"2 Year Olds CRACK ME UP!" - Stout Fam Session

Someone didn't want their picture taken...

"Who Me????"

"I just want to help clean and SWEEP!"

"I MIGHT play hide the monkey with you..."

 

"But you SURE don't get to HOLD Monkey!"

"Look how much my brother likes his picture taken!"

"I LOVE my brother...even if he doesn't like me to "bonk" his head! He will like it when we are older I am SURE!"

Thank you Victoria and Ben for allowing me the privilege to watch your family grow...And don't worry...it well get easier...in a few more years!  :)

Lisa

"SOMEONE PRAYED IT AWAY" - (Favorite wedding moment - Kathleen + Brent)

The day started out perfect...

 The sun was shining and a slight breeze was blowing to keep the heat bearable... 

Everyone was on time and everything was running so smoothly…

We did all the pre-ceremony photos in record time…

 

 

But then…

As we were preparing for the ceremony...

I felt a raindrop...







I was for sure it was going to pass us by, but a single drop turned into several raindrops… 

And as we looked across the golf course, you could see a misting rain coming upon us.

Guests had just started arriving and we're being seated by the groomsmen, when all of a sudden, the mist turned into a steady rain.

Sommer and I began to walk toward the reception tent to take cover...that walk turned into a brisk walk…and that QUICKLY turned into a jog!

By the time we were safely under the tent, the bottom fell out!

It was the biggest downpour I have ever seen!

The wedding planner calmly talked to the bride and her mother (who were safe and dry in the clubhouse), and she suggested to them that we proceed with the ceremony under the tent. 

We all went to work trying to convert the center of the reception area into a place where we could hold the ceremony.  

We moved tables, centerpieces, chairs and food stations... 

Sommer and I set up lighting and did test shots to ensure the bride that it would be a beautiful site for her ceremony...

I felt so sad as we scrambled around...as I knew Kathleen's dream of being married under the giant moss-dripping oak trees of Caledonia were fading fast...

But then, as I happened to glance behind the tent, I noticed a clearing of the brightest blue sky I have ever seen!

The clouds opened up and the downpour just stopped!


Reluctantly, still with umbrellas over their heads, guests started emerging from their cars.

The catering staff found a giant box of towels, and the groomsman began wiping down the chairs at the ceremony site. 

A slight sprinkle was still lingering, but as Becky Nissen began playing the processional music on her gorgeous harp, the umbrellas came down, and Kathleen's dream came true…

Needless to say, that was my favorite wedding moment, as I KNOW someone PRAYED THAT STORM AWAY...







Congratulations to Kathleen and Brent!  

And just as your first day of marriage began, know that God is always watching over you both and that prayer can get you through anything! 

Lisa and Sommer

P.S.  Enjoy a few more of our favorites from Kathleen and Brent's GORGEOUS day!

 

FAVORITE WEDDING MOMENT - Jennifer + Edward

My parents divorced when I was in college...

(I know that isn't probably the best way to start a blog post, but you will understand if you read on...)

At 19, it was hard for me to understand why my parents split up, and even harder to understand how in just a few short years, both my mom and dad remarried...

But as the years went on and I got married myself, I realized that sometimes, things just don't work out the way you planned and that sometimes, you have to move in different directions. 

With that said, I have to tell you how VERY BLESSED I am to have the most AMAZING "two sets of parents"!

I know it sounds strange, but my mom and step-dad and dad and step-mom all get along so well that family gatherings usually include them both! 

I know not every family situation is like mine and I give thanks every day for my "mixed" family!





With that said...let me get to the point of this post...







Craig and I have known Edward for a long time...ski trips, birthday parties, cookouts...our kids "grew up" together during all these events...

Like my own situation though, I realized that sometimes things just don't work out and you have to move in different directions...



The day I met Jennifer, I could see IMMEDIATELY how happy she and Edward were together, and was absolutely THRILLED when they asked me to shoot their wedding!




It was the most amazing day...

Jennifer and Edward were surrounded by their closest friends and family... 

The mood was calm and relaxed...


The weather was perfect...

But what made it MOST amazing, were the sweet "welcoming" faces on Edward's two kids as everyone "bustled" around preparing for the ceremony...

Like I said above...at 19, I had a hard time understanding what was going on with my family...but it brought tears to my eyes to see these 8 and 9 year old children standing up for their dad and their new step-mom during the ceremony that made them a new "mixed" family (just like mine...)

At the end of the service, Jennifer's brother (who performed the ceremony) said "you may now kiss your bride"...

And after their brief kiss, Jennifer and Edward reached for those two sweet, amazing kids with smiles on their faces and shared an embrace that would be the start of their new family adventures together.

(hence my Favorite Wedding Moment..."The Family Embrace")

 

 and of course...if you know me...I have a hard time with just ONE favorite moment...this one made me laugh so hard (through my tears...) as my kids make this face EVERY TIME Craig and I kiss...

 

Congratulations to Jennifer and Edward!   We wish you all the best as you begin your new life together!

Lisa and Sommer

P.S.  Enjoy a "few" more of our favorite photos from the day!