Salt Lake City & Park City, Utah Wedding Photographer-Melissa Kelsey

Jacki & Garrett’s Air Force Base Engagement Photos

melissakelseyphotography — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 20:00:06 +0000

Jacki is a tax lobbyist. Garrett flies F-16s for the U.S. Air Force. Quite the couple, eh? Jacki had the idea of doing engagement photos with Garrett’s jet. Yes, it even has his name on the side. Oh, and the best part it—he got to name his jet. What’s the name, you ask? The “Angry Jacki”, of course. Jacki is a smart, independent, vibrant woman (the best kind), who goes after what she wants. Hence, the name. In fact, she went after what she wanted when she saw Garrett…at a bar…in Korea. Garrett was stationed there and Jacki had moved to Korea, looking for an exciting adventure. She went right up to him and said, “I’ll be over there, when you’re ready to come talk”. I was listening during the toasts, guys! How could I forget such a great story?

So, with a little nod to the past, Jacki put on a red dress and heels and Garrett wore his flight suit. It had just rained, so the runway was wet and the sky was filled with perfect, gray clouds and the dramatic mountains in the background. After our jet session, we drove around Hill Air Force Base and found beautiful fields to run around in. The sun came out and began to go down, which made for the best photographer weather you can ask for—rich, blue skies, puffy clouds, and golden light. Just beautiful.

I got a special treat at the end of the jet portion of our session, so be sure to scroll to the end to see.

These last pictures are of me geeking out about being in the F-16 jet. Jacki took photos of me with my phone. Thanks, Jacki! That’s Garrett, telling me about the “Top Gun” button. There are actually buttons that say “dog fight”, that you push when you want to shoot at another plane at close range. Oh, and there’s really an “eject” button, just like the cartoons. Sweet.

Shane & Kathryn’s Park City Ski Resort Wedding Reception

melissakelseyphotography — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 00:10:33 +0000

After Shane & Kathryn’s wedding ceremony at St. Mary’s Catholic Church, we headed up to Park City’s historic Main Street. The color, texture, and personality of Main Street, make it a great place for portraits. Kathryn and I originally planned photos on a ski lift, but the weather derailed those plans. No problem, though. Kathryn was a go-with-the-flow bride and stopped for a little refreshment with her new husband and bridal party, at a local brew pub instead.

Then, it was off to the reception at Park City Ski Resort, where there was glowing candle light, an assortment of cream colored flowers and natural wood accents (created by Kathryn, herself). Instead of a traditional wedding cake, Kathryn and Shane had a croquembouche, a traditional French wedding cake, made up of a tower of cream-filled, caramel-dipped cream puffs. Kathryn’s parents also had one at their wedding. Turns out, it’s good luck to kiss over the croquembouche at your wedding, as long as you don’t knock it over. The croquembouche stayed well intact that night.

The remainder of the night was filled with hilarious toasts and lively dancing. I always feel honored to be privy to such a personal event as a wedding. The toasts make me laugh and I learn a little more about the couples I am photographing, through the words of a couples’ friends and families. I feel a little like I’m a part of their lives for one night, connected to them, even if I won’t see them again. It sure is nice.

Congratulations to Kathryn and Shane, a really lovely couple.

Shane & Kathryn’s Park City Destination Wedding

melissakelseyphotography — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 03:28:48 +0000

Kathryn and Shane live in Louisiana, where Shane does his dental residency. Kathryn is a practicing dentist there. I’ve debated about making a joke about what great teeth they both have, but I’m sure they’ve heard that before. Besides being dentists, they are a warm and friendly couple with wonderful friends and family.

Kathryn lived in Utah at one time and has loved returning with her family, over the years, to ski in Park City. With friends and family spread throughout the U.S., they decided Park City would be a lovely destination for their wedding, where their everyone could enjoy the skiing and outdoor experience Park City has to offer.

Kathryn and Shane had a beautiful wedding ceremony at St. Mary’s Catholic Church, filled with all the good things that happen at weddings—hugs, laughter, togetherness, happy tears, and a kiss to seal the deal. One of my favorite parts of a Catholic wedding ceremony is the part where everyone “greets” each other. They shake hands, hug, and say “hi”. What a nice way to include everyone who has come to see the bride and groom be married.

Here, I’ve included a few portraits and the wedding ceremony. Stay tuned for a future post highlighting portraits on historic Main Street in Park City, as well as Kathryn and Shane’s wedding reception at Park City Ski Resort.

