A moment to brag....

Soooo, I have lots and lots of incredible weddings still to share with you all... but first I have to take just a quick moment to brag a bit about the incredibly talented people in my life. Last Thursday I drove north to Chippewa Falls for a VIP event. The world premiere of an independent film both my brother Andre' and brother-in-law Seth have been working on for the past several years.

If you've been following this blog for a while then you may remember a post from last November about the film. At that point they were just screening the film as they worked to complete the editing.... well the film is finished and last Thursday it premiered to a sold out theatre of friends, family, actors and producers. I can't even begin to tell you how very excited and proud I am of these two!

The story of "Illegal Use of Joe Zopp" originated with a group of 7 friends who all grew up together in the Chippewa Falls area. Although the film is set in Purewater (a fictitious town) most of the filming took place in the Chippewa Falls/Eau Claire area... hence the premiere's location. My brother-in-law Seth was one of those principle seven members. Andre' first became a part of the movie when he was cast in the supporting role of Winslow Garduno. With his degree in Theatre & Film it wasn't long before he was put to use in other post production aspects of the movie.

As I settled back in my seat with a bag of popcorn I turned to Aaron... butterflies in my stomach. Why was I nervous? There was no reason to be... and yet I found myself unable to find a comfortable position in my thoroughly plush seat. What if the movie didn't do as well as they hoped? What if I didn't like it? What would I say to my family?!? As it turns out those nerves were completely for nothing... The film turned out far better then I ever could have imagined. And was it well received??? Well it was the top grossing movie at the Cinema over the weekend! How incredible is that!!!!

If your from the Chippewa Falls area be sure to stop by Micon Theatre and check it out. The movie will be playing through this week, although they may extend that based on the high ticket sales so far. The film was also just recently accepted into an International Film Festival in the Twin Cities this fall... so if your from Minnesota be sure to check that out. If you'd like to read more about the film you can find lots of information on their website.



I just love this image... all the other films playing alongside Joe Zopp last weekend.



The Chippewa Falls group of writers, directors, producers.... (short one member as Joe was unable to attend)



Being interviewed by the press. Here's a link to an article in the local paper....

Some local coverage



At the request of his sister... hamming it up for the camera!



My new favorite family photo! Could my mom be any prouder?!? :)



The weekend of the premiere in Chippewa Falls "Illegal Use of Joe Zopp" also participated in the Landlocked Film Festival in Iowa City, Iowa. Below you'll find a link for their very first review!

First review

Sara & Philipp

Knee high socks and sandals, tight rolled jeans, leg warmers and fanny packs.... everyone knows these trends to be definite fashion don'ts. But isn't there always an exception to the rule?

When Phil set out one beautiful morning to hike the cliffs at Devils' Lake, he knew he wanted a bag that stayed close to his body. He wanted the presence of that beautiful engagement ring to always be safely within reach. As he led Sara higher and higher through the trees he found himself constantly patting his oh so taboo, fanny pack... a quick confirmation that yes, indeed Sara's beautiful ring was still safely tucked away. As the reached a clearing where the view of the lake spread out beautifully below them, Phil reached into his pack and produced the ring that brought tears to Sara's eyes. Sara didn't see a man with a fanny pack... she saw the man she loves... a man who wants to hold Sara close by his side... always safely within reach for, the rest of his life!

Congratulations again Sara & Philipp. It was such a pleasure working with you both and your delightful families. Much love - Jennifer







The closely guarded and absolutely beautiful engagement ring...



I love these ties!









How adorable are they??



Something about this image that I just love... favorite!





Sara & Phil had one of the best dinners I've ever enjoyed at a wedding reception. It was catered by the incredible Lombardinos. Dessert was incredible as well. There were dozens of different cheesecake varieties to choose from.. and all of them were handmade by members of Sara & Phil's families.

Stephanie & Kent

When we first met, we clicked. As Stephanie spoke about her upcoming wedding plans with Kent I could tell we were insync.

I fell in love with Stephanie and Kent from the first moment we met.... and I didn't even meet Kent until the wedding day! They both just have this aura about them that's so warm and inviting. As we chatted between portraits about their careers, the beautiful day and life in general Kent held Stephanie's hand and stared at her like it was the first time he’d ever seen such a beautiful woman. A loving gaze, a supportive laugh.... These two are simply perfect for each other.

Sometimes the trip to one's wedding day takes years rather then months. I can't say that one approach is better then the other... but with time comes a level of comfort that can be seen in every little expression and supportive gesture. As Kent held Stephanie's hand and offered her his life and his neverending love you could see in her face that she was most definitely swallowed up in the comfort of Kent's embrace.







Stephanie has such a warm smile...













Love this... favorite.

Michelle & Mike

As the doors of Michelle's dressing room opened she peeked out at me with a smile. As her bridesmaids primped and adjusted her many layers Michelle smiled. As she spoke of her excitement for the hours to come her smile grew wider. When Michelle & Mike finally emerged from their private meeting her smile had extended from ear to ear. Mike truly lights up Michelle's face... just his presence and the memories of the love they share are always present... a twinkle in her eye or a dimple in her cheek. His love is always present.

Michelle & Mike I hope you had a wonderful time on your honeymoon in Tahoe. Thanks again for allowing me to be a part of your special day. It was truly a pleasure.


