An Elegant Des Moines Wedding

One of the most significant conversations I had with Sadie about her wedding was when we planned the wedding day timeline together. Sadie wanted to make sure we took time to capture of all the special people involved in her day, telling me, “the bridal party is my family.” It was then I understood what kind of people Sadie and Derek were and that their loved ones were going to play a major role in this wedding.

Early in the day, we headed to the Judicial Branch Building for the getting ready, first look and family photos. Sadie wanted this building to a part of her day, not just because it’s a beautiful building, but because it plays a large role in her family history. Not only does her mom serve as a Supreme Court Justice, but her grandfather did as well. The building holds a lot of significance for them, which is why we chose this location.

Sadie’s mom, Susan, was the officiant for the wedding. If that’s not amazing enough, the ceremony was extremely meaningful as she shared anecdotes about each member of the bridal party and how they came to know Sadie or Derek. It was telling of how much the couple valued each and every relationship. Never have I heard about so many people with different backgrounds coming together to support a couple. It made sense because Sadie and Derek had been together for eleven years. “They met when the first iPhone came out,” said her mom in the ceremony. Their history is rich and their relationships are deep; which is why their wedding brought together the closest people in their lives.


As the day went on, we found a late October sunset that played a backdrop in some beautiful couple portraits for Sadie and Derek. Although it was only about five minutes of light, we made the most of it and it paid dividends. These were some of my favorite shots of the day!

By the time we got to the reception, it was clear that Sadie and Derek had been incredibly intentional about involving everyone in their special day. Not only did Derek’s mom, Tami, decorate the entire venue, but a few hours into the celebration, Sadie and Derek wheeled a birthday cake onto the dance floor for their 5-year-old niece. Their wedding day was also her birthday and they took time away from their celebration to celebrate the family who was there. This was just a small picture of who these two are. I couldn’t be more thankful to have photographed Sadie and Derek’s wedding. They are surrounded by so many loving people and it was an honor to be amongst them.