I shot the most elegant and colorful Nampa wedding!
Being in the middle of a classic Idaho Falls winter, I’ve found myself dreaming of spring. And as a cinematic wedding photographer, spring will always remind me of wedding season. This colorful Nampa wedding that I captured in the spring is absolutely stunning and it makes me so excited for the upcoming wedding season!
The Most Important Part of Your Wedding: Everything that Happens Beforehand
If you don’t know me, hi! I’m Kaylee. I’m an Idaho wedding photographer that specializes in timeless, romantic photography. But I believe that photos are a small portion of my actual job. It starts months and months before your big day. As for this couple, we’re going to call them Keith and Millie, their wedding was in May but my work started in January. We started with hopping onto Zoom. This part is so important in planning; talking (virtually) face to face helps me to get to know them and to truly understand their vision. After the Zoom meeting we had a stunning engagement session in Melba, Idaho. 
As you can see from the photo, this session was gorgeous. I love it when my couples book an engagement session with me (there’s a reason why you get a free engagement photoshoot for most of my wedding packages) because it helps me understand your chemistry and who you are as a couple. While I was shooting this session, I was planning what photos I wanted to take at their wedding.
Plus, this was a great time to dive deeper into their wedding plans. So if you get anything out of this blog post, I hope it’s this: get the same photographer to do your engagement photos and your wedding! It’ll help your photographer and most importantly, it’ll help you. You won’t have to worry about different editing styles and you’ll really get to understand their process.
The Big Day: A Beautiful Nampa Wedding
Keith and Millie chose one of my favorite Nampa wedding venues, Still Water Hollow. It’s a romantic countryside venue that’s both indoor and outdoor with a classical little church and a pond. If you’re currently engaged and looking for venue, I highly recommend checking them out. If you do, don’t forget to mention that LaShay and Light Wedding Photography sent you.
As usual, I got to Still Water Hollow half an hour early. I like to get in this early because I want to take photos of the venue without there being a lot of people in the background. Little side note, notice how I put an emphasis on the colors. I really wanted to look colorful yet sophisticated.
Getting Ready
By the time I finished capturing the venue, it was time for me to take some flat-lays, photos of the rings, and of everyone getting ready.
Getting Ready is always a really emotional moment. I go in with a documentary approach and don’t stiffly pose everything. If needs be, I’ll gently guide them into what I call a “loose pose”. For example, I asked the Mother of the Bride to button up Millie’s dress. This created a lot of happy tears, perfect for the camera. Yes, it was posed but it was also natural.
First Look
Millie wanted to have a traditional “first look” where Keith first sees her walking down the aisle. However, she did want a first look with her dad.
I first took this photo on the balcony. I absolutely love this! This is more editorial than the the rest of the Getting Ready or the first look. I’ve found that having a mix of candid and posed images really elevates the entire wedding gallery and adds variety.
Reception
This is where I’m a fly on the wall. There’s only one instruction I give and it’s before anyone walks down the aisle: walk slowly. It’s my job to capture the progression of the wedding party and you won’t believe how many people I have speed-walk down the aisle. Besides, the longer the Bride walks down the aisle, the more photos I get of the Groom getting teary eyed.
Formals & Bridals
I’m not going to lie, this is my favorite part of the entire wedding. This is where I was really able to show that colorful yet dramatic style they were going for.
Reception and Exit
I had so much fun capturing Keith and Millie’s wedding. They were so sweet! If you like my photography style, feel free to reach out! I’d love to help you make your wedding as magical as possible. I serve all of Idaho, north Utah, Yellowstone, and Teton National Park, or where ever else love takes you. If you’re interested in the other vendors that helped with this wedding, check the links below.
xo chat soon, Kaylee
Vendor List
Photographer: LaShay and Light Wedding Photography | Venue: Still Water Hollow | Florist: Gerald’s Floral | Cake: Marsh Cakes | Bar Services & Beverages: Raising Our Bar | DJ: Sound Wave Events | Photobooth: Photo Booth Boise