Kortney & Dallin | Engagement Photos in Salt Lake City

melissakelseyphotography — Sat, 14 Jan 2012 14:00:49 +0000

Kortney and Dallin live in Utah, but were married in California. Before they went off and got hitched, they asked me to photograph their engagement portraits. This is one flirty, good looking couple, which made my job fun. Wait…it’s always fun, but this was extra fun.

Sam & Brandon | Wedding at the The Gateway Grand Hall

melissakelseyphotography — Fri, 13 Jan 2012 19:24:39 +0000

Sam and Brandon are one of those couples whose love you can see right away. You can see the fun between them. You can see it in the way they look at each other and treat each other. You may remember their engagement session that I posted here, or that they were the winners of The Gateway Ultimate Wedding Giveaway. There is not a couple more deserving or appreciative of what they received when they won. They love their families and spend a lot of time with them and I got to see that special connection with their families, on their wedding day. Here’s to Sam and Brandon!

Here are the other nice vendors who participated in the giveaway:

Grand Hall at The Gateway (Wedding venue) http://shopthegateway.com/news-a-events/news-events/item/231-weddings-in-the-grand-hall

Gateway Bridal and Prom (Wedding gown) http://www.gatewaybridal.com/

Tresor Jewelers (Groom’s ring) http://www.tresorjewelers.com/

Morgan Jewelers (Bride’s ring) http://www.morganjewelers.com/home/

Sanctuary Day Spa (Bride’s hair) http://sanctuarygateway.com/

Willow and Wildflowers (Floral package) http://willowandwildflowers.com/

High Rise Audio (DJ) http://www.highriseaudio.com/

Le Croissant Catering (Reception menu) http://www.lecroissantcatering.com/home.html

Ben & Jerry’s (Ice Cream Bar) http://www.benjerry.com/gateway/

Back to Blogging

melissakelseyphotography — Fri, 13 Jan 2012 00:14:24 +0000

I’ve been away from my blog for a while. Why? Well, wedding season tends to put me in a busy tizzy, where I spend most of my time photographing and editing weddings, designing wedding albums, and corresponding with clients. There is another big reason my blog took a back seat…a baby! For the last year, I’ve been figuring out this mom thing. Next week, the little apple of my eye will be one year old. Wow.

Naturally, there are less weddings in the winter, so I’m going to concentrate my efforts on marketing and you guessed it…blogging. I’ll be blogging everything from the last year (and maybe even from the year before), so get ready to see what I’ve been shooting!

You can’t make a post on a photo blog without a photo, so here’s one of my little family from Leisha Kelsey, my sister in-law. We swapped family photo sessions this year and I’m happy about that.

Starting tomorrow, be looking for new blog posts! Oh, and did you notice? I’ve freshened up the look of my blog for the new year.

Yay, me!

Quick Post | Hats at Weddings

melissakelseyphotography — Mon, 22 Aug 2011 20:51:34 +0000

I just love ‘em. Wear a hat to a wedding and I’ll definitely get a photo of you.

Featured! Design Aglow Inspire Me Cards: A Creative Posing Guide for Brides

melissakelseyphotography — Thu, 14 Jul 2011 17:56:52 +0000

I was delighted to find an email from Design Aglow in my inbox yesterday morning. A few months ago, I submitted some of my bridal portraits to be considered for Design Aglow’s Creative Posing Guide for Brides. They chose five of my images for the guide!

Design Aglow is a great resource of beautifully designed templates, marketing ideas, graphic embellishments and more, for professional photographers.

I am honored to be in the company of talented photographers like Jose Villa and Utah’s own Rebekah Westover, among others.

From Design Aglow:

With this timely collection of 82 bridal images, featuring some of the most amazing photographic talent in the industry today, you’ll be all smiles both before and after your bride sashays down the aisle. Whether you’re looking for the sassy retro stylings of eras gone by, high fashion flair, or want to address the dress, you’ll never be at a loss for ways to frame your subject fabulously and create works of art clients will treasure for years to come. Simply print these gorgeous mini portraits for on-the-go greatness and create your own rousing reception.

