September 1, 2017 /

St. John the Evangelist Catholic Church Spring Wedding

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We can’t even begin to tell you how excited we are to finally share Jennifer and Neal’s wedding day with you!! This sweet couple is the absolute best, and we are so, so grateful that we got to be part of their special day. Here are just a few of their favorite images from their crazy-wonderful-rain-filled wedding day!! Plus, they were great enough to share some insight with us about their wedding planning experience!

St. John the Evangelist Catholic Church Spring Wedding | J+N

Getting Ready | TownePlace Suites Lawrence

St. John the Evangelist Catholic Church Spring Wedding | Two pictures of a groom tying his tie on his wedding day.

St. John the Evangelist Catholic Church Spring Wedding | An image of a groom putting on his cufflink standing in front of a window on his wedding day.

St. John the Evangelist Catholic Church Spring Wedding | An image of a groom adjusting his tie on his wedding day. St. John the Evangelist Catholic Church Spring Wedding | Two pictures of a groom in his wedding day tuxedo in downtown Lawrence KS

St. John the Evangelist Catholic Church Spring Wedding | Two candid photos of a groom and his groomsmen standing in a Lawrence street.

St. John the Evangelist Catholic Church Spring Wedding | A candid picture of a groom and his groomsmen standing in a Lawrence street.

St. John the Evangelist Catholic Church Spring Wedding | Two photos of a bride's wedding gown and engagement and wedding rings.

St. John the Evangelist Catholic Church Spring Wedding | Two candid images of a bride with her mother and a smiling bridesmaid.

St. John the Evangelist Catholic Church Spring Wedding | Two candid pictures of a bride stepping into her wedding day shoes and of her mother seeing her for the first time.

St. John the Evangelist Catholic Church Spring Wedding | A close-up image of a bride putting in her earrings on her wedding day.

St. John the Evangelist Catholic Church Spring Wedding | A formal portrait of a bride in her wedding gown at the Lawrence Arts Center.

What’s next for you two? “We took a short road trip as a “mini honeymoon” to Omaha, NE, where we toured the city’s parks and zoo. It was a very relaxing getaway before Jennifer went back to work and Neal’s summer graduate courses started. We are planning on taking a full honeymoon in October on a cruise to the Bahamas! Jennifer is still getting used to her new last name. She had to sign her new name for the first time when finalizing a gym membership, and she had to ask the sales representative how to write a cursive “D”! “

First Look | Lawrence Arts Center

St. John the Evangelist Catholic Church Spring Wedding | Two images of a bride and groom seeing each other for the first time on their wedding day at the Lawrence Arts Center.

St. John the Evangelist Catholic Church Spring Wedding | Three pictures of a bride and groom together at the Lawrence Arts Center.

St. John the Evangelist Catholic Church Spring Wedding | A photo of a bride and groom embracing at the Lawrence Arts Center.

St. John the Evangelist Catholic Church Spring Wedding | Two pictures of a bride and groom embracing at the Lawrence Arts Center.

St. John the Evangelist Catholic Church Spring Wedding | A photo of a bride and groom embracing at the Lawrence Arts Center.

Two photos of a bride and groom embracing outside the courthouse in Lawrence, KS on their wedding day.

St. John the Evangelist Catholic Church Spring Wedding | A close-up image of a bride and groom embracing outside the courthouse in Lawrence, KS on their wedding day.

St. John the Evangelist Catholic Church Spring Wedding | A close-up image of a bride and groom embracing outside the courthouse in Lawrence, KS on their wedding day.

St. John the Evangelist Catholic Church Spring Wedding | A dramatic picture of a bride and groom holding hands, looking at the camera on the courthouse steps in Lawrence, KS.

What were your favorite moments from your wedding day? “Having a first look relieved a lot of nerves for both of us and personally set me (Neal) at ease for the rest of the day. I (Neal) was consumed by emotion seeing Jennifer walk down the aisle. The surprise KU pep band performance was something almost every family member mentioned to us as a unique and memorable moment. Everyone, including us, really enjoyed the day-of-photo slideshow!! Everyone was so surprised to see day-of photos, and we can’t wait to see more!”

