Simon McConico | Valo Photography

What can I say about Allie and Brandon? Hmm… Well, for starters, they got married and I had the pleasure of shooting their wedding. Secondly, they both are super awesome!

Joe and Claire, a wedding we shot a while back, are friends with this beautiful couple. Claire told her about us and they loved our work. We met, nerded out about 4Square, and talked about their wedding. They booked us and now all we needed to do was wait for the wedding.

Once the wedding got here I was stoked. Two good looking folks who have fantastic personalities and just rock makes my job super easy. They looked great and I think that we got some sweet shots. Check them out.

3 Comments | In: Weddings | tags: mequon, mequon country club, milwaukee wedding photographer, Valo Photography, wedding, wisconsin wedding. | #

Uh. LOVE this photos.

No Comments | In: Weddings | tags: mequon country club, milwaukee wedding photographer, Valo Photography, wedding. | #

This is the wedding story in which I almost lost my 85mm 1.2 lens and a church lost its window:

Well, those things really have nothing to do with the wedding story, but they do have to do with the wedding day. Erin is awesome. She has a Masters. Yeah, that makes her awesome. Dave works putting out fires. Literally, he isn’t in HR.

I first met Erin at the Marquette coffee shop, the Brew Bayou. She graduated from there and then went to Boston to work on her Masters. She was in town and we chatted about wedding plans and her day. They decided that they wanted Valo to rock their wedding, so the planning and waiting began. Finally it was the day of the wedding and we got a chance to meet Dave.

What can I say about Dave? It is always interesting meeting someone for the first time on one of the most important days of their lives. He, like Nick in my previous blog, instantly struck me as a very awesome and kind guy. Perfect for Erin. Oh, and did I say that he laughs a lot? Because he does and it was awesome.

Any old ways… The wedding was at Gesu, a fantastic church on the Marquette campus. There is normally a huge stain glass window in the back of it, but it was out for cleaning. Super sad, but either way, there was tons of light pouring into the church and that made me happy. After they got hitched we went out on the Marquette campus and rocked some photos there. We were about to leave when I realized that I was missing a lens. A lens? No… THE lens. I was missing my 85mm 1.2 (In layman’s terms, I had somehow misplaced my child). I went back into the church and they were having mass… crap. I talked with one of the ushers and he hadn’t found it. Mass was almost over and when it finished they helped me look up and down the pews for it. Nothing. Ugh. My heart fell into my shoes and tumbled down the steps into the street where it was ran over by an old rusty bus.

I was ready to go, when a lady walked up to me and said, “I think you are looking for this” and handed me the lens!!! Score!!! My life was better and I was ready to rock the reception!

The reception was awesome. Everyone from her college friends to her god mother were tearing up the dance floor. Which, that is my favorite part. We danced and photographed and danced some more. We had to leave eventually and were ready for a nap! Check out these photos to this long story.

There is one in every wedding party… Always.

No Comments | In: Weddings | tags: gesu, marquette, milwaukee, Valo, wedding. | #

Oh my. I got married. Which means I am Murried. That is pretty awesome and I don’t know if it has all set in still. All I know is that I get to hang out with a hot lady for the rest of my life and we get to do cool stuff like go to Ikea. Anyways… thanks so much for all the love on Twitter, Facebook, and in real life.

Speaking of love… My good friend Sam Dodge (One of the MANY photographers who attended our nuptials) put together a stop motion video of our wedding and reception.

He is pretty much the man. Check out his site and some more of his Stop Motion stuff.

Also, some people might have seen this, but Nicole and I went out and took some photos after we got back from Door County (Super cool modern B&B with the best owner ever). Her dress was kinda a mess from the wedding day from all of the running around and dancing, so we decided to take it out and make some more photos. We did a lil Trash the Dress shoot and got some really great stuff. Here is a lil’ sneak peek of what is to come (One of the perks to marrying a photographer).

P.s. If you didn’t see the post from yesterday, check it out. I am teaching a class on Digital Photography.

P.p.s. I’m Murried!!!!!!

12 Comments | In: Personal, Random Shoots, Weddings | tags: lakefront brewery, milwaukee wedding photographer, orchid inn, sam dodge, stop motion, trash the dress, wedding, wisconsin. | #

I love it when I get asked by someone that I know to be a part of their wedding. If it is being in the wedding, or shooting the wedding, I love it. Marquel and Nicholene knew that they wanted me to shoot their wedding even before they were engaged. Well… I KNOW Nic did because she told me every time she saw me.

I went to college with both of these folks and had a great time creating music with them. Marquel can pretty much sing any part in a choir and play anything on drums, keys, and probably lots of other instruments and Nic would bring down the house with her singing. Creating music is amazing, but creating amazing music is even better, which made it quite appropriate that they got married at Orchestra Hall.

I arrived in Minneapolis with my friend Paul Sparks to shoot their wedding and was super excited. The wedding was outside and in the morning it looked like the weather was not going to cooperate with us. Gladly, a few hours passed and the clouds moved along, taking their raindrops with them. The weather, other than being crazy windy, was perfect. Great light and a lovely location at Orchestra Hall made for some fantastic photos.

