Portrait Party

Over the weekend we held a Portrait Party at the studio to celebrate Mother's Day coming soon. What is a Portrait Party, you ask? It is a series of quick 15 minute sessions, with no session fee. It is a great way to see if you like how we work. We hold a couple of these a year so drop me an email if you are interested, diane@cmaxphoto.com.
Following are a few faves from the day:

The Haynes Family scheduled their appointments back to back which gave us a little extra time to work with everyone. We were able to do some quick shots of the individual families and then took them outside for a couple big group shots.
If you are interested in doing something like this with your family or a group of friends, you can host your own Portrait Party! You can have it at your home, or our studio. Call us for more information and to ask about hosting benefits.

Sara & Tavis are married!

Sara & Tavis were married last weekend in Bethalto at the Bethalto Church of God, with the reception being held at the Collinsville Gateway Center. One of the things I love about Sara and Tavis is how much they compliment each other, whether it be when they are making eachother smile, are kissing (which they do a lot!), or just plain goofing off together!
We had a great time at the wedding and look forward to seeing Sara and Tavis more in the future!
Following are a few faves from the day:

A few getting ready shots

The guys releasing a little tension

Jonathan, ring bearer and Tavis' son, was quite the handsome little man!

Tavis didn't look that bad in a tux either!

The beautiful Sara, simply glowing on her special day!

The girls showing their grace.

Sara and Tavis decided to see each other before the ceremony. It is always a beautiful moment when couples see each other for the first time on their big day and we love to be their and capture that special moment!

The church had a gorgeous stained glass window overlooking the congregation.

The dove release was amazing! I have to admit, this was the first wedding we did with a dove release.

Introducing the wedding party

A little private time for the new Mr & Mrs.

One of my favorite flower shots.

The awesome cake was provided by McArthur's Bakery.

Their first dance as newlyweds. We had the pleasure of working with one of our favorite DJ's, Lonnie, from STL DJ.One of the highlights at the reception was the photobooth. Sara and Tavis had the most fun, this would be one of those "goofing off" moments that they have an aweful lot!

And what would a party be without a little Karaoke?

A shout has to go aut to the team at Gebbs Total Video, who put together a great "Love Story" for Sara and Tavis, and did a great job videoing the day.

Sara and Tavis, thank you so much for letting us be a part of your special day!

Jaimee & Randy engagements

Last week Jaimee & Randy braved the wet weather for their engagement session. They get married this October in Jerseyville and we are looking forward to their wedding. We met Jaimee a few years ago when we did her sister's wedding.
Here are a few faves from their engagement session:

Jessica & Jason are married!

Jessica and Jason were married last Saturday in Decator, IL which is Jessica's home town. Even though it was unseasonable cold for April, they were real troopers. We really didn't let the cold, rain, and sleet bother us. The church, Central Christian Church, was absolutely gorgeous along with the bride!

Since Jessica and Jason opted to see each other before the ceremony it really made the day go smooth. We set Jason up at the alter and let Jessica walk up to him. It truely was one of the most romantic set ups we have seen.

I think one of the highlights for us was the '56 T-Bird that was the get-away car. This car belongs to Jason's mom and dad. They bought it when they were dating, and have totally restored it to pristine condition.

Following are a few faves from the day:

The beautiful bride!The perfume!

The hansome groom!When they saw each other for the first timeI absolutely love this shot!There is a whole series of these that really shows how madley in love Jessica and Jason are!This one is for Jason's parents!Congratulations Jessica & Jason! Thank you so much for letting us be a part of your special day!