Firstlight Weddings-Wedding photography serving Chicago,Kenosha, Lake Geneva, Milwaukee,

2010-08-20T08:45:00.000-07:00

Couple of pix from last weekend's session

with Jim and Becky- Congratulations and good luck you two!!!

I enjoyed our time together.

2010-08-06T07:13:00.001-07:00

http://www.firstlightweddings.com/show/show.htm

2010-07-27T05:50:00.000-07:00

Had a fun wedding in Madison this weekend. Lori and Jon were a blast and there were a lot of people I knew at the wedding. That always adds to the joy.

2010-06-03T11:37:00.000-07:00

Firstlight Weddings photography is doing a special promotion till the 15th of June- If you have not yet booked your 2010 wedding and I still have the date available- I will give a 25% discount on current rates- I am only limiting this to three. So if you are getting married or know someone who is getting married in 2010- please pass this on.

2010-05-24T07:59:00.001-07:00

I shot Molly and Ryan's wedding a couple of years ago in Lake Geneva- they were a blast then - many of their wedding photos are on my website. I was excited when Molly contacted me and told me they had a new family addition- man does time fly.... So we finally got around to shooting the family photos for these guys here in Kenosha. They came a distance to shoot with me and I really appreciated that. Look at that beautiful blue eyed baby! I have to add she was the most easy to work with baby I have ever photographed.

She is excited that Brett is coming back!

2010-05-24T07:49:00.000-07:00

I had the great joy of shooting John and Jennifer's wedding on Saturday. These two were everything I could ask for in a client- they trusted me to to a great job and let me do what I wanted. They were up for anything and everything. These are the couples I love to work with. Thank you - thank you. And a very civilized wedding party!

2010-05-05T11:52:00.001-07:00

Rachel and Rob stopped over last week and we had a blast shooting their engagement photos. I have know the family for sometime. Rachels mom used to work at my daughters school and I also shot her older daughters wedding. They were a wild bunch- and a ton of fun!!!

2010-05-05T11:38:00.000-07:00

2010-05-05T11:30:00.000-07:00

Had a lot of fun with these two- a very easy going couple and I am really looking forward to shooting their wedding.
Thanks for making the trip!!!!

2010-04-02T11:07:00.000-07:00

On the 17th of April I will be putting on a workshop. The primary purpose is to help you get better photos, understand how to use your camera and using the light you have available to you. here is a link for more information. www.firstlightcreative.com/workshop I am limiting the class size so please register early if you are interested.

2010-02-03T08:16:00.001-08:00

As so many of you know I also do a good amount of corporate and commercial work. Here is a photo we did yesterday. It was for a magazine and the subject was Slavery and human trafficking. Sad, scrary stuff... Most people do not realzie that there are actually more slaves in the world today then there were 100 years ago.

2010-01-09T08:48:00.000-08:00

January- Super offer- I am giving $400.00 or more off all my weddings booked during the month of January and the wedding can be in any month of any year. Give a call to see if we still have your date open. 262-697-1727

2009-11-28T10:38:00.001-08:00

The light was great and they even brought their dog along
We had a great time. Thanks for making the trip!!

I just had a wonderful session with John and Jennifer - they came to town to shoot some engagement photos- the day was just warm enough were we could comfortably shoot outside.

2009-11-17T11:43:00.000-08:00

This is Dana- I shot her sister a couple of years ago- (it really didn't seem that long ago) It was nice to see the family again- and I appreciate the fact they were happy enough the first time and come back even though they live about 40 minutes away.

2009-11-12T08:11:00.001-08:00

What a blast these two were. As you can see from the second photo Amanda was more than ready to say "I do" It was soo much fun for me as well - it turns out I knew quite a few people at their wedding- and a lot of people that they know as well.

The only real concern through the day was the weather and as you can see it was very nice. I don't recall every having a wedding where the waited literally till the last minute to call inside or outside!

