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Girls in White Satin 2012 Model Search winners

Girls in White Satin Bridal and Formal Wear teen celebrity search winners, posed in studio, WarmowskiPhotography.com
Winners of the Girls in White Satin 2012 Teen Celebrity Search.

Thanks to Girls In White Satin Bridal & Formal Wear for having us photograph the winners of their Teen Celebrity Search again this year. Congratulations to the winners: Hope Wills from Waverly High School, Katie Devlin from A-C Central High School, Sydne Peck from Jacksonville High School, and Brittany Birdsell from Routt Catholic High School.

Girls in White Satin have prom dresses galore, and are still taking fittings for tuxedos. (You should check out the gorgeous hues of yellow dresses in their window right now!) And you’ll see our images of the winners used in newspaper advertisements and on the Girls in White Satin Facebook page during prom season 2012. Like and follow their postings for special offers.

Posted by Steve. Warmowski Photography, husband-wife photojournalist team available to tell the story of your wedding day. Follow us on Facebook. Wedding photography for Jacksonville, Illinois 62650 and throughout Central Illinois. Member of Springfield Local Favorites, a group of the top wedding vendors in Central Illinois (on Facebook) along with Girls in White Satin and our fellow neighbors Hamilton’s Catering. 

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Warmowski Photography featured in Intuit video

Tiffany is featured on the Intuit web site as a successful small business / entrepreneurs. Warmowski Photography and some of our favorite examples of wedding photography are profiled in the video.

Special thanks to Kimchi, of Intuit, for interviewing me.

Check out the video!

One of my favorite images used in the video - us having a great time and Monica & Luther's wedding.

Posted by Tiffany. Warmowski Photography, husband-wife photojournalist recognized nationally as great example of a successful small business. Follow us on Facebook. Thanks to Annie Brahler at Euro Trash for helping us with the connection!

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Love, marriage & Harley Davidson motorcycles

“It’s such a perfect day! If we weren’t getting married today, we’d probably be out on the bike!” – Michelle Cox on the way to see her groom on their wedding day.

Jordan’s Harley appeared in their engagement photos (see the last photo in this post) so it wasn’t a surprise that is showed up on their wedding day, too! And Michelle pulled off her idea of surprising Jordan with a Harley groom’s cake.

Posted by Tiffany. Warmowski Photography, husband-wife photojournalist team including your hobbies and interests into 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). Cake by Specialty Cakes.

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Michelle & Jordan wedding highlights

Michelle & Jordan’s New Year’s Eve wedding was awesome! Here are some of our favorite images.

The sanctuary at Laurel United Methodist Church in Springfield was still beautifully decorated for Christmas.
Guests with sparklers aways make for a fun exit from the church!
They met on a golf course, so the favors at the reception were a given!
The midnight festivities were celebrated with noise makers, tiaras and glow bracelets.
The couple presented a toast to their family and friends right before midnight.
Happy new year!!!
Here's to a great 2012!

Posted by Tiffany. Warmowski Photography, husband-wife photojournalist team want 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).
Michelle & Jordan’s wedding was catered by Hamilton’s and Brad Schroeder was the DJ.  

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Breaking with tradition: Seeing each other before the ceremony

When I meet with couples before their wedding day to learn the details and hear about what is most important to them, one of the questions I ask is if they plan to see each other before the ceremony.

The answer is about 50/50. Fifty percent of our couples want to stick with tradition. The first time the groom sees his bride on the wedding day is when she is walks down the aisle.

The other 50 percent decide on a special moment before the ceremony where they see each other, ooohhh and aaahhh over each other, and then have their family and bridal party join them for portraits.

Either way works for us. The day, after all, is about the couple and their friends and family, and NOT about the photos OR the photographers.

But,  (you knew there would be a but, right!?) we honestly prefer when couples see each other and get the portraits done before the ceremony. The upsides are: fresh make up and clothing, less rushing, not keeping guests waiting, being able to get to the reception when you want to, not when photos are over, and you don’t have to worry about people who were supposed to be in portraits having left for the reception.

Monica and Luther decided to see each other before their ceremony. One reason was that they wanted to stop at their CrossFit gym with the bridal party for photos between the ceremony and reception.

Here are a few photos of their “first look.”

We typically do the “first look” at the alter where the portraits will be taken. There is good light there. The bride and groom usually opt for the groom to stand at the alter with his back turned and the bride walking up the aisle, and he turns around when she gets to him. Although, we have done it other places. Liz and Kris saw each other for the first time in a garden outside the church and Steve and I first saw each other on Rutledge Lawn at MacMurray College across from Annie Merner Chapel in Jacksonville. Rutledge Lawn was where we first met and where he gave me my engagement ring.

