and their beautiful home and landscape for our photo session. The scenery and old car totally fit the classical big band theme of our wedding. Our second location was a suggestion from Ryan and Denise. The resort had a great variety of backgrounds and was very clean so I we wouldn’t have to worry about getting my dress too dirty.

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Katie & Justin: We were very conflicted on what type of location we wanted for our bridal session. Justin wanted an intimate location well known to us. I wanted a picturesque location with a lot of background options. Ryan & Denise listened to our needs and came up with the perfect place – Jerome, AZ. With the small town Arizona feel that we love, we were able to have the best of both worlds.

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Tell us about your “first look”. What was it like? What kind of emotions did you experience?

Meghan & Matt: The “first look” was AMAZING! I was filled with excitement to see my handsome soon to be husband in his tux. I have to admit, I did get a little teary eyed. It’s a magical moment meant just for the bride and groom (I will remember the look on Matts face forever).

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Julie & Jimmy: (Jimmy) I was anixous to see her and when I did she looked so beautiful. She was breath taking. (Julie) The thing I liked about the first look was that I had the freedom to react and have personal moments with Jimmy. Our first look was filled with tears, hugs and some sass ;-) I have such amazing photos capturing a progression of emotions that I would not have been able to express while walking down the aisle. Our first look photos captured our personality and approach to each other; they are some of my favorite ones.

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Katie & Justin: When we were deciding whether to do a bridal session, I had been worried about our “first look” not being at the ceremony. Would the ceremony still be as special? Absolutely yes. Seeing my husband waiting for me at the top of the aisle was an exciting moment that our “first look” could have never changed. Our first look was in a park in the heart of Jerome, AZ, just a few days before our wedding. Ryan & Denise scouted the location before the “first look” in order to find a gorgeous and intimate backdrop. They thought of every detail in choosing the location – from the ivy enveloped staircase straight from a fairy tale to the perfect lighting. When I arrived at the top of the staircase, Justin was faced away from me. Justin and I were both giddy with excitement about this moment. We had looked forward to it almost as much as our wedding day. When it was time for me to call Justin’s name to turn around, I couldn’t stop giggling. Knowing I was there, Justin turned and smiled. We kissed and we laughed. It was the perfect start to our wedding weekend.

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What was the most memorable part of the experience?

Meghan & Matt: We loved hanging out with Ryan and Denise and coming up with all kinds of different photo ideas. The most memorable for me was getting in the water with our wedding attire on . . . burr! I love the pictures and it was so fun! Ryan and Denise were troopers, and they even got partially into the water too!

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Julie & Jimmy: The most memorable part was probably our first look. Also, there are so many fun moments we had with the old fashion car. One of my favorite moments I did not even know was being captured till I saw the photos. There is a great shot of me resting in Jimmy’s arms during a break when we didn’t even know they were shooting!

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Katie & Justin: Because of our location, we were able to walk around and explore on foot. We found stairways, courtyards, benches, windows, and nooks that we felt were our very own; each one was a special memory. We remember the bench that seemed sculpted from ivy and twinkle lights, the jungle gym where we played (yes, in our suit & dress!), the baby blue VW bug behind the “No Trespassing” sign, and the inconspicuous parking lot with the amazing view. Our bridal session became a memory in itself, apart from our wedding day.

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Would you recommend this type of session to another couple and why?

Meghan & Matt: I would highly recommend a bridal session to other couples. Actually, my advice would be that it’s mandatory. The bridal session decreases stress and increases happiness on your big day!

Julie & Jimmy: Absolutely! By doing a bridal session, we were able to have multiple locations outside of our wedding location. We were also able to have personal intimate time on a relaxed schedule taking away the pressure of our wedding day. We have photos of intimate moments and photos that capture how we interact over just posed shots.

Katie & Justin: In talking to my married friends, many regret that they rushed their photos in order to get to their reception. They were often disappointed by the number of photos or the lack of variety. By choosing a bridal session we didn’t have to sacrifice the number or quality of the photos. The bridal session allowed us snuggle and kiss for an entire day AND experience our entire wedding reception. I wouldn’t have had it any other way.

For more information about bridal sessions, feel free to email us at studio@simplyknotphotos.com.

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So here they are, in no particular order . . .

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Don’t forget to tell us which ones are your favorites by leaving a comment below!

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(In order from left to right)

Christina & Cory:

Your first look was one of the sweetest and most emotional we’ve had the pleasure of witnessing!  We’ll never forget the look on Cory’s face and the happy tears he cried at seeing Christina for the first time.  You were so adorable and so in love with each other all day long.  It warmed our hearts just to be apart of it.  And we also have to give props to the awesome garter removal featuring the surprise appearance of the “octuplets”.  Hilarious!

Lauren & Chris:

Your whole wedding day was such a blast . . . because you guys ROCK of course!  Your ceremony was so sweet and emotional – happy tears make us happy :-)  But the moment that stands out the most in our minds was when you guys broke out into your little semi-choreographed dance to the Grease medley during the reception!  It was so much fun to watch you guys having the time of your lives, not to mention the priceless reactions of your families and friends.  We just loved it!

