Natalie and Keaton’s once-in-a-lifetime day was filled to the brim with out-of-the-box spring wedding ideas that are sure to stick in the memories of both the newlyweds and their guests.Majestic mountain backdrop? Check. Cascading waterfall? Check. The bluest of blue lakes and lush forest surrounding it? Check. A moderate hike for more active couples? Got you covered. Beautiful vistas for couples who are just there for the portraits? Consider it done.

You might think that, as a Saint Paul-based, documentary-style wedding photographer, my one and only job is to capture your whimsical, adventurous love story through timeless and evocative photographs. And while you wouldn’t be wrong because that is, in fact, what I do with this sweet, blessed life of mine… there is SO much more to it than that. 

The open, golden fields of Jester Park in Des Moines, Iowa gave us the perfect place to adventure around and create some magic.

Take the dreamiest January Savannah weather, tack on the sunlight coming through the live oaks and the stunning Georgian homes surrounding us, and then add in this couple being so exactly in their element… and we had ourselves a storybook engagement shoot. I knew from the moment I met this couple that the shoot of their love would be as one-of-a-kind as they come.