Jeff and Laura - December 28, 2007

I spent 13 hours on the road yesterday driving back from a family ski vacation for Jeff and Laura's wedding. There was some really cool frost in eastern Montana that blanketed everything in white so car paint, old broken barns, and even people's yard junk seemed to jump out at the eye. wish I would have brought my camera but I was on vacation. :)

Here is some great stuff from Jeff and Laura's wedding: The way Laura's dress fell around her feet, "The Nielsen Files" best man roast/toast, the multiple mirror shot (above), The Metropolitan (great venue), shots in the snow (above), Jeff carrying Laura through the slush to get the shots in the snow, not a dry eye after Jeff's speech to Laura, the Selby cousins round of shots, and seeing the Gustavus gang again. What a great way to end this year's wedding season! Click here to see Jeff and Laura's pictures - the event key is Laura's maiden name. -Judd, Jessi and Troy

Here is Laura and Jeff's highlight video! If you want to see some really rare footage, I spontaneously do the moonwalk at the end of the highlight during Billie Jean...

Happy Holidays!

Who says you can't do an outdoor engagement shoot when it's 8 below? Since both Jay and Allison are skaters, we decided it would be fun to take engagement shots outside in December. So, I plowed an oval on the pond outside the studio, Jessi wore her mukluks and I wore my babushka hat and grew a beard just for the occasion. That's my "I'm cold and hot at the same time" face in the picture above.

Here is the inside spread of our Christmas card this year as well -- Happy Holidays from the Sathers!

Paul and Sara - October 27, 2007

What what a great night! Click here to see their pictures I love the Outing Lodge at Pine Point outside Stillwater; a perfectly quaint place for a small family wedding. The lodge was built in the 1850's and had some great charm, massive fireplace you could fit 5 stumps in, and candles and comfy couches everywhere. Both Paul and Sara have this amazing ability to make every person feel like they're the most important people in the world to them. I nicknamed the fantastic live band "The World's Most Expensive Babysitters" as they rapid-fired classic tunes with all the family kids dancing (about 12 of them), while the parents looked on admiringly. Some adults joined in later after a little "beer courage."

This was also my first "celebrity" wedding as Sara, Sadie, and Paige got some face time in Newsweek recently for Sara's Camp Odayin for kids with heart disease - I think Paul was taking the picture - right Paul? Pics are password protected so Sara can weed out the ones with all the funny faces she made throughout the night; no album design on this one so I'll have them up in a couple weeks. This wedding ended a "30 weddings in 22 weeks" run for me, so I'm going to go re-introduce myself to my wife and 3 boys in November. Remember me kids? How did you guys get so big? :) -Judd

Chad and Anne - October 20, 2007

Off to Montana in the fall! Click here to view their pictures!
Here is their video highlights - part 1:

And part 2 complete with 99-year-old Grandpa Hardy dancing with Anne - sweet moves!

Awards: "Most unique sunset" - check out the top shot with the wall of clouds that barely lit up - never seen one like that. Anne, Chad and I ran up the ditch on the side of the road to get this shot just in time before it went down.
"Cutest flower girl (my niece) and ring bearer (my son)" - biased award there - see lower left shot on the collage above
and "Greatest place to see each other for the first time" - on the dock over the trout pond of the fly fishing lodge where Chad is a fishing guide; mountains in the background, autumn reflections in the water, and Anne wearing her mom's dress - Judy was a mess watching that. :)
Random unique memories: Anne's dance with 99-years-young grandpa Hardy (above left), Chad's severely sprained ankle working out the day before the wedding, great farmer's market flowers, Viig the biermeister making a 400' extension cord for the sound system 5 minutes before the ceremony, Paul's cross, cold guitar-playing fingers, crazy 1960's dusty bus (complete with dog bed for Cowboy the dog) taking 30 of us from the lodge to the reception, Boss Emily the PA, great live band, and tons of fun. Love these family weddings, it was great to get some really unique backgrounds in Montana!

