Amanda and Brian are my neighbors.  Literally they live about a 5 iron golf shot away.  Amanda’s dad is a fun friend on Facebook and we have tons of interconnected friendships.  So today was really special.  Amanda was stunning and Brian looked dapper.  Renee, owner of Frontier Flowers did an outstanding job on the flowers.  The Starline looked amazing.  Angelus, of Walworth, WI did the decorating.  I was blown away with the organic, over-the-top custom designed wedding reception they accomplished!!!  Wow!  Check out some of the photos from the reception.It was a picture perfect day.  Celebrations on Wells catered a delicious meal and did a wonderful job of serving.  All around this wedding was a home run.  Nice work Amanda and family for pulling this all together! Below are a few of my favorite shots.

During their ceremony Amanda and Brian poured dirt over a tree they will plant at their home.  I love this alternative to the lighting of the candle or the sand ceremony.

To view the entire gallery from Amanda & Brian’s wedding follow this link.

We are honored to announce that Matt Mason Photography received the Bride’s Choice Award from WeddingWire.com.  From Wedding Wire’s website: ” WeddingWire Bride’s Choice Awards™ recipients represent the top five percent of wedding professionals within the WeddingWire Network who demonstrate excellence in quality, service, responsiveness and professionalism.” Thank you to the brides and grooms who have supported us through leaving feedback on various sites.

To read some of our recent reviews please follow these links:

Below are some of my favorite Ceremony shots of 2012.  I’ll post my top seven unique shots but follow the link at the bottom to view all 50 selected for your viewing pleasure.

iPhone wedding?  I love the “flash” produced by an iPhone at the perfect moment to create a light flare.

The fish eye lens helped make this image more powerful in seeing the chairs arranged in a semi-circle.

Love the depth of field look in this image.

View more photos from this gallery by following this link.

January is the month I like to share all of my previous year’s favorite photos.  I have categories like Rings, Shoes, Flowers, Dress, Bride, Wedding Party etc.  With over 60 weddings it is sometimes hard to narrow it down.  We try to choose photos that are somewhat unique but also crisp, vibrant and tell a story.  Not every wedding makes it into every gallery.  That doesn’t mean I playing favorites or think the photos were not good from a particular wedding.  In fact, I may have overlooked an obvious entry.  If you feel I am missing a best of photo from a wedding please let me know.  Here is the gallery I keep all my 2012 best of photos.  More will be added in the next couple of weeks.  Below find the photos representing my Best of Father Daughter photos.

I think this may be my favorite photojournalistic shot of the year.

This was shot soon after Amy’s Dad saw her for the first time in her wedding dress.

It is the Father Daughter dance that gets me every time.  Seeing Lauren’s dad’s tears touches my heart.

To view more photos of the Best of “I loved her first,”  follow this link.  A great place to “chime in” is on my Facebook page.  If you are not a fan yet please “like” the page.

Recently I have become enamored with how romantic and amazing the forehead to forehead moment is.  I decided to go through the archives and find some of my favorite forehead wedding day photos.  I wanted to make a point that it is worth “practicing” this kind of affection before your wedding day.  If you don’t already do the forehead thing with your fiance I highly recommend it.  As you view these photos I think you will agree that it is fun, romantic and intimate to express your love for each other with your foreheads.   See for yourself…

Nicole and Jared are a great couple.  It was while shooting their wedding that I realized how special it is to capture a couple loving on each other with their foreheads.

On the left Nicole and Jared share a “private” moment during their first look.  On the right, after the kiss shot they defaulted to the forehead.  Clearly this is not a new way to show affection for the couple.

This photo was shot downtown Chicago near the Board of Trade building.  Kiley and Steve seem so natural and comfortable in front of the camera.  Notice how Kiley is drawing Steve in close with her right hand.

Throughout the day I kept catching Meggie & Joel with their foreheads pressed together.  This is true love.

Hannah & Cody were a blast to shoot during their first dance.  Again the foreheads connecting to express their intimacy.

What can I say?  Who doesn’t lay down on the ground during their wedding reception and kiss each other’s forehead?  Well, ok I posed this one.

First Dance photos are better with some forehead affection.

This is Kiley & Steve during their first look.  For those that connect with their foreheads it is irresistible on wedding day.

Here is another first look with Jon and Leslie.  You can just feel the love they have for each other.  On the right Jon can’t contain his love for his bride.

Jenny and Justin were born to be mates.  I love how much fun they have together.

Kate and Erik are special people.  When you see the way Erik looks at Kate and the ease with which they laugh together its just inspiring.  It was such a pleasure and honor to serve as the wedding photographer for their big day.  But the moment that stands out most to me was during the father/daughter dance.

Mr. Burditt steps proudly out onto the dance floor to have this special dance with his little girl.  The song was Cinderella by Steven Curtis Chapman.  You can tell this isn’t the first time he heard this song.  He sang, no he serenaded Kate with nearly every word of that wonderful song while they danced.  I was choked up and it struck me anew just how important it was that I capture this moment appropriately for Kate to always remember just how much her dad loves and admires his precious girl.

Below are my favorite photos and a short video from that heart warming first dance.

