Tuesday, June 27, 2017

Marina Inn Wedding - Sioux City Photographer

Marina Inn SIoux City wedding photograph

 A huge congratulations to this wonderful couple! Kylie and Jon were married earlier this month in a beautiful church wedding ceremony at Holy Cross Lutheran Church in Dakota Dunes. After the ceremony we headed to the Marina Inn in South Sioux City where we captured these romantic wedding pictures. The couple was joined by 300 guests for an evening celebration in the hotel ballroom.
Marina Inn SIoux City wedding photograph
Sunset wedding pictures with the Missouri River and Sioux City in the background

Marina Inn SIoux City wedding photograph

Marina Inn SIoux City wedding photograph


Marina Inn SIoux City wedding photograph

Marina Inn SIoux City wedding photographMarina Inn SIoux City wedding photograph

Marina Inn SIoux City wedding photograph


Marina Inn SIoux City wedding photograph


Most of these wedding pictures were taken at the Marina Inn and Conference Center in South Sioux City. This popular Nebraska wedding venue is currently undergoing some big renovations. The Marriott hotel chain will be adding their name to this beautiful hotel in the fall and they are preparing for that transition. If you have never been to the Marina Inn or if you haven't visited lately, definitely check it out. The modern feel and fresh new look is already coming together wonderfully. And be sure and check out Kahill's the hotel restaurant. It's my favorite spot for a nice dinner in the Sioux City area and a great spot for happy hour overlooking the Missouri River.

Friday, June 23, 2017

Captiva Island Wedding - Florida Photographer

Captiva Island Wedding at South Seas Resort
just married sign on captiva beach
This little chunk of paradise located at the very tip of Captiva Island is appropriately named sunset beach. Elizabeth and Quinn tied the knot at South Seas Resort on the King's Crown Lawn and then we quickly headed off to catch some great sunset pictures at this magnificent little gem of a beach. Sunset Beach is part of the South Seas Resort which is a gated resort area. Because it is not open to the public the beaches are some of the quietest you'll find. I have been there several evenings for sunset wedding photographs and not seen another person on the beach. Unlike weddings on Fort Myers Beach, which is definitely a great spot for all of the nightlife and activity that it offers to guests, it does not however, offer much privacy. 

This particular day ended with the best sunset and barely any people in site. It was one of those nights where the clouds added a little extra something to the sky and it worked out to be perfect for their photographs. Elizabeth and Quinn brought along their own nautical wedding sign. The just married sign and of course Quinn's fun wedding kicks were a neat element to their day and their pictures. I love when brides have colored shoes, but the groom with the fancy shoes is definitely a unique wedding detail that everyone was talking about.

I had to share those amazing sunset wedding pictures, but everything, from their gorgeous lawn wedding ceremony overlooking the Pine Island Sound to their reception dinner at the King's Crown at South Seas Resort was beautiful. Quinn and Elizabeth had an amazing day at the best destination wedding location, Captiva Island.


Tuesday, June 20, 2017

Casa Ybel Wedding - Sanibel Island Photographer

 When I think of the most romantic wedding venues that I've photographed at, Casa Ybel Resort is always one of the first to come to mind. And having been the photographer at weddings in a dozen different countries and all over the U.S. that really is saying something! Sanibel Island is just the perfect destination wedding spot and right in the middle of this carefree Gulf Coast island is Casa Ybel Resort. The hotel has a very rich history and is a rare find in a Florida beach community. I've had the pleasure of being the wedding photographer at dozens of Sanibel Island weddings. It's always a pleasure and with a setting like Casa Ybel resort offers, my job is just easy!


 A throwback to a wedding that I photographed at Casa Ybel. I loved how simple and casual this intimate wedding was. I've found when my clients are coming from destinations outside of Florida making things simple is always a goal. The nice thing about the island is you can do that, and still have an extraordinary wedding!



