Real Weddings – KiKi Creates Blog

{Claire&Mo | Wedding at The White Room | KiKi…

June 7, 2018March 28, 2019

Oh Claire and Mo. How I feel so special to be able to call you friends. I met Mo almost 7 years ago at the local watering hole, Mellow Mushroom. He is apart of my great group of friends in Jax. They are not only great because they are just so fun, but that group of a dozen plus people believed in me and my career, even despite some of the weird or novice ideas I may have had at the beginning of starting my company. 🙂 Mo was also one of the first people I went offshore fishing with, which still remains one of my favorite things to do. Needless to say, they have a very special place in my heart.
A few years ago, Claire Bear came into the group with her beautiful red hair and infectious smile. Claire is not just a beautiful woman, she is one bad ass boss. She started her company in her early twenties and already has an amazing store front, another stylist and countless clients that love her talents and personality. I am so impressed by her drive at such a young age and her ability to remain so carefree along the way. So to add that to the already fun loving and kind Mo, was pretty much perfect. When they got engaged it made our whole group so happy to see two close friends start their life together.
Ya know, I could go on and on about their day and them. But I will say one thing that I really loved and let the photos say the rest. While Claire was twirling around in her wedding gown on the dance floor, with literally the biggest smile I have ever seen on her face, I went up to Mo to ask him how he was doing. Mo, putting work on his cocktail and not some much on the dance floor was looking at Claire, also with a big smile. He responded to me and said, “I am doing great! As long as she is the happiest she can be, I am.” And that’s just the kind of guy Mo is. I can’t say I have ever heard him complain or talk about himself much. He just always seems to be the one that’s happy if everyone else is. A completely selfless guy. So, congrats you two! On not only getting married, but being genuinely kind and amazing friends to me. Enjoy the blog and check out a couple things Claire had to say about the day below..
“I had dreamt of the day I would get engaged to Mo, but once it happened I was overwhelmed with the idea of wedding planning. Fortunately, my mom knew exactly where to start. Her and I worked together to create my dream wedding and the best day of my life! My favorite memory of the day was getting to ride the trolley as a new married couple, just the two of us, to the reception. It was the only moment we had to ourselves in the midst of the crazy, wonderful day.”
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Venue: Mission Nombre de Dios, St. Augustine

Reception: The White Room

Dress: The White Magnolia

Designer: Wtoo by Watters

Makeup: Gypsy at Studio Bride

Hair: Rachel Barnes at Mantra Hair Salon

Florist: Flower Works – David

Cake: Sweet Weddings

DJ: Billy Parry BPM Weddings

Caterer: The White Room

Officiant: Father William Kelly

{Lee&Jean | Elopement at One Ocean | KiKi Creates…

April 6, 2018

Lee and Jean met me at sunrise on a Friday. It was a completely cloudless, windless, gorgeous day. With us were their parents and the officiant. It happened to be a quiet morning in Neptune Beach where we shared the dock with a single seagull and that is about it.
Directly after the Ceremony Jean’s Mother embraced them both in the biggest hug. It was a sweet moment as they were essentially getting hugged by 25% of their wedding guests. Which I always thought was sweet. Sharing a moment so important and lasting in their memory. The sun hit the horizon and we spent a quiet and happy morning by the sea before a beach front brunch. And although we only spent a little over an hour together, I feel I got to get to know and share more with Lee and Jean than you would think. Thanks for smiling the whole time and making an early morning feel not so early. 🙂
Check out their sweet elopement below. Enjoy!
KiKi
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{Krissi & Ben | Wedding at Upper Schmid Ranch…

January 25, 2018

My favorite season is Colorado is in September when fall is slowly changing to winter. The aspens are super yellow and lively and the mountain tops are covered in snow. It’s the perfect contrast of light and dark and is a gorgeous time of year.
So you can only imagine my eyes when I pulled up for Krissi and Bens gorgeous wedding at Upper Schmid Ranch. It’s the perfect vibe of rustic beautiful woods and absolutely stunning Mountain View’s. And Krissi and Ben knew how to make it even that much better. A mobile bar, karaoke, multiple doggie guest, Polaroid photo booth, and a cupcake station.
It was certainly a day to remember and a wedding I absolutely loved being apart of.
Enjoy!
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{Catherine & Ryan | Day Before Session at Sylvan…

November 22, 2017

It may have rained the entire next day on their wedding, but we sure did get a gorgeous day before session. Check out Catherine and Ryan romping around South Dakota on their last single day before they said I do!
Enjoy!
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{Wes & Franny's Wedding at Woods Walk | KiKi…

