jen and al at the cws! : omaha trash the dress : part 1

OH MY GOSH!! MOST FUN SHOOT EVER!

Remember when I posted Al and Jen's engagement pictures and I said we had something special in store for their day after/trash the dress session? I wasn't lying. :) So what did we do on that sunny day in June??

I'll give you a hint.


Do you know yet?

Okay, one more.


Now do you know?

We went to the College World Series! For those of you who aren't sports inclined, the CWS is the playoff series for men's college baseball to determine the national champions. (College football, are you listening???)

The series first took place in Omaha in 1950, and has been there ever since! Growing up here, it's one of those things you just take for granted. Everyone goes to a game at least once in their life. And it's a BLAST. Tons of people come from all over the country to watch their local college team compete.

Al's family has had season tickets since he was a toddler, and they've been going ever since. When Jen entered the picture, she started going with Al. So when they were planning their wedding and realized it would fall smack dab in the middle of the CWS this year, it was only natural that they plan their day-after session at the game!

It was easier said than done - I had to get special permission to bring in my camera bag (no backpacks were allowed) and permission from the NCAA and CWS to shoot. And unbelievably, they gave it! I seriously couldn't have been more excited. Part of the restrictions placed upon me was that I had to cut out any CWS or NCAA logos, so you might see some weird cloning or black dots to get rid of them in these pictures. We weren't really sure what to expect going into the shoot, so we went with the flow. Because of the huge crowds, it ended up being more of a documentary of their attendance of the game than a posed, traditional day-after session. And I love it!

This post will be all Jen and Al, all the time. Later I'll post some pics from the actual game (that make me kind of want to become a sports photographer!). :)

We started out with some tailgating. Now, I thought I'd seen tailgating before. But wow, these fans know how to PARTY. Grills, tents, games, TVs, the whole set up!




They had a few beers.


They played horseballs (as I've always called it).


They got interviewed for a documentary about the stadium.


They kissed with a crowd around them cheering. You know, as you do.












Once we got into the stadium, we settled in to watch the game. I love this picture because of the reactions of everyone around them - especially the guy in the maroon hat. :)


Who wouldn't buy cotton candy from her??


Uh oh...they've been spotted!




Someone else spotted them too.


Honey, we're on the jumbotron!!


Programs, getcher programs!




Then...it was time to get our grub on!




I should say now that Jen and Al aren't really pigs. They didn't really get all this food just for themselves. Some of it was mine, some was for my brother/assistant for the day, some was for Al's brother, some was for Al's mom....we just made them carry it all. :)








It's hard to cheer with a mouth full of food. I particularly love the burger salute.





By now, Jen and Al had just about enough of hanging out in their wedding clothes while everyone around them - including me - was comfortable in shorts and t-shirts. We decided it was time for them to change.

But before we did...





Wow. I feel so honored to have been a part of this shoot, and SO LUCKY! It was amazing fun. Check back again soon for pictures from the actual game!