The Art Of Light Photography

The Knot: Featured Wedding / Iowa Wedding Photographer

2009-08-18T13:15:00.004-05:00

Why did we forget to mention this? Not sure! But the lovely Sherrie & Eric's Des Moines wedding is a featured Knot wedding! They were married at the beautiful Salisbury House in Des Moines which is an AMAZING place to get married. They were married in the garden outside of the castle as we call it with an amazing tented reception on the veranda. It has such a beautiful old world feel and is definitely one of our favorite backdrops for a wedding!

The Art Of Light Photography photographs weddings and lifestyle portraits in Iowa and around the world.
www.ArtOfLightPhoto.com

Jacob + Ashley / 7.11.09 / Cedar Falls Wedding Photographer

2009-08-07T18:21:00.010-05:00

Jacob & Ashley got married at the beautiful Wartburg Chapel in Waverly, one of our favorite churches for weddings in the area! Followed by a great reception at the Waterloo Center for the Arts, these two had amazing friends and family surrounding them and we were honored to be a part of their gorgeous day! And the guys all wore matching Converses, bonus!

Jacob & Ashley are both graduates in Broadcasting from Wartburg as well as most of their wedding party. Can you tell? :)The Art Of Light Photography photographs weddings and lifestyle portraits in Iowa and around the world.
www.ArtOfLightPhoto.com

Torie + Joe / Cedar Falls, Iowa Wedding Photographer

2009-07-30T17:21:00.005-05:00

The Art Of Light Photography photographs weddings and lifestyle portraits in Iowa and around the world.
www.ArtOfLightPhoto.com
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We had the honor of photographing Torie & Joe's engagement photos and we had a blast capturing the love and fun between these two!

Brad + Joanna / the slideshow! / Des Moines Wedding Photographer

2009-06-19T12:32:00.006-05:00

Brad & Joanna had such a beautiful wedding and we LOVED being there to capture all the memories that they will cherish forever! Enjoy their slideshow!

DIRECTIONS: Push play and then push pause and give it some time to load the red bar all the way to the end. I know you all are going to try to cheat and just push play but really, let it load first, impatient people! If you want to watch it in extra juicy HD (which we recommend :) click the little "HD" button on the bottom right. Be patient, I promise it's worth the wait :)

Congratulations Brad & Joanna, we wish you the very best in your new life together!

The Hansen Family / Cedar Falls Family Photographer

2008-11-14T09:09:00.006-06:00

Meet the Hansen Family. They are our next door neighbors and full of fun personality! www.ArtOfLightPhoto.com

Sam + Ryan / Cedar Falls Wedding Photographer

2008-10-20T23:24:00.004-05:00

I went to high school with these two and now they are getting married in Mexico next May, sound familiar? Sounds like a good idea to me! They are so cute together and we loved so many of their engagement photos we just had to share a bunch :) www.ArtOfLightPhoto.com

Thomas & Benjamin / Waterloo Childrens Photographer

2008-10-18T21:47:00.004-05:00

Our favorite baby Thomas isn't a baby anymore and now he has a baby brother of his own, Benjamin! We photographed Thomas when he was just a little guy back in 2006 and then again last summer. Now that he is a big brother we had to stop by again to photograph these boys and their beautiful blue eyes!

Coming up on the blog soon: Cassie's senior pictures, Heartland Vineyard Church crazy staff photos, the Weber wedding, Ali's senior pictures, the Easter wedding, the Stieber wedding, the Robinson family, the Roland family, Sarah's senior pictures and the Riffel wedding. I think we've got a ways to go!

He's still as cute as ever :)

And Benjamin is adorable!
Those blue eyes!
It runs in the family!
We love baby feet :)
Momma with her boys.

www.ArtOfLightPhoto.com

Jen + Bryan / Des Moines Wedding Photographer

2008-10-09T18:47:00.005-05:00

We're a little out of order and behind on our blogging because we've been so busy with so many weddings and shoots so eventually we'll catch up and give everyone their blog love. For now, here is Jen & Bryan's beautiful wedding in Des Moines. Enjoy! Loved the stained glass in the church! Reminds me of a Marc Chagall painting :)
so cute :)
Aww, love the little ones :)
She was watching me through the glass in the church, how cute is she!
Someone loves tulips and it's me :)
Practicing walking down the aisle before the wedding.
The ceremony.
What a stylin group!
I think they like each other or something :)
I told you she was cute!
The reception was decorated gorgeously! Still waiting for your info so we can share your fabulousness Melissa! :)
Love for his little girl.
These crazies asked me to take their picture and then yelled "8x10 baby!" so I figured it was blog worthy AND 8x10 worthy :) This wedding had the best dancing that I can remember in a long time. They handed out glow necklaces and candy to everybody and it was a complete hit, they had SO many people on the dance floor.
www.ArtOfLightPhoto.com

4 senior guys: Shawn, Alan, Kyle, & Sam / Cedar Falls Senior Portrait Photographer

2008-09-29T21:13:00.006-05:00

First off, Shawn. We've gotten to know Shawn's family pretty well over the last couple years as we did his sister Megan's senior pictures, then his sister Michelle's wedding and now his senior pictures. Shawn is a volunteer fire fighter and is going to college to play baseball and to become a fire fighter/paramedic. Pretty cool. Next, Alan...we did his sister Angela's senior pictures too. Love keeping it in the family! Alan loves to golf & play pool.
Next is Kyle, we've done some commercial photo shoots with his mom over the last few years and we had a great time getting to know Kyle. He's gonna be a rockstar :)
And Sam...guess what, we did his sister Lynley's senior pictures too! We did a really quick 10 minute session with Sam who plays football and loves his red fish blue fish shirt! He was rockin the boxes!
www.ArtOfLightPhoto.com

Engagements: Lisa + Tim / Erin + Justin / Cedar Falls Wedding Photographer

2008-09-13T23:07:00.005-05:00

First off, Lisa & Tim's engagement session from yesterday in the rain. Lisa & I went to elementary/junior high together. It's so much fun for me to be able to be a part of friends getting married. We always have fun talking about all the ridiculous stuff we did back then and I just love being able to be a big part of such an awesome time in their lives. Look, they are so cute together :)
And Erin & Justin, they are getting married in about a month. These two were great to hang out with and naturals in front of the camera! See you two soon!
They used this one on their wedding invitations, love it!
www.ArtOfLightPhoto.com