Thursday, June 15, 2017

Marina Inn Wedding - Sioux City Photographer

The Marina Inn wedding with sioux city bridge
 I always suggest when possible that just the bride and groom sneak back outside for sunset pictures. For Emilee and Wade's wedding day photographs we captured a little after the sun had set and got some lovely dusk photographs. We had planned ahead and had luminaries lining the sidewalk behind their wedding venue, the Marina Inn in South Sioux City, Nebraska. The lighted walkway was beautiful for pictures and made for a very romantic setting for the wedding guests who had also wandered out to watch the sunset over the Missiouri River! In the background the Sioux City Bridge was just beginning to light up while the sky just had a hint of glow to it. The bridge is an iconic Sioux City site (even the Sioux City Snapchat filter features it!), so that had to make an appearance in a few photographs!! This little extra late day photo shoot made for a great way to end pictures and a neat close to their wedding day album!
The Marina Inn wedding with sioux city bridgecandle light wedding pictures in sioux city

candle light wedding pictures in sioux city

candle light wedding pictures in sioux city

candle light wedding pictures in sioux city

Tuesday, June 13, 2017

Sioux City Photographer - Wedding Feature

sioux city wedding

So very excited to have our work featured on the Wedding Essentials blog! Cameron and Scott had a beautiful Sioux City Country Club wedding last summer and Wedding Essentials selected a few highlights from their wedding day to show off! The blog features the most beautiful Midwest weddings and this one was definitely amazing. With a few wedding photography stops, including pictures at their alma mater, Morningside College (check out the ones right on the football field!), we were able to capture some really nice moments from this special wedding day. I really loved working with this super sweet couple and their families too... it was definitely a treat to reminisce about their wedding day with this recent wedding feature!




Monday, June 12, 2017

South Seas Resort Wedding - Captiva Island Photographer


Captiva Island wedding bride and groom at sunset
Kings crown lawn wedding at sunset captiva island



 A little known me fact, when I first moved to Florida just after college, my first job was working at South Seas Resort on Captiva Island. It wasn't exactly a normal hotel job though. At 22 years old I had started my own business taking family portraits and had somehow convinced the executives at South Seas to allow me to be their exclusive photographer offering family portraits to all of their guests. This was a new concept at the time and none of the local hotels had an official photographer on site. I had an office right on the hotel grounds and did photo presentations to all of my clients right in the King's Crown (building pictured above). For a few years I made the hour long commute from Fort Myers to Captiva Island pretty much daily. I did all of the family portraits, pictures of the kids activities and even went along on the parasailing boat several days a week to capture guests enjoying their ride! And, my favorite part, I also started photographing most of the weddings that happened at the resort. It didn't take long for me to realize that the wedding part of my week was the highlight. Not to say I didn't enjoy riding around on a parasailing boat (and I had a pretty incredible tan to go with it!) but the weddings definitely left me feeling the most fulfilled. It wasn't a hard decision to eventually sell that business and the contract that I had with South Seas Resort and focus my efforts on weddings. Over the past few years I've continued to photograph weddings at South Seas. I still know all of those hidden little spots for wedding pictures and the best way to capture that amazing Captiva Island sunset. And I do still have to stop and take it all in when I stand on the T-dock and look at how amazing those ancient old Florida Palms look draped with twinkle lights during a wedding reception. That place will just always be magical no matter how many years pass. And if you do find yourself at South Seas Resort, be sure and have your family picture taken by the staff photographer doing family portraits. That service that I started is still there and going strong (although I believe it's been passed on to a few photographers now). However, if you happen to be out there on Captiva thinking about a wedding, definitely give me a call. I will take any opportunity to celebrate (and of course photograph!) on that beautiful island!

Sioux City Photographer - Engagement Portrait

sioux city engagment photography

The count down is on!! This super adorable and so very happy couple is getting married in 4 months! And I'm the lucky photographer that gets to be there to celebrate with them! The picture taking fun already started with their engagement pictures earlier this month. I met Travis and Katie in downtown Sioux City where we went back to the exact place where Travis surprised Katie and proposed! From there we went to Stone State Park where we took advantage of a few different spots in the huge park for some very woodsy pictures! The park is one of my favorite locations for engagement pictures in Sioux City. It has such a huge variety of places to work with and the light in there almost glows, it really is a photographs dream! And in true Cyclone fashion, we had to do a few pictures in their Iowa State gear. The couple are Iowa State alumni and big ISU fans, so that one was a must for a few casual pictures! I really had a nice time with Katie and Travis. After getting to know them better and seeing how happy they are as a couple just made me that much more excited to be their wedding photographer!

