Ryan and Carlene: Married May 16, 2009

Posted on May 31, 2009

CEDARBURG, Wis: Pull up a chair, blog readers…this is going to be a long one. In fact, I’m going to try and keep the words to a minimum since I have so many images I want to share from Carlene and Ryan’s perfect day. Of course, I say I’m not going to say much, but sometimes I can’t help it. Especially when the subject is people I LOVE so much!

So, here we go…

This is Carlene’s dad as he got his first look at the last of his daughters to be married off. Now, we all know I have a thing for dads. That soft spot grows when it comes to dads with multiple girls. Warren has three girls. Confession: I plan to ask him to adopt me too. A girl can always use another dad, right?

Carlene’s mom is also very high on the list of people I love. I know few people who are more organized than Connie. And she definitely passed those organization skills on to her daughters. I think the day was so laid back in large part due to the fact that the Schmidt girls were in control of all the details.

I am notorious for taking pictures of people taking pictures. This one made me wonder what they were giggling about!

Carlene was so anxious to get the ceremony started. Here she is in the last moments with her dad before heading down the aisle. It was pretty tough to peek through that tiny crack in the door!

Inside the church, the crowd was just as excited to get things started. I love this moment Karl captured between the parents of the groom as they waited for Carlene to make her grand entrance.

During the ceremony, Carlene’s nephew Charlie kept some of the guests entertained with his adorable smile.

Speaking of smiles, this moment right after the unity candle lighting was classic. One of the wobbly candles fell over and Carlene’s best attempts to fix it failed. Everyone got a good laugh.

After they were pronounced husband and wife, the newlyweds went pew by pew to thank their guests for coming. It was the perfect time for a great big hug from niece Abbey.

You may wonder what Carlene is laughing at. The truth is, there was no funny joke. That laugh is in response to a very pregnant photographer trying to “crouch down” to get a good angle on the bouquet. I was laughing too.

The Kison family farm was the perfect spot for some celebrating and picture taking with the bridal party!

Just a week before their wedding, Ryan lost his grandmother unexpectedly. We stopped at her home to capture her beautiful gardens.

This picture was a special request from the Kison family. That’s their farm in the background! Cool, right?

As guests arrived at the reception, they were greeted by lots of personalized details, including this monogram in the wedding colors!

Another really cool detail: instead of your regular table numbers, each table was numbered with a number important to the couple!

This was totally a first for us: a tractor at the reception. It totally fit right in and provided a great spot for the band to set up for the evening!

In case anyone is wondering: THIS is the way you make your grand entrance to the reception!

Carlene and Ryan, we can’t thank you enough for including us in your special day. We are so happy for you guys to start this new chapter in your lives together. We look forward to seeing you guys soon (like tomorrow) and hearing all about your awesome honeymoon roadtrip!

Here is your slideshow.

You’ll find your gallery here.

Enjoy married life!

All is Well!

Posted on May 28, 2009

Just a quick note to let everyone know our galleries and ordering system are back up and running.

Thanks for putting up with us!

I’ll be back in a couple of days with more from Carlene and Ryan’s awesome wedding day!

Whoops!

Posted on May 26, 2009

Don’t you just love technology? We sure do….except for when it doesn’t work.

If you’ve tried to access our ordering galleries, you already know that something isn’t quite right over there. We’re aware of the problem and we’re working to get it fixed with some help from our tech support folks. Things should be back up and running by the end of the week…just in time for me to post Carlene and Ryan’s wedding!

Thanks for bearing with us!

Monday Moments: Carlene and Ryan Edition

Posted on May 18, 2009

CEDARBURG, Wis: I’m not even sure how to start this Monday Moments other than to say we LOVE Carlene and Ryan. And now, after a weekend with their families, we officially love the WHOLE Schmidt/Kison clan! In the spirit of full disclosure, I should mention that Carlene is the sister of one of my very best friends, and auntie to three of the most adorable children that Karl and I are lucky enough to hang out with on a regular basis. So unlike most weddings where we know just the bride and groom, we went into this weekend feeling like a part of the family. And just like members of the family, we laughed, we (or rather I) cried, and we had a complete blast!

Here are just a handful of shots that stood out to me this evening:

Carlene was worried she wouldn’t smile enough in the hours leading up to her wedding ceremony. She even came to the getting ready room prepared with a playlist free of sappy music so the girls could dance. The truth is there were PLENTY of smiles. See, she’s totally glowing!

Her groom Ryan had plenty of smiles of his own. Karl met up with the guys at the Kison family farm where a couple of cute family pets were ready to steal the show.

Karl grabbed this moment right after the ceremony and it is definitely one of my favorites from the day. Joy, relief, and excitement all wrapped into one!

Did I mention that they had an absolutely textbook perfect weather wedding day? Nothing but blue skies and puffy white clouds!

And because I can’t help myself, I have to share a couple of fun outtakes:

This one is just for my mom. Mom LOVES cows more than anyone I know and I know she would be so jealous to know I got to pet some baby cows in between taking wedding party pictures at the Kisons. I think this little guy slobbered on me a bit.

And I’m sharing this one just because it made me laugh. I was being all ninja photographer up in the balcony during the ceremony when Sean almost blew my cover! I guess I wasn’t being so sneaky after all! Thanks for not outing me to the whole church buddy!

Here’s to a great week! Happy Monday!

P.S. You know what would really make my week? If we got some real blog comments! It’s so sad to sign into the blog and find nothing but spam ads for Viagra! Help a girl out, won’t ya?

Brad and Michelle: Married May 2nd, 2009

Posted on May 17, 2009

GREEN BAY, Wis: Two weeks ago, Brad and Michelle helped us kick off the 2009 summer wedding season with a bang. After a few days of rain and cold, we lucked out with some gorgeous blue skies for their wedding day. We did, however, have to battle some crazy wind when we were outside! Thankfully everyone was game to brave the wind and nobody blew away!

If I’ve learned anything during my time in the getting ready room, it’s that it really does take a village to put on a wedding dress. Sometimes I wonder when bridesmaids sign on to be in the wedding party if they know exactly what they’re getting themselves in to!

While the girls were inside getting ready, the guys were outside decorating the car for the newlyweds. The crazy wind I mentioned earlier called for the use of duct tape and lots of creativity.

Back inside, this little man caused quite a stir among the bridesmaids. Granted I’m dealing with plenty of pregnancy hormones, but really, it doesn’t get any cuter than that right?

These next two photos go together. They were taken just moments apart and I think they both really speak to the anticipation for the bride and groom in the moments before the ceremony.

First, the bride:

Once the dress is on, the bride has little else to do but think about what’s about to happen.

And there’s just as much anticipation for the groom as he prepares to walk into the sanctuary.

And then there’s the moment we’re all waiting for: when Brad gets his first glimpse of Michelle walking down the aisle!

Less than an hour later, they’re married! And now it’s off for pictures and partying!

Since we’re still pretty early in the wedding season, we only had to share Pamprin Park with one other bridal party! These guys had lots of ideas for some fun group shots.

And then we had some quiet time with just Brad and Michelle. To me this picture is pure newlywed excitement!

Michelle chose to incorporate lots of color into the wedding and the flowers were probably my favorite part. They were SO vibrant!

Ah, the first first dance of Summer 2009. They sang to eachother as they danced. And I cried. Pretend you’re shocked!

Speaking of crying, I think I laughed until I cried during the grand march. I knew the bridal party was a fun group of people and they definitely didn’t let me down!

Brad and Michelle, thanks so much for asking us to be a part of your day! Karl and I had so much fun and we are so excited for you to start your new life together.

We hope you enjoy your slideshow here.

You can find your gallery here.

And the first cheese shot of Summer 2009. Pretend it’s not blurry! It was late!!

The Return of Monday Moments: Michelle and Brad Edition

Posted on May 5, 2009

GREEN BAY, Wis: Hey look! We’re still here! I know the blog has been a bit (or more than a bit) dead over the past few months as we hibernated our way through another long Wisconsin winter, but we’re BACK! I can promise an exciting summer on the In This Moment Photography Blog filled with fun couples and the arrival of an adorable baby. For those that haven’t heard we’re expecting the next generation of ITMP to arrive in June!

So, now that spring has finally sprung here in NE Wisconsin, I’m happy to share some images from our first wedding of the busy season. It always feels so great for us to get back into our wedding routine after a nice long break. This year we were lucky enough to work with Brad and Michelle who were so happy to be getting married that they didn’t mind us being so excited to be taking pictures again!

It wasn’t easy to pick just three moments to sneak peek tonight but here’s what I came up with:

I just loved this “post first kiss” ceremony moment. Brad and Michelle were just giddy!

This is what happened when I asked Brad how skilled he was in the art of dipping his bride. It appears perhaps they had been practicing!

And finally, one of my favorite reception moments. Otis, the master of ceremonies, demanded Brad perform a dance for the ladies during garter retrieval. With some costume help from a nearby guest, Brad channeled his inner cowboy.

There are many, many more moments to share from this weekend, which will keep me busy editing for the next several days, but check back late next week for more!

Happy Monday! It feels good to be back!

Kristine and Joshua: Married January 31st, 2009!

Posted on February 22, 2009

NEENAH, Wis: Kristine and Joshua are our second brave winter wedding couple this year! It’s kind of fun when the “not so busy” season turns a little busy. Of course it helped that Karl and I had just returned from a week in Florida. It also helped that Kristine and Joshua are absolutely adorable and really fun to work with!

Kristine and Joshua were also really punctual, which allowed us to get many of the traditional portraits taken care of before the ceremony.

While Karl was getting things set up for the groom’s shots, I captured these moments between Joshua and his mom.

Now we all know I have a soft spot for dads and daughters, but these two really warmed my heart.

And of course, Kristine and her dad didn’t let me down in the emotion department. I’ve got to give kudos to Mr. Kellner who gave away both of his daughters in the past 6 months! That’s got to be rough on a dad!

I love when there’s a moment of laughter during the ceremony. It gives those of us who are prone to crying a little break!

Speaking of laughter, I had to share this recessional outtake. Check out the bottom right corner. It appears Joshua’s flower came flying off on the return down the aisle. Don’t worry, someone rescued it in time for the post ceremony photos!

After the ceremony, the wedding party took a drive out to Lawrence University for a few winter wonderland pictures. Cold weather means snuggling is necessary! I told you these two were adorable!

I think I lost feelings in my fingers and my toes, but this shot made all of that worth it.

The love between these two was clear throughout the day, but especially during their first dance. You could tell they were just really happy to be married!

There was no way I could not share this dad/daughter moment. I can just imagine the bittersweet feeling for dad!

Now these next three images might just be my favorite reception sequence ever…

Do you think they were having fun? I’m not sure. I am, however, sure that my husband rocks for capturing that sequence.

And finally, you know it’s a good party when Homer Simpson shows up to join the bride and groom on the dance floor!

Kristine and Joshua, thanks so much for including us in your wedding. We had a blast! Hope you had a wonderful tropical honeymoon!

Enjoy your slideshow!

You’ll find your gallery here.

Lacey and Ben: Married December 31, 2008!

Posted on February 22, 2009

NEW LONDON, Wis: Karl and I consider ourselves lucky to have rung in 2009 with Lacey, Ben, and a few hundred of their closest family and friends, even if it did force us to stay up past our early bedtime! We don’t shoot many weddings in the winter here in Wisconsin, due in large part to the uncertainty of winter weather. But Lacey and Ben were well rewarded for taking that risk. Their day was beautiful and unique to them!

Our day began bright and early as we met up with the girls at the salon in Greenville. Lacey took some time to snuggle with her cute flower girl before heading to the church to finish getting ready.

We arrived at the church to find Ben already proving what a great husband he will be. He left beautiful roses and a sweet card for Lacey to find in her getting ready room.

I grabbed this shot of Lacey just moments before she walked down the aisle. Doesn’t she look totally calm and ready to get the show on the road?

Meanwhile, Ben waited patiently at the end of the aisle to catch his first glimpse of his bride.

This would be the moment an observant guest might have heard sniffling from the balcony. Lacey and Ben chose to do a hand ceremony, which was incredibly touching and brought forth my first tears of the day. Please note: I fully plan to blame pregnancy hormones for the rest of the year.

There really is nothing like a church decorated for Christmas. It’s something to keep in mind for those considering a winter wedding! These guys didn’t have to do very much to decorate the church since so much was still up for the holiday season.

Married! I love that Lacey is checking out her new husband on the walk back down the aisle!

It was very VERY cold outside on this day, so we opted to take advantage of the church’s beauty before venturing outside and risking frostbite!

This image totally captures the love and devotion of that wedding party. If you knew what we had to do to get out to that spot, and how cold it was outside you would understand! I didn’t know whether to feel worse for the girls, who were wearing open toed shoes, or the guys who had no traction in their dress shoes. Thankfully, nobody was injured in the creation of these photos!

It may have been cold, but it was totally worth it to capture a little winter wonderland for these two!

After our outside pictures, the wedding party stopped into a nearby bar to warm up before moving on to the reception!

Speaking of the reception, I just loved this moment during the toasts. Lacey and Ben have some very funny friends!

And a New Years wedding wouldn’t be complete without the kiss at midnight! What a cool wedding day memory!

Lacey and Ben, thanks so much for asking us to be a part of your special day! As we ring in 2010 with our new addition, we’ll think of you guys!

Enjoy your slideshow.

You can find your gallery here.

Enjoy married life!

Happy New Year! We’re Outta Here!

Posted on January 10, 2009

Hello all and welcome to 2009! It’s hard to believe we’re already 10 days into the new year!

Karl and I are very excited for all the amazing things 2009 has in store for us and our clients. In the coming weeks we look forward to sharing with you our final wedding of 2008 (Congrats Lacey and Ben) as well as a year in review In This Moment style. We’re also excited to share some new things we have planned for the new year.

But before we can get to all of that, we have some important business to take care of: rest and relaxation. The In This Moment Photography office will be closed from January 10th through January 19th so your photographer friends can defrost somewhere warm. All calls and emails received during that time will be returned the week of January 20th.

We’ll see you all in a few days, with plenty of pictures to share!

Happy Holidays: One Week Print Special

Posted on December 1, 2008

Can you believe it? We’re just 24 days away from Christmas! This year has just flown by and 2009 is going to be here before we know it!

As a gift to all of the clients who have made 2008 such an amazing year for In This Moment Photography, we’re offering a special coupon code for print orders this week. Just enter this coupon code: 98376cca when you check out and you’ll receive 10% off your order. The coupon code will work through December 6th, which is also our deadline for holiday print orders. That needs to be repeated, and perhaps in bold: If you want to give prints as gifts this Christmas you MUST place your order by December 6th!

There is also still time to order Christmas cards if you’re interested in those. A 10% discount will also apply to card orders paid for before December 6th.

Now I’m off to decorate the tree!

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