If you’re planning a wedding in Quincy, be sure to pick up a copy of the bridal planner published by the Quincy Herald-Whig. You can also check out their on-line Quincy Bride’s Guide, and their directory of Quincy area wedding vendors.
Mark your calendars for these two bridal expos planned for 2011 — Y101 Bridal Expo with be 29 January 2011 at The Ambiance & the KHQA Bridal Extravaganza at the Oakley Lindsay Center 26 February 2011.
Catching up with getting some of our information on our blog, wanted to get details of Jessica (Drebes) & Justin Jones on their wedding last year in Quincy. Jessica recently wrote an endorsement for us while we were working with someone who contacted us:
Steve and Tiffany were the only photographers we met when planning our wedding. We instantly knew they would fit in with our guests, and be fun to have around during our wedding day. We got so much more than we expected, and feel like we got the perfect mix of the traditional pictures that everyone else has, but even better – they were able to tell the story of our day perfectly so we would remember all the big and little moments from the day.
If you are ever asked for a referral, feel free to have brides give me a call. I would love to help you out in any way I can!
One of the jokes told during the speeches was Jessica is very organized, so much that she had a 12-page timeline for the weekend with a corresponding spreadsheet featuring a jobs checklist and contact sheet. Everything did progress smoothly.
This shot from the bouquet toss was featured in our gallery show this past spring at the Art Association of Jacksonville’s Strawn Art Gallery. Hilarious one-handed catch, still keeping a pitcher of beer and most of the beer in her cup.
After the bouquet toss Jessica didn’t just settle for the D.J. calling all the men onto the dance floor for the garter toss. She wandered into O’Griff’s Grill and Brewhouse next door to get any of her guests who went over there to party.
Jessica has warned us that one of her relatives always dances on a table at family events. Here she is reluctantly getting atop the table, praying that it can hold three people!
Last observation is Jessica was quite happy that we stayed at her wedding late into the night. We were able to catch her on the dance floor celebrating her birthday, and people blowing bubbles at them as they left the reception hall at the end of the night. Jessica & Justin selected our full-day package, which also included a high-resolution disc with all the images from their wedding.
Notes from Jessica: We had good experiences with both Stafford Jewelers and Bridal and Formal Inc.. Kim Winter was awesome to work with on the reception and rehearsal details. She took care of everything for us – including food, music, some decorations, alcohol, etc. We also loved our cake. I am pretty sure there isn’t much we didn’t like about our wedding day. The florist was perfect – she helped me whittle down my “vision” and I was floored when I saw how pretty our simple rose bouquets were. It was also a good idea to get a video – we couldn’t remember much of the words that were said during the ceremony, and the video helped.
Nicole (Peak) & Chris Dorsey planned on hitting the Irish Toad before their reception, but a little flexibility and a lot of rain let them have fun at Nichols Park instead.
Nicole wanted to have just the essential portraits taken before & after the ceremony at Our Saviour Catholic Church, and wanted to have fun portraits taken at the park. We arrived with looming storm clouds. After a couple photos, it started drizzling and Nicole made a beeline for shelter. The the downpour commenced! The couple and their wedding party spent the next half hour on the pavilion porch, posing for portraits, hanging out with friends, and having a great time. They never made it to The Toad, but with a little flexibility they still enjoyed the day.
A grand prize of an 8-day, 7-night honeymoon vacation package, as well as certificates from vendors, will be given away. The show also offers food, fun and education.
Warmowski Photography is a member of Springfield Local Favorites, a group of the top wedding vendors in the Springfield area. We get together once a month to network, and at the August meeting at Northfield Inn & Suites Tiffany & I met some cool people:
Jonathan Michael Roth, of Music Source, professional disc jockey service.
Don’t forget the 3rd Annual Bridal Bash will be Sunday 26 September ay The Rail Golf Course. We’ve been added to the list of vendors. More information to follow.
People line Morton Avenue to pay their respects to Ssgt Matthew Weikert during his funeral last month. Photo by Steve/Warmowski Photography
Last month I offered to photograph the honor guard, visitation and funeral of Staff Sgt. Matthew Weikert, of Jacksonville, who was killed in action while serving in Afghanistan. The community made an incredible show of solidarity for the fallen soldier, with people lining the route of the funeral procession. People stood along the curb on both sides of Morton Avenue from the funeral home at Lincoln Avenue for a mile until Route 104. More people with flags, signs of support or just standing along road were interspersed along the rest of the route to Libery Cemetery west of town. Soldiers serving as honor guards said they’ve never seen a show of support to that extent in all the funerals they’ve attended.
Tiffany’s cousin, Ian Stewart, was killed in 2004 while serving in the Marines in Iraq. I made photos of the wake and funeral at the request of Tiffany’s grandmother, and extended the same offer to the Weikert family. Hopefully the images I made for the Weikerts will help them remember the gratitude the community extended for their sacrifice.
Dad and I wait upstairs at MacMurray's Annie Merner Chapel while guests are seated. 15 September 2001 Photo by Zuzana KillamDad and I wait while my sister Nicole (far left), and best friends Tracy Mazurkiewicz and Michelle (McIntyre) Davlantis chat. Not pictured is Steve's sister, Janet (Warmowski) Jackson, also a bridesmaid. She was the first one to walk down the aisle, which is probably why she isn't in this photo. 15 September 2001 Photo by Valérie Berta Torales
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I’ll never forget the option my dad gave me before walking me down the aisle on my wedding day 15 September 2001:
Dad (looking at the door to go outside): We can walk out the door if you want to, Tiffy.
Tif: What do you want to do, Daddy?
Dad: No, Tiffy. What do you want to do?
Tif: I think I’ll walk down the aisle.
It might seem weird to be given that option moments before walking down the aisle, but in honesty, I have always been grateful for that “out.”
When we were walking down the aisle, dad said to me, "Tiffy, I've been thinking about this day for a long time." Here we are just before that. My cousin, Amy Bennett, was our flower girl. I was the flower girl in her parents' wedding 18 years before. 15 September 2001 Photo by Valérie Berta Torales
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Before our good friend Esther married Steve’s mentor, Archie Lieberman, Esther’s aunt told her, “Five minutes before is better than five minutes after.” Esther didn’t take the “out.” But she never forgot about her aunt offering to her, either. Esther and Archie were married 60 years before his death in 2008.
We’ve had 3 couples cancel or indefinitely postpone their weddings this summer. But believe me, there are no hard feelings here! Making a lifetime commitment is not something that you should do just because you have been planning a wedding for months or because people will be disappointed if you decide not to go through with it.
I hope that all couples work as hard on preparing for their marriage as they do planning their wedding (if not harder!). And if they reach a point in that process where things don’t feel quite right, then taking a step back and taking a good hard look at things just might be the right thing to do, whether the wedding is months, weeks or days away.
**Photos Copyright Warmowski Photography 2010** Blog post by Tiffany/Warmowski Photography Tiffany & Steve Warmowski were married in Jacksonville and photograph others’ weddings in Jacksonville and around the world. WarmowskiPhotography.com