Max Biedermann and I teamed up to shoot a very unique engagement session.  Kimberly is a pilot at United and when we were talking about where to shoot the photos I asked if there was any chance we could shoot with a 747 jet.   Sure enough Kimberly pulled some strings and walah!  I had never even set foot in a 747 before so it was also very interesting to get a private tour of the airplane.  Most of these photos are Max’s shots as he has the honor of being lead photographer at Kimberly and Craig’s wedding but it was so much fun.

 
Here is the link to their entire gallery to view more fun photos. http://smu.gs/Q5yG1r

Saturday June 30th was hot, hot, hot and so were the bride and groom.  Below are some photos and details on the day.  To view Mike and Molly’s entire wedding gallery follow this link: Hawk’s View Wedding.

Venue: Hawks View Golf Club
Location: Lake Geneva, WI
Florist: Ester in Wauwatosa
Tux: Men’s Warehouse
DJ: Jukebox Bandstand

Kendra Adams & Eric Ring were married at Chain of Lakes Bible Church in Antioch, IL.  We started by taking photos at Kendra’s parent’s house and then had the first look at the church.  We went to Hiram Butrick Sawmill in Antioch, IL to shoot wedding party photos and some romantic photos of the happy couple.  After the ceremony the reception was held at Concorde Banquets in Kildeer, IL.

Kendra posed with her dad and his refurbished hotrod.  That was lots of fun.  The sawmill is a beautiful place to shoot with a wedding party.  Chain of Lakes Bible Church has amazing natural light.  Concorde Banquets’ facility has a wonderful property to shoot wedding photos complete with a large pond, gazebo and blooming trees and lush grass.  The food was excellent.  Memory Makers DJ Service was a pleasure to work with.  Kendra’s Satin A-Line Gown was purchased at  David’s Bridal, her shoes were also from David’s Bridal called Dyeable Peep Toe Heel.  See photos from Kendra and Eric’s wedding below.

Here are some of our favorite photos from the wedding.  To view the entire gallery follow this link: Hiram Butrick Sawmill wedding photos.

As you prepare for your wedding day photography one of the best things you can do with your photographer is have an engagement session.  Some of the benefits of doing an engagement session are:

• You get to know your photographer better.
• By practicing some key poses you are better prepared for wedding day photography.
• This session will help you feel more comfortable in front of the camera.
• Of course, you will receive lots of fun photos to remember your courtship.
• Many people use the photos in their save the date cards or for additional printed material on wedding day.
• It is lots of fun.  Just look at some of the photos below.

With all these benefits in mind it makes sense to plan accordingly to get the most out of your engagement session.  Here are some points to ponder if you are planning your engagement session with Matt Mason Photography:

1. Take a look at our previous engagement sessions to familiarize yourself with our style and approach.  Here is a link to our portfolio engagement sessions.
2. Plan enough time to get to the session so that you are relaxed and can enjoy yourself.  My goal is that we get to know each other and have fun.
3. Think about props.  Do you have sports teams you are fond of and want to highlight?  Perhaps you have a hobby or have a cool sports car.  Bring something along to make the session special.
4. Some people have pets.  This can be a great addition but it can also be distracting.  If you have a very active puppy or dog you may consider bringing along a friend to watch them after we get a few key shots with them.
5. Hair and makeup.  Why not go the extra mile and pamper yourself with a hair and make up session?  Often this helps the ladies feel even more confident about having a photo session.  While on the topic of hair I suggest having a back up plan for a windy day.  Maybe a cute hat or a hair rubber band to pull your hair back etc.
6. Check-in the night before with a text or phone call to make sure our calendars read the same thing.  (262.745.4000)
7. Location: our packages come with a session planned in the Lake Geneva area but you can upgrade to Milwaukee, Madison, Chicago or even further if you would like.  We can give you a custom quote.
8. If you have an extended time of 60-90 minutes you might consider having two outfits.  One may be more dressy and the other casual.  If you have a shorter timeframe wear comfortable but flattering clothing.  Layering is a great way to make clothing changes faster as well!
9. When shooting with Matt Mason Photography you should consider clothes that allow you to get down on the ground, jump in the air or give each other piggy back rides.  Matching clothes isn’t as much in these days but certainly coordinated colors help.  Stay away from pinstripes that can be distracting.  Make sure the clothes are comfortable and flattering to you.

At Matt Mason Photography we have several ways you can upgrade and take your session to the next level.

• We can make a fusion video of your session.  Here is a sample.  We combine the favorite photos with video clips and turn your engagement session into a music video of the experience.  Investment: $400
• Movie Poster.  We can design a 16 x 20 print with movie poster language to remember the session with.  This design can also be used as Save the Dates etc.  Here is a sample.  Investment: $200
• Travel fees: Chicago engagement session: $500, Milwaukee, Rockford, Madison, Baraboo: $250, Lake Geneva: free with your included session.  Have a special location in mind?  We can develop a custom quote based on the location.  Some people travel to overnight locations like Washington DC, New York City, Las Vegas etc.  We are happy to entertain your ideas and see what could work.

Below are some sample photos we have captured to get your creative juices flowing.  Of course if you want to spend an evening perusing all the engagement sessions that our company has captured in recent years there are over 100 to look at here.

Similar blog posts:

• Developing your wedding day timeline
• 7 ways to get the most out of your wedding photographer
• The First Look, consider the benefits of seeing each other before the wedding