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Wow! I am SO glad this was my first 2018 wedding! My nerves are always on overdrive for the first wedding of the year and this one definitely squashed those nerves within minutes of arriving!

Victoria and James are some of the most genuine & laid-back couples I’ve ever met. The moment I met them, I realized that this day was going to be an absolute blast and a joy to document. Their day was full of excitement, HUGE smiles, loving family members and one of the best parties ever (thanks Massetone DJs and Time Well Wasted Party Bus!) This type of wedding-day is what I wish for all of my couples. Weddings (and the months/days leading up to it) can be a whirlwind of stress and nerves, but Victoria and James were so great! The whole day was very “go with the flow” and turned out so perfectly. 

The day started off at the beautiful St. John’s Methodist in Davenport with a reception following at Stoney Creek in Moline.   

I always feature some of my favorite images on my blog from each wedding . . . but this wedding? Holy smokes! There were far too many favorites, so stay tuned for part 2 of this blog a little later!

Dress: Hope’s Bridal

Hair: Image Design

Makeup: Erica Diaz

Flowers: Shannon Lokas

Cake: Olde Town Bakery

Mens Suits: Ducky’s Formal Wear

Catering: Hy-Vee

Stay tuned for part 2 of this blog!! You do NOT want to miss the party bus and the reception!!

If there’s one element of photographing people that I love the most, it’s the candid moments.

Those moments when people are unaware that their photo is being taken and are just being . . .  real. In my mind, the candid moments are where the heart and soul of photography dwells. Candid moments aren’t always perfect, but that is what I love most about them. Many candid images come about by luck, some are from my dedicated second shooters, and some are definitely a matter of being fast on my feet with my settings. 

2017 was filled with some of the best candid images thus far. I made it a goal to work harder to capture my clients’ spirits and tell their stories. After all, wedding photography is a story and wouldn’t be complete without capturing the fun, the emotions and those random moments that say 1000 words.

Please enjoy my favorites from 2017. It was hard to pick . . . and I’m certain I probably missed some, but these are the ones that either hit me right in the feels, made me laugh or simply captured those in-between moments that are inevitable on a wedding day.

Images are in no particular order, although the very first few are definitely my favs!

Sara & RJ’s magical wedding day couldn’t have been any more perfect!! We had a little bit of rain and a little bit of fog, but for anyone who knows me, we ALWAYS take advantage of the magic mother nature gives us! 

The day started out at Preemption Methodist Church and ended at the Establishment Theatre in downtown Rock Island. Please enjoy Sara and RJ’s Quad Cities Wedding Story!

Beautiful flowers by: Mary at Forest of Flowers

To book your Quad Cities Wedding Photographer click here!

If there was one great way to kick off the spring season, it was with this engagement shoot featuring Kayla & Shaun! The Bettendorf Fire House set the scene for this unique engagement session. 

Kayla and I have been speaking via e-mail since the QC Bridal Fair and had been talking about ideas and outfits for this shoot for awhile. Needless to say, these two nailed this session! Kayla totally rocked her cute navy blue dress, even though it was just a little bit cold!! Shaun also looked awesome of course, I mean seriously, who can beat a dude in uniform?

The couple also made sure their furry friend came along, which as you all know, I’m a total sucker for dogs! Much thanks goes out to Kayla’s sister who helped “dog sit” during our shoot! 

Please enjoy this great session! Kayla & Shaun will be tying the knot this fall & I’m incredibly excited to see what magical images we capture!

After being in the wedding industry for a few years now, I have seen it all (well, maybe). 

Part of the reason my clients recommend me, is that I’m not *just* your photographer. I have been through dozens of Quad Cities weddings and can quickly offer advice on timelines, vendors and many other aspects of your day. I also don’t just deliver your images and say “see ya.” 

Recently, one of my brides asked me: “Kelly, what is your best advice for my wedding day? I don’t want to screw this up.”

My immediate answer is:

1. Have a solid timeline
2. Hire professionals ONLY . . . (even if this means spending more)
3. Remember, you can’t do this over. You don’t want to have regrets. TRUST ME!

Unless you are working with a planner, my top priority as your wedding photographer is to be sure your timeline is solid. It may seem that the most obvious reason for this is to be sure I have enough time to capture the epic photos you see in my portfolio . . . however . . . YOUR wedding isn’t just about ME. 

For most couples, their weddings have been in the works for many months or even years. It’s a big deal and being prepared is vital for your sanity. On a wedding day, the most stressful moments happen because of a badly planned timeline or poor vendor choices. This is almost always the case when things go wrong and a bride or groom (or momma) starts freaking out. Unless you’ve been married before, you don’t know how to budget your time, or know what “most people” are doing.

Perfect example: One of the first weddings I shot, a bride severely underestimated the time needed for one hair and makeup artist to work on seven bridesmaids. (The hair/makeup artist was also inexperienced and did good work, but did not do well under pressure). Needless to say, the timeline ran really behind and everyone was legit freaking out.

