On his way home from his LDS mission in England, Jordan said to himself, “Well, it looks like I won’t marry a girl from England” on account of the fact that he hadn’t met anyone for whom he’d go back and get to know. Well, never say never. Natasha is from England and just last month the two of them were married in Draper and had a beautiful wedding reception at Sleepy Ridge in Orem.

Well here’s one of those beautiful couples (drop-dead gorgeous, as they say) that just couldn’t stop smiling and laughing on their wedding day. I love it when the bride and groom act happy on their big day. It’s the reason I love being a wedding photographer.

Meet, Kaytie and Gavin.

Wedding: Salt Lake LDS temple
Reception: Millenial Falls

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Justin Hackworth photographs happy brides and grooms and he wants to photograph you.

Jeff’s hilarious, Juliana sings like an angel. They are in love and now, married. The happy couple got married in January at the Mt. Timpanogos Temple and had a lovely reception at the Provo library.

I present to you, Jeff and Juliana.

We’re not just making pictures, we’re making history.

Ashley and Jordan first met in France, and if that’s not a great way to begin a love story, I don’t know what is. The officiant at the ceremony, a close friend of theirs, described it this way: “7 years ago, Ashley and Jordan stood in the gardens of Versaille. Ashley, absorbing the local culture and admiring the scenery. Jordan, absorbing the local wine and admiring Ashley. Ashley, following the docent around, wanting to talk History. Jordan, following Ashley around, wanting to talk.”

In the seven years between that day in Versailles and their wedding, Jordan had his fair share of convincing to do but eventually Ashley realized that she couldn’t imagine her life without him.

Ashley and Jordan wisely held their wedding at the beautiful Rancho Del Diablo Dormido, high in the mountains of Los Angeles, California. Start with a great couple, add in Yosef, the proprietor of the venue, Jihan bringing in balloons from Geronimo Balloons, catering by The Knockout Taco Truck, a circus theme with cotton candy and snow c0nes, and a surprise father-daughter MC Hammer dance routine (more on that later), you’ve got yourself a beautiful party.

Rancho Del Diablo Dormido

Earlier in the week Ashley and Jordan had written love letters to each other and sealed them and during the ceremony the sealed letters and a bottle of wine were placed in a custom made box with their initials. On their first anniversary, they’ll open the box, the letters (and the wine) and replace them with new letters to be read on their second anniversary. What a great tradition.

Catered by the Knockout Taco Truck

The always lovely Jihan from Geronimo Balloons

Leftover Cuties

Leftover Cuties

Ashley and her father danced to some pleasant song and it was beautiful. Some classic jazz song. But in the middle of that, the DJ switched the song and then they danced to MC Hammer, a choreographed routine that blew everyone away. It was the best part of the night.

Notice Ashley had one gorgeous wedding gown, a beautiful dress for the cocktail hour, and yet another amazing dress for dancing.

Venue: Rancho Del Diablo Dormido
Hair and makeup: Shelly, Fierce Faces
Fancy Balloons: Geronimo Balloons
Catering: The Knockout Taco Truck
Music: Leftover Cuties
Wedding Planner: Dana Barrett Gabriel
Temperature after the sun went down: Chilly. Better snuggle close to the one you love

Nadia and Frank got married at Sundance. These two are awesome. Friendly. Laid-back. Fun. And of course, Sundance Resort is one of my all time favorite places to photograph a wedding. What a great day.

They aren’t from here, but they come out to ski sometimes, so they know about this place. Nearly every one of the guests came to Utah from the East coast. A western wedding, new Jersey style looks like this:

Hair and makeup from Versa Artistry

Frank and the groomsmen

The Groomsmen at Sundance

This was the first gift Frank ever gave Nadia. She's worn it every single day, since.

Flowers by Artisan Bloom

Bridesmaids

The amazing Sam Riddle played for a while

And they lived happily ever after

Music: Sam Riddle
Planner: Brittany Farley, Something Blue
Wedding Venue: Sundance
Flowers: Artisan Bloom
Hair and makeup: Versa Artistry

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We’re not just making pictures, we’re making history. Interested in having an authentic, artistic record of your happy day? Give us a call.

