Heidi and Dave :: Married - Appleton, Wisconsin

May 30, 2009

Heidi and Dave are an amazing couple living and working in downtown Chicago. They love living in the big city but decided to have their wedding in Heidi's hometown of Appleton, Wisconsin.

Heidi is a very organized person... having just competed the Boston marathon proves that she is also hard working and dedicated. So when I arrived at her parents home and found a hand written note of things to remember on the wedding day I wasn't surprised. She must have gotten her skills from her mom who put together by hand over a hundred place cards that included a cut out of the Chicago skyline.

Heidi and Dave had custom invitations made as well as a custom wedding ring plate with their names and date on it. Their wedding colors where a cornflower blue and were incorporated in everything from the cocktail length bridesmaids dresses to the linens and chair bows. Everything was beautiful!

I had the pleasure of shooting with second photographer Mia Stevens. Mia was a great addition to the day... here is a link to her blog to see her upcoming post of her photos from this wedding. Mia and I are both members of the Collection, an amazing group of photographers who not only refer each other when we are booked... but also second shoot together, travel to conventions and even cover weddings in the case of an emergency.

It was a great pleasure to shoot Heidi and Dave's wedding... Congratulations!!!! Here are my favorites from the day....

I love photographing the bride and groom from different angles at church.

This blue wall was the perfect compliment to their wedding colors!

The lighting and the food at the Riverview Coutnry Club was fabulous!

A beautiful reception location! Look at the shape of this room!!!

Become a fan of Ardent Photography to view bonus images from this wedding!

Bridal Boutique: The Bridal Event

Dress Designer: Mori Lee
Bridesmaids Dress Boutique: Tie the Knot
Bridesmaids Dress Designer: Dessy
Menswear: The Bridal Event
Florist: Masters Touch Florist Studio
Invitations: Lindsey Ryan Design - Etsy
Jeweler: Blue Nile, Jared and Robbins Brothers
Rehearsal Dinner: Beefeaters British Grille-Pub
Cake: Simple Simon Bakery
Entertainment/DJ: Elite Music Service
Ceremony: St. Thomas More
Reception Venue: Riverview Country Club
Transportation: Lamers Bus Lines
Groom's Gift: Unveiled Portraits Boutique Boudoir
Wedding Night Accommodations: Copperleaf Hotel
Honeymoon: El Dorado Royale Riviera Maya

Father's Day Post - a bit late....

Happy Father's Day!!! To my dad, my father-in-law and my awesome, amazing husband!

Last weekend was a busy time... engagement sessions, wedding and home projects.
Here are some photos from our point and shoot camera...

In daddy's shoes... sooooo cute!

Fun Fact Friday - A piece of family history

Fact: I love churches and their history....

Last weekend while shooting the ceremony in St. Mary's Church in Menasha, I noticed a particular stained glass window with a recognizable name. The window read "in memory of Mrs. John Oberweiser".


My husband's grandfather was named John Oberweiser but his grandmother May is still alive and well. And obviously the windows where crafted when the church was built in the late 1800's.

So I asked Andy's mom and dad who are genealogy buffs. We found out that the Mr. and Mrs. John Oberweiser are indeed relation and are my son's Great, Great, Great Grandparents.


Such a fun find! St. Mary's Catholic Church in Menasha is gorgeous... look for Michelle and Andy's wedding day blog post coming soon!

Kim and Dan :: Married - Door County, WI

May 29, 2009

I met Kim and Dan for the first time in Milwaukee at Joey Buona's Pizzeria. We sat and chatted and clicked instantly. They were planning their Door County wedding as a bit of a destination retreat... a bit easier logistically than their original thoughts of getting married in Vegas.

You may remember this fun loving couple their engagement session that I photographed in March.

Kim and Dan's ceremony was at Stella Marris Parish in Egg Harbor. Faith is an important part of their lives and getting married in a church so beautiful and quaint made the ceremony even more memorable.

The highlight of the day was our personal tour guide/trolley driver. He drove us to Peninsula State Park for a woodsy shot stippled with blue forget-me-not flowers. Then he wisked us away to a lighthouse for more bridal party photos. Such amazing views of the bay!!!

