Bridal Show Time

For those of you still searching for wedding vendors ... here's a quick run-down of some shows.

Sunday, Jan. 11th - Keller Convention Center in Effingham.
Sunday, Jan. 18th - Hilton Garden Inn in Champaign.
Sunday, Jan. 25th - Cross County Mall in Mattoon.

I'm sure there are others, but these are the ones that I'll be participating in this year.

If you're engaged ... wait no longer to book your photographer and videographer. The economy might be down, but everyone is still getting married. And with three weeks of bridal shows ... dates will be filling up quickly.

If you make it to one of the shows be sure to stop by my booth and check out my photography and video services. Or ... you can just stop by to say, "Hi."

This should be a fun year.

Laura & Kevin

Another great weekend with great families. This is what makes it all worth while.

Jess & Jamie

I'll be honest ... I could go on and on about these families and the amount of fun we had on their wedding day ... from shooting Jess as she was getting ready to the Coyote Ugly moment we had at the bar ... not to mention the reception really kicking into high gear after the dollar dance.

Our crew of 5 provided photo and video coverage of the day and we just had a blast!

I've been working on some photos for a sample album I'm putting together for the 2009 bridal shows and decided to assemble them together in a slide show. I hope you enjoy them.

Just catching up ...

For those that haven't heard yet, we've got our house for sale. Charleston is home, so we won't be leaving. Instead we'll be moving to Fox Lake Drive to a house right on the lake. It's a great looking area and I can even do a few engagement shots in the backyard if needed.

Right now I'm continuing to work on print orders as they come in, so if you've placed an order recently ... that's what I'm working on.

Also ... one more album to design and then I'm caught up.

If you're planning on ordering an album, but haven't done so then this would be a good time. Typically there is a rush for albums during the October/November time period ... everyone wants an album before Christmas. The problem is that it happens nation wide, so the album companies have cut off periods. Be sure to give me a call or send me an email if you're thinking about getting an album designed in the next few weeks.

A few weeks off ...

I spent today ... Labor Day ... finishing up Kassie and Clint's wedding video. I know they're as anxious to get the final video as I am to get it out to them. The editing has been completed and now I'm just working on getting it on DVD.
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I have one, and only ONE, wedding album to design. I can't believe it ... I'm actually catching up and once the album has been completed ... I will be completely caught up.

I've got a few weeks off before I shoot my next wedding, so I've got some time to work on marketing and networking. And speaking of networking ... I've entered the digital social networking age ... I joined Facebook. I have no idea if that's a good thing or not, but I suppose if it doesn't take up too much time it's ok. Who knows, maybe I can put up a few wedding photos there as well.
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Thanks to all the people that have taken the time to watch Kate & John's slide show. It has officially eclipsed all viewings of other slide shows and videos. Please feel free to leave a comment if you like.

And for those that don't get the Penguin reference ... well, they did meet in Antarctica.

The New Adventures of Lewis and Clarke

Good weather in August ... are you kidding me? Well that's what we had when Kate & John got married on August 16th.

Usually an outdoor wedding this time of year in Illinois would be brutal, but that just wasn't the case. It was just an enjoyable summer day.

Kate & John had a beautiful wedding ceremony at Allerton Park in the Sunken Garden followed by a reception/picnic at Crystal Lake in Urbana.

They had an all you can eat BBQ including ribs, chicken, beef brisket, corn on the cob and cornbread as well as a live band, and paddle boat rides.

Guests came from all over the U.S. and I know that I spoke to one young lady from Sweden. You know you've got some real friends when they come that far to celebrate with you.

The entire day was coordinated by Gwen Wilson from Nuptiae and florals by English Hedgerow in Urbana. This was my first time working with Gwen and she and her staff did a fabulous job keeping everything running smoothly.

You can click on this link to watch a slide show from their wedding and reception. When you hear the music you'll get an immediate feel for what this wedding was like. It was a blast!

Thank you John & Kate for letting us be a part of your wedding day.

Allison & Scott

Nicole and I had a great time shooting Allison and Scott's wedding a few weeks ago. I guess you could say that it was a rather large wedding party, with 9 bridesmaids and 11 groomsmen. They were all cooperative and lot's of fun, which made my job much easier.

We had hoped to roam around EIU for a while for some outdoor shots, but once we got on the trolley for a quick ride, we knew it wasn't going to go quite as planned. We did manage to get together for a couple of group photos, but we no more than got back on the trolley for the ride back to the church and the skies opened up.

The reception was just awesome (and I don't use that word very often). We typically don't have weddings with live bands in the central Illinois area, but the Paul Windsor Orchestra made the trip down from Chicago and kept the EIU Grand Ballroom dance floor filled. It was a great night for everyone!

Thanks to the Smiths and the Ohlanders for allowing us to be a part of their day.

Below are a few photos and a quick slide show. You'll need Quick Time to view the slide show.