{HITCHED} Beth & Tom: Omaha wedding at Scottish Rite

I loved that I kicked off the 2013 wedding season with a wedding back in my hometown of Omaha. You might recall Beth & Tom from a fall engagement session… I was so eager to see the lovebirds two weekends ago because I know how excited they were for this day to finally come.

So what was there to love? Lots:

And it was a rare spring day in that it was one of the few that actually felt like it belonged in the month of April! Blue skies, just a good mix of warmth with a refreshing chill.

When Beth originally told me what her color palette was for the wedding (Red & purple!), I couldn’t wait to get my lens on the vibrant hues as they aren’t a common pair. And I LOVE when a wedding dares to be bold.

The delicate dazzle of Beth’s dress was perfect for her! And according to the bride, shopping for it was the least stressful part of the wedding planning because she did have a “this is the one!” moment.

The florist was Tom’s Uncle Todd w/ Kearney Floral in Kearney, Nebraska. That man has mad skills as you’ll see when you see the brilliant bouquets and arrangements below.

The groom’s cousins (who I believe happen to be daughters of the florist uncle) sang one of the prettiest duets I’ve ever heard at a wedding. The rendition of Steven Curtis Chapman’s “I will be Here” gave me chills

The family members and friends were warm and playful. I never felt rushed, even when the timeline was tight. They were all game to just do whatever it took to make Tom & Beth happy and the day go as smoothly as possible.

The ringbearer’s shoes. Red converse. Need I say more? Oh, actually, on that same note, take a peek at the groomsmen’s socks in their photo below. I am a fan for pops of colors in fun places. 😉

Beth has such a gorgeous smile and laugh, and Tom has no problem getting her to do either.

A part of the pastor’s sermon was regurgitated during the Best Man’s speech in a very funny and personal way. And the matron of honor’s speech was full of emotion and tears, and even though she played it off to the fact that she herself was expecting her 2nd child and it was the hormones, I had no excuse for the tears in MY eyes. haha

The reception venue (the Scottish Rite center) was commandeering and mysteriously romantic. I love shooting in venues with character!

Beth surprised Tom with a groom’s cake made to look like the cover of an album by his favorite band, TOOL. that’s pretty cool!

They had an Instagram hashtag set up and put notes on the tables to encourage guests to take photos and tag them so they can see them later. I wish this had been around when I got married!!!

Ok, enough…let’s let the photos do some talking. I hope you enjoy! Leave some comment love on this post or on Facebook so they know how fabulous you thought their day was!

Beth & Tom– I hope you had a blast in Jamaica and that this blog posts makes your back-to-the-real-world status a bit easier to swallow. I am so glad Lara and I got to be there on your big day to document it unfold and am thankful to have had your wedding be the one to launch me into a season. I can only hope that the rest of this year’s weddings are as memorable as yours! xo