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Final Hurrahs! | Personal | Rose Wheat Photography

We're two months out from picking up and shipping out from Kansas, packing our life's collection of possessions and heading to the beautiful, ocean bordered state that is Florida. As with anything in the Army, this could change. We could end up staying in Kansas, despite the orders we've received to go elsewhere. However, it's almost too close for anything to change, and I don't know what to make of it. After months of denial and wishing to stay, my youthful nomadic desires are pushing me in the direction that my almost three-years-married self wants to reject. That direction is away from home, from dear family, and the closest friends I've ever had. It is towards something else that I won't know until I get there. 

In light of the mood of transition, I'm in a state of "final hurrahs." I'm sure you know what that is. It's where you're about to leave some place, and you make yourself do all of the things you never did because it wasn't the right time or it was too much money or you just didn't feel like it. It's a geographic bucket list if you will. It just hit me this morning that these things must be done. I've never eaten at the nicest restaurant in town (and incidentally the state), I've never gone to Sunset Zoo just to visit, shopped at Grandma Hoerner's, or visited the local Elderberry Vineyard. Sure, I'll be back to Manhattan, but at this point there's no time like the present!

Featured below is the first of my final hurrahs: shooting a styled shoot at Varsity Donuts. It's been a dream ever since they opened, so I can't wait to share more images with you shortly! It was an afternoon of beauty and cuteness thanks to the collaboration of local vendors and gorgeous models. Keep your eyes peeled for more from this shoot soon!

Interested in booking a session with Rose Wheat Photography?

This fall Emma will be relocating to the Pensacola, Florida area. 

Be sure to book a session before October!

Living in Florida? Pre-book before she arrives!

Confession Explosion | Personal | Manhattan, KS | Rose Wheat Photography

It's confession time (apparently). Something about watching bombs explode in front of my face for entertainment has me feeling more open about things. 

So, here we go, and I hope we're still friends afterwards.

1. On Wednesday, July 3rd, I went to bed expecting this year's fourth of July to be freaking awesome.

2. That same night I tie-dyed shirts in the most patriotic way I knew how. Find the evidence below.

3. Additionally, I was ready to party (like all day), so appropriately I listened to MGMT for most of the day. Duh.

Scroll down for more confessions.

 4. I ate my fill of hamburgers, hot dogs, watermelon, and American pride. Oh yeah. You better believe that's what I had for lunch. AND dinner.

 5. Thursday afternoon I drove to Target and bought a tripod just so I could photograph fireworks this year. Driving to the fireworks display, I looked up a tutorial on my phone for photographing fireworks. It was procrastination and artfulness at their finest, and I've never been prouder of myself.

Most years, I'm all "meh" when it comes to holiday photos. You know what I mean right? The photos that I'll look back on when I have children and be all "yeah that was me." The proof that I existed, not just the people around me. Yeah, I'm normally blasé blasé about the whole thing.

"I'll just do it on a cell phone," I thought. Who doesn't like a good vintage filter right? It's automatically grainy, simply because it was taken on a cell phone. Total perk.

"No, I'll bring my big girl camera and take pictures of everyone having fun." It's just prettier. And heavier. But prettier. But I guess I did do my hair and tie-dye a t-shirt... AND put on make-up (with liquid eyeliner to boot). That's a lot of work for it not to be adequately documented.

Before I left the barn (did you know I live in a barn?) Thursday, I had grabbed three different lenses (only used two), a fully charged battery, and a freshly formatted memory card. 2 crash courses in "this is how you use my camera," 14 hours of running around, and 90 workable images later---and I had thoroughly documented a holiday while also including myself. This was monumental (seriously, I think Mt. Rushmore took less effort).

After dusting myself off (which I needed after the EPIC fireworks display in Wamego) (no really, there were firework chunks on me), I slept hard. Holiday hard. I experienced Christmas-morning joy at the prospect of seeing fireworks and enjoyed every last second of it. This holiday was freaking awesome, just as I had set out for it to be.

