Oh the threat of summer rain.  It can make you crazy with anticipating its arrival – especially if you have a scheduled shoot with a gorgeous couple, one half of which had make-up and hair done especially for the occasion.  Luckily Mother Nature knows just how long and arduous it can be spending hours at the salon and held off the rain til later.  For their engagement session Danielle envisioned a rustic farm setting.  Without knowing a farmer who owns a rustic farm that would fit the bill, we opted for one of our favorite locations that gives the impression of farm life circa 1890 – Trimborn Farm.  Danielle and Brandon were amazing not only to photograph but to also watch.  Their interactions with one another and the ways they physically expressed their love was incredible.  Though slightly shy and somewhat reluctant in front of the camera at first, the two were essentially models by the end of their session.  They even knew how and when to correct a posed shot before we had the chance to help direct.  Brandon kept things light and humorous giving his best fashion photographer impression – lol indeed.  Danielle’s trip to the salon exceeded our expectations.  Great hair, great make-up, and a perfect smile – we can’t wait to see how she will look walking down the aisle to meet Brandon come October.

We love when our couples bring well thought out props.  Props that showcase their style, what they enjoy in life, and preview a taste of what’s to come on the big day.  For Lauren and Jordan’s engagement session, they loved the idea of a late summer afternoon picnic.  Who can blame them?  Is there anything better than a romantic picnic in the park with the one you love to kick off the Memorial Day weekend?  Working with the gorgeous couple was a breeze.  They had no problem jumping right into the shoot when we told them to show a little affection.  We can’t wait to see what their local nursery farm wedding has in store for us later this summer.

Spring is here, nature is in bloom,  and love is in the air.  Or, is that just the pollen?  Either way we get the sniffles and a little teary eyed.  This past Sunday’s engagement session with Amanda and Anthony was no exception.  Due to their extremely busy schedules we didn’t get a chance to meet Amanda and Anthony prior to their shoot.  What a great way to spend an evening.  Lovely weather, a leisurely stroll at one our favorite parks, and some great conversation with new friends.  We hit it off immediately with Amanda and Anthony.  Not only were they extremely easy going and down for a venture in nature, they are amazing in front of the camera.  Amanda has one of the best smiles we’ve had the pleasure of capturing.  Anthony’s confident demeanor and infectious affection he shows while in Amanda’s presence is priceless. Together the couple are perfect.  Watching them hold each other while enjoying the scenery reminded us of why we decided to commit ourselves to each other ten years ago (May 17th!).  And of course, we had to cheer when Amanda whipped out the Vikings blanket to use for ground cover while sitting in the field.  In a word, it was the blanket Amanda’s mom didn’t care about getting muddy or defiled – Go Pack!  We can’t wait to work with Double A (Amanda & Anthony – I’m trying to come up with couple nicknames now and it sounded better than Amanthony), their friends and family for their wedding in  August.

As we stepped out of our car into the crisp, cold, bright March morning at snow covered Pike Lake, we were greeted with a warm and friendly hug.  Though we’d only met Tressie through internet correspondence, you would’ve thought we were old friends.  Even relatives.  Within an instant we knew we’d have an incredible time hanging out with Kyle and Tressie during their engagement session.  Not only did they brave the cold, they looked amazing doing so in the process.  The turquoise scarf adorning Tressie and the grey beanie Kyle rocks were both made by Tressie.  Check out her website HERE.  Not to be out done by his wife-to-be, Kyle, a carpenter, created their “Save the Date” frame that morning from reclaimed barn wood.  It wouldn’t surprise us if Tressie sheared the sheep and spun the yarn for the hat and scarf and Kyle chopped down several trees, milled the wood, and built a barn which was subsequently torn down to get the reclaimed barn wood for the frame.  It sounds real cool though.  With such heartwarming personal touches they created and brought along, it was difficult to not get a great shot of these two.  Oh, and the talk of burlap and bright flowers on their special day – well, we’re very excited for September’s arrival.

Despite the bitter cold last Sunday we had a blast shooting Loretta and Andy’s engagement session.  Andy is a volunteer fire fighter with the Slinger Fire Department so we were granted access and use of the fire house for their session.  Of course I could make some funny pun or joke like, “Their love is so hot they need an extinguisher,” or even, ” Their passion almost burned the place down,” but I won’t.  All kidding aside, capturing Loretta and Andy and the love shared between them was a breeze.  They were naturals in front of the camera and had no objections when it came to getting cold or even climbing around old rail cars for some great images.   For the second part of our shoot, we ventured around Loretta’s parent’s trucking business.  Built alongside the railroad that runs through Slinger it was the perfect backdrop for some incredibly unique winter images.  Special thanks to the Slinger Fire Dept. and Loretta’s parents for providing great places to shoot that helped showcased who Loretta and Andy are.  We can’t wait for September to see what their wedding holds.

This past Friday evening we had the privilege of helping celebrate the announcement of Abby and Ross’s engagement.  Friends and family gathered at the cozy Milwaukee Club for the intimate celebration with the couple.  After watching the two interact, you knew they were a perfect pairing – just like beef jerky and cheese!  Speaking of which (here comes the segue), we were floored to find out Ross is the inventor of Cheese Jerky and owner of Snack Patrol.  Naturally we had to go out and try one or three.  One word – delicious!  Of course Abby was stunning in a white dress and pearls that just screamed Marilyn Monroe.  We couldn’t be happier for Abby and Ross and their engagement.  Congrats!