Lisa Hessel Photography Blog

While the rest of the guests at Ben and Stacie’s wedding were stuffing their faces with cupcakes and dancing like there was no tomorrow, I was shooting at the photo booth and loving every minute of it.

crazy side note…. this lovely lady was a bridesmaid in a wedding I shot in 2007. 

And in case you missed it, Part 1 and Part 2 of Ben and Stacie’s wedding day. 

Kaden, the ladies man.  

Lots of fun little details surrounded the ceremony and reception.

Tiny Toms.  

Ruby demonstrated flag waving so brilliantly.

Jon captured this moment and I love it.  I (obviously) shot a photo at that same exact moment, but I love love love this one. 

Ben’s father performed the ceremony for his youngest son and new daughter-in-law.  My favorite part was when he quoted Dr. Suess and said “You know you’re in love when you don’t want to fall asleep because reality is finally better than your dreams.” 

We debated over and over if it was wise to bring Kaden to the reception, but I had a good friend with me who took on the responsibility of taking care of this cupcake-overdosed toddler, and I’m so happy he came.  He did nothing but dance (and eat cupcakes) all night long.  And Ben and Stacie’s friend John, who is also a fab photographer, shot the reception with us while I was working at the photobooth (more on that later), and caught this gem of my little guy right before he took off to the dance floor.  

These two literally danced until they had shed a layer of clothing because they were so sweaty.  If I were to say that about adults, that’d be gross. But about kids, it’s kind of adorable. 

Such a great wedding.  Such a fun day.

Sigh.  I love my job.

Perhaps you may remember Ben and Stacie when I shot these photos of them last fall.   Or maybe you remember Stacie when she spent the day with the cutest ring bearer in the world such a long time ago. Or, possibly you have had the pleasure of meeting them both at one of our LOST parties or at the coffee bar at church.

Well, in case you didn’t know, I heart Ben and Stacie.  I’ve known them both for a long time and it’s funny how time changes things, because when I used to introduce them to people I would say, “This is Stacie, one of the girls from the youth group at church,” or “This is Ben, one of the resident assistants at the dorm.”  But now, if I get the chance to introduce them to someone, I say, “these are my friends Ben and Stacie.”

I think I was more nervous about photographing Ben and Stacie’s wedding than any other wedding I’ve shot in the last five years.  Not because of a crazy schedule or any unreasonable demands or anything like that, but mostly because I SO wanted to give my friends images that would remind them of how wonderful their wedding day really was.  And, I’m not gonna lie, I was nervous about how many cupcakes I would end up eating from my favorite bakery before the night was over. But mostly, I was so looking forward to seeing Ben and Stacie promise for forever.   And it really was wonderful.

Please forgive me in advance.  There will be lots of photos.  Lots.

Yes, this is the wedding all the TOMS. 

And I just had to post this.  Not because I think it’s hilarious that Nacho Libre is all over the fridge and not because I think the definition of a Chapman is paramount, but because of Stacie’s senior picture that Ben had put on his freezer door.  I took that picture.  Like, a hundred years ago, it seems.  My obsession with photography was just in its infantile stage at the time, and I never would have thought that some day I’d be shooting Stacie’s wedding.  

side note: I see Stacie wearing these shoes pretty regularly with jeans and a cute shirt and it’s adorable.  Just another reason Toms make a good choice for wedding day footwear.  Stylish AND practical. 

And seriously, kill me with how cute these buttons are.  Perfect favors, if I do say so myself.  

I loved the eclectic patterns and textures that Ben wore. 

The groomsmen on the far right is Ben’s brother AND our neighbor.  No words.

Toms, cardigans, and vests.  Love. 

Um, and did I mention who the ring bearer just happened to be?  Yes, there will be many more to come

Sometimes when I think about winter, I think about the sun.  and how we hardly ever see it.

And I think about ice.  And how I hate scraping it off my windshield (although, truth be told, it’s mostly Jon who does the ice-scraping).

And I think about wanting to go to the park.  And then not going because it’s 17 below zero and all the paths are covered in snow.

And sometimes, when I think about winter, I just need a reminder that the sun does exist and it’s actually warm and there are other clothing options besides turtleneck sweaters and parkas.

And even though it’s way warmer right now than it should be, I’m still sitting in my office wondering if I should go get my fingerless gloves to keep me warm while I type.  Don’t get me wrong, I’m so thankful for the break from Snowmageddon 2011 and I welcome the warmer temps that melt the snow, but I still feel like I need a reminder that summer will come.

That’s why I saved this wedding for now.   I knew I would need to be reminded.

Watch for part 1 of Ben and Stacie’s wedding on the blog tomorrow….