What a last couple weeks it has been! What year it has been! As if dealing with a global pandemic wasn’t enough, the week of Maxwell and Dana’s wedding, a storm unlike anything we’ve seen wrecked central and eastern Iowa. A derecho, which I learned how to correctly pronounce this week. It was bad. Fortunately Maxwell and Dana’s wedding was at the Coralville Marriott, that was more toward the southern side of the storm and only lightly affected by the devastating winds that hit five days before. These two took everything in stride, and they were an absolute pleasure to serve and work alongside. Two of the nicest and most genuine people you will meet.
We started the day photographing the girls getting their hair and makeup done. Typically we will shoot all of the details during this time as well. As we went to photograph Dana’s dress, we discovered perhaps the largest abundance of material that we have ever had to wrestle to get in place. It was a beast in the most extravagant and obnoxious way. And it was perfect, just the way Dana wanted it. 🙂 I can’t imagine the weight of it that she had to tote around all day!
It was a beautiful August day, but I’m sure that even the coolest August days can be a little warm in a black tuxedo or an extravagant dress when you are in the sun for an extended amount of time. Their ceremony was set on the outdoor patio which overlooks the Iowa River Landing. It was quite a stunning environment on a stunning August day. The sun just stretched far enough to cover the ceremony space and heat things up, but it certainly made the photos more rich and dramatic. I was impressed by how much God was at the center of their day and their marriage. That is always encouraging and I think many of us got a reminder this week that we need to be able to have joy that transcends circumstances!
After the ceremony, we found some shade and had some fun with the wedding party and bride and groom portraits. We then headed inside to the Marriott‘s ballroom for the wedding reception. They kicked off the evening with a cocktail hour and then an incredible dinner from Graze. I rated it top-10 among all the weddings we have been a part of throughout the years. Super good.
John Cox handled the entertainment for the night and also did a phenomenal job. Sure everyone partied, but he also helped to center the celebration and help them remember why they were celebrating. It was a great ending to a great day.
Maxwell and Dana, we appreciate you guys choosing to have us be a part of your big day. We are so happy for you guys that despite all that 2020 has thrown at us, you guys have persisted and you were still able to enjoy a beautiful wedding day that wowed so many of us! We wish you nothing but the best!
Hair & Makeup – Timothy Gabriel Salon
Flowers – Beno’s Flowers
Catering – Graze
Cake – Tip Top Cakes
DJ – John Cox
Dress – The Bridal Shop
Photographers – Carter Photography
