Jen Groetzinger

Megan + Dan : Married!

JenG — Mon, 21 Jul 2014 01:56:06 +0000

Megan and Dan were married on a sunny Saturday – June 14, 2014. I usually find myself reminding couples to take a moment to enjoy their wedding day – to really be there – and forget all of the planning and to-do lists, all of the dreaming and scheming that went into getting to that day. With these two, I might have mentioned it to them at the engagement shoot, but they certainly didn’t need reminding. This day was about them through and through and they were ever-present.

Now, I’ve been lucky enough to have worked with very relaxed and laid-back couples and Megan and Dan definitely fit the bill. Admittedly, I probably should have been a little worried when Megan sent me spreadsheets of schedules and family photo lists but I’m a list-maker (anybody who has gone on any sort of trip with us can attest to this) so it didn’t scare me one bit. After getting to know them at the engagement shoot, I just knew that this was going to be a beautiful and relaxed day (even if Dan and the groomsmen would go to the wrong location or the same park 3 times in one day). Long story short – below is the wedding story of a toms wearing, dress-kicking, gorgeous bride with a smile that lights up a room and her handsome, laid-back and loving groom and I couldn’t be more excited to share it with you!

Megan + Dan: We so loved being a part of your day. Thank you for trusting us to capture these moments and being SO patient as I finished those few weeks of class before getting these to you!

Special thanks to our friends over at Lovely Ember Photography for sending Megan and Dan our way!

Enjoy!

Winnie and her Codie

JenG — Wed, 18 Jun 2014 23:15:14 +0000

So one of my very best friends, Codie, just got THE cutest little black lab I’ve ever seen. Her name is Winniesconsin (Winnie for short) and the timing of her going home with Codie couldn’t have been more perfect! I was in Madison to pick Jeff up, it was Codie’s last weekend in Madison (before she moves to Tennessee) and I just so happened to have my camera with me as I was photographing Megan and Dan‘s wedding the next day.

Winnie really is the cutest – she’s a sweet, spunky pup and she already has her Codie wrapped around her paw (she’s working on the cats… they aren’t so keen just yet).

Hope you like these Codie! I’m going to miss seeing you when we’re in Madison but I just know you’ll love being close to family again. Your moving just gives us all the more reason to check out that part of the country on one of our road trips! We wish you the best of luck with raising this tiny pup and making a new city your home as you start this next chapter of your life.

Enjoy!

Megan + Dan : Engaged!

JenG — Fri, 23 May 2014 01:28:03 +0000

As most of you know, I’ve sort of taken a leave of absence from the photo world as I’m currently working my way through nursing school. So, when Megan contacted me in February as things with school started to heat up, I was going back and forth on whether or not I felt I could devote the necessary time and energy to doing engagement and wedding photos – I wanted to make sure I could deliver what they deserve. Luckily, things just sort of worked out to where I’d have a bit of time off for both and boy am I glad it did! I hadn’t realized how much I missed this…

With that said, I had an awesome time with Megan and Dan, wandering through the woods and around Beckman Mill Park for a while. As a good friend once told me, you can spot love in the eyes and holy smokes are you about to see it. These two are incredibly photogenic (you’ll see), ridiculously happy and absolutely wonderful to be around. I can’t wait to photograph their wedding in June!

Megan and Dan – I had a wonderful morning wandering around with the two of you. Thanks for reminding me why I love this job so much. See you in a few weeks!

Enjoy!

Hannah + Kevin : Married!

JenG — Sun, 12 Jan 2014 01:30:54 +0000

Hannah and Kevin were married on the cold and blustery afternoon of January 3rd. Their ceremony was held in a tiny enclosed courtyard at Trocadero in Milwaukee. The intimate, short and sweet ceremony was simply perfect and was followed up by one of the most laid back and comfortable receptions we’ve seen to date at Cafe Hollander. While I don’t know Hannah and Kevin all that well, I do know that their day was so perfectly them. It was wonderful to get to know them that much better through how they expressed and celebrated their love for each other.

Hannah and Kevin – thank you so very much for letting us play fly-on-the-wall and for trusting us with your beautiful day. We had a great time celebrating with you guys and wish you all the best!

Enjoy!

Steve + Ellen : Married!

JenG — Thu, 05 Dec 2013 16:21:49 +0000

Woo hoo! I’m so glad to finally be able to share these photos with you. When I get to the blogging stage, sometimes it feels like I’m able to finally spill the beans and share a secret that I’ve had to keep for weeks.

Since I shared a bit about these two with their engagement photos, I’ll try to keep this intro short and sweet.

Steve and Ellen were married on November 9th, a chilly but gorgeous fall day, in Kenosha, WI. Their wedding was full of beautiful and thoughtful details: all of the dresses were second-hand (I believe Ellen’s dress was around $20 from goodwill!), the bouquets and boutonnieres were handmade by one of Ellen’s sisters and they specifically sought out a non-profit organization for the ceremony site. I so loved every aspect because all of it was just perfectly Steve and Ellen – down to the preserved REAL leaves that lined the aisle (Okay, maybe that detail is tipped a little more towards Ellen ;)).

Steve and Ellen, we love you guys and we couldn’t have been more excited and happy to have shared such a beautiful and momentous day with you. Thanks for the trust, the love, and the quiet, warming moments stolen in an obscure coffee shop.

Enjoy!

Stephanie + Michael : Married!

JenG — Fri, 07 Jun 2013 19:05:13 +0000

Stephanie and Micheal were married on May 11th on a sometimes sunny, sometimes rainy sort of day in Racine, Wisconsin.

