Category: Uncategorized

Warmowski Photography will once again provide photography for the Little Miss Morgan County and Morgan County Fair Queen pageants at the 2011 Morgan County Fair in Jacksonville. The pageants start at 7 pm Tuesday July 5th, the fair starts Wednesday (fair schedule and info). We provided the group and individual studio portraits and studio shots, and also will photograph the contest.

Contestants: Little Miss Morgan County – Catherine Ott, Allison Kafer, Jacey Evans, Morgan Fanning, Alexsa Robertson, Emily Kruzan, Adisyn Tapscott, Brooke Brannan, Kennadi Johnson, Haydn Campbell, Cortney Bollinger, Presley Frye, Meredith Gallo, Madison Davis & Faith Runyon. Morgan County Fair Queen – Brooklynne Springer, Kelsie Hufman, Taylor Wise, Amy Carls, Katelynn Scott, Elise Scott, Maurissa Moulton, Erika White, Calla Kaufmann, Monica White & Morgan Fernandes.

Check back at coverage of the 2010 contest. Happy to also be a sponsor of the contest, and first place winners will get special photo cards. See more pageant info. Good luck to all the contestants!

Posted by Steve. Warmowski Photography, experienced photojournalists who love to capture the story of your wedding day. Also offering event photography, portraits, senior portraits and more. New studio at 301 E. Court St. Suite B, Jacksonville, IL 62650 – next door to Girls in White Satin, first floor of Hamilton’s 110 North East. Follow us on Facebook.

Registration is now open for the Springfield Local Favorites’ Fourth Annual Bridal Bash. The event will be Sunday 25 September 2011 at the Northfield Inn and Suites (3280 Northfield Drive, Springfield, IL 62702).

Tickets are free! All you have to do is register on-line at the Springfield Local Favorites web site (direct link to registration). Bring your registration to the show, and you will be registered in a drawing. Each Springfield Local Favorite member will have prizes, as well as a grand prize (to be announced, last year a free honeymoon trip sponsored by Savvi Formal).

Warmowski Photography is proud to be a member of the group (the top wedding vendors in the Springfield, Illinois area and Central Illinois region), a sponsor of the show and an exhibitor.

The show is different from most wedding expos you’ll see.

• We don’t make brides pay to enter. And, you can bring any friends or fellow planners for free.
• The atmosphere is relaxed and laid back. Visit any booth you want with no pressure.
• Education: instead of a style show, the show is based on wedding tips and ideas you can use. Each Springfield Local Favorites member says a little bit about her area of expertise and gives background on their services.
• Sample food from vendors, drinks available from cash bar.

Check for exposure of the bridal expo on Springfield radio stations WDBR, WYMG, WQLZ and Abe (WABZ). Adverts will be on the station’s Internet streams as well as on the air before the show. Please tell your fellow brides to be and invite your friends to the bridal show! Check our web page or the SLF site for updates. Doors open at 1 p.m., drawings throughout the day and the grand prize drawn before the close at 5 p.m.

Photo details: Matthew Stevens of Stevens DJ Service as emcee; cake by Specialty Cakes decorated with flowers by An Event Design 217.414.7371. Springfield Local Favorites also features fellow Jacksonville, Illinois wedding professionals: Hamilton’s Catering; Devon & Jeff Haupt of The Classic Harpist; and soon-to-be-welcomed Girls in White Satin Bridal & Formal Wear.

Posted by Steve. Warmowski Photography, husband-wife photojournalist team available to tell the story of your wedding day. Follow us on Facebook. Member of Springfield Local Favorites, a group of the top wedding vendors in Central Illinois (on Facebook).

Recently I went to a party celebrating Dixie Thompson’s years of teaching at Our Saviour School, and it reminded me that the Old Rectory is a great option for bridal showers and other small events.

The Old Rectory used to house Our Saviour’s Church staff, and is located at 462 E. State St., Jacksonville, IL 62650. Phone 217.479.8833 or 217.245.8767 or 217.245.2707. The restored and historic building has several large rooms downstairs and a kitchen perfect for catering.

We’ve photographed several weddings at Our Saviour Catholic Church who used the Old Rectory as a place to get ready before the ceremony. It’s a nice resource and can be used for small parties, too.

Other ideas for bridal showers and small events in Jacksonville:

• Buena Vista Farms, rural Jacksonville/Chapin 217.243.3290 (1630 US Highway 67, Chapin, IL 62628)
• Blessings on State Bed & Breakfast (offers catering, too) 217.245.1013 (1109 W. State St., Jacksonville, IL 62650)
• Annabelle Lee’s (which is also the home to our studio) 217.243.2747 (611 E. State St., Jacksonville, IL 62650)
• Hamilton’s 110 North East rooms for small parties, too 217.675.2720 (110 North East St., Jacksonville, IL 62650)

 

Posted by Steve. Warmowski Photography, husband-wife photojournalist team available to tell the story of your wedding day. Follow us on Facebook.

