It happened. I finally started playing the Christmas station on my Pandora radio. It MUST be December!!

Here are the things I’ve been enjoying this month so far!

1. Christmas lights!! We spent Saturday night driving around looking at decorations, picking favorites and least favorites, and sipping hot cocoa in the comfort of our warm car. This was my favorite house!

2. We were photographed!!! Our friend and photographer Jessica took our engagement photos as soon as I was back from weddings in eastern South Dakota and Minnesota last month. We had SO much fun and I am glad to now be able to share this experience with my couples. It is so different being on the other side of the camera!!

3. The ring. I still.can’t.stop LOOKING at it!!!

4. Lance and I have three Christmases. One with my family, one with just us, and one with his family. The one with just us is the one we decided to exchange gifts at this year and I got a Magic Bullet Blender! I’ve already made a homemade caramel frappucino, a frozen peach bellini, and a triple berry smoothie. Next: chocolate mousse.

5. Updated 8×10 prints on my desk. I just love every photo of my nephews, it’s hard to cover up old cute pictures with new cute pictures. PLUS switching out their photos means they’re growing up. Which they are SO not allowed to do.

Hello everybody!

It has been such a wonderful/crazy/amazing past couple of months and I am excited for the last couple weeks of 2011! Remember when I photographed a proposal at Sylvan Lake? And later their engagement session? Brent + Kelcey are having an almost-new-years-eve wedding and I am SO excited to finish 2011 with such a fun and photogenic couple!

In between photographing beautiful people, editing, and running to the post office, I’ve been having so much fun wedding planning!!! No one told me how much fun this was going to be! But then again, I really enjoy keeping things organized, paying attention to detail and being in love, so how could I NOT be enjoying this?? :-)

I know I’m a little behind the ‘being thankful’ train, but seriously, I feel SO BLESSED for so many things that have happened this year. Being asked to spend the rest of my life with Lance. Spending lots of time with friends and photographer friends over coffee. Meeting and photographing such awesome couples. And watching my nephews continue to grow into such smart, handsome boys!

I have been SO blessed this year with such wonderful, sweet, loving couples!! Ever since Tyler + Lindy’s engagement session this spring, I have been counting down the days to their wedding!! I couldn’t wait to see all the beautiful details they had planned. I couldn’t wait to meet their wedding party (all 14 of them!). I couldn’t wait for their first look, first kiss, and first dance. And everything exceeded my expectations.

There were so many fun moments throughout the day – starting with Lindy showing up in kids’ size jeggings saying her 4″ platform pumps “are actually really comfortable.”

I always tear up a little when moms help their daughters get ready. :-)

And this one is just for giggles. :-) Lindy, you are cute no matter what you’re doing – including having a veil shoved into your hair!

The first look!!!!

Lindy was SO ready for some outdoor photos – I loved her wrap she found online!!

DANCE PARTY!!

I love being able to capture moments between the parents right before the ceremony – so much excitement!!

In case you’re wondering what true love looks like, check out these next two images. :-)

And you gotta love a fun father-daughter dance! :-)

ceremony | First Lutheran Church, Battle Lake, MN

reception + catering | Thumper Pond, Ottertail, MN

wedding gown + bridesmaid dresses | Alan Evans Bridal, Moorhead, MN

groom + groomsmen tuxes | Tip Top Tux, Elegance by LinDee, Perham, MN

flowers | Designs by Tes, New York Mills, MN

cake | Mrs. J’s Sweet Treats, Wahpeton, ND

dj | Party 2 Go DJ Service, Kelly Reller, Detroit Lakes, MN

Tyler + Lindy – Thank you, thank you, thank you for having me at your wedding!!!! I can’t express how much I enjoyed photographing you on the biggest day of your lives together (so far)!!

And Tiffany was at the wedding!! I love my studio lb brides!! :-) Special thanks to John for taking the photo! Apparently grooms would rather be behind the camera… ;-)