And I could tell Stacy was a lot of fun. And a very pretty girl. And then I showed up and I was all, “WHOA. YOU. ARE. GORGEOUS.” Seriously, Internet, don’t you agree?

I feel like Stacy looks like someone famous in this photo but I can’t put my finger on who. Anybody want to offer up suggestions?Stacy’s mom had one request: That I photograph the back of her daughter’s beautiful dress. To which I said, “I think we can do that!”  

I looked at this image right after I took it on my camera’s LCD screen and squealed. Stacy just looks SO happy and relaxed here, doesn’t she? (and her eyes are really that blue!) After shooting at the Botanical Gardens, we headed over to Fort Wayne’s Grand Wayne Center and it was SO nice to shoot here. IN AIR CONDITIONING. We had the place to ourselves, Stacy was super relaxed at this point and this next series of images? Well, I think they speak for themselves Stacy’s necklace was a family heirloom. I love when brides make their accessories personal like that. (I had a broach with a “G” on it on my bouquet that was in honor of my great-grandmother who just so happens to be my namesake!)

FAVORITE!! Pretty enough for a wedding magazine. That’s ALL Stacy, by the way…not trying to toot my own horn here!Tyra may have wore this phrase out, but I can’t help it: “Stacy, YOU LOOK FIERCE!”Stacy, I’m sorry I couldn’t photograph your wedding day. If you looked a tenth as pretty as you did during our afternoon together, well, I know you wowed every one of your guests and that new hubby of yours too!

See more of Gail’s work at www.gailwernerphoto.com. Become a fan of Gail’s work on Facebook. Follow Gail on Twitter.

The morning started off with Hilary and Tim exchanging some bling for presents. For her? A customized bracelet from Tiffany’s. And him? Cufflinks of his favorite football team

Well helllooooo handsome In all the hours I spent editing their wedding, I am still blown away by Hilary’s beauty every time I glimpse these imagesYou wouldn’t believe me when I say this, but I didn’t touch her eyes in Photoshop. They are that insanely beautiful blue-green shade all on their own (that shot below? One of the prettiest bridals I think I’ve ever taken!) I don’t think I’ve ever had a bride as emotional on her way to the altar and during the ceremony as Hilary. I love this shot my FABULOUS friend and second shooter Amanda Pair snagged of her waiting in the stairwell before she said her “I do”’s. From the church we headed to the orchard owned by Hilary’s parents. What a fantastic place for some candid, relaxed portraits of these two and I just adore how personal the setting is to them. Could you imagine how awesome it’d be to go to your backyard and pick all the apples you wanted? One of the great things about having a second shooter is the different perspectives each photographer brings to a setting. In the shots below, mine are in color and Amanda’s in b&w. Really love the effect here:LOVE this ring shot Amanda snagged for me! From there it was on to the neighbor’s wheat field. He wasn’t too happy we found our way into his crop, but I say it was TOTALLY worth the shake of the fist, right? GORGEOUS!

RECEPTION TIME! Hilary and Tim happily headed outside when I asked them to so I could catch those last golden rays of yummy light with them. To my future couples, if I ask you to take 15 minutes out of your party, this is why! WOW.WOW.WOW.WOW.WOW. I could say that 100 more times and it still wouldn’t be enough. That’s how you end a blog post, folks VIEW THEIR SLIDESHOW FOR MORE OF THEIR STORY

ONLINE PROOFING FOR FRIENDS AND FAMILY

Hilary and Tim, thank you for being some of the best clients a photographer could ask for—for giving me ample time to take meaningful photos for you, for trusting me with my requests, and for your laidback approach to your day. Your images are proof of what can happen when a client gives her photographer that kind of trifecta: MAGIC!!!!!

See more of Gail’s work at www.gailwernerphoto.com. Become a fan of Gail’s work on Facebook. Follow Gail on Twitter.

