Cody & Laura's wedding

From our first consultation I knew that I was going to enjoy working with Cody and Laura on their wedding day.  They are just fun, easy going and very much in love!  We had a great time with their engagement shoot last fall and their wedding on Saturday was just as fun! 
Planning on a wedding at the end of March can be stressful not only for the wedding couple but for the photographer as well.  With the winter and spring that we had been having there was probably a better chance of needing to wear a warm winter coat than not but on Saturday we were blessed with very pleasant temps and little to no wind.  Without a cloud in the sky the scene at the Church of the Land, part of the Living History Farms, was absolutely beautiful.  The location matched Cody & Laura's vintage style perfectly and the touches of yellow daffodils gave hope that spring was indeed on it's way. 
There was a lovely service performed by the "Marrying Judge" Judge Joel Novak.  He blended humor, advice and kindness to make it a very unique wedding for Cody and Laura.  He also told me to swing from the rafters if it meant that I would get a good shot for the couple!  This was quite refreshing as it seems there are more and more rules being implemented on photographers (because of a few that were disrespectful). 
Following the wedding we were able to again take advantage of the nice weather and get a few more outdoor photos with Cody, Laura and their friends.  I had a great time getting to know all of them, and plan to work with many of them again soon!
Here are a few shots from Cody and Laura's wedding.  I want to thank them again for inviting me to be a part of their special day.



Do you know someone who is getting married, a senior in high school or a family looking an experienced photographer that will give amazing results but is also affordable?  Inspired Images is your photographer!

-Erik Inspired Images

 

To find out more about how Inspired Images can capture your event click here to get connected!

 

  

7 reasons why your wedding photographer should take your engagement photos

 

Getting your wedding photographer booked is a huge step in your wedding planning! Here are the reasons why it’s wise to use the same photographer for your engagement session.

1.     Builds Trust – The chances are that when you and your fiancé book with a wedding photographer you have never worked with the photographer before.  Maybe you heard of them from one of your friends, met them at a wedding show or found their website and enjoyed their work.  When you book your engagement session you will get a chance to work together and meet several more times before your wedding.

2.     The photographer can learn what buttons to push – Not everyone is comfortable in front of the camera and working with your wedding photographer in an engagement session allows the photographer to get to know you better and see what they need to do to make sure that you are comfortable.  This will only help on your wedding day and by the time you take your wedding pictures everyone knows each other well and it makes for a much smoother wedding experience.

3.     You get to learn how the photographer works – Every photographer is different in their approach.  Some photographers like to be hands on, some like to allow the action happen.  You will get to see how they work and what they need from you to produce images that you will love!

4.     See that you do look good in photographs! – I hear it from nearly every wedding couple that I meet with, “we’re not very photogenic, you’re going to have your work cut out for you”.  Booking an engagement session with your wedding photographer can put your mind at ease, when you receive your photos, knowing that you really can be photogenic with the techniques the experienced photographer used.

5.     It’s affordable – Many wedding photographers include engagement sessions with their packages.  Inspired Images includes an engagement session with two of their packages and it can be added to the other two.  I recommend that even if your photographer doesn’t include it you should check into the cost to add it in.  Typically it’s inexpensive and as explained before the benefits are greater than just the great images that you will receive. 

6.     The sessions are relaxed and it’s easy to go to different locations – The wedding day is a fast and sometimes hectic experience for a wedding couple.  It’s tough to balance the desire to plan a lot of time for photographs and also not make your guests have to wait. When you book your engagement session with your wedding photographer the session is much more relaxed without all the wedding day stresses.  You can explore unique locations, schedule your photos for the ideal time of day and be sure that you are going to capture beautiful images of the two of you. 

7.       It’s a nice addition to the album – When you have your wedding photographer take your engagement photos they will be able to use the images in a number of exciting products.  Many wedding couples like to reserve a few pages in their wedding album for some of their favorite engagement photos.  As mentioned the engagement photos occur in a much more controlled situation and often times can be just as stunning if not more stunning than the actual wedding photos! 

Can you think of any other reasons?  Be sure to let us know! 

To find out more about Inspired Images and how they can help make your engagement session special click here to get connected!

Erik - Inspired Images

  

Top 5 things you should know about hiring a professional wedding photographer



 

Whether you are newly engaged or have been into the wedding planning process for a while there comes a point where you need to get your wedding photographer booked.  Here are 5 things that will help your decision.

