Anah and Dan’s Country Affair

This weekend I was lucky enough to have a double header.  Err, that is, I was able to photograph TWO weddings!

Anah and Dan were married outside of Sparta on Saturday.  It was a truly beautiful day.  The ceremony and reception were at her parent’s cabin, nestled in a valley, surrounded by hills and cornfields.  The temperature and weather cooperated and there weren’t even any bugs!  How lucky is that?

Anyway, this couple is moving to the Honduras to teach on Saturday, so it was a very special day for them.  In addition to getting married, you could tell that it meant so much to them that so many of their friends and family were there to share it with them.   And I had the privilege to witness it.

Funny story: Dan and the groomsmen “kidnapped” me for a quick photo session.  They were so funny- fighting with corn stalks, doing their “Backstreet Boys” pose, and more.  I only posted a few of the pictures, but there will be more on my website when I’m done editing.  :)

Anah and Dan, best wishes on your new adventure.  Here is your sneak peak:

 

Jeannene and Shea…. it’s about darn time!

Friday I had the pleasure of meeting Jeannene and Shea when I photographed their wedding.  These two had been high school sweethearts, and dated for SIX years!  It was a beautiful wedding in Menomonie at St. Joseph’s Catholic Church, and it had the most beautiful ceremony music I’ve ever heard.  They had a couple who sang, and their voices were incredible! The reception was at the gorgeous dinner theater in Eau Claire, Fanny Hill. Last time I was at Fanny Hill was well over 10 years ago when I was in high school… I hardly remembered how pretty it was!

 

The fantastic Kelly assisted me again at this wedding, and we got some great shots.  You may remember seeing a picture of her from Agi and Joe’s wedding and you may be seeing more from her in the future!  Anyway, Kelly and I decided that Shea looked like a young Mel Gibson.  What do you think?  :)

 

Here is the teaser of Jeannene and Shea’s wedding photos.  When the rest are done being edited, they will be posted on my website.  Enjoy!

 

My exciting birthday news!

Last Friday was my birthday, and I had an exciting birthday present that I have to share. I was… (are you ready for this?)…. interviewed for an article in Modern Bride magazine. How exciting, right?

Anyway, the interview was concerning the possibility of bartering for wedding photography. Bartering is something that I’d consider doing if it was a good trade for both parties, and I’ve even advertised it before. So if that article makes it into the magazine, it likely won’t be in print for a couple months. But either way, I’m kind of excited at the possibility of it. Don’t worry, I’ll keep you all posted!

Heather and Jake’s Fairytale Wedding

Friday I photographed Heather and Jake’s wedding at Drugan’s Country Club in Holman, Wisconsin. It was a beautiful outdoor wedding, complete with fireworks!

There were some really neat touches- Heather’s jewelry had been worn by both her mother and grandmother. Nearly the entire wedding party (and the couple’s parents) all gave speeches. It was quite possibly one of the most emotional weddings I’ve ever attended. The groom referred to it as “sappy”. And it was the first time I teared up at a wedding that I wasn’t a guest. It’s a job hazard, I guess.

Anyway, here are some preview pictures. The rest will be posted to my website after they are done being edited.

Trying something new: Maternity Session

Since I specialize in weddings, it’s not often that I get the chance to do other things. However, I’ve been lucky because I have two senior portrait sessions in the next few weeks, and I was also asked to do a maternity session for Stacey. She is due in two weeks, and was an incredibly good sport about doing anything asked of her. (Not to mention she makes a killer lasagna and yummy fruit salad!)

I also had the pleasure of working with Vince at this session. Since I mainly work with natural light and a combination of flashes, and he has a great knowledge of studio lighting, it was interesting to see the different types of photos that came out of the session.   Some of you may see Vince in the future as he may become a part-time member of the Images of Distinction team.

Anyway, two types of pictures came out of this session: the relaxed looking, natural light photos, and the more artistic, studio photos. Now some of them will be posted on my site with password protection, and not here on the blog for privacy’s sake. If you are interested in viewing examples that aren’t shown, just let me know

So finally, here they are:

The wedding of a long-lost friend

We all have them: the friends from high school that we simply lose contact with. Agi and I had known each other for a long time. If my memory is correct (no guarantees!), we were in the same first grade class in Chetek, Wisconsin.

Anyway, after graduation, we parted ways and hadn’t spoken since then. That is, until Agi and Joe got engaged and they began their search for a wedding photographer. By luck, she stumbled upon my website, and realized that, even though I was married and my name had changed, it was me! I was flattered that they asked me to be a part of their special day, and ecstatic to see an old friend again. It was a beautiful day in the country. The site was perfect, details were amazing, and best of all, Agi and Joe started their new life together.

I’m also pleased to announce that I had an amazing second shooter that day. Here is Kelly, in all her paparazzi glory. She got some awesome pictures herself! If I’m lucky, she might be assisting me at any weddings up in the Eau Claire/Chetek area. (Right, Kelly?)

Anyway, here is Agi and Joe’s preview. You may notice three pictures of the flowers, and two of the rings. I had a hard time choosing between all the great pictures so some similar ones made it into the preview. You may also notice some fun details: the owl wearing the garter, dress hanging from a woodpile, centerpiece flowers in mason jars- there was so many great things to photograph! There will be plenty more great ones on my website in the next week or two. Stay tuned!

Sarah and Tim’s Italian-themed wedding

Saturday I traveled to The Three Bear’s Lodge in Warrens, Wisconsin for Sarah and Tim’s wedding. It was gorgeous there, and I would never have thought that a resort like that would be so great for a wedding ceremony and reception. And there were TONS of great photo spots.

The theme of the event was based on Italy. From the food, wine, flowers, dresses, and even the music, it was a beautiful day. I think I’m a bit biased- I have loved Italy ever since I visited there in 2002. In fact, I even planned my best friend’s bridal shower with the same theme!

Anyway, I’m sure you aren’t here to read what I’m saying- it’s all about the pictures! Here you go!