St John Vianney
Davenport Country Club
Studio D Photography
Clazzy Designs
Heller Cakes
Master DJ Tanner
Men’s Wearhouse
QC Trolley
The Princess Bride

“So! Why do we need __(2 or 3) photographers to capture our wedding”?   During the interview process it is a frequently asked question.  Phrased another way we are asked what our assistants do.

One photographer can cover one thing at a time.  Something is going to be missed. Just a simple statement of fact.  Adding extra people photographing the day’s events means broader coverage.  It really is that simple.

Lexie caught this image while lights were being tested for formals.  It was going on out in the lobby. This young lady pretended and played “bride” all day.  She loved everything wedding!

I grabbed this shot with a groomsman from Kansas, and he was totally into the John Deere Pavillion and all of the equipment.  His friends were not about to curl up in a tire.  He on the otherhand had seen a 4 year old do it, and he wanted to do it just for fun.  Where were the other photographers?  Grabbing shots in another area of the pavillion totally out of site from us.

Tony grabbed this shot while I was shooting formals and Lexie was outside getting shots of the church.  Tony saw the light and played.  Our job is to NOT cookie cutter produce the images.  We avoid formulas for capturing the day.

St Pius X

Jumers Hotel Casino Rock Island

Hy-Vee for florals

Luxury Limo

John Taylor Salon for bridal hair and makeup

Proofs may be viewed by clicking here. Password is the groom’s last name in lower case.

Sometimes you just happen to be in the right place at the right time without even trying, and this was one of those times.  When they stepped into the altar to sign the marriage license the sun was behind a cloud.  All of a sudden Tina was bathed in a beautiful beam of light coming through a small stained glass window.

No one was being camera aware. Instead they were watching the officiant sign and complete the legal document. One of my favorite captures from the day.  More to follow.

Look at Brian beaming as Tina signed.  He smiled all day.  He was so thrilled for it to be his wedding day, and after the ceremony and thorughout the evening he was never far from Tina’s side.

Makeup design by Erin Kay Seddon….simply flawless as always.  It was hectic and a small space, and it was crazy with getting ready activities and people.  The thing that is so awesome to watch is Erin cool as a cucumber making the bride beautiful!

Their first dance was one of the most romantic moments we have seen this season.  It wasn’t something planned. It was a simple dance. BUT Tina floated into his arms like she had been there for the last 20 years and knew exactly where she fit.  His eyes never looked anywhere but at her. You just knew as you watched them dance the chemistry between them was strong, solid, and like liquid fire.

Can you tell I liked this wedding?  Almost done with post production, and then the upload for proofs. A link will appear here when they are ready for viewing.

Proofs may be viewed by clicking here. Password is the groom’s last name in lower case

It was a jazzy mom day this past Saturday.  Both mom’s sparkled and beamed on top of lookin’ dynamite!

Hers

His

Vander Veer for a few breif snaps

piccie of the very much in love couple

Our Savior Lutheran Church
Vander Veer
The Outting Club
Clazzy Designs for floral and linens
SAS Entertainment and Dan
QC Trolley

Proof site may be viewed by clicking on this link password is the groom’s last name in lower case.

There’s the way it comes out of the camera.  There’s the way others see it.  Then there is the way I see it.  Some things just have to be done.  For me….. this image needed to be seen this way.

The original

Tyler and Katie’s wedding 08/15/2009

There is a slew of images to go through, so I find fav’s as I edit here and there throughout my Sunday.  Normally I don’t touch images the day after.  The brain needs a day to recover after a wedding. :)  BUT!  This wedding is fun, and it just keeps tempting me to come work on it some more.   Katie just melts into Tyler’s arms making it so easy to capture images like the one above.    If you are from the Quad Cities you know this landmark bridge.  It seems so fitting to see it in wedding images.

Let’s talk about entrances.  This groomsmen is at least 4 feet above the dance floor.  Can you top that without seriously being injured?

What the boys can do…. the girls can too……

…and in a gown we might add .

Little sassiness to end the night.  Katie smiles and the world around her lights up.

The next image was a grab shot by Lexie.  We didn’t expect it.  Katie walked in with her dad, and when she took Tyler’s arm she did what has been a long time custom….. she kissed the groom before the ceremony started.  Katie was a little embarrassed, but all the guests loved the moment.  That’s her mom with her hands over her eyes.

IMAGE PROOFS MAY BE VIEWED HERE. PASS IS GROOM LAST NAME IN LOWER CASE

Christ United Church
By The River
Davenport Raddison

A Storybook Ending
Boom Boom Party Bus
Clazzy Designs florals and linens
Ducky’s Formal Wear
Olde Towne Bakery for cookies
SAS Entertainment and DAN

The pink roses were huge and perfumed everywhere we went Saturday.   Jenny’s gown was perfect for her,

Daddy’s little girl…his youngest.   You can see it in his eyes as we did all day long, it was an emotional day for him.  The love between both the groom and the bride and their parents and their sister and brothers was huge.  The day was filled with laughter, tears, hugs, and lots of shared moments.