Is that a heart-shaped opening in the leaves in the upper right shot on the collage? -Judd and Melissa

Wedding Fair $250 special coupon!

Wow we saw a ton of people at our booth Sunday at the wedding fair - lots of couples loved the bigger 12x12 Italian albums and engagement picture guestbook. My back is sore from hauling all of our albums and TVs in and out of the studio... I'm hiring a Sherpa next time.

Since this blog has all the important information from each wedding, we've decided to extend a $250 coupon on the blog only. If you book with us before November 10 with a $750 deposit, and mention code "07NovBlog250" you will receive $250 any photo or video package or $500 off any photo and video combo package. This coupon is only published right here on the blog. E-mail me if you want some testimonials or FAQ's e-mailed to you, or are interested in seeing other locations we have shot other than the ones below.

Here are some sample albums for you...
Matt & Lisa (Northwestern/Edinburgh - Diamond unlimited time package), Wade & Brandi (Carlson Towers - 10 hour Platinum package), Eric & Amber (University Club - 7 hour Gold package)

Our demo video for 2008!


Main website: www.studiojphoto.com
We look forward to possibly working with you! -Judd

Dave and Tia - October 6, 2007

Click here to see the pictures from Dave and Tia's Wedding! Where do I start on this one? "Most unique wedding site?" Dave and Rocky had been working for 6 months on the family farm to get it in "wedding shape" as Dave put it. We had Hercules the leashed-up pet pig, Norm the female dog (that's her in the picture above), chicken coup, pole barn turned reception hall, pig roast, sauna house, upside down fire sprinkler for a pond fountain, homemade wine (amazing), brilliant fall colors, and 80+ degree temps in October which all added up to a very surreal and fun day.

Amanda and Jessi took the lead on this one so it was fun to enjoy the day with many friends. No album design on this one, so take a peek at the 1154 images with the link above! Have fun in Scotland you guys! Jealous. -Amanda, Jessi, and Judd

Pat Holmes Benefit Dinner

I was honored to have been asked to take a few snapshots of the Pat Holmes benefit dinner, honoring an incredible baseball and family man who was tragically killed on the 35W bride collapse August 1. I played against him for years in the amateur baseball circuit and his life and family are similar to mine. There was an AMAZING outpouring of time, kindness, and love for his wife and two young children - the silent auction items were top-notch and raised an unbelievable amount of money for his family. The picture on the "memory board" of his young son throwing out the first pitch at the St. Paul Saints game shortly after the tragedy kind of tore my heart out.
Click here to see the pictures.

Josh and Lindsey - September 29, 2007

Click here to see their Italian Storybook Album!

Lindsey gets the "most agile bride" award for moving up and down steps quickly, spinning around, and basically acting like it was a breeze moving around in her dress all day. She had a few tears, starting with the moment her veil was placed on her head. There were great brown colors with the bridesmaids' dresses and the mens' tuxes.

One of my favorite moments of the season was Josh "flushing" the geese away from Keller Park (picture above) - great spontaneous moment after a little prodding from the groomsmen. I also like the groomsman shot in front of the "decrepit shed." Check back here in 2-3 weeks for their Italian album design! -Judd, Amanda, and Jessi

Dusty and Jessie - September 15, 2007

Click here to view Dusty and Jessie's Storybook Album!
Dusty had his signature massive smile all day today; Jessie looked stunning as Andy complimented in the best man's speech (best of the year), and the bridesmaids' red dresses were eye-catching as well. Jenny, your speech was fantastic as well - good thing we had extra tape so you could finish it near the end of the night!
All natural blonde haired / blue-eyed bridesmaids and all the groomsmen with baseball connections to me made for a very interesting and fun wedding - especially the stop at the Spoon Cherry Sculpture Garden where the geese almost targeted Lundy's head as they flew over (picture above). Dusty and Jessie were also the first couple to sport the first ever Studio J Italian album guest book which went over very well. It will be a lot of fun going through these pictures, check back here to see their Storybook album in a 2-3 weeks and their highlight video on Youtube.
I was sad not to see Mr. Lundy's yellow Hawaiian shirt (maybe he finally retired it), but he didn't disappoint with a classy black number. I went away happy because Sean the DJ played Billie Jean (nice dancing, daddy Bart) AND Gear Daddies, but Dusty - where was the tap and jazz show from the past childhood lessons best man Andy spoke about? -Judd, Jessie, Joe, Josh

Dusty and Jessie's Highlight Video - part 1...

