I had the pleasure this summer to attend a fabulous workshop in Chicago with the amazing photographer

Scott Robert Lim

This was the view from our room @ the Allerton Hotel in Chicago

I traveled with a few very talented  photographer friends of mine from the Madison area.

Michelle from Michelle Martin Photography

&
Mandie from Red Gecko Studio

This was Mandie & I on our “romantic” carriage ride the night before the workshop {image from my iPhone}

{Ok enough of the name dropping}

All in all we had a wonderful trip & learned a lot from Scott.  He is just full of knowledge, advice & gives so much of himself back to our community.

It was my first workshop with SRL & I look forward to more in the future!

Not to mention Chicago as a city is just lovely!

Necessary to credit these fabulous people who helped make the day happen

Dresses & Hair Accessories | Rebekah Jacobs Couture

Makeup | Barb Zanzig of BZ Artistry

Hair | Tony, owner of Hybrid Salon

These are a sample of the images taken that day, enjoy!

Thanks again Scott, it was a pleasure to spend the day with you!

A few pullbacks from how we were shooting

Love the Trolley @ Navy Pier

We ended our 12+ hour day with watching the fireworks from Navy Pier

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Fall {Mini} Sessions

Friday September 30th {9:30-4:00}

Session time

9:30-10:30 – BOOKED
10:45-11:45 – BOOKED
12:00-1:00 – OPEN
1:30-2:30 – OPEN
2:45-3:45 – BOOKED

The session will be customized to each family after your spot has been reserved

PLEASE NOTE : These spots will book up fast & last year I was able to open a second date, my schedule will most likely not allow a second date so when these spots are gone that will be it for 2011 Fall {Mini} Sessions.

————————–————————–-

INVESTMENT :
$300
{1/2 of the session fee is due when you RESERVE your spot & the remainder is due the day of the session}

WHAT IS INCLUDED :
Session Fee, Private Online Gallery, DVD of 20-25 images from our session {w/ print release form}, 25% off any print orders

DETAILS :
For the 5th year in a row we’ll be offering our Fall {Mini} Sessions

Once you have made your reservation the location spot will be released

Please plan on arriving 15 minutes prior to your session time to stretch, have a snack, use the restroom etc, so that you can get the most out of our time/session together.

Please contact the studio ASAP to book your spot

{no other discounts/coupons may be applied with the already discounted mini-sessions}

608.289.9264
stephanie@natalephotography.com

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Heidi & Bobby

Friday June, 17th, 2011

We had a beautiful day for H & B’s intimate & elegant wedding in Kenosha/Pleasant Prairie Wisconsin.

I had the pleasure of meeting Heidi & Bobby a few years ago & have been looking forward to their wedding for sometime.

Heidi had all the details planned down to the smallest decoration.

The day went very smoothly & we had ample time between the ceremony & reception for fun & relaxed portraits of the Bride & Groom and their Bridal Party.

Heidi you looked amazing that day & Bobby you cleaned up very nice yourself!

The love you two share was such a pleasure to photograph & document that day.

Your smile, laugh & love is contagious.

I wish you both all the best & I truly enjoyed working with you & your families!

Enjoy the sneak peek!

{s. Natale}

| Vendors |

Ceremony : St. Mary’s Catholic Church {Kenosha}

Reception Venue : The Radisson Ballroom {Pleasant Prairie}

Wedding Consultant : Brittney Power, Power Wedding Planning

DJ : The Music Master, Jay Fernandez

Florist : Flowers with Love

Wedding Cake : Bridal Cakes Custom Design by Ann

I believe this was when Bobby said, “WOW” right after he saw his Bride for the very first time!

Love these special moments & this energy right after the ceremony.

I think this was when I said smile & say “Banana Hammock”, I’ll do anything for a good laugh!

If you liked Heidi & Bobby’s BLOG post be sure to leave us some comment love

and

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Amy & Andy

{May 28th 2011}

Janesville, Wisconsin

The rain held out for us, thank goodness.

We had a beautiful beautiful day.

Amy, Andy & their families were just a blast to work with & constantly were laughing all day long.  It was certainly contagious.

They were married @ First Lutheran Church in Janesville & the reception was @ the Holiday Inn Express, here in Janesville.

We were so lucky to be able to photograph @ the Tallman House {Thanks Sue!} & it was amazing.

I had a fabulous assistant with me that day, Jessie & she did a great job!  Thanks again Jessie!

Thanks for a great day & enjoy your sneak peeks!

{s. natale}

Amy : I don’t think I could love your dress anymore.  Unbelievably beautiful.

Did I mention how much I adored your dress Amy?

The very {first look} on their wedding day

Amy’s brother is in the service & couldn’t be with them so they had him do a reading via satellite at the ceremony.  Was very touching.

HA please note this image is a joke of sorts & just for fun. Flash back to wedding photography circa 1970.

Amy you were a good sport, hope you like it

Bridal Portraits were taken @ the Lincoln Tallman house in Janesville Wisconsin

Their Facebook page can be found here

Yes they are sitting in the bathroom.  Comfy little place.

