matthew whitlock | photography

Quiet Couple of Weeks

It's been a quiet couple of weeks here at the Studio, but I'm back to shooting today for Shelly & Glen's wedding. We couldn't have better weather here in Michiana for an outdoor wedding and I'm super excited to get out to Battel Park for their wedding ceremony!

Holly & Gene's Wedding Day at the Gillespie in South Bend, IN

For a little while, it looked like Gene & Holly were going to have to move their oudoor ceremony from the beautiful garden at the Gillespie Center into one of the conference rooms inside the hotel due to a sudden downpour, but the (literally) the clouds parted just long enough (and with a beautifully moody sky) to have their wedding ceremony outside under the sky.

The rain came back, and has pretty much stuck around ever since, but we had a beautiful afternoon for just long enough. Congratulations Holly & Gene!

Click here for a teaser slideshow and be sure to register for notification of their wedding photos!

Decor & Flowers: Michaelangelos The Event Company
Cake: West End Bakery
Entertainment: Phoenixx
Wedding & Reception: The Gillespie at the Hilton Garden Inn

Busy Labor Day Weekend

Today I'll be heading up to the north side of South Bend to document Holly & Eugene's wedding day at the Gillespie Center. Everything is all happing right at the hotel, and I'm really excited to be heading back to the Gillespie. It's always a great time and a wonderful event there.  :)

Tomorrow, I'll be heading in to the great city of Chicago to cover Kelly & Mike's wedding day downtown. Weddings in the City are always a busy and exciting experience - I'll be keeping my fingers crossed for a beautiful sunset and for some opportunities for awesome urban portraits!

Michelle & Christopher's Wedding in La Porte, IN

Shelley & Chris were without a doubt the most laid-back couple I've photographed this year - what's great about that quality is it makes them really good at forgetting the I and the camera are there documenting their day. And when people start ignoring me, I start getting amazing photos!

Be sure to take a look at their teaser slideshow and register for notification (and a discount on a photo order) of the release of the full gallery of photos!

Ceremony: Sacred Heart Catholic Church
Cake: Macri's
DJ: DJ Indipendant
Catering: Portophino Grill

Amanda & Fernando's Wedding & Reception in Paw Paw, MI

Here's a few quick favorites from Amanda & Fernando's wedding ceremony & reception in Paw Paw, MI. It was a ton of fun with LOTS of super cute kids running around. Thank goodness Amanda encouraged me to get tons of good photos of the children, because it would have been really tough ignoring their antics!  :)

Interesting ideas for Wedding Photography

I'm getting prepared to head out and shoot Lisa & Michael's wedding this afternoon at the South Bend Marriott Atrium (now the DoubleTree by Hilton) and I've just had some ideas for what I hope will be some very cool photos of their wedding ceremony. I can't wait to get over to the hotel and start rigging...

What a great weekend!

I got two great thank-you emails over the weeeknd that I absolutely HAVE to share - 

I occasionally do pet portraits for Northern Lights Sled Dog Rescue. Having great portraits of the dogs really helps people connect with the animals and get these beautiful dogs adopted into their new "forever homes." On Sunday, I got this email from the president of the rescue:

"...wanted to thank you SO MUCH for the beautiful photos you took at Kris J's!!!  I will tell you we had a potential foster for Harrison who thought he might be "too old" -- 'til she saw your photos!  He is doing great in foster!

 

We so appreciate you taking time to do this for us!"

This is just one of the photos I delivered for Harrison:

It's amazing to know that my photo helped a dog that needed a home and a family to love get a chance he would not have otherwise had. 

 

I often get thank-yous from, Brides, Grooms and parents after photographing a wedding, but this email was from one of the Groomsen at Friday's wedding - A truly unique missive in my experience these 8 years shooting weddings.  :)

"Good Morning,

 

I was a Groomsmen in the Obering-Van Hoegarden Wedding this past weekend, and wanted to share my thoughts on how the photography session went.

 

At each wedding I go to, I undoubtedly take away something that will forever remind me of what that day was all about.  Music, food, venue, or other...something always sticks out to me where I can say "That was so and so's wedding!"  After seeing Matt work and being a part of this photo session, I can say that I'm certain I will never be a part, of or see better wedding pictures in my lifetime.  The experiences during Matt's shoot, from location to the overall fun we were having as a wedding party is unmatched.  The pictures I've already seen are fantastic and I can't wait to see the rest.   Matt's ability to capture the people, places and things that make up such a  special day are fantastic!  Keep up the great work!

 

Sincerely,

 

Stuart"

Every wedding I shoot, I put everything I've got in to making the best photos possible, and the biggest smile I can get is when that effort is recognized and appreciated. Thanks, Stuart, you really made my day!  :)  !!

Heather & Anthony's Wedding at the Basilica of the Sacred Heart, Notre Dame, IN

Perfect lighting combined with a very relaxed Bride & Groom crossed with a bridal party game for nearly anything makes for an incredibly happy photographer and for a huge stack of awesome photos. I'm ridiculously excited to get to work editing Heather & Anthony's wedding photos - things could not have gone better today, and it was the best day for playing with my Infrared camera I've had (literally) in years.

Thanks to the Van Hoegardens, Oberings, Heather, Anthony and all of your friends & families for making us a part of your wedding day!

Be sure to check out the teaser slideshow and to register for the full gallery!

Wedding Ceremony: Basilica of the Sacred Heart
Cake: Rascia's Creative Cakes
DJ: In-Tune DJ Service
Reception: Morris Park Country Club
Florist: Lilly Lane

Location Defeat Results In Creative Victory

The goal for the start of our eSession yesterday was to start at Buckingham fountain in Chicago - a goal that was defeated by the park being closed for Lalapalooza. 

We decided to hike up the road to Millennium park and ran across a couple of small, shady and very beautiful parks - both of which made me happy for the forced detour! Providence was certainly on our side yesterday - thanks Christine & Dan for being so flexible and enthusiastic for the alternate locations! I can't wait to get to work on editing your photos!

Now I'm re-focusing for Heather & Anthony's Friday wedding at Notre Dame. It seems our local heatwave may have finally broken and I'm stoked to get outside for some portraits later this afternoon!

Wedding Bookings In A Bunch

It's always a good feeling when I get a bunch of bookings over a couple of days. I'm really excited to be shooting Katie & Jack's wedding this November and Erin & Ben's wedding in July 2012 - Thanks for choosing Matthew Whitlock Photography!