2021 // the best of couples - engagements + anniversary sessions!
Sooo…. we meet again — the end of another year, the end of another wedding and portrait season, and the post that recaps it all! Well, the couples portion at least!!
The best of 2021 couples post!
I’m a broken record at this point, cause if you’ve been following along for at least a year, you know that with these posts, I always say the same stuff —
How will I ever choose “just a few” photos from each session + wedding!?
How can I possibly narrow any of these down!?
I love my sweet couples SO much!
I love my job SO much!
So, here we are, and here I am saying the same stuff!! I truly DO enjoy putting these posts together… like so much, it’s just a wee bit difficult to narrow shots down from an entire year! And for 2021, there were 28 engagement and/or anniversary sessions! So… do you realize, that like… that’s hundreds of photos? Likeeeeee…. HUNDREDS. Haha *touches own face out of stress*
LET’S DO THIS!!!
Liz + Jamie
My first engagement shoot of 2021 — and we had a chilly one!! There was a lot of take the coats off, put the coats back on back and forth action…and I’m pretty sure all our noses were red the entire time! But despite the cold, Liz and Jamie totally rocked it!! I loved how we were able to get some shots of them in front of the American Flag wall, considering that Jamie is an American History teacher!! How cool is that! All of this translated to their wedding day that popped up on July 3rd, and Jamie sported patriotic socks…while Liz…wellllll…. I kid you not, the girl had American Flag beaded heels, what!! You can view their very beautiful wedding at Eighteen Ninety here!
Mikaela + Collin
This engagement session was really, really special for me! When Mikaela first reached out to me about her engagement and wedding photography — there was a bit of a situation with all three of us living in different states! But the real amazing kicker is that one of us lived in North Carolina — and though that’s my home state, I obviously don’t live there currently! The question became… would I at all be able to do their engagement session IN North Carolina — and it just so happened, that OF COURSE I COULD. Getting to shoot again back in my home state at a place I’ve shot at before which means the world to me — Lake Lure and Chimney Rock Park, was a D R E A M! I was so happy that this worked out like it did and these guys are of course, completely awesome!
Jodi + Lucas
Theseeee guys! My fellow ginger cat loving besties!! Jodi and Lucas are two very awesome people and our shared love of cats, specifically ginger ones, makes me very happy! Their downtown Kansas City engagement session was soooo much fun, these guys have a lot of energy and enthusiasm and being around them just makes life more fun! These two got married in August — with their ginger cat, Mac, in tow of course! — at The Bowery and it was a beautiful summer wedding, see it here and look our for Mac pics!
Rachel + Shawn
A super duper windy engagement session was what we had for Rachel and Shawn, but like always, you make the best of it, and these guys definitely did! Later on in July, these two tied the knot! There had been like, no chance of rain in the forecast and yet… it poured, absolutely poured! Once again, you make the best of things, and these guys still had a truly beautiful wedding day at The Farmhouse KC, see it here!
Tara + Louis
These cuties! Essentially this was an anniversary session, or a just because session — truthfully, in my opinion, you never really need a reason for wanting or doing photos with the person you love or your family! You should get updated photos so so so often, because we all change so quickly and so does life, ya know?? For Tara and Louis, we did a few shots in their cute home with their pets and then went to a nearby park for a few more!
Carly + Andrew
Carly and Andrew! These guys are two of the most laid back, chill, and awesome people! Definitely up for anything, and definitely instant friends! We scurried around James A Reed Park together and hit a lot of fun places for photos — successfully found some wildflowers, always a win, and had so much fun together!
Anna + Kameron
These two came down from Des Moines, IA for a Kansas City engagement session and naturally.. it rained on us. When you have travel involved, you definitely can’t exactly do a reschedule, so we rolled with it, umbrellas — taking breaks in the car during especially heavy downpours, and made the best of it all! These two ended up marrying in Des Moines later on in the year and once again, we rain — but this time, it held off until almost the end of the evening! See their outdoor Iowa wedding here!
Kelly + Cory
These guys had an “in” with Warm Springs Ranch — the home of the Budweiser Clydesdales! Though a few attempts were made with the help of one of the staff, the horses just weren’t feeling very photogenic on this sunny day, but that was alright! This property is beautiful all on its own, and my favorite shots came after we gave up on the horses and after the sun got a little less bright and more soft!
Lizzy + Britt
Fun fact: Moments before Lizzy and Britt arrived for their fun engagement session — I had slammed my right pointer finger, aka MY SHOOTING FINGER, in my freakin car door. Good times! Lizzy being a nurse was super understanding and both of them were cool with the fact that I awkwardly had to shoot with my middle finger the entire time, which definitely slowed me down, but hey — we made it work!! And about a month later, my shooting finger was back to normal and the bruised nail grew out! haha.
Samantha + Connor
Always a treat shooting at The Nelson, and even more of a treat when it’s with a fun couple like Samantha and Connor! These guys truly amaze me — for having been together already over a decade, they act like lovestruck teenagers still… it makes me so, so happy.
Regan + Gabe
These giggly lovebirds! Walking all over Loose Park with them on beautiful day was a whole lot of fun — and getting to photograph their joy was the best!
Brynn + Jordan
Back again at The Nelson later in the year, this time with Brynn and Jordan! These two are soooo much fun to be around, definitely the type of people you want to be besties with! Up for anything, super lovey dovey, so sweet, and sooo much fun to photograph! Their December wedding was my last wedding of 2021 and closing out the wedding season with a couple like this is what dreams are made of!