Ashlee and Patrick got married in Salt Lake City on what has to be the warmest day in January on record. If every day in January was like that, I could quite wishing I lived in St. George. Then, a lovely reception in Lindon at Bella Vista.

Wedding: Salt Lake LDS Temple
Reception: Bella Vista
Flowers: Tracy Wolsey
Bride: Awesome
Weather: Out of this world
Bliss level: Off the charts
Catering: J-Dawgs

It was warm that day, for November at least, for a November day in Utah, when Natalie and Levin tied the knot at the Draper Utah temple. Love, as they say, was in the air.

Meet Natalie and Levin.

2012 wedding days are filling up. If you’re planning a wedding of your own and photography is one of your priorities for your big day, let’s talk. 801.916.6993. Getting married outside Utah? No problem!

Here’s the first of a couple weddings I photographed in Idaho last month. Rachel and Preston’s wedding took place in Rexburg, Idaho on a glorious fall day, and I was so happy to be their photographer. Her dress, oh, man. It’s part brand-new, part 100 years old. I think you’re going to like. And here’s a fun fact about their reception. They brought in 30 aspen trees for their background. Very cool.

Now meet Rachel and Preston.

Wedding: Rexburg Idaho Temple
Reception: The Woodman Ballroom

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Planning a wedding of your own? We should talk.

I love Park City in the fall. Actually, I love Park City any time, but the fall is particularly pleasant. So, I was happy to be there for Jen and Ben’s wedding at The Canyons. Having your wedding at the Red Pine Lodge is a grand experience. To get there, you and all your guests take a 15 minute gondola ride to the top of the mountain, well above 8,000 feet. So, high up in the mountains where the air is crisp and cool, Ben and Jen tied the knot. Gorgeous. Just gorgeous.

Meet Ben and Jen.

I’m photographing a wedding in Los Angeles this weekend and I’m really looking forward to that. Coming up on the blog soon, a couple weddings I photographed recently in Idaho. Planning a wedding of your own? Let’s talk. I can’t wait to hear about your big day and talk about how I can help.

Meet Rachelle and Patrick. Married at Millcreek Inn on a lovely autumn day.

Venue: Millcreek Inn

The Alta Lodge is such a great place to have a wedding. I’ve photographed a few up there, and always so happy to be able to do so.

Now here’s a sweet story: Aimie, the bride, her bridesmaids and her mother were all getting reading before the wedding and having a good time. Make-up, hair, you know the drill. Someone came in the room with a gift for Aimie. It was a beautiful necklace from Matt, her soon to be husband, accompanied with a note that said, “To my beautiful bride on our wedding day. I can’t wait to see you at the altar.”

Venue: Alta Lodge
Aimie’s wedding dress: Alta Moda Bridal

Both Aimie and Matt were living in Austin most of this year, so it was in early January (they were both home for Christmas) when we took engagement pictures.

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Justin Hackworth photographs happy couples on mountains or in valleys and he wants to photograph you. Feel free to contact me and we can chat about your big day.

Kelsi and Christian got married in the Mt. Timpanogos Temple and had a beautiful reception at a friend’s house in Orem. It rained a little that day and the weather could have take a turn for the worst later that night. Instead, just about an hour before the guests would arrive, those stormy clouds shuffled on by and and decided to go somewhere else, leaving Kelsi and Christian a perfect night for celebrating with family and friends the start of their new life together.

Meet Kelsi and Christian.

Storm before the calm

Goodnight everybody

Fun fact and totally unrelated side-note. This is my 900th post on this blog.

Ashley and Anthony got married in Temecula this summer. Makes sense. That’s where they’re both from and where their friends and family live. And let’s be honest, why wouldn’t you get married there. It’s absolutely gorgeous.

