LifeSpring Photography

I Heart Faces - Joy

2009-01-28T09:38:00.002-05:00

Anne Ruthmann is an amazing wedding photographer. She's got a huge heart, and an even bigger laugh! We've known eachother for a few years, and last year we went out to lunch one day. I grabbed this shot of her at our lunch table:

Emily and Ian are full of joy too -- I'd been working on my natural light posing and given them a little "assignment". Ian was to whisper into Emily's ear, and then Emily was to turn and whisper into Ian's ear. I got some excellent shots before the kids couldn't restrain themselves and the whole session dissolved into gales of giggles!

These two images have "joy" all over them -- even thinking back at the memories I get a huge silly grin on my face! So I'm entering them in this week's "I Heart Faces" contest -- hopefully my blog viewers will click the button above and visit all the other joyful faces too!

I Heart Faces! Grownups.

2009-01-20T09:26:00.002-05:00

This summer, I shot Caleb and Micah's wedding with Candace Haase. Micah's grandpa was so fun -- every time I tried to get a nice image of him, he'd do something silly.

Finally at the reception I just gave in and took some super silly pictures of Grandpa because honestly, if he's a silly guy, why not have silly pictures of him?

I've entered him at the blog -- go and see all the beautiful faces there!

Leann

New website and LifeSpring Couple Of The Month

2009-01-17T21:07:00.005-05:00

Congratulations to Betsy and Kyle, who are LifeSpring's Wedding Couple of the month for January!

With the new website, we're able to feature a new couple, family, or person every month -- and this month it's Betsy and Kyle.

Go visit our newly remodeled site at http://www.lifespringphotography.com/wedinfo/

Home for Christmas...

2009-01-14T20:43:00.004-05:00

On the weekend of December 19, 20, and 21, David and I made a very special trip. A trip Home for Christmas... We packed our bags and headed down to Marion Indiana to shoot one of my two big shows that have become something of a tradition for me.

What shows? You must be new to the blog -- let me fill you in!

The Community School of the Arts in Marion is one of the most amazing Arts schools ever, in part because of the talent of the kids, and in part because of the incredible drive and passion of Mark Fauser. Veteran director Leslie Hendricks has called Mark "Our Dreamer", and it's true. Only a dreamer could bring Hollywood *and* Broadway to a tiny town and bring us all Home for Christmas.

Written by Mark Fauser, the show featured actors Michael DeLuise (yes, that DeLuise!) and Daniel Roebuck, as well as a cast of over 100 students from the CSA. Ticket holders viewed the talents of world class ice skater Jennifer Seybold, and appearances by Frosty the Snowman, Santa, Rudolph, God, the Devil, and a skewer full of chipmunks (roasting on an open fire, no less!) John D'Aquino even had a cameo role via video link from ~~heaven~~ Hollywood.

Here are a few storyboards to give you just a tiny taste of what the show was like:

I'll never tire of the amazing talent of the Marion Community School of the Arts -- I can't wait to go back this summer for the iDance show!

Stephanie and Kyle's wedding 10-25-2008

2008-10-27T19:05:00.001-04:00

This weekend, I shot Stephanie and Kyle's wedding in Chicago with Gilbert Boucher -- it was a lovely cool, crisp day, with clear skies, just perfect for a wedding!

Here are some of my favorite images:

The couple is going to Jamaica (Sandals resort) on their honeymoon -- they're going to have a lovely time, I just know it!

Jaime and Joe 10-18-2008

2008-10-21T10:20:00.002-04:00

Joe and Jaime's wedding day was beautiful and sunny -- a nice, crisp fall day. The leaves had turned a lovely shade of orange to match the color scheme the couple had chosen.

Jaime's bridesmaids were all dressed in chocolate brown strapless dresses with champagne satin sashes, and they carried bouquets of fall colored flowers bound with chocolate colored ribbons. Joe's groomsmen wore black tuxedos with chocolate colored ties... see a pattern here? LOL it was gorgeous!