And part 2...

2008 Demo video

Since our video computer was totally full last week, we decided to make a 7-minute demo video of the weddings we currently had captured. Special thanks to Aaron and Ellie, Matt and Lisa, Jason and Heather, Ben and Melody, Scott and Heidi, and Eric and Amber for the use of footage from their weddings for this demo piece. Check out the lightning at the end! Cool stuff.

Steve and Terri - September 8, 2007

Click here to watch Steven and Terri's Italian Storybook album!
What a great day in Bloomington for Steve and Terri's wedding - a little cool, 2 minutes of rain, and sunshine. It was a beautiful service with a memory candle lighting for the loved ones that had passed on as well as meaningful readings, plus a surprise vocal performance from Terri signing "From This Moment On" to Steven. I love the close-up overhead shot of the rings in the bouquet above.

The reception was lively with some old-school dance moves - The DJ played Billy Jean which is now my favorite wedding song. It's always good to play later when nobody listens to the lyrics. A couple highlights included father of the bride Coach Gary making all the men go down on one knee and sing "You Are So Beautiful" to their women, and the men serenading Terri with "You've Lost That Lovin' feeling" before the garter removal. Terri gets the "most unique bustle" award for the over-the-shoulder bustle of a very elegant dress and Steve gets the "I wish I had a husband like that" award for making all men look inferior for admitting (after being prompted) that he had once made a candlelight dinner for Terri - he's a keeper! Maybe I just need to make more candlelight dinners... -Judd and Jessi

Jacob and Lacey - Sept 2, 2007

Click here to see their Italian Storybook Album!
What a fun wedding party! Rachel (personal attendant) wins the "most ingenious personal attendant award" for her tool belt full of personal items Lacey (or anyone else for that matter) could possibly need. Unfortunately, there were apparently some items in there that were against Lost Spur policy so she had to finally part with it later in the evening.

Click below to watch their Highlight video on Youtube!

We got some fun action shots on the the 6th hole with the wedding party (good wheels, Rachel!) and even did a short film of Lacey driving a ball off a tee in Jake's mouth - the guy has trust. For the record, on a tee shot Lacey knocked it on the green and Jacob, well he nailed the trees on the right of the short fairway.

Great music as well by the 'no smiling with teeth' Tyler (groomsman) and his band. There were countless people who had massive smiles on their faces the entire day - Jacob looked like the happiest guy alive, and as Issac mentioned in his speech... "for the first time I saw Jake speechless." That was after he said "everything went off today without a hitch, except for Jake and Lacey though." YouTube video will be up in a few weeks. -Judd, Amanda, Joe, and Sherri

Christopher and Sabrina - Sept 1, 2007

Click here to see the pictures from their reception.

Click here to watch their highlight video!

What an elegant day... from Sabrina's dress to beautiful St. Michael's church to the White Bear Yacht Club and live band, this wedding was first class. Funniest moment of the day (besides Alison's "I love my sister so much" toast), was Sabrina sending her chair flying during the ceremony when she stood up. It rolled down a few steps before Christopher came to the rescue. Speaking of Christopher, he gets the "best singing groom" of the year award for his participation in the ceremony; I got to hear every word through our microphone (we just did videography today).

It was great when Sabrina was dancing with her dad and she said "I feel like I'm in someone else's wedding." I have to mention Kelly, the cowbell player, she rocked the house. Twice. Everybody needed more cowbell.

