Heather Neal Photography

For photographers, the month of October is kind of like the month of March for accountants, at least here in the midwest where the temps finally become comfortable after the heat of summer and the leaves start to turn vibrant colors of fall. That was definitely true for me this year however I had one weekend date that had remained open. I was still getting messages from clients wanting to book sessions but some were even choosing weeknights instead of that date because they worked better for their schedules for whatever reason. It was kind of weird, but I had started to think I was going to have a rare weekend day off, which of course is nice but also felt like a missed opportunity to capture some great photos for someone. Then one day my hairdresser contacted me saying there was someone in the salon who needed a photographer for a small wedding that was coming up very quickly…it was that ONE date I had open! It was meant to be! Molli and Carter’s wedding was small and intimate with just their family attending but the love was BIG! I got to hang out and capture Molli getting ready and I don’t know that I have ever seen a bride more happy and excited to marry the love of her life.

Between the slow winter season and then quarantine, it had been a while since I had been shooting for clients so I was more than ready for this wedding! It felt great to be back behind my camera and to get to experience some normalcy and celebration for the first time in months. This wedding was a beautiful traditional church wedding and with a fun reception following. Here are my “favorites” from this gorgeous wedding.

THE DRESS: I feel like I use this one in every wedding post, but seriously…this dress (and bride) were gorgeous!

THE BEER PHOTO OPPS: So, maybe I’m old because this was new to me but when the bridal party arrived at the reception the first thing they did was puncture the side of beer cans with pocket knives and drink from the hole in the can which proved to be messy (and kind of a waste of a lot of spilt beer) but hilarious and provided some great photos!

THE FIRST DANCE: I was pleasantly surprised at all of the music at this reception. Lots of “old school” country and other music that was played at my very own wedding 16 years ago! They even had the same first dance song as we did!

THE MOTHER/SON(FATHER) DANCE: The Father/daughter dance gets me every time and this wedding was no exception but what I wasn’t expecting was for the father of the groom to join in on the mother/son dance. This was such a sweet moment full of emotion and you sure feel the love in this family as they celebrated this happy moment together.

IT ACTUALLY HAPPENED: My biggest favorite thing for this wedding would have to be that it happened at all! This bride and groom decided to take their chances instead of rescheduling everything amid the COVID-19 Pandemic and it paid off. With restrictions listed enough just prior to their wedding date, they were able to have a beautiful, somewhat socially distanced day with the people they love.

A BIRTHDAY PARTY: This also happened to be the jr bridesmaids birthday so she got her very own cake, singing of happy birthday, and presents at the reception! That plus a twirly dress and a dance floor makes a PERFECT birthday party for a little girl!

Well, just like that wedding season is over for me and what a way to end it! This was such a seriously beautiful wedding! I love blogging weddings and reliving the day while selecting some of my favorite photos to share. I also love playing “My Favorite Things” for each wedding blog although this one was a bit more challenging because just like trying to narrow down my favorite images, narrowing down my favorite things was no easy task. Here they are in no particular order:

The Venue: I LOVE all of the old barns that are being transformed into event spaces and although this one was a bit of a drive for me, It’s definitely at the top of my list. Located in Sedalia, MO Heritage Ranch offers an absolutely beautiful barn that has been incredibly thought out when turned into an event space. The twinkle lights everywhere and attention to detail in decorating provide amazing photography opportunities in every direction. There is a bonfire pit (where s’mores were enjoyed), a pond and canoe, old trucks on the property, and beautiful woods surrounding the property.

The flowers: I’m a sucker for fresh flowers and these were no exception. Loved the color combinations and how they contrasted with the rustic decor of the barn.

Wedding party: They were all great but specifically the groomsmen. Shooting the guys can be…awkward. Especially when they are very serious and/or do not enjoy having photos taken. These guys did not hesitate to goof around and make the best of it. (Adult beverages may or may not have contributed to this but whatever works!).

The Bride: I say it all the time and maybe it’s because ALL brides are so beautiful but I swear I get the most stunning brides. Absolutely breathtaking!

The girls’ getting ready outfits: I loved the flannel shirts, personalized shorts and Birkenstocks! Fun alternative to the “getting ready robes” and it was handy they could wear them outside of the bridal suite and still be “dressed”.

Sparkler send off: This was fun and beautiful and of course a fabulous photo opportunity!

This lovely couple already had their wedding elsewhere and asked me to capture their reception back home in Kansas City. Showing up and jumping straight to the party was a fun change for me! This location was new to me as well and I’m not sure how but I never even new it was there. The Rhapsody is tucked away in Independence and is a beautiful space for a reception or party and the nice people there made sure every need was met. I even got a walkie talkie to communicate with the dj and ask for him to send certain people out for photos! LOL. You can bet I’m thinking of purchasing this luxury for all of my future weddings! Even though this wasn’t a full wedding I still have a lot of favorite things so I’m still incorporating that into my blog post, as usual. Here goes:

The location: As I said, so helpful and handy. Also for not being a huge location, there were a ton of beautiful places for photos.

The Meatballs: The bride and mother of the groom made the food for the reception and made these meatballs by hand. One of the perks of being a wedding photographer is that I get to eat they yummy food. These were by far the best meatballs I have ever had!

The games: I love how the old traditions of the dollar dance, hokey pokey, etc. are being replaced with fun games at the reception instead. The “shoe game” is always a hilarious one and the scavenger hunt musical chairs style is a blast to watch as well.

The father daughter dance. This one almost always makes my favorties list. Hits me in the feels.

I love weddings. I’ve been to my share of them…definitely more than the average person and that makes all of the little things that make each one stand out a little more obvious to me than to most people. That’s why when I blog about weddings I like to share my favorite things about each one.

This one would have to start with FAMILY. I have worked with this family before which alway is a treat beause A) It’s always nice to already know the people I’m going to be with all day and B) because it’s a huge compliment when your clients love the work you are doing and how you are taking care of them enough to keep coming back. I took this bride’s High School Senior Portraits a few years ago and then a couple of year’s later I took her brother’s. They are such a nice family and I’m glad they keep giving me excuses to see them again.

The other thing that stood out about this wedding for me was LOVE. That sounds silly because of course there is love at every wedding (hopefully), but as I watched Hannah and Michael together, not only was that love literally visable, but I remember several moments where I remember thinking “I hope when my daughter finds someone, they look at her the way Michael looks at Hannah”. I saw a lot of those moments when editing their photos again and a couple of my favorites are below: I caught Michael happily checking out the ring on his new bride’s hand and then the one on his own.

The LOCATION for this wedding is one of my favortites as well. This was my second wedding at Milestones Barn in Warrensburg, MO. and it is a beautiful location that makes my job easy and fun! Nancy from Miletones is a pleasure to work with and very accomodating!

And lastly, I have to mention the FOOD. Funny thing…when I first started doing weddings, I felt awkward eating and would try to get by on some nuts and a protein bar. Through the years I learned that was dumb and if I was going to be shooting for up to 10 hours straight I needed to eat a little more that that to keep from passing out and have the energy to capture everything from the applying lipstick and mascara to the crazy moves on the dance floor so I just started informing people at their consultation I would grab a quick bite and they usually just look at me like “well, duh”. Anyway, I shoot a lot of rural weddings east of Kansas City and this is probably my 3rd or 4th that has used Plowboys BBQ out of Marshall, MO for catering and it is sooooo good.

I can’t wait to see what the future holds for this sweet and fun couple and wish them many years of happines!