Posted by Tiffany/Warmowski Photography. She and her husband, Steve, photograph weddings, like Monica & Luther’s, in Lombard and Homer Glen, as well as in Chicago, St. Louis and all over. And, although Tiffany & Steve saw each other before their ceremony, they both still cried when Tiffany walked down the aisle with her daddy.

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Monica & Luther’s wedding highlights

Fabulous wedding weekend for Monica Marchese and Luther Cunningham!
The wedding was at Sacred Heart Catholic Church in Lombard, the church Monica attended while growing up. The reception was at Dinolfo’s Banquets in Homer Glen.

The festivities started Friday night with a themed rehearsal dinner put on by Deb & Dan Cunningham. There will be an blog post dedicated to just the rehearsal and dinner – so keep a look out for that!

In the meantime, here are some of our favorite images of the day.

Monica and Luther decided to see each other and take all of the group and family portraits before the ceremony. But before we start the portraits, the couple gets a "first look." Usually this is done with the groom standing at the alter with this back to the aisle, and the bride walking down the aisle to meet him. He turns around and VIOLA! - he sees his bride. Kisses usually ensue and often parents and bridal party members are peeking though doors and windows to watch.

Monica and Luther decided to see each other and take all of the group and family portraits before the ceremony. About half of our couples go that route. Before we start the portraits, the couple gets a “first look.” Usually this is done with the groom standing at the altar with this back to the aisle, and the bride walking down the aisle to meet him. He turns around and VIOLA! – he sees his bride. Kisses usually ensue and often parents and bridal party members are peeking though doors and windows to watch.

Monica waits while Luther stands at the front of the church during the processional.

Monica waits while Luther stands at the front of the church during the processional.

The bride and groom sit at the alter while the bride's brother, Andrew, serves as cantor. There is a choir loft to the side of the alter which made for a unique perspective that we don't usually have. As with every wedding we photograph, we talked to the church coordinator or officiant before the ceremony and were invited to use the loft for photos.

The bride and groom sit at the altar while the bride’s brother, Andrew, serves as cantor. There is a choir loft to the side of the altar which made for a unique perspective that we don’t usually have. As with every wedding we photograph, we talked to the church coordinator or officiant before the ceremony and were invited to use the loft for photos.
Monica kneels before the Blessed Mother after presenting her flowers. Monica's brother and Man-of-Honor, Anthony, sang Ave Maria with his a capella group. Monica is holding a wedding rosary which has beads made of flowers from the recent funeral of her late grandmother.
Monica kneels before the Blessed Mother after presenting her flowers. Monica’s brother and Man-of-Honor, Anthony, sang Ave Maria with his a capella group. Monica is holding a wedding rosary which has beads made of flowers from the recent funeral of her late grandmother.

Between the wedding and reception, Monica and Luther wanted to stop by their CrossFit gym and have a photo taken of the bridal party doing a kettlebell swing. There was a quick lesson on form by the owner, Jason, before we started. Safety first!.

Between the wedding and reception, Monica and Luther wanted to stop by their CrossFit gym and have a photo taken of the bridal party doing a kettlebell swing. There was a quick lesson on form by the owner, Jason, before they started. Safety first!
I loved the murmurs of disbelief from the bridal party as Monica's bar had the weights put on it.
I loved the murmurs of disbelief from the bridal party as Monica’s bar was loaded with weights.

The processional song that Monica's bridesmaids walked in to was arranged by Monica's brother, Anthony. It's a combination of "Jesu, Joy of Man's Desiring" and "Canon in D." The notes on the cake is the score of that song.

The processional song that Monica’s bridesmaids walked in to was arranged by Monica’s brother, Anthony. It’s a combination of “Jesu, Joy of Man’s Desiring” and “Canon in D.” The notes on the cake is the score of that song.

Monica & Luther decided on a traveling photo booth at the reception. It was busy all night! Here are a few shots of guests and family in the booth.

Monica & Luther decided on a photo booth at the reception. It was busy all night! Here are a few shots of guests and family in the booth.
The Traveling Photo Booth
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Heather & Doug’s rehearsal & dinner

Heather and Doug hired us to photograph their rehearsal at Rammelkamp Chapel on the Illinois College campus and dinner at Leo’s Pizza in Jacksonville the night before the wedding.

Heather's friend Camilla was the perfect person to be Heather's personal attendant. She was organized and knew exactly what Heather wanted. Here, Camilla and Heather talk to Rev. Richard Maye, a professor at Illinois College who officiated the wedding ceremony.
Rev. Maye leads Heather & Doug and their bridal party through the ceremony the day before the wedding.
Heather and her dad practice walking down the aisle during the rehearsal.
Heather & Doug take a moment at the rehearsal dinner to thank their families and bridal party.
Heather poses with Leo's Pizza owner Antonia Alfano during the dinner.

Posted by Tiffany. Warmowski Photography, offering complete weekend coverage in addition to full wedding day photography packages.