We took some late night dancing pictures and video after the photographer left so I'll post them here when they are ready. Their YouTube highlight video will be here as well in October and you'll see a couple of bridesmaids knock heads on the way out of the Escalade limo before the ceremony. :) Have a great time in Austria you guys! Jealous. -Judd and Joe

John and Amanda - August 18, 2007

View their Storybook Album here; click the shopping cart icon to view and order all prints.
RAIN... A sign of wealth and/or prosperity, or just a story to make couples feel better about rain on their wedding day? We'll check back with John and Amanda in 10-20 years to find out. Amanda gets the "best bride attitude" for her "sass" (as she and Christina called it) in dealing with medium-heavy rain including jumping in and out of the tent to take bridesmaid shots, etc. But when you realize that she waited 22 months for John to come back from Iraq, I guess a little rain kind of pales in comparison.

John and the best man (Jon) were platoon leaders in the Red Bull Company that got extended from 18 to 22 months - the longest deployment on record I believe. I loved hearing during Jon's toast how those two would bring up the old days in high school (Chaska) or "their girls" out on the battlefield to have a dose of home. It was great to see Jon and Christina (matron of honor) together again after I shot their wedding a couple years ago - she has only seen him for a few months since their wedding!

When bridemaid Colleen caught the bouquet, she was ECSTATIC. Never seen that before - dancing, jumping, and perma-grin for at least the next 5 dance songs. This was a very fun wedding and it seemed like the rain didn't even matter. Where else but in Minnesota can you be uncomfortably sweltering hot one week and see your breath under a tent in the rain the next (I saw mine yesterday). As Amanda said, "Let's take the shots out in the rain, I'm not going to melt." Good sass. -Judd, Jessi, Joe and Sherri

Their highlight video:

Adam and Sarah - August 17, 2007

Click here to view their Italian Storybook wedding album!
OK, Adam and Sarah's wedding gets the "Aw, that's cute" story of the year shared by maid of honor, Michelle (Sarah's sister): in their early twenties (post-college now), Michelle shared a hotel room with Adam and Sarah on a family trip and BOTH Adam and Sarah brought with them their childhood sleep-aids. Sarah brought her "blankie" and Adam his "woobie" which was a small pillow. That's how Michelle knew it was meant to be...

What a gorgeous wedding day - cool and overcast for their outdoor wedding at the Plymouth Creek center, perfect for photography! Sarah looked so elegant in her dress and Adam was the life of the party. Check out the super cool late-evening sky in the shot above and the "running across the labyrinth" one as well - good thing nobody got lost in the maze. Adam had a great line after dinner noting their "21st Century family: mom, mom, mom, mom, dad, dad, dad, dad" referring to divorces and re-marriages on both sides of the families - and everyone gets along! Sarah's mom said they all had a "meet the parents" party to all get to know each other and break the ice - great idea! There were some great dancers at this wedding too - Michael Jackson's "Beat It" doesn't get played enough at weddings. Check back here in about 2 weeks for Adam and Sarah's Italian album design; sign up for a free picture while you're here (link above). -Judd and Amanda

Ben and Melody - August 11, 2007

Click here to view Ben and Melody's Italian Coffee Table Album - the shopping cart icon will work once Ben and Melody have viewed and released all the individual pictures.

Their YouTube highlight video!

Reception!


Note to self: August outdoor wedding + 95 degrees + wearing all black = discomfort. I was considering the profession of painting (wearing all white) after about 20 minutes in that sun yesterday. Throw on a warm, chocking wet blanket of humidity or a 30 lb wedding dress (not me, but Melody) and you are good to go! It was a good thing the ceremony was concise - cool colors on the unity sand I might add in the beautiful backyard of the Botnen's on the Hastings Country Club golf course.