Megan + Mitchell
I still laugh every time I think about the fact that one of the ways Mitchell gets Megan to laugh, is to suddenly make a SUPER loud noise out of nowhere — I’m sure passerby’s thought we were nuts but I 100% don’t care and the resulting images of their sweet giggles were absolutely worth it! And can we take a minute to appreciate their cuteeee doggy!?? Super pumped for their 2022 wedding!
Lauren + Wayne
When people can seriously pull off “the serious look”… I’m always mind blown, and Lauren (and Wayne too, honestly!) are two of those people! We had a lot of good laughs and good times, but threw in some serious vibes and I was all for it!
Megan + Christian
Never in my wildest dreams would I have expected a couple to show up to their engagement session with a newborn kitten in a pet carrier…. but, I guess that’s what you get when one of them is a veterinarian and also what you get when you’re just plain LUCKY. Megan knew I wouldn’t mind, cat lover and all, and trust me, I did not mind at all!! Megan and Christian rocked their shoot all while making sure this precious baby kitten was okay in his carrier, not getting too hot, being well fed, etc. And I got to hold him while they changed into their second outfit, which of course I loved!!!
Allison + Tim
When couples giggle constantly together… I really can’t get enough of it. This is where I say welcome to the world of Allison and Tim. Oh my gosh these two are SO CUTE and photographing them is something I could do all day long!! Good news is that their engagement session was a small taste of that, and their upcoming 2022 wedding is something I still get to look forward to!
Katie + Adam
These twoooooo! So I almost wasn’t able to book these guys due to a scheduling conflict, but holy balls am I ever eternally grateful that things worked out because let me tell you.. I needed these guys in my life, Katie especially. Through planning her wedding, engagement and wedding day — all the way down to the texts and Zoom coffee dates we’ve had since, she has very quickly and very easily become one of my dear friends!! These two are again, the type of couple that photographing is SO easy to do and between engagement and wedding day, choosing a few favorites was an impossible task for me!
Katie + Brennon
Another Katie!! These guys are again that super cute, super giggly, super lovey dovey in love couple that just screammssss MY FAVORITE PEOPLE. Katie and Brennon are so wildly flirtatious with each other and it’s so fun to witness, and to photograph! Definitely can’t wait for their 2022 wedding!!
Megan + Dan
Just a couple pics of these guys because guess what!? This isn’t their engagement session… nor is it their anniversary session, … nope! This here friends, is what happens when you take advantage of a break in the rain, hop to the roof of the location of your wedding rehearsal dinner the night before your wedding, and take a few shots!! Megan and Dan are Chicago based, so their schedule with mine meant we did things a little differently! A few quick shots to commemorate the evening before their big day was just what was needed!
Shelby + Nick
From the second Shelby and Nick walked up to meet me outside the Kauffman Center for Performing Arts, my little love loving heart was like YAASSSSSS!! These guys are soooo awesome! We had so much fun together and I know their upcoming wedding will be more of the same!
Lindsay + Lance
These beauties! Lance gives Lindsay such a hard time with his jokester ways but it’s just one part of their awesome relationship, andddd it just so happens to result in some pretty cute giggles that I love to photograph! Nothing like a couple like this and Shawnee Mission Park — a place that always photographs so well!
Candace + John
These guys hired me for engagement only since they’ll ultimately have an out of state wedding, and John really wanted to bring his pride and joy… well, both of his pride and joy’s — Candace and his car!!
Brooke + Logan
Still swooning over Brooke’s perfect yellow dress!!! And wait til you see her in it, she’s gorgeous, and Logan is a lucky guy! Truthfully, they’re both lucky, and they really got things right with one another. LOVED photographing these two in a place I haven’t shot much at but absolutely want to shoot at more often!!
Klarissa + Joe
Soooo Klarissa here, was a bridesmaid in her besties wedding, which I had the JOY of photographing many moons ago — so when Joe here asked Klarissa to marry him, she knew right away who she wanted as her photographer — YAY ME!! It’s such an honor to be chosen in such a way, and spending a beautiful evening with these two was a lot fun! These guys will be my first wedding of 2022, and I can’t wait!
Lexi + Deven
Ohhh Lexi and Deven, what can I even say? They are soooooo awesome!! Immediate friends, no doubt about it. Still loving the fact that their history together involves so much roller-skating and skating rinks and that because of that, they wanted to incorporate some skating into their engagement session — how fun is this!? Can’t even wait for their fall 2022 wedding! It’s going to be a great day!
Kelsey + Josh
Theseeeee guys. I am legitimately so sad that I won’t be able to be their wedding photographer, but I am SO happy I got to be their engagement photographer!! They are beyond-words FUN to be around and sooo easy to photograph. Up for anything, giggly and cute — the whole package! Oh and heyyyyy to Kelsey’s serious face — see last pic!
Carley + Kelton
Carley and Kelton… and their dogs.. haha oh my goodness, SUCH a fun shoot!! It ended up being a little chilly for their shoot but you’d never really know it, not with how it all went down and the images that came out of it! The MOOD that these guys put out in the serious department is like… what, is this real life!? They look like actors or models advertising something, I don’t even know what but I wanna buy it!!!
Jenna + Connor
Another sweet couple who I unfortunately only get to shoot their engagement photos!! I loveeee engagement sessions probably better than anything else, but when an amazing couple comes along and I only get that time with them, it’s like, so good and so bittersweet at the same time. It was insanely cold for Jenna and Connor’s shoot, like I thought we might freeze to actual death, lol. But like…. look how good they look despite the cold!?
Kenzie + Lucas
Rounded out the engagement/anniversary/portrait season of 2021 with Kenzie and Lucas!! This super laid back, super chill and up for whatever couple made for a fantastic last shoot of the year!! Ended up not being too terribly chilly either! These guys are obviously sooo cute together! Looking forward to their 2022 wedding!
