For Kirk and Darby, it was Love At First Swipe! "We met on the dating app Hinge, although Kirk’s favorite response to this question is to tell people we met on Craigslist," Darby said. They met up for their first date and talked for hours, loving every minute huddled around a heater at the restaurant and bar they enjoyed together. For the proposal, Kirk sent Darby on an Amazing Race style night out. He had a limousine with her best friend pick her up with the first clue in an envelope to the next location. Each location stop had another friend there with a clue in an envelope to the next location that was meaningful to the couple. Kirk was waiting at the last stop in downtown Dallas with their parents and 15 of their closest friends waiting for them. He popped the question, and the rest is history!
When they started wedding planning, they quickly decided that the location needed to be somewhere that all of their family and friends from Texas, Oklahoma and Missouri could drive to. They settled on the Lake of the Ozarks, a good halfway point for many of their loved ones, and chose to wed at the beautiful Margaritaville Lake Resort in Osage Beach, Missouri.
Groom Kirk got ready with his groomsmen in the main hotel area, while bride Darby got ready in her bridal suite at the lakeside villa, which doubled as their honeymoon suite. Darby had a beautiful and simple off-the-shoulder dress, and paired it with a belted cathedral length train that could be removed during the day. As a wedding photographer, I’m seeing this trend of having outfit embellishments, or even second outfits for the reception, and I am all for it!
The bride and groom opted for a First Look before their ceremony, and it was the perfect choice for this couple. There wasn’t a dry eye around! After seeing each other for the first time, they read aloud their heartfelt personal vows to one another. “Kirk and I knew we wanted to write our own vows, but we weren’t sure if we wanted to read them in front of everyone or keep them more personal. We decided to do them during our first look, which is something I do not regret – it was such a special, loving moment to do alone!” Darby said. This intimate moment will stick with me as a wedding photographer for years to come!
The pair had their outdoor wedding ceremony on the rooftop patio overlooking the lake. Surrounded by greenery, drinks, and string lights, bride and groom said their I Dos. "We couldn’t get married at the lake without being on the lake!" Darby said. "Our guests had a blast and so did we."
With the ceremony behind them, Kirk and Darby made a grand entrance into their indoor reception at Margaritaville, complete with fanfare and some cold sparklers! They wanted their wedding day to be a great party for their guests, and it did not disappoint. This group was full of personality and spunk, and they knew how to PARTY.
Darby and Kirk’s best advice for wedding planning? It’s your wedding day. "This is a tad cliché, but I wholeheartedly believe in it—make sure that you end up doing what YOU and your partner want because at the end of the day it’s your wedding! Don’t be afraid to step outside of what’s 'expected' at a wedding if that really speaks to you and your relationship! After all, your wedding should be a reflection of who you are as individuals and a couple,” Darby said.
It was such an honor to capture this sweet couple’s destination wedding day at Margaritaville Lake Resort. Cheers to their lifetime of love and wedded bliss!
Here’s what Darby had to say about KB Photos & Design: “We hired Kristen to photograph our wedding in September at Lake of the Ozarks and she did an AMAZING job!! All of the pictures are exactly the look we were going for. She was so responsive, helpful, and organized throughout the entire process. My now husband even had the crazy idea to ask a guy if we could get on his boat to take a couple of pictures while we were getting sunset photos and Kristen was on board for that (literally)! She truly helped capture such a special day for us and I cannot recommend her enough!!”
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PHOTOGRAPHY KB PHOTOS & DESIGN / VENUE & CATERING MARGARITAVILLE LAKE RESORT / PLANNING THE PARTY PROPER / VIDEOGRAPHY MATTHEW JAY FILMS/ FLORALS PINE AND PETAL WEDDINGS / DRESS BALEY'S BRIDAL / SECOND DRESS STARDUST CELEBRATIONS / BRIDESMAIDS' DRESSES MORILEE / HAIR & MAKEUP MADDI MOREHEAD - JOEL'S HAIR SALON / NAILS CLAYTON NAIL SPA / MENSWEAR EXPERT ALTERATIONS AND TUXEDO / RINGS MOODY'S JEWELRY / DJ KC EVENT COMPANY