My lovely brides that appear in the guide:

Brides, from left to right, clockwise: Sam, Megan, Megan, Marlee, Brittany

Featuring stunning imagery from Jose Villa Photography, Rebekah Westover Photography, Tanja Lippert Photography, Paul Johnson Photography, Simply Bloom Photography, StoryMotion Studios, Brenda Carpenter Photography, Brooke Rainey Photos, Chelsea Nicole Photography, Red Corduroy Media Group Photography, Dana Widman Photography, Daniel Usenko Photography, Moxie Photography, Freckles Photography, Frances Morency Photography, Kiwi Street Studios, Heather Mann Photography, James Currie Photography, Two Rings Photography, Vivian’s Muse, Kathleen Frank Photography, Kim Kalyn Photography, Blonde Cow Photography, Studio 563 Austin, Maggie J Photography, Squaresville Studios, Meagan Summers Photography, Murphy Photography, Melissa Kelsey Photography, Melissa McCrotty Photography, Continuum Photography, Surprise Photography, Bliss Photography, Picsee Studio, Opdahl Photography, Richard Ellis Photography, Sarah Bray Photography, Simone C Photography & Terra Bailey Photography.

PRODUCT DETAILS:
• A beautiful collection of 82 bridal images to use as inspiration for photo sessions
• Each card has a theme to use as-is or to inspire a series of photos
• Print out as 3.5 x 5 photos, punch a hole in the corner and keep collection on a key ring for at-your-fingertips ideas on location
• Stunning backgrounds make each card a tiny work of art.
• Delivered in .jpg format for easy printing; or, if you wish, store the collection on your hard drive or iPhone.

Click here to check it out in the shop!

Azy and Tommy | Intimate Wedding with Persian Touches | Cucina Toscana Reception

melissakelseyphotography — Wed, 13 Jul 2011 21:19:49 +0000

I’ve known Azy for 6 years or so. She is a special person, who is full of life and attracts people to her. I met Tommy the day of their wedding . I can tell, he’s pretty great, too. And…their dog, Maggie? What a cutie.

From Azy’s short and chic Calvin Klein dress to the bluebird skies and blossoming trees, and sparkling reception at Cucina Toscana (yum), their day was just perfect.

The wedding ceremony was an intimate affair at Tommy’s parents’ gorgeous contemporary home in the Avenues area of Salt Lake City. Azy is originally from Iran, so the couple incorporated some Persian wedding traditions into their ceremony. As a wedding photographer, it’s always a treat to experience and learn about wedding traditions from around the world.

A lovely cocktail hour of mingling and champagne, commenced after the ceremony. I will admit, I had a little bit of a shoe and glass “problem” that day. Everyone wore great shoes, which I couldn’t stop photographing. You can tell a lot about a person by the shoes they wear. The light filtering through glasses was so beautiful to me, I couldn’t stop taking pictures of those either.

The party was moved to Cucina Toscana, one of Salt Lake City’s most delicious restaurants, for an elegant dinner. The ambiance was perfect–natural light from the old windows mingled with candle light. White table cloths, china and silver, place cards done in hand-calligraphy, and parrot tulips graced the tables.

Azy and Tommy, I’m so happy for you. You look beautiful together and I can see how happy you make each other. I look forward to hanging out with you more, and seeing what the future holds for you!

Getting-ready…

Tommy’s mom, channeling Audrey Hepburn…

Tommy and Azy chose to do a First Look so they could do their portraits before the ceremony and be free to enjoy their cocktail hour with their guests. In the First Look, a couple sees each other before the ceremony, but it’s still a special surprise. I feel that it allows you to really enjoy your ceremony more, since the initial nerves are out of the way.

I couldn’t have asked for a better location for portraits…

I think Tommy may love Maggie, the dog, almost as much as he loves Azy!

Azy’s cocktail wedding dress was so chic and stylish…

]

The traditional Persian wedding spread, the Sofreh Aghd. The mirror on the mantel serves “to bring light & brightness into the future”. The pomegranates are “for a joyous future, the fruits of heaven”. The flat bread reads, “Congratulations”.

The couple’s closest friends and family attended the ceremony and reception…

Tears…

…and laughter made for an emotional ceremony

Honey to ensure sweetness in life…

A beautiful moment between Azy and her father, and congratulatory hugs from her mom…

The customized M & Ms sported Maggie’s (the dog) cute face…

I’ve been shot! Har, har, har…

Everyone who attended the ceremony…

The rainy weather broke for this beautiful wedding day, and trees donned their first blossoms…

Reception time at Cucina Toscana…

Dreamy…

I loved the calligraphy on the place cards–hand done…

Andrea and Trevor | Salt Lake City Engagement Photography

melissakelseyphotography — Thu, 02 Jun 2011 00:48:53 +0000

She’s sexy, he’s cute…and they love each other. Trevor and Andrea are getting married in Mexico. Can you believe they’re not taking me with them?!? Sheesh. Just kidding, guys. You were so much fun to be with during your engagement session around downtown Salt Lake City, I can’t be mad atchya’. I hope you have an beautiful time in Mexico with your friends and family.