Ben and Melody's wedding was sandwiched between thunderstorms: the downpour that ended about 5am (which made Barb, Connie, and Melody a little nervous) and a surreal long-lasting lightning storm with a bit of rain that broke the humidity and dropped the temperature by about 20 degrees. That late-night lightning was a very cool backdrop to their Growing Up video and end-of-the night interview. Favorite moments: Carly and Josh's heartfelt speeches, Jackie's keen 'beverage cart' hospitality and knowledge of the Hastings Golf Course, and Scott the DJ setting off the fire alarms with the fog machine. During Josh's speech he said that he "lived with his brother's wife for a year" which was probably the funniest moment of the summer - brought the house down. But by far my favorite moment (and the award winner for this wedding): "Best robot dance by the bride" which goes to Melody for busting out the classic dance, hands down. -Judd, Jessi, Joe, Josh

Jon and Megan - August 5, 2007

Click here to view Jon and Megan's Italian Album - the shopping cart icon will work once Jon and Megan have had a chance to view all the pictures. Their YouTube highlight video will be online in a few weeks.
Here's their highlight video!

Wedding #5 in a 9-day stretch... here I come, Wisconsin! Hopefully they sell Mountain Dew along the way somewhere. :) As the Studio J Tuscon bulleted through the early morning mist and rain, I was reminded that Joe the video guy set my GPS last night to a pleasant British accent that now said "Turn left in 447 miles" and "Recalculating" about 12 times in the McDonald's drive through - so I shut her off.

5 hours later... To lower my blood sugar from my Snickers/Egg McMuffin/Mountain Dew/crappy coffee breakfast, I stopped just outside Elkhorn, Wisconsin at a quaint little ice cream shop and ordered a cholesterol cheeseburger and strawberry slush since I was still yawning at noon. Around the corner was the isolated country church when Jon and Megan were getting married. There were these really cool, tall windows in the older church for pictures of Megan and Jon and the bridesmaids (see shot above). A funny moment at Lake Geneva after the ceremony was when Megan was paged by her friends to "report to the office" during the dock picture above.

The reception was at the gorgeous Hawk's Nest golf course - I saw a picture of Tiger Woods golfing there in 1999 with glasses on! Ever wonder why Wisconsin and Minnesota have such a high number of golf courses per capita when we are inside for so much of the year? Me too. Anyway, a great and fun wedding that wins the "best man speech of the year award" for Peter's amusing ramblings "amongst the people" while he walked around the tables thanking his parents for raising "moderately responsible" young men - good stuff. Thier video on YouTube will be posted here in about 4 weeks. -Judd

Aaron and Ellie - August 4, 2007

Click here to view Aaron and Ellie's Italian Album design!
Highlight Video Part 1!

Part 2...reception fun!

"Most animated dinner" award goes to Aaron and Ellie's wedding - it will probably go down as the dinner with the most entertainment in my career - ever. Russ the DJ had people dressing up as hula dancers, Mexican hat dancers, the Rockettes, and WWE champions - and that was just during DINNER!

What a beautiful day, I actually felt comfortable wearing a long sleeved shirt; and the bridal party was exceptionally fun. We got the best outdoor shots ever for a rainy day! Special thanks to Allison and Alyssa for playing videographer and umbrella carrier for those shots. :)

A couple interesting parts of the day: 1) My childhood dentist, Dr. Phelps, was there from Spencer, Iowa (I still have 7 of his fillings in my mouth) and 2) We got Aaron the ringbearer to finally smile by all saying the name of his dog "Charlie." So, when I wanted Ellie's mom to smile bigger I asked her the name of her dog and unfortunately, they had just put their family dog to sleep a few days before... Oops. Foot-in-mouth syndrome. -Judd, Joe, Josh, and Amanda

Richie and Jessica - August 3, 2007

Richie and Jessica's highlight video on YouTube - part 1.

Part 2...

Scott and Heidi - July 28, 2007

Click here to watch Scott and Heidi's online Italian Coffee Table Album - the shopping cart icon (for proofing and/or ordering all prints) will work once Scott and Heidi have had a chance to look at all the pictures.

