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Hey there, and welcome to the JWP blog! We are a photography team based in Iowa, and we hope you’ll enjoy viewing some of our most recent weddings, as well as the many tips we have for couples. You can also enjoy some of our business and educational resources for photographers.
Courtney and Sam met during the pandemic and it wasn’t long before they were planning to get married. Their wedding was at Carper Winery in the fall
Catlin and Ryan married in September surrounded by close family and friends. Their intimate day started by getting ready at Hotel Fort Des Moines where the girls got ready in a gorgeous space filled with natural light. We started the morning by creating these beautiful images of their details and had brilliant pops of color from their boutonnières. After Ryan arrived, we did a first look out on the sidewalk in front of the historic hotel with the gorgeous architecture as the backdrop. Emotions were high for this long awaited moment for these two. We then had so much fun exploring all of the hidden spots at Hotel Fort Des Moines. The staircase, ballroom, lobby and speak easy offer endless spots for portraits.
Their ceremony was held at The Rose Garden behind the Des Moines Art Center on historic Grand Avenue. It is a perfect venue for a small wedding. After dating for many years this was the moment they had waited for. It was a very special ceremony and finally they were married! Their reception venue, The Reinhardt Room is a perfect blend of all the right elements, historic, glamorous and chic. Honey and Joy did a great job with the vintage furniture and stunning table scapes which set the tone for their celebration. Ryan and Catlin had a most incredible day and we were honored to be a part of it
Imagine this for your wedding day: you’ve planned a beautiful celebration with the love of your life, gorgeous florals are in place, the weather is perfect, your makeup is finished, and you’re ready for your mother to help you put on your wedding gown. Your photographer arrives to begin the day with photographing a few of your personal details and then, your worst nightmare happens: all of those details, including the heirloom family bible, your fun wedding shoes, and BOTH sets of wedding bands are gone. Gone gone. They are nowhere to be found. Not in the car, the venue, the hotel room…this was how Gracie & Tom’s wedding day started when I first arrived at the Des Moines Heritage Center on a late fall morning. All of the joy and anticipation of their day was taken over by a sudden vacuum of emotions. Their most treasured and personal parts of their wedding day had literally been stolen from them
Today, I’m so excited to share one of the most STUNNING fall weddings I’ve ever photographed: Sam and Gabby’s fall Country Lane Lodge wedding in Adel, just to the west of Des Moines. We had perfect fall colors, a beautiful couple, and a very relaxed wedding day. Sam And Gabby wanted an easy going day, and that is exactly how I would describe the mood throughout the day. A wonderful celebration, with no stress – it was perfect!
Carly and Nate got married on a beautiful fall day in Des Moines Iowa. We think you will agree that Jasper Winery was a great choice for the venue as you take a look through the images of their day. The outdoor ceremony space is beautiful with the white chairs and a backdrop of tall grasses and the vineyard. They enjoyed perfect weather and were able to have their reception and dinner indoors and they held their dance party outside under the tent with the most romantic lighting.
This couple loves to have fun and their dance party did not disappoint. There were so many hilarious yet special moments throughout their day that they will remember forever. Their first look was so sweet and Carly was stunning in her lace gown from Grace Loves Lace. The ceremony The vineyard and grounds at Jasper Winery left us with no shortage of beautiful images and scenery from their day. We wish them all the best for their future together!
Alyssa and Brandon had the most perfect weather for a fall engagement session in downtown Des Moines, Iowa. We started on the steps of the old state library building which has the most beautiful white arched architecture. We then crossed the street to find perfect fall colors on the lawn of the State Capital building. Next we stopped off at the bridge to capture them with some of the downtown skyline and city scape beind them and got some classic shots of them crossing the street. Alyssa’s wrap dress was perfect for this and the color added to the classic element of their session.
After growing up together in the same small town Austin and Allison didn’t start dating until college. Their parents were friends and they often socialized together as kids. Once they started dating it didn’t take long for them to know that this was meant to be.
Austin planned and coordinated the most epic surprise proposal. Allison was enjoying a girls night out at a winery in Indiana while Austin was supposedly back home in another state. When she and her friends were offered a tour of the winery, she was shocked to find Austin awaiting her with a ring! He even hired a photographer to capture the moment!
As a Des Moines wedding photographer, one of the most common questions I am asked by couples is who I would recommend for them as a wedding videographer. In the last 4 years, it has become much more common for us to work with videographers at the majority of our weddings.
We love working with talented videographers with as much passion for their craft as us, and we always help recommend some of the best videographers in our area.
Today, I’m going to share our best tips for choosing the RIGHT videographer for your wedding day.
Devon and Sam have been in Chicago for a few years, so when they asked me to travel to them for their engagement session, anyone who knows me would know how excited I was. I looooooooove Chicago. Other than the traffic, it is one of my favorite places. Always something to do, insanely beautiful locations for photographs, and the most genuine people you’ll ever meet. Including these two!
Devon and Sam met through work, and even though they were long distance for a while (she was working for the company in NYC and he was Chicago-based) they found a way to stay together through it all. As an east coast native, Devon eventually relocated to Chicago to be closer to Sam. Fast forward a few years, and one family-trip to Florida, complete with staged “family photos” on the beach that turned into a proposal, and now they are planning their Iowa wedding where Sam’s family lives!
We had the most perfect early fall day for their photos – quite possibly the best Chicago weather I’ve ever had. Seriously, they lucked out!
We began their session just around their neighborhood, which was just starting to have fall colors.
While the majority of our couples choose to have a first look where they see each other before their ceremony, we have a few each year who choose to go the “traditional” route and have the aisle moment where the groom sees the bride walking down the aisle, and that’s her first glimpse of her. I’ve already written about reasons to have a first look, but for those who really want to keep that special aisle moment, this blog post is for you!
Today, we’re sharing our best tips for couples who are planning NOT to do a first look, that way you have a smooth and stress-free day!
Alaina and Jeff had their engagement session in early October in Grinnell. First, I love love love when couples trust me 100% and are ready for anything. When Alaina and Jeff said they wanted a more editorial vibe, and almost ALL of her inspiration photos were from a minimalistic studio – I was all for it. I love what we came up with during our time in the studio!
Check out a few of my favorites in this blog post….
Timeless & Chic
timeless as your marriage
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