Braden and DeAnna

First of all, my apologies...usually I do a slideshow; however, I've been having some technical issues with the slideshow program I use and the new site! So, after a week or so working on it, I've given up, and instead...and perhaps preferred???....I've posted a TON of images from Braden and DeAnna's New Years Day wedding!...complete with commentary!...which in some cases is preferred from my blog readers, and in some cases is SO NOT preferred! So, if you are in the 'not preferring' group, please pretend for ten minutes or so that you can't read and just enjoy the pretty images from Braden and DeAnna's big day!!

Braden and DeAnna got married at the beautiful Methodist church in Manito, IL, and it came complete with beautiful nooks and crannies with stained glass windows.

A tiara and a fur cape....what more can a girl ask for on a winter wedding day, right?!

The 'getting ready' part of the day is one of my favorites. There's laughter, family, and friends always involved!...

...which is how it should be on your wedding day!

The beautiful bride....

DeAnna is always all smiles.

DeAnna has actually helped me at weddings as a second shooter. So, when we discussed her schedule, she knew that doing her pictures before the wedding always makes for a more relaxed and enjoyable wedding day....there's less stress on the schedule. Here DeAnna is getting ready to head into the sanctuary to see Braden before the ceremony.

Braden, seeing his bride for the first time, on the day of their wedding.

Braden is one of the most tender-hearted guys you'll ever meet. He had tears in his eyes and afterwards asked me if I was going to actually use those images. He was asking this of one of the orneriest-hearted people you'll ever meet; so, I smiled and said "Of course!" :)

New Years was 60 degrees out. New Years Day was a chilling 20 degrees. However, I truly believe that outside images are the BEST! So, we literally jumped inside and outside several times....staying outside just a few minutes each time so everyone kept warm...and didn't hate me too much.

My second shooter for the day was the amazing Christine....who ALWAYS sees things at such a different angle than I do that it makes me go 'darn it!' I wish I would have gotten that image!

I call this image and the next one The Thomas Royalty images....because I think that if there were such a thing as Manito royalty, this is how their 'official' wedding images would be published...and put on towels...and on shot glasses...ala William and Kate. :)

See what I mean? This is their royalty image!!!

Braden, you have a distinguished air about you in this image!!

But, I love your fun-loving smiling images better. :)

So, yes, we did the wedding party images at the front of the church, but I got them to step outside the church in this small, little garden area inbetween two wings of the church for a few outdoor pictures.  They guys went first...

...then the ladies....

...and then right went the entire wedding party was coming outside for the whole-wedding-portrait, the sun peeped out from behind the clouds, and these beautiful rays came down into our little garden area! I LOVED it!!!

I snapped several images really fast, and then pro that Christine is and knowing how little time to work with the sun before it hid behind the clouds again, she hurried the rest of the party back inside, put DeAnna in the perfect spot for some beautiful images using the sun as backlighting. We snapped away furiously for two or three minutes.

And once we put Braden in the shot as well, we got our favorite images of the entire day!!

We headed back inside to warm up our hands and start capturing some of the beautiful details. We also headed into the sanctuary to meet up with family for formal family portraits.

And then, once again we got a beautiful ray of sun...this time in through the stained glass windows of the sanctuary! Beautiful, golden light.

Grandpa Dale with some of the grandkids!

Ringbearer Griffin was not excited about this whole wedding pictures thing, to say the least. :) I think it was cutting into playing time with Grandpa and the cousins. :)

Flower girl Kallie followed Griffin's lead on the whole I've-got-other-things-to-do mentality!!

You want me to do what???

I'll smile IF, and only IF, you let me hold those pretty flowers of yours.

I can touch my tongue to my nose. Really, I can! Watch!

Braden, your smile's a little big there. Just sayin'.

I love yummy ring shots.

So much so that I did two! :)

I love this joyful look on Braden's mother's face. She's so proud and happy.

Really? When I said I'd do this, no one told me there would be 300 people watching me walk down this aisle!

I know my mother's down here somewhere. I know my mother's down here somewhere.

I'm cool. Yep, not what I had planned for a Saturday evening, but I'm cool with it. I hear there will be cake later.

Friends of the family, Bonnie and Darrell, were the official schedule wranglers of the day. And let me tell you, I'm going to put them in my pocket and take them to every wedding with me from here on out. They were AWESOME. They found me ladders, table cloths, missing groomsmen and family members. I've never had so much help at a wedding! Thank you, Bonnie and Darrell! You guys could go into business!!

Braden's smile is so genuine in this picture. It's one of my favorites of the entire day.

Mr. and Mrs. Braden Thomas

This is one of my favorite images of the day as well. Why? Because of the funny story behind it! Mindy is one of DeAnna's cousin and also one of my childhood friends! When it was time for her reading, I was in a room next to the altar area...and the only way out was right next to Mindy! So, I missed the shot and was so mad at myself. However, after the wedding, I caught Mindy as she was heading out the door to light candles at the reception, and she came back in and stood at the lectern really quickly for me to take a quick snap of her pretending to read! Oh how I love the little stories behind the main story of the day!!! Thanks, Mindy!! :)

Mindy was in such a rush to get the reception because she had worked countless hours over the last few days getting the center decorated for Braden and DeAnna's reception! And it was beautiful!!!

I also love cake. Oh wait, I meant cake detail pictures. :)

Now that we're at the reception, guess who's my friend?

Yep, the rumor was true...there's cake. :)

Yep, guess who's hunting me down now to pose for the camera???

Hehehe, caught ya, Adam!!!  I think one should make the wedding album!

I even scored a picture with the flower girl!!!

I'm not going to lie. Christine and I like to have a little fun at the reception. We tap our foot, dance a little, and try new camera techniques. The next few images we were practicing swirling the camera while taking the pictures....hence, freezing the subject in the center while the outside portions of the image are swirling with motion.

The now-more-relaxed wedding party.

DeAnna and I. And, yes, we do know that this is the worst possible angle for a picture, but my sister took the picture, and she wouldn't stand up to take it. Hence the cruddy angle.

I think Darrell was dancing on the sidelines to Lady Gaga's Pokerface. Yep, I'm pretty sure of it. I think he told me it's his favorite song.

With the excessive dancing, the long dresses had to go!

Braden and DeAnna, thank you so much! I couldn't have had a better time on New Year's Day with a more lovlier couple! You make me smile, and I look forward to seeing your relationship grow with time and blessings!

Congratulations!
Kelly