Katie McDonald Photography

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!!!!

Ceremony and Reception- Vittoria Lodge

Cake and Cupcakes- The Bake Shoppe

DJ- Select Entertainment

Molly and Matt love their families almost as much as they love each other!!!! I don’t think that I have ever seen a wedding that was more family oriented!  From Molly bringing her niece to her first meeting with Matt to Matt’s parents’ hilarious skit…it was very family-centric!!!  What a better way to spend your wedding day than sharing your love with your family!!!  Even though it was unseasonably cold, we were able to use the amazing green spaces outside Vittoria Lodge for some great pictures!  Congrats again Molly and Matt!!!  From now on I will always think of you and your unique wedding when I see M&M’s!!!! : ) Here are some of my favs from their special day…..enjoy!!!!  

Church: Oakwood United Methodist Church

Reception: Toad Valley Golf Course

Flowers: Hy-Vee Pleasant Hill

Brandy is a super sweet, tid-bit shy, jeans and t-shirts kinda girl….so the whole wedding thing…with everyone’s eyes on her, overwhelmed her a little.  On wedding day she was soooo nervous….until she saw Scott for the first time.  After she saw him you could see her stress start to melt away.  That’s one of the signs of a great couple: that you can calm each other down or lift each other up….and Brandy and Scott certainly are a great couple!!!!  And for a t-shirt and jeans gal, Brandy BROUGHT IT on wedding day!!!  Everyone was just in awe of how beautiful and glamorous she was!!!  I loved working with Brandy and Scott, their families (especially her adorable niece) and the whole crew at Toad Valley!  Thanks Brandy and Scott for allowing me to be a part of your special day!!! Here are some of my favs from their day!!!  Enjoy!

Klaire and Brent’s wedding had: an awesome full Catholic Mass, the most gorgeous veil I’ve ever seen, a cornfield, a twin sister, a bride in cowboy boots, a groomsmen that looked like Dale Jr, The Scottish Rite, fraternity boys and gluten free cupcakes…what’s not to love???  I had the BEST time at Klaire and Brent’s wedding!  Their bridal party and families were amazing to work with and so much fun…and did I mention there were gluten free cupcakes???? : )  Klaire and Brent made photography a top priority on their big day, so we had oodles of time to shoot at various locations, which meant oodles of awesome pictures!!! So this blog post and the Facebook gallery are pretty image heavy….so grab a cocktail beverage, settle in and check out some of my many favs from their wedding!  Enjoy!!!

Church: St. John’s Catholic Church

Reception: The Scottish Rite

Bridal Dress: Bridal Connection

Transportation: PR Party Lines

Rentals: Classic Events

DJ: Grizzly Sound, Mobile Disc Jockey

Florist: Barb Osborn

Catering: Comfort Foods Catering

Cake and GF Cupcakes: Homemade Baked Goods and Wedding Cakes by Darcy & Karrie

Have you ever bought something online and then wondered if it was really a good purchase?  Well that’s sort of how I think Alex and Ashley must have felt about me….you see, they booked me site unseen, having never actually met me in person!!!  So I was a little nervous upon meeting them for the first time.  But luckily we meshed like peanut butter and marshmallow fluff…. Awesomely!!!  And it’s not just because Ashley is equally as obsessed with her cell phone as I am with mine, hard to believe I know! ; )  Ashley and Alex had a very family oriented, intimate wedding that was just fab!  Their ceremony was at noon so we went out downtown early in the morning to do their photos.  This was a really nice change of pace for me, because for the first time this summer downtown wasn’t super crowded and it wasn’t hot!!!  I did, however, get us waaaaay lost because of the farmer’s market street closures!!!  Eh, what do you do? : )  Here are some of my fav images from their wedding!  Enjoy!!!