Pride of the Prairie Pinto Show

July 25-26 in Hutchinson was the place to be for the regional Pride of the Prairie Pinto Show. Horses from Nebraska, Oklahoma, Kansas and other states were there competing for state and national points, circuit championships and High Point awards. I have been photographing the Pride of the Prairie show for about seven years, and I really enjoy getting to see my Pinto horse friends and customers each year.

A challenging group photo was that of four dogs, four people and one horse. I was very pleased that ALL the canine and equine ears are up and forward as they should be. Another fun photo was of Katie and her horse. Katie let me "play" and get this head shot with her horse, sans bridle. Congratulations to each of the competitors!

Wendy and Owen

Owen and Wendy were married Saturday, July 25th at Northridge Friends Church in Wichita. Owen's dad told me that he had been an usher in that church for 25 years, and Owen's mom had been the wedding coordinator there. Needless to say, that church had been an integral part of their lives for all of Owen's life.

From Wendy's time getting ready prior to the ceremony, until she and Owen ran through rose petals (and jelly beans!) thrown by their family and friends as they left the reception, every detail went smoothly. Congratulations, Wendy and Owen!

Erin and Kyle

On Friday, July 24th, Erin and Kyle were married at St. Vincent de Paul church in Andover. They didn't want to see one another before the ceremony, so I photographed Erin and her family and her attendants first, then sent her back to the bride's room. Next, Kyle and his groomsmen headed outside for some casual photos in the courtyard. After the ceremony, we completed all the formal group photos, then headed to The Ville for their reception.

Erin's gown came from David's Bridal, Kyle's tux was from Men's Wearhouse, and the Flower Market was the floral designer. Cheri's Bakery made the cake, and Complete Music provided the entertainment and kept the reception rockin'!

Congratulations, Erin and Kyle!

Kristi and Geoff

July 11 at Harvest Community Church in west Wichita was the place to be for Kristi and Geoff's wedding. Geoff was calm and relaxed in his tux from Accent Bridal and Tux (even though the AC units had frozen up and the church was extremely warm!). Kristi wore a stunning gown from Reni's Bridal.

With five attendants each, Kristi and Geoff were surrounded by wonderful friends when they shared their vows. After the ceremony, they walked through a cloud of bubbles blown by their guests and then boarded the "Liquid Limo" party bus for the ride to Hawthorne Suites for the reception.

Ray's Catering provided the dinner, and FX Motion of Salina was the DJ entertainment for the evening. After a grand entrance and introduction at the reception, the newlyweds cut their cake (Geoff was a gentleman, but Kristi somehow managed to get a little cake and frosting on the face of her new husband!) Next they kicked off the celebration by throwing the bouquet and garter, and then settled into the serious task of eating dinner so they would be ready to DANCE!

A special request photo was one of Kristi with her grandparents and the other grandchildren. What better time to get everyone together for a photo, than when they are all dressed up for a wedding?

Geoff and Kristi are an exceptionally polite and caring couple. I truly enjoyed the honor of photographing their wedding. Congratulations to you both!

Ashley & Aaron

June 27 was the wedding day for Ashley and Aaron. Their wedding was held at the Hilton Garden Inn, on the patio overlooking the lake at Bradley Fair.

Ashley wore a flattering gown purchased at David's Bridal. Their flowers were from Flower Factory, and Artistic Cakes created their one of a kind wedding cake.

Aaron and Ashley had thought about every detail for their wedding day. The table place cards were origami birds, they provided a "wish jar" for friends to write best wishes to the bride and groom, and Aaron had even selected certain songs for specific portions of the reception.

Ordinarily, a flower girl younger than three years old can be a little contrary for her wedding responsibilities. However, the younger flower girl at Ashley and Aaron's wedding was the bride's baby sister, and at two years of age, was one of the most well behaved flower girls ever!

Ignoring the heat and humidity, the wonderful newlyweds let me take them on a short walk to get some great photos with the lake in the background. Thank you, Aaron and Ashley, and congratulations on your wedding-best wishes!

Kind words from newlyweds

Yesterday I got a nice note in the mail from Crystal and Steve, whose wedding I photographed on June 12th:
Edye,
Thank you so kindly for making our wedding day become memorable with the beautiful pictures. We love every one of them. We really enjoyed your kind-hearted touch you shared with everyone involved at our wedding. You captured such adorable moments that we will have with us forever.
Thank you, Steve and Crystal

Melissa and Brian

June 20th started out to be a stormy day-a huge thunderstorm went through the area about an hour before wedding photos were to start. Happily though, Melissa and Brian were treated to blue skies and no rain for their wedding.


The wedding was held at Fulton Valley Farms "Boot Scootin' Barn" north of Augusta. Ron Reves was the DJ, the flowers were from Dillon's Floral Department, and the delicious cake was made by Jeanine Markley. Melissa's gown was purchased at David's Bridal. Brian's brother, Levi, officiated and made the ceremony very warm and personal for the bride and groom.

Even though the grounds were still wet from the rain showers, everyone cooperated to get some fun photos out on the grass beside the silo. Melissa and Brian had a great time celebrating their wedding. Congratulations and best wishes to you both!

Monica & Matt

On June 19th Monica and Matt had an enchanted wedding and reception at Eberly Farm in Wichita. Flowers and arrangements from Stem's provided an elegant floral backdrop for the evening. Cameo Cakes created a beautiful and delicious wedding cake, and All World DJ provided the reception entertainment. Monica's bridal gown was purchased at David's Bridal, and the wedding coordinator for the evening was Linda, the bride's aunt.

Matt designed and made a wrought iron garden bench with their initial in the center. It was the focal point for their ceremony, held in the pavilion at Eberly Farm. What a memorable keepsake from their wedding!

My favorite part of the day was during the reception, when the sun was just starting to set. The newlyweds agreed to take a few minutes away from their guests for some special photos of just the two of them. We went north of the pavilion to a lovely location with a curving path and trees. Just after we began taking portraits there, the sun shone through the trees with a magnificent warm glow. WOW! Gorgeous bride, handsome groom and perfect lighting all came together for some breath-taking portraits.

Monica and Matt have been dating for about 14 years. Their reception included a poignant slideshow, with photos beginning with the weddings of each of their parents, and continuing through their growing up years, dating, courtship and engagement. In my almost 20 years of photographing weddings, I don't know when I have seen a more perfectly matched couple. You hear the saying, "they were made for each other", but in this case, it is absolutely true! Congratulations, Monica and Matt!