This fall Iowa City wedding at Rapid Creek Cidery was a bit of serendipity. Previously, I had organized a styled shoot with Emily at Soiree (which you can see here) and through that, Stephanie found me! She said she was envisioning what her wedding day would like and opened up our shoot to see exactly what she had been planning in her head. Same color scheme, same flowers, same vibe. So she contacted me and saying she thought it was meant to be for me to photograph her wedding.
Stephanie and Chase are such a fun couple. Their day was so relaxed, even though we had an unexpected rainy day. I woke up early and bought all the clear umbrellas at the Iowa City and Cedar Rapids Target locations so we could be prepared. Luckily, the rain cleared in time for the ceremony and only sprinkled a bit during group portraits. What a gorgeous day this turned out to be!
Venue: Rapid Creek Cidery
Florals: 1-800 Flowers/Flowerama
Stationery: Watermark Corners, Designed by the bride
The bride designed all of her stationery herself. Isn’t it gorgeous?
1-800 Flowers/Flowerama killed it with this bridal bouquet!
The dessert table featured apple pies from Wilson’s Orchard (where Rapid Creek Cidery is located) and local favorite, Molly’s Cupcakes.
Proud big sister watching Stephanie get in her dress.
Even if you don’t schedule in a first look with Dad, I always try to catch his expression when he sees his baby girl as a bride for the first time.
First looks are a great way to still have a special moment of seeing your bride if you are choosing to schedule portraits before the ceremony.
I could photograph under this willow tree every day and it would never get old. So dreamy and romantic.
I love when couples want to include their furry family members in their wedding day! Even if they don’t want to cooperate…
Wasn’t Stephanie such a beautiful bride?
Rapid Creek has a gorgeous outdoor ceremony space. My favorite part is that it is nicely shaded for guests and the path is paved, which helps for those with mobility issues.
It’s always so dramatic watching the bride walk down the long path to her groom.
Shooting from behind the couple allows for some beautiful angles of the ceremony. This is always discussed beforehand so there are no surprises and the couple can choose if they would prefer I stay behind the guests. Whatever approach is chosen, I am always discreet and stay as “invisible” as possible.
