• Digital photography — probably the most green aspect is digital workflow. We don’t use all the film and chemistry of traditional photography. Plus, we offer our clients high resolution digital files of their wedding images to reduce the amount of prints and materials used.
• Recycling — we recycle paper, cardboard and other materials at our office. Some waste paper with client info even gets shredded and added to our compost pile. Electronic waste gets donated to Pathway Services Unlimited, which as a bonus brings in money for their programs.
• Rechargeable batteries — we mostly use NiMH rechargeable batteries, not only are they reusable and reduce waste, but they give better performance on wedding days. When they die they can go to Radio Shack for recycling. Disposable batteries (when required) are recycled during our pilgrimages to Ikea. (Note a Maha recharger is a good investment, for its slow setting keeps batteries cooler so they can survive more charging cycles.)
• Reduce, reuse — Keeping in line with the “reduce, reuse, recycle” mantra, we also reduce the amount of paper we use by using emails, calls or texts to communicate with brides instead of printing and mailing. For quick things we have to print we reuse paper, using the back side of paper (even paper scavenged from meetings and other organizations we volunteer with). We also close the loop by purchasing paper and other materials with recycled content from local suppliers.
• Energy efficiency — Always a major consideration in our purchasing decisions. We use CFL/florescent lighting (and recycle old bulbs), LED bulbs and efficient halogen bulbs.
• Electricity — At our home office we get our electricity through Power Smart Pricing, so the cost of electricity changes by the hour with higher prices during peak times, and lower prices during low demand hours. On a hot summer day when there’s a high use alert, we’ll even turn off all our computers and take a break. It’s a way to reduce the need for new power stations, reducing environmental impact and overall price of the electricity system.
• Cleaning — We use green cleaners for office cleaning.
• Transportation — We have high-milage cars, with the goal of a hybrid or even electric car when we replace our current vehicle. Steve is also on his bike (or scooter if pressed for time) for runs to the post office or other short trips.
• Community — We’re involved with the Town Brook project, pushing to create a park along the creek through Jacksonville. A place to encourage healthy walking and bicycling incorporating native plants and other habitat for wildlife in town.

One thing to say is green is at our core, it’s not just something we are doing for marketing. From growing up with my dad flipping off lights and teaching a conservation ethic, to getting involved with environmental stewardship through Scouting and college volunteer organizations, to our trips to the farmer’s market and concern about health and the environment a part of our every day lives — this isn’t greenwashing or green marketing. This is an ethic and a consideration in al the things we do.

If you’re planning to use green wedding vendors for your special day, be sure to check us out and ask how we line up with your goals. Here’s an article from this month’s Audubon magazine with more ideas on the topic.

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 Springfield, Quincy and all of Central Illinois. Member of Springfield Local Favorites, a group of the top wedding vendors in Central Illinois (on Facebook). Meetings hosted at Northfield Inn & Suites. Studio located at 301 E Court St. Suite B, Jacksonville, IL 62650 in the Hamilton’s 110 North East building.

Ed Hoyt signs "I love you" to the crowd as he and Autumn are presented to friends and family after their ceremony September 2007 in Jacksonville. They both work at Illinois School for the Deaf. Behind them is Kitty Aubry, one of Tiffany's mentors from ISD.

Tiffany has a skill that we probably don’t share that much, but it’s worth mentioning that before getting into photography Tiffany was a deaf education major at MacMurray College in Jacksonville.
It was during her student teaching days that she also interned as a photographer at the Jacksonville Journal-Courier, thus launching her photography career. Her four years of American Sign Language training at school still comes in to handy when we photograph events for the deaf or hard of hearing. Her ASL skills helps make deaf family members more comfortable during the hectic day.
So if you have a wedding or other event and have deaf family members, put Tiffany and her ASL skills to work for you.

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

Ariella signs during her Bat Mitzvah at Temple B'rith Sholom in Springfield Illinois in October 2011.

Overall view of Artisans Building for Michelle & Jordan's New Year's Eve wedding.

Following up from the New Year’s Eve wedding of Michelle & Jordan at the Artisans Building at the Illinois State Fairgrounds in Springfield, Michelle sent a thank you card and said we could post . . .