I love this shot... favorite!






Michelle has such a beautiful smile...















This photo makes me giggle.. how cute is he???



Chocolate is a great favor idea.. but how appropriate are M&Ms for Michelle & Mike :)

Paige & Shawn

I awoke to storms.. loud thunder claps and rain pelting my window pane. Not a great wake up call when your photographing an outdoor wedding. As I showered and prepared my equipment for the day the thunderstorm continued outside, even knocking the power out for a brief time. As the hour approached for Paige & Shawn's wedding though the skies cleared and gave way to a breathtaking blue. The weather couldn't have come together more perfectly... and it certainly was an incredible day for an adorable couple.

Paige & Shawn had such a beautiful intimate outdoor wedding. It truly was a coming together of family and friends to celebrate their deep level of love and respect for one another. A good friend neighbor Bob performed the ceremony and Shawns brother made the cake. He even shipped in all of his baking pans from his home in the south to make sure things were done right! Like I said... this was an intimate affair that made even me feel like a member of the family. Paige & Shawn thank you again for allowing me to be a part of your beautiful wedding day. It was such an honor.... and of course the cake was an added bonus! :)









This photo makes me smile:) Paige & Shawn had no attendants so guess who got to hold her bouquet.... Dad.







Soft filtered effects are not normally my style.. but I really liked how they worked on this image....



Shawn really does make Paige glow...

And so ends the retreat.....

Crash, pop, sizzle.... those are the sounds that have been haunting my dreams this week. My main computer crashed. Don't you just love technology?!?! If your waiting for a session to be proofed, posted or blogged have no fear. All images are thoroughly backed up as soon as I complete a shoot.. so everything is safe. Sadly though, here I sit in front of my second computer, where I thankfully still have internet access but of course much of the information I need is being held hostage on my main server. I wonder if I talk to it sweetly if it might be more inclined to just turn on for me??? It's pretty much heard every nasty name I could throw at it in the last few days... think I hurt it's feelings?! Anyway, my incredible husband/IT tech is working on the situation full time today. Hopefully we will be up and running again when I return home from my wedding. Otherwise it will be another night spent with a bottle of wine until I'm able to take it in for service on Monday.

Stay tuned for these blog posts coming up.....

Paige & Shawn

Michelle & Mike

Stephanie & Kent

Sara & Phil

Cassandra & Chris

Erin & Duy

Jamie & Chad

Anna & Derrick

A much needed retreat.....

For months now Aaron and I have been discussing the need for a vacation. Not the "gosh, it would really be nice to get away for a while" conversation. It was more along the lines of "We NEED to take a vacation, and soon!". Now don't get me wrong... I love what I do. I thank God all the time that my career is something I absolutely love. However, when you work in the wedding industry inevitable you will be working on the weekends. Working 6 days a week... every week doesn't leave much time for Aaron and I. A vacation is the only real guarantee that our time will be spent completely focused on one another. What an incredible treat it was to wake up everyday to my incredibly handsome hubby! Another day, stuck spent with you? Bummer ;)

Not really having a weekend off for a vacation we settled on taking a Monday thru Friday off. So following a wedding on Saturday the 19th and a gig for Aaron we made the drive down to O'Hare early Sunday morning. (We flew out of O'Hare since my wedding the following weekend was to take place in Elgin, IL... look for some fun photos of that incredible event coming soon!) It had been so long since our last vacation we didn't want to waste any time.... looking back we probably could have affording at least a few hours for a later flight! Aaron's gig Saturday was in LaCrosse and he played until bar time. I spent Saturday night backing up my wedding files and finally packing.. and he spent the night driving down from LaCrosse only to pick me up and continue our drive to Chicago. Needless to say, I don't think either of us heard a word of the flight attendants safety speech!

From Chicago we flew into Burlington, Vermont... yup, Vermont. I know... big time vacation hot spot! When we discussed a vacation we both agreed we wanted to keep it to a short flight, so tropical destinations were out... and we wanted to make relaxation the key, so no big cities. That's how we settled upon the Adirondack Mountains and Lake Placid in particular. Turns out our dot on the map was a perfect fit! After a short trip to Montreal we spent the rest of the week in Lake Placid hiking, shopping, enjoying some live music and even took a trip whitewater rafting. Each night ended the same... with a relaxing soak in the hot tub. It was perfect! Sooo my thanks to everyone who patiently waited for my email/voicemail responses after getting an "out of office" reply. I so appreciated your understanding.


A view from our hike... breathtaking!



Okay... so the rock wasn't really big enough for the both of us! But this is why I love this man so much, he humors me. :)



Just a few snaps I took on one of our hikes...







And the final day of our trip... which also happened to be Aaron's birthday. He knew exactly how he wanted to spend it. Sooo I pushed my fears aside and donned a wetsuit on a cold rainy day... turns out whitewater rafting is sooo much fun! Our guide told us that they had unusually high waters for this time of year. The water is rated from 1-5, with 5 being the most difficult. We rode level 3 & 4 waves. This photo is courteous of Melody Thomas Photography... we're the two yellow helmets.



This photo cracks me up! Aaron looks like he is having such a blast... but then check out the guy in the last seat on the left... not exactly the same response!