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EMILY

CRALL

Rachel & Carson

The Hotel at Kirkwood Center Spring Wedding

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Their wedding day dawned with blue skies and fluffy, white clouds. We arrived at her parent’s home where the ladies were all relaxing throughout the house, finishing up makeup, eating lunch, and laughing. It’s my favorite scene to arrive to and the easy spirit carried throughout the rest of the day.

Rachel and Carson are two truly sweet people. Their relationship has mostly been long distance and so when Carson was in Iowa in December, I took a few hours away from my brand new baby to meet up with them for their engagement photos. Seeing them both interact at that time only prepped me for how much I was going to love working with them on their wedding day. I loved every minute! When I met the rest of their families, it made so much sense how they both ended up being such genuine, wonderful people.

With the final details being put in place at the Hotel at Kirkwood Center for their reception, the ceremony was just a few minutes from her childhood home at her family’s church. After stepping into her gown, she went to the church to meet Carson.

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Rachel was the epitome of a joyful bride! Not only was she so fun to be with, but just look at her smile in these photos!!

Hotel Kirkwood Wedding_Emily Crall_0451.jpg Hotel Kirkwood Wedding_Emily Crall_0452.jpg Hotel Kirkwood Wedding_Emily Crall_0453.jpg Hotel Kirkwood Wedding_Emily Crall_0454.jpgRachel had a piece of her mom’s wedding dress wrapped around her bouquet. It was absolutely perfect.
Hotel Kirkwood Wedding_Emily Crall_0455.jpg Hotel Kirkwood Wedding_Emily Crall_0456.jpg Hotel Kirkwood Wedding_Emily Crall_0457.jpgI looooovvveeeeddd the guys’ suits! Navy suits are so classy and the gentlemen pulled them off well. (One of Carson’s groomsmen said, “Yeah, Carson has good taste. Leave it to him to have the best looking suits around.”)
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Rachel’s dog even joined us at the church for some photos! There’s a sequence of about 10 images leading up to this one that are very entertaining.

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I adore a good harvest table and love the way the bridal party can interact during dinner as opposed to facing the guests as if on display. Adam from Covington & Company did all the design and table decor and it was everything Rachel and her mom dreamed of.

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While guests were still eating dinner, I snuck Rachel & Carson outside for some extra sunset photos. Taking photos during this time allowed for them to breathe deeply and take a bit of a break, but also provided some of my favorite images since it’s during the golden hour, thus that beautiful golden glow on their skin!
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Rachel & Carson, thank you. You were so wonderful to work with and it was my pleasure to photograph you on your wedding day. I am only sad it’s all over. Xo!

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Photography: Emily Crall Photography
Ceremony Venue: Lovely Lane United Methodist Church, Cedar Rapids
Ceremony Coordinator: Becky Wood
Reception Venue, Catering & Cake: The Hotel at Kirkwood Center, Cedar Rapids
Reception Coordinator: Mary Van Houten
Makeup: Mackenzie Jacobs
Hair: Brooke Sands
Bridal Gown: An Elegant Affair
Bridesmaid Gowns: Heart to Heart Bridal
Suits: JCPenney
Florals: Hy-Vee Oakland Road
DJ & Uplighting: Hitting the Mark Entertainment
Reception Decor & Design: Covington & Company
Paper Suite: AC Design
Vocalists & Musicians: Alicia Strong, Taylor Reavley, Dennis Ramsey

SHARE THIS POST

  1. Raquel Booth Fisher says:

    Congratulations Carson and Rachel!

  2. Barb Maus says:

    It was an absolutely beautiful wedding!

  3. Melissa Helvik Gerving says:

    What a beautiful event!

  4. Elaine Woodhouse Hall says:

    Wonderful wedding! Wishing Carson & Rachel the very best with lots of love!

  5. Connie Haigh says:

    Beautiful !!! Wonderful !!! Fabulous !!! Gorgeous!!! Amazing!!! Fun!!! Great Memories!!!

  6. Sally Nordstrom says:

    Beautiful photos. Beautiful wedding. Beautiful couple.

  7. Sharon Elbert Terpstra says:

    These are the BEST pictures! I love looking at them! 🙂

  8. Rachel Lauf says:

    Aren’t we a good looking couple? Can’t wait to see the rest of the photos!!

  9. Lynn Madsen says:

    Gorgeous!!

  10. Vicki Archibald says:

    Beautiful wedding, beautifulpictures!

  11. Andrea Castek says:

    Beautiful couple – inside and out.

  12. Kathy Thorsteinson says:

    These are absolutely beautiful!!! Such a wonderful day for a wonderful couple!

  13. Carolyn Lauf says:

    The pictures reflect how beautiful the day was! Thanks Emily!

  14. Marilyn Lancaster says:

    Thanks for your professional
    Artistry

  15. Marilyn Lancaster says:

    Wonderful day!

  16. Carson Lauf says:

    They look great! Thanks for doing such a good job, Emily!

  17. Mary Lancaster Vorwerk says:

    Absolutely gorgeous!

  18. Carolyn Lauf says:

    Look forward to seeing more of these! It’s great to have beautiful pictures to remind us of the wonderful day!

  19. Chelsea Lauf Shors says:

    Beautiful couple, beautiful wedding. It was definitely the party of the year!

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