Leah + Matt + Screaming Eagles = GOOD TIME!

Yup, you read it right.  The Screaming Eagles made a guest appearance at Leah and Matt’s wedding reception.  Before you can ask… no, Leah and Matt had NO idea that the marching band would be showing up.  Let me tell/show you the story of their night:

First, around 7:30, we started hearing something over the reception music.  

 

This this walked in:

The crowd went wild! The director started telling a story that led to the groom and several of his buddies being asked to sing a song to the bride.  No, it wasn’t planned!

Then the director requested that the bride come direct the band.  Apparently she was in the band at one point… or maybe she was a student conductor.  I’m not quite sure how that worked!

Then the band played a polka.  Good times were had by all…

I’d like to give a HUGE thanks to Luke who assisted me for the first time at this wedding.  He took this last picture of the band, and also a few in the slideshow.  Hopefully you’ll be seeing more pictures from him before he moves away!

Anyway, Leah and Matt- thanks again for choosing me as your photographer.  It was a gorgeous day, and so much fun!  Plus, your family was the easiest I’ve ever worked with to get formal pictures done quickly and painlessly.  And lastly, the church was so beautiful and light!  It was one of the best churches I’ve worked in!  What a great day.  :)

Here is your slideshow, and the rest will be posted to the website in a few weeks.  Enjoy!

Brian & Angela’s Wedding at St. Leo’s and Stoney Creek Inn

Saturday Jen and I headed out to West Salem and Onalaska to photograph Angela and Brian’s wedding.  It was a gorgeous, warm, and SUNNY October day.  After we showed up, I was witness to a definite “first”: the bride did a shot in the church!  Well, it was actually a shot of Pepto-Bismol, but it was pretty funny to catch a picture of it:

The whole wedding had some neat details.  From the individual cakes on each table to the personalized wedding quilt to the Redneck Express Party Bus, it was a unique experience.  In fact, I got a pretty darn cool picture of their transportation.  Yes, you are seeing it correctly… that is rays of light surrounding the party bus.  It’s almost like the skies opened up and smiled on the Redneck Express!  (Okay, I’ll stop with the cheesy jokes!)

 

But seriously, this is one of my favorite pictures of the day… 

Angela and Brian, thank you for letting Images of Distinction share your wedding day.  Congratulations!

Erica and Wayne’s Classic Wedding At The Orpheum

Saturday was Erica and Wayne’s wedding, so Sean and I headed out to The Orpheum.  It was a beautiful wedding with lots of great details!  And I have to say that it was probably the coolest venue I’ve ever done… and also the most difficult!  But so far, the pictures look great!  

I don’t have any of Sean’s photos for the preview yet (those should be coming in the next week or two), but in spite of that, I had a tough time deciding which photos to use!  Check it out for yourself: 

 

 

 

 

And here is their slideshow!

Michele and Jason’s Wedding at Justin Trails

At the Bridal Expo last January, I met Michele and Jason.  Right away I knew that would be a fun couple, and their excitement was contagious.  And, of course, one of the best ways to charm me is when a couple picks their wedding day based on my availability.  When Michele said they’d pick whatever day worked for me, I knew they’d be one of my favorite couples!  :)

Anyway, they planned their wedding from Colorado with the help of family and friends.  All I can say is, “WOW!” The details, personalization, and location were just perfect.  Seriously.  Here are my top 10 favorite things about Jason and Michele’s wedding:

1) Everyone at the wedding had a bell.  Either a jingle bell or a bell like you’d see in a bell choir.  Instead of music to walk in to, each member of the wedding party and the parents had a bell in a certain tone. The officiant asked everyone to affirm Jason and Michele’s decision to marry, and everyone had to ring their bells.   It was enchanting. 

2) Instead of having a “bride’s bouquet”, she and Jason collected a flower from the entire bridal party- this represented the love and support that all of them have given to the couple over the years.

3) Their wedding program was a small booklet that contained, among other things, the “Story of Us” that chronicled their lives, including travels through India, China, Cambodia, and Thailand.  It also had recipes for their dessert table.  More on dessert later.

4) The location, Justin Trails, was near Sparta, Wisconsin.  It’s beautiful there, and the Inn was absolutely amazing!

5) Their family and friends were SO nice and welcoming!  And everybody was happy.  All day.  Even in spite of a 20 degree temperature change from afternoon to evening.  Yes, we could see our breath because it was so cold!

6) Their guest book was a quilt that Michele made.  They asked guests to sign it, and the wedding party dipped their hands in paint so they could personalize the quilt with a handprint.  From what I hear, it’s a blessing/symbol of luck in one of the countries they visited.  

7) Instead of a wedding cake, they asked their family and friends to make favorite desserts.  These were then spread out on a table… Mmm!  I snuck a marshmallow/chocolate cookie.  That is the bestest cookie I have ever had!

8 ) They cared so much about recycling and being “green” that they went to a local football game in Colorado and collected the plastic beer cups that just get thrown away.  They used these at their wedding.   Interesting, and really darn smart!

9) Michele had her mom’s wedding dress in the same room she was getting ready in.  She even tried in on for us!  How cool is that?  And all her jewelry/accessories had a neat story about it.

10) Any wedding program that has the sentences “Groom learns Bride is tough and Bride reminded that Groom is crazy” and “…Couple has to change plans and return to Bangkok, Thailand for Bride’s rabies shots” has got to be a good indication of a fun wedding!  And it was!

Okay, enough words.  I know you came here for the pictures.  Here are a couple favorites:

 

 

 

 

            

 

 

And now for the slideshow:

Announcing the WINNERS of the Giveaway!

Thanks to everyone who entered the Images of Distinction 2nd Annual Wedding Photography Giveaway.  There were quite a few entries, and some great stories.  The judges have voted and the results are in!

The decision was tough.  Contestants this year were from Wisconsin, South Carolina, Texas, and California.  They were still in school, military veterans, volunteers, and news anchors.  We saw funny stories, sad stories, and very genuine stories. 

Knowing how hard it was to choose among all the great entries, I’m proud to announce the winners!  Rebecca and John will be getting married in La Crosse, Wisconsin next summer and have won a free “Silver” package from Images of Distinction.  Here is an excerpt from her entry, and one of the reasons the judges found them to be so sweet and genuine:

 

“About a month into our relationship I was about to head to Germany for a three week student exchange program, when John decided it would be too hard to spend three weeks apart. Three days before I had to leave, John decided he was going to find some way to come too… Somehow he planned the same trip it took me months to plan in three days. It was on that trip that I truly fell in love with him, and I know he truly fell in love with me”

And here they are!

 

 

To everyone that entered, thank you!  It was difficult for all the judges and myself narrow it down to the top three, much less the winners!  To Rebecca and John, congratulations! I’m looking forward to working with you next year.