Sam, Alyssa, & Ryan: more seniors! / Cedar Falls Senior Portrait Photographer

2008-09-09T19:49:00.007-05:00

First off, here's Sam, he's pretty awesome...and rockin his favorite tshirt that he's had since elementary school. It is so worn out that it is pretty much see-through! What a goof. Sam is my sister's friend and she told him just to make crazy faces the whole time to make it more fun...I think he took her advice!
Alyssa, my awesome lil sister and newest Art of Light girl. I can't believe she is already a senior. Now that she has joined us you can all freak out at how much all 3 of us look alike instead of just mom & me :)

Alyssa has a sense of humor like no one else I know. Her greatest talent is laughing at pretty much everything including herself! And Ryan...I'll put some more of Ryan & Alyssa's senior pics up eventually when I get a little more time. For now, here are 2 of Ryan lookin suave.
www.ArtOfLightPhoto.com

Blake + Joni / Glen + Haley / Cara + Chad / Cedar Falls Wedding Photographer

2008-08-27T16:31:00.010-05:00

Sneak Peaks from 3 of our August weddings...

Blake + Joni / August 2 / St. Eds & Pipac Center

Glen + Haley / August 16 / Burlington, IA
Cara + Chad / August 23 / Nazareth & Pipac Center
www.ArtOfLightPhoto.com

Senior Sneak Peak: Bethany / Michael

2008-08-20T20:09:00.004-05:00

Lots of these coming up as we've had a senior session pretty much every day for the last 2 weeks, tonight we've got the lovely Bethany (her dad was my hilarious driver's ed teacher back in high school) and Michael (part of the awesome Rogers family that we love!)

First off, Bethany. Isn't she cute!!

And Michael, the Urban Outfitters Rockstar :)
www.ArtOfLightPhoto.com

Eli + Allison / Iowa City Wedding Photographer

2008-08-14T16:08:00.003-05:00

Here is a belated sneak peak from Allison & Eli's beautiful wedding in Iowa City on July 26. We just love these two, they're so sweet to each other and to everyone around them. And their threads were particularly kickin, Allison's dress was so cool and different and Eli's suit was stylin.

This wedding was extra fun for us because some of our favorite client's were in attendance! There is Sarah & Brian whose gorgeous wedding from last summer is featured on our website, Allison & Eli, and Cara & Chad whose wedding we're shooting in a couple weeks (remember their awesome engagement pics?). These couples have all been a part of each other's weddings and they are such an awesome group and we're starting to feel like part of the family with all their friends!
www.ArtOfLightPhoto.com

Sneak Peaks: 8/11-8/13 / Cedar Valley Portrait Photographer

2008-08-13T21:29:00.004-05:00

Sessions from this week so far:

Ashley + Drew

Leigh
Nick
www.ArtOfLightPhoto.com

Erik + Lisa / 08.08.08 / Cancun, Mexico / Destination Wedding Photographer

2008-08-08T20:52:00.005-05:00

We are still at the beach but thought we would post a few photos from Erik & Lisa's beautiful wedding in hot hot Cancun from just this morning! Aren't these two cute :) I have a feeling alot of people will be waiting to see this sneak peak so here it is, lightning speed :) Right after they got married and walked back up the aisle, in loooove :)
www.ArtOfLightPhoto.com

Hello 2009 Seniors?

2008-08-06T00:23:00.002-05:00

Before we head off to Cancun (see below) I thought I would post a couple sneak peaks from an awesome senior session we did tonight and remind any of you out there who still haven't scheduled your senior pics to hurry up and give us a call/email to snatch up the last few spots we have.

Here is the lovely Libby! :) www.ArtOfLightPhoto.com

Off to Cancun!

2008-08-05T20:35:00.003-05:00

And we're off again! This time we're heading to Cancun to shoot Lisa & Erik's wedding on 08-08-08! As most of you know, I got married in Cancun last May so this place holds a special place in our hearts. Can't wait to step onto that beautiful beach again! We've been there 9 times in the last 6 years and haven't been back for over a year so it's about time! We'll be out of the office August 6-11 and will respond to all emails when we return. Have a great week everyone! www.ArtOfLightPhoto.com

July Sneak Peaks

2008-07-28T10:40:00.004-05:00

Crazy as usual around here. In the last 10 days I've been in the following places for atleast 1 hour...Aruba, Miami, Chicago (4 times), Washington DC, Burke, VA, Williamsburg, VA, Cedar Falls, IA, Iowa City, IA, Dubuque, IA and Nashville. Are you as tired as I am just reading that? And next week we're off to Cancun...

Here are a few shots from our July weddings!

Trichelle + Adam / July 5 / Ames

These two are ridiculously in love. Their first look was the most emotional we've seen yet and they had an all around great day. Their reception was at a vineyard. Gorgeous!

When we were taking photos of Trichelle & Adam we set this shot up and Adam starting crying just looking at his bride!
Gillian & Al / July 16 / Aruba!

You can't get much better than getting married in Aruba. The weather was gorgeous and we had an awesome time hanging out with Gill, Al, and all their friends and family. What a beautiful day! Danielle & Matt / July 25 / Cedar Falls

Danielle was my best friend growing up and it was such an honor to be a part of her wedding. These two are so sweet together and we are so happy for them!

Allison & Eli / July 26 / Iowa City

COMING SOON

I had to head to the airport immediately following their wedding on Saturday so I'll get a sneak peak when I return to the office, patience :)

www.ArtOfLightPhoto.com

Off to Aruba!

2008-07-12T20:31:00.002-05:00

We're off to Aruba to shoot Al & Gillian's wedding. I was just there in February and it's definitely a gorgeous place! It's going to be a beautiful backdrop for Al & Gillian's big day. Here's a shot I took when my husband and I were there this winter. We'll be out of the office from July 13-20 so we'll be answering emails and phone calls when we return. And I promise I'll get some teasers up from our most recent weddings when we return. Have a great week everyone!

May & June 2008 weddings

2008-07-01T13:00:00.004-05:00

So it's pretty obvious that we're a little behind in the blogging department. It's been a crazy busy last month or so with 8 weddings right in a row. So while eventually all of these beautiful weddings will get their own posts, a sneak peak will have to do for now. Enjoy!