< Here's their holiday greeting card from last year! :)


I love the shot of Heidi spinning in her dress above! Scott and Heidi's wedding gets the "Best Limo Party" award despite the fact Father Time was a little touchy on the brakes and the karaoke machine was off limits. What a fun bunch! First time I have ever been peer-pressured into tasting "Swamp Water" out of a Gatorade jug. Did you get a shot of that one, Becky?

The humidity had broken for Scott and Heidi and it turned out to be a really fun day - with a full moon as well! I loved the color of Heidi's dress and the vertical jump she got in it at the park stop near their house (see picture above).

From the beauty of St. Ambrose to the fun at the reception, we got some really unique and energetic shots, including a couple of the Groomsmen getting up and faking a kiss when the table bells went off. And Danielle grabbing our video guy Josh for a spin around the dance floor; I'm sure the dance is still going strong as I type this at 10:30! -Judd, Chris, Joe, and Josh

I'll also put their highlight video on YouTube here as well once it is complete.

Eric and Amber - July 27, 2007

Click here to view Eric and Amber's Italian Coffee Table Album - the shopping cart icon will work once they have had a chance to review all of the pictures.
Here is their highlight video!

Eric and Amber's wedding wins the "earliest bride ready to go" award. Usually we show up and shoot some creative "getting ready" pictures for 30 minutes or so and then have couples see each other. But today, we took some pictures of the outside of the building and walked up to the third floor of the University Club and there was Amber dressed and ready to see Eric 35 minutes early. So, we unpacked everything quickly and got some great photos and video right off the bat.

A brisk walk in the summer sun to the Hill Library and Rice Park yielded some great outdoor pictures as well. You guys are a fun couple - witty and laid back enough to roll with the DJ playing the wrong first song. :) My favorite moments were a groomsmen roasting Eric for faking a broken leg one time to get out of work and Eric saying at the end of the night video interview that this was one of the "Top 10" weddings he had ever been to. Enjoy your honeymoon and we'll have your album designed and up in a week or two. -Judd, Amanda, Joe, and Josh

Funny side story tonight for you blog followers is I found my hotel key from the Chanute, Kansas wedding (see June 30 (Craig and Tara) and July 14 (Ben and Kate) to get caught up on the story) in my photo bag tonight and dropped them in the mailbox. Hope they hadn't changed the locks yet...

Kedar and Lindsay - July 21, 2007

Digital Coffee Table Album link - click on the shopping cart once Kedar and Lindsay have released all the pictures - free doubles until August 26!
So my day starts off at 12:15 in the early morning at the Seattle Airport. This guy in front of me at the Northwest ticket counter couldn't figure out why he couldn't check into the computer for his flight. The lady at the desk was trying to explain to him that the day changed from the 20th to the 21st 15 minutes ago and that his flight was at 12:55 the previous morning. The guy was confused (as he drove to the airport on the 20th), so keep that in mind next time you book a close-to-midnight flight. Good thing my wife is my travel agent. Did you know that exit row seats don't always lean back? Put that in your memory bank also as it is miserable trying to sleep in an upright position even though you have plenty of leg room.

So, I get back to my house at 8am, grab about 3 hours of sleep and head to Burnsville for Kedar and Lindsay's wedding. It wasn't too hot and there was a nice breeze as well. I am kind of tall but felt small around the bridesmaids as they are all like All-American athletes in hockey, field hockey, volleyball and basketball so this wedding wins the "tallest, most athletic bridesmaids" award.

Some unique shots were Lindsay dipping & kissing Kedar (above) and Lindsay flexing her formidable biceps. My favorite part of the day (besides Kedar's brother's wife Martha trying to talk me into having a 4th child) was seeing the potato in various shots of Kedar in the Growing Up video at the reception - what was up with that? Somebody leave a comment, I know it's a long story.

Due to lack of sleep, I forgot the table cards with our website on it so go to www.studiojphoto.com and... ...wait, you're already here! -Judd and Jessi

Vacation!