1.       Wedding photographers book up fast!  Before falling in love with a photographer’s work, check to make sure that they are available for the date that you have chosen.  It’s not uncommon for dates to be booked a year to a year and a half in advance or even more for popular dates. 

2.       Make sure that you like the photographer’s style.  Take time to look through a photographer’s website as well as any sample albums/books that they can share with you.  You will see a wide variety of images but also should be able to recognize a trend in the way that their images look.  Don’t expect the photographer to be able to change this for you, this is how they shoot and you should make sure that you enjoy their style of photography.

3.       If you want amazing wedding images you need to plan time for them.  Everyone wants incredible wedding photos but many times they don’t just happen, they need to be planned and mapped out with coordination between the wedding couple and the photographer.  It’s an exciting and nerve wracking day and the clearer you can make the plan, the easier it will be for all involved.

4.       Photographers can offer great advice!  Photographers have a unique perspective as they typically shoot one to two weddings every weekend.  They get to see many venues, meet with many people and can offer you valuable insight that can help your wedding day be even more special.  Don’t be afraid to ask them about more than just photography!

5.       Make sure your personalities match.  This might seem obvious, but a photographer is going to be as close to you as anyone throughout your wedding day.  You should make sure that you enjoy their company.  A photographer may be able to take amazing photos but if they are bossy or impolite they can be a distraction not only to you but to your guests.

Have anything that you would add to the list?  Let us know in the comment section, let's see if we can make it into a top 10!

To find out more about Inspired Images and how they can help make your wedding day special click here to get connected!

-Erik Inspired Images

 

  

Anton & Alyssa's wedding

It's amazing what a difference one day can make here in Iowa.  As I sit here and type this blog post it is 4 degrees with a wind chill of -13 degrees.  Yesterday, at Anton and Alyssa's wedding, it was a beautiful 51 degrees.  Not too bad for the end of December! 

Tara and I had the privilege to take the wedding photos for Anton and Alyssa yesterday and had an amazing time.  I've become quite close with Alyssa's family having taken wedding photos for her sister, senior pictures for her brother and 2 sets of baby photos!  Prior to meeting with them to discuss wedding plans I hadn't met Anton and prior to the wedding I hadn't had the opportunity to meet any of his family.  They were equally as kind and personable, it's very easy to see where Anton and Alyssa get their wonderful personalities. 

Their wedding was at the beautiful St. Francis of Assisi church in West Des Moines and the reception followed at the always stunning Glen Oaks Country Club.  We were able to take advantage of the beautiful weather in between the wedding and reception for some rare winter outdoor shots around the club as well as in downtown Des Moines. 

Another highlight of the evening was the reception where Final Mix Show Band provided the entertainment.  Let me tell you, if you want to have a fun, upbeat, reception where everyone is on the dance floor all night long take a look at Final Mix Show Band!  Every reception that I have been to where they are playing has been such a great time, they provide modern dance music as well as classics that everyone knows. 

Congratulations again to Anton and Alyssa, you have been so wonderful and gracious & thanks again to the Mahoney and Stanek families, we're looking forward to working with you again soon! 

 

-Erik Inspired Images

 

To find out more about how Inspired Images can capture your event click here to get connected!

 

  



Check out my blog!!

So tonight I clicked on the link on my website stating "Check out my blog" and noticed that it's been just wee bit of time since I've updated it.  Updating my blog had become something that turned into more of a chore than it should have because I wanted to include photos from each of my shoots as to not leave anyone out.  I became far too busy with shoots to keep up with this and eventually just quit posting.  It's unfair to not include new photos of my work so I've chosen to now update my blog more often and will just pick and choose some photos from my recent work.

With all of that being said here are a couple of recent shoots.

 

I'm going to keep the blog updated now with not only examples from recent shoots but also updates on the business.  Let me know what you think, I hope to post your photos on here soon!

 

-Erik

Austin & Danielle's engagement

Taking pictures for customers that live in other states can be tough sometimes making schedules coordinate and with Austin and Danielle living in Minneapolis that proved to be the case. Thankfully we found a Sunday that would work and were fortunate that the weather cooperated for us. We headed up to Ames to get some pictures on ISU's campus. Both Austin and Danielle are recent grads and knew of some great locations for their pictures. We had a really nice time walking around trying to avoid all of the new freshman that seemed to be everywhere! Here are a few of the shots from the evening.

Thanks again for showing me around, I had a great time hanging out with you guys. I hope your trip home went fast and was uneventful! Talk to you soon!

