Also, a big thank you to Mariah Logan for being my wonderful second shooter! 

Also, a huge shout out to Brittany Kruger with Brittany Jo Photography for second shooting with me. 

It was such an honor to travel to her hometown to capture their big day. She was a stunning bride and we made the best of the crummy weather we were presented with. As you will see below, a little (ok a LOT of rain) didn't rain on our parade. Enjoy!

My uncle made this mirror as a wedding present for my aunt, so it was perfect that Bonnie took her first look at herself in her wedding dress in that very mirror. What a beautiful moment. 

Bonnie's parents built a lake on their property so it was a perfect setting for photos - rain or shine!

These umbrellas were the perfect addition for our photos (and kept everyone dry). 

Of course right as we were pulling up for their first look, it started POURING. Not just a little rain, but a downpour. This was the ONLY spot in the park that had enough tree coverage that we wouldn't get soaked. We took advantage of our umbrellas and made it the most perfect first look. 

Bonnie and Mark were super brave to have 10 kids under 11 in the wedding (2 of which were mine, and 3 were my nephews). But the kids did amazing!

The reception was held at Barn on the Ridge and was a beautiful setting for the festivities. 

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We all danced the night away...

...and ended the evening with a fireworks show and a sparkler exit. Very fitting for a July 3rd wedding. 

What a beautiful day for this beautiful couple. I wish you all the happiness in the world! 

Love - Courtney 

We had a beautiful day and the rain cleared off just in time for their first look. There was a bit of wind but used it to our advantage. Here's just a peek into their special day! Enjoy!

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A special thanks to Kailey Tennessen Photography for second shooting this gorgeous day with me. 

-Courtney 

Thanks for allowing me to document your special day. Enjoy the preview photos and I can't wait to share the rest as soon as they are edited. 

-Courtney 

Nikki and Scott, it was an honor to capture your day. Enjoy your preview. 

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Thank you Mitch & Katy for allowing me to document your day. Cheers to a lifetime of happiness! - Courtney

As most of you know photography started as a hobby and quickly transitioned into what is a thriving business. All the while I have still kept a full time job - which isn't changing. However, I did change jobs recently (I'm now the Marketing Director for Sanford Profile), but my photo business still remains.

That said, I didn't do the best job balancing my role as a mama/wife (first and foremost) with my full time job, teaching Zumba and being a photographer. I have promised my husband and boys that this year I would do better and in order to do so, I need to make a few changes. But I’m excited to see where this takes me!

In order to spend more time enjoying the family, I will be cutting down the number of sessions I take on. If you are a current client, this is where you will see the largest change in my business and here are the details:

• I will choose two weekends a month for photo sessions.

• The session times I have available will be shown on my Google Calendar.

• I will book time slots for my Milestone and Mini Milestone Baby clients first. After that I will open bookings to my current clients and if I have not filled the spots, I will then take on new clients.

• Each available time slot will read: VACANT SESSION

• Once you see the available sessions, you will email cmdphoto@hotmail.com with your top 3 date/time requests and if you would like to pay the retainer via PayPal invoice or check. (My Facebook Messaging feature has been disabled to allow all emails to come to one place.)

   o   In order to secure your spot, you will be asked to pay a non-refunable retainer of $75.00.  You can pay this via a PayPal invoice (you will incur a small convenience/processing fee) or you can mail me a check. Either option is fine, but your method of desired payment must be included in your email. (If you are part of the Milestone Package, this does not apply to your appointments after the initial retainer is paid.)

• I will fill the sessions in the order in which emails are received (after I have booked my Milestone & Mini Milestone clients). The time you are given will then read: TENTATIVE Jane Doe Session.
• Once your retainer payment is received, your booking is secure and will read: Jane Doe Session. If your payment is not received within 5 days from my email confirming your tentative time slot, your session time will become VACANT again and other clients will be booked during that time.

   o   If a session needs to be rescheduled, I must be notified 24 hours prior to the session or you will not be rescheduled. (This will be evaluated on a case by case basis and will have special circumstances - ie: weather and illness.)

   o   Once all sessions are full, your name will go on a waiting list and you will be contacted if a session is cancelled.

A few additional notes for everyone to be aware of:

• Due to a full time job, my turn around time will remain 4-5 weeks out. I do my best to turn all images around in that amount of time, but I do spend time on each and every photo to make them perfect, so I don't rush through editing. If the timeline will exceed this time frame, I will let you know before your session in case you choose to not participate. If that is the case, I will refund the retainer. (This will be the ONLY circumstance for refunding.)
• I am updating my print release policy. You will still be given all digital files, but you WILL NOT be given permission to print at big box stores like Walmart, Walgreens, Target, etc. My editing is color calibrated to professional printers and I cannot guarantee the quality once the digital files are turned over. That said, I highly recommend printing through my website or mpix.com for professional quality prints that are color accurate.
• I will continue to post Facebook images but will narrow the number of images shown to 8-10 of my favorite. All of your 18-22 digital images will be given to you in your gallery. This change will allow me to spend more time on editing vs saving files for Facebook.
• Lastly, please make sure you view my website for 2014 pricing updates.
  
  Thank you for being such amazing CMD Photography clients. I look forward to working with you in 2014!

Maggie's beautiful church was destroyed by the devastating tornado that struck Joplin in May 2011. They have not yet completed the rebuild so the couple was married is the temporary church location, but the feeling of love in the room was just beautiful. Maggie and David didn't see each other before the wedding so it was an honor to catch David's first glance as she walked down the isle.

After the wedding we headed downtown to grab some shots of the beautiful couple and of course the group shots too. The cross in the background of this image below was the only thing from Maggie's old church that was left standing after the tornado. It was a must that we stop there and take a few photos in front of this gorgeous cross.

I was just SO excited when Maggie told me she was willing to step away from the reception for 20 minutes to grab a couple sunset photos. And man, I am so glad we did.

We then finished off the evening by dancing the night away!

Thank you Mr. and Mrs. Grote. I loved being a part of your special day. Hopefully these images help you remember what a wonderful day it was!

Always,

Courtney
 

Here's a little peak at just how much she has grown!

And now to showcase her cake smash session. It was such a fun session!

But due to this wonderful thing called Facebook, Megan found my photography page and asked me to photograph her kids. (When we knew each other while pregnant, I hadn't taken up photography yet, so it was just a fluke thing that we were reconnected.) Who would've thought a waiting room friendship would result in such cute photos! :)

While Wyatt was reading his Bible before bed, I grabbed my camera to capture the moment. It was perfect reminder for me that Mike and I are doing something right. We are instilling the importance of God in our lives and Wyatt is choosing to read his Bible stories before bed rather than any other book on his bookshelf. This brought tears of joy to my eyes.