Jill + Derek / May 24 / St. Lucas & West Union
Jill is a self-proclaimed blog stalker so she'll eventually have to get her own post on here. Jill & Derek had a great wedding day with lots of beautiful details and tons of love!
Leah + Alex / June 7 / Cedar Falls (Nazareth)
Leah & Alex had a super fun & relaxed and SUPER hot wedding day. It was so humid that the second we stepped outside to take these pictures our lenses all fogged up. Needless to say we spent most of the day inside :)

Bailey + Matt / June 14 / Fredsville & Cedar Falls (Maucker Union)
Bailey & Matt get the award for the funnest wedding party in my memory. They really had an awesome day and we loved being a part of it!

Meghan + Jed / June 20 / Cedar Falls (Prarie Lakes & Park Place)
Meghan & Jed are high school sweethearts and they are sweethearts in every sense of the word. They are sweet to each other and sweet to everyone around them. Aren't they cute :)

Janell + Jason / June 21 / Reinbeck & Lincoln
Janell & Jason are great and they had a very nice and emotion filled small-town wedding. And Janell did an awesome job dressing the wedding party...the guys wore khaki suits (loved it!), Jason wore a brown suit, the girls wore really cute brown dresses, and Janell had a brown ribbon on her dress. They looked great!

Steph + Matt / June 27 / Waterloo (St. Eds) & Cedar Falls (Park Place)
Steph & Matt were married just this past weekend and they had tons of fun. Steph did an amazing job on all the details and their reception decor was completely rockin. They even had personalized calculators as favors as they are both accountants, so cute!

Krista + Adam / June 28 / Dike (Country Club)
Krista & Adam came home all the way from Texas to get married this last weekend. It was a laid back and really sweet day and we really enjoyed documenting the love between these two and their families. And we loved Krista's hair!

www.ArtOfLightPhoto.com

Brittany + Waylon / Cedar Falls / 5.17.08 / Cedar Falls Wedding Photographer

2008-06-09T14:28:00.012-05:00

Brittany & Waylon were married outside on May 17th at the beautiful Rotary Reserve in Cedar Falls. They were blessed with beautiful weather for their outdoor ceremony and a great day with lots of family and friends. We had an awesome time being a part of their celebration!

Brittany did an awesome job with her decorations. Their colors were hot pink and orange and the details were awesome!

LOVED the cake!

What a beautiful bride!

And some lovely ladies!

What an awesome day to get married outside!

I think they like each other :)

Funny toasts!

www.ArtOfLightPhoto.com

Cara + Chad / engaged to be married 8.23.08 / Cedar Falls Wedding Photographer

2008-06-04T11:24:00.015-05:00

Cara & Chad are getting married this summer so we shot some engagement photos for them a couple weeks ago. These two are ridiculously awesome. They weren't afraid to have fun and to love each other no matter how many cameras were in their face :) Cara was a bridesmaid in Sarah & Brian's wedding last summer and their group of friends is SO much fun! We can't wait for their wedding in August! Hello, cute!!!!
Cara was having an awesome time with all of our crazy ideas We didn't ask her to do this...I thought it was pretty funny and telling of a marriage :)

They definitely know how to make each other laugh :)

Smokin hot!

Everybody gets kisses!

www.ArtOfLightPhoto.com

Ryan + Kristin / Des Moines / 4.19.08 / Des Moines Wedding Photographer

2008-06-01T13:24:00.001-05:00

Ryan & Kristin were married on April 19th in Des Moines at the beautiful Temple for the Performing Arts. They had an awesome day and we truly enjoyed being a part of it all. This post is mostly portraits of Ryan & Kristin from around downtown Des Moines with a few getting ready photos. There were so many that I liked that I decided to just go with these and maybe we'll get some shots from the rest of the day on another post :) One of my favorites ever.
Alyssa's favorite.

Kristin & her friend pretty excited about the day :)

Mother & daughter sharing a moment.

Who knew downtown office buildings could look so cool :)

www.ArtOfLightPhoto.com

Katie + Jonny / Marco Island (2008 update) / Destination Wedding Photographer

2008-05-22T12:37:00.001-05:00

We had to give Katie & Jonny's wedding a little bit more blog love because back when they got married after Christmas we were traveling for a couple weeks straight (weddings in the Bahamas, Florida, & Connecticut) and never got a chance to really show them off. Katie, Jonny, and the awesome Rogers family are good friends of our family and we had an amazing time with them in Marco Island, Florida. Their wedding was so beautiful. It was just us and their immediate families. They just picked a spot on the beach in front of their condo and went out and got married and we were so honored to be a part of it all. There are so many fun pictures from this day but I'll just show a few for now.

And a few links just because...
Walt Rogers (Jonny's dad) is running for Iowa Senate (we'll devote another day to him later since we are his campaign photographers :) Check out those stylin photos at the top!
Walt Rogers for Iowa Senate

Alli Rogers (Jonny's sister) is an amazing recording artist who now lives in Nashville. She sang at the wedding...you have to check out her stuff! She has a really cool blog too!
Alli Rogers

And just because we love our awesome amazing church and Walt was a youth leader there, Dave married them and is a leader and teacher there, and Jonny works there too!...if you want a great contemporary and fun church to attend in Cedar Falls...come see us at the 11:10 service :)
Orchard Hill Church

Katie's mom and grandma, aren't they cute :)

Can you spy the bride and her awesome threads?
A prayer over Jonny before he gets ready...see momma AOL (Stephanie) on the left? :)
Katie's mom and dad walking her down the "aisle"/beach :)

Jonny looking at his bride and Walt looking pretty proud during the ceremony. Jenny (momma Rogers) is a little too short to show up in this photo, but we got her head :)

The beach in Marco Island is pretty cool, it's all shells instead of sand.

Alli singing during the ceremony.

A prayer during the ceremony.

They are so gosh darn sweet with each other!

http://www.artoflightphoto.com/

Betsy + Tim: 4.12.08 / Waterloo Wedding Photographer

2008-05-19T16:14:00.001-05:00

Betsy and Tim were married on April 12th. It was a pretty gloomy rainy day but that did not stop Betsy and Tim from having an awesome day. Betsy was a bridesmaid in a wedding we did a couple years ago and it was a blast hanging out with this group again. They are so laid back and so much fun...Really, how can you not like a bride who wears white Nike Shox under her wedding dress?!?!

Before she put on the kickin Shox she did have some pretty bride shoes :)

They were SO excited to see each other for the first time that morning.

