Winter Wonderland at Missouri State Park | Romantic Engagement Session | KB Photos & Design

Have I got some intimate, swoon worthy photos for everyone today! Missouri winters can often transform wooded forests into breathtaking winter wonderlands. What a perfect chance to walk on fresh snow, snuggled up close with your significant other, for a romantic engagement session. Feeling cold? Wrap your arms a little tighter around each other, or grab a blanket and cuddle under it for some cozy moments captured.

After finding a beautiful grove of evergreen trees while out on a family hike at our local Missouri State Park, I asked my good friends Brad and Rachel (@BradandRach) to get in front of my camera and model for a romantic, dreamy engagement photoshoot in the snowy forest. They were the best!

I hope this photoshoot inspires engaged couples to brave the elements of nature (hot, cold, or wet), seek out adventurous destinations with jaw-dropping backdrops, and enjoy some time together in the great outdoors. Special thanks to WeddingDay for featuring these gorgeous photos on their blog today! Scroll to the end of this post for a special Behind-the-Scenes shot and anecdote about dodging ice bombs…

Capturing Your Storybook Moments - Kristen with KB Photos & Design

A LOOK BEHIND THE SCENES

There were plenty of obstacles to overcome during this photoshoot, but the hardest one was that we kept getting dumped on with melting snow! We were hit with a 2-day ice storm, which brought beautiful clean white snow, but by the time we starting shooting it was already warming up and the trees were shaking off the ice. We were dodging ice bombs left and right, running under the trees hoping not to get hit. We said to each other: “It’s like a game of Mario Kart!” Because of the melting snow, the ground was also quite muddy and wet. The model bride hid snow boots under her dress, and the model groom wore plastic grocery bags over his dress shoes while walking between locations. Through the pelting snow, muddy ground and wet clothes, these model friends of mine were troopers and showed real perseverance!

Jeremy + Ashley | Missouri Fall Wedding at Old Kinderhook Golf Resort | KB Photos & Design

Ashley and Jeremy - what a lovely couple. If you want to see authentic, generous, true love in action, look no further than these two! They planned their wedding and celebration at the picturesque Old Kinderhook Golf Course in Camdenton, Missouri. An avid golfer, we all laughed when we found out that Jeremy had snuck in a round of golf the morning of his wedding before rushing upstairs to get ready!

Highlights of the wedding day included blue skies and gorgeous fall leaves, their daughter Audrey walking down the aisle, an epic First Kiss, driving my bride and groom around the course on a golf cart (read: water hazards everywhere!), and family and friends coming from all over the Midwest to see them tie the knot. It was one for the books. Congratulations Ashley and Jeremy on your beautiful wedding and happily ever after!

Senior Isabel | High School Senior Photography Session | KB Photos & Design

Isabel is such a bright, lovely girl! She was referred to me by a mutual friend and told me she wanted a laid back, romantic and modest senior session that captured her passion for playing her violin.

For Isabel’s session, we traveled to the state park for some beautiful fall colors. The lighting was just dreamy as we moved around the park, watching the sun pour through the trees as it lit up her ginger hair. She was up for anything - climbing rocks, hiking through tall grasses and even wading into the water - all the while with a bright smile and a bubbly personality to boot. What FUN we had taking her senior photos!

Congratulations Isabel!

P.S. - Isabel’s mom Audrey wrote the sweetest review. Here’s what she had to say:

“Our daughter had her senior photos taken this fall by Kristen. From start to finish, the whole process was very simple and she was easy to work with. I was pleasantly surprised that the process started with a questionnaire so Kristen could get to know my daughter and her expectations/hopes for the shoot beforehand. Her contract and package options were very clear and thorough. At the shoot itself, Kristen was kind, professional and genuine. She was fair, if not generous with her time. Every timeline she gave was met and we are thrilled with the finished product. Thank you Kristen, for capturing our daughter's beauty, personality, and special season of life!” -Audrey, Isabel’s mom

Senior Payton | High School Senior Photography | KB Photos & Design

Rockstar model alert! Senior photoshoots are just so much fun, and they are made infinitely better by fun and joyful seniors up for anything! Payton had really wanted to capture some photos in the sunflowers - and unfortunately the timing and the flowers themselves did not work out. So instead we opted for the next best thing - senior photos by the lake. We started under some greenery at a nearby tourist destination, and then followed that with an over-the-lake photo spot and a next-to-the-water photo spot. As a dancer, she was naturally graceful in her moves and posing, and we were able to make quick work of a lot of locations in one night. I love all the variety we got with her photos. Also, so many props to Payton for wading into cold lake water to get the shot at the very end. You rock girl.

Congratulations Payton, soon to be graduate! 🎓