November 17, 2017

It’s suppose to snow all day in Crested Butte (fingers crossed) today. So I thought, why not post this winter wonderland wedding! Easily the most magical, snowy, stunning wedding I have had the chance to be apart of.
I woke up the morning of to -4 degrees. Coldest wedding I’ve ever photographed. While the girls were drinking champagne and getting ready, the guys took a couple hot laps on the mountain. I really couldn’t imagine anything more perfect to start your wedding day with.
We did a first look as it dumped snow on us and Franny and Wes’ adorable pup, Mr.Finn, joined dressed in bow tie and all. As they saw each other for the first time, Wes popped a bottle of champagne and they sipped straight from the bottle as we stood in the secluded woods while it snowed. It really was such a happy and beautiful moment.
They gave their guests the option to not attend the ceremony, since it was snowing outside and in 20 degree weather. Everyone still showed up, wrapped in jackets and sharing blankets they watched the two red nosed lovers say I do and kiss with Mount CB as their backdrop. Again, such a happy and beautiful moment.
We photographed everything outside, family photos, bridal party, everything. And not one person complained about the cold, even the girls that had sleeveless dresses were up for it! Such an amazing group of people to photograph and share memories with. The reception took place in a warm and cozy restaurant in town. With a fire in the background and whiskey and champagne flowing all night, we danced, took Polaroids, laughed at speeches, and ate some amazing elk! It was a super classy and beautiful day. But I’ll stop talking and let you just check it out yourself 🙂
Enjoy!
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Thank you to the awesome vendors below that helped make this day possible!

Day of coordinator: crested butte events

https://www.crestedbutteevents.com/about-us-1/

Floral: from the ground up

http://www.fromthegroundupfloral.com/

Ceremony site: woods walk

https://travelcrestedbutte.com/crested-butte-hikes-woods-walk/

Reception venue: elk avenue prime

http://www.elkaveprime.com/

Dress: Christos

http://christosbridal.com/

Bolero: Maria Artega Studios (Milwaukee)

http://mariaarteagastudio.com/

Hair: Kim Jundt of Kim J Beauty

http://kimjbeauty.com/

Makeup: Leilani Drum

https://www.leilanidrum.com/

DJ: DJ Justin Howard

https://www.facebook.com/HighMountainDJs/

Rentals: Settings (Salida, Colorado)

http://www.settingseventrental.com/

SLO motion booth: sweet tea studios

http://sweet-tea-studios.com/

Invitations: xowyo paper + press

http://www.xowyo.com/

transportation: Alpine Express

http://alpineexpressshuttle.com/aexwp/

{Rachel & Kevin Wedding at The Ribault Club |…

October 20, 2017

Rachel & Kevin are one of those couples you can sit down to have a beer with and end up having 6. Their easy going, fun, incredibly genuine, always have a smile on and are ultimately exactly why I began photographing weddings.
I think it is pretty incredible that I can meet someone for the first time on a day that is probably one of the most personal and emotional days of their lives and become friends with them immediately.
Rachel & Kevin did it up right for their wedding. They got ready at the beach, at homes across the street from each other. With a lace dress and a blue suit they had a first look by the river at one of my favorite wedding locations, the Ribault Club. They were married under a giant oak tree by a family friend and had confetti thrown as they were introduced for the first time as husband and wife. Their 26 person bridal party was the largest I have ever photographed and is only a testimony to how amazing and loved the two of them are.
At their reception, with flowers in her hair, Rachel was twirled by Kevin as he smiled at her non stop (my favorite moment). The sunset was perfect without a cloud in the sky. At the end of the night a cigar rolling station started and their entire bridal party put on a choreographed dance for them. It was a really magical and fun day and I am excited to see where Rachel and Kevin take their next journey to! They are absolutely wonderful and I can only expect absolutely wonderful things from them!
PS. Rachel & Kevin, I will come to California and we will get that Beer (or 6) together. 🙂
Enjoy!
KiKi
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Photo Booth: KiKi Creates Photo Booth (www.KiKiCreates.com)

Caterers: D’Vine Cuisine (http://www.d-vinecuisine.com/)

Band: Bread and Butter (http://www.breadandbutterband.com/)

Cake: Sugar Flour Pastries (http://www.sugarflourpastries.com)

Cigars: Julio Cordero (http://www.jccubanroller.com/default.html)

Wedding Planning: Mugwump Productions (https://www.mugwumpproductions.com/), specifically with the help of Molly Waugh and Jennifer Trent

