A Kansas State Wedding at the Bluemont Hotel | Manhattan, KS Wedding Photographer

A KSU Willie the Wildcat Wedding Surprise!

I am SO lucky to have been the photographer at this particular wedding.  It was one of the most emotional, sentimental ceremonies I have had the pleasure of photographing.  The Bride, a Kansas State University alumni and the Groom were so smitten with one another.  This was a second wedding for both of them.  The Groom had a crush on the Bride in High School but never told her.  They grew up, went their separate ways, and crossed paths again decades later.

The Bride & Groom did not see one another prior to the ceremony and the look on the Groom's face when he saw her was perfect! The Bride's mother conducted the ceremony beautifully, and the music was provided by friends and family of the couple, including a violinist, pianist, and two lovely singers.  Vows were exchanged not only between the Bride & Groom, but also the Groom's two wonderful children and the Bride.  You could see the love and respect in the eyes of the Bride & the children as they promised to be a family, and of course a happy husband and father to know that the bond between all of them was so strong.  It was a tear-jerker for sure, and such an awesome moment to capture on camera.

The entire day took place at the gorgeous Bluemont Hotel in Manhattan, Kansas.  It was quite chilly outside so everyone spent the day indoors enjoying good company.  The women got ready in the beautiful King Suite and the gentlemen were in another room.  The wedding and reception both took place on the event floor, and the wedding color was KSU purple.  The guests enjoyed mini cupcakes from the yummy & talented 4Cakes Bakery in Manhattan.  The reception was a ton of fun; everyone was dancing and laughing and having a wonderful time.  To top it off, the Groom surprised the Bride with special guest, Kansas State University mascot Willie the Wildcat.  It was SO much fun and I absolutely LOVE the progression of photos from that moment.  I hope you enjoy looking through these as much as I did taking them!

If you would like more information regarding SZP Weddings, please contact me at info@staceyzphotography.com or visit my website at http://staceyzollphotography.zenfolio.com/weddings !

Stacey Zoll is a photographer based in Manhattan, Kansas that serves the surrounding areas of the Flint Hills, including Fort Riley, Junction City, Wamego, Saint George, Kansas City, Salina, and other surrounding areas!  Wedding service areas include Kansas City, Topeka, Wichita, Salina, Abilene, and other areas of Northeast Kansas and Southwest Missouri.  SZP  offers services for Glamour / Boudoir, Engagement, Wedding, Maternity, Newborn, Cake Smash, Seniors & Teens, Family and more!

Images included on blog are a lower quality than what the client actually receives.

©Stacey Zoll Photography - http://staceyzollphotography.zenfolio.com/ - info@staceyzphotography.com

 

Kansas Wedding Story | Elinwood, Kansas | Manhattan, Kansas Wedding Photographer

The Grandest Grand March at this Kansas Wedding!

Hello, hello! This gorgeous wedding took place out in Ellinwood, Kansas.  The day was a blast, the family was a ton of fun, and everything was wonderful!  The wedding color was a burgundy color complimented with red roses.  The day began at the Bride's home where a stylist did their makeup and hair.  The groomsmen were doing whatever groomsmen do in another location, where my second photographer spent part of the morning.  The couple chose to do a First Look prior to the ceremony so we had time to complete the formals and bridal party photos before mass.  There were four parent groups for this bride & groom so they had plenty of help throughout the day! Due to this, the family formals required a lot of logistics as people tended to go missing when it was their turn for photos.  =)  However, we had a shot list and everyone was eventually found, so we managed to get all of the photos requested in a reasonable amount of time and no one was harmed during the process!

The wedding ceremony took place at a Catholic church in Ellinwood complete with a bubble exit, and followed by a reception at a nearby hall that was decked out with decorations, twinkle lights, and lots and lots of guests! This was also my first experience with a "Grand March", which was soooo much fun! One of the couples attending the reception began the grand march by leading all of the guests, hand in hand, in a giant snake pattern in and around the hall until everyone was connected.  Once everyone was a part of the line, they began making a tunnel with their partner.  The guests following had to go under the tunnel made by the previous couples (STILL hand in hand!) until the room was filled with a giant tunnel for the Bride and groom to go through.  But wait..there's more! After the giant tunnel everyone joins hands again to begin making a giant spiral around the Bride & Groom, who stayed in the center of the spiral and would then go into their first dance.  As the photographer I was not able to get the full experience of this grand march, but I took my turn going through the tunnel and took a lot of fun pictures along the way!  My second photographer ended up trapped in the middle of the spiral with the Bride & Groom.  This was convenient to take some close up shots, but it turns out she is claustrophobic and didn't enjoy it as much as one might have thought, LOL.  I got to enjoy the view from the outside of the circle, including almost getting knocked off a chair by the moving spiral!  But again..no one was harmed, including our cameras, so it was a success! The reception also included the shoe game, which is always fun, a garter toss, where the garter was wrapped around a football autographed by the Bride & Groom, bouquet toss, and two of the most touching parent dances I have ever watched.

The wedding cake was absolutely gorgeous with the dark red roses and textured icing.  It was complimented by a couple of smaller cakes on either side that rested beautifully on a tree-trunk-type base.  The table also adorned an "ugly bell", as one of the Mom's nicely put it, that must have been a family tradition or just an inside joke.  So naturally, I made sure to get at least two photos included that particular momento..who wants to forget the ugly bell? Certainly not me!

Enjoy!

If you would like more information regarding SZP Weddings, please contact me at info@staceyzphotography.com or visit my website at http://staceyzollphotography.zenfolio.com/weddings !

Stacey Zoll is a photographer based in Manhattan, Kansas that serves the surrounding areas of the Flint Hills, including Fort Riley, Junction City, Wamego, Saint George, Kansas City, Salina, and other surrounding areas!  Wedding service areas include Kansas City, Topeka, Wichita, Salina, Abilene, and other areas of Northeast Kansas and Southwest Missouri.  SZP  offers services for Glamour / Boudoir, Engagement, Wedding, Maternity, Newborn, Cake Smash, Seniors & Teens, Family and more!

Images included on blog are a lower quality than what the client actually receives.

©Stacey Zoll Photography - http://staceyzollphotography.zenfolio.com/ - info@staceyzphotography.com