Betsy's dress had gorgeous lace detailing, LOVE!

A little "LOVE" charm on her bouquet.

Anticipating the big moment.

I just like this one :) The girls all gathering to walk down the aisle.

And it's hands in before the ceremony!

Betsy with her dad right before they walk down the aisle, so sweet :)

This old Catholic church in Gilbertville had gorgeous details.

This is what you do when it rains on your wedding day...find somewhere really cool to take your pictures inside instead :)

Lovin each other :)

Pretty centerpieces at the reception.

Tim's mom and dad giving a really sweet speech at the reception.

www.ArtOfLightPhoto.com

Nancy + David: 4.5.08 / Cedar Falls Wedding Photographer

2008-04-23T09:23:00.001-05:00

Nancy & David were married at the beginning of April in a very intimate and moving ceremony. Something Nancy said while she was getting ready really stuck with me. The girls were talking about David & Nancy's relationship and Nancy said "God is definitely in the business of rebuilding." I could see how this truth played out in their relationship and also thought about how real that is in ways for all of our lives. It's very refreshing to witness the kind of open and honest love these two share. Gotta love that feather duster/makeup brush!
The kids were so cute!

They designed their rings together. I love the geometric shapes. And their church was pretty much decorated like Pier 1. We were in heaven with all the options, like this awesome orange table!

Their first look. Can you tell they really like each other :)

Just roaming around the church we found plenty of fun.

This baby cracked me up, she had the funniest facial expressions!

David playing with his new grandson.

The beautiful bride contemplating her walk down the aisle.

Love the anticipation.

The ceremony.

Nancy's mom & dad during the prayer.

Adults always love the bubbles!

The yummy cake from a different angle.

COMING UP NEXT:

Betsy & Tim's awesome 4.12.08 wedding in Gilbertville

Kristin & Ryan's stylin 4.19.08 wedding in downtown Des Moines

and some stuff from this winter you've never seen!

We're still here!

2008-03-26T11:28:00.001-05:00

We haven't disappeared! I know it's been too long since we posted anything new but now that the wedding season is upon us we've got lots of fun stuff coming up to show you! We've been working like crazy these last few months and I think I designed about 30 albums in the last month or so alone!

So to start off for spring, here is an engagement session we shot last week for Betsy & Tim. They are getting married in just a couple weeks and we can't wait! Betsy was a bridesmaid in Heather & DJ's wedding and their group of friends is so much fun!

They got the model look down right away!

I think I'm going to be blind by the time I'm 30 from my love of flare.

They are really sweet together.
You can see the remnants of the worst winter I can remember since I've been alive. I think we got like 6 feet of snow over the last few months, it was just never ending. But suddenly it's spring, all the snow has melted and it's about 50 degrees today, finally!

Stephanie + Kelly: The Day After Session / Destination Wedding Photographer

2008-01-24T15:36:00.001-06:00

We shot Stephanie & Kelly's wedding in the Bahamas on December 29 at Compass Point and we all woke up bright and early before sunrise the next morning to get some "Day After" pictures of this hot hot couple! And wait til you see how they ended the session! To see a slideshow of their wedding day, scroll down a post or two.

Compass Point is such a gorgeous and colorful resort!

This is a beach wedding! So romantic.

How cute are they :)

Since they got married on this pier over the ocean we thought it would be really cool if they jumped off it in their wedding clothes to end the session.

They took the plunge!

Katie + Jonny: Marco Island, Florida / Destination Wedding Photographer

2008-01-13T15:01:00.001-06:00

Katie & Jonny had a very intimate and beautiful wedding on the beach in Marco Island. It was just immediate family & us and it was really a special day. Katie & Jonny and their family are good friends of our family and it was such a blessing for us to be a part of their celebration. For now I'm just putting up a few of the 2 of them until I get a chance to go through all the amazing stuff we got at this wedding. These 2 are so incredibly in love and taking their engagement & wedding photos was so cool for us just to witness how beautiful they are together. More to come later!

We didn't tell them to do this...I think they were really excited to be married :)

Stephanie + Kelly: Compass Point, The Bahamas / Destination Wedding Photographer

2008-01-08T20:09:00.001-06:00

Here is the newest slideshow from a beautiful wedding we shot right after Christmas in the Bahamas. We'll be posting some actual photos on here soon...
http://www.photodex.com/sharing/viewshow.html?fl=2929215&alb=0

It's been a whirlwind month around here.
I left with Matt from Iowa on Dec. 15 to go skiing with his family for a week.
Then I actually got to be a guest at a wedding for the first time in years for some friends of ours. I didn't even take a camera!
Next mom & I met up in Detroit to fly to the Bahamas for Stephanie & Kelly's wedding at the beautiful Compass Point. We got up at 5:30 am the day after their wedding to do a day after shoot (more on that to come!)
and then flew to Florida to shoot Katie & Jonny's wedding in Marco Island (more on that one to come as well!)
Then I flew back to DC to take a train up to Connecticut to shoot Morgen & Elliot's wedding. Matt was actually in this wedding and apparently had no clue what an usher did until I informed him of what he was doing a few days before! (You'd think the husband of a wedding photographer would know a little bit more about what goes on at a wedding!)
We finally flew home yesterday and I've been catching up ever since.
So on to January...3 gorgeous weddings to edit & 15 albums to design. The computer sure did miss me!

Ashley + Joey slideshow / Destination Wedding Photographer

2007-12-12T21:50:00.001-06:00

Until I get the slideshow into the blog, here is a link for you to enjoy of

Ashley & Joey's amazing wedding in the Bahamas

http://www.photodex.com/sharing/viewshow.html?fl=2918272&alb=0

If it doesn't show up for you make sure you have downloaded the Active X Control that pops up under where you type in web addresses. This slideshow only works on PCs.

Sneak Peak: The Bahamas!

2007-11-27T16:44:00.000-06:00

Well for our #1 blog stalker out there, Ashley, I had to hurry up and get some pictures up on the blog of her gorgeous wedding in the Bahamas. This is lightning speed for me! We just got home at 2 am this morning from an awesome and beautiful long weekend with Ashley, Joey, & their amazing friends and family. We took a cruise down to the Bahamas where Joey & Ashley tied the knot at Compass Point. This place is AMAZING & we can't wait to return in less than a month to shoot another wedding there a few days after Christmas! For now, here are a few teasers...I think we'll go for posting a slideshow for this one once we get a chance to really go through the pictures. More to come! Look at this view! This is the pier where they were married viewed from the villa where Ashley & her girls (and guy) got ready.
Sigh...I love the ocean! Ashley's parents taking in the moment.

