I started my day at the Hilton Monona Terrace, where Matt was getting all ready for the day with his father and best man, Curt.  I know Curt as the owner of The Brink Lounge, where Matt manages the staff and daily goings-on.  Needless to say, it was all smiles and happy vibes when I entered the room that morning!  One of the things I loved was how smiley they both were while I snapped off a few shots of their final preparations.  It was as if they couldn’t hold back their happiness for anything.

Matt looked so smashing in his tux!  I love this shot of the guys in the mirror.  Laughing away!

Meanwhile, over at the Capitol, Gabby prepared for the ceremony.  I remember seeing her dress in a magazine photo in the back office at the Brink- she was so excited about it and it was the PERFECT gown for her!

I LOVE PEONIES.  How many times have I said that this season?  These were beautiful, and I loved the little gift that the florist left on Gabby’s bouquet for her.  If you can’t tell, Gabby is a Star Wars fan of the best kind.  The little yoda charm was awesome, and the little message cracked me up!

Here comes the bride.  <3

The ceremony took place in the intimate Supreme Courtroom inside the Capitol.  It was short, sweet, and wonderful.

One of the advantages of the room was aisles on both sides.  I love getting shots like this!

The way they held one another’s hands was tender.

This was a great kiss, too!  So happy to be husband & wife at last!

I just love the architecture inside the Capitol- no matter where you go there are great details!

We headed straight outside for some formal group shots, where I snagged a stunning shot of Gabby.

I also took the opportunity to grab a portrait of Curt & Elizabeth Brink.  Love these two- they’re such an energetic and happy couple.  It was great to see them enjoying the day so much!

After we went back inside to finish the bride & groom portraits, I caught this adorable moment between Gabby & her mom.  It makes me smile. 

I am sure the Supreme Courtroom will always hold a special place in their hearts!

Between 3pm and 4pm, the light inside the Capitol is to die for.

The dome is always a great excuse to break out that specialty lens- inside OR out!

The back of Gabby’s dress paired with her drop necklace was gorgeous.

This was also the day of the Art Fair on the Square.  We walked right through one of the busier intersections to get to the Monona Terrace.

And then through the skywalk via the Hilton…  These two were troopers!

Although there was a wedding in progress on the main part of the rooftop, one of my favorite little corners was still available.

This tree gave us just enough cover and still allowed the day’s beautiful sun to peek through.

What a great-looking couple you two were!!

How many couples get to spend an extra half hour or so alone together on their wedding day?!

Matt & Gabby did!  We were so on track with the schedule that we finished early, so Matt & Gabby had a little break at the Olive Lounge in the Hilton Monona Terrace.  Dave & I headed over to the Brink Lounge to capture reception details.

These bamboo leaves were striking inside the centerpieces, and I loved that each table had its own little combination of vases at different levels and with different flowers in them.

Gabby had put together individual olive oil favors for each guest, with thyme inside.

One of the things Gabby told me she had known immediately about the wedding was that she wanted a cake from the Rolling Pin Bakery in Fitchburg.    It was beautiful AND delicious!

After a casual and delicious dinner, the party commenced with first dances.  Matt & Gabby shared this amazing kiss as their family & friends applauded their dance.  It was so cute!

To Matt & Gabby, thank you SO much for your faith in my photography.  I have thoroughly enjoyed every moment of this opportunity to be a part of your special day.  I now call you both friends and I look forward to photographing your family some more some day!

For details about hiring Red Gecko Studio as the photographer for your upcoming wedding, please use the Contact section of this blog! Red Gecko Studio proudly serves weddings and special events in Madison, Milwaukee, and southeastern Wisconsin. Travel to any other location in the world can always be arranged,so don’t hesitate to ask about coverage for your destination wedding! Thanks for visiting, and please take a moment to leave your thoughts as a comment!

Before the big day arrives, though, I thought I’d share some suggestions to help my future GWC’s (Guest-With-Camera) enjoy the shutter-happy project that will be your friend’s wedding…without getting a death stare from me.  OK, well, I don’t give death stares.  But you know what I mean: you know we (the photographers) are there and we know you’re there.  Let’s work together so everyone has the most fun possible!