Wedding Décor: Mugwump Productions

Flowers: Sheri Kostick with Isobel Rose Flowers

{Braeden & Ryan Wedding at The Wedding Garden |…

September 22, 2017

An absolutely beautiful place for two incredibly beautiful people. This wedding will always have an important place in my heart because it is the first wedding I photographed after moving to Colorado full time. And I feel so lucky to have spent it with Braeden and Ryan.
You would think a wedding on a Monday would be pretty mellow, not with this crowd! On a sunny summer day in CB Braeden and Ryan got ready on the river with close friends. We had a mini exploration of Almont where we joked around and broke out in small dance moves :). They were married in a painting, with their sweet dogs by their side and an emotional family watching, they said I do with a backdrop of snow capped mountains and bright green summer foliage all around. After their tearful and beautiful vows we frolicked in the valley for a few photos and entered their reception in full dance with the bridal party. The laughter and happy tears made for such an emotionally gorgeous wedding.
It was honestly one of the best Mondays! Check out all the love below! Enjoy!
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{Megan & Myles Wedding at White Fence Farm| KiKi…

August 21, 2017

Megan and Myles are one of those couple that you instantly meet and want to be friends with. Megan has a beautiful smile that seems to never go away, which I was totally fine with. And she’s a red head, so come on, winning. And Myles is a genuine, talented and loving husband to her. I never once had to ask them to smile or kiss. They were so giddy and happy together that it really made my job so easy. I think I caught about a 1,000 moments where one of them is looking off and the other is looking lovingly at them. I know it sounds cheesy, but it is super wonderful to see. Beyond their sweetness, Megan’s Grandma is my new best friend. 🙂 She hugged me a half a dozen times and thanked me for being there at various parts of the day. It may sound like a small gesture, but it really made me feel at home and so comfortable with such wonderful people.
It was also one of the most whimsical and unique weddings I have had the chance to photograph. Myles wore a top hat and held his Grandfathers pocket watch. And let me say he looked like a young , debonair Abraham Lincoln! Megan held loose flowers in her boutique as they were married under a dramatic circus like tent. Then cut their cake topped with T-rex figurines under a wooden barn big enough to fit everyone they love. After their emotional first dances, the band turned down the lights and everyone partied in the Tennessee Mountains. It was a great day!
Enjoy, KiKi
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A Look Back on a Lifestyle & Wedding Photographers…

January 10, 2017March 28, 2019

Every year, when I get together all of my favorite photographs, I am amazed at the things I get to see and learn with each couple and image I make. The intimate moments that include some of their closest family and friends. The cultural interpretations of how each person shows their love and gratitude towards each other. And the moments that will be looked back on with people that are not even in this world yet, but still so much apart of the story.
Photography has the power to create and bring memories to life for other to cherish, even if not there. So to have over 45 weddings, 35 portraits, and 68 photo booth’s booked in 2016 all with little ‘ol KiKi, makes me feel very special and very grateful to all of the wonderful people who trusted me to capture these moments.
8 out of 10 months were on the road from The Keys, Georgia, North Eleuthera, Bahamas, Colorado, Washington, South Dakota, Tennessee, Rhode Island, Maryland, Virginia, Maine, North Carolina, and of course Sunny Florida. I am just blown away sometimes at how magical each year is. And am super excited for all the new things happening in 2017.
Enjoy! 972987957_04ca86414c53281e
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{Kelley & Colin’s Wedding at One Ocean Resort |…

November 8, 2016

Many people prefer to meet their wedding photographers before the wedding. But sometimes it just does not happen. And that does not mean anything because you can still get along wonderfully with someone seconds after you meet them for the first time. And that is exactly what happened with Kelley, Colin and I.
They both live in Bangladesh and flew over to Florida where, their friends and family live, to tie the knot. The entire day was nothing short of magical. So much laughing and excitement from everyone. It was such an invigorating environment to work in.
I pulled up to Kelley’s parents house and I was greeted by her Dad cutting the lawn. I thought I was at the wrong house, but he quickly greeted me with a smile and a “come on in”. The girls were drinking champagne and giggling while getting their makeup done. The house was filled with bright window light and little Florida details scattered about. After the ceremony a beautiful Rolls Royce picked Kelley and Colin up and we went to a Preserve I have been wanting to photograph a wedding at for a while! Dutton Island was a perfect place to pop more champagne, throw confetti, and do a couple heel clicks (you’ll see below). The reception began with a song written by the best man for the bride and groom to dance to as their first dance. There were little details that incorporated their dog (who couldn’t make the long trek) and loved ones around the reception among the candle lit golden details.
As if the night was not perfect enough, right before we went to photograph the two of them underneath the full moon light, the best man grabbed his guitar, got the entire wedding in a circle and had one last acoustic dance for the two of them in the middle of all the ones the love. Holy Cow! What a wedding! I’ll stop blabbering on so you can see it for yourself!
Enjoy!
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