Ashley's aqua shoes! Compass Point is one of the most colorful places on earth, we were in photographer's heaven!

Ashley's mom reading a card from her daughter. A very sweet moment.

Is she gorgeous or what!

The guys modelin it up.

Ashley with her girls...and her man of honor, dad!

Love the ceremony details.

A sweet moment during the ceremony.

These two are hooottt!

Some cocktail hour details with the Caribbean Sea as a backdrop.

All the guests...everyone wore white and it looked so great!

Ok, so I cried through this entire dance.

And P.S. Ashley says she's not a crier but she's a liar! And I've got the pictures to prove it later on :)

Blake + Joni & Matt + Steph / Cedar Falls Wedding Photographer

2007-11-16T20:39:00.001-06:00

We're still here! It's been a crazy fall so far and we're looking forward to a little bit of warm weather for Ashley & Joey's wedding next week in the Bahamas! For now, here are two recent engagement sessions...Photographing people in love makes our job so much fun!

Blake + Joni: engaged to be married 08-02-08

Matt + Steph: engaged to be married 06-27-08

One Gigantic Catch Up

2007-10-22T20:39:00.000-05:00

Things have been just a little busy around here so I've decided to give you 18 posts in 1. Here is a small selection of what we've been up to in the last month or so. More detailed posts to come when we have a moment to breathe!

First off, it's engagement photo season...

Danielle, Matt & Ella

Danielle was my best friend growing up. We lived a few houses away and we were born one day apart. We photographed Danielle's sister's wedding last July and now Danielle & Matt are getting married next July, can't wait!

Is Ella adorable or what?
Kristin + Ryan
This gorgeous couple is getting married next April. It's going to be beautiful!

Janell + Jason

We can't wait for their wedding next June, two of the most down to earth people you will ever meet.

Bailey + Matt

These two are so much fun, I think they laughed 99.9% of the time!

Trichelle + Adam

We had so much fun hanging out with these two. Their wedding next July is going to be awesome.

Alyssa + Jeff

This wedding was so fun. Alyssa actually had the same wedding dress as me so we think she had great style! These two are really in love and you can tell just from being around them.

Jessica + Erik

This was the most emotional wedding ceremony we have ever witnessed and the whole day was so genuine and beautiful. Everyone treated us like family and we felt so blessed to be part of the celebration of their love. This wedding was also special to us as Jessica & Erik asked us to just do our thing so the whole day was completely photojournalistic, not one single formal or posed picture, it was awesome!

I told you it was an emotional ceremony! There's Janell, the maid of honor...recognize her from a few posts up? We love getting the opportunity to photograph weddings within the same family and friends!

Jennifer + Rich

We had lots of fun being a part of Jennie & Rich's wedding last month. Jennie is a graphic designer so I loved all her details! And bonus, they love Arrested Development...a couple after my own heart!

Leah + Joe

These two were so laid back and knew how to have fun on their wedding day. Leah's relatives grow cranberries for Ocean Spray and they used lots of them in their decorating, talk about gorgeous details!

Michelle + Matt

We've known this family for a couple years now and it was so fun being a part of Matt & Michelle's wedding. Matt is such a goof, Michelle is so sweet, and their daughter Macy is about as cute as cute can get!

THE SENIORS!

Kayla

Nirmeen

Kelsey

Alex

Jacob

Paige

Rachel

The Van Cleave Family

Upcoming on the blog....

2007-10-15T22:17:00.000-05:00

What we've been up to but haven't had time to blog...
5 WEDDINGS: The Krivanek's, The Morton's, The Tischler's, The Kettleson's, & the Lynch's
3 ENGAGEMENTS: The Boldt's, The Cable's, & The King's
6 SENIORS: Jacob, Kayla, Nirmeen, Paige, Kelsey, & Rachel
and The Van Cleave family

We'll catch up eventually!
And just for entertainment, this is a photo I took of my crazy sister and our rising star assistant, Alyssa...she has heart :)

Katie + Jonathan / Cedar Falls Wedding Photographer

2007-10-03T14:01:00.001-05:00

We shot Katie & Jonny's engagement photos a couple weeks ago and we had so much fun. These two sweethearts are getting married in Florida this New Year's Eve and since we are going to be down in the Bahamas shooting a wedding on Dec. 29th we're going to stop on the way home and shoot their wedding too! Jonny's family is good friends with our family, Katie is about the sweetest person on the planet, and we can't wait to be a part of their celebration! Can you tell how in love these 2 are?...it's just beautiful!

http://www.artoflightphoto.com/

421 BABY!!!

2007-09-30T11:18:00.000-05:00

HISTORY HAPPENS TODAY!!!

The picture above is us at a Packers game probably about 5 years ago...

And below is the man, the legend....

Many of you probably don't know that we are as hard core as it gets when it comes to being Green Bay Packer fans. We lived in Green Bay, Wisconsin in the 90's and I even went to junior high with lots of the Packer's kids...even Brett Favre's daughters went to my school and I rode the bus with the head coach's kids. Living within shouting distance of Lambeau Field makes you a little crazy and we are officially green & gold through and through...

So today is a special day as Brett Favre passes Dan Marino for the all-time touchdown record against our all-time rivals the Minnesota Vikings (boo). As he continues to rack up records it is so fun to be able to watch someone play a game just because they love it so much. Even though all of us as fans are freaking out about all his records he just wants to play for the love of the game and for his team. This is the ultimate example of working because you love what you do.

So as our sign in the above picture says...
SEE BRETT
SEE BRETT THROW
INTO THE ENDZONE
GO PACK GO!!!!!

Why we love what we do...

2007-09-27T10:07:00.000-05:00

In the last week or so we have gotten some of the nicest e-mails from our clients & it really reinforced for us why we love what we do. Words like this make everything we do all worth it, to know that we preserved such special moments and memories for people is truly an honor....

You brides know how to make 2 girls blush! ;)An e-mail we recently received from Sarah who was married on August 18th...