The mass featured people important in Joe and Jaime's lives -- the priest had known Joe so long, he'd even baptized Joe as an infant! Music was provided by a string quartet and organ (so elegant) and each detail was very personal to the bride and groom.

Here are some previews from Joe and Jaime's wedding:

Best wishes to the two of you!

LifeSpring Website

2008-10-01T11:28:00.003-04:00

Well, it's that time again -- time to freshen up the website and get everything tucked in for the fall season!

If you check the site right now (http://www.lifespringphotography.com) you'll find just the splash page and a slideshow (worth the wait to watch!) but soon you'll be able to see our completely re-designed site!

Leann & David

Alex and Lindsey's Wedding Album

2008-09-21T14:15:00.002-04:00

Alexander and Lindsey's wedding was amazing, and to help them celebrate their marriage day we've created an awesome album for them!

Here's a preview of their design:

Alex and Lindsey's Wedding Show

2008-08-20T15:11:00.003-04:00

I had so many favorites from Alexander and Lindsey's wedding, that I decided to do a slideshow rather than just a few for the blog... so without further ado, on with the show!

Alex and Lindsey's Wedding 8-9-08 Part One

2008-08-11T18:02:00.003-04:00

Alex and Lindsey's wedding day was amazing. From the moment we arrived at Lindsey's grandparents house, to the fireworks at their reception, the day was filled with beauty and grace.

Lindsey's bridal portraits went so well, it's only fitting that I devote an entire entry to them (Don't worry, I'm not going to leave out the rest of Alex and Lindsey's wedding day!)

Stay tuned for Part Two!

Jackie and Nick 8-2-08

2008-08-04T17:40:00.003-04:00

Nick and Jackie said their marriage vows on Saturday August 2 at North Shore Presbyterian church in Shorewood Wisconsin.

Before the ceremony, Nick got his first glimpse of Jackie's wedding dress at Klode Park where the entire wedding party gathered for portraits.

The ceremony was simple and elegant, with the ladies each carrying roses and alstromeria bouquets.

Guests greeted the newlyweds on the church's patio

The reception was held at Silver Spring Country Club in Menomonee Falls.

Congratulations Nick and Jackie!

Cory and Ryan - 7/26/08

2008-08-04T17:21:00.002-04:00

Saturday July 26th found me once again hanging out with my close friend Candice Haase from Garden Rose photography, lending a hand in photographing a wedding back in my old "stomping grounds" of Marion Indiana.

Cory is the daughter of my former pastor, Tim Helm and Cory and Ryan said their vows at the same church Cory's Dad pastors -- Hanfield United Methodist church.

Just look at the beautiful bride:

That's all natural curly hair btw -- so simple and elegant!

Pastor Tim escorted Cory down the aisle, and since he didn't think he could make it through the service dry eyed (he didn't!) he left the ceremony in the capable hands of his brother who is also a Methodist pastor!

Cory and Ryan's reception was held at the Roseburg Event Center:

I always love capturing the emotion on Dad's face -- every father is different, but there's just something extra special about the Father Daughter dance!

Of course Mother's and Sons are just as special!

Congratulations Cory and Ryan! My best wishes to both of you!

Kerry and Ben 7-19-08

2008-07-20T20:28:00.003-04:00

If a soft rain on a couple's wedding day guarantees marital happiness, then Ben and Kerry will be married many years. Saturday started with me traveling into Chicago from the south suburbs with a gentle, misty rain falling on my windshield, and ended with me driving home into a gorgeous sunset. The hours in between were filled with laughter, good music, and wonderful blessings on Ben and Kerry's marriage.

Kerry and her sister -- Matron of honor

Kerry and Ben's ceremony was held at historic St. Michael's of Old Town in Chicago IL.

The recessional was led by a bagpiper who also played while clouds of bubbles blew away in the breeze as the couple exited the church.

We went to Adler planetarium after the ceremony for some beautiful lake-shore images of the bridal party.

"See, there's the Prudential Tower..."

Ben and Kerry's reception was amazing, and was held at the Crowne Plaza hotel downtown Chicago.