Marquell is from Milwaukee and Nicolene is from Jamacia, but they met and now live in Minneapolis. It was great seeing their family come together and have a great time at the wedding. Sooo… enough of me babbling… here are the photos:

2 Comments | In: Weddings | tags: @sparksphotog, canon 5d mark 2, milwaukee, milwaukee photography, milwaukee wedding photographers, minneapolis, minneapolis wedding photographers, minnesota, simonmcconico, Valo Photography, wedding. | #

Madison is crazy after a Badgers game. Not to mention when the Badgers lose. To the Hawkeyes. Granted, this was good news for Kevin and Sarah. Call it an early wedding present for the two Hawkeyes that were getting married that day in Madison.

The setting: The Orpheum

The Orpheum was a really cool venue. Really dark… but really cool.  Lots of texture and lots of space. Those always make for fun photos.  Jake and I went up to Madison a few hours early from Milwaukee to shoot an engagement session for Nick and Dana who are getting married at the same place next year.  After the shoot we got some lunch then it was time to get our wedding shoes on. (I don’t really have wedding shoes, although I did wear pink and white chucks when shooting my cousins wedding)

There were lots of cool touches to the wedding that made it very personal and fun to shoot.  Sarah had her mother and grandmothers dress on display as well as their stories for people to check out.  The bouquets were made out of different herbs and smelled amazing.  After they said I Do and kissed, Sarah’s dad busted out a guitar and Kevin serenaded her on the steps of the stage.  It was a very warm and fun wedding to shoot even though it was chilly outside.  I am so glad that we got a chance to be a part of these two Hawks special day.

3 Comments | In: Weddings | tags: @jakedavidrohde, canon 5d mark 2, http://www.orpheumtheatre.net/, madison, madison wisconsin, milwaukee photography, milwaukee wedding photographer, milwaukee wisconsin, orpheum theatre, Photography, photos, the orpheym, Valo, Valo Photography, valophotography, wedding, wedding photographer, wedding photography, wedding photos, wisconsin, wisconsin photography, wisconsin wedding photography. | #

Oh my, oh my, oh me… Again, I can’t express how much I love shooting weddings of people who have a personal flair to everything that they do.  People who infuse their personality into everything from the vows to the shoes to the drinks to the wedding party.

Shawn and Cassie’s wedding had all of their awesomeness infused into one giant day which has now turned into one giant blog post.  I loved everything from the Chuck Taylors that the grooms men wore to the Crazy Booth that is going to be tough to top in 2010.

The wedding was at the Eisner Museum in Milwaukee’s Historic Third Ward, which has tons of really great places to take photos.  After the ceremony we went running around the Third Ward taking tons of photos, tripping on things, and dropping bridesmaids. (Wasn’t as fatal as it sounds)  From there, the Ceremony rocked and the Crazy Booth was brought.  By the end of the night I was exhausted, but had such a fun time shooting and capturing an amazing party for two amazing people.  Congrats Shawn and Cassie.

(now on to the photos which is why you are looking at the blog anyways)

2 Comments | In: Weddings | tags: @jakedavidrohde, canon 5d mark 2, eisner museum, historic third ward, milwaukee, milwaukee photography, milwaukee wedding photographer, milwaukee wisconsin, Photography, photos, simonmcconico, Valo, Valo Photography, wedding, wedding photography, wedding photos, wisconsin, wisconsin photography, wisconsin wedding photography, www.eisnermuseum.org/. | #

Matt and Krista are awesome!  It was so much fun shooting their wedding at the Milwaukee County War Memorial.  The light was great, the people were fun, and the wedding was beautiful.  Matt is a cancer survivor and friend and it was a great honor for me to document this day for him.  Jake, Nicole, and I shot photos, danced a bit, and rocked the Crazy Booth all night long.  Enjoy the images, you two are great!

4 Comments | In: Weddings | tags: Lake Michigan, milwaukee, milwaukee county war memorial, milwaukee photography, milwaukee wedding photographer, milwaukee wisconsin, Photography, simon mcconico, simonmcconico, Valo, Valo Photography, wedding, wedding photography, wisconsin, wisconsin photography, wisconsin wedding photography. | #

Matt is one of the most amazing guys ever. And he can take down a groomsman like no one else… I got a post of sweet wedding photos coming up, but here are some Crazy Booth photos for you to chew on.

Air guitar at it’s finest.

One of us has to be responsible.

Guess it isn’t Jake

Body Surfing?

3 Comments | In: Crazy Booth | tags: @jakedavidrohde, canon 5d mark 2, Crazy Booth, funny, milwaukee, milwaukee county war memorial, money, Photography, reception, simonmcconico, Valo Photography, war memorial, wedding, wedding photographer, wedding photography. | #

this is why you need to make sure you rig the dollar dance.

Women… this is why you need to have the crazy booth at your wedding (because you ALWAYS win this and can gloat for years to come)

No Comments | In: Crazy Booth | tags: @jakedavidrohde, canon 5d mark 2, Crazy Booth, funny, milwaukee, milwaukee county war memorial, money, Photography, reception, simonmcconico, Valo Photography, war memorial, wedding, wedding photographer, wedding photography. | #