Click here to see the rest of the pictures (some taken by my 3-year old after arranging everyone how he wanted).
Check out the size of that fish! I had to hike 3 hours uphill to get to Holden Lake in the Wenatchee Wilderness of Washington State but the views (and pictures) were well worth it - we were surrounded by glaciers, mountains, and waterfalls in 70 degree weather. I think I caught 7 fish on my first 10 casts. Photo tip: hold the fish with your arm extended towards the camera to make it look bigger (demonstrated in the picture). DO NOT put your fingers around the fish as then you give away its real puny size (also demonstrated above).

My extended family decided to spend a week in remote Holden Village without cell phones, TV, red meat, and pretty much every modern convenience including automatic pin setting machines in the bowling alley. Hikes, fishing, time with kids, pottery, reading, conversation, hot tubs, pool, and bowling filled the days instead.

It was a great break but funny timing since it was in an "10 weddings in 4 weeks" time frame. Do you know like 50% of Americans don't take the vacation they are entitled to? Probably since you don't want your employers to find out their company runs just fine while you were gone; probably because you spend most of your day online reading other people's blogs. :) So, I have a solution: drag your feet on work for two weeks before your scheduled vacation, then have a bunch of friends call your "if this matter needs immediate attention" colleague over and over so the perception is that you are invaluable to the company and therefore need more vacation time. Try it and let me know what happens. -Judd

Ben and Kate - July 14, 2007

Click here to see Ben and Kate's Digital Italian Coffee Table Album! click on the shopping cart to see all the pictures once Ben and Kate have had a chance to view them all.

OK, here's a "small world" story if you ever heard one: Ben's family (The Babcocks) are from Chanute, Kansas (see blog for Craig and Tara's Wedding June 30). Unreal...

What a great wedding! When Ben and Kate first saw each other outside the church it was one of the most genuine first meetings I have had the pleasure to photograph. Except for the Pawn America sign in the background of course which I captured as well (on purpose). Regardless, Ben and Kate just radiated with adoration toward each other and lit up as soon as they were finally together on the wedding day.

The ceremony was great, even though Ben had microphone problems all day it seemed. :) We got a couple REALLY great shots of them walking out of the church under a shower of bubbles (see above).

Shady Thompson park yielded some really great wedding party shots on a gorgeous day; finally a summer wedding with great weather! The St. Paul Hotel was decorated beautifully and the bathrooms had some unique ice placement (right cousins at table 5?). This wedding wins the "Best Vows" award for the heartfelt, memorized, and 'not by the book' verses Kate and Ben spoke to each other - Uncle Roger, you got that on video, right?

Check back here in late July for their online album, I'm going on vacation for a few days! -Judd and Jessi

Joe and Nikki - July 14, 2007

Click here to view their online Coffee Table Album and click on the shopping cart to view and /or order all the photos once Joe and Nikki have had a chance to view them. Free doubles on all orders placed before Aug 25!

Amanda and Chris shot wedding #3 of the day - Joe and Nikki. It was great to see a young North High contigent (Anna, Alec, Laura and Brady, and Alec) as well as a Studio J photographer as a guest (Chad holding the flowers).

It looked like a really great day with lots of fun pictures like the groomsmen hanging from a tree. Nice catch on the garter, Brad - I always told Coach Porter you should have been an outfielder! -Judd

Jason and Heather - July 14, 2007

Heather and Jason's Wedding Highlights - part 1

Part 2 (reception)

So Jessi and I leave Ben and Kate's wedding to try to catch an hour or so of Jason and Heather's wedding that Joe and Josh videotaped and had a classic case of GPS gone awry... instead of going to Mississippi BLVD, we went to Mississippi Dunes golf course (Hastings / St Paul, pretty much the same right? Not quite. You should have seen the confused look on the bride's face there seeing two photographers walk in a 10pm. We did eventually get there and were greeted by 1/2 the cast of the "Secret Lives of Teachers" as they were leaving the wedding (see blog for April, 2007). Ms. Destics' shoulder was sore from driving her truck all weekend, apparently. They must have had some secret stuff to do leaving at 10:30 on a non-school summer night.