"Hello! How are you! I absolutely LOVE the wedding pictures. You two are amazing! You somehow captured every moment, and everyone looked natural! And I love all of the pictures of the details of the wedding- some of them I never even saw myself so I loved it! I think I have looked at them every day! I just wanted to say a big THANK YOU for capturing our big day perfectly! I will continue to recommend you in the future (although according to your schedule you two are quite busy!)"

An e-mail we recently received from Jamie who was married on July 28th...

"Thank you Thank you Thank you! I have had so much fun the last couple days playing with the photos! It's like watching a video of the day. Every moment is captured. I love it…. I am so very thrilled with the photos! YOU ROCK!!"

And an e-mail from Jamie's mom...

"WOW--did you ladies know how hard you made it to pick my favorite photos? They were all great!….It is SO much fun to relive that beautiful day. Thanks again, so much! Julie"

Keira + Mitch / Cedar Falls Wedding Photographer

2007-09-24T13:30:00.001-05:00

The Wedding Day...

My favorite photo from the whole day.

Sarah + Brian / Iowa City Wedding Photographer

2007-09-17T21:40:00.001-05:00

Sarah & Brian were married in August and there wedding was SO much fun! They had the perfect combination of things we love...They are so cute together, Sarah had a gorgeous dress, their wedding party was so fun, their families were awesome...I could just go on and on!

I posted some of their pre-wedding photos a few posts down but I thought it would be fun to try out this new crazy slideshow thing I found online to display them instead...just hit the play button and turn up the speakers :) There wedding day photos are below...

Love the shoes...

And the dress!
Love is a lifesaver!

Brian and his mom, so sweet.

I love the detail and abstractness in this shot.

The beatles?

Look at that air Brian got!

I just adored these girls.

The girls praying before the ceremony.

And calming Sarah's nerves...

A sweet moment with dad before they walk down the aisle.

A sweet moment during the ceremony. Sarah looking at her girls.

Hug time during the ceremony. Brian's brother & one of the bridesmaids.

Brian & Sarah with their maid of honor & best man.

Sarah & Grandpa after the ceremony.

We're shooting these two lovebirds' wedding next summer!

The beers posing. Is that an awesome building or what! Love Iowa City!

The guys bein suave.

Showing off their cheerleader moves!

Gettin the shoes back on.

Run!!

The Hotel Vetro where the reception was held is so awesome. I couldn't decide which I liked best so I thought I'd post both :) The bar...This place had awesome frosted glass everywhere making for some pretty cool silhouettes.

And when both the bride AND the groom are Iowa Hawkeye football cheerleaders you know who's going to show up....

Brian listening to the toasts

A sweet moment between brothers.

Gettin their groove on.

The groomsmen were CRAZY

See...

September to September

2007-09-16T16:50:00.000-05:00

Here's where we'll be in the next year...

From Iowa to Washington DC to the Bahamas to Florida to Connecticut to Iowa to Aruba to Iowa to Mexico and back to Iowa, it's going to be a busy year! And somewhere in there we're planning a trip to Europe!

I've included some links for any of you brides out there looking for wedding locations!
Sept. 1: Marion & Shueyville
Sept. 8: Cedar Falls, Pipac Centre
Sept. 22: Des Moines
Sept 29: Cedar Falls, Pipac Centre
Oct. 6: Waterloo, Elks Club
Nov. 3: Iowa City, Iowa River Power Company
Nov 22-26: The Bahamas, Compass Point
Dec 20-26: Washington DC
Dec 27-30: The Bahamas, Compass Point
Dec 31-Jan 1: Sanibel Island, TBD
Jan 2-7: Connecticut, TBD
Apr 12: Gilbertville & Elks Club
Apr 19: Des Moines, Temple for Performing Arts
May 17: Cedar Falls, Rotary Reserve
May 24: St. Lucas & Country Hills Golf Club
June 7: Cedar Falls, Sunnyside Country Club
June 14: Cedar Falls, UNI Union
June 21: Reinbeck
June 28: Dike, Fox Ridge Golf Club
July 5: Des Moines, White Oaks Vineyard
July 10-18: Aruba, Palm Beach
July 25: Cedar Falls, Pipac Centre
Aug 2: Cedar Falls, Pipac Centre
Aug 6-10: Cancun, Mexico, Moon Palace
Aug 23: Cedar Falls, Pipac Centre
Sept. 20: Des Moines, Embassy Suites
Sept 27: Des Moines, Temple for Performing Arts

Cierra + Landon

2007-09-09T18:30:00.001-05:00

Here's a crazy story for our year! We did Cierra's senior pictures a year or so ago. We got an email from her a couple months ago saying she had gotten engaged and her fiance would be home from the army for a week in August and wanted us to do some engagement photos for them. We met them on a Sunday afternoon to take some photos and they said they weren't really sure when they were going to get married. The next morning we got a call from Cierra's mom that they had decided to get married that night! So we rearranged our schedule and captured their beautiful and very emotional sunset service. Landon left the next day to go back to Ft. Bragg. What a whirlwind weekend for the two of them! We wish you two the very best in your new life together.

A few of their engagement photos...

Cierra wanted a picture of her engagement ring with Landon's dog tags.

And the next day, they were getting married!

Cierra had one day to plan her wedding and she did an awesome job!

Cierra stylin with her BCBG heels. The very sweet ceremony.

Landon & Cierra's moms, such a sweet moment during the ceremony.

Cierra's parents looking on during the ceremony. The moms were so happy.

3 senior girls

2007-09-04T14:00:00.000-05:00

Meet Abbye, Heidi, & Abby...these lovely ladies are our most recent senior sessions.

First off, the gorgeous Abbye.

And the very spirited Heidi...

And sweet Abby :) I first met her when she was only 6 weeks old!

Abby is on the golf team & her dad is the pro at the golf course so we had to get some of these in!

Some new fun stuff...

2007-08-31T18:22:00.000-05:00

We went out on a scouting trip today to get some fresh new ideas for places around the Cedar Falls area for senior & engagement photos. So if you're up for something different from what you've seen around here so far here are some new top secret places we can take you to...We gave them some "top secret" names just for fun :) Let's be adventurous, trust us, these places are really cool...don't ask questions just let us take you there!

