I’m going to try something new with this blog post. If we can get 75 combined comments below I’ll give Millie + Steve a free 16×20 print (so basically that’s earning them $1 for every comment!).

The ceremony and reception where both held at the Waukesha Rotunda, which not only is a lovely venue, the food prepared by Chef Jack’s is always amazingly delicious. Because they held everything in one place, we had the luxury of enjoying the party more as we didn’t have to drive around to different locations for photos. In fact, because they saw each other before hand for photos together (which I think makes for great photos and memories!) they were able to hang out with their guest more after the wedding.

Thanks to you both for having me out to enjoy your day with you. I had a blast!

The wedding and reception were held at the National Mississippi River Museum & Aquarium which was a wonderfully unique and fun location for their celebration. I didn’t get to tour the whole place, but there is something about eating dinner a few feet from a huge catfish swimming by you that does make for an enjoyable evening.

Anyway, here’s a smattering of the photos from the day. I’m working on five other weddings and hope to have those up soon too ;-)

I am excited to celebrate Valentine’s Day this year by announcing the winners of our 2010 free wedding photography giveaway! I just wanted to start by thanking everyone who entered the contest! Jamie (Jamie M Swanson Photography) and I have really enjoyed reading all the stories and were finally able to narrow it down to our winners!

The winners are…. [Drum roll, please!]

…Bethany and Daniel!

Bethany and Daniel met on the other side of the world on a completely different continent. After four years, mostly spent far from each other, they are finally together and are getting married this fall. We are SO excited to photograph your wedding! Congratulations you two – we look forward to capturing your wedding day with beautiful images!

Happy New Year! Let’s start with a bang, eh? To that end, my good photography buddy Jamie (of Jamie M. Swanson Photography) and I are giving away a free day of wedding coverage to one lucky couple this year – just like we did last year! Want to know the details, read all the information below. Here’s to a wonderful 2010 for you and yours!

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@andystenz.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 February 14th. If you aren’t the couple, please confirm with them that they don’t already have a photographer before you send in the entry.

Are there any rules?

• The couple must be getting married in 2010. 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 freewedding@andystenz.com. And remember, submissions are due by January 31st, 2010 at midnight CST.

Thanks for letting me be part of your day guys! Many blessings you in your marriage!

If you’re interested, you can see their engagement session here.

Check out this limo!

May God continue to bless you two for years to come!

The wedding ceremony was at Fox River Church in Waukesha. We then traveled to Lake Geneva for some photos and the reception.

We stopped for some ice cream on the boardwalk – a tradition for Amanda and Nate.

Amanda did a great job coordinating the look and feel of the reception! It was held in the beautiful Lake Geneva Riviera

As I said, there was a LOT of dancing. And it was good…

I love this series of Amanda’s dad channeling his inner rock star:

Thank you Amanda and Nate for allowing me to be part of this amazing day. May God bless you with many years of marriage, love and happiness together!

Thanks Jennifer and Ben letting us be part of your celebration!

And you can see some photos from their engagement session back on this post.

Congratulations to Blair and Mohammed! They are the winners of the free wedding photography contest from Jamie M Swanson Photography and Andy Stenz Photography. We will be there to capture every moment of their special day next year!

What struck us about them? Coming from two completely different sides of the world, Blair and Mohammed have lived lives marked with struggle and grief. Yet in each other they found a joy and love that they don’t want to live without.

Congratulations again Blair and Mohammed. We look forward to being part of your story.

And thanks to all the entries we received. It was a blessing to read all of your stories. It was very difficult to choose and we wish we could have done them all. Many blessings to every one of you as you begin your new life together.