“David + Brittany’s gorgeous winter wedding was an absolute joy to photograph! The white, greens, and gray that they chose for their wedding gave it a clean and classic look. We utilized the ISU campus where they met for their beautiful portraits. David + Brittany chose to do a first look before the wedding which was absolutely precious. He stood in the frigid wind patiently waiting for her arrival. The moment he saw her his smile radiated joy. Their whole day played out perfectly, with abundance of time for them to just soak in each other’s love, as well as the love from their family and friends.” – Everlasting Love Photography

“My favorite wedding day memory was when David and I did our first look and the time we got to spend together while taking pictures. It was relaxing to be away from the chaos and we were not stressed about anything. We ended up having more time together than we had planned which made the rest of the day go smoothly as well…

..Yes. My mom was able to use her creativity to help make the invitations, my hairpiece and jewelry, bridesmaids jewelry, centerpieces, all floral bouquets/boutonnieres, and decorations. I think that by doing it yourself you can create a unique and personal wedding as well as save money. Also, if you have friends or family who love being creative don’t be scared to ask them for help!

Old: The hairpiece of the green leaf I wore was my Great Grandmothers
New: My dress!
Borrowed: I don’t think I borrowed anything
Blue: My garter 

..I would tell brides who are planning, to remember that although it is “their wedding,” there are tons of people helping with time, money, ideas, etc. That being said, sometimes things get planned or ideas get changed and “your wedding” starts to look different that how you envisioned it. This is easy to get worked up about but remember that the people helping you are the people you love the most, and you couldn’t pull it off without them. I had to learn how to go with the flow – which is not my natural tendency – and let go of some things. In the end everything turned out so much better than it had if I had tried to do everything myself and I was glad I was open to other’s ideas.” – Brittany, the bride

photography: Everlasting Love Photography // church: First Baptist Church of Ames // venue: Iowa State Union // catering + cake: Iowa State Catering // dress: Pure Bridal // bridesmaid dresses: ModCloth // mens attire: Men’s Warehouse // hair + makeup: Studio7 Salon and Spa // flowers: HyVee, DIY by brides family // invitations, centerpieces, jewelry, flowers, hair piece, card box: all DIY-ed by the bride and her family