They started the wedding celebration the night before at Ashley’s father’s house. Close friends and family gathered, ate dinner, and made a few toasts. No one fell in the pool, so that part of the night wasn’t at all similar to what happens in the movies. But Ashley told me that many blissful late nights have been spent with friends in that pool, and from what she told me, it sounds like that part is exactly like what happens in the movies.

The next day I started the afternoon at a lovely house in the hills where the girls were getting ready and enjoying some celebration champagne. Here’s how the wedding day unfolded.

Ashley, lovely bride

Hair, just so. Very important.

Trust me. It's going to fit.

I wish I knew what they were looking at

Bridesmaid and owner of the home where the girls got ready

Starting early

Finishing touches

Me and Ashley (I'm the one wearing a tie)

Soon to be wed

Even the bike is cute

A didgeridoo at a wedding? Now that's cool. So California-y

The Groom

Here comes the bride

Wedding attendees

Patient groom

Groomsmen

That's a lot of people that love Ashley and Anthony

Bridesmaids

kissy, kissy

We're in love!

We're still in love

Anthony's sister

The wedding party

Bridesmaids

Groomsmen

Ashley + Anthony = newlyweds

First dance

The crowd goes nuts

Slow dancing, swaying to the music

The band

The band

If you have a wedding in Temecula, it could look like this

The sun sets, the band plays, people dance

A good time had by all

A really good time was had by this guy

Father of the bride

Mother of the Groom

Temecula wedding reception

And they lived happily ever after

And here’s what Ashley had to say about her experience with Justin Hackworth Photography:

Wow, all I can say is you have a gift! You have a special talent to capture every important and beautiful moment through that lens of yours.  I was blown away with your sweet charm that won everyone over at our wedding.  Everyone in our wedding party loved you and felt very special because you gave everyone their own little photo shoot and quality time.  We felt like you were part of the family and you are welcome back anytime! You are the best and we feel so lucky that you flew out to Southern California to make our day so special! You truly captured so much candidness and made our photos look purely organic and authentic. We love them so much and cannot THANK  YOU enough for your amazingness!!!!
Ashley and Anthony Armijo

Planning a wedding of your own? We should talk. Here is a link to my contact info.

The wedding took place in Salt Lake City. The Draper Temple to be exact. It’s not hard to see that Kiersten and Jordan are in love, and on their wedding day, they just couldn’t have looked any happier.

After the wedding, they had a reception for family and friends at The Dock of the Bay restaurant at Deer Creek Reservoir. Then, they left in a boat. I’ll say that again. They left in a boat. Ahhhh, now that’s romantic.

Draper Temple

Hooray for love

The bride and groom

His family

Bridesmaids

Hey, let me see that

Bride and groom

Bride and groom

Draper Temple

Yep. In love.

Dock of the Bay restaurant

Dock of the Bay restaurant

Before the party begins, one must have plenty of rest

Flowers. Smell them. Oh ya, those are real.

Fancy girls

Bridesmaids

How to be beautiful

Still in love

Let's reminisce right now about 5 seconds ago

A wedding reception, may, in some cases, look like this.

Long legs, longer shadows

Dock of the Bay at Deer Creek

Dock of the Bay at Deer Creek on a gorgeous summer night

Bride and groom cut the cake, while me and that other lady take a picture

How to photograph a wedding

First dance

Here, does anybody want this?

Suits and dresses and a boat dock are a great combination

Let's have the bride and groom walk through this pathway.

The bride and groom leaving the party

Thanks for coming to our wedding. Now excuse us as we leave on a boat while you go clean up.

Romantic kiss on a boat. All by themselves. And me.

And they lived happily ever after.

Justin Hackworth photographs happy couples on land or on sea and he wants to photograph you.

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Planning a wedding of your own and authentic, candid moments are the kind of pictures that float your boat? Let’s talk.

On a beautiful day in June, Laura and Austin got married in Salt Lake City. Later that night in a friend’s backyard, they had their wedding reception that was packed with lovely details, beautiful people, delicious food and dancing.

Here they are, funny and fun, Laura and Austin.

