{Hitched} Kim & Mike in Emporia

After Kim & Mike’s hot and humid engagement session last August, they sure deserved to have beautiful wedding weather. Admittedly, I didn’t think they’d get mild temps because it was in June after all. But anyone here in the Midwest will confirm that 2013 has been the ODDEST seasoned year thus far. A long winter…a delayed spring. This meant that on June 1, Emporia, KS, was treated to a cloudy sky, and temps that didn’t soar.

Mike and Kim are truly so genuinely sweet (they even texted me on Christmas to wish my family happy holidays!! And not in a mass-texting way. Haha) They are so personable. Kim puts you at ease with her big smile and good humor. Mike’s big brother demeanor and desire to crack up as much as possible are ever-so endearing.

Ali and I were met with one sassy bridal party. They were there to celebrate, and we were all for that approach. We had so much fun….let’s see if I can remember the reasons why this wedding was so special:

•  Mike is a football coach for Emporia State University, so the pigskin theme showed up a few times.
• I must note that we were very impressed with the town of Emporia. It had so many cool locations, that I would love to shoot there again. And definitely is day-trip worthy.
• I think the white breezeway of the church was quite possible one of my favorite nooks in which I’ve ever shot details (at Sacred Heart Church).
• Kim had SUCH a great idea…she had all the bridesmaids hold up signs saying “Wait till you see her”…had one of them take a photo of the girls holding the signs, and then that photo was shown to Mike….a moment that was captured by Ali. How cute!?
•  Mike’s (and now Kim’s too) last name is LoPorto. Throughout the day, their friends and family would chant LOPO. I love cheers. I might have joined in a time or two. 😉
•  We of course had to stop at the ESU football field for some pics. Those that were accompanying the wedding party did a great job on the sidelines cheering on all the shenanigans.
•  Kim really wanted to swing by a historical site in town that had a barn. Ali and I went crazy and could have stayed there forever shooting. Nice pick!
• While at the farm, I did something I’m a tad ashamed of, but this illustrates how AMAZING this couple’s sense of humor is. I was handing Kim her bouquet when something (we later learned it was a wire) stabbed my finger. My split-second reaction was to….(hanging my head in shame)…drop the bouquet on the ground. I didn’t even have time to process that I did that as blood was surfacing on my poor little finger. Haha It really was no big deal, but it made us all laugh. And no flowers were majorly harmed in the fiasco.
•  The group of friends shares inside joke after inside joke together. We had a few of them feeding Ali and me things to yell so we’d get legit smiles and laughs. I didn’t even mind feeling out of the loop with the REASONS they were laughing.
•  Both the bride and groom’s moms were sooooo. Sweet. Seriously. And the dads? They were always ready with a video camera or still camera in their hands, documenting the special day from their perspective. I will keep them in mind should Darbi G. Photography ever expand.
•  I think they had the cutest ringbearer I’ve ever seen. You’ll agree. Don’t worry. There are plenty of pics of him. Actually, there were so many cute kids there. Both families must just have darling genes.
•  Speaking of kids, in the middle of the ceremony, when I was in the back with my big long zoom lens, I put the camera to my face and heard, “Cheeeeeese” from a little guy in a pew. Everyone around tried to control their giggles since it was during service. You’ll see a pic of him peeking out at me below.
•  Perhaps the event of the day that resulted in the biggest laughter was the Best Man speech. Mike’s brothers put on a show….one of them talked  while the other one translated what the first one said into football lingo. It was quite the entertainment. The crowd was overcome with dropped jaws, open mouth bursts of laughter and looks of disbelief (Did they just say that??)…haha Good times.
• I really liked the reception venue (Bowyer Community Center). It was modern and open…with pretty good natural light. Plus the good set up outdoors for extra tables and a bonfire were a plus.
• The whole vibe of the day was killer…just so laid back, and FUN. From the provided plastic cups to the super-naughty darn-delicious potatoes (I think it was potato-flavored butter we were eating) to the assortment of cookies that Ali and I excitedly put in take-home bags when we were finished…we loved it. (Btw, sidenote: those cookies…my husband laid in bed one night and blamed his insomnia on the fact that he couldn’t get the cookies out of his mind, so he “had” to go down at 1 a.m. and eat some!!! Haha How hilarious is that. Compliments to Kara Hall!!)

So with that…please take some time to see the images that I think best tell the story of their Emporia wedding. And Mike & Kim–welcome home from your honeymoon!!! May these pics help break you into the “real world.” 😉