Wendi Riggens Riggens Photography

A couple of weeks ago, my mom and I took a day trip to Des Moines to meet up with Matt & Brandy for their engagement session. It was my mom’s first time watching me shoot anyone outside of our family, and she helped keep the energy level up with her goofiness and intent to embarass her oldest daughter. Matt and Brandy were so much fun in their own right, and introduced me to parts of Des Moines that I never even knew existed! I can’t even tell you all the things we did, but I did want to share a few of my favorite shots.

We started out the day at Sec Taylor Stadium in Principal Park, home of the Iowa Cubs. I didn’t even know that Iowa had Cubs! I am an Illinois native, and in my house, the Chicago Cubs are the only ones we ever talked about! :) It was a beautiful day, and we got to see how a stadium is cleaned up for games. A big thank you to Steve for the quick tour and access! Even though it was a little hazy out, we had a beautiful skyline view of Des Moines.

Downtown Des Moines has so many beautiful areas to shoot in. We found the ugliest, coolest black wall, so I had them hang out by my favorite number for a bit.

I absolutely love their smiles in this one, so happy and so genuine! Matt had just finished spinning Brandy around in the street and you can see in their faces how much they love each other and how much fun they have together.

There is something about this that speaks to me.

We played in the gardens at the Salisbury House. I have to shoot a wedding out there some day; it was absolutely gorgeous!

Matt & Brandy, I am really looking forward to the wedding in a few weeks! If your wedding day is half as much fun as your engagement session, I know we will have a blast!

Ten years. We were 17, and a couple months earlier had been set up on a blind date by my cousin. I really liked the guy, but he lived over an hour away and he was so not my type. He was athletic and loved hard rock, while I was a klutzy cheerleader and preferred the Backstreet Boys. Something clicked, though, and we met up almost every night that week at Steamboat Days, riding rides, playing games, going to the concerts. On that first night, my friend Crista told us that we were going to get married, and I just laughed her off. A couple nights later, Travis asked if I would go out with him, and on June 18, 1999, we officially became a couple.

Those first few years were not easy. We were in a long-distance relationship for three years, and faced all of the challenges of young adolescents entering the real world head-on. We were in love, though, and perservered!  Travis proposed to me on Valentine’s Day 2003, and we were married on our 5 year anniversary, June 18, 2004.

Some may think it is silly to count our anniversaries from when we started dating, but we say that those first few years were what really defined us as a couple. The wedding was just a step along the way.

To Travis, I love you more every day, and it is hard for me to put into words just how much that really is, so, as they have for the last ten years, I’ll let Firehouse say it best:

I see forever when I look in your eyes
You’re all I ever wanted, I always want you to be mine
Let’s make a promise ’till the end of time
We’ll always be together, and our love will never die

So here we are face to face and heart to heart
I want you to know we will never be apart
Now I believe that wishes can come true
‘Cause I see my whole world
I see only you

When I look into you eyes
I can see how much I love you
And it makes me realize
When I look into your eyes
I see all my dreams come true
When I look into your eyes

Don’t tell him I posted this one, but I had to grab a quick snapshot of us this morning with my Blackberry!  He was still in bed and not too coherent yet!  We are having pro shots done tonight down at Steamboat Days, so keep an eye out for those, either here or on Devan’s blog at devanwhitsonphotography.com/blog.

I love you, Trav!

Last fall, I met Michelle & Ian, and we had a great time downtown Burlington shooting their engagement session.  Two days ago, I photographed their wedding in Keokuk, and it was so beautiful!  Here are a few of their engagement images…they were up for just about anything!

Time stood still…

These two are die-hard Cubs fans, but unfortunately a trip to Wrigely Field wasn’t viable.  So instead, Ian got us into Community Field (he used ot work there).  We had a lot of fun, playing catch in the infield and hanging out in the dugout (did I get those terms right?  I am not very good with sports!)

This Saturday, just like my previous wedding, started out with rain.  By the time we left the salon, though, the sun was out and the skies were bright!  It made for some beautiful images in Rand Park after the ceremony.  I had a hard time narrowing down which ones to share, to get ready for image overload!

Michelle was a beautiful bride!

This was one of the prettiest cakes I’ve seen!

The reception was a blast!  I love Michelle’s brother’s face in this one, and how much fun the guests were having doing the chicken dance! 

They say that rain on your wedding day is good luck. On Savanna and Mike’s wedding day, it poured for two hours before and through the ceremony, before the sun finally broke through as we arrived at the reception! With that kind of rain, they should have lots of luck for years to come!

Goin’ to the chapel and we’re – gonna get maaaaarried!

Savanna wore one of the most beautiful wedding dresses, and had the prettiest shoes to match. Their reception was held at the Pzazz!, and the halls have some beautiful spots to shoot in. The hanging lights and simple couches were too perfect to pass up.

This little cutie-pie danced the night away! He started out with some toddler break-dancing (i.e. sitting on the dancefloor and wiggling around!)

I turned around just in time to capture this adorable little sight! Too cute!

They had the coolest favors – custom golf balls! I love a little ring action, and this seemed just too perfect.

Family: A bunch of people that, in the outside world, may not have ever been friends, but due to the binds of blood and love, are the best friends anyone could ask for.

Lonnie & Bonnie were married 30 years ago (on June 30). They are my parents, my confidants, my heroes, my best friends. They inspire me and make me strong, and without them I would not be the woman I am today. I thank them for their unconditional love and support, and hope that my relationship remains as strong as theirs has over the years. My sister and I couldn’t be luckier to have them as parents! I give my dad credit, for surviving as he did with three females in the house, especially through our teenage years. He’s making up for it, though, with 4 grandsons!

My mom is a huge goofball and my dad is pretty funny himself. Get them together in front of the camera and they couldn’t stop smiling! I thought about editing them like I would a normal session, but my mom is proud of her wrinkles and grays, and their faces tell the stories of their love and our lives. They are perfect just as they are! We also tried to get a nice image of all the grandsons, but with three under 2, no one would sit still for long. This one is so imperfect that it is perfect. It’s a great example of their lives with grandkids!

My little sister’s little ones, Carter & Evan. I am the only person in our family that cannot tell them apart unless they are standing right next to each other!

Josh is their big brother, and he recently became the proud owner of this adorable little beagle puppy!

And who could forget my own little boy, Maddox? He’s growing up so incredibly fast, and I am astounded every day by what he is doing. I love him to pieces! So does his big cousin Josh!

Going back in time a bit, here are a couple from Easter Sunday. Travis was not too thrilled about the bunny ears, until he saw the image later, at which point he agreed that they are super cute!

The kid is happy when he is in just a diaper, and even happier without one! Just don’t interupt him while he’s playing!

I love my family!