Vows were exchanged, new rings given homes, a kiss and a big cheer. Rain drops were dodged, small, quiet moments stolen, giggles, tears, hugs and hand shakes. A feast was had, cake was smashed, singing, dancing, and loving embraces. With Steph’s gorgeous princess dress, her brother home on leave, Mike’s ruggedly handsome looks and so many of their amazing friends and family – the day was nothing short of perfect.

Steph and Mike – thank you so very much for trusting us with such a special day in your lives! We had a fantastic time with you, your friends and family. Best wishes to the both of you!

Enjoy!

Stephanie + Michael : Engaged!

JenG — Mon, 06 May 2013 15:31:37 +0000

Oh I’m excited to share these! Steph and I have been tossing emails back and forth for a few months now working out the details for their wedding. In and among it all, would you believe she told me she’s not photogenic?

Anyhow – I won’t write much here as we’re shooting their wedding this Saturday so you’ll be seeing more of this adorable couple soon!

Steph & Mike – Thanks for the great knock-knock jokes, humoring my awkwardness and trekking through the muck with me! I had a blast hanging out last week – can’t wait for your wedding this weekend! And seriously Steph, not photogenic? PSH.

Enjoy :)

Maggie + Nate : Married!

JenG — Mon, 29 Apr 2013 12:32:00 +0000

Maggie and Nate were married on a cold and blustery April 13th in a beautiful home in Lockport, IL. From the second I put my camera into the trunk and we drove away from their wedding, I was wondering what I’d write here. Would I talk about how they had been dating since high school? How they had planned to get married at city hall but instead ended up planning their entire ceremony and reception within two weeks (dress and all!)? Would I tell you about how the snow derailed their outdoor ceremony plans and how we all found ourselves crammed inside Maggie’s parents’ home — about how very perfect and cozy it was? Would I talk about how Jeff and I felt like we just fit in, how we felt like we somehow knew this beautiful family for years but had only just met most of them? While it was all true – none of it felt quite right for the photos you’re about to see.

Instead, I want to tell you how emotional this wedding was. I’ve never had so many tears well up while photographing and editing. If you’ve watched me shoot a wedding before, I’m sure you’ve noticed I do get a bit teary during two specific spots – the announcement of the couple at the conclusion of the ceremony and the father-daughter dance. This time was certainly no exception. I know with most of my weddings, I talk about how full of love each celebration is… but this. this was more. I still get chills. I still get the lump in my throat. I still get so very excited and I can’t explain why. All I can tell you is that Maggie and Nate are so very loved by each other, by their friends, by their family – it’s in their eyes, their smiles, their tears. You’ll see…

Maggie & Nate — Thank you so very much for including me on your beautiful day. Thank you for trusting me with such special moments, for meandering hallways, leaping fences and trudging through mud.

We had a blast and couldn’t be happier for the two of you!

Enjoy!

Steve + Ellen : Engaged!

JenG — Wed, 13 Feb 2013 20:11:55 +0000

As far as I’m concerned, Steve and Ellen have always been Steve and Ellen. No really, they’ve been together pretty much as long as I’ve known them. They’ve been together since I sat next to Steve in our econ. class. They’ve been together since I worked with Ellen behind the stage for the Sound of Music. They were together when Jeff and Steve moved out to Platteville for school, when we all came home for Christmas and celebrated Steve’s birthday playing sardines and hide and seek in his basement. They stayed together when Steve went to Florida for work, when Ellen started her first job out of college and when she moved to Madison. Steve and Ellen were together when Jeff and I celebrated our own wedding, when Steve moved back to Wisconsin and when they got their first apartment together. And what do you know it – they’re together now. See, they’re just something that is and always has been. They’re Steve and Ellen. And now they’re engaged and it couldn’t be more perfect.

I’m so so so very excited to share these photos with you! We were worried this wacky winter was going to give us a mucky brown day. Though, we certainly lucked out because it snowed a ton the night before we made the trek up to Madison where we wandered around the Arboretum and played in the snow for a couple of hours, visited for a while and went for some darn tasty burgers. Perfect day :)

Thanks Steve and Ellen for wandering and climbing and sneaking and freezing. Thanks for the wonderful afternoon and thanks for making my job such a blast! We can’t wait to celebrate with you two in November!

Enjoy :)

Libby + Dan : Married!

JenG — Sat, 29 Sep 2012 00:34:58 +0000

I feel like I’ve been waiting forever to share these photos with you. Libby was a bridesmaid in my very first wedding. Once I got a couple more weddings under my belt, she sent me a message out of the blue in August of 2009 that read: “Hey Jen, I was in Nikki’s wedding a couple years ago, and am one of Lara’s friends. When I “grow up” and get married, I am so keeping you on my list to do the photography. I love your work :-)” Of course I was insanely flattered but I really didn’t necessarily expect her to follow through. Though once I saw she was engaged in early 2011, I have to admit, I did feel like I was holding my breath – hoping, waiting and hoping some more. Then, in May of 2011, she asked for a quote and as of August 2011, she has been officially marked in my calendar! So you see, I really HAVE been waiting a very long time to share these. :)

Libby and Dan were married September 8th at Saint Lucy’s Church in Racine and celebrated that same evening with friends and family at Infusino’s. I was SO right about Libby’s wedding being one of my favorites – she made my job so easy and so much fun. Such a beautiful wedding, an amazingly gorgeous couple and what a rowdy party! To be fair, Libby warned me multiple times but holy moly does Dan’s family know how to party!

To Libby — thanks for sticking with me all of these years. Jeff and I were so very proud to be a part of your special day and we’re so so so happy that you and Dan found each other.

To you both – Thank you both for your patience, laid back attitude and trusting us with such an important part of your wedding day. Congratulations!

And without further adieu, here are my favorites!

Enjoy! :)