Fantasy Wedding at The English Barn | Louisburg, KS Wedding Photographer

A Fantasy Wedding at The English Barn | Hannah & Blake

Some weddings just beg you to get a little creative, and Hannah and Blake’s wedding at The English Barn in Louisburg, Kansas was definitely one of those weddings!

I actually got a little preview of what was to come when I photographed Hannah and Blake’s engagement session at Unity Village. Unity Village is one of my favorite engagement session locations around Kansas City because there are so many different places to photograph without having to travel anywhere. The beautiful architecture, archways, rose gardens and old-world feel were perfect for Hannah and Blake.

And we could not have asked for a better ending to their engagement session. The sky turned the most AMAZING shades of orange and red, giving us one of those sunsets that makes a photographer very, very happy!

From Unity Village to The English Barn

Fast forward to Hannah and Blake’s wedding day at The English Barn (one of my favorite venues).

If you are planning a fantasy-inspired wedding, The English Barn is such a fun venue for it. Between the stone walls, dark wood beams, chandeliers and castle turret there were little spots everywhere that worked perfectly with Hannah and Blake’s wedding style.

Hannah looked absolutely gorgeous in her wedding gown, with its romantic sleeves and long veil. Her bouquet was filled with deep reds, burgundy, greenery and cascading flowers that added to the rich, romantic feel of the day. Blake looked pretty darn good himself in his black suit—and I LOVED the pocket watch! It was one of those little details that fit the whole look perfectly.

Adding a Little Fantasy to Their Wedding Photos

For some of Hannah’s bridal portraits, I used colored lighting to add just a touch of purple to the images. I didn't want the entire wedding gallery to suddenly look like it belonged in another universe. 😂 I still wanted their photos to look like them and their wedding day—but the colored light gave a few of the portraits that extra fantasy feel.

The dark wood, stone walls and chandeliers inside The English Barn made the perfect backdrop. One of my favorites is Hannah standing in the doorway with her veil flowing behind her. Between the chandelier, dramatic architecture and purple light, it has this beautiful, slightly magical feel to it.

And then there was the crystal ball.

Okay...technically it was a lens ball. 😂

I had recently rediscovered my old lens ball that had been hiding in my office closet for years. Lens balls were a HUGE photography novelty around 2018/2019, but I never really had much opportunity to use mine. When I found it again, I immediately thought, Wait a minute...this looks like a crystal ball!

And since I had a fantasy wedding coming up, obviously it had to come with me!

We placed the lens ball on my assistants hand, then covered her hand with Hannah's flowers, while I photographed Hannah and Blake kissing through the lens ball. Because of the way the ball refracts the scene, you can see them reflected upside down inside the "crystal ball." It's different, a little weird, a little magical—and I LOVE it!

A Beautiful Outdoor Ceremony at The English Barn

Hannah and Blake held their ceremony outside under The English Barn's wooden pavilion. The dark wood beams and chandelier overhead created a beautiful frame around them, with their wedding party standing on either side.

After the ceremony, we took advantage of the grounds around the venue. The greenery, pathways, fields, little bridge and landscaping gave us plenty of variety without ever leaving the property.

And once again, the sky decided to cooperate!

We ended up with a beautiful golden sky behind Hannah and Blake, and her long veil looked amazing stretched across the little wooden bridge. Later, we went back to the pavilion when the sky had turned soft shades of pink and purple for a few more romantic portraits.

A Wedding That Was Completely Hannah & Blake

What I loved most about Hannah and Blake's wedding was that the fantasy elements didn't feel like a costume or a theme that had been forced into the day. They were worked into the details and the photography in little ways that still allowed the wedding to feel romantic, elegant and completely Hannah and Blake.

That's one of my favorite parts about being a wedding photographer. I want couples to have those beautiful, timeless photographs they'll still love 20 years from now—but that doesn't mean we can't PLAY a little too!

Sometimes that means chasing an amazing sunset.

Sometimes it means adding a purple light.

And sometimes it means digging an old lens ball out of my office closet and turning it into a crystal ball. 😂

Congratulations, Hannah and Blake! I had so much fun creating a little magic with you two. ❤️