A few props always add to the excitement of the day

I don’t do this effect often, but a few times during receptions & I really fell in love with this image.

Amy & Andy LOVE gambling, cards, dice, you name it.

So why not get a little inflatable dice in the mix, sure why not?

Loved these fancy dice, thanks Jessie {my wonderful assistant for that day} for supplying these for this shot!

If you liked Amy & Andy’s wedding BLOG post be sure to leave us some comment love

and

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Andrea & Josh

{wedding | 05.21.11}

Good thing the world didn’t end that day, we had a wedding to celebrate!

If mother nature really existed I would have given her one big HUGE giant hug that day.

We were so fortunate to have a beautiful day to celebrate A & J’s wedding day in Madison.

Going into the weekend there was an 80% chance of rain/thunderstorms.  Thankfully that forecast was wrong!

We started off at Holy Cross Lutheran Church in Madison.

Both Andrea & Josh agreed early on that they wanted to see other prior to the ceremony.

I love these moments, those first few seconds when the couple sees each other for the first time on their wedding day.

After the ceremony we headed straight to the Capitol.  We saw many Bridal Parties there that day but easily got a spot on the steps & spent some time doing Bridal portraits.

The Capitol is especially meaningful to A & J as this was where he proposed, only it was inside & the Christmas Tree was up.

After we photographed outside we attempted to get into the Capitol {we had gotten a permit prior to the day} but the doors were locked & closed.

Luckily we met a very nice security man who let us in, with less than 5 minutes to shoot.  It was very important to A & J that we get inside on their wedding day & get some images where he proposed, I was very thankful to that security guard.

After that we headed quickly to Olin Park & found some lovely trees that coordinated with the bridal party colors. #winning

We arrived at the Coliseum Bar for the reception shortly after that & got the party going!

Andrea & Josh had a great wedding party, a lot of fun & very easy going.

Every time I turned around people were laughing & enjoying the day.

It was our pleasure to be apart of the day!

Andrea & Josh :

You are such a lovely couple & we wish you the best!

{s. Natale}

Waiting to see her groom for the first time

Love this angle, from Michelle’s perspective during this moment

Moments before the ceremony, with Dad

Grams & Gramps after the wedding.

{notice the adorable coordination?}

This is where Josh asked Andrea to marry him.

Hearts.

In order to get the Bride & Groom to kiss guests had to hula hoop.

One of the bridesmaids due with her first baby in a few weeks.  That is her husband cheering her on.

The amazing card box hand made by one of the groomsmen, man that was heavy.

First Dance

The couple from the longest married dance = TOO adorable for words.

This is how you learn to pose in a picture when you go to UW-Stout

Andrea & Josh’s Wedding Vendors

Ceremony  | Holy Cross, Madison Wisconsin

Reception Venue | Coliseum Bar, Madison Wisconsin

Photographer | Natale Photography

If you liked Andrea & Josh’s wedding BLOG post be sure to leave us some comment love

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Derek & Nikki

{engaged}

Wedding | October, 15, 2011

L.U.C.K.Y. in love.

We just kept hitting the jackpot during our e-sesh in Milwaukee last week.

light. location. love. sweet beautiful adorable couple.

We started out @ Miller Park & started shooting inside, asked around a bit to see if we could get in & shoot in the stadium & kept getting the run around by the ladies in the gift store.  We asked someone out in the hallway & eventually we were let into the private little patio from T.G.I.Fridays.  It was perfect.  But that was not good enough for us, we still wanted the seats.  So we walked around to the side by the Ticket Booth & a couple of doors happened to be opened & so we went it.  {of course, right?}  Well right there, with ZERO baracades was the entrance to the lower level seats.  Perfect.  Thanks much Miller Park, ‘ppreciate it.

We managed to get some beautiful light & hit some pretty great spots, but we weren’t selfish.  We got in & out before security was called.

“Oh sorry mr. security guard sir, we didn’t realize…”

We headed down to the 5th ward, downtown Milwaukee.  I had a few possible options in mind, but was going to make the judgement call once we got down there & I could check out the light, buildings, etc.  And then boom, I turned the corner & it was like a vision.  I pulled in, looked for a “No Trespassing” sign, didn’t see one & put the swagger wagon in park.  Heck YES.

This was an old abandon warehouse-type.  Beautiful light. So many little nooks to tuck in & shoot at.

Anyhoo it was simply fabulous as was Derek & Nikki!

They were very up for anything & it was great exploring with them & finding the perfect spots for their session.

D & N are having a wedding in Beloit/Janesville this fall & I can’t wait to document that for them.

They are so adorably in love & it was so much fun to capture that for them!

Enjoy the sneak peeks!

{s. natale}

Sweet Baby Girl Ellen

{Born May 2, 2011}

Recently when asked what one of my favorite things to photograph was, I quickly answered : births.

To accurately describe the love & emotion that is present @ that time is next to impossible.  I love capturing that, I love being around it & love documenting it.

Particularly for this family it was very important to have a very pleasant birth experience & documenting the first few moments as a family of four.

