The 9 Best Engagement Photographers in Kansas City

The Midwest is so expansive it should come as no surprise that it’s hiding away some of the best photographers in the country. Kansas City, MO, and Kansas City, KY, are two growing cities. Although only a short drive apart, the two halves of this whole couldn’t have more distinct personalities. According to the Kansas City Business Journal, the city has risen nine places on U.S. News & World Report‘s 2019 list of the nation’s best places to live. Clearly, the Kansas City metro area is attracting younger and more vibrant residents who are looking to settle. With more young families comes more weddings and engagements and, as a result, a choice selection of Kansas City engagement photographers to document those special moments. Let’s take a look at some of our favorites.

1. Emily Nystrom

Based in Kansas City, photographer Emily Nystrom is a world traveler. She’s also a lover of people and a lover of love, which is required to partake in engagement photography. Nystrom gets to know her subjects personally, capturing everything from the smallest smile to the most poignant tear. Her work is raw and authentic, offering couples tangible memories to reflect on sometime in the future. It’s no surprise she’s among the most talented Kansas City engagement photographers.

2. Elizabeth Ladean

Ask Elizabeth Ladean about her calling in life and she’ll tell you: Her photography is for the joyfully crazy-in-love. A self-professed daydreamer and explorer, Ladean is a storyteller. She’s a photographer who’ll cry, smile, and laugh along with you during your sessions while capturing the fleeting moments the madly-in-love often miss. Preferring to work under the magic of natural light, Ladean’s photographs make use of Kansas City’s ivory structures, grey skies, and vivid greens.

3. Lexie Penichet

Lexie Penichet has her own love story. She still remembers the moment she knew she wanted to marry her now-husband, Nick. With her photography, she’s determined to do all she can to help her clients remember their own moments, too. A photographer and graphic designer, Penichet considers herself a hustler, a provider, and a protector to her family. She believes there’s nothing people can’t accomplish together. Her love of photography comes from the beauty she finds in life, as well as the weddings and engagements she throws her lens into.

4. Meredith Hiller

Kansas City engagement photographer Meredith Hiller is a St. Louis native. She’s been living in Kansas City since attending the University of Kansas where she obtained a degree in photography. Hiller believes everyone’s story is as special as the next. Whether your love story includes adventurous hikes along the Trail of Heroes or downtown coffee dates with your other half, she’ll be right there to snap every second. One of the things she wants the most from her photography is for couples to see it and say, “That’s so us.” And she’s more than ready to be your hype woman. Her photos can be dramatic without lapsing into cheesy — she’s got you covered, no matter what you’re going for.

5. Sarah Hermann of Sarah Dean Photography

For Kansas City engagement photographer Sarah Hermann, art keeps life exciting. Over her tenure as a photographer, she’s committed herself to learning the ins and outs of it. Shadowing fellow photographers and throwing herself into work behind and around the lens, Hermann has a wealth of experience. One of the most important things for her to do with her photography is to capture the most important memories in others’ lives. Her engagement sessions are empathetic, drawing on the nature and personality of her subjects. Sarah simply loves what she does, and it shows. Her post-processing skill ensures the highlights from each shoot are stylishly colored, perfectly lit, and ready to own social media.

6. Shelby Myers of Hound & Honey Photo

Ask Shelby Myers her job title, and she’ll tell you she’s a professional third wheel. An elopement and engagement photographer, Myers enjoys spending her life helping people remember why they fell in love. Her stunning photography makes use of the Kansas City landscape, as well as her subjects’ personalities, which she aims to bring to the forefront. Published on various outlets including Tacari Weddings, Wedding Pioneer, and Every Bride, Myers’s personal approach to photography might just be what your love is waiting for. Expect romantic, playful photos dripping with style, elegant without being overly sentimental. They’re pretty much perfect.

7. Meredith Graves

Meredith Graves has been nominated for plenty of photography awards. She was a Top 5 finalist in Pitch Magazine‘s “Best KC Photographer 2018,” and EA Bride Vendor named her a rising star and trailblazer. If you’re looking for a Kansas City engagement photographer that relies on directing poses, however, she’s not the person for you. Graves wants the candid moments, including the awkwardness, the laughter, and the silliness that makes couples who they are. Never will she ask you to stare into the camera. Meredith’s stunning photography is the real deal.

8. KCM Studios

The folks over at KCM Studios have been featured on numerous blogs and publications. From KC Weddings to Gay Weddings and Marriage Magazine and Dancing With Her, if you love engagement photography, you’ve likely already seen some of their work without knowing it. They’re an award-winning, accredited studio with great knowledge of their clientele and how to please them. KCM Studio owner Kara Payton is a woman with a lot of goals and even more to show for it. Her photographs expertly explore the intimacy and closeness of couples through faithfully capturing the interactions that showcase love and connection, coupling magazine-ready gorgeous visuals with content that never looks posed or unnatural.

9. Heather Brulez

Heather Brulez loves morning lattes, Midwestern summers, and photography. Brulez knows that wedding and engagement photographs only become more precious with time. This is precisely what she wants to do with the snapshots she takes on one of her many vintage cameras. A lover of natural light and using film, Heather studied photojournalism in college. After college, she moved straight on to working in a product photography studio. Everything she learned there, such as photographing the smallest details of products, is now something she includes in her portraits. Be it your engagement ring or a stray strand of hair, you’re in good hands.

Kansas City has a seemingly endless pool of talented photographers to choose from. These Kansas City engagement photographers are just a fraction of what’s in store for couples looking for the most artistic person to document their most special day. Every love story is unique, and photographers exist to make sure we never forget any of these moments.

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