carrie and kevin | boise, idaho wedding photographer, utah wedding photographer

you would think that two people getting married would love each other. duh. that's kind of the point. still, i found myself surprised at the tenderness with which carrie and kevin looked at each other. at the way they laughed together loud and hard. at how they seemed the perfect compliment for one another's personalities and that during their first dance, for just a few minutes, it seemed, i kid you not, like all the right forces in the universe had aligned.  photographing their wedding was a huge honor. i'm so lucky that i got to tell a story as beautiful as theirs with my camera.

most of the events of the day took place at the historic bishop's house in boise. i was in love with its soft, antique-ish, pastel palette

carrie's dress was absolutely incredible in its simplistic beauty. i believe she designed it herself and had it made. i can't imagine a dress more delicate or more perfect for carrie.

the ladies got ready in one of the charming little room's in the bishops house, and i'll confess right now: girls getting pretty and enjoying one another's company is one of my favorite things to photograph. there's a magic in the anticipation.

so sweet, carrie's sister in law was tearing up as she saw her in her dress.

everything about carrie is so adorably feminine and her shoes were no exception.

i just love the timelessness and feel of this shot.

some final touches.

i try to ask my brides to close their eyes for a moment and take a deep breath. i am in love with carrie's serene beauty here.

getting a little emotional

gasp, carrie, you take my breath away. seriously, who has such  natural grace?

okay, get a load of kev's super excited face.

i am totally a proponent of a first look before the ceremony. where else would we get teary, sweet moments like these?

cannot handle carrie's cuteness...

we headed out for some portraits in the hot hot hot sun. but sun? you're not quiiiiiite as hot as kevin.

in case you were wondering, they needed just about NO direction.

love the shot above on the left. this was martin's perspective while we were working with carrie and kev.

kevin was such a gentleman. again, totally not directed.

fyi, seven bridesmaids and six groomsman might suggest that people like carrie and kevin, ALOT.

loved the little touches at the bishop's house.

carrie and kevin's dog got a little side tracked when it was his turn to walk down the aisle. carrie, however kept her eye on the prize.

how firm do you think this handshake is between kevin and carrie's dad?

they were so, so happy.

how could i not have gotten a portrait of that dapper young man in the suit coat and tie. i hope his mother sees this.

toward the end of the night i couldn't help but steal carrie for a few more portraits. i am so happy she not only obliged me but then proceeded to ROCK the camera.

see, in this very moment, all was right in the world.

thank you again carrie and kevin. as my four year old myra would say, you make my heart happy.

cowboys and mountaintops | boise destination photographer, utah destination photographer

sun valley, id on a fourth of july weekend? yes, please. everyone in attendance shedding tears during the first dance (or maybe that was just me), sure thing. this is jill and joe. crazy in love, major laid back cool, and sharing moments that are astonishingly beautiful. they got married on a mountain top and it suited them.

i love her tiny baby bump

will you take my picture? |boise wedding photographer, ut wedding photographer

"will you take my picture?" that was the subject line in jillien's first email to me. what was i going to do, say "NO!"? of course not,  not just because as a general rule i try not to decline anyone who offers me money in exchange for photographs - she had won me over with that single quirky line. i'm so glad it all worked out. but you know what? its late. my head hurts.  i'm trying so hard to come up with a creative way to describe the connection between these two.....and....

no dice.

because how do you describe a connection between two people so strong that as a mere observer and practical stranger, i was moved to tears (more than once)?  okay, maybe just having a baby turns me into more of a cryer than i've previously admitted. or maybe that's how beautiful their relationship was.

i know i promised a follow up post of shiloh pictures, and this is kind of like that (not at all), because i photographed this beautiful wedding 12 days after his birth. i was nervous my entire pregnancy anticipating this feat? but it was absolutely lovely. and just so you know, i would have said that statement even if it wasn't available to the world wide web.

meet jillien. when she wasn't making eyes at her new husband, this was her resident expression: