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?

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!

Monday Moments: Kristin and Ryan Edition

Posted on September 24, 2008

Let’s get this out of the way first. Yes, it is Wednesday. Yes, this is a Monday Moments blog post. In my defense, we’ve been a *tad* over scheduled the past few days. Let’s see, Saturday was Kristin and Ryan’s wedding. Sunday we had an engagement session with Mike and Sarah (coming soon!) followed by a fantastic family session including a set of twin boys (also coming soon!) And then, just before we crashed for the day…we went off to a spur of the moment babysitting gig for three kids under the age of 6. That’s just the weekend people!

So please forgive the Monday Moments delay. I’m actually hoping to do quite a few blog posts this week, so keep checking back!

Now….Kristin and Ryan!

Do you see it? The little penguin? These guys were everywhere!! Kristin has loved penguins her whole life (longer than she’s loved Ryan she pointed out) so they found a way to include that little touch!

This may be one of my favorite walk back down the aisle pictures ever. You can just feel their joy to finally be married.

Yes, we went to play mini golf before the reception! This was all Kristin’s idea and probably the most fun we’ve ever had taking bridal party pictures!

And finally, meet my new Facebook BFF Tricia. Isn’t she the cutest? Don’t you want to smoosh her? Okay, well maybe that’s just me. But still, Tricia is totally representative of the entire wedding party fun and full of joy for her friends! And she likes to say, “That’s hot!”

Have a great week everyone!

Monday Moments: Adventures in The Windy (and RAINY) City Edition

Posted on September 16, 2008

Karl and I had big plans for this weekend, our only wedding free weekend in a 13 week stretch. The plan was to pack up the car Friday afternoon and head to Chicago for a weekend of good food, sightseeing, and shooting with one of our 2009 couples.

Well Mother Nature had other plans. Here’s a peek at how our weekend went down.

This is what happens when a camera is dealing with 5 billion percent humidity. But you should be glad the lens is all fogged up at this point…my hair in the rain is NOT a pretty sight. Thankfully by the time we met up with Kris and Chris, our cameras were ready. Unfortunately, the weather went from bad to worse and we spent the next three hours trying to stay dry. We failed.

As you can see, the rainbow umbrella was on display throughout the session. We did find a few places for inside pictures, but you can’t go to Chicago for an engagement session and not capture some of the city’s landmarks. Kris and Chris were great sports about it all.

And speaking of landmarks, Karl and I had to take a self portrait in the bean. As you can see it’s not quite as reflective when it’s pouring!

So, that was our weekend. We spent 36 hours in Chicago and it never stopped raining. I think my sneakers are still drying out.

But we did squeeze in time for some Chicago pizza so all was not lost.

Monday Moments: Alexis and Dave Edition with a Brad and Michelle Bonus!

Posted on September 9, 2008

What a weekend! First, I’m happy to report it looks like fall is making its way into Northeast Wisconsin. We had such great weather for all of our shoots and for the first time in several months we weren’t a sweaty mess by noon!

Friday, we had an amazing day with Alexis and Dave. After a rainy Thursday, the skies cleared for their big day. In fact, it was nice enough for the guys to hit the driving range at Thornberry Creek.

Is it me or does it look like Dave is going to clock one of the groomsmen? Karl assures me that wasn’t the case and that everyone had a great time. I wonder how often there’s black tie attire out on the driving range.

Alexis and her girls enjoyed a leisurely morning getting pretty at Salon 325 in Green Bay. The stylists there did a great job with such a large group of ladies. I captured this image while Alexis was on the phone with Dave as she was getting her makeup done. As I told Karl, I think Alexis smiles with her whole body, especially when Dave is involved.

Together these two make one hot couple, don’t you think?

I couldn’t resist sharing one last sneak. Those groomsmen are trouble I tell you! Thankfully Alexis is a good sport and nobody dropped her!

And now..for a bonus!

Sunday morning, Karl and I met up with Brad and Michelle for their engagement session. After walking around the gardens we decided to be big kids for a while and play at the playground. I had a couple of observations.

First, kids these days have it easy. When they fall off the monkey bars they get to land on a soft rubbery surface. Why is it all of my childhood playgrounds had the kind of gravel that got stuck in your skinned knees?

Second, slides are clearly built for those under 5 feet tall. This is one of several outtake moments as these two made their way down the slide together. They were such great sports.

Have a great week everyone!

Monday Moments: Kristin and Doug Edition

Posted on September 3, 2008

Yes, I know. It’s Wednesday. But in my defense, it was a holiday weekend and so in my head it’s only Tuesday. Add to that the fact that Kristin and Doug were our first ever SUNDAY wedding and you have one confused photographer.

What can I say about Kristin and Doug? Well, there are times when Karl and I walk out of a potential client meeting really really excited. This was one of those meetings. Everything Kristin and Doug shared with us about their day sounded so amazing and we were itching to be a part of it. Their excitement for their wedding was contagious.

Oh, and I should probably mention that they said their vows at Lambeau Field. Yes, that Lambeau Field. 1265 Lombardi. We’ve lived in Northeast Wisconsin for almost 3 years now and while we’ve never been to a game, we can now say we’ve been on the club level!

The entire day had a decidedly Celtic flair that made their event so personal.

I have to wonder what those on the floor of the atrium were thinking as they heard bagpipe music coming from upstairs. It was one of those goose bump moments.

After the ceremony, Kristin and Doug hosted their guests for a cocktail and conversation hour on the club level. These glasses were such a cool memento from the day. Special thanks to professional bridesmaid Libby for hand modeling for me.

We took some pretty fun pictures from the club level looking down on the Atrium floor. Kristin’s dress is just amazing!

This amazing ice sculpture greeted guests as they arrived at the reception. Yet another amazing detail from an amazing day.

I’ll share more when the newlyweds return from their amazing Hawaii honeymoon.

Monday Moments: Brett and Julie Edition, with a Bridal Show Bonus

Posted on August 26, 2008

Wow, I’m really eeking this Monday Moments entry onto the blog in the very last moments of Monday night. I’ll confess, there were moments today when I didn’t think I’d be able to blog. My to do list is currently a mile long. That’s what happens when we have a wedding followed by a bridal show in the same weekend! This, my friends, is why we only commit to one couple a weekend. Karl and I like to “leave it all on the field” and that means by Sunday morning, we don’t have much more to give.

Even though I’m exhausted and my feet currently hate me, I am happy to be able to share some great moments from this weekend.

Looking at this shot of Julie and her dad makes me tear up. This was taken right as they first saw eachother and Julie was overcome by how handsome her dad looked in his tux. It’s possible I also teared up a little bit behind the lens. The two dads in my life live far away now and looking at this moment makes me wish they were both here so I could hug them. Boy I’m emotional when I’m sleep deprived!

Once again I have to share the “we’re married!” shot. Julie and Brett had a very thoughtful and beautiful ceremony surrounded by a ton of friends and family. It was a full house!

How cool is this cake?? It was a surprise for Brett and bears a pretty strong resemblance to his beloved orange Jeep.

And it even had a license plate and cans tied to the bumper!

I can’t resist sharing just one more picture from Saturday because this is a first for us…

It’s the first time a wedding guest has ever snapped a picture of Karl and I with our own camera! It’s also the first time a song was ever dedicated to us at the reception. It turns out we share the same first dance song as Julie’s sister Kelly…a tidbit I learned when both Kelly and I burst into tears when the song played before Julie’s ceremony. Yes, I am that much of a sap. Anyway, Julie had the dj play the song for us all to dance to, and Kelly asked to use our camera to take a picture! She did pretty awesome, right?

There’s so much more I could say about Julie and Brett’s wedding, but it’s time to share some bridal show images..

