Jenn & AJ's Wedding

You may remember Jenn & AJ's engagement session, which we photographed at Indiana State University and the Sky King Airport in Terre Haute, IN where AJ trained to become a pilot. One of the most unique things about their engagement is that they decided to retain their purity before marriage by not even sharing a KISS until their wedding day!! So you can only imagine the build up of every single minute leading up to their wedding ceremony. Leading up to the ceremony, nerves were pretty high in anticipation of everything going as perfectly as planned, so when the ceremony actually happened, everyone just let loose with tears and emotion.

The girls decided to get ready at the church, and in order to have enough mirrors and outlets for hair and makeup, they decided to take over both the women's and men's restrooms!


How many bridesmaids does it take to zip up a dress?





I love completely random unexpected portraits like this one. I used to avoid taking pictures when people would look directly at the camera while I was trying to capture them in a candid moment, but lately I've decided that these moments are just as real as any other, so why should I try to act like they never happened?


The moment when a father gives away his daughter is so meaningful..


During the ceremony, Jenn & AJ had a slideshow projected onto a screen along with sound that they had prerecorded. They talked about their relationship, how they met, and the promises they made to each other. It was very moving and so many people were moved by their love for each other.


The looooooooong awaited kiss!!!!!!!!!


Jenn & AJ had so many personal touches and one of the most unique was that they had paper airplanes for their guests to toss during their exit!


The ceremony was at the First Baptist Church of North Vernon, IN and the reception was at the Clifty Inn in Madison, IN, which is quite a bit of a drive! So I made the most of our long drive to Madison. ;-)


Before arriving at the reception site, we stopped for a few pictures at a beautiful historic home and gardens in Madison, as well as a few in the city and along the Ohio river..




(for what it's worth - that's real motion blur, not photoshopped blur ;-)

Jenn's grandmother loved Kewpie dolls, so these were placed as a little reminder...



This is probably one of my favorite photos!! I just love everything about it!


They had a bubble machine for their first dance! Do you know how hard it is to focus on bubbles?!





The view from the back of the Inn was beautiful and with the clear sky, you could see well into Kentucky! Such a perfect way to end a perfect day! Congratulations Jenn & AJ!


PS!!!!!!! Please vote for your favorite image by leaving a comment!! The bride & groom will receive a free enlargement of the blog reader's favorite!! (They get all the files anyway, so this is just for fun!)

Boudoir

Just one teaser, courtesy of the bride! There are so many things I love about this image that make it a piece of art I would be proud to hang in my bathroom. From the hexagon tiles, often found in custom homes of the early 1900s, to the exposed radiator echoing the vertical lines in her stockings, which leads your eye up to just a sample of a cute and seemingly nude bottom (though her and I both know that she was covered!) Most of all, I love that it has an overall feel of a classic pin-up photo from the 1950s. I just love black & white for boudoir photos, I feel like it adds a sense of mystery that seems to be lost on color photos. Don't get me wrong, there are times when color is the way to go, but my favorites almost always end up being B&W. ;-)

Zoe & Zak - Indiana University Engagement

For Zoe & Zak's engagement session, we went to the place where Zak proposed - Indiana University in Bloomington, IN. I always make it a challenge when I revisit a location to see things in new ways and to find different angles and scenery that I hadn't explored before. More than anything, I love hearing the stories that meaningful locations like this bring to mind. Zoe & Zak had me laughing so hard- it's obvious they have a great time together. ;-)

Zak proposed in this favorite romantic spot on campus...


As we were walking through campus, Zoe spotted a paver with Zak's fraternity on it...






A campus landmark..


This is a great example of how silly Zoe & Zak can be together (I'm sure worse things have happened to Mr. Wells over the years!!)


For some reason, I was in the mood to create more dramatic images for Zoe & Zak. Maybe it was their dark hair and gorgeous eyes, or maybe it was because they were great at pulling off a serious look, I don't know why exactly - but I love these images...









Last but not least, the famous Sample Gates. This image reminds me of a European street scene... I just love it!!

Published in Brides Michigan Magazine!!