So please, take just a moment to read through the following handful of requests.  You’ll find that I am in no way asking you to leave your camera at home. 

1.  Say Hello!  I like new friends.

Most of my brides & grooms will alert me before the wedding day about their photo enthusiast friends who will probably have their camera at the wedding.  This is usually followed by a promise of “don’t worry, they won’t get in the way!”

So first of all, I want to ensure you all that I don’t see every guest with a camera as someone who’s going to “get in the way.”  Digital cameras are awesome, and most of us have one (or two, or four…or six…let’s not go there!).  And who would we be if we left the house without that camera to attend a dear friend’s wedding?  Brides & grooms love all sorts of photos from their wedding (just peruse a recent bride’s Facebook page!), so please, go ahead and capture the snapshots I’m missing while I’m focusing my attention on the main event.

Honestly, though, if you intend to spend more of the wedding WITH your camera than WITHOUT, I’d just love for you to say “hi.”    I worry that if I run over and introduce myself out of the blue while you catch up with Aunt Betty, you’ll think I’m trying to intimidate you or scare you away.  I don’t bite, I’m really quite nice and I’d love to meet you!

2.  Be aware of the professional throughout the day…and respect their line of sight.

I am one person and only one person, that’s for sure.  Although I usually have an assistant or second shooter with me, the two of us won’t see everything you see- so shoot away.  I’m happy that the bride and groom will have images from the angles where you are viewing the wedding in addition to mine.

What’s the catch?  Location, location, location.  Be aware of where the professional photographers are working, because it changes frequently.  And sadly, yes, we’ll often be in the most optimal places to capture a great shot.  After all, the bride and groom have paid a considerable amount of money to ensure that the best shots ARE covered by a professional photographer.  With that in mind…please refrain from popping into the middle of the aisle right before the kiss.  Or at any time, for that matter.  And especially don’t lie in the middle of it.  If you are going to get out of your seat and shoot, please don’t stand at the very end of the aisle next to the officiant during the processional.  Or at the end of the pews in the church.  Or basically anywhere that could put you between the subject and my lens.  See that spot where you could get the perfect shot of the exchange of rings?  Chances are I’ve already scoped it out.

Is this all about me being greedy and wanting nobody else to get the best shot?  No, not at all!  It’s about that chunk of their budget that your family or friends have paid me to get the best shot.  They don’t get a refund if your head is in the way. 

Also, I should point out that you as guests have a great opportunity to capture shots that I won’t be able to get so easily: other guests having fun!  Take shots of your friends & family members truly enjoying the day while the bride & groom are busy.  The couple will LOVE to see the smiles their event brought to everyone’s faces.

3.  We’ve got a schedule, and we’re sticking to it.

Do you know what one of my favorite things to say to a bride & groom on their wedding day is?  “We’re right on schedule!!”

Running behind is stressful on any given day- on a wedding day it can add anxiety and worry to a celebration that has no place for such feelings.  My couples and I sit down prior to the wedding day to discuss the time we need and the schedule they want, and I intend to stick to it.  Staying on time (or even ahead!) gives my couples the peace of mind they need in order to enjoy their wedding to the fullest.  So where do you come in, you wonder…

Imagine the bride and groom all lined up with their family- it’s a huge family shot with Gramma, Grampa, aunt Edna, cousin Bobby- all these people all together!  It is such a wonderful opportunity.  After taking three minutes to round everyone up and line them up and get them all looking at the camera and smiling, the hired photographer snaps off a few rounds of shots and says “Thanks everyone!”    After this scene takes place, have you ever been the one to pipe up from behind and say “WAIT!  One more!!”?

