Your photos should feel like you. That’s why @jessicaalison7 messaged me last summer about a pizza and beer picnic. Check out their story + photos on the blog. (Link in bio)🧡 
I asked Olivia + Maria to share their proposal story with me. In Olivia’s own words: “this is our engagement story, messy, cute and funny.” “I got her ring, so of course our budget was going to be tight for a while. But I couldn’t tell Maria that. She kept saying she wanted to buy all these things for the apartment. And she wanted to throw all our Tupperware away. I had to convince her she couldn’t just do that. I finally told Maria that she couldn’t throw it all away because I had bought her a ring and we weren’t going to be able to afford new stuff right now. She didn’t really act surprised or upset, so I got really confused. I asked her about it, and she said she still wanted me to surprise her somehow. Later that day, I found her in the other room holding a ring box that looked a heckuva lot like mine. I immediately thought ‘you little brat, you found my ring?!’ Maria opened the box and I realized it wasn’t the ring I bought for her...it was the ring she bought for me in Mexico. She just borrowed the ring box from another friend because it was prettier than the box she had. I ran to go get the ring I bought for her, and here we are.” Messy. Cute. Funny. I love real life love stories. Drop your own engagement story in the comments below! 
“There is my heart, and then there is you, and I’m not sure there is a difference.” - a.r. asher 
What an incredible day at the @museagathering! I compiled a list from the notes I took today of all the photographers who inspire our speakers. I highly recommend following not only our incredible speakers (who are wildly talented themselves), but also the artists who inspire them. I’ve done my best to find all their websites and Instagram handles. @museagathering was incredibly soul-filling today. My journal is filled with pages of furious scribbles keeping up with all the wonderful information they kept dropping. And I have major FOMO for tomorrow’s breakout sessions. Unfortunately, I cannot attend them live, so I’m super grateful we get the recordings later. 🧡 Friends, the best thing we can do for ourselves as photographers is free ourselves from the silly rules. Stop trying to be perfect and start making work that will stand the test of time.🧡 
The traditions we pass down are not always Christmas sweaters and homemade popcorn on a Sunday night. More often, we pass down representations of love, grace and kindness. With delicate beauty, we teach those we care for how to care for others. 
I told my friend @theautumndog the other day that “someday” I want to niche down into backyard weddings or weddings in intimate + meaningful spaces. And she asked me, “Why someday? Why not start now?” She’s right, though. What am I waiting for? Why I am I waiting to chase that dream? There’s no reason to put off my hopes and dreams, especially regarding the career I love. So I’m putting this out there. I love all sorts of weddings. I don’t think there are wrong ways to have a wedding. I simply love and want to photograph more weddings in those intimate, meaningful settings. In the backyard of your childhood home. On the prairie that you seeded with your bare hands. At the restaurant where you had your first date. I love the connection of people and places, and I want to photograph more of that. If my dreams for weddings line up with your dreams for your wedding, let’s chat. Send me a message right here, or fill out the contact form via my website linked above. 
Second shooting allows us to capture the little details. The beading on a dress or the brides favorite flowers in their bouquet. These details are what makes each wedding unique. Capturing these details is something so easily overlooked yet something so important. second shoot for: @sincerelykadence 
One of my favorite moments on wedding days: admiring the ring 🧡 Second Shot for @sincerelykadence 
“la risa es el lenguaje del alma” - pablo neruda 
Started 2021 off with a celestial inspired styled shoot. I knew for a while I had wanted to do something featuring a crown and something a bit glam. I started planning by pinning some things to a Pinterest mood board and started really honing in on a vibe. And then: the stars of the heavens shined down on me and I found *the dress* on Instagram. My favorite local dress store (Freebird Bridal) had this dress in for a limited time only. So we raced to make magic happen. Katie and I always seem to pull together low key styled shoots at the last minute, and yet the results are always mind-blowing. (Not to pat myself on the back or anything... 😏) We picked up some champagne, borrowed fairy lights, and scrounged up some fanciful decor we had at home, enlisted Katie’s cousins to model, and wham bam styled shoot! Making friends in the wedding industry who also love to create on a whim and share visions with you is one of the best perks of being a self-employed creative. So so grateful for the vendor friends I meet along the way. Dress: @freebirdbridal Venue: @hie_dakotadunes Model: Malia Rains Photographer: @thecoecollective Assistant: @makenna.joyy 
amanda + henry elmwood park grotto, omaha nebraska january 2021 • I really love winter couples + engagement sessions. Like really really love them. It’s freaking cold, but snow is magical. And love is extraordinary. That’s all I really want in life: magic in the moments and extraordinary from the everyday. 🧡 
With giddy smiles and grateful hearts, we celebrate what lies ahead.