Tiffany & I stopped in for a quick visit at the Vrooman Mansion in Bloomington last weekend while coming back from a wedding in the north Chicago suburbs (Lake Zurich).

The Vrooman Mansion is a great place for a small wedding or other special event. It’s located in the city’s historic Dimmitt’s Grove district on a tree-lined, paver brick street. The mansion is also a bed and breakfast, so you can reserve their rooms for yourself and others in the wedding.

We photographed the wedding of our friends Britt & Lloyd Young back in the day when we were newspaper photographers. They had their ceremony in one of the grand Victorian rooms on the main floor, food and reception in the other rooms and on the large porch, and really enjoyed the location. The owners Pan & Dana Kowalewski are great to work with.

Web link above or 309.828.8816 or toll free 877.346.6488. Vrooman Mansion, 701 E. Taylor St., Bloomington IL 61701.

Posted by Steve. Warmowski Photography, experienced photojournalists who love to capture the story of your wedding day. Roots in Chicago, based in Springfield/Jacksonville. Available for wedding photography in Bloomington Normal Illinois. Follow us on Facebook.

I took Tiffany along as my guest during a meeting of the Kiwanis Club of Jacksonville at the Western Illinois Youth Camp. We took a tour of the camp, located on the shores of Lake Jacksonville.

The camp is now available for outdoor weddings. They have a nice point that juts out into Lake Jacksonville, a large lawn area and some basic amenities. If you’re looking for an outdoor event location with more services, consider Buena Vista Farms.

Posted by Steve. Warmowski Photography, a husband-wife photojournalist team available to photograph your wedding, indoors or out. Follow us on Facebook.

Jacksonville (Illinois) native Devon (Carpenter) Haupt and her husband, Jeff, will be moving back to town from Chicago soon. They are both harpists, and travel all over the country performing at weddings and special events. They will soon be able to easily offer music at weddings in Springfield and all over Central Illinois, as well as the Chicago area and beyond.

They recently included tips for processionals on their e-mail newsletter (sign up at their web page The Classic Harpist).

It made us think of some of our own suggestions:

• Slow – sometimes with all the attention your bridesmaids will speed down the aisle. Just remind them to slow down and enjoy the moment.
• Stairs – with heels, always something to watch for. If the ceremony site has stairs be sure the groomsmen know to lend an arm. If the bridesmaids are meeting their groomsman on top, put the ushers to work to lend a hand as the ladies ascend.
• Coordinator – it helps to have a traffic cop to tell people when it is their time to go. It’s nice to have some assurance it’s the right time to go.
• Flowers – keep the bouquet down and don’t try to hide behind the flowers.

Here’s tips from The Classic Harpist (with your musician in mind):

1. Have a rehearsal.  This gives your bridal party a chance to know where to stand, when to move, and it also allows them to find the venue prior to your wedding day!
2. Start your rehearsal with everyone in place at the front.  From there, it is easier to walk out in order, and keep everyone in place to practice the processional.
3. If your wedding is outdoors, be sure the aisle is free of anything that could be a tripping hazard.  If the ground is muddy, consider moving inside ~ high heels sink!  You might also want to avoid using an aisle runner.  They can mask holes and dips in the ground, and are difficult to walk on if the ground is uneven.
4. If you do not have a coordinator (either provided by the church/venue or hired on your own), designate someone to get the bridal party lined up and sent down the aisle.  This person should also cue your musicians when everyone is ready, so that the music you selected can be played at the right time.
5. Place your musicians somewhere they can see the processional (the front & back of the aisle) when the bridal party is in place.  If I can’t see what is happening, I can’t make the music fit perfectly!
6. Remind your bridal party to smile!
7. Have a designated time when each member of the bridal party starts their walk down the aisle (when the person in front of them gets to the third row, etc.).
8. The bride does not follow tip #7.  The musicians will be watching for the last member of the wedding party to get into place, and then will change the processional music for the bride.  Listen for this change before you enter.  Your musicians have a good view of the ceremony, and will know when everyone is lined up and ready for your entrance.  Wait for it!
9. Kids are unpredictable.  If you are having young children in your wedding party, be prepared to be upstaged!  This can be a good thing (super cute) or a bad thing (temper tantrum).  If the kids are overwhelmed by the attention, they may not walk down the aisle the way they practiced the day before.  Have a parent close by to help them along or take them out of the processional if they just aren’t able to do it.
10. Breathe – and walk slowly!  This is the moment you’ve been waiting for.  Take your time as you walk down the aisle, and make eye contact with your groom.  The parents should stand to signal to the guests when they should rise for the bride’s entrance.