It’s really tempting to hand your camera to someone and say “oh, get one for me!”  However, please realize that all of those “one more” requests add up.  Throw in a few of those after every shot and we’ve suddenly extended that set of family portraits by ten minutes or more.  Not to mention, the people involved in the portraits had to stand there longer than planned.  Odds are they aren’t even smiling anymore.  Would it be a better idea to stand right next to me and shoot at the same time?  NO.  No matter how loudly I scream “LOOK AT THIS CAMERA PLEASE, EVERYONE LOOK HERE!”…  There will still be those few people who can’t hear me or aren’t paying attention…and they’re now looking at YOUR camera.  Yikes, that’s worse than derailing the schedule.

What’s the solution?  Check out the sweet website I post for each couple about a month or so after their big day.  You can peruse all of the images from the day, and if you want you can even order a 5×7 or an 8×10 right from that gallery.

As one last note on this topic, please remember that I am hired by the bride & groom.  I am not there to shoot a professional family portrait for free, and their JPEG images are not licensed for them to share with you.  Please don’t ask me to take a shot of your kids with the intention of asking the bride to email you her digital negative for your holiday cards.  It is not only taking advantage of their investment but it is also against the terms of the print release that they received with their digital negatives.

4.  Keep the geek-speak on the down-low.

I’m a Canon camera kind of gal, and I bring bags full of other fun gadgets and gear with me to each event.  I LOVE to talk shop.  I’m a total camera nerd.

Do I love to talk shop AT a wedding I’m working?  No.  I know it is very tempting to take this chance to ask a professional why they chose Canon over Nikon, or what range their big honkin’ sniper-lens is, or how many megapixels their cameras have, etc etc etc.  Grab one of my business cards and we’ll have a great convo over email or a cup of coffee someday.  When I’m at work, my mind is on what I’m doing with my gear and not why I bought it.  I’ll be happy to swap wish lists and reviews at a later date.

5.  Throw me some props, yo- it’s a super nice thing to do!

After the big day, I know that we photographers are just itching to get up the next morning with a cup of coffee and hit the laptop.  Whether you’re a pro or an amateur or just an enthusiast, we all enjoy the excitement of seeing our images appear on screen.  What’s better?  SHARING!  What good would our images be if they won’t be there for everyone to enjoy?  Facebook, SmugMug, Picasa, and all sorts of other websites and software make it easy to upload images to the world wide inter-webs.

Am I about to ask you not to post your pics online?  Heck no.  That would be insane.  What I AM going to do is beg shamelessly for free promotion.    Odds are that within 24 hours of the wedding, I’ve got an album uploaded to the Red Gecko Studio fan page and have tagged the bride & groom.  Eventually, a blog post will follow.  I will love you forever (in that platonic, thanks-so-much-you-rock kinda way) if you can give me a shout out as the pro ‘tog at the wedding.  Link to my website, blog, or Facebook page for extra brownie points and interweb-hugs.

Well, folks, there you have it.    All of the thoughts you probably didn’t want to know that we professional photographers are thinking when we see you walk in with your camera around your neck.  I hope that at your next wedding, you’ll have tons of fun snapping photos and just as much (if not more) fun enjoying the dance floor and open bar (hey, you’ve got me beat there).  All while avoiding the death-stare of the hired photographer!

Starting your own photography business?  Stay tuned for my post just for you!

I am so incredibly happy to introduce you to my beautiful friends, Casem and Amber:

I first met Casem on October 2, 2006.  Yep, I remember that date because it was the day I started at Epic.  And I know that’s the day we met because I remember looking at the window of my new office and the shiny nameplate that said “Mandie Holterman,” and then seeing the nameplate beside it that had Casem’s name on it.  I remember trying to figure out how to pronounce his last name.  Yup, Casem and I were office-mates!  We shared four walls and a big window for over a year before I moved into my own office (without windows).  I missed Casem much more than the windows.  To this day, I wish I had stayed his office-mate.