Erik - Inspired Images

Shane & Marcy's wedding

What a beautiful day for an outdoor wedding! When I booked Marcy and Shane and we were sitting down talking about their wedding they mentioned that they were going to be getting married in the rose garden. My first thought was awesome, it's going to be so beautiful!...but then my mind quickly remembered what the date was! I was thinking 95 and humid but Saturday was the opposite with the temperatures almost feeling cool by the end of the evening. The wedding was gorgeous and being a 6:00 ceremony the light was being filtered by the huge oak trees which made for great shots. Following the ceremony we headed downtown to the Iowa State Historical Building for the reception. Before heading up I talked Shane and Marcy into going on a little walk to get some additional shots and it's a good thing we did cause they turned out awesome! The reception was gorgeous, and how could it not be with a great view of Des Moines' skyline to the west and the State Capitol Building to the east and the capper was watching the fireworks from the I-Cubs game! All in all it was a beautiful wedding for two wonderful people. Here are a few shots from their day.

Thanks again guys, I hope you had safe travels to British Columbia and have a wonderful time on your honeymoon! I can't wait to hear all about it. Talk to you soon!

Erik - Inspired Images

Ryan & Rachel's engagement

We were finally we were able to get Ryan and Rachel's engagement pictures in before their wedding next month! We had a beautiful evening for pictures and we took advantage by heading first to Grays Lake and then heading downtown for a little bit of variety. It was a lot of fun chatting with both of them and talking about future plans. I can't tell you how much I'm looking forward to their wedding, it's going to be a lot of fun! Here are some pictures from our shoot.

Thanks again guys, can't wait to see you again soon!

Erik - Inspired Images

Maegan & Rich

Maegan and Rich had their wedding a couple of weeks ago and HOT can describe a lot of things about this wedding, the temperature, the photographer, seriously I was sweating like crazy, the couple (and when I say couple of course I'm talking about the bride...sorry Rich but you know it's true!) Maegan and Rich are close friends of ours and it was a privilege to be able to not only be able to attend their beautiful wedding but to be able to capture the images. Following the ceremony we headed to a nearby park and everyone was great considering the temps. We got as many pictures as we could stand before heading to the reception. Of course if any of you have been to Audubon you know we had to get some pictures with Albert the Bull. Unfortunately I don't think I'll post any of them from there as it got quite interesting with all of the groomsmen. Here are some of the web appropriate pics!

I'm so happy for you guys and so glad that I was there, you are truly meant for each other and I couldn't be happier for you! Talk to you soon!

Erik - Inspired Images

Eastman Family

It had been a long time coming to get this shoot in but it was worth the wait. On Thursday I had the privilege to take some family pictures for the Eastman's at their home. It was a beautiful setting and a wonderful family. Their little man Logan is just about the cutest kid I've seen, he was so full of energy and personality. We took advantage of their gorgeous wooded lot and were able to get some really nice pictures. Here are a few.

Thanks again for allowing me to spend some time with your family, I'm looking forward to working with you again in the fall! Talk to you soon.

Erik - Inspired Images

Dana & Renee

I say it all the time, we have awesome clients! Dana and Renee were so much fun on Saturday. I went to school with Renee and her sister Michelle so it was awesome to get to see them again along with all of their family and friends. The wedding was held at the beautiful Our Lady's Immaculate Heart Catholic Church in Ankeny, with the reception following at Stoney Creek Inn. Immediately following the wedding we headed out for some more fun pictures, we ended up below the Saylorville Dam and were able to get some great shots. Everything went off without a hitch save for the fact that we had to have a scavenger hunt looking for Dana's lost sunglasses! It was a great time getting to hang out with old friends and to see two wonderful people commit their lives to each other. Here are a few pictures from the day.

I hope your flight was enjoyable to Mexico, have a wonderful time down there and just relax! Thanks again for everything, we'll see you soon!

Erik - Inspired Images

Jim & Val

It was the second weekend in a row that I had an outdoor wedding and the second weekend in a row that the weather was awesome! Jim & Val tied the knot at the new Honey Creek Resort on Lake Rathbun. What a great venue and a very picturesque place for an outdoor ceremony. We started off by heading out to the golf course and jumping in some golf carts and driving to a nearby hole for some really nice group shots as well as individual shots of Jim and Val. We got back to the resort just in time for the beautiful ceremony. The reception followed in the resort. Here are a few of the pictures from the day!

Thanks again guys, you had such a wonderful wedding. I hope you are having a great time on your cruise! Talk to you soon!

Erik - Inspired Images