They did not see each other before the ceremony, so the portraits were done after the ceremony.  Doing it later gave us this wonderful shaft of sunlight on the back altar wall.

We wound up behind the skate park and by the river.  The goal for several months was to get shots of them at Le Claire Park where Matt proposed.  It has never been in the cards.  Weather, events, and other things have prevented it.   At least this time we were closer than all the other times.

Everything was fairly calm until best man brother #1 took the mic.  It started out ok. Nothing too revealing, but then he began to talk about a guest that should be there since he was Matt’s friend for the last 25 years.  It got better and better for brother #1 and the guests with laughter filling the hall.

Jenny laughed until she cried. Matt turned red, hid his face, laughed, and finally laughed until he cried.  Who was this guest of honor that has been Matt’s friend for the last 25 years?

It was his beloved Teddy!   Not to be out done best man brother #2 tells Jenny about not hanging Teddy on the clothes line by his ears if he ever needs a bath because that was one of Matt’s worst ever days as a kid.

Daddy’s hug at the end of the Father Daughter dance.  Think Das was feeling the emotions of giving away his daughter?

Mother Son Dance was no different.  Matt was filled with tenderness while he danced with his mom.

A few moments alone.  The Raddison is good for creating those little getaway places in the lobby.

Proofs may be viewed by clicking on this link. The password is the groom’s last name in lower case.

First Meeting Before The Wedding

After a flurry of activity, laughter, hunting for items, water, makeup, and all the things it takes to get the bride ready we were ready for the bride and groom to have their time alone before the ceremony. Off I went to find John and take him to the altar where he would wait for Amber.

What was different this time is that John comes from a large family, and Amber’s family was all there complete with all the grandparents as well.  We had to almost beg to get everyone to leave the sanctuary.  If you look really carefully they are all gathered at the windows watching cameras poised.

It is a hard decision for Studio D. It is a wonderful candid moment for great photos.  Our promise is we will shoot a few images and then leave with everyone else.  It is truly meant to be time alone for the couple.  If the photographers stay, they are not alone.

Amber’s mom is on the right in the window.

John’s mom and sisters with Mom crying. So! We did something we have never done before.  After a few moments we brought both mom’s into the sanctuary and let them go join their son and daughter.

A few moments after that we opened the doors for the bridal party and family to join in and we started the wedding portraits.  Watching John stand quietly after his time alone with Amber with a tear still in his eye his love for Amber was written all over his expression.   He didn’t say anything.  He didn’t do anything.  He just had eyes for her.  It’s called love.

There’s another back story to their wedding.  It will take some time to pull the images, and there are a bunch of images to pull to do it justice.  Image files are archiving in another software program while I type this.  Tonight or tomorrow we will tell you that one as well!    Proofs will be up in a couple of days.

Proofs may be seen by clicking here. Choose amberjohn and your password is the groom’s last name in lower case.

Steve, Andrea, Lexie and I got together 9am the day after their Saturday May 30th weddings.  Back in the gown and the tux.   Andrea wore a bird cage veil, a fascinator, and then added a veil.  For the day after shoot her hair was down.  Day after shoots are a lot more relaxed because the gown is already ready for the cleaners. No worries about getting it dirty at this point.  The couple is alone with the photographers with no schedule to keep, and they are riding the huge wave of love from the day before.

The day of the ceremony her hair was up and beautifully tucked in the bird cage. Five Star Salon did a supurb job.

The classic car arrived from Klimme’s to wisk our bride and groom away in fitting style for our bride.

Flowers were by the very talented Damian of Milan Florists.  Two weeks in a row he’s been the floral designer for weddings we have captured.  Lovey, beautiful, esquiste… and he stays to make his presentation to the bride.

We could go on and on with images, but in the interest of not writing a novel………

Quad Cities Trolly wisked the bridal party to the reception and stayed to shuttle guests

Video was captured By Tom’s Videography (great to see him again)

Black Tie Entertainment provided a beautiful love story they are so famous for, and music flowed beautifully.

There were individual cakes on every table with a beautiful chocolate covered wedding cake from Sweet Perfections.

The groom is in love with Barq’s Root Beer in the bottle.  A pallet was shipped from Louisiana or Mississippi..never did get that story fully.  Every guest got to enjoy a cold Barq Root Beer.

Still deep in processing.  It will be a few days before the wedding goes to the proof site.  The couple left us yesterday to drive to Detroit and leave on their honeymoon with assurances they would not be near a computer until they got back.

Our surprise guest at the reception was the Brandenburgs from Brandenburg photography.  They finished their wedding and came to join the bride’s parents to help celebrate.  Great to see them as well!

Giving credit to the photographer that took a lot of the day’s shots of the guys……Lexie.  Lexie is a new assistant this season.  This one was fun for her. She went to high school with this group of guys.    She was not exempt to their teasing.   She got a workout keeping up with them!

The first image is my light and settings check when we first got there.

Proofs may be viewed here. Password is groom’s last name in lower case