Casem and I shared a lot of important stories in the time that we spent together.  He was the first person at Epic to see my excited smile and my engagement ring after Eric proposed.  I was the first person at Epic to hear that he had met Amber (or so he says…).  Casem is responsible for the videos we have of our wedding, since he was so wonderful to accept the duty even though I waited until THE WEDDING DAY to thrust our camcorder into his hand and say, “would you mind running this for me?!”  And even after he and I had both left Epic to pursue alternate careers, I was honored to accompany my dear friend Casem on his shopping excursion for Amber’s beautiful engagement ring.  I was so happy for them both!

I was sad when I couldn’t fly out to New York City to see & photograph Casem & Amber’s wedding ceremony last fall, but I was elated to be able to shoot their Wisconsin celebration this July.  These two are truly a beautiful, fun, playful, and loveable couple.  I am so blessed to call them friends. 

I’m pretty sure Casem knows this, but he’s one lucky guy.

I love Casem’s expression in this next one…  “Yeah.  That’s my wife.  She’s gorgeous.  I know.”

Hang on for dear life!

It was HOT…but the sun was wonderful.

We found a fun little lawn to park on for a few shots.  Like a wedding picnic!!

Casem’s sister Sara is responsible for the beautiful flowers.  I LOVE the huge bamboo leaves!

These two were up for anything, including lots of climbing. 

This is what happens when two people meet while both acting in a play: the histrionics never really end!  LOVE it.  Also must thank my honey for suggesting this spider-man-style shot… 

Gotta getta drama shot for the dramatically inclined.

You can’t get married at the UW Union and NOT stop by the pier!  Casem proves he can kick that heel, too:

Yes, everyone…it’s one of my favorite spots!!

And is there really any question WHY?  This is my absolute favorite shot of Amber & Casem and has been my desktop for weeks now. 

Sunburst chairs and awkward stares!

What a smashing pair.  I’d say Casem is quite dapper here.  His wife’s pretty fabulous, too!

After we finished portraits with Casem & Amber, we started family photos.  Now, I don’t normally post many family photos, but Amber and her brothers totally cracked me up when they requested these goofy senior-portrait-style shots!  Everyone pop out on three!

This is their “band shot.”  Yup, big sister front and center sounds right to me!!  Of course, I say that as the oldest of three myself….

The reception was held in the grand ballroom at the UW-Madison Memorial Union.  With all of his stage experience, Casem had absolutely no problem playing the part of master of ceremonies.  Their DJ probably had the least stressful night of his career with Casem at the helm!

These adorable and very TALENTED kids performed several songs while dinner was going on.  They did a great job!

Amber & Casem are very loved, and a number of super-sentimental speeches reflected that.

The last speech was given by the bride & groom themselves.  They graciously thanked everyone involved, and I love this shot below.  This was the moment when Casem was thanking ME (you guys are such sweethearts!).  He looked around the room saying, “…and Mandie…where is Mandie… Well, Mandie took off somewhere but…”  It was really difficult not to giggle as I photographed this moment from across the room with my handy zoom lens.  Yes, it turns out I am a ninja-photographer and can make myself invisible.  He he!  They eventually spotted me…happily shooting away.

Mmmmm, I loveyummy cake. 

The first dance was a fun one, and one of my favorites- Say Hey by Michael Franti!  Loved it!  I highly suggest playing this song in the background while viewing the next few images.

Their performance was awesome!  It looked choreographed, but you never know when you’re dealing with two theater-musical veterans.    GREAT JOB, guys!

To Casem and Amber, I cannot begin to express how happy I am for you, my friends.  You are both beautiful and loving souls and I wish you an amazing, happy, and fun-filled marriage and life together.  I am so thankful that I was able to be a part of your celebration and I am ecstatic that you two will be back in Madison for a while!  NYC will miss you, but there are a ton of people who will be happy to have you back here.

For details about hiring Red Gecko Studio as the photographer for your upcoming wedding, please use the Contact section of this blog! Red Gecko Studio proudly serves weddings and special events in Madison, Milwaukee, and southeastern Wisconsin. Travel to any other location in the world can always be arranged,so don’t hesitate to ask about coverage for your destination wedding! Thanks for visiting, and please take a moment to leave your thoughts as a comment!