Wedding Ceremony | St. John the Evangelist Catholic Church

St. John the Evangelist Catholic Church Spring Wedding | A dramatic picture of a bride and groom embracing on the steps of St. John the Evangelist Catholic Church in Lawrence, KS.

St. John the Evangelist Catholic Church Spring Wedding | A candid image of a bride's dad surprising her on the steps of St. John the Evangelist Catholic Church in Lawrence, KS.

St. John the Evangelist Catholic Church Spring Wedding | A candid photo of a groom's mom pinning on his boutonniere just before his wedding ceremony.

St. John the Evangelist Catholic Church Spring Wedding | A close-up photo of a wedding ceremony program and a formal picture of a bride and groom on their wedding day.

St. John the Evangelist Catholic Church Spring Wedding | A close-up picture of a bride holding her bouquet on her wedding day.

St. John the Evangelist Catholic Church Spring Wedding | A series of four images of a bride and groom walking down the aisle during their wedding ceremony.

St. John the Evangelist Catholic Church Spring Wedding | A candid picture of a bride's father giving her away to her groom during their wedding ceremony.

St. John the Evangelist Catholic Church Spring Wedding | A photo of a wedding ceremony from the balcony of St. John the Evangelist Catholic Church in Lawrence, KS.

St. John the Evangelist Catholic Church Spring Wedding | A candid image of a groom saying his vows to his bride during their wedding ceremony.

St. John the Evangelist Catholic Church Spring Wedding | Two photos of a bride and groom lighting their unity candle during their wedding ceremony and of their first kiss.

St. John the Evangelist Catholic Church Spring Wedding | A picture of a bride and groom sharing their first kiss during their wedding ceremony.

St. John the Evangelist Catholic Church Spring Wedding | A candid photo of a bride and groom sharing a kiss at the end of the aisle after their wedding ceremony.

Best advice for a bride? “All of the stress of wedding planning culminates the day before, and the day-of, the wedding. It can be crippling worrying about all of the little details, and stressing while imagining how everything can go wrong in the worst possible way. At this point, it’s important to realize that most of the details are out of your hands. Breathe, go with the flow, handle questions as they come! You spend all of this time planning, enjoy the results! Cherish this time spent with your family, friends, and new spouse!”

Best advice for a groom? “Most of the advice I received from other people regarding wedding planning was just “show up” and “it’s whatever she wants.” Let’s go a step further with that – on the planning process, have an opinion, but be willing to compromise (main thing – don’t have no opinion). “

Wedding Party Pictures | Potter Lake, University of Kansas

St. John the Evangelist Catholic Church Spring Wedding | A portrait of a bride holding her bouquet standing on the stone bridge at Potter Lake in Lawrence, KS.

St. John the Evangelist Catholic Church Spring Wedding | A formal picture of a bride and her bridesmaids standing on the stone bridge at Potter Lake in Lawrence, KS.

St. John the Evangelist Catholic Church Spring Wedding | Two candid photos of a bride and groom embracing on their wedding day.

St. John the Evangelist Catholic Church Spring Wedding | A formal picture of a bride and groom with their wedding party standing in the grass in front of Potter Lake in Lawrence, KS.

St. John the Evangelist Catholic Church Spring Wedding | A photo of a groom and his groomsmen standing in the grass in front of Potter Lake in Lawrence, KS.

St. John the Evangelist Catholic Church Spring Wedding | A picture of a bride and groom with their wedding party standing on the stone bridge at Potter Lake in Lawrence, KS.

Any words of wisdom for those still planning? “Make note (to yourself, and your partner), what details are really important to you and those that aren’t. You will be stressed the week leading up to the wedding – don’t let things you don’t care about drag you down. Don’t be afraid to ask your family, friends, and vendors for help and advice!! Make an itinerary for the big day and get it on the wedding party’s phones so everyone knows where they need to be and when they need to be there.”

Favorite splurge? “The photographers, hands down! :)”

Wedding Reception | Maceli’s Banquet Hall & Catering

St. John the Evangelist Catholic Church Spring Wedding | A candid image of a bride and groom entering their reception while friends and family cheer and celebrate.

