Blessings to you both, Julia+Scott, as you head off across the country to start the next chapter of your lives. I’m so thankful to have been part of your story!

So there we are in the water, the sun is rising over the Caribbean and painting amazing colors on the clouds, and these two are connecting and sharing their love with each other. I’m there to capture it. This goes into my top 10 moments of shooting for sure.

I’m so thankful to have been part of their plunge into marriage (and into the ocean – that post is coming up in just a minute…)

As a way to give back and to celebrate these couples I’m doing a good old fashion contest of the voting kind.

Here is how it will work:

1. You pick your favorite couple from the photos below (you can click their photo to see more from their wedding).
2. You vote on the bottom of this page in either of two comments section. Let me know which couple you choose (and be creative – extra points may be awarded!)
3. The couple with the most votes wins a 24×16 canvas to hang in their house! They get to pick the photo that’s printed on it too.
4. The winning couple thanks you profusely for the rest of their life, constantly trying to find ways to repay you for your vote (Ok, I can’t promise this but I’m sure they would be very grateful!)

The Rules:

• Only vote per person, so make it count!
• Voting is open to anyone – so spread the work on share on facebook, Twitter, email, etc!
• Anyone having trouble voting below can email:
• Voting ends Dec 27th at midnight CST.

Thank you everyone for your votes! Almost 300 votes this year! I wish you all a very Happy New Year and a wonderful 2012!

Couple #1: Kari+Chad

Couple #2: Aimee+Nate

Couple #3: Amanda+Aaron

Couple #4: Alica+Eric

Couple #5: Lindsey+Chris

Couple #6: Janine+Jeff

Couple #7: Kate+David

Couple #8: Kelly+Dave

Couple #9: Erin+Michael

Couple #10: Leah+Kody

Couple #11: Ana+Tony

Couple #12: Rachel+Steve

Couple #13: Stephanie+Daniel

Couple #14: Rachel+Scott

Couple #15: Sarah+Heath

Couple #16: Sam+Tyler

Couple #17: Nicole+Brian

Thank you both again for your service to this country. And many blessings on your life together (when you can finally end up in the same city!)

Oh, and I can’t believe it but this is my last wedding to post for 2011! Thanks to Sam+Tyler and all of the wonderful couples I’ve worked with this year! I can’t believe my 2012 wedding season kicks off in just a few weeks!

If you know me at all, you know that I’m about capturing the connection between two people. Well, in order to have a real connection there needs to be time, space and an invitation to connect. Well, I wasn’t the only one trying to find that connection. The priest was one of the most amazing facilitators of that I’ve ever seen at a wedding. Not only offering Nicole+Brian times of connection but also inviting the congregation in too.

He told the story of a married couple he knows; 65 years married and their existence is now made up of him caring for her as she suffers from Alzheimer’s. The husband’s quote: “Every day I get to see my wife smile makes me happy.” Powerful. Love. Connection. That is the love that couple has come to know. The priest invited couples in the congregation to come up to Nicole+Brian throughout the rest of the day and share the love they have come to know in their marriage. I didn’t yet share with them, I wanted to share here.

The love I have come to know with Jessica is one full of joy. It’s one of patience, understand and forgiveness as we learn more about who the other is. It’s about acceptance of the other’s beauty and faults. It’s conversions on the couch and in the car. It’s laughing and crying together. It needs times of connection and hurts when it’s missing. It supports and encourages through the good and the bad. And it is worth the work.

So to you both, I wish you a love that is deep and unending. One full of adventure and folly. And one packed with lots of connection points – every day for every year of the rest of your lives.

Oh, and make sure to check out the animation from the kiss at the altar (these two crack me up)!

They married at St. Paul’s Catholic Church in Genesee Depot. The wedding was touching (complete with a surprise song from Janine’s mom and her niece). After some photos with the whole bridal party, we headed to Janine’s house to get a few photos with her dog – a big lovable white ball of fur! So how laid back is Janine? When the dog got a paw print on the dress, she shrugged it off. I love brides who take the day in stride!

At the reception, which was at the Oconomowoc Lake Club, one table of adults challenged the kids table to a dance off. A few worms and some break-dancing later the kids were crowned champs!

