Katie McDonald Photography

Samantha and Adam are planning a wedding that, frankly I’m super excited about!  They are going to get married at the Capitol which I think is sooooo special and fantastic!!! They are a really in love and super fun couple and that was so evident during their engagement session!  We started at Water Works Park for some “family” pictures with their awesome pup Buckley and then went downtown to shoot some more urban inspired shots with Adam in his uniform.  And if their best man (who acted as dog wrangler, groom entertainer and Samantha’s personal stylist) is any indication….the wedding party is going to be a blast!  I am just thrilled to be working with them!  Here are some of my favs from their session…..Enjoy!

Ceremony: St. John’s Lutheran Church

Reception: Forte

DJ: ABCDJ

Stephanie, Kori, their bridal party and their families are the coolest people I know!  I kid you not, I could not have had more fun at Stephanie and Kori’s wedding had I been a guest!! I’ve gotten to know Stephanie and her family pretty well over the last year.  We met for coffee a lot to discuss their wedding and they kept me updated as they got everything planned and so I really felt like part of the whole wedding, not just the pictures!!  Stephanie and Kori decided not to see each other before the ceremony…they wanted that first moment he saw her coming down the aisle to be magical, and it totally was!!!  Kori was so nervous before the ceremony that he actually looked at me and said “Oh, Katie….I think I might throw up!!!!”  He was ADORABLE!!!  But all those nerves melted away when he got a glimpse at how unbelievable Stephanie looked!  The ceremony was perfect!!!  They had the most fun I’ve ever seen a wedding party have during the limo ride to the reception!!!  And their reception was out of this world!!!  The toasts were heartfelt and creative and musical….yes, musical!!!  The best man (who had K<3 S painted into his hair, btw) sang his very unique toast!  Once the formalities were over their guests really let loose!!! Their reception was for sure the best party in Des Moines that night!!!  I had a really hard time narrowing down my favorites from this wedding because it was so fun and every one involved was seriously gorgeous!!!  Thanks Stephanie and Kori for letting me share your wedding with you, you’re awesome!!!  And to the bride’s parents: yes, I still want you to adopt me! ; )  Here are my favs from this awesome wedding…..enjoy!!!   

 

 

Casi and Matt are adorable, like really, really adorable.  When I met with them the first time I felt like I was sitting across from a couple I cut out of a J.Crew catalog and taped to the booth at Panera!!  Casi was hard at work crafting save-the-date props for their session up until the night before and all her hard work totally paid off!  She worked that glue gun like a pro and so her props were simply adorable, just like them!!!  I am so excited for their Simon Estes wedding next September!!!  If they look this good in regular clothes (albeit perfectly styled regular clothes) I cannot imagine how gorgeous they will look in their wedding attire!!!  Here are some of my favs from their session….enjoy!!!

When I got into my car after my first meeting with Nicole and Matt I kept saying to myself (yes out loud, because I totally do that) over and over ‘Oh I hope they book me, oh I hope they book me!!!!’  I adored them from the get-go….they just seemed super fun and all kinds of awesome! And I quickly figured out during their engagement session that not only are they for sure all kinds of awesome… but they’re also funny, like REALLY funny!!!  We started out at Water Works Park for some fall foliage then headed downtown for some neat urban-ness!!  We were even able to end the session in a way that was totally ‘Nicole and Matt’!!! We used the building where they first met as a backdrop while Nicole wore her beloved Lady Gaga t-shirt!!!  I’m not sure I can wait until April for their wedding, I’m super pumped about it because it’s gonna be a blast!!!  Thanks guys for making work seem like anything but work!!!  Here are a few of my favs from their session…enjoy!!!!

I believe in fate.  I believe in soul mates.  Carmen and Jamie are soul mates that fate brought together…they met on a blind date!!!  Now if that’s not fate, I don’t know what is!  They are planning a fab spring wedding at one of my favorite venues, The Scottish Rite!!!  You guys were awesome to work with and I can’t wait ‘till wedding day!!!! Here are some of my favs from their engagement session….enjoy!!!!