Take one ridiculously good looking groom and one stunning bride …

Throw in a dash of their ability to make any photograph you take look good …. Then give a hint of the amazing place you took them to and the awesomeness that is to come …

Are you excited for more? ‘CAUSE I KNOW I AM!!!!!!!!!!!!

See more of Gail’s work at www.gailwernerphoto.com. Friend Gail on Facebook. Follow Gail on Twitter.

These two were so sweet with one another and they pulled off a beautiful afternoon filled with lots of love and lots of personalized details — from Nicole’s handmade veil to the brass quintet that welcomed her down the aisle (this is a MUSIC-LOVIN’ FAMILY … and I love them for it!), all went off without a hitch…except for, well, the two people who did, in fact, get hitched

Nicole and Jason, thank you for trusting me to document your big day. I think I had as much fun as you two did and that’s saying something

WATCH THEIR WEDDING DAY SLIDESHOW

Nicole surprised Jason with these awesome Transformers cuff links. When I asked her about ‘em, she was like, “You like those? We’re pretty big dorks and we’re OK with that.” I thought it was cute Nicole and Jason opted for a first look before their ceremony begin and I must say, these moments are quickly becoming my favorite of the wedding day. I really feel like, the more first looks I do, the more anticipation there is for the “big reveal”. And then? Sweetness overload. I LOVED the way Jason couldn’t take his eyes off his bride! A first for me: Nicole forgot her necklace and earrings for the first look, so when she finally had them in hand, Jason helped her in putting them on. For some reason, this image makes me think about how awesome—in big and small ways—having a spouse can be. Nicole and her bridesmaids had a song for EVERYTHING. They were such a giggly bunch and it made photographing them a blast. They were all too happy to bust a move for me … girls, THIS is the kind of fun you should have on your wedding day. So stop stressing about the little things and let loose, ‘kay? Practicing their ballroom skills (Nicole’s a ballroom dancer) FAVORITE!!! Nicole, I can’t get over how GORGEOUS you are here …this was one of those shots that the moment I took it, I got all giddy. Nicole, you are fantastically beautiful here. In a way that’s almost retro…maybe thanks in part to that gorgeous homemade veil?Two moments I loved about Nicole and Jason’s wedding ceremony: That Nicole’s sister played the harp and Jason’s grandpa couldn’t put his Flip camera down. The entire day. It was the sweetest thing ever! I’ll title this one “Love On The Roof of a Parking Garage”Married not even four hours and already laughing in sync to the best man’s toast … oh, you two These two had a table full of photographs of their parents and grandparents—such a sweet memento to personalize their reception Now that’s love

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Nicole and Jason, I hope you two enjoy this quick sneak peek. There will be LOTS more to come, but I wanted to give you guys something to find if your hotel has Internet. Hope you’re enjoying your honeymoon in sunny Mexico!

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Jeff and Kinsi decided to see one another before their ceremony. In our case, this was the best decision these two could have made as the rain that started during their ceremony would have made it IMPOSSIBLE to take family portraits after. All of my couples so far this year have opted for first looks and they all are so grateful for having done so—the jitters get out of the way and the moment is still INCREDIBLY special as we’ll find a private little area for the bride and groom to share that time of first seeing one another together. I adore this WHOLE series! Aren’t Kinsi and her sister Briana beautiful? Perfect smiles and such a close bond between these two. It was awesome to capture. Kinsi’s niece and nephew were part of the flower girl-ring bearer entourage of adorable tots in the wedding. I just think these kids are precious!Portrait time with these two was the most relaxed I’ve EVER had with a couple. They were so in to one another and just enjoying the day and not sweating the small stuff. And on the wedding day, it’s ALL small stuff, am I right ladies? Jeff is quick to point out that his wife won an award in high school for that smile of hers Pretty fetching himself, eh? Gorgeous? Yeah, I think so too. (And Kinsi’s dress? One of the most beautiful on a bride I’ve ever seen!)