Many blessings you both as you fly off into life together!

You two are really amazing and I’m blessed to know you both. Can’t wait to see you and your family again next year (for another family wedding!)

Some other vendor notes: The flowers were created by The Flower Cart and the dress was from Stone Manor Bridal.

Want to know the details on how to enter, check out the information below:

Why are you doing this?
We love photographing weddings and count it a blessing to participate in so many wedding day celebrations. We want to be able to give back some of that blessing by lending our time and talents to one couple.

What does the couple get?
Wedding coverage from Andy Stenz and Lemon Tree Photographers. We’ll be with you when you get ready right through to the reception where everyone lets loose. It’s about 9 hours of coverage (depending on your schedule). We’ll then edit the photos and get them to you on disk, ready for printing. We’ll also upload the files to an online gallery that you can share with family and friends.

But wait… there’s more! ;-)

The great people at Details Planning Company are going to offer a choice of either 1/2 off their Divine or Distinction planning packages or $100 credit toward custom invitations. They did this for the couple last year and the couple LOVED event planning that Details did for them!

How will this work?
The couple, a family member or their friends submit the couple’s story via email to freewedding2012@andystenz.com. The stories will be read by us and our spouses. We will choose a couple and announce the lucky couple by October 30th. If you aren’t the couple submitting an entry, please confirm with them that they don’t already have a photographer before you enter them in the contest.

Are there any rules?

• The couple must be getting married in 2012 and not have already booked a photographer. The date must be open on both of our calendars (PLEASE NOTE: May, June and July dates are NOT available for the contest at this point due to our conflicting schedules). If we both aren’t available for your wedding, we’ll let you know right away.
• The wedding has to be in Wisconsin within approximately 75 miles of West Bend. Think mainly Madison to Green Bay to Milwaukee. If you’re not sure, submit it anyway, that’s just a rough guideline as we are based out of different cities ourselves.
• We can’t already know you (we don’t want to show favorites). And we can’t have already been in contact with you for a wedding next year.

What do I need to include in my submission?

• The bride and groom’s first and last names and their contact information.
• The couple’s story (this is HUGE!) – how they met, got engaged, and why they should be chosen for free wedding coverage – anything fun you want us to know about them.
• The wedding date and locations (of the ceremony, reception, etc – whatever may be known).
• A photo of the couple. This will be used on the blog post when we announce the final couple.

Where and when do I send my Submission?
Email entry submissions and any questions you may have to freewedding2012@andystenz.com. And remember, submissions are due by October 23rd, 2011 at midnight CST.

Spread the word!
We’d absolutely love it if you took a moment right now to share the word on Facebook about our giveaway to your friends and family. Simply click the “like” button below and leaving a comment will post it to your Facebook profile. Please note that doing so does not affect our choice of winners in any way but it will make us smile.

My full blog post from their wedding can be seen here.

I’ve enjoyed getting to know Rachel+Steve from the engagement session a few months back. They both are intelligent people, with strong careers and a love for each other. Now I got to meet their family and friends – and you can tell there is a lot of love (sometimes seen in some comical jabs here and there). But it was so sweet to see Steve’s mom brought to tears when she saw her son.

So I mentioned that they both have big careers. Steve works for Harley on projects he can’t even talk about and Rachel is a vet. A horse vet. Remember that as you get to the photos of her Maid-of-Honor’s toast (I think it will be self-evident…)

Thanks for letting me share this day with you guys – rain and all!

Leah+Kody currently live in Seattle and brought their family and friends together from the corners of the country. It was supposed to rain all day but it held off. Leah’s parents also had been married at Olbrich (30 years ago) and it rain on their wedding day, so we weren’t worried about it either way. Being from Seattle too, I don’t think you get flustered at the forecast of rain! But we found ourselves in the midst of a beautiful day and a fun party.

Leah got ready at her family’s house (which is also were the backyard reception was) and then we headed to Olbrich Botanical Gardens for the first look (between Leah+Kody) and the ceremony. The ceremony was touching and was officiated by a friend of theirs. The ceremony music was provide by the talented Ed Fila.