St. John the Evangelist Catholic Church Spring Wedding | Three pictures of a wedding cake with a bride and groom Lego cake topper and candid picture of a bride feeding her groom cake.

St. John the Evangelist Catholic Church Spring Wedding | Four candid pictures of a bride and groom being toasted during their wedding reception.

St. John the Evangelist Catholic Church Spring Wedding | Six candid photos of a surprise performance by the KU Pep band at a wedding reception in Lawrence, KS.

St. John the Evangelist Catholic Church Spring Wedding | A candid picture of a surprise performance by the KU Pep band at a wedding reception in Lawrence, KS.

St. John the Evangelist Catholic Church Spring Wedding | A candid picture of a surprise performance by the KU Pep band at a wedding reception in Lawrence, KS.

St. John the Evangelist Catholic Church Spring Wedding | A candid photo of a bride and groom enjoying a photo slideshow during their reception.

St. John the Evangelist Catholic Church Spring Wedding | Three pictures of a bride and groom sharing their first dance during their wedding reception at Maceli's in Lawrence, KS.

St. John the Evangelist Catholic Church Spring Wedding | A photo of a bride and groom sharing their first dance during their wedding reception at Maceli's in Lawrence, KS.

St. John the Evangelist Catholic Church Spring Wedding | Three pictures of a bride and her father dancing during a wedding reception at Maceli's in Lawrence, KS.

St. John the Evangelist Catholic Church Spring Wedding | Three photos of a groom and his mother dancing during a wedding reception at Maceli's in Lawrence, KS.

St. John the Evangelist Catholic Church Spring Wedding | Three candid photos of guests dancing and enjoying a wedding reception at Maceli's in Lawrence, KS.

St. John the Evangelist Catholic Church Spring Wedding | Three candid photos a bride throwing her bouquet during her wedding reception at Maceli's in Lawrence, KS.

St. John the Evangelist Catholic Church Spring Wedding | Three candid pictures of a bride and groom dancing and enjoying their wedding reception at Maceli's in Lawrence, KS.

What do you wish you knew before you started planning? “There are eleventy-billion little details that go into a wedding. At the start, you know there’s a lot to do, but the scope of how much there really is to do doesn’t take shape until you’re almost done. Start planning and talking to potential vendors EARLY (we started over a year in advance)!! You’ll get first pick on dates and vendors. We were relieved when a few days before the wedding new things weren’t being added to our “to-do list” as things were being checked off.”

Congratulations again, Jennifer and Neal! We are so happy for you! Thank you so much for letting us create your wedding images!!

 

To see more from Jennifer and Neal’s Wedding day, visit their full gallery here.

You can also check out their colorful fall engagement session at Loose Park here.

Jennifer & Neal’s Wedding Vendors

Lawrence Ceremony Site | St. John the Evangelist Catholic Church

Lawrence Reception Venue | Maceli’s Banquet Hall & Catering

Jennifer’s Bridal Gown | Morilee by Madeline Gardner, Mia’s Bridal and Tailoring

Neal’s Suit | Mia’s Bridal and Tailoring

Engagement Ring & Wedding Bands | Shane Company

DJ | DJ Scott Simpson

Florist | Owen’s Flower Shop

Wedding Cake | It’s a Sweet Treat Day Bakery

Jennifer’s Hair Stylist | Kylie Visocsky

Bridesmaid’s Gowns | Mia’s Bridal and Tailoring

Groomsmen’s Suits | Mia’s Bridal and Tailoring

Caterer, Rehearsal Dinner Location | Maceli’s Banquet Hall & Catering

Book Rivas Photography for your Wedding

To book Rivas Photography for your upcoming engagement session or wedding, please visit our contact page to send us a message. Or, check out our calendar to find our next available meeting time.

 

Book us for your Wedding:

To book us for your upcoming engagement session or wedding, please visit our contact page to send us a message. We can't wait to hear about your big day! Having a destination wedding? We LOVE to travel and have the perfect wedding photography package for you. We would LOVE to hear about your adventure!

I'm So Excited!
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