I love this time of year and how everything is in bloomKinsi and Jeff had such a sweet, sincere and—thanks to the rain—short ceremony but the love that was felt by them and shared by their guests for them was palpable. Husband and wife — ooohhhh yeah

VIEW THEIR SLIDESHOW FOR MORE OF THEIR STORY

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From all their home-spun, handmade details (Ball jars and daisies and handmade place cards!) to their laidback, breezy attitudes (I have seriously NEVER been so relaxed shooting a wedding; at one point, I realized we were just chatting and hanging out because we were having such a great time and everyone was so chill), I loved everything about this day.

And I can’t wait to share more of it with you but for now, a sneak peek for the couple. Just in case they happen to have Internet in whatever coastal bungalow they may find themselves in as they honeymoon in Costa Rica

At one point, I stopped shooting, looked at these two and with all the sincerity I could muster said, “I feel so lucky to have such beautiful clients”. SERIOUSLY HOW GORGEOUS ARE THEY?

MUCHHHHHHHHHHHH more to come from this pair!

Jen and Josh decided to have a First Look before their wedding and it was the PERFECT opportunity for them to get those pre-wedding jitters out of the way and have an intimate moment together before the whirlwind of their wedding day got underway. Jen’s mom got emotional in the moment too. How sweet! How gorgeous does Jen look here?LOVE this behind-the-scenes shot that Courtney captured of Jen and her dad anxious for the ceremony to begin. After the ceremony, I joined the wedding party for a ride on an awesome party bus and we headed to Monument Circle in Indianapolis for some more shots with the wedding party. They knew how to make a big group look gooooddd! I love love love this shot

VIEW THEIR SLIDESHOW FOR MORE OF THEIR STORY

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I have to thank the talented Courtney Reece for traveling up from Louisville to second shoot with me. Courtney’s presence—combined with Jen and Josh’s laidback approach to their whole day—erased any wedding photographer jitters I might have been feeling and the day went off without a hitch. Jen and Josh, if and when that flight of yours lands in the Dominic Republic, I hope you enjoy this sneak peek of the images that are to come from your big day. I know it went by in a blur, so here’s to letting it soak in now. You two looked mahhhhvelous

Jen had the BEST hot pink details, right down to the shoes! Oooh, there will be more of them to come, I promise!

Rawwwrrrrrr

See more of Gail’s work at www.gailwernerphoto.com. Friend Gail on Facebook. Follow Gail on Twitter.

I want to say something here and it’s about the importance of the QUALITY of your wedding album. With today’s market for wedding photographers, I know there are plenty in the industry who offer prospective brides what these women think is a lot of bang for their buck, packages for less than $2,000 that promise you all the bells and whistles and include your digital files and a wedding album.

Brides, it will be up to you to to discern who’s being honest in what they’re trying to sell you. In my opinion, if you’re going to invest in a wedding album, you want to invest in something your grandchildren’s grandchildren can pass down some day. I promise you, these new Leather Craftsmen albums I’m offering WILL NOT disappoint in that department!

Every spread is designed by me using InDesign, a software program I just adore! I prefer to stick with clean and simple layouts for your pages because I want my clients’ books to have a timeless feel.

I truly believe your wedding album is the best investment you can make of your wedding day—so much so, that it doesn’t matter WHEN you want your album from me, I just hope you get it. So if you’re a past bride of mine or one in the near future who hasn’t budgeted an album into your plans, just know I’ll still be here and ready, HAPPY to design your book if (and hopefully when) you want one!

If you’re a client interested in wedding albums, drop me an email to ask about payment plans. Again, I’ll just say that I think albums are a quintessential part of your wedding day memories. I adore my own and my wish is for clients to recognize their importance when trying to preserve the moments of their own big day.

See more of Gail’s work at www.gailwernerphoto.com. Friend Gail on Facebook. Follow Gail on Twitter.