Milwaukee Wedding Photographer - Grace and Erik

A number of years ago I lived in a flat that offered me a front row seat to St. Sebastian Catholic Church. From my bedroom window I often caught a glimpse of the wedding parties as they came in and out of the church. I would look for pretty much the same things that any long-time wedding lover looks for: What is the bride wearing? What color are the dresses? How big is the hair? (This was the ’80’s). But the most important question was always, “Do they look happy?” Well on Friday I got to return to this very same place only this time I watched from a vantage point behind my camera and this time I got to go in thanks to the gracious Pamela of Pamela Strohl Fine Art Photography in Port Washington, Wisconsin who invited me to assist her in photographing this wedding. View her blog post here.

I had been warned that the bride, Grace, would be beautiful, and I found that to be an understatement. She wore a perfect, classic, simple yet elegant dress, with just the right amount of “twirl”. Her bridesmaids wore icy blue dresses, classic black heels and black gloves. And yes everyone, especially Grace and Erik, looked happy! Grace was the bride every young girl dreams of being. She was happy, excited and beautiful, and at the same time so comfortable, grateful and genuine. Picture perfect, literally. This was her day yet she made everyone around her feel special just for being there: her bridesmaids, her family and friends, even the people working for her. I believe she enjoyed every single moment of that day. During the ceremony I was touched by many things, but one of the highlights was watching the emotion on Grace and Eric’s faces as their family and friends, one by one approached the altar for Communion. I could see the joy, excitement and love that they felt for each of these people. (I wasn’t able to capture this emotion with my camera, so I guess that’s what memories are for.) They seemed to take it all in, to absorb every moment of their wedding day, and not only did they enjoy each other, but their loved ones who came to share their joy.

After the ceremony, we moved on to the enchanting Wisconsin Club, a perfect spot for Erik and Gracie’s classic - albeit cold - outdoor winter wedding photos. Inside the toasts from various loved ones gave me a tiny view into the lives of these two people. When it was time for the bouquet toss Gracie broke from tradition and presented her grandmother with her real bridal bouquet and thanked her grandparents for all she and Eric had learned from their marriage over the years. They then invited all of the married couples onto the dance floor and expressed their gratitude for the role models they had been. The couples danced while the band performed “True Companion”. It was quite an emotional moment watching these couples dance. As the night went on, so did the sounds of Standing Room Only who I highly recommend if you are ever in need of an event band. These people danced and partied, they laughed and hugged...non-stop! I had fun watching these people have fun! And then I realized why we do this, why we celebrate in such a big way. Life is so full - of joy and sorrow, of happiness and pain, of laughter and tears. I realized tomorrow will be just another day, back to normal