I grabbed a couple of shots for Jason and Heather's DVD artwork (above) and headed home thinking I haven't seen Heather that happy since she got her Q-comp check ;) (teacher joke). These guys win the "best dance moves by a couple" award for the 'hook, line, and sinker' fishing move from across the dance floor. Very appropriate. -Joe, Josh, Jessi, and Judd (full Studio "J" crew)

Craig and Tara - June 30, 2007

Craig and Tara's Italian Album - Click the shopping cart to see all the pictures; free doubles through early August on all online orders!
Click below to watch their video - resolution is low for faster streaming!

Have you wondered why we haven't had any rain in Minnesota? It's ALL in Kansas - 15 inches in the 3 days we were there, helping the river 33.5 feet over normal levels and closing roads (check out the picture above - there's not supposed to be a waterfall there at all!)

Where do I begin? As we're driving into the BOONDOCKS of Chanute, Kansas for this family wedding, I noticed a sign that said "birthplace of Walter Johnson" and I'm wondering "Who the heck is Walter Johnson?" Turns out he was one of the best baseball pitchers ever that played - his career ended in the early 1900's and the sign looked that old... So we make it into town past the "Bargain Center" where "no credit is needed" and I'm wondering "If things are such a bargain why would you need credit?" Then when I entered my hotel (Wild Bill Hickcock hotel room) and saw the carpeted BATHROOMS, I stopped wondering about things in Chanute as my brain had started hurting.

Some unique shots at this wedding was one of the wedding party while standing on the rail of the bridge, the amazing 6-level cake Tara's grandma made, and a picture of Craig and Tara while I was actually singing with the family during the ceremony.

It was raining (again) after the short reception so we went back to the Tioga Suites and wound up finally finding a slow song by George Strait so Craig and Tara could have their first dance. In Kansas, they play BOTH kinds of music, Country AND Western - and the DJ's sure weren't used to wedding dances in the hotel bar. The evening ended with the family checking which roads were flooded and closed online - there was only way out of town (the opposite direction we needed to go) but it looked like we could get back to Kansas City Int'l the next day. But wait! One last surprise, a 1am tour of the hotel brewery from the Brewmeister who had just returned from a party. She was also kind enough to show us her 7 new pug puppies - 10 hours old; my camera was unfortunately asleep by then. The MOST UNIQUE WEDDING award goes to Craig and Tara's, hands down. -Judd

Brad and Kelleigh - June 16, 2007

Their highlight video!

Another sunny (hot) June wedding! Brad and Kelleigh met in class at St. Thomas - right next to the arch they are walking through in the picture above. This wedding wins the "most creative table decorations" award with flowery, handmade European structures made by Kelleigh's mom (Brad and Kelleigh got to know each other on a European trip in college). The wedding party took a brief (60 minute) break during the reception to "decorate" Brad and Kelleigh's hotel room - I wonder how it looked... Somebody follow up with me on how Brad decorates your rooms on your wedding days!

I think I'm going to start posting highlght videos here on the blog through YouTube so check back here in a few weeks after Brad and Kelleigh have had a chance to view their highlight video. -Judd and Josh

Marshall and Megan - June 15, 2007

Click here to see all their pictures! FREE DOUBLES on all orders until July 10!)
A warm day cooled off nicely for a great evening at Dellwood Hills. This wedding wins the award for most colorful flowers - great blues and purples mixed in!

Marshall was very diligent with the lint roller for the groomsmen to start the day, but about halfway through the dance that seemed to be the least of the groomsmen worries... We took some great big group shots of those crazy Madison and Tartan contigents (Nice fight song singing.) Dellwood Hills was decorated beautifully for this young, fun wedding! - Judd and Joe