Melissa & Bryan:

Your reception was probably one of the most amazingly fun, crazy dance parties we’ve ever witnessed!  It was endlessly entertaining and hilarious to watch you and your families rockin’ out on the dance floor.  We never would have pegged you two as the dancing stars you are so it was so awesome to see you having such a blast out there.  We also really loved how much you included the boys in your day and made sure that it was a really special day for them too.  You’re such a beautiful family!

Rachel & Manny:

There were a lot of great moments from your day, but our favorite moments were during the time we got to spend with just the two of you out shooting your portraits.  You guys were so great to work with and totally open to our ideas, even when we dragged you out into a dark, scary tunnel!  You both just loved on each other and soaked up every moment together – it made our jobs so easy!  If you remember, your wedding was on our very own 5 year wedding anniversary, so we have to give props to you both for choosing an awesome day to get married.  Thanks for helping us celebrate!

Meghan & Matt: (Bridal Session & Wedding)

Your day was by far the most unique of all our 2009 weddings because it was so untraditional.  So many great moments!  From Meghan and her sisters bawling as they all walked down the isle, to the very special furry “ring bearers” to your awesome choreographed first dance . . .  it was such a memorable day.  And we’ll never forget climbing into Oak Creek with you guys during your bridal session and the surprise Beatles serenade!

Melissa & Ryan:

You guys were so laid back and relaxed, it was such a pleasure to be around you all day.  Our favorite moment from your wedding would have to be just after the ceremony.  There were a few hiccups and technical difficulties during the ceremony, but the two of you didn’t care a bit!  As you guys came in out of the heat to sign your marriage license, you just laughed and basked in the excitement of being married!  That’s what it’s really all about!

Amanda & Alex:

Your wedding was super special overall because of our history together.  I still can’t believe that you’re all grown up and married!  There were countless wonderful memories from your day since we got to share it among so many old friends, but one that stands out in our minds is Amanda and her girls singing “Sweet Caroline” and soaking up the cool air from our little blue fan while you were getting on your dress.  Such a beautiful day!

Dasia & Scott:

Your wedding was the picture of class and timeless style and it fit you both perfectly!  Our favorite memory from your day would have to be setting up the Annie Leibovitz style portrait with your families after the ceremony.  It was such a fun and exciting challenge for us and the results totally paid off!  The whole group was so trusting and easy to work with.  We still can’t believe that we got your sisters to sit on the floor in their amazing gowns without the slightest hesitation.

Bianca & John:

Working with you both on your wedding day was such a joy.  Our favorite memory of the big day has got to be the time we spent taking portraits on the roof after your ceremony!  The atmosphere was just magical up there and we had so much fun shooting with you guys!  And of course, how many other couples would request photos in a bathtub?  That in itself is a pretty awesome memory.  You guys ROCK!

Katie & Justin: (Bridal Session & Wedding)

Where to begin?  The whole day we spent together in Jerome is full of so many great memories!  Your sweet and giggly first look and our many attempts to avoid being arrested for trespassing are at the top of the list for sure!  And the day of your wedding . . . the whole atmosphere was so warm and full of love.  You guys made us feel like part of the family.  We will always remember the joy it brought to our hearts to watch you exchange your vows and become man and wife.

Jennifer & Devin:

This one’s easy – your first kiss!  Hands down the BEST FIRST KISS EVER!  You guys rocked it and we feel so blessed that we got the chance to capture it for you.  Thank you for being such an amazing and godly couple.  Oh and you guys sure know how to own a dance floor!  Wow!  It’s always hard for a photographer to be on the other side of the lens, so we feel honored that you so willingly put your faith and trust in us!  Thank you for letting us share in such a wonderful day.

Jessica & Terrence:

We felt so bad for you guys that it ended up being so unseasonably hot on your wedding day!  No matter how uncomfortable it got though you guys were so upbeat and just kept enjoying your day together.  Our favorite moment from your day was probably your first dance!  You both just looked like you were having the time of your lives out there in each other’s arms.  And of course all the hours of gettin’ down on the dance floor after that were pretty great too!  You guys sure threw a great party . . . complete with silly mustaches and just a little bit of broken glass ;-)

Amy & Bryant:

We had so much fun with you guys, especially shooting your portraits at the Aloft, but the moments that stick out in our heads the most are the ones that made us laugh!  A few classics: Amy sneaking up on Bryant for your first look, when Bryant pulled out his own pen to sign the marriage license during the ceremony and of course, the pre-cake feeding hand sanitizer!  We really loved that you made your wedding about who you are as people and as a couple.  We also love looking back through the shots of you guys reacting to the toasts.  I don’t think we’ve ever seen a persons face so red!  Such good times!

Amie & Ted:

Your big day was so pleasantly laid back and relaxed – just like the two of you!  Our favorite memories from your day have to be from the time we spent walking around the Biltmore shooting portraits of you as a couple.  It was so much fun to incorporate Ted’s guitar and capture what a special couple you are.  We also really enjoyed your families and friends.  Everyone was so wonderful to be around and treated us with so much warmth and welcome.  It was a beautiful setting and a gorgeous day – we feel honored that we got to share it with you.