*THE SECRET JUNGLE BEACH

*THE COLORS

*THE WIZARD TREE

*THE CORN TRAINS

*THE BURNT ORANGE CAR GRAVEYARD

*THE CEMENT GRAFITTI BRIDGE

*THE OLD FARM

*THE ORANGE BUS

*THE SIGN, ooooooh

Sarah + Brian: The Pre Wedding Session

2007-08-30T13:45:00.000-05:00

Sarah & Brian were married a couple weeks ago and eventually I will get to blogging their awesome wedding but for now here is their pre-wedding session we did on the U of Iowa campus a couple days before their wedding. They were both cheerleaders for the Iowa football team & they are one of our coolest couples ever! I told you they were cheerleaders, this is a first! I absolutely LOVE Sarah's dress! Is she gorgeous or what!

Alex + Nate / Cedar Falls Wedding Photographer

2007-08-28T14:59:00.001-05:00

Alex & Nate were married on August 11th in Cedar Falls on a hot but very beautiful day. They were both so fun and so laid back about the whole day and made us feel so welcomed. Congratulations you two! The ant's view.

Pretty flowers...I love bright calla lillies!

A sweet moment between mother & daughter.

Grandpa was stylin.

They go together like salt and pepper!

Reading the program.

I thought this moment was funny...the steamer & the expression on Alex's face right before she walks down the aisle...the tension!

Woops, she broke her bouquet!

I love the look on the audience's faces as she walks down the aisle.

Alex's sister watching her come down the aisle.

A sweet prayer during the ceremony.

A fun twist on "you may kiss your bride"...one of the guest's flashes went off right when I snapped...and got this! :)

See ya later!

Becca + Aaron / Cedar Falls Wedding Photographer

2007-08-27T13:27:00.001-05:00

Becca & Aaron were married on August 4th at the Rotary Reserve and even though their outdoor ceremony was rained out, it was still a beautiful day for these two sweethearts.

The centerpieces.

Yummy candy bar!

Gettin all tied up.

Love this little guy.

Divin into the dress!

A little wind action with the veil.

I love this shot of Aaron holding on to Becca's dress.

Becca watching Aaron get his flower on.

The ring bearer entertaining himself.

The other little ring bearer gettin some love from mom.

This little guy was so adorable...he wasn't even 2 and he knew all of his colors and talked like a maniac...and even smelled the flowers!

The flower girl during the ceremony.

The ring bearer gettin some major air.

Yummy vintage first dance photos.

The one is hard to explain but the DJ pretty much told the whole crowd to swarm the bride and groom in the middle of the dance floor and I got shoved in there with them. I thought this one was funny :)

Bringin it for the dollar dance.

Derek's senior pictures

2007-08-16T23:30:00.001-05:00

Alright, we are officially behind in blogging as always so I'm just going to start going out of order and get caught up eventually! Check back soon for Becca & Aaron's wedding, Abby's senior pictures, Heidi's senior pictures, Alex and Nate's wedding, Abbye's senior pictures, the Mudd suprise party, Cierra & Landon's engagement and crazy wedding story, and Sarah & Brian's pre-wedding & wedding photos. Phew, I told you we're busy!

Tonight we photographed Derek's senior pictures. The Hot Momma of the Art of Light team and Derek's mom used to get in all kinds of trouble when they were in high school together and were even in each other's weddings back in the 80's with those poof sleeve dresses and the Farrah hair! Derek is the funniest kid and I had a blast hanging out with him (while the moms gabbed in the background!)

His puppy has the biggest ears! He was really curious about my camera.

Gotta show love for the Tiger golf team!

Showin off the guns!What a cutie!

Jamie + Matt / Waverly Wedding Photographer

2007-08-14T12:27:00.002-05:00

Jamie & Matt were married on July 28th and we had such a great time being a part of this wedding. The day was gorgeous, the couple was crazy about each other, and everything went perfectly. You might catch a glimpse of the bride if you ever watch the famous Barrett Jackson classic car auctions on tv as she works for them down in Arizona. Congratulations Jamie & Matt. Enjoy!

The beautiful Wartburg Chapel. This is one of my favorite churches we've ever photographed a wedding in. The lighting and the angles are gorgeous!

The guys getting a little arm wrestling and card playing in since they are ready way before the girls are :)

Jamie's beautiful veil.

Gotta get the rings!

I thought this shot was funny of Jamie checking out her make-up.

Jamie putting her dress on. Love the layers.

Perty shoes.

The wedding party was tons of fun.

Aren't they cute :)

Jamie was just glowing the whole day.

A sweet moment when Jamie's grandma saw her for the first time.

Love this one.

The flowers and the dresses were SO pretty together! One of my favorites so far.

The ring bearer checkin the fountain out.

I love the layers of this photo. Matt & Grandma talking in the background, Jamie & Grandma talking in the middle, the flower girl coloring, and the ring bearer checking the church out.

Matt playing with the ring bearer before the ceremony. And one tired groomsman.

Jamie grabbing a drink before she walks down the aisle.

A sweet moment during the ceremony.

We did all the wedding party and family photos before the ceremony but saved some time after the ceremony for just the two of them. I thought it worked out so well. The anxiety of the ceremony was over so they were super relaxed and so happy to finally be married and I think it really shows in the photos.

I love the motion, color, and elegance of this shot.

Jamie's dad owns the very popular Knight Hawk bar in Waverly so everyone had to stop by before the reception for some drinks. My dad said he used to always go there when he was young for hot wings so it must be good!

A kiss & a bustle.

Then it was off to the beautiful reception.

A cute moment during the toasts.

First dance as husband & wife. They are so darn cute together.

Jamie & her dad are so cute & funny together. The groom with his sweet mom.

Why The Art Of Light girls rock...

2007-08-13T12:07:00.000-05:00

Our awesome 7-7-07 bride, Megan, sent us this pretty hilarious photo of us on her wedding day.
From left to right, Stephanie, the hot momma photographer, Megan, our amazingly cool bride, Kristyn, you might think I look like I'm 14 but I am a wife, I was just given youthful genes :) And Lindsey, one stylin videographer who was also one of Megan's personal attendants.

I wanted to post this just to show some of our personality at what we do. We are doing what we love and we want to have fun doing it. Weddings are awesome days for everyone involved and we want to share in that awesomeness (is that a word?) so if you want some fun, crazy girls to have fun with on your wedding day, we can definitly give you a cheesy pose like this to remember us by :)

Susan + Donald: Barbados / Destination Wedding Photographer

2007-08-10T19:50:00.001-05:00

We were very honored to be a part of Susan & Don's wedding celebration on the island of Barbados at the end of July. We got to cruise along with them and their family and friends on a catamaran cruise rehearsal dinner (some came all the way from London!), travel to a beautiful deserted beach for their wedding ceremony, and then got to spend some time with just the two of them for a day after shoot. We had a great time and can't wait for our next destination wedding! The beautiful dress details.