Easy going couple , fun bridal party, I could have stayed all night if I didn't have obligations on the next day. Congratulations Amanda and Jimmy!

2009-10-22T13:29:00.000-07:00

Say you saw this on the blog and get 10% off your wedding package or get that amount in addtional products. Better hurry though as this offer is good till 11-15-2009

2009-10-16T08:42:00.000-07:00

2009-09-28T14:07:00.000-07:00

I had the great honor of meeting Lori and John in Madison last Wednesday - The weather could not have been better and these two were up for anything. I think John had a bit of a workout with all the lifting, carrying and spinning of his fiance! Here are a few of the shots- I am looking forward to the wedding. I actually shot a couple of Lori's friends wedding and that is how it came to pass that I am shooting Lori and John's.

2009-09-21T15:40:00.000-07:00

2009-09-21T15:22:00.000-07:00

Would you believe I had to slay the Dinasour so
these two could have a romantic moment.

Is this a cool cake or what!!!!

These are all over the place - but hey kind of a surprise!

Bridget was a stunner in this gown- so very elegant yet beguiling!!!

2009-09-21T14:55:00.000-07:00

This is Valessa and Scott- a couple of wild ones from Sin City- (Las Vegas) they were soo much fun. They booked me over the phone and we shot the engagement photos three days before the wedding. They were over the top with the friends and LV people they brought along.

Well first a confession- I have been a total slacker on this whole blog thing---- between all the other stuff, facebook, twitter, the family and the rest of the world this has been a little too neglected.

Sooo to be honest life has been anything but sloowwww..... I thank the Lord everyday for the blessings, but am a little confused as soo much happens so fast. But need I digress feel free to add me as a friend on facebook if you are more interested in the day to day.

I am posting some recent weddings I have done from the last 6 months - please feel free to leave comments or questions or contact me at iconmaker@aol.com or call me at 262-697-1727
I will add more as time allows but....Life is good!

2009-03-31T15:19:00.000-07:00

I am quite excited that I have "discovered" the new info of the new age- bla bla... seriously though I have started a new blog at http://firstlightcreative.blogspot.com/ This is the adaptation of using twitter and the the net the importance of SEO as well as how to best utilize all of this technology and still have a life. If this is of interest please check out the blog and follow.

2009-03-31T09:58:00.000-07:00

Here are Bridget and Michael they are getting married at the end of August. He is a freelance sportswriter for several different papers and she is a p.r. person for a local marketing company. Let me tell you about true love, he gave up about 2 hours of the NCAA games to come and do the engagement session. How great a guy is that!!! He didn't even whine once! He even covered himself by Tivo'ing the game - just in case there was something he might miss.

We had a great time, made some great photos and it was really a fun afternoon.

2009-02-18T07:35:00.000-08:00

Well here we go again. Where has the time gone? It has been a crazy few weeks since I last posted and the good news is mostly all good. Business has been pretty solid despite the current economic challenges. I have been spending a bit more time on the biz to biz site at http://www.firstlightcreative.com/ I will admit it was time for some freshening up and so http://www.firstlightweddings.com/ was a bit dormant for a while as well as the good old blog.

I have a lot to post, so I will start with Katie and Devlin. I met Katie and Devlin at Trinity Intl. University. I have know Katie for about 3 years and Devlin I just met last year. These guys are wonderful believers and really strive to bring to ministry of Christ to everyday people. Very laid back and easy going. When Katie told me she was engaged - I was stunned with excitement. (You can also see some undergrad photos of Katie at http://www.firstlightcreative.com/) These two work so well together and I am absolutly thrilled and blessed to be shooting their wedding in June.

We took these photos downtown Chicago at the skating rink in Millenium Park. Katie and Devlin were absolute troopers as it was about 15 degrees out, (I am trying to forget the chill) All I could feel was the warmth of their fun and love for each other. My toes were a bit stiff I will add.

Blessings and cheers to you two and thanks again for the joy to share your big day with you!!!

2009-01-07T12:27:00.000-08:00

I have been getting quite a lot of inquires about destination weddings. The simple answer is of course we shoot destination weddings. We are not only Kenosha wedding photography or Chicago wedding photography or Milwaukee. If you want Firstlight weddings to shoot your wedding wherever, please give a call and let's work out the details. We are thrilled to be considered and moreso to be chosen. I take the greatest pride in my work, and will promise to create great photos of your wedding.

2009-01-07T11:02:00.000-08:00

Mary and Matt got married just 5 days before Christmas. It was absolutly perfect. I have know Mary for about 3-4 years from when she was a designer at Trinity International University in Deerfield. We always had fun working together and she always appreciated good humor. I was absolutly thrilled when she called to see if I was available to shoot her wedding. I knew that there had to be a very lucky man as well. I have to say it was a blast. It is so wonderul shooting a friends wedding, and especially so when the couple has absolute trust in you. We were able to do a lot of different things in a short time and they were brave enough to try anything. Enough talk here are a few pics.

This good looking couple came from Scotland for Mary and Matt's wedding. Allison also used to work at TIU but now her husband is working on his doctorate and now live in Scotland. It was a wonderful suprise to see Allison as well- I didn't know she was going to be at the wedding. She was Mary's right hand all day. She even scuffed up the bottom of Mary's shoes to ensure she would not slip.

2008-11-08T08:07:00.000-08:00

Eric and Sarah got married on the 18th of October in Grayslake. When I met Sarah it was fun because she was all smiles and had decided I was to be her photographer before she even met me. This was special because she immediately had confidence and trust in me on the day of the wedding. Here are a few of the many wonderful moments we captured.

Another wonderful thing happend to us. The Limo driver had to be somewhere early and he took the bridal party and left Eric and Sarah with me. This gave us more time to spend together and allowed me to get to know Eric just a bit better. Ironically Eric works for a longtime client of mine (TTX) This is my corporate client from my http://www.firstlightcreative.com/ photography. We had a great time talking about his company and the new changes that were coming as well as our mutual friends and acqaintences at TTX. Small world, and a fun couple - I especially like the shot of Eric lifting and swirling Sarah. The location was stunning. I am afraid to share it because you don't want to lose the intimacy and have it overrun with wedding parties!!!!!

Thank you Eric and Sarah for choosing me for your special day!!!!

2008-10-15T10:38:00.000-07:00

Here is another Trash the dress image that I thought was worth sharing

2008-10-14T14:39:00.000-07:00

We had a wild couple that was willing to go the distance and "Trash the Dress!" It was fun, but my heart went out to them as it was a bit cold, and rainy and yet we all had a good time and made some pretty fun photos. We even had part of our session in a turn of the century School house. Penny and Greg- you guys are too much. Congratulations on your marriage- which took place the day before.

More of the photos can be seen at www.firstlight.photoreflect.com

I have to give credit to Mr. John Michael Cooper aka http://www.altf.com/ who is pretty much the originator of the Trash the Dress!! Plus a very cool and creative guy!! Catch him if you can.

2008-09-29T12:03:00.000-07:00

This was also an emotional wedding because the father of the bride, had a heart attack two days before the wedding. Unfortunatly he was unable to attend, but thanks to modern technology he saw it all on Web Cam, and Jennifer saw him as well. Please keep him in your prayers-

more of the wedding can be seen at www.firstlight.photoreflect.com

2008-09-29T11:47:00.000-07:00

This was a wedding I was so excited for. I met Jennifer and Juan when they came to my studio for engagement photos. Now this was a bit unusual because they wanted me to shoot their engagment and not the wedding pictures. Well by the time we were done, we had so much fun they asked me to shoot their wedding in Northern Wisconsin. A place dear to both of them. The thing that surprised me the most is that Jaun came from Logan Square area in Chicago and his dream was to become a game warden. How cool is that? It still amazes me, cause so many many Chicago, or city people think pigeons are as wild as the world gets, except for a few National Geographic episodes. So he is about 6 months or less from becoming a warden, and he and Jennifer hope to eventually move to the great Northwoods of Wisconsin and call it home.

2008-09-19T09:50:00.000-07:00

Jenny and Jason were soo much fun, I think they broke the funometer on this day and probably most every day.

I have to say - this was the most accomodating priest/minister I have ever encountered. Such a wonderful guy and understood the value in photography. In this photo he is doing something I have never witnessed before, he is blessing the rings in the baptismal fount. It was so incredible.

I love it when couples find me on the web and they know exactly what they want in their photography, especially when it is me. Jenny and Jason were soo cool, they just let me do what I do and laughed about it the whole time. They also had a cool dance routine that can be seen here. Joel from weddingfilms.com out of Milwaukee did an incredible job. Take a look at this video. http://www.weddingfilms.com/jennyandjason/

2008-09-19T09:47:00.001-07:00

This was such a wonderful couple. What was special is about 2 years ago I shot the wedding of Liz's sister Sonja. Their family was soo warm and charming I felt soo at home with them. I was quite flattered when Liz's mother introduced me to Tim's mom as "just a friend of the family". The other fun thing was I don't think any of the groomsman (except Greg- Sonja's husband) was shorter than 6'3" - When I left they all picked up up in the air and hugged me! Now I would have loved a photo of that. That was a first for me. Here are a few photos from that great time.
Labels: Madison-Wisconsin- Edgewater, wedding

2008-07-16T09:12:00.000-07:00

These guys Katarina and Michael got married at a very cool place known as the DeKoven Center in Racine, on Lake Michigan. The place is like a page from old english history. It is soo cool, and the grounds, are huge. I think about 11 acres, and lots of great places to shoot!

This is also a wedding I have been a bit late in posting on the blog. Katarina and Michael were married in April. Katarina moved to Greece when she was younger and then came back to the U.S. Much of her family still live in Greece, so it was a wonderful reunion and wedding.

2008-07-16T08:58:00.000-07:00

I have been a bit bad updating the blog - but here are a few pix from a few weddings. This is Brook and Allison- The funny thing about this wedding is the best man is the son of a very dear friend of mine. The grooms dad is my oldest brother's best friend. It was a coincidence that we all came together as we did. These two were such a blast and it was great to know so many people that attended the wedding.

2008-03-10T10:42:00.001-07:00

trying again with the photos

2008-03-10T10:10:00.000-07:00

I just realized I never posted any photos from my wedding in January. This was January 5th. and this is Mark and Laura. They were soo much fun and I we stay in touch as time passes. Great sense of humor and an incredible amount of love between them.

It seems we are having trouble with the photo uploader- Will try again later. Just one little perk if you read this and book your wedding with Firstlightweddings.com we are including free internet posting - only catch is you have to ask for it and say you saw it on the blog. How about that for a little midwinter gift? So if you see it here make sure you tell us.

2008-01-19T07:16:00.000-08:00

I have been swamped with both booking weddings, and shooting corporate work. I am now only catching up. If you have a chance stop by on Sunday at the Midlane Country club in Wadsworth Ill. on Sunday from 12-3. We will be at the bridal faire at Midlane. It is always a good place to see many vendors and options for your big day. There are florists, cake makers, caterers, dj's as well a photographers and a bridal fashion show. If you have a chance stop and say hi. The food is always a real treat as well. Hope to see you there.

2007-12-17T11:48:00.000-08:00

Last Sunday I got a call from someone in LA and I was asked to photograph Miss Wisconsin, Christina Thompson for a new head shot to be used for the upcoming pageant. Christina came to the studio with her mother and her stylist and here are a couple of the photos we created. She was a wonderful, charming young woman with quite a bit of poise, energy and a mission to make the world a better place. The most amazing thing about her, was I believe she really does have this mission in her heart- not just another beauty queen with all the right answers. We all wish her well in her endeavors - she is a winner in my book.

2007-11-26T09:33:00.000-08:00

These two just moved here from San Diego. This is Ryan's first year with the Green Bay Packers. They were looking for "just the right photographer" , and somehow they found me. They were generous enough to offer drive down from Green Bay to Kenosha. Fortunately my mom's home is between the two places and that is where we ultimately met. It was a bit chilly to shoot outside but they were troopers. Then we got warm and shot inside.

2007-11-26T09:22:00.000-08:00

Whoa I cannot beleive I have been absent from this blog for soo long. I have had a ton of stuff going on. Let's share a couple of weddings first. The first wedding was from a small wedding here at the Kemper Center in Kenosha.

2007-09-22T11:34:00.000-07:00

Framing- I am always asked if I do framing or if I have a good source that can provide framing. Well now I can say, yes- I have a great source. I ran into a friend of mine today that I had not seen for a while and in coversation she asked me about frames. I have always stayed away from framing because photography is my passion. Well Linda informed me that she is now doing framing and would I be interested? I am happy to say that she is a great source that can do all your framing. her site is here If you need framing please go to Linda.

2007-09-18T13:42:00.001-07:00

This was a wonderful wedding. The couple found me because I shot her best friend's wedding 2 years ago. Diana was one of the brides maids. We had an incredible time shooting their engagement photos, (a couple of these are on the website under gallery-engagement). Well as I stated before - since we had already shot together- when the wedding came around we all were very at ease and just had fun making great images. Michael and Diana were so nice and easy going. I felt like we had spend quite a bit of time together. Their family and friends were also very easy to talk to and quite fun.

I love the light this time of the year. The sun creeps a bit lower- and the light is simply magical.

Here the boys are, I love the casual yet powerful feeling this shot evokes.
This lovely woman is Diana's grandmother. At 86 she has sooo much life and energy- I am not sure I could keep up with her. What was also facinating was she was telling me that when she was younger she was a press photographer, and worked for the drug giant Eli Lilly. She was absolutly awestruck with the power of digital and the flexibility it allows.

This shot has a story- we almost got into a bit of trouble- but hey look at the incredible light, can you blame me?

2007-09-09T08:56:00.000-07:00

Yesterday I had this great couple- whom I had never met, come to me for an engagement session. Most of the time I shoot engagement sessions for couples whose wedding I am going to be shooting. This was a bit different- they wanted engagement photos as they were getting married out of the area. In the northern Wisconsin (Minocqua) area-

So the very cool thing about this session...........................Is by the time they left...they decided that I was the photographer for for their wedding up north next September. I was/am so thrilled as I know it will be a blast, and will be in a very beautiful place. Jennifer and Juan are a great couple and eventually want to live up in that area. Juan originally from Chicago wants to be a game warden up north- how cool is that..

(By the way engagement photos are a win-win situation. You get some great non wedding shots- that you can use for your wedding and announcements and newspaper and etc... but more importantly it gives you a great opportunity to get to know the guy who you will be spending your wedding day with. More and more couples have told me that it made a huge difference and as a result I think it shows in the photos. So take a good suggestion from me- do an engagement session if you can. They are fun, they are inexpensive, and you get to know your photographer, as well as getting some great shots.

2007-09-01T10:47:00.000-07:00

Well- had a crazy day yesterday- Sent my son Cody to UW Madison- felt like (actually I was) I was shopping for the last three days to get him equipped for school. This is the first time in two years that I don't have a single wedding this weekend. It will be a nice break. Last year I had three- yikes. I have had a couple of people confused about leaving comments. If you would like to leave a comment, please note that after each posting there is the word comment at the bottom of the post. All you have to do is click on it and type away- next thing you know- You have published to the world. So leave a comment if you like- please

2007-08-29T09:55:00.000-07:00

It is amazing- that we are already getting ready for next season's weddings. I have had so many calls and inquiries- I even had a call for someone getting married in 2009! Talk about preplanning! The good news is that booking early will probably lock in more competitive fees from all of your vendors. So I geuss it is a good idea. I had some friends in Madison that tell me that the venues will not even open their books for reservations until 1 calendar year before the date.

I expect to be expanding the blog soon, I have had a lot of questions from photographers as well and I think I can use this as a great teaching platform. So please stay tuned- I just need to get caught up with a few current things before I can get teaching.

2007-08-27T10:37:00.001-07:00

Be sure to click on the image below- a very cool thing happens

While making my way to work this morning - I had a little diversion- I thought that this would be a fun thing to share with you all. Enjoy!!!
Please feel free to leave comments or feedback!

2007-08-26T14:36:00.000-07:00

Now I know I am getting a bit ahead of myself because I still have a couple of weddings to post before this one- But this one was very very special - it was my brother's daughter's wedding. These guys were soooooooo much fun! It was truly an honor to be a guest- and an even bigger honor to shoot it. The weather turned out to be perfect- (especially after about 2 weeks of continuous rain)- It was also an incredible adventure when all 9 of my siblings and most of their families were able to get together as well. There are so many great shots - but here is a mix of a few- we will post them all to the web shortly - at http://www.firstlight.photoreflect.com/

I love the emotion in this shot- Steve's eyes are all watery when he sees his bride for the first time- It looks like she had the same effect on his dad- Awwww! Hey Sailor!

Looks like a couple of newlyweds here as well- I am so proud of this guy - and he is my bro!

2007-08-23T13:41:00.000-07:00

We have had more than our share of rain in the last week. I would geuss that the Kenosha area has gotten almost 10 inches- Simply incredible. I don't think I recall a greener August! I am hoping for a break from it all for the two weddings I am shooting this weekend. Wish me luck!

2007-08-22T09:52:00.000-07:00

This is a BIG one- This is my little brother's baby girl that is getting married. Gonna be a tough time to keep a dry eye to focus- if you know what I mean - thank God for auto focus. I told them they could have anyone else- anyone else- but no they had to put the pressure on me- I am touched What makes this soo very special is that not too long ago I had the honor of shooting her Mom and Dad's wedding- In Sonoma. Time does fly........... Look for more pix after the weekend.

2007-08-22T07:02:00.000-07:00

Molly and Ryan were a blast- The whole wedding party had a weekend of fun in Lake Geneva. The had their reception at the Grand Geneva (formerly known as the Playboy Club) Such an incredible location. I think I could shoot there for a week and never run out of things, places to shoot. The place even has a ski hill- and it was in the Chalet at the ski hill that they had their reception. What was so cool was that they had the whole place to themselves.

Here I was trying something different!

These two were so into taking great photos- Hint- This is how we end up with a lot of great images. never rushed always ready to try something different.

Love on the trolley! The guy to the left of Molly plays for the Portland Trailblazers.
This is the nearly famous- Cigar Shot!

Check this out- they used an engagement photo we took together and made a postage stamp out of it. (yes it is legal, just costs a bit more) I have an uncancelled stamp next to the cancelled to show you what it looked like. I was quite surprised and flattered when that came in the mail.
Here is one of many sources for them

2007-08-18T10:33:00.000-07:00

Here is a little slide show we posted to the web- might be worth a look. let me know what you think.

Cheers, Michael http://www.firstlightweddings.com/show/show.htm

2007-07-23T11:34:00.000-07:00

Well after 7 years of being together Nikki and Ryan finally said- "I give up!" - I mean "I do!"
These guys got married finally and it was so wonderful to see them together. This was actually the second wedding I had on this day- fortunately the timing worked out well. Thanks also to my associates Tim and Mary for helping me make it all possible.

This seems to be my signature shot- more and more couples are asking for it. I have to admit when it works it is a lot of fun. More of the "cigar shots" can be found in the gallery on the website. These guys were such a fun bunch of guys to be with.

2007-07-18T10:57:00.000-07:00

These guys know how to bring the beach, friends, and wedding bells together- The required mode of dress was of course "hawaiin" I had three of my shirts dancing around on different people and they all had a blast. They went into the night partying- I actually think someone said that they broke the funometer!

Of course the pig was the only one that did not have a good time! But he was
enjoyed by all regardless.
This guy....I dunno....

Rumor has it this girl was on Bridezilla- she was the bartender for Rob and Susan
but she still found time dance on the picnic tables...
In spite of all the fun the could still find time for a moment of tranquility.

Rob

2007-07-12T09:31:00.000-07:00

The 7-7-07 Award went to Tina and Danny. These two were so much fun. Danny a laid back easy going guy and Tina is simply a happy fun loving gal. The first shot is the engagement photo I took at the place they first met- Danny's restaurant- Any geuss who the owner might have been. All I can say is that coffee is incredibly good!

This is Tina's son Cody- He felt so proud in his suit I heared he wouldn't take if off for 3 days!!

Another lovely cake from Annes- Bridal creations! Excellent!

Good luck to you two- I know you will be very happy together. You have so much love together and from all of your families, and cousins and uncles and friends.

2007-07-10T09:29:00.000-07:00

This is Karin and Patrick- They found me on the web- from a photo I took at the church they are getting married at St. Benedict's in Fontana (Lake Geneva area) I am curious as I have not seen the picture myself. I hope I took it.... :)

2007-07-06T08:04:00.000-07:00

Rob and Heather got married at Lake Lawn- on the lake. The weather was perfect. These guys were wild. They were laughing and enjoying each other so much.

Here they are mixing sand- blending their lives. I think this is a very cool thing to do.
This is the famous Riviera Club in Lake Geneva- Heather had always hoped to have her reception there. It had some really incredible light as you can see. I really enjoyed the place.

As you can imagine the cake was incredible- It looks like these two could not get enough of it.

2007-07-01T18:32:00.000-07:00

I was having a conversation with a couple a few weeks ago, they asked me. "Have you ever had a bridezilla?" I thought about this for a while- and realized that I try and let people know who I am and what they can expect from me.....I geuss that means, I must have scared any bridezilla's away.. So the real answer is No, I have never had a bridezilla! I am thankful.

2007-07-01T10:25:00.000-07:00

This was a Texas wedding in Wisconsin. Most everyone came from the Lone Star- They could not seem to get enough cheese or bratwurst- What they got was some of our finest weather and a beautiful day. Melissa was soo funny- for weeks she was terrified that the cicada's were going to be so noisy that they would ruin her wedding. Fortunately we did not get any in the Lake Geneva area- and most of the critters had come and gone south of us.

This was just a hoot- been a while since I had heard a good mix of Country music and the Texas two step. Quite a bit different than the "electric Slide."

2007-06-30T17:09:00.000-07:00

Vivian and Ryan had an incredible wedding. Half of the people came from the other side of the world. 18 hours by plane. Vivian, who is finishing up med school has not even seen her mom and dad for 2.5 years because of the distance and expense. So you can imagine it was quite a wonderful reunion for all.

Ryan's dad did the most incredible speech welcoming her family from Hong Kong- and he did it in their native tounge. I was amazed after he finished the first sentence- then he went on and on..... I can only imagine how thrilled and welcomed her family must have felt. The sushi appetizer was a lovely touch as well.

We met Vivian some time ago when my wife worked at the cancer hospital with Vivian when she was a nurse. Vivian helped tutor my wife through chemistry. (Now you know why I am a photographer-:)) I like to find chemistry with my couples not study it.

This was the Lion- It is a tradition and it really got people involved. It was funny becasue some people were a little afraid of it, and some people loved it. In order to keep it happy you had to feed it with either fruit and vegetables or a few dollars. Very unique!!!

This cake was actually better than it looked, and it was beautiful.
Yes it is true- Yummy!

Kyle gave me a hand on this wedding as well. You guessed it- He thought it to be an incredible event.

Everyone said the 7-7-07 was the big day for weddings this year. I didn't find that to be true, for me it was 6-16-07 I must have turned away 12 couples that wanted me for that date. I even had one couple that wanted me for 6-16 that actually changed their date! To make it even crazier - her dad used to be a professional photographer- No pressue there!

2007-06-30T09:08:00.000-07:00

This was the bride that actually changed the date of her wedding because I was booked on the day she had originally set up. She was so unbelievably nice- as was her complete family and extended family. These guys had so much love for each other it was truly a blessing to be a part of. To make the situation a bit scarey her dad was a professional photographer earlier in his career. So as you can imagine - I had no pressure........

So much of the family were from the South, Mississippi to be exact.
That is why most of the women are wearing hats.

These two got married at Olbrich Garden's in Madison- a stunningly lovely place!

2007-06-29T15:05:00.000-07:00

They also did the "table cake" thing. This is where each table has their own cake. There was chocolate, banana, coconut, as well as my favorite- Carrot!

Aaron and Lori got married at the Famous Kemper Center on the Lake in Kenosha Wisconsin. The day was perfect- They did something different. They had their reception in the woods/outside area of St. Therese. The night was perfect as well. As you can see everyone seems to have had a blast! I had Kyle helping me on this one. He could not believe how much fun/I mean work it was.

2007-06-28T12:42:00.000-07:00

This was a Christian/Jewish wedding on the shores of Lake Michigan. I think some of the guest's had never had the pleasure to share in Jewish culture/tradition. Rebecca was my second shooter- she did a fabulous job- and had a blast! There is actually a lighthouse that you cannot see in the above photo because of the heavy fog.

This is real fog!!!!

This couple found me on the net. They were in Florida and got married in Manitowoc Wisconsin. It was right on the lake and I have never in my life seen so many changing weather conditions within a few hours. We went from light rain to sunshine to heavy fog and all points in between. This was just in the course of about 5 hours. We left the wedding under heavy fog. Simply incredible.

2007-06-28T07:46:00.000-07:00

This was on the lake at Lake Lawn Lodge- In the Lake Geneva area.

This wedding was shot by my associate Tim and my lovely wife Christine. These guys were so wonderful- except they did not take me/us on their honeymoon to FIJI! This was one of those days of crazy weather- went from rain to sun to hot. I was thrilled that Christine and Tim did such a wonderful job.

2007-06-20T10:39:00.000-07:00

So many people think the "jump shot" is overdone.......

I personally think it can be done again and again- with a new twist.

These two knew each other forever- they went to church together and were even married by their youth pastor. How wonderful is that. They were soo much fun to shoot and had boundless ideas and energy.

2007-06-18T10:18:00.000-07:00

Greg and Ana had their reception at the Mitchell Domes Botanical Gardens in Milwaukee- This particular dome changes seasonally-it is a beautiful place to visit - no matter the season.

2007-06-15T10:05:00.000-07:00

They also found this great 54 Bentley and the driver( Doug) was happy to do whatever we needed. I cannot recommend Doug and his car enough!

Ana and Greg- Ana comes from Portland and Greg from Southern Indiana- they are both lawyers and wonderful people. It was a pleasure to work with them- they just wanted to have fun and make some great images.

2007-06-10T09:33:00.000-07:00

This is the oldest church in Minnesota!

A very cool place to say "I do".

Here are a few pix of the weddings we have done this summer. We started in Rochester Minnesota. Ann and Liam great day. They were the nicest and sweetest-(a bit shy) but a blast.

2007-02-15T06:16:00.000-08:00

Greetings, I am now going to be a bit more current with this whole blogging thing. Lot's of new things are happening at firstlightweddings.com My associate Tim is ready to go out and shoot his own wedding this spring.