This was our booth, before we decided to move the black box to where the tree is in this picture. It was tough figuring out a way to work in all the images we wanted to share! We had a great spot for our booth, with some awesome neighbors! One one side of us we had Always and Forever. These girls know their chair covers and had some awesome candy at their booth. On the other side…cake samples from Artistic Cakes and Cookies in Kimberly. I didn’t taste any, but everyone was raving and the cakes on display were amazing! Our neighbor across the aisle was none other than Stacy and Tim from Lenz Studio. Gotta love the husband and wife teams, right?

Speaking of husbands….

Right after Karl took this stellar self portrait, he had to leave. His day job has him in Minneapolis this week so he needed the time at home to get ready. Thankfully, I had my good friend Barb along to keep me company. We really enjoyed meeting the brides and grooms who stopped by to chat.

I have a feeling I’ll be swamped all week as I try to catch up, but it really was a pretty awesome weekend!

Happy Monday all!

Monday Moments: Jessica and Jim Edition

Posted on August 18, 2008

Alternate title: Why I really love these guys!

I love Jessica because she got super excited about this can of Diet Mountain Dew. And anyone who knows me knows the Diet Dew is sacred! Oh, and because she cried over their dog. Dogs are also sacred.

I love Jim because he operated under the motto, “For the next 36 hours I have no opinion.” Seriously though, he was so go with the flow.

I love them as a couple because they introduced us to Jerry’s, a fine Oshkosh establishment that holds a lot of history for them. Oh, and they danced their first dance to “When You Say Nothing At All,” which was our first dance song too.

I loved the wedding party too. The guys were the perfect blend of sarcastic and cooperative. And the girls…well bridesmaids crying during the toast just pulls at my heart. I am a sympathy crier after all.

Happy Monday all.

Monday Moments: Karyn and Nick Edition Part 3

Posted on August 15, 2008

Honestly, I could write from here to next week about Karyn and Nick’s reception. Karl and I sat at the Rose Bowl table, which if you’re keeping track, was located between Shea Stadium and Mile High Stadium (thanks for not calling it Invesco Field guys!). We walked into the ballroom to find Foam Fingers, Thunder Sticks, and noise makers at each seat. At some point during dinner guests were doing the wave! Have I mentioned Nick and Karyn like sports? Seriously!

Here’s a peek at the fun:

Meet Grandma Freimuth, mother to 10 and superstar yodeler! Yes, before the band took the stage Grandma Freimuth captivated the crowd. Love her!

Why do a traditional grand march when you can announce the bridal party like the starting line up?

And of course, we had to capture the pyramid reception style!

I forgot to ask Nick if his grandma gave any pointers before he took the mic and hit the stage with Brahma.. Musicality must run in the family!

This wraps up the Nick and Karyn recap. Stay tuned next week for their slideshow!

Up next: Katie and Brandon’s engagement and Mark and Andrea’s wedding!

Monday Moments: Karyn and Nick Edition Part 2

Posted on August 13, 2008

So tonight we’re moving on to some of our favorite moments after the ceremony. Normally that first half hour or so after the ceremony is very assembly line for us. We’ve got a list of formals to get through so we can move onto the fun stuff. Little did we know, “the fun stuff” would pop up when we least expected it with these guys.

Behold: the pyramid! I can definitely say that’s the first time something like this has ever happened during the formal portraits. I don’t know who gets more credit here the guys on the bottom for bearing the weight of the pyramid, or Karyn for climbing to the top in a wedding gown!

And lest you think the guys are only good at pyramids, I can attest they were pretty skilled with the champagne bottle opening! That’s definitely a talent to be kept in mind when a couple is choosing the members of their wedding party

Karyn told me before the wedding that she wanted some fun casual stuff with the bridal party, without everyone standing up. I told the group to go channel their inner supermodel and this is what we got. Love it!

And speaking of supermodels, Karyn and Nick know how to work it in front of the camera. We encountered several other wedding parties on our walk around Lawrence University, but I definitely think our bride and groom were the hottest!

Stay tuned tomorrow for some crazy reception moments. Here’s a hint: foam fingers and thunder sticks were involved.

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