Saras Square

The first proposal I’ve ever photographed. Can I tell you how special it was to be a part of Brian and Mariah’s once in a lifetime moment at the Jupiter Lighthouse? Brian told me and Zak a couple weeks ago that he was proposing and I almost cried. A huge, huge congratulations to our dear friends and a thank you for having us a part of your engagement! Cheers!

Tags: engagement photos, Jupiter Lighthouse, proposal

From Kari and Billy’s Winter Wonderland wedding in negative twenty degree, Northern Minnesota weather, to their Fall engagement session in Tennessee, to their Sunrise Cinderella Style Session on the beach, to serenading and fishing for bass on Lucky Old Sun Ranch Lake, we have had the most amazing time getting to know one another and creating priceless images! These two are so incredibly talented www.kariandbilly.com and I feel blessed to have had the chance to get to know them over this past year and photograph their love-story!

Photographing musicians and weddings is my world. When they come together, like photographing these two, there’s absolutely nothing better. xoxo

Tags: blowing rocks, jupiter park, jupiter photographer, lucky old sun ranch, post wedding photos, wedding photos

Sweet Nothings…

Faith and David are absolutely the definition of sweetness. The way they were in their own lovey world the entire shoot is something you just don’t witness every day.

Trying to capture the emotion of their love for each other was easy on this shoot, they’re just so natural together. Congratulations, you two!

Tags: beach engagement photos, blowing rocks

What a great, sweet, wedding at the Ritz Carlton in Fort Lauderdale. Crystal had called a while back and described her wedding as laid back, easy and fun. That’s exactly what it was! Loved that their puppy was the ring-bearer, he did a super job!

Congratulations Crystal and Nick! And seriously, who could beat the amazingly gorgeous reception they had? That chandelier at the Ritz absolutely makes any wedding ballroom reception sparkle!

Tags: Beach Weddings, dogs at weddings, ritz carlton fort lauderdale

It was an absolutely gorgeous day with friends and family for Lauren and Josh at Harbor Beach Marriott in Fort Lauderdale!

Brett emailed me the beginning of December with a one line email “Where were the photos of Megan and Tacho taken?” http://www.sarakauss.com/blog/2011/03/14/costa-rica-wedding/ – I was traveling and working and forgot to get back to his email for a couple days. Little did I know, that when I did, Brett and Natalie would plan their entire elopement around Megan and Tacho’s wedding photos!

Brett and Natalie live in Texas, Brett is a dentist and Natalie a Pilot instructor (neat, right?!). Natalie said she never ever pictured herself having a huge wedding, growing up. Ever since she was little all she dreamed about was a small intimate ceremony with just her and her groom. And that’s what she got! What an absolutely lovely fairytale wedding day, Brett and Natalie had on the top of the mountain at Pura Vida gardens in Costa Rica. Congratulations you two! Thank you for having us along for your adventure – I am thrilled to have been your photographer to capture your fairytale day!

Tags: costa rica photographer, destination wedding photographer, Elopement, Pura Vida Gardens, Villa Caletas

When Tara first called and asked me to photograph her and Brian’s elopement, I was honored! Honored that someone would trust me as the only other person, besides the officiant marrying them to be a part of their top secret wedding day! Thank you for having me a part of your gorgeous sunrise beach ceremony at The Omphoy in Palm Beach. Here are a few photos to show off your “we’re married” surprise! Hope you enjoy the rest of your time here in this lovely Florida weather : ). Best, Sara

Tags: Beach wedding at Sunrise, Elopement, The Omphoy Palm Beach

After Kari and Billy’s Wedding I looked up Webster’s definition of “Adore” and here it is: Adore 1: to worship or honor as a deity or as divine 2: to regard with loving admiration and devotion 3: to be very fond of …now, Billy may be fond of pecan pie, but it’s rare to see the way a groom regards his wife-to-be with such loving admiration and devotion. Kari is absolutely a beautiful, sweet, incredibly talented girl that deserves to be adored the way Billy does her. Billy told her over and over how many times he couldn’t believe how beautiful she looked in her wedding dress. I felt so special to be able to witness this incredible love as their photographer.

Being their photographer was special in so many ways for me. Kari and Billy are musicians (www.kariandbilly.com) in Nashville, and we met through a friend of mine who saw them during the making of their music video http://youtu.be/1qZOMo9rDDk. My friend chatted with them a while and said “you guys would love Sara, a photographer of musicians and weddings.” Thank you for the connection, Tammy, because, you were so right! We connected over email and then our first phone conversation we hit it off like friends for years! When we discussed their snowy, Minnesota wedding and I was absolutely thrilled that they wanted me to photograph! What a unique wedding theme, I was excited.

After their engagement session in Nashville, I just knew their wedding was going to be sweet and special…but I wasn’t prepared for how overwhelmingly wonderful I would feel for having made the trip. Kari and Billy both thanked me at their rehearsal dinner and their wedding in front of all their guests for flying from Florida and driving up to Roseau from Minneapolis, I’ve never felt so special and honored.

An aspiring photographer just wrote to me recently and asked me my advice on how to get started in photography, how to build a photography business. My response was, after photographing hundreds of weddings, the number one thing I can tell you as a photographer is connect with your client on a personal level. Photographing a wedding day is one of the most personal, trusting events in a couple’s life.

Making that connection with Kari and Billy was imperative. They trusted that if they went out in negative degree temperatures, freezing, windy and cold, they would have memories they could treasure from their wedding day, and gave me complete creative reign to make those images for them. I was all bundled up in multiple layers, gloves and a hat, warm enough to handle the cold as long as no skin was exposed. But, Kari through shivering teeth in antique leather gloves, a gorgeous beaded wedding ball-gown and mink shawl, kept insisting on more photos outdoors!

Thank you, Kari and Billy for trusting me. The uniqueness of your wedding day and the love you have for each other, I hope is shown through these photos. It was absolutely incredible to see your wedding day through my camera lens and I couldn’t be more grateful you chose me as your photographer.

Tags: minnesota photographer, wedding in the snow, winter wedding