Sunday, June 11, 2017

Delta Hotel by Marriott South Sioux City Nebraska Wedding


Being a part of this super wedding was just everything perfect. Emilee and Wade are college sweethearts who met at the University of South Dakota. The currently live in Omaha, but when it came time to plan their dream wedding, they returned to Emilee's hometown of Sioux City, Iowa and brought friends and family to gather at the Marina Inn in South Sioux City for the most amazing wedding day and celebration. The day started at Rick & Co. Salon on Pierce Street in Sioux City where Emilee and the girls got ready for the day. This was my first time at the salon and I was really impressed with how nice the space was. Not only did they do a wonderful job with the ladies hair and makeup, they also had a large amount of room for the ladies to relax while they were getting ready.
sioux city wedding with getting ready robes
After a few fun getting ready robe pictures we left the salon and headed to The Marina Inn (now the Delta Hotel by Marriott South Sioux City) where Emilee had her mom's assistance getting into her amazing WToo wedding gown. The dress was simply stunning and so very Emilee. She had said she always wanted a dress she could twirl in and this one did not disappoint!

Wednesday, June 7, 2017

Le Mars Wedding - Iowa Photographer

Le Mars wedding photo romantic bride and groom
 Congratulations to Makenzi and Sam!! This adorable couple returned to Makenzi's Iowa hometown for their May wedding. Makenzi looked stunning in her delicate and very detailed lace bodice wedding gown and Sam was looking dapper too in a navy suit. The couple exchanged vows in a traditional Catholic wedding ceremony in Remsen, Iowa. After the ceremony we ventured to the Remsen Golf Course where their wedding party enjoyed a break at the clubhouse and we were able to capture several romantic moments of the couple on the course. A very fun bus ride took the couple from Remsen to Le Mars where we were able to capture even more special moments with the couple. Their reception was held at the Plymouth County Fairgrounds in Le Mars. An unusual wedding venue, but so perfect for their fun loving style. This quaint, rustic and country chic Le Mars wedding location also lends itself well to some great wedding photographs. After we arrived at the reception, Makenzi, Sam and our photo team took full advantage of the great pictures spots! One of the best places for pictures in Le Mars is definitely right there at the fairgrounds. The adorable, round, red and white barn in the middle of the fairgrounds made an iconic Le Mars photograph! I've shared some of those special moments that we captured of the couple on their wedding day. Check back for pictures of their over the top fun wedding reception (which included a Sioux Falls based dueling piano team!!!)
le mars iowa wedding day photograph
le mars iowa wedding photography

lace bodice wedding gown in le mars iowa

bride and groom in le mars iowa

remsen iowa groom photograph

wedding at the plymouth county fairgrounds iowa

le mars iowa wedding photograph with long veil

le mars iowa wedding at fairgrounds

le mars iowa wedding at fairgrounds

le mars iowa wedding photo


le mars iowa wedding


Tuesday, June 6, 2017

South Seas Resort Wedding - Captiva Island Photographer


I always hate to date myself, but it has been almost 20 years since the first beach wedding I ever photographed. I wish I could follow that by saying I was 9 years old when I started, although not quit that young, I was pretty young to have taken on that big responsibility. It's one I've loved every part of ever since that very first beach wedding. Having been around weddings for so many years, I've seen many trends that have come and gone. From wedding flowers and dresses to menswear and music it has been fun to follow the trends and see what comes in and what goes out every year. One wedding style that has been pretty consistent over the years though has been tropical. When it comes to beach destination weddings, that style has always been it's own thing. While Pantone will put out the colors of the year and fall and winter inspire brides to lean in a seasonally appropriate fashion, down in Florida, punchy, vibrant and fun has no season and it seems to be almost timeless!

Thursday, June 1, 2017

Wedding Week for Wade & Emilee! - Sioux City Wedding Photographer

sioux city engagement photographs
Had to share my excitement about this adorable couples wedding! After over a year of planning their big day, it is finally Emilee and Wade's wedding week! The couple lives in Omaha, Nebraska but they are returning to Sioux City, Iowa (Emilee's hometown) to tie the knot in style at The Marina Inn in South Sioux City. I was thrilled that they selected Impressions Photography to capture their special day (as well as their engagement pictures!). Their ceremony will take place in the adorable and quaint courtyard at The Marina, with the Missiouri River and the Iconic Sioux City bridge in the background (an amazing setting for wedding pictures!). And based on how much fun we had with the couple's engagement pictures (and how totally adorable and in love they are!), I'm pretty much positive that everything about their wedding day is going to be a photographers dream! I'm so happy that their day is finally (almost!) here! I will definitely be sharing lots of special moments and wedding photographs from their big day here on the Impressions Photography blog!!!

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