For the romantic bride and groom photos the Door County Trolley driver brought us to an abandoned log cabin surrounded with crab apple trees that were in full bloom. The couple danced under the branches of one of the flowering trees... oh so romantic!

Upon arriving at their reception at The Landmark Resort in Egg Harbor we were welcomed to an intimate two-level reception. All of the tables were set in white linen on the lower floor and on the upper floor was cake and cocktails. The lighting in the room was magnificant!

After dinner the couple cut their cake and mingled with guests. Their first dance was loving and intimate.... with all of their friends and family witnessing the occasion.

Congratulations Kim and Dan!

Here are some of my favorites of the day...

Become a fan of Ardent Photography to view bonus images from this wedding!

Bridal Boutique: The Crystal Bride, Geneva, IL
Dress Designer: Maggie Sottero
Florist: Aster Park Floral, Green Bay, WI
Invitations: For Now and Forever Invitations, Wauwatosa, WI
Rehearsal Dinner: The Landmark Resort, Egg Harbor, WI
Entertainment/DJ: Jeff Hinnendael, Green Bay WI
Ceremony: Stella Marris Parish, Egg Harbor, WI
Reception Venue: The Landmark Resort, Egg Harbor, WI
Transportation: Door County Trolley, Door County, WI
Honeymoon: Door County, WI

Fun Fact Friday - get your diamond cleaned

Fact: Dirty rings just wont sparkle.
Make sure you have your rings professionally cleaned for their "close-up"...

It is amazing how many ring shots I do and the engagement ring is significantly less sparkly than the wedding band. Ladies, I'm sure the last thing on your mind the week of your wedding is getting your diamond cleaned. But it does make a difference in the macro photos I soooo love to take at every event.

It isn't that you are a dirty girl ;-) It is just that your normal everyday wear of your ring will get it a little grimy. Just think of the oils in our skin or our many beauty products.

You can invest in a ultrasonic cleaner for at home cleaning... this sort of cleaner combines ultrasonic waves and a special solution to remove all the grime. But after doing a bit of research online this may not be the best answer... According to www.diamondvues.com you can buy a simple isopropyl alcohol rubbing alcohol. Let your ring soak for a few minutes, then scrub with a brush then drop back in for another short scrub.



Bling!!!!

Do you get your diamond in for a regular cleaning? How about maitenance to check the prongs?

Jessica and Jerrod :: Married! May 23, 2009

I started the photo planning phase with Jessica and Jerrod over a year before the big day. Every last thing was perfect... we scouted the Paine Art Center and Jessica fell in love with the tulips and various blooms that appeared there in the spring. When spring 2009 rolled around we were praying that the tulips and crab apple blossoms would hold on until the 23rd of May... we were lucky! Many of the blooms were gorgeous and ready for photos.

Minutes before the processional rain drops began to fall... Even in the somewhat wet weather their outdoor ceremony at the Paine Art Center in Oshkosh was beautiful and romantic! I loved editing through the shots and seeing the best man hovering over the couple with a large black umbrella. In many of the ceremony shots below you can actually see the rain drops!

After the ceremony all the guests gathered in the front lawn of the mansion for a big group photo. I love the way this image captures everyone in attendance, luckily there was just a mist in the air at this time so we didn't need our umbrellas!

We had special access to certain areas inside the museum. Some of the shots we took inside the mansion are my favorite of the day. Especially the image of Jessica sitting in the grand staircase. Thank you to the staff at the Paine for escorting us around the property and for helping out so much!

This is a candid shot of Jessica's mother and aunt bustling her dress. I saw this with my eyes and almost fell over! It was the most gorgeous light and the most awesome moment!!!

Here are the rest of my favorites from the day! Enjoy!

The Bride's room at the Carriage House at the Paine...

The most darling 18 month old twins! My duty all day was to photograph them in the same shot... it was a fun challenge!

I just love the expression on Jerrod's face here! This was the biggest smile of the day!!!

Dress Designer: Oleg Cassini
Florist: Garden Gate
Invitations: American Wedding
Rehearsal Dinner: Robbins Restaurant
Entertainment/DJ: All Requests DJ, Dave Cronk
Ceremony: Paine Art Center
Wedding Coordinator: Michelle Rector
Reception Venue: La Sure's Banquet Hall
Honeymoon: Sandals Ocho Rios, Jamaica