Amidst a like... super busy month of work, picking up my camera to document my favorite moments was so worth it. I'm excited to share more of my life with you soon! So thanks for listening today, and I hope we're still friends. :)

Katrin + David | Prairiewood Wedding | Manhattan, KS | Rose Wheat Photography

This Saturday was a beautifully happy, detailed, and a loving time. With a house out at Prairiewood Retreat and Preserve full of wonderfully giddy bridesmaids, Katrin was full of support as she carefully added the details that made her a bride. The air outside was perfectly comfortable, unseasonably so, for a late June wedding, and the feeling inside the bride's room was the same. Everyone was cool, collected, and terribly happy to be around Katrin on her wedding day. Beneath her, one floor down, David relaxed and waited as the hours drew closer for them to see each other for the first time.

What you see below is an intimate exchange between two people who I can honestly say adore one another. When David saw Katrin he was absolutely enamored by her, and I don't blame him---she was a stunning bride. While we snapped photos before their ceremony, David and Katrin mostly seemed to enjoy being around one another for a few moments... as just the two of the them.

They got married at the First Lutheran Church in Manhattan, KS. It was made for a rather regal backdrop as they grinned and giggled through their ceremony. Every moment was perfectly happy and full of laughter. It was so fitting for these two!

Just for kicks, the wedding party took a spin on the MHK Trolley down to Aggieville before they arrived at their reception. Everything was electric as we jingled down the streets of Manhattan.

Their reception began with dancing, then laughter, then tears (of joy), then more laughter, and then lots of dancing. By everyone. It was such a sweet and beautiful time, and I'm so thankful to have been able to spend it with them!

Oh yeah, and Katrin and David snuck away for two seconds to soak up the gorgeously setting sun. Seriously, the day was perfect. Things could have not possibly gotten any better.

It was beautiful and happy and fun and wonderful, and that's all I have to say about that!

Thanks for dropping by all!

--Emma

Interested in booking a session with Rose Wheat Photography?

This fall Emma will be relocating to the Pensacola, Florida area. 

Be sure to book a session before October!

Living in Florida? Pre-book before she arrives!

Nicci + Bryan | Round Barn Ranch Wedding | Derby, KS | Rose Wheat Photography

It was early afternoon, and Nicci was preparing herself to become a bride. Donning a shirt of Bryan’s, she easily made her way from just-out-of-bed freshness to show-me-the-aisle beauty. It couldn’t have been made possible without the assistance of her talented make-up artist and hair stylist, but it was clear that hair or no hair---Nicci was going to get married. Curling irons were hot as her bridesmaids stepped into their respective roles, gathering the final details before they headed to the perfectly relaxed Round Barn Ranch.

Any irritation that might have existed during the day was surpassed by the peace that Nicci had as she was adorned in everything beautiful: her dress, pearl necklace, earrings. Moments later she saw her groom, dressed in navy as he waited patiently to see his bride for the first time. In the most intimate of moments, they were together for the first time on their wedding day during their first look. It made for a beautifully sweet and endearing blip out of their busy day.

Guests gathered behind the barn, seated in white chairs, with soft piano music playing in the background. Slowly the area filled until it was time for Nicci to make her entrance. Accompanied by her step-father, she walked arm-in-arm until she reached Bryan. During the ceremony, they laughed and shared tears until at last---they kissed. It was clear during the ceremony that they share an intimate and genuine love, something special that would sustain them into the future.

Their reception was a special time where Bryan and Nicci, more than anything, simply enjoyed their family. It seemed there was more chatting than there was dancing---only because that was how they showed love to one another. The day only ended as it began, with an overarching sense of peace.

See what I mean with the visual unfolding of Bryan and Nicci’s quaint, DIY Round Barn Ranch wedding!

Interested in booking a session with Rose Wheat Photography?

This fall Emma will be relocating to the Pensacola, Florida area. 

Be sure to book a session before October!

Living in Florida? Pre-book before she arrives!