Erin, Steve, and I wandered around San Francisco for their engagement session. I love that city – there’s so much texture and variety, and it’s a nice change from San Luis Obispo sometimes. Erin and Steve were a blast to hang out with and their wedding’s in just a few months! Woohoo!

CONTACT ME: 805-441-4660 ken@kenkienow.com

There’s a lot I need to say about this wedding, so bear with me. I know photos are where it’s at, but this was a special one. This was my sister’s wedding.

Yes, I shot it. I never would have expected that – I always figured that if someone close to me got married, I’d want to not have to worry about the photography and be able to just enjoy the wedding. But it quickly became apparent that that simply wasn’t going to happen.

I love photography. Shooting weddings fulfills me. The more I thought about it, the more I wanted to be my sister’s photographer. But I couldn’t shake the feeling that I’d be doing something wrong by shooting the wedding of someone so close to me – like I’d miss the day or something. From the start, they wanted someone who “shot like me”, so whether my style was what they were looking for wasn’t an issue. I recommended a few of my trusted photographer friends to them, thinking I’d hand off the photography side and just “enjoy the wedding”.

But one day I realized I couldn’t do that. I wanted to experience her wedding, and I wanted to be her photographer. There wasn’t any other way, really. I wanted to shoot it, and I wanted to shoot it with all of the heart and strength and creativity I could find within myself. I ran the idea by Kristen and Joe, and they were thrilled.

I can’t even explain to you how significant the wedding day was. I was surrounded by many of my closest friends, and certainly by my dear family. Watching my dad walk my sister down the aisle through my viewfinder, and seeing Joe fighting tears, almost undid me. It was monumental. More significance than I’ve ever experienced doing what I do, and by far.

My son Cameron was a ring bearer. My girl Lillian was a flower girl. I watched them make a long walk towards the aisle, seeing Cameron monitor his walking speed so as to not overwhelm little Lillian. He cared about her. When she sat down right in the middle of the aisle, Cameron covered his mouth with his hands and burst into laughter. Lillian did the same, and then got up and grabbed Cameron’s hand, and they ran to my beautiful wife at the front of the aisle.

I danced with my wife, I danced with my son, and I danced with my sister and new brother.

I can’t explain what it was like to be their photographer really – it was heavy in a lot of ways. I care a lot about what I do. I care deeply about making photos that people love, and all I wanted on that day was to make photos that my sister and Joe and my family loved.

It wasn’t easy – it was pretty stressful at times, in fact. But the whole day, wrapped up in a big ball of joy+stress+tears+excitement+laughter+dancing+preparation, was a significant life event.

It was one of those things that you can’t really describe in whole, and can only feel in your chest.

MANY thanks to my associate Kelsey, who shot when I couldn’t, and made it so I could relax at the reception.

CONTACT ME: 805-441-4660 ken@kenkienow.com

On that day I was a groomsman AND their photographer, and I wouldn’t have had it any other way.

I’d been waiting to blog it until it was published, and here it is…Kristen and Joe’s wedding on Wedding Chicks. It’ll be up next on my website.

By the way, since I obviously couldn’t be in any photos involving the bridal party and my family, Kelsey was my right-hand woman on Kristen’s wedding day. Kelsey is my associate, and it says a lot about her abilities that I trusted her with so much of my sister’s wedding. She did an INCREDIBLE job.

CONTACT ME: 805-441-4660 ken@kenkienow.com

Minutes before entering Michel and Brian’s reception, we pulled up a weather map on my iPhone because of the lightning in the distance.

Big red blobs heading towards your outdoors reception aren’t really ideal, you could say.

But the rain held off, and the entire beautiful evening was backed up by an amazing lightning show. It only sprinkled a bit at the end, and the entire day went off wonderfully. Michel and Brian’s wedding was also featured on Style Me Pretty California – you can see it here.

(above photo by Kelsey)

My secret weapon at weddings is Skittles.

(above photo by Kelsey)

(lightning photo by Kelsey)

CONTACT ME: 805-441-4660 ken@kenkienow.com

Kim and Daniel wanted a part of their shoot to be in a coffee shop, evoking warmth and comfort in winter. As San Luis Obispo can tend to do, it was 70 and sunny that day! Nevertheless, we had fun shooting around a coffee shop that caught Kim’s eye and also happens to be my most favorite coffee shop ever.

These two are awesome. It was effortless to spend time with them and take their photos – I’m excited for their wedding! Kim is also a guest blogger for Engaged and Inspired, and wrote about their session here.

CONTACT ME: 805-441-4660 ken@kenkienow.com

CONTACT ME: 805-441-4660 ken@kenkienow.com

For an hour and a half on Saturday evening I saw nothing but sweetness, comfort, joy, and a billion other things that warmed my heart and made me so happy for these two.

Diana and Ryan are two very amazing people who are getting married at the Flying Caballos Ranch next year, and I couldn’t be more pumped to be shooting it. When they emailed me near Thanksgiving to tell me how thankful they were that I was their photographer, I knew I was in for something special with these people.

Thanks, Diana and Ryan. I couldn’t be more excited for two people to have found each other.

CONTACT ME: 805-441-4660 ken@kenkienow.com

CONTACT ME: 805-441-4660 ken@kenkienow.com

Erin and Mitch’s wedding was also featured on on Style Me Pretty’s Little Black Book blog. Check it out too!

CONTACT ME: 805-441-4660 ken@kenkienow.com

Brandee is a wedding photographer in Utah, one I’d known of from wedding photography circles online. When she contacted me asking if I’d like to shoot a wedding in Utah at the Logan temple with a reception in a meadow by a lake in the Idaho mountains…well…it was hard to not respond with more exclamation points and smilies than many of you would think legal.

Her and Christian were a joy to spend an afternoon with for their engagement session, and their wedding was even more incredible than I could have imagined it. It’ll be posted here soon.

CONTACT ME: 805-441-4660 ken@kenkienow.com