The Bride and Groom at the Salt Lake Temple

Mother of the groom

Cute as can be. Little individaul smore boxes as party favors

The food at their wedding reception was delicious

Cheers

I love this picture

First dance

Father of the bride

Don't start my dress on fire, little dude

Also, Laura works at Salon K. Go there. It’s awesome.

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Justin Hackworth photographs happy people and lovely events. Planning a fancy gathering of your own and beautiful pictures are a big priority? Call me. I can help you out with that. 801.916.6993

Marin and Drew got married in Alabama and then had a lovely reception in Provo. Here are photographs from their wedding reception. But first, a quick side-note. I photographed Drew’s (the groom) brother’s wedding a while ago. I’d link to it on this blog, but it was in 2003 and I didn’t have a blog then. I’m talking about Amanda and Cubby. Amanda’s not only a great photographer and one of my favorites, but she’s also a florist along with her twin sister Chealsea, who is an amazing painter. They did the flowers for Marin and Drew. Clap, clap, clap, clap, clap, clap. Great job, Amanda and Chelsea.

And now, meet Marin and Drew.

Marin and Drew

Bride and groom

Cubby and Amanda

Zach and Monica

Mother of the bride

Yoema and Matt got married in Idaho Falls on a gorgeous day in June. The weather report said rain. Nope. Just clear skies and good times. I’d spent the previous week in Rexburg, having photographed another wedding at the Idaho Falls temple the week before.

And now, let me introduce you to Yoema and Matt.

I always wonder if I’ll run into anyone I know at wedding receptions I’m photographing. Turns out, Hilary was there. So, extra fun added to the night.

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Justin Hackworth photographs happy people and beautiful events and he wants to photograph you. Planning a wedding of your own? Let’s talk. 801.916.6993.

Amanda and Chris got married in Idaho Falls last month. That’s where she’s from. They’ve both been in L.A. now that school is finished for both of them and they’re just working hard at jobs they like.

So I got to Idaho the night before the wedding and went to Amanda’s house where a party with friends and family was in full swing. The nicest people you’d ever meet. Amanda’s parents even have a sign hanging in their kitchen that says, “be nice”.

The next day, the wedding day, the sun came out and love was in the air.

Meet Amanda and Chris.

Buy prints and view the whole event here:
justinhackworth.instaproofs.com

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Getting hitched? We should talk.

Spend any length of time around Jihan and you will, no doubt, leave her presence feeling happy to be alive. You’ll want to create better art, or be kinder to people around you, have a french accent, or you’ll want to write a poem or a song, and then you’ll wish she lived in your town. But she probably doesn’t live in your town (unless you live in L.A.) but here’s the good news. She’s created a business where she sells something that will nearly give you that same feeling. Balloons. Now, I know what you’re thinking. Balloons? Are you kidding me Hackworth? I can get a free balloon at the pharmacy and I don’t feel a thing. And I’ll say, yes, but not balloons like this.

Let me introduce you to Geronimo Balloons. First of all, they are enormous. I can guarantee that even if you have a giant head and people are always gasping at how big your head is, these balloons are 10 times bigger. If you’re head is as big as this balloon, go to the emergency room right now. Also, forget the chance of ever finding a hat that fits.

But back to the balloons. So they are big, but then there’s the fancy stuff. Jihan dresses up these things like they are on their way to a party. And so, that’s just what they are suited for. If you are planning a wedding where good times are part of the recipe, then I think you’ll want to know about Jihan and her fabulous balloons. And having something like this around will leave you feeling good, good inside. Almost like being around Jihan, herself.

Honestly, we walked along the beach yesterday and people stopped and stared at these things. A little girl came up to her and asked if she was in a magazine. These things are show-stoppers and I think they are the perfect accent to a beautiful event. People are just going nuts for these in California. What’s it all about? Why does she do it? Is she really that charming? Watch this video and see for yourself.

I heart Geronimo Ballons.

I’m in California right now for Ashley and Anthony’s wedding. Here’s the rehearsal dinner and party from last night.

I’m really looking forward to the wedding today. Gorgeous location, beautiful couple, and amazing weather. Hooray for love!