BURLINGTON IOWA AUTUMN WEDDING AT THE LOFT

When I think about my 2018 wedding season, this is one of my faves.

Kaylea + Cowan are a real hometown kind of love story. They went to school together and had been together for a long time and all around you could just tell that they were BFF’s. So when it came time for Cowan to put a ring on it, they both knew that they wanted to celebrate in the small town they both loved. Add to the mix that Kaylea is obsessed with fall, it became clear just what season we’d be looking forward to: fall, fall, fall! Can’t say I blame her, it’s an amazing time of year in here Burlington, Iowa.

These two loved fall so much that they wanted to prioritize an outdoor wedding ceremony. Alas, as with most things in life, the Midwest forecast had something altogether different in mind—a cloudy, kinda cold and wet day. NO BIG DEAL. We audible’d the plan, moved their ceremony inside to the gorgeously renovated First United Methodist Church and you know what, I love how everything turned out. You’ve probably heard before that an overcast sky is a photographer’s best friend—you’d be correct, but it’s also YOUR best friend. There’s nothing like that clean, diffused gray light to make everyone’s skin look fresh and amazing.

Once the ceremony was over the rain had let up enough to let us head out to Crapo park for some fun autumn photos with the gang and on the way back towards downtown and their Loft on Jefferson reception, Kaylea + Cowan let me take them to the train yard (yeah, you read that right, the train yard) for some artistic portraits that I had been dying to do with an adventurous couple. These images would turn out to be some of my favorite portraits I’ve ever taken.

I wrote it on my insta at the time, but I’ll say it again: great images, for me, often come from total collaboration. Intensely moving images rarely happen by me just snapping a frame and boom, done wow, it’s so amazing. Photos like that are really born out of a melding of ideas, priorities and even spirits (yes, my couples and me are kindred spirits get used to it!). If Kaylea and Cowan hadn’t had TOTAL trust and faith in me, I would not have dared to create as much as I did. I know that. Those magic words they spoke to me over and over “We totally trust you, what’s the idea?” are words all artists are dying to hear.

Have I turned this blog post into a teaching moment? Lil bit. I’ll shut up now. Enjoy this gorgeously modern take on an autumn wedding in a small town beside the Mississippi River and congrats and thank you again to the now Mr. + Mrs. Hayes!