Posted by Steve. Warmowski Photography, husband-wife team of photojournalists available to tell the story of your wedding day.

Congratulations to Jacob Tucker of Illinois College for winning the chance to compete in the 2011 State Farm College Slam Dunk and 3-Point Championships.

The senior basketball player has registered more the 2.6 million views on his You Tube video in his success to get into the slam dunk contest. The competition will be on ESPN 2 9-11 p.m. Thursday March 31st.

A little bit more about the school: Jacob Tucker plays for Illinois College, a small liberal arts college that’s been highly ranked as a top small school and a great value in education. The team plays in the Bruner Fitness and Recreation Center — the main goal is promoting wellness on campus, but also hosting great facilities for basketball, volleyball, track, swimming and other sports. Best of luck to Jacob in the contest. And good job getting all the exposure for Illinois College.

Posted by Steve. Warmowski Photography, a husband-wife team of photojournalists who not only tell wedding stories, but also help Illinois College get their story out. Best choice for wedding photography for Illinois College alumnae and alumni and for all in Central Illinois (and beyond).

Jacob Tucker of Illinois College in Jacksonville, Illinois, is only 5’11” — but he sure can fly!

Steve & Tiffany helped the school with photography and video this week to showcase Jacob’s skills as he hopes to compete in the State Farm College Slam Dunk & 3-Point Championships. Beginning today March 17th and up to Tuesday March 29th fans can vote for Jacob on a special Facebook page.

Jacob and friends posted a video on You Tube that had more than 1.7 million views in less than a week! Congratulations to Jacob for making it this far, and best of luck! Read more on the college’s web site.

Photo by Steve. Warmowski Photography, an experienced husband-wife team of photojournalists using their skills to tell brides’ and grooms’ wedding stories. More than 100 weddings plus combined 30 years of newspaper experience means you can enjoy your day, and not have to worry about getting great images of your wedding. Also helping Illinois College get great images to their community.

Tiffany & I had a little fun last weekend with Eileen Smith Cunningham, as we photographed her 90th birthday celebration in Carrollton, Greene County, Illinois.

We’ve photographed the family for years while working at the Jacksonville Journal-Courier. The Cunninghams were sports stars, and we covered them in action at Carrollton High School, and even later with Hannah competing at Illinois College in Jacksonville. I photographed Eileen when she competed in the Ms. Senior Illinois American Classic Woman Pageant in Springfield around age 80.

Eileen is tons of fun to be around. The family hosted extended kin and friends for a party at First Baptist Church in Carrollton. She’s still sharp as a tack, remembered way more people than I’m capable of recalling, and greeted friends from historical, archaeological and other pursuits.

The Cunninghams have been multiple clients for our wedding services. We photographed their daughter Hannah’s wedding last June, and son Luther’s wedding last month. (I also photographed the wedding reception for their son Blake back during my newspaper days.) Always a compliment when a family appreciates our photography and service on the day of the wedding (and beyond) and has us back for more events.

Posted by Steve. Warmowski Photography, wedding experts in Carrollton/Greene County and beyond.

Went to Springfield for our monthly Springfield Local Favorites meeting at Northfield Inn and Suites.

• Alicia Butler has the most delightful homemade caramels. She offers them for wedding favors, and also does Longaberger baskets (in case you need ideas for gifts).
• Petals & Co. already has 50 weddings booked for this year, very much in demand for the Springfield/Rochester Illinois area!
• Nelson’s Catering announced the winner of their Military Wedding Catering Giveaway. Also, they offer tastings, RSVP to Ashley or 217-787-9443. Tuesday, March 8th in Springfield 5:30 – 6:30 pm, and Wednesday, March 23rd in Quincy from 5:30 – 7:00 pm.

Matthew Stevens of Stevens DJ Service reminded members they are included in the organization of the top wedding vendors in the Springfield area to be accountable. All members of the group answer to one another in case of a dispute. If you have a problem with your wedding vendor, and they are a member, you can bring up your problem with Springfield Local Favorites to get a resolution. It’s a nice guarantee of professional service offered by the group.

The group includes select vendors for weddings in: Banquet Facilities, Bachelor/Bachelorette Parties, Catering, Cake, Cosmetic, Decorations, DJ/ Entertainment, Dance lessons, Flowers/florists, Formal Wear (tuxedo, gowns, wedding dresses), Gifts/Wedding Favors, Transportation, Wedding Planner and more. Check the website or the Springfield Local Favorites Facebook page for more.