kimberli & mark - april 19, 2008

it's common knowledge that i love my weddings and my brides and grooms and i love gushing about their weddings on the blog. before i start with this one, i have to confess my bias because this one was for family. specifically for my husband's family. the groom was his cousin mark and the bride was mark's perfect match, kim. i feel so honored and flattered that they wanted me as their photographer. after nine years together, mark and kim definitely made sure the wedding was an event for the ages.

the couple:






the bride:


the groom:


i caught up with the girls getting ready. here's kim getting makeup touched up:


the flower girl wasn't quite into the whole primping thing:


the rings:


their first glances:



the ceremony:




kim and mark aren't the type to just walk down the aisle. they danced:


between the ceremony and reception, we grabbed a few shots in downtown saint cloud:




at the reception:


there were lots of laughs and tears during the slideshow:


father-daughter dance:


mother-son dance:


just adding to all the personal touches, their first dance song was sung by their junior bridesmaid (who almost stole the stage from the bride and groom ;-) and mark's brother greg played guitar.


and to top off the incredible party, the groom and his brother's band took the stage for a killer set that included o.a.r. and weezer.


rocking the reception:


congratulations to a great couple that i am fortunate to be able to call family:

benefit for lauryn freundl - saturday may 3

Spaghetti Dinner/Silent Auction
Sat, May 3^rd, 2008 6-8pm
St. Mary’s School, Owatonna, MN

lauryn freundl is an amazing, beautiful girl who was diagnosed with spinal muscular atrophy type I (or sma) on sept. 2007 when she was only 4 months old.

sma is a genetic disease characterized by the dramatic loss of spinal cord motor neurons which causes muscle weakness, atrophy, paralysis - and in the worst cases - the loss of the ability to swallow and breathe. it is not as rare of a disorder as many people might think. approximately 1 in 6000 babies born are affected, and about 1 in 40 people are genetic carriers. sma type I is the the leading genetic killer of children under the age of two.

lauryn had surgery to place a feeding tube and also sleeps with a breathing machine at night. her parents take turns working during the week so one of them can be at home to care for lauryn and her big sister, natalie. their home has needed to be renovated and they have needed to purchased a larger vehicle in order to accommodate lauryn’s needs. to help lauryn's family, her aunt april who was married last may , along with her family, have helped organize a benefit for lauryn and her family to help with these costs. as april says, "she continues to light up our lives with her smiles and giggles and we continue to pray for a miracle everyday!"

i am so fortunate that i was able to visit lauryn and her family at their home outside of des moines, iowa and see what a beautiful little girls she and her big sister natalie are and see how much love fills their home.

the sisters:

it was a pretty eventful day at their home as lauryn received a wheelchair that was custom to fit her size and mobility. here is her big sister helping her out:
lauryn was a little cautious of the stranger in her house with the big camera on such a busy day. here she is warming up a bit and flashing those beautiful brown eyes:

lauryn and her dad:

she adores elmo and her face just lights up when she sees that cute red guy:

natalie is a natural in front of the camera:

and catching some air:

watching her sister as she takes a nap in her room, fitted with the BiPAP breathing machine.

sisters being silly:

thanks for making me feel so welcome and letting me photograph such precious little girls. i look forward to seeing you this weekend! to read more about lauryn and see some more pictures, including her elmo-themed first birthday party, visit their caring bridge site:
http://www.caringbridge.org/visit/laurynfreundl

again, the benefit is this saturday may 30 in owatonna at saint mary's school located on 730 south cedar. donations are accepted and there also will be a silent auction. i will also be making a $20 donation for every children's portrait session that is booked in may to lauryn and her family.

five years, baby!

i feel most comfortable behind the camera, so really haven't posted any pictures of myself on my blog (except for those of my backside as i am shooting)

i am, however, pretty excited to share this one on the eve of celebrating our fifth wedding anniversary. this is me and my husband matt on our wedding day.
i think we look kinda cute (and really young):



i thank my lucky stars every day that i am married to such a smart, cute, funny, silly, sweet, supportive man who i love more and more each year. thank you for the most wonderful five years.

we are taking a short trip to celebrate our little milestone and i will be out of the office this weekend 4/26-4/28 and will be returning on tuesday 4/29.

valerie & matthew - april 5, 2008

pastor dean from trinity lutheran church in owatonna pretty much summed it up in his sermon, "this is a couple that gets it." he was so right. valerie and matt are an amazing couple whose cute, upbeat personalities just complement each other so well and you can't help but smile when you are around them. their wedding day was a reflection of that and i was so proud to be able to be part of it.

some of my favorites of the bride and groom:








how can you not get some shots with an awesome veil?


the gang at timmer's did a fantastic job with the flowers. valerie and matt's choice of bright green and pink accnets were perfect colors for spring:




valerie attached her grandmother's necklace to her bouquet:


a moment between val and her mom:


making her grand entrance:


watching his beautiful bride come down the aisle:


the ceremony was full of smiles:


i love valerie's expression in this picture. matt surprised her with a little something extra with her ring and this was her first glimpse of it.


husband and wife:


valerie is an amazing pastry chef, and somehow with all the planning and bride duties she found time to share her talents with the guests at their wedding:


they also had a custom crossword puzzle for the guests:


watching the slideshow at the reception:


the first dance complete with bubbles:


and matt and val do a wicked spin move:


congratulations to a great couple. enjoy your summer with the new house and puppy!