A few months ago I was contacted by one of the editors at Brides magazine about featuring Meg & Eric's engagement photo from the Garden Bowl in an article, and today I received the published version in the mail! I'm VERY honored because I did not solicit my photography to the magazine for publication, nor do I advertise with them. This particular photo has won SEVERAL awards, and I just love Meg & Eric, so I'm very excited that it will be permanently featured in publication!

Here's the article with photo...


Here's the cover to look for so you can snag your own copy!! There are two different covers featured this season, so keep your eyes peeled for the other version as well!

Touring Band Photos - Stampead

One fateful night in Terre Haute, I stepped into The Verve to find a group of four incredibly talented musicians touring the country, sharing their music. I'm passionate about supporting independent musicians, so I took a few pictures for the blog to help spread the word. To my surprise, the guys loved the images so much that they asked if we could do a photoshoot the next time they came to town. That was a few months ago and because they were just ending a tour, I waited to post these images until they started touring again. Now that they're back on tour, I urge you to check out samples of their music along with their tour schedule by visiting http://www.myspace.com/stampead, you won't be disappointed. Here's where they'll be over the next week...
7/13/07 - Kalamazoo, MI - Boomerang's
7/14/07 - Chesterton, IN - The Sidetrack
7/15/07 - Michigan City, IN - Red, White, & Brews Fest
7/18/07 - Ft. Wayne, IN - Legends

Detroit Brides Hair & Makeup

I've been meaning to post this for a loooonnnng time but this whole wedding season has had me super busy!! I think one of the nicest things you can do for yourself on your wedding day is to have hair & makeup people come to you at your hotel or home so that you can sleep in a little later and not worry about fighting traffic on your wedding day. Surprising, there aren't a ton of makeup and hair artists who will give up their station at a salon on a Saturday to travel to you on your wedding day. So, when my former bride, Heather, told me that she was going to start traveling for brides - I couldn't wait to share the news!! I've always loved what she's done with her own makeup, and when I saw what she could do with other girls, I was even more impressed!! So, if you're in the Detroit area and you're looking for a good hair & makeup person who will travel to you on your wedding day, give Heather a call to set up a pre-wedding trial!!

BIG HUG to Megan Reul!!

Megan is a super-sweet and ultra talented photographer & graphic designer who I've come to just adore through our email conversations. She recently received recognition for her polaroid self-portrait in a BluDomain contest and I'm incredibly flattered that she listed my blog as her favorite!! Since I can't give her a big hug in person, I'm hoping to send a little bit of love her way! Check out her website, where she showcases her fun and funky designs and photography - all full of life!!

Isn't she adorable!?

Meeting Via Video iChat!

Scott & Caitlin live in California and really wanted to meet me to talk about their wedding photography, but it would be a bit much to fly from Indiana just to meet. So when they asked if I could do a video ichat, I said absolutely!! Thanks to ichat and the built-in cameras on our macs, we were able to meet like we were sitting across the table from each other even though the sun had already set here in Indiana and it was still sunny in California! I have to admit, it's a little awkward meeting someone via video for the first time, and watching yourself on video is ALWAYS weird, but what a great way to save time, money, and a little bit of the environment! If you're interesting in video chatting, just email me and we'll schedule a time to meet on ichat! ;-)

Megan & Jason Engagement

This was my first time visiting the Indiana University campus in Bloomington, IN and I can see why it would be easy for a couple of college students to fall in love there!! Especially in the spring and fall with all of the trees and gardens! For Megan & Jason, this campus is where their friendship and relationship really blossomed.





These next few all remind me of movie scenes..











After looking at these last three engagement sessions, it would seem as though you should be prepared to take your shoes off around me and be ready to get wet or sandy, but I assure you that all shoes are welcome. However, if you decide to wear flip-flops, there's a pretty high chance that they'll be coming off at some point!

Sporting a little school spirit...


During the final hour before sunset, we headed out to Lake Griffey where Jason proposed to Megan. Everything was just beautiful from the canopy of trees, to the still lake, and the setting sun... I can only imagine how special it was when he proposed and how special it will be each time they revisit that moment.