The reception was catered by a friend of the family who used to own a restaurant that everyone (basically all the kids in Leah’s family) worked at at some point in their life. The food was amazing! Leah’s dad, being a carpenter by trade, built a raised dance floor off the driveway! It worked spectacularly! The speeches were especially touching, creative and telling of who Leah+Kody are as people. Kody’s sister, a teacher, read the ABC’s of Leah+Kody (“Y is for yes, which brings us here today”). Kody’s best man point out how selfless of guy Kody is, which I can believe. And a roommate and friend of theirs caused many tears as she shared about how great they both are. It was not hard to see how loved these two are.

Thank you guys for letting me be part of your story. I wish you both many years of happiness and joy together!

I came to be shooting the wedding of Alicia+Eric through Eric’s sister, the talented Illinois photographer Dory Touhey. It was a pleasure to finally meet her and the whole family as we celebrated Alica+Eric together.

After they got married at their church, we all headed to the Green Bay Botanical Gardens before heading off the the Radisson connected to the Oneida Casino. I took Dory and her husband, Alan, into the casino after the reception to teach them craps – such a great game! And we weren’t the only ones who spent some time there (see some photos below…)

Alicia+Eric are laid back and genuine people. And they’ve surrounded themselves with good friends – which made the day a blast. I must say there might be a unhealthy obsession with Elvis but it did make for a funny reception. They hired Rocker, a Green Bay band that’s been rocking for 36 years strong. These guys can play and the dance floor stayed busy all night long!

Thanks for having me up guys! Many blessings on marriage and parenting!

The day was wonderful and Kate+David really shined – staying calm in the heat and just plain having fun all day long. They are so much fun to be around because they are just two people very comfortable in their own skin – they know who they are individually and together and it’s a blast watching them interact. And their friends are just good humored and lovely people and I’m honored to have spent the day hanging out with them.

Some vendor notes: The day ran smoothly because of Jamie from Details Planning. This was my second time working with Details and I would recommend them to anyone planning a wedding! The Oconomowoc Lake Club was a wonderful venue and their staff was so helpful in taking care of all the guests. Michael and Dennise, the husband and wife team at Advanced Entertainment DJ did a great job keeping the party going. The lights (and I’m a big fan of uplighting!) was handled by Nate from Dream Lighting Company. They had a great photobooth setup by The ShutterBooth Experience. And last, but not least, Peter D’Amore handled the ceremony music. He’s an amazing musician and a humble guy.

Kate+David: May your dancing never end and your life together be beautiful and long-lived. And may Umphrey’s Mcgee always be playing on a radio somewhere near you!

The heat and humidity was, of course, oppressive. Thankfully, Stephanie+Daniel allowed me to dress a little more casual than most weddings (shorts!) to keep cool. But that didn’t help Daniel who was in a full suit! Sorry Daniel ;-) At the end of the night though he cooled down, along with his buddies, by taking a little swim in the river though – so it all balanced out.

The day was very relaxed and everyone was so welcoming and open. I really appreciated the hospitality of everyone involved towards us “northerners”. It was our first trip to the southeast, but it won’t be our last.

Stephanie+Daniel, many blessings to you as you start your new life in Iowa and in your next adventures together!

One fun story: while getting a few shots around Lakefront Brewery (www.lakefrontbrewery.com) during the reception, we ran into Adam Richman of Man vs Food doing some filming for the show. Crazy!

Tiffani at Charisma Floral Design (mkeflowers.com) brightened up the day and reception with her beautiful flowers. And Craig of All-Star Music (all-starmusic.net) kept the party going late into the evening.

Kelly+Dave, you are such a fun and loving couple. I wish you both the best and hope that you’ll be laughing together for years to come!

The day was organized and kept on track by Nicole from Details, a professional planning company. They are an indispensable in planning and pulling off a wedding of any size. I’m looking forward to working with them again in a few weeks on Kate+David‘s wedding!

Many blessings Sarah+Heath! May the sky be smooth and bright as you fly off together into your new life!

There were so many fun aspects of this wedding including Michael leading some of his (extremely talented!) family in a few rock numbers and a special garland ceremony, complete in Indian dress fit for a king and queen, to celebrate Michael’s family’s Indian heritage.