Many times for mommy’s {& daddy’s too} you are so much in the moment that taking photos is the farthest from your mind.  You’ve been waiting 9 LONG months to meet this new person & all you want to do is stare at their beautiful face.  Especially for c-section mommies documenting a birth can be helpful because I was able to go with daddy into the nursery & document those moments so that mommy isin’t missing out.

To see the DVD slideshow set to music please click here

Ellen {Birth Documentation}

Thanks for the wonderful opportunity K & M.  I hope this experience was everything you dreamed of & congrats on being a family of 4 now!

{s. natale}

Heather & Nick

{wedding date : october, 22 2011}

Finally, after many weather related reschedules we were able to do H & N’s engagement session in Madison, Wisconsin.

I’m SO glad we waited it out for nicer weather.

We started near Olin Park & ended up downtown Madison.

Heather & Nick I had a great time with you both, you make stellar animal noises & look forward to photographing your wedding this fall.

{s. natale}

Making animal noises, a favorite past time for H & N

I love love love {triple love} the way Nick looks @ Heather.

So. Dang. Sweet.

The story behind this next image.

Nick’s nickname for Heather is Nala from the Lion King. She came along for the ride

If you are getting married {or have friends that are} make sure to stop by the Fall Bridal Show THIS weekend.

Stop by our booth for show specials.

Please note there are very few {read : 2 max} spots left and available for 2011.

We are actively booked for 2012.

Sunday, November 7th 2010 from 1pm-4pm

Quality Inn & Suites

See you there!

{Karen & Eric}

Where do I start?  Well probably about 25 years ago approximately when I first met Karen at Burdge Elementary School.

{WOW that makes me sound super old}

I’ve known Karen, her brother Roy & family for 25+ years, growing up in Beloit, not a small town.  So when I first heard from Karen I was excited to catch up with her & meet her fiance, Eric.  We had a wonderful engagement session in Beloit & even went back to our grade school for part of the session.

Click here to see their e-sesh images

From the first time I met K & E at my studio & through their Engagement session, the love they shared was something very special & it was a really sweet thing to witness.

Karen, Eric & their families have really had their faith tested these past few months.  Karen was diagnosed with Breast Cancer earlier this year & for the past several months (while also planning her wedding) she was undergoing special treatment in AZ.  Now this post is not to dwell on that, but merely point out the amazing, AMAZING bond that Karen has with not only her husband Eric, but her family, her friends & people that have gotten to know her story.  I know personally, Karen has served as an inspiration to me.  Her strength, courage & most of all her faith in God, well it simply amazes me.

Karen, you radiate in these images.  Your smile, your love for Eric & happiness on your Wedding Day reminds me of why I love what I do so much.  The connections, the passion in the relationships :  I don’t think in the past 6 years of photographing weddings I’ve seen anything like it.  It gives me shivers, just thinking about it.

It was my honor to photograph your wedding Karen & Eric be apart of your special day.

Enjoy the sneak peak

s. {natale}

Daddy seeing his little girl for the first time.

Karen & her parents, moments before the ceremony

Karen made all the boutonnieres, flowers & corsages.  GREAT job.  I think they turned out fantastic.

This says it all :

The Bride’s niece & {twin} nephews

Eric seeing his Bride for the first time

Karen, truly your smile is contagious.

God’s Knot Ceremony

“Though one may be overpowered, two can defend themselves. A cord of three strands is not quickly broken.”

Ecclesiastes 4:12

“…The cord of three strands symbolizes the joining of one man, one woman, and God into a marriage relationship. Marriage takes three; you, your soon to be spouse, and God. It was God who taught us to love. By keeping Him at the center of your marriage, His love will continue to bind you together as one throughout your marriage…”

This was a wonderful, touch to their wedding ceremony.

Gold Strand : Represents God at the center of the Marriage

Purple Strand : Represents the Groom

White Strand : Represents the Bride

This image is part of a long line of a family tradition.

Bride & Groom, facing the alter.

Lyla I hope this image fits perfectly on your wall with the rest!

Karen & her girls

Karen, Eric & her mom & dad

Love this capture Michelle, thanks!

Karen’s dad owns an old vintage Model T, & WOW was it in wonderful condition.

We had a lot of fun with it!

Thanks again Dad for cleaning it up & letting us ‘borrow’ it for the afternoon!

LOVE.

Karen & her brother Roy

One of my favorites

Karen : simply beautiful.

Beautiful cake that Karen’s Sister-in-Law made

K & E, thanking their parents

Karen was beaming like this the ENTIRE day, it was so wonderful to see a Bride, enjoy every single moment of her wedding day!

Daddy/Daughter dance : LOVE

At the end of the evening we headed outside to grab a few night shots, sure glad we did.

Wedding Day Vendors:

Hair : Signature Studio, South Beloit IL

Ceremony : St Johns, Beloit WI

Picture Locations :

Alleyway behind Suds, Beloit WI

&
Glen Erin Golf Course

Reception : Marine Corp League, Beloit WI