Susan getting her makeup done.

Susan getting her dress on.

Susan helping her mom with her dress. Love beach wedding details!

Susan's dress was so fun to photograph.

The view of a cliff from the ceremony beach.

We love bright weddings!

The flower girls.

A sweet moment during the ceremony.

Saying their own vows.

Woohoo, they're married!

Susan's mom hugging Don.

I love this picture of them after the ceremony.

The light coming over the mountains after the ceremony was beautiful.

The gorgeous bride.

The reception.

The wave!

A cute moment we caught from our table during the reception.

I love the motion during their first dance.

Showing off their Rolex's during their first dance, Don is wearing his dad's watch and Susan is wearing her wedding gift from Don.

Gotta love when the photographer catches you being a little naughty.

Susan's dad had a pretty strong drink. You'll see the effects later!

Boogyin down!

Susan's dad starting to feel the effects of those drinks!

Yep, he got down on that dance floor!

All worn out.

Boudoir Sessions

2007-08-08T12:41:00.000-05:00

While you all wait for me to catch up with all the blogging from our last 4 weddings, 2 or 3 seniors, etc. etc. I thought I would post about something we offer that you may not know about. For any of our brides who are interested, we do Boudoir Sessions, ooh la la! These are awesome gifts to give to your husband-to-be on the morning of your wedding, we've seen some pretty happy reactions!

We do these sessions in your home where you are comfortable and since we're both ladies it is super relaxed, no need to have a super model body or know exactly what you're doing. It's fun and guaranteed to be a hit for your soon to be husband! Most of these sessions are presented in a really awesome little album.

I didn't post anything to risque here. Just something to give you an idea. These are from a session we did this last winter.

Jackie: Class of 2008

2007-08-01T16:48:00.000-05:00

1 more post from today below: Little Lola

We photographed Jackie, a high school senior, last week. She is beautiful and has gorgeous blue eyes.

Little Lola

2007-08-01T13:21:00.000-05:00

This is our second time photographing sweet little Lola. Last time she was only a few months old and now she is learning to walk and she is the most adorable little thing!

She was not a happy camper! She's gonna love this shot when she grows up :)

Daddy came in to make it all better.

Look at those eyelashes.

Curious Lola.

Baby girl shoes are so adorable.

Peek-a-boo with the bow.

Barbados: The Day After shoot

2007-07-30T22:52:00.001-05:00

1 more post from today below: Christa + Charlie

We shot Susan & Donald's wedding in beautiful Barbados a couple weeks ago and I couldn't wait to post some shots from this gorgeous place. I'm still working on the wedding day but I thought I would post some of their day after shoot. Susan brought an extra wedding dress so we could get down and dirty on the beach and it was well worth it!

It's a jungle out there.

Gotta love some color when you're in the Caribbean!

I love this shot. It's so spontaneous & poetic to me.

Is this beach crazy cool or what!

I love these palm trees...I could have done the whole shoot just right here.

I almost got swallowed by a wave for this shot!

The beautiful bride.

That's how you dip a lady!

They were ready for the water!

And to end it off, somethin sexy.

These two are HOT!

Christa + Charlie / Des Moines Wedding Photographer

2007-07-30T18:29:00.002-05:00

Well, I'm behind on my blogging, what's new :) But I promise there is lots of good stuff to come! Check back soon for photos from the wedding we shot in Barbados, last weekend's wedding in Waverly, and much much more! Christa & Charlie were married on July 14th in Des Moines & it was a beautiful day for a very sweet couple.

Here's where it all went down...
The girls got ready in one of the Sunday school rooms. I found a cookie cutter in the shape of a "C" for Christa & Charlie...I thought this was cute :)

Gettin a spray!

Here's an example of why it's cool to have 2 photographers...here is the same moment from our 2 different perspectives...

I like this one because you can see the focus in her eyes and the details of an intricate moment as the veil is being put on...

But I also like this perspective where you can see the calm in Christa's face and a little more of their surroundings.

One second, while she takes a photo :)

The beautiful bride.

The cute couple.

Abstract.

I love this moment.

Perty boutinere.

Love the details.

A moment between Charlie & the pastor before he walks down the aisle.

A sweet moment between Christa & her dad before he walks her down the aisle.

A prayer during the ceremony.

Are these cute baby feet or what!

Love this shot.

Bubbles!

A cute moment at the reception.

Someone is tired.

Watching Christa & Charlie dance.

Is he a cutie or what!

I love the motion and feel of this shot. This is what a dance floor feels like to me. Light & dark motion.

Off to Barbados & a sneak peak

2007-07-17T15:25:00.000-05:00

We're off to Barbados tomorrow morning to shoot Susan & Don's wedding at the Coral Sands Resort. We'll be there for 5 days shooting their Catamaran Cruise snorkeling & dinner extraveganza, the wedding day, & day after/trash the dress shoot. We can't wait! On Saturday we shot Christa & Charlie's wedding in Des Moines. I haven't had a chance to do a real blog posting of their wedding so check back for a full recap when we return. For now here are a couple shots that I thought were cute!

My Wedding Album

2007-07-16T11:58:00.000-05:00

The only thing that is better than being a destination wedding photographer is being a destination bride yourself. I got to be just that this May when I married my husband in Cancun, Mexico. We had about 30 guests there for a whole week of celebration and it was beyond amazing. Definitly the best week of my life so far!

I have been threatened quite a few times because I haven't really shown off my own wedding photos. It's been a crazy summer and we've had weddings and sessions like crazy so it's really not my fault!

So without further ado, here is the 1st draft of my very own 102 page wedding album including day before shoot, rehearsal & welcome dinner, & the wedding. I've been designing it in whatever spare time I've been able to find over the last month or so and it's not exactly the way I want it yet but close enough...

Photo credit goes to our fab. photographers Joe Dickie & Tony Roullard of Generation Photography, & of course The Art Of Light (mom just couldn't put the camera down!)
CLICK ON EACH THUMBNAIL TO SEE THE WHOLE SPREAD IN DETAIL.