Concert tickets for each of the guests guided them to their tables, each of which was named for a favorite band of the bride and groom... several of the bands (as luck would have it) were staying the night at the Crowne Plaza on Saturday night!

Ben and Kerry's first dance -- "You are the daybreak" by Kevin Devine

Kerry and her Dad danced to "Father and Daughter" by Paul Simon -- can you tell how much he adores her?!?

Ben and Kerry are spending their honeymoon in romantic France -- I would have loved to tag along!

Micah and Caleb's wedding

2008-07-13T12:08:00.002-04:00

Yesterday I was blessed to be able to join Candice Haase from Garden Rose Photography in capturing Micah and Caleb's wedding day. I drove down from Chicago to Fairmount and then to Peru Indiana where we spent the day with Caleb and Micah.

Here are a few previews from the wedding:

Many thanks to Candice for letting me come along on this wonderful wedding day!

Guest Books

2008-07-07T11:58:00.001-04:00

I'm working on some guestbooks today for two couples who are having weddings later in the summer... Here's what a couple pages look like:

Here's Chad and Jennifer's front cover:

And one of the pages for Alex and Lindsey's book:

I just *LOVE* personalized guestbooks!

Aaron and Meredith 7-5-2008

2008-07-06T14:21:00.001-04:00

Meredith and Aaron exchanged their vows on 7-5-08 in a beautiful ceremony in Portage Indiana.

Meredith, the glowing bride:

Aaron waits for Meredith at the front of the sanctuary

The first dance

Aaron is a computer consultant, so the groom's cake was shaped as a Laptop computer, complete with "Matrix" screensaver!

Another awesome "geek" touch, the binary themed hearts accompanying each guest's favor: sweets and a smile!

The reception venue (Duneland Falls) was absolutely beautiful in the sunset!

After their honeymoon in Paris, Aaron and Meredith will be coming home to Carmel Indiana where Mer will start her new job as a 6th grade Biology teacher in the fall.

Betsy and Kyle's Wedding Album Preview!

2008-07-03T08:37:00.000-04:00

Betsy and Kyle's wedding day was awesome, and they'll remember it for years to come with the luscious KISS wedding album that they'll be receiving as part of their wedding package. Check out the preview slideshow by clicking the image below!

Betsy & Kyle's Wedding 6-28-08

2008-07-01T09:14:00.003-04:00

Kyle and Betsy are such a sweet couple. Kyle is a firefighter, and Betsy is a kindergarten teacher (her students must just LOVE her!)

Their wedding was held in Michigan City Indiana, at St. Paul Lutheran church. Once again, rain was predicted for the entire day and this time I believed the weather man. Friday night had been cloudy and rainy, but Saturday dawned lovely and sunny almost as a special favor to Betsy and Kyle.

Guests came from far and wide to fill the church as the bride and groom prepared for their nuptual ceremony... Betsy dressed in a beautiful white wedding dress covered in pearls with a luxurious long train. Kyle, dressed in his tux and relaxed with his best friends at the Mexican restaurant down the block from the church while the final preparations were made at the church...

Enough background information -- on with the previews!

Betsy waits in the back of the church:

Kyle and the groomsmen prepare for the wedding with toasts:

Betsy's Mom takes a few deep breaths:

Betsy on one side of the wall and Kyle on the other, before the ceremony:

Megan pauses to reflect... "should I make a break for it?"

Betsy's father and step-dad walked her down the aisle to Kyle:

After the ceremony, we made a side trip down to the beach and caught some beautiful images there:

Then on to the reception!

All in all, a beautiful wedding day for two very special people!

After a honeymoon that takes the couple to a super-secret hide-away, they’ll return to Michigan City. I can’t wait to find out where they’ve been — the honeymoon was such a secret, Betsy couldn’t even reveal the destination to me on the morning of the wedding!

Alex and Lindsey's Engagement Session

2008-06-30T13:44:00.002-04:00

Yesterday David and I took a nice drive down to Zionsville (near Indy) for an engagement photo session with Alex and Lindsey who are getting married this summer.