Another time, a bride chose a very inexperienced videographer. Not only was he rude, but he slowed down the timeline in a huge way. His inexperience and lack of “people skills” left many people in the bridal party stressed and annoyed. That is definitely not the experience anyone wants to have on their wedding day.

That saying “you get what you pay for” isn’t always just about the quality. You are also paying for the experience and a professional who knows how to deal with the challenges and time constraints of a wedding day. As a photographer, I know I must be able to work quickly. This is true for your other vendors as well. Remember that you aren’t just paying for a service, you are paying someone who you get along with, who cares about you, and is experienced in the wedding industry. 

After learning quickly about the wedding industry, the timeline is now something I cover with my brides . . . and you know what? I almost ALWAYS find mistakes in the initial timeline. There are so many little tidbits of time people can’t account for, because, well, they just don’t know!

I can’t tell you how many times I’ve suggested to a bride that she move her wedding ceremony to an earlier time, or start the reception a bit later. You would be amazed at how an extra 30mins here, or an extra hour there can make a WORLD of difference in how your wedding flows. At the end of the day, YOU are in charge. I can only suggest what works, what doesn’t usually work, and how to be as stress-free as possible. 

My other piece of advice? Only hire professionals for all of your vendors. Any professional who has been in business for awhile will know the wedding drill and you shouldn’t have to worry about them messing with your timeline. It may seem tempting when you run across a vendor with “too good to be true” rates, but remember, you may not be hiring a professional or someone who deals with weddings. Nowadays, all someone needs is a Facebook page and they have an insta-business. Cheap rates are a dead giveaway that they probably aren’t paying taxes, probably aren’t licensed, and definitely not insured with liability. That’s scary.

In conclusion, I take my weddings very seriously and treat my wedding couples how I would want to be treated. Plus, I firmly believe that the better working relationship we have, the better your day and photos will be. 

After all of your planning, you 100% deserve the best. It’s time to have fun! Let’s get you on my calendar.

Cadenza Photo Imaging – Quad Cities Wedding Photographer –

A little while back, Terry and Mike tied the knot! They had a very small gathering with family and friends at Mary’s on 2nd. Please enjoy their awesome little weekday wedding!

Seattle Vacation – Quad Cities Wedding Photographer – Cadenza Photo Imaging

This past summer my family and I vacationed in the beautiful Pacific Northwest. My husband’s sister and her husband live on the beautiful Bainbridge Island and they are always the best hosts!

June 3rd, 2016 – Quad Cities Wedding – Cadenza Photo Imaging – Quad Cities Wedding Photographer

Lori and David had such an amazing wedding day!

Their ceremony was held at St. Mark’s and their reception was held at the Freight House, both in Davenport, IA.

Other vendors were:

Wedding dress – A Story Book Ending, DeWitt, IA 

Men’s Suits – Men’s Wearhouse, Davenport, IA

Flowers – SAMs Club

Cake & Cupcakes – Banana’s Bakeshop, East Moline, IL

The day began at St. Mark’s Lutheran Church, where the wedding party dressed for the big day. It was beautiful and sunny, and thankfully, not too hot! 😉

St. Mark’s is such a beautiful church, and you know me, you know that I’m a sucker for amazing churches.

Every detail was perfect and Lori’s dress was stunning! I have heard so much amazing feedback about “A Storybook Ending” in DeWitt, IA. It truly sounds like the place to go if you want awesome service and a beautiful selection of dresses!

As always, I’m a sucker for moody black & white images.

The wedding colors were especially beautiful and were captured perfectly in the bouquet! And isn’t Lori’s ring beautiful?

Lori and David’s “first look” was nothing short of magical! Such a special moment in such a gorgeous church!

With David being a pastor, I really wanted to capture their love and the church in a unique way. I sure do love how these turned out! Of course, it helps when you have two super photogenic people!

Flats for the bride seem to be the way to go this season!

I just loved all the stained glass in this church! 🙂

Before the ceremony, Lori and David have a sweet moment at the bottom of the stairs. . .

Lori had her son walk her down the aisle, which totally almost made me bawl! Such a great moment!

The ceremony was perfect and the church was filled with all of Lori and David’s family and friends!

Now, on to the reception at the top of the Freight House!

Congrats Lori & David! Thank you so much for trusting me with your special day!

Quad Cities Wedding Photographer –

A few weeks ago, I had the awesome opportunity to work with Lori & David. This Quad Cities Wedding will be on June 3rd! I am really looking forward to this wedding, as these two are so incredibly photogenic! Can’t you just feel the love here?!!

Lori and David also included their children for this session!

While moving locations, I caught this amazing moment between Lori and her son! I absolutely love this image!!!

Needless to say, I’m very excited for this wedding!! Epic images will be happening, so stay tuned!!