The ceremony was at the very regal St. Bernards Catholic Church in Madison and the reception was at the beautiful and fun Monona Terrace in Milwaukee.

I had the privilege of shooting this wedding with my friends Jamie and Brandon Swanson up in Fond du Lac. You can check out their blog post right here.

Thanks for letting us be part of you day Erin+Michael – we had an absolute blast!

Ana+Tony are a really great couple. Very easy going and a lot of fun to be around. We had a blast doing their engagement session last fall and even more so for their wedding. I really enjoyed myself. It was a beautiful day with a lot of really great people (some I knew from another wedding I shot last year).

I wish you both the best Ana+Tony. May you continue to love each other and laugh together for the rest of your days!

The whole weekend took place primarily at the Blue Harbor Resort in Sheboygan. That’s were the reception was and that’s where we stayed. We even got to hit the water slides on Sunday, which was a nice way to end the weekend. The ceremony was held at their church, the Vineyard, in Grafton. You’ll see a few photos below of Nate sweeping up after the ceremony because they volunteer to clean the church frequently, so it was just natural for him to get that broom out.

The beautiful flowers, complete with a locket containing a photo of Aimee and my grandma were made by Bloomin’ Olive in Grafton. We danced (until we got kicked out) under the wonderful lead of Chad from Midwest Sound.

Congrats again to Aimee+Nate. We love you!

You can also see my original post here for their wedding here.

As a thank you for the the brides and grooms of 2010 I’ve put together a little contest. Below you’ll find one of my favorite shots from each wedding this year. The contest is simple: vote for your favorite in the Facebook comments below and the couple with the most votes will a 24×16 canvas! (They can choose any image from their wedding for the canvas if they have a different favorite.)

The details: below you’ll find a Facebook commenting box just above the area that says “comments are closed.” It sometimes takes a while to load and doesn’t seem to work in Opera (sorry Opera fans). I’m using this form so we get one vote per user or email (you don’t have to be a member of Facebook for it to work – just use your email and name). Just leave a note saying something like: “I love #4″ or “How can two people like #5 be so darn cute!” – extra points may be awarded for creative entries ;-)

The contest runs until NOON (CST) on Friday the 24th. The voting is now closed. I’ll try to have votes tallied in time to give the winner the news as a Christmas gift!

The update: Congrats to #1 – Alicia+Ben for gathering the most votes and taking home the 24×16 canvas! Thanks for all the votes!

Number 1: Alicia+Ben

Number 2: Lauren+Peter

Number 3: Millie+Steve

Number 4: Angela+Dave

Number 5: Molly+Steve

Number 6: Rebecca+Kris

Number 7: Jenell+Sidney

Number 8: Andrea+Aaron

Number 9: Liz+Tom

Number 10: Sima+Ivan

Number 11: Margaret+Steve

Number 12: Bethany+Daniel

Number 13: Christy+Jason

Number 14: Amanda+Tom

They were wed at St. Anthony’s in Menomonee Falls. After some time in a nearby park, we headed to the InterContinental in downtown Milwaukee for a beautiful reception.

Many blessings to you both in your new life together!

The fall day we had was amazing; not too hot (for the guys in suits) and not to cold (for the girls in dresses) – just right. The leaves at Brown Deer Park where we stopped for some portraits were at peak color and really made for a great background. And Amanda+Tom are just genuinely lovely people; which makes shooting all that more fun. They were willing to be subjected to a little leaf throwing (see the animated image half way through the post) and really didn’t let anything phase them the whole day.

You’ll find a slideshow at the end of the post for your enjoyment too! And if you’re interested, you can see their engagement photos from last year here.

A little plug as well: Tom’s a writer and you can see his (ever expanding) blog here: thepracticalnerd.com

Congratulations! This year brought us more entries than ever before, and we want to thank everyone who entered and helped to get the word out!