They're such a cute, sincere couple -- we just really loved spending time with them!

Here are a few previews:

I think I'm looking forward to their wedding almost as much as they are!

iDance - Spot On!

2008-06-26T12:28:00.002-04:00

Ok, so everyone knows I shoot weddings. But I do other things too! I do families, and portraits, and... DANCE!

Here are a few from the Community School of the Arts in Marion Indiana's spring show "iDance Spot On", which I was privileged to photograph 6/12 through 6/14.

What fun that show was! I enjoyed every minute of it, and watching the actors, dancers, singers -- especially "triple threat" Dimitri Morris, well it was all top notch!

Kristina and Matt's Big Greek Wedding!

2008-06-22T16:43:00.003-04:00

Saturday morning we had a thunderstorm, and Kristina was a bit on edge. She'd been planning this wedding forever, and one of the stops after the ceremony included photographs on the local golf course. Of course, things would be dampened a bit if it continued to rain!

Fortunately, the clouds cleared and by the time everyone was ready the sky was a beautiful sparkling blue, just perfect for Kristina and Matthew's wedding day.

Here are a few previews:

What a wonderful wedding -- Here's to a happy ever-after!

Katie and David's Wedding 6/7/08

2008-06-08T21:48:00.002-04:00

Katie and David are such a sweet couple. Katie called me to save their wedding date almost before they were engaged, and we met for the first time last summer for their engagement session. The two of them are friends of a number of other LifeSpring couples, so it was extra special to see their wedding day arrive.

We arrived at Countryside Christian Church in Michigan City IN just before noon, and caught up with Katie and David while they were preparing for their wedding ceremony. The skies were sunny and breezy, just perfect weather for a wedding!

Katie and David involved so many of their friends and family in their wedding -- David's brother Luke led worship songs, Doug Weber (that's David's father) gave the message, and Mark Bules (Katie's Dad) performed the second half of the ceremony.

I cried all through Katie and David's vows. They first recited traditional vows, and then spoke words that they had written especially for eachother, underlining their commitment not only to their marriage, but also to the ministry that their lives together will be to others.

We left just as the sun was dipping behind the lake at the reception site -- the perfect ending to an unforgettable wedding day!

Here are a few samples of Katie and David's wedding images:

Have a wonderful honeymoon! :hugs:

Album Designs

2008-06-04T20:21:00.002-04:00

I've got three new album designs to show you this week!

Misha and Jon's album:

Amanda and Jonathon's album:

Chip and Jennifer's album:

Recently, I've switched from designing my clients albums myself, to using the services of a professional designer -- I'm so thankful I did, because I love the results and I'm able to get album designs to clients in a much more timely manner than before.

It's all about keeping my clients happy!

Kristin and Brett May 24, 2008

2008-05-25T21:52:00.001-04:00

Kristin and Brett said their vows at the Bartlett Hills Country Club on Saturday May 25, surrounded by family and the most precious of their friends. The bride and groom glowed with a joy that was undeniable, and their families were happy!

Here are a few highlights of Kristin and Brett's wedding day:

Have a great time in the Dominican Republic -- I know you'll love it!

Misha and Jonathan -- Wedding!

2008-05-20T11:43:00.001-04:00

Hmmm... Where to begin?

Well, first of all, Misha and Jonathan are friends of Abby and Ben who were LifeSpring couples from last year. Their love shines as brightly as the sun that lit the church on May 17, their wedding day.

When David and I pulled into the parking lot of Trinity United Methodist church in Lafayette, the forecast called for cloudy skies and rain all day. The weather man thought it would be a dreary day, but the weather man didn't know that there Misha and her closest friends were praying for sun!

By the time Misha had put on her wedding dress and met with her wedding party for a time of prayer, the sky had changed from drizzly gray to brilliant clear blue and streams of sunlight were pouring through the windows of the church.

Here are a few previews of what turned out to be the most beautiful wedding day possible for Misha and Jonathan:

Have a great honeymoon -- we'll see you soon with your album preview!