“We don’t even know where to begin to say thank you for all you did. You both are truly amazing, talented people and I am so glad I went to Northfield that weekend and met you. We were so thankful to even find a photographer willing to do 12-31 and for it to be you, we will always be grateful! We honestly could not have dreamed of more.

“Thank you for working with our crazy schedules to arrange engagement photos . . . and for celebrating our special day with us. It turned out to be a beautiful day and we couldn’t have asked for more. Now we will always have the perfect photos to prive it. We were able to print pictures of people at our wedding and put them with each individual thank you.

“Everyone has been blown away by your work and excited you were able to get a picture of them from that night. We are looking forward to seeing our wedding album come together and know it will be wonderful just like everything else.”

Posted by Steve.  Warmowski Photography, husband-wife photojournalist team available to tell the story of your wedding day. Follow us on Facebook. Ceremony at Laurel United Methodist Church in Springfield, reception at the Artisans Building. Catering by Hamilton’s, wedding cake and groom’s cake by Specialty Cakes, limousine and end-of-the-night bus transportation by Party Time Limo, bridal suite and guest room accommodations at Northfield Inn & Suites, all fellow members of Springfield Local Favorites, a group of the top wedding vendors in Central Illinois (on Facebook). DJ by Brad Schroeder. Flowers by especially talented real estate agent Caron Yates, The Real Estate Group. Springfield, Illinois 62702

Jeff’s Country Smokehouse serves a variety of dishes, such as pulled pro, briskets, cheesy potatoes and the like. They are available for parties, like rehearsal dinners, and even can do wedding receptions. Located near Winchester out in rural Morgan/Scott Counties. Contact 217.473.5906 or email jeffhurrelbrink – at – irtc.net (foil spamers, put in @ sign). Jacksonville, Illinois 62650.

Posted by Steve. Warmowski Photography, husband-wife photojournalist team always looking for ideas to make your wedding planning easier. Follow us on Facebook. Member of Springfield Local Favorites, a group of the top wedding vendors in Central Illinois (on Facebook).

When I saw this little doodle was on Meghan & Ryan's church program, I knew we had to do a photo just like it!

Meghan & Ryan and their sweet dog, Bailey, outside their Chicago apartment following their wedding ceremony.

Congrats to Meghan & Ryan on their awesome wedding day Saturday, April 21, 2012. We were honored to have been chosen to document their day.

Warmowski Photography works to make your wedding photos reflect who you are. We travel to Chicago, England, Kansas and beyond! Whether your wedding is in your backyard or at a destination, we will photograph your day in a way that reflects you!

St. Ita Catholic Church, Chicago/The Park Grill, Millennium Park, Chicago

It’s been a fun day of photographing people dressed up in Edwardian clothing and enjoying meals as if they were first class passengers aboard the Titanic. The Tea Ladies are doing a Titanic-themed program with audience participation at each event at the Mansion this weekend. They are both informative and entertaining.

Ladies enjoy Tea on the Titanic this afternoon at the Vrooman Mansion.

Those who enjoyed tea had the opportunity to get their photo taken. Dinner participants had a photo included in their ticket price.

Here's an example of one of the couples and the print they will take home when they leave tonight.

Warmowski Photography does more than weddings. This weekend in Bloomington, Illinois, along with the Vrooman Mansion and The Tea Ladies, we are commemorating the 100th anniversary of the Titanic disaster. 

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. 

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!

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.

Jordan waits as Michelle makes her way up the stairs. Their bridal party and family were on hand to witness the happiness.

Michelle was very nervous while driving to the park, but I told her that after seeing Jordan, her nerves would subside a bit. She later told me they did.

None of the couples who have seen each other before the ceremony have regretted it (I try to ask each couple in the post-wedding meetings). Steve and I saw each other before the ceremony in order to take our portraits. Steve still cried when I walked down the aisle (oh- and so did I - and my daddy, too)

Posted by Tiffany. Warmowski Photography, husband-wife photojournalist team work with you to make your wedding day happen exactly the way you imagined. We know the day is about you, your families and your friends – not the photos – or the photographers! Follow us on Facebook. Member of Springfield Local Favorites, a group of the top wedding vendors in Central Illinois (on Facebook).