Here’s a little from the email Sarah sent us:

After seeing each other only a handful of times from October until April, I developed a crush on the guy who’s name is a candy bar. I was expecting a summer fling, and Heath was ready to meet someone special. To celebrate the end of the semester, I decided to let him know that I was drawn to his funny stories and had a crush. He was taken by surprise, because he had been waiting for the right time to mention the same to me. That night we stayed up and talked about growing up, family, hobbies, our passions, and everything else until 5:00 a.m. There was a spark that grew throughout the summer.

In the fall, his parents told me that if it didn’t work out with this son, they had another one available. I spent Thanksgiving with his family since mine now lives far away in Florida. Heath told me later on that his dad offered him a loan for a ring, saying, “When you know, you know.” He knew, but wanted to make sure I felt ready and couldn’t live without him. (Secretly, I knew too.)

Heath’s a pilot, so they’ll be having the reception at the EAA AirVenture Museum where his grandpa is in the Hall of Fame. They’re also planning on creating lots of meaningful details, put together by Sarah and her family.

We’d also like to announce that Jami Jenkins, an amazing wedding coordinator from Details, a professional planning company has offered the winning couple a special gift as well. She’s given them their choice of either half off her planning services OR 100 custom made invitations or thank you notes. Thank you, Jami! We highly suggest checking out her services to help make your day run more smoothly.

Jamie Swanson and I want to thank everyone who took the time to enter this year. We have really enjoyed reading your stories and wish we could shoot all of your weddings! And again, congrats to Sarah+Heath!

It’s that time of the year again! No, it’s not holiday, it’s time for the 2011 Wedding Photography Giveaway!

My good photography friend Jamie (of Jamie M. Swanson Photography) and I are giving away a free day of wedding coverage to one lucky couple, just like we did last year! You can see my blog post for their wedding here and Jamie’s here. I can’t believe it’s gone by so fast – it’s now our 3rd year doing this!

Want to know the details on how to enter, check out the information below:

Why are you doing this?
We love photographing weddings and count it a blessing to participate in so many wedding day celebrations. We want to be able to give back some of that blessing by lending our time and talents to one lucky couple.

What does the couple get?
A full day of wedding coverage from the two of us. We’ll be with you in the morning when you get ready right through to the reception where everyone lets loose. We’ll then edit the photos and get them to you on disk, ready for printing. We’ll also upload the files to an online gallery that you can share with family and friends.

How will this work?
The couple, a family member or their friends submit the couple’s story via email to freewedding (at) andystenz dot com. The stories will be read by us and our spouses. Among the four of us, we will choose a couple and announce the lucky couple on November 13th. If you aren’t the couple submitting an entry, please confirm with them that they don’t already have a photographer before you enter them in the contest.

Are there any rules?

• The couple must be getting married in 2011. The date must be open on our calendars. If there is a conflict in dates (if we both aren’t available for your wedding), we’ll let you know right away.
• The wedding has to be in Wisconsin within approximately 75 miles of West Bend. Think mainly Madison to Green Bay to Milwaukee. If you’re not sure, submit it anyway, that’s just a rough guideline as we are based out of different cities ourselves.
• We can’t already know you (we don’t want to show favorites). And we can’t have already been in contact with you for a wedding next year.

What do I need to include in my submission?

• The bride and groom’s first and last names and their contact information.
• The couple’s story (how they met, got engaged, and why they should be chosen for free wedding coverage, anything fun you want us to know about them – creativity is encouraged!).
• The wedding date and locations (of the ceremony, reception, etc – whatever may be known).
• A digital picture of the couple. This will be used when we announce the final couple.

Where and when do I send my Submission?
Email entry submissions and any questions you may have to… And remember, submissions are due by November 11th, 2010 at midnight CST. Entry for the 2011 Givewaway is closed.

The wedding was held at the beautiful Boerner Botanical Gardens and the reception was held at Sacred Heart Church’s hall.

I didn’t have the pleasure of an engagement session with Sima and Ivan, as he was in Croatia until shortly before the wedding (where he’s a musician). Yet even without the engagement session they were both very comfortable in front of the camera and a complete pleasure to work with.

I wish you both health and many years of a great marriage!

Here, Nate (of Clearview Productions) and I were trying to figure out what to eat first. Yup, all of this food was for us!

Ivan jumped up to join the band for his second song to Sima that day.