We had such a beautiful day for Jake and Tiffany’s engagement session.  It’s been awhile, the snow and cold has come, but that doesn’t mean these two don’t deserve a blog post with some of my very favorite photos from the day.  They are an adorable couple and I can’t wait until their wedding!

I rarely do newborn portraits, so when I get the opportunity to take photos of such a precious and new life, it’s definitely an exciting and challenging experience for me.  I have a lot of respect for photographers whose focus is on newborns.  They are so fragile and have such personalities, it takes a lot of patience and preparedness to capture successful images of them.  With newborns, I prefer to go into the home where the baby is most comfortable and where everything is that he or she needs.  We sit and wait and soothe the baby until they fall asleep, this is when the adorable poses are possible, slowly and surely molding their little bodies without waking them up.  Sometimes a session can last a good 3 hours to get a few quality shots, it all depends on the baby and if they feel like sleeping, crying, or just staring at the big camera you are pointing at their face.  Thanks to Baby L’s parents for trusting in me and  having the patience with me during this session in their home, and congratulations!

Beth and Joe are such a cute couple.  I had a good time getting to know them during their engagement session and I am really looking forward to their wedding this year!

I am happy to share a recent email sent to me from WeddingWire, which is a site that any bride should use in the planning of her special day.  I used the site’s great wedding website feature, because of the options in design and ease of personalization.  There are also many wonderful ideas and vendors on there as well, all for free!

Here is the badge and press release, announcing 283 Photography’s award for 2012.  Thank you all for your support!

{Sioux Falls,SD} – January 30, 2012 – WeddingWire, the nation’s leading wedding Marketplace, is excited to announce 283 Photography has been selected to receive the prestigious WeddingWire Bride’s Choice Awards™ 2012 for Photography!

The esteemed annual awards program recognizes the top local wedding vendors from the WeddingWire Network who demonstrate excellence in quality, service, responsiveness and professionalism within the wedding industry. While many industry awards are selected by the organization, 283 Photography was selected based on its stellar reviews from past newlywed clients.

283 Photography is recognized as part of the top five percent of wedding professionals in the WeddingWire local vendor community, comprised of over 200,000 wedding professionals throughout the United States and Canada. The Bride’s Choice Award recognizes the best local wedding vendors across 20 service categories, from wedding venues to wedding photographers, based on their overall professional achievements throughout the past year.

“WeddingWire is thrilled to honor the success of the top-rated wedding professionals within the WeddingWire Community,” said Timothy Chi, CEO, WeddingWire. “Since the launch of the Bride’s Choice Awards™ program four years ago, thousands of outstanding wedding professionals have been recognized by the bridal community for their supreme service and dedication to the wedding industry. It is with great pleasure that we congratulate 283 Photography for their continued professionalism and commitment to enriching the wedding planning experience for engaged couples.”

We are happy to announce that 283 Photography is one of the very best Photographers within the WeddingWire Network, which includes leading wedding planning sites WeddingWire, Project Wedding, Brides.com, Martha Stewart Weddings, and Weddingbee. We would like to thank our past clients for taking the time to review our business on WeddingWire. Thanks to their positive feedback we were able to receive the WeddingWire Bride’s Choice Awards™ for 2012.

For more information, please visit our WeddingWire Storefront today at http://www.weddingwire.com/biz/283-photography-sioux-falls/bfe693bf7d1957fe.html.

To learn more about the Bride’s Choice Awards™, please visit www.WeddingWire.com.

About WeddingWire, Inc.
WeddingWire™, the nation’s leading marketplace serving the $70 billion wedding industry, is the only online wedding planning resource designed to empower both engaged couples and wedding professionals. For engaged couples, WeddingWire offers the ability to search, compare and book over 200,000 reviewed wedding vendors, from wedding venues to wedding photographers. WeddingWire also offers a comprehensive suite of online planning tools for weddings, including wedding websites and wedding checklists, all at no charge. For wedding professionals, WeddingWire is the only all-in-one marketing platform for businesses online and on-the-go. WeddingWire offers one simple solution to build a professional network, improve search visibility, manage social media and reach mobile consumers. Businesses that advertise with WeddingWire appear on WeddingWire.com, ProjectWedding.com and other leading sites, including MarthaStewartWeddings.com (NYSE: MSO), Brides.com and Weddingbee.com.
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I had such a blast during Alissa and Colin’s engagement session!  We met downtown Sioux Falls on a late fall morning and I just couldn’t get over how adorable these two are together.

We headed to the park where they did an outfit change (hello adorable ensemble, Alissa!).

Alissa is an absolutely amazing and talented artist, and I was so excited to hear her plan to have a messy paint fight to top off the session!  We found a spot to lay a sheet down and they just started to throw paint at each other.  It was so much fun to watch and to try to get some great shots of the action.  I am really looking forward to what their wedding day has in store :)

Melissa and Scott had an amazing wedding day in October!  We first met on the morning of their wedding, because they both live in California and we didn’t get a chance to meet in person before the big day.  Melissa was absolutely breathtaking in her gorgeous wedding dress and her hair and makeup were so beautiful.  Scott made sure he didn’t see her before their scheduled First Look, which is always an exciting time.  I get to run between the two of them, and I always feel like I’m keeping an amazing secret from them both, since I get to see the bride and the groom before they see each other.

When they finally did see each other, love and emotion filled the room.  The ceremony was moving, and the reception was full of laughter, dancing, and happy tears.  Congratulations to you both, Melissa and Scott!  Hope life in California is treating you well during this very very chilly South Dakota winter!

Paris is the beautiful daughter of some family friends of mine, whom I’ve known my entire life.  Her dad has been in a band with my dad ever since before I was born.  I was excited to be able to take her senior pictures, and it was so cute that both her dad and her mom wanted to be a part of it, coming along to support her and be a part of the once in a lifetime experience :)

To end the session, we headed out to a very precious memorial dedicated to Paris’s cousin, Christian, who passed away in 2009.  He is remembered, loved, and will always hold a dear place in so many people’s hearts.

My second time taking pictures of the adorable little Lenyx and her parents, who are also an adorable couple!  I love when I get to see how much a child grows, and when I have the privilege of taking photos of them along the way.  Here are a few of my favorites from our adventure in the park this last fall.

Alaina and Brian’s wedding was at the first wedding I photographed after my own wedding.  Of course, I noticed a lot more after going through my own wedding day as a bride myself, and let me tell you – Alaina did such an amazing job planning her big day.  From the incredible details like the personalized hangers for each bridesmaid and the mismatched shoes to go with their beautiful dresses, to the delicious homemade delicacies like homemade pies and cake pops, this wedding was one of the most impressive ones I’ve been to!  Everything was perfect, from the beginning of the day to the end of the reception.  I was truly blown away by all of the intriguing and inspiring things that caught my attention.  It was a photographer’s heaven!

To top it all off, Alaina made one beautiful bride.  She was flawless in every way, just like her wedding day.  Brian is a lucky guy!  I am so happy for both of them for continuing forth in this journey called LOVE. Congratulations!

Kelley and Brian met up with me on a sunny fall evening.  They pulled their fishing poles out of their truck, hoping to use them as a prop in their engagement photos, since fishing is a big part of both their lives and they are having a very creative and clever theme at their wedding involving the phrase, “Hooked on Love”.  It’s always fun when couples bring along props to personalize their engagement photos, and even their wedding photos!  It’s highly encouraged to get creative and think of what you can and have some fun with!

Kelley has the most beautiful blue eyes!  She is strikingly beautiful, and seemed to feel so comfortable in Brian’s arms.  These two are totally meant for each other, and I look forward to their wedding this spring.