Evelina and Ruvim’s Boise Engagements

Evelina and Ruvim’s Boise engagements were a dream. The light was magical and they were so in love it made my job so easy. Choosing a location is always the tricky part when it comes to engagements. Evelina went back and forth but settled on a park in Downtown Boise. This park used to be a well-manicured park that they reticently turned back into a wild flower and overgrown weeds that really do make for beautiful photos

These two will be married on November 6th in the wedding of their dreams. Listening to Evelina visit with me about her wedding planning I cannot wait to see how her days is going to come together. She has thought of every detail and loves all the details as much as I do. I cannot wait to see it all come together.

Outfit inspiration! These two did an amazing job on choosing both a casual and dressy outfit. I was impressed by their style and how well the location they chose and the outfits flowed together. They avoided busy patterns. I am all for the elegance of simple! Evelina’s brother made her two stunning bouquets. Bouquets are always a fun little addition and add to the overall photo.

If you are looking for tips for planning your engagement session check out this blog post that I wrote that give you all the fun tips and tricks for having an epic engagement session.  You can find it HERE

Nate and Krista’s Mountain View Wedding

Nate and Krista’s Mountain View Wedding was held in Sandy, Oregon. It is a beautiful venue that is tucked away in the countryside right outside of Portland, Oregon. It was definitely a change from Idaho. I went to college with the Mother of the Bride and she reached out to me after her daughter’s wedding photographer fell through. To say, I was excited to be able to go back home to the PNW was an understatement any chance I get to go home I jump at it. I had zoomed with Krista and her mom once before but I met the bride and groom the day before their wedding. That was a tad different for me but nonetheless it was a wonderful wedding and I adored the couple.

The Venue

Mountain View Weddings is located just outside of the quaint town of Sandy, Oregon. Driving there you will think your GPS got you lost nope just keep on going. It is a private residence and the grounds are incredible. The owners take pride in the grounds. The photo opportunities are endless. Even without a view of Mt. Hood due to the clouds and smoke it was still absolutely beautiful and did not disappoint. Surrounded by tree farms it really gives such a new meaning to the term Country Venue. Nate and Krista’s Mountain View Wedding was one to remember.

The Ceremony and reception

The couple had been planning their wedding for a while due to the pandemic. It was so nice to see it all come together. They were surrounded by their closest friends and family. The ceremony was very intimate with elements of humor which was perfect. Dinner was catered by Famous Dave’s. The toasts were throughout and wonderful. I love listening to toasts and gaining a better understanding for the couple. The rest of the evening was full of the traditional wedding events. Cake cutting and dancing the night away.

The Couple

Krista and Nate compliment each other so well. You know it’s often said that you have a person out there that you are met to enjoy the adventures of life with. These two belong together and complement each other in a special way. I foresee so much joy and adventure for decades to come. Congratulations Nate and Krista your wedding was absolutely perfect. Thank you for trusting me to capture it.

Venue: Mountain View Weddings

Photographer Jacque Sudbrock Photography

Dress: David’s Bridal

Cake: Berg Confections 

Hair and Makeup: Luna Aesthetics

Catering: Famous Dave’s

A Beautiful Fox Canyon Vineyard Wedding

A beautiful Fox Canyon Vineyard Wedding. Vitaliy and Tania reached out to me back right around the new year to photograph their wedding at Fox Canyon Vineyard in Marsing, Idaho. Fox Canyon is one of my favorite venues in the Treasure Valley to shoot at. The grounds are absolutely stunning. The ceremony site at Fox Canyon overlooks the beautiful Snake River right outside of the small Idaho town of Marsing. This venue offers such a beautiful setting and so many options to make your day extra special. I have had the opportunity to shoot here once before. You can see that wedding HERE.

The Couple

Vitaliy and Tania met through a youth gathering in downtown Boise, Idaho. Vitaliy knew that he had to get to know this special girl. It took him a few months to get up the courage to message her. At the time Tania was living in California. They chatted for a few months and Vitaliy fell head over heels for her and knew that she was the one. He proposed shortly after they started dating. She said yes, so let the wedding planning begin. Living in two different states it was a bit challenging but this couple was able to plan the wedding of their dreams. The love that these two share for one another is so uplifting. God plays a huge role in this couple and the love they share for one another. I was able to get these two in front of my camera before their wedding. I can not say enough about how much of a benefit it is to have that little bit of experience in front of the camera. You can see their session HERE.

The Wedding Day

Idaho summer weather did not disappoint. To say it was hot would have been an understatement. It was HOT high 90s most of the day. This wedding was very unique for me. I had not had the opportunity to photograph a wedding that is of the Russian Culture. There were several cultural differences present throughout the whole day. I absolutely loved to see the differences. Though I did not understand what was being said during the ceremony the emotion was there as the couple prayed for one another as well as so many other blessings given to the couple they were all sos packed full of so much emotion. There were musical numbers during the ceremony that were absolutely beautiful.

The reception was also full of very unique elements. Instead of traditional first dances in the American culture, there were performances. I have honestly never seen so much musical talent in one setting. There were songs, instrumental pieces and skits that were performed during the reception. I am pretty sure there were well over 25 different performances. We got to sneak away for the most romantic golden hour shots.

I can not wait to see where life takes these two. I wish them so much adventure and happiness throughout the years. Thank you for allowing me to experience your amazing culture and all the wonderful emotion that went along with it. Happy newlywed bliss.