Vanessa & TJ: (Bridal Session & Wedding)

What a great way to end our 2009 season!  Hanging out with the two of you for your bridal session and wedding day was such a blast.  We knew going in that you guys were nervous about your photography experience, but boy, we’ll never understand why!  You were both total naturals in front of the camera and your sweet love for each other made our jobs so easy.  It’s hard to pick out a particular moment because we really enjoyed the entire time!  It meant so much to us to have your family and friends tell us that you raved about your bridal session at your rehearsal dinner.  We look back very fondly on all the moments we got to share with you guys!

As you can see, we kinda like all of you guys!  A lot!  Thank you for allowing us to be a part of your lives and giving us the honor of telling your story!

And to all of our 2010 couples . . . we can’t wait to have all kinds of fun stories about all of you next year!  It’s gonna be AWESOME!

Happy New Year Everybody!!!

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What was that?  You want to see more photos of the adorable Vanessa & TJ?  Well okay then.  Here you go!  These two lovebirds tied the knot at the Mesa LDS Temple the day after we shot their bridal session.  Right around noon, they emerged as the newly minted Mr. & Mrs. Stone to the happy cheers of family and friends waiting outside.  Yay!!!

(Please sign the guestbook if you’d like to be notifed when the rest of their photos are online.)

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Awww . . . married at last :-)

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Check out TJ & his groomsmen!  How fun are the suspenders, right?

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And I just love this shot of Vanessa & her girls – They were having so much fun!

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Once all the formalities were through, we snuck them away for a few portraits around the temple.

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I probably don’t say it enough, but I love shooting with my hubby :-)  It’s so cool that when you work with us you get two creative minds behind the camera.  We each have a unique take on things so you get twice the amount of awesomeness in any given photo opportunity.

Here’s what Ryan was shooting . . .

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. . . while I was shooting this.  Double the awesome :-)

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Here’s my take on this scene . . .

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. . . while Ryan, with his telephoto lens, was seeing this.  So fun!

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And of course, we just had to show off Vanessa’s handy work for their ring shot.

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Later that day, we headed out to their church in Glendale for the reception.  Tracie of “We Do! We Do!” Weddings and Events did an amazing job with the decor.

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I especially loved the ceiling.  The lights made for a great backdrop for this cake shot.

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The first dance.

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LOVE this shot of the happy couple dancing –  just having the time of their lives :-)

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Make sure to check out a slideshow for more photos from their bridal session and wedding day by clicking on the button below!

Vanessa & TJ: we had so much fun with you guys!  We hope you enjoy your photos and will look back fondly on the time you spent taking them.  Best wishes from one set of high school sweethearts to another :-)

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Vanessa & TJ are the definition of a “cute couple”.  We had so much fun getting to know them while shooting their bridal session and wedding last week!  They both live in Utah so we didn’t actually get the chance to meet until the beginning of their session on Friday, but that didn’t stop the four of us from hitting it off!  They met and started dating in high school while they were both living in Arizona and then went off to college together in Utah.  Being high school sweethearts ourselves, we liked them immediately :-)  We met up at Scottsdale Civic Plaza to wander around old town Scottsdale for their bridal portraits.  They had mentioned to us on the phone that they were really nervous about being photographed . . . and of course, once they were out posing for us we discovered that they were total naturals!  I mean seriously, look at these two – they’re adorable!  And so in love . . . all we had to do was tell these two lovebirds to focus on each other and capturing great images was a piece of cake!  Here are some of our favorites from their session:

(Please sign the guestbook if you’d like to be notifed when the rest of their photos are online.)

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So cute!  Vanessa only has eyes for TJ :-)

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Vanessa is a florist and did all the flowers for their wedding.  They turned out awesome!  I just loved the bright, fun color palette.  It totally fit their personalities.

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Love this portrait Ryan shot of Vanessa . . .

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While I was shooting from up here.

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Love it!

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The handsome groom :-)

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That’s right, these two are so HOT they have to hang out in the fire lane!

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What an adorable pair :-) It’s no wonder they were High School Prom King and Queen.  Talk about meant to be.

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Love the great connection between them in this one.

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Not sure I can even say why, but I think this one is my favorite :-)

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We totally love it when our grooms go outside the traditional black tux . . . TJ rocked it with his gray suit!

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Work it!

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I’ll never know how he always manages to do this so well, but Ryan basically just set his camera on the ground in front of them and nailed this next shot.  I totally love that TJ’s carrying her dress in it too.  He was super sweet and worked so hard to make sure she would be nice and clean for the big day on Saturday.  You’ve got a keeper there Vanessa!

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We scored some beautiful soft light towards the end of their session.  It makes this shot so warm and yummy :-)

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I think this last one pretty much sums it up . . .

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To Vanessa & TJ: Thanks so much for making our jobs so easy!  And for everyone else, there’s a lot more of this cute couple coming to the blog very soon!

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