Shelley Van Wagenen

In January, we were so excited when our daughter Kara announced her engagement to Ben Thomas. A few short weeks after their engagement was announced, I flew to Salt Lake City, Utah to help Kara plan some details of her wedding on April 18, 2020.

We shopped around at several bridal shops, and Kara ended up finding her dress at Latter-Day Bridal. It was a dream working with this store. My daughter Heather bought her dress here also. At this same time, we reserved the ballroom at Thanksgiving Point (This eventually had to be canceled and rescheduled for the fall because of Covid 19).

Winter Bridal Photos

While I was in Utah, I decided to snap a few engagement pictures of Kara and Ben. We ended up in this beautiful snowy canyon. It was pretty chilly, but we were still able to snap a few fun photos.

The Bridal Show

In early March, my daughters and I hosted a bridal shower for Kara in Clovis. We flew both Ben and Kara here, and they were showered with love and gifts. We were so happy we had this party because shortly after this the shelter in place started.

We felt so blessed that so many family and friends traveled and be there to celebrate Kara and Ben. At the end of the shower, Ben came in (I didn’t get a picture) they shared how they met and became a couple.

More Bridal Photos

Since Ben and Kara were in Clovis for the bridal shower, we decided to snap a few photos in the orchards. It was at the very end of the orchard blossoms, and we found a spot that still had a few flowers on their trees. These photos were the ones that they ended up using for their invitation.

I loved the pretty snow photos but decided the spring vibe went better for a spring wedding.

The closer it got to the date of their wedding, we realized that everything wasn’t going to go as planned. The LDS temples were closed for sealings, the venue wasn’t available and the shelter in place meant you couldn’t gather in a group to celebrate.

The Wedding

Kara and Ben ended up deciding to have a small wedding with a few family members and close friends. The wedding was held in Bens’s father’s back yard.