Vendors: Venue Fox Canyon Vineyard’s -Photographer Jacque Sudbrock Photography – Hair and Makeup Idaho Stylists – Florals Jewel’s Floral 

A romantic couples session in Nampa

A romantic couples session in Nampa, Idaho. Vitaliy and Tania are the sweetest couple. They are actually one of my brides and grooms for this month. They elected not to do an engagement session but instead they opted for a bridal session after their wedding. The couple reached out to me and asked if they could have a quick session before their wedding. Of course I was ecstatic. All of my packages include an engagement session because the benefit of them is huge. I get to know my couples during this session. It also helps the two of them be more comfortable in front of my camera and helps me to get a feel for posing and how I need to direct them. Really the list of benefits for this session can go on and on. I highly recommend getting in front of the camera before your wedding.

Wilson Ponds in Nampa, Idaho is a beautiful location for photos. Though I feel like it is becoming more popular in the last couple of years, there are still some hidden gems that are not photographed all the time. Vitaliy and Tania’s outfits were on point! They were dressy but not over done. Tania carried flowers and that really added to the photos. If you are on the fence about bringing a prop do it because it really adds to the overall aesthetic of the photos. I was so glad to meet these two in person.  They booked me during the Pandemic. These two are waiting to kiss until marriage and I just love it. It was fun creating poses that were romantic but did not require kissing. I have a whole post on tips for planning and epic engagement shoot. You can find it HERE

The Back Story

The Cottage at Riverbend Shoot. So I feel like I should be up front with the story behind this shoot.  As a photographer I am all about getting creative.  I think it helps me grow as a photographer and fills my cup.  Sometimes I get caught up on the the social media game.  I see all these beautiful shoots that are planned by amazingly talented vendors.  It stings me a little as a creative to not be asked to shoot some of them.  Or maybe I am asked to shoot things and they do not really align with what I am looking for to build my portfolio or grow as a photographer.

Things I should never question

Though there is always plenty of work to go around sometimes I get down on myself.  Questioning all the things that I shouldn’t even think about.  Do not get me wrong I feel like there are always ups and downs in business.  Sometimes it just gets to you.  It’s what you do with when you feel that way that matters most.  Being in the industry for quite a while I like to think of myself as seasoned. I have made amazing friendships along the way. That’s when I decided it was time to get busy and stop feeling discouraged. By working to create and bring back the pretty and grow as a creative.

I got this CRAZY idea that I should just plan and shoot an entire wedding editorial.  Boy let me tell you I have some pretty amazing friends that really helped make my vision a reality. I 100 percent could not have done a shoot to this scale by myself I am forever grateful for my vendor friends.  I am sure they are glad to not be getting 100 messages from me as well hahaha.

The Cottage at Riverbend Wedding

The Cottage at Riverbend Wedding editorial. This venue is amazing. The shoot was inspired to bring back the pretty! I find myself often wondering where the pretty has gone in weddings. Either they are rustic or Boho why can the current trends not be pretty and elegant and still showcase some of those elements. The Cottage at Riverbend is a fully restored Spanish inspired 1930’s cottage. This cottage is the cutest and the grounds are really well manicured. This venue has so much to offer their couples. The vintage architecture adds so much character to the wedding events.

The color pallet for this editorial was fun. It was all about the summer. Bright and soft colors that work well together. These colors were found all throughout the details. They are present in the cake, invitations, flowers and flatware. The colors tired all the details together.

Elegant Bridal Attire

The couple were in elegant attire. The Maggie Sottero gown provided by Bridal By Marie brought intricate details and an elegant style to the bride’s look. The groom’s attire was sleek and the color of his tux provided by Tuxedo Warehouse added to the overall aesthetic of this inspiration. The couple is a genuine couple. The groom Brett flew in 2 days before after a 7-month long deployment in Qatar. The bride just finished her last semester at Boise State and walked for her graduation two days prior. The love that these two genuinely share for one another was evident in the photos.

Local Vendors Involved

Let’s talk about vendors for this amazing shoot. The cake was made by the talented Mihaela of Dulcerella Cakes. She is amazing at what she does. She creates the most unique cakes. Also makes all sorts of yummy desserts. The flowers were designed by Gerald of Gerald’s Floral in Nampa. I have worked with him several times let me tell you his attention to detail and design is amazing. He always creates such stunning florals. The tableware was provided by Anna with Flying China. She has such an amazing selection of flatware and all things pretty for tableware. We used her vintage mismatched china.

Hair and Makeup was done by Kayla with Idaho Stylists. Her approach to hair and makeup is beautiful and natural. Having had Kayla do my own makeup I can attest to her amazing talent. The invitations were created by Paperie + Pen. She created invitations that matched the theme of all things pretty and elegant. Flat lays consisted of modern and vintage elements to bring all the details together.

My Creative Cup is Full with this Cottage at Riverbend Editorial

I was so happy with this editorial shoot. It was the first one I had ever planned and it came together beautifully. The attention to detail was so beautifully portrayed throughout the entire shoot. Thank you to the amazing vendors that made this possible and also helped me in the planning process. I could not have done it without their help. There were so many moving parts to this shoot. The only thing I would have changed was the amount of crazy wind we had that evening.  I am so thankful for this experience and it really has help me grow creatively.  To all those creatives that might be struggling get out there and take an opportunity to grow and create you 100 percent will not regret it. The Cottage at Riverbend Wedding editorial was one to remember.

The amazing vendor team involved:

Jacque Sudbrock Photography- www.jacquesudbrock.com

Gerald’s Floral- https://geraldsfloral.com/

Venue Cottage at Riverbend- http://thecottageatriverbend.com/

Bridal by Marie- https://bridalbymarie.com/

Idaho Stylists- https://idahostylistsstudio.square.site/

Dulcerela Cakes- https://dulcerellacakes.com/about/our-story/

Paperie and Pen (Invites)- http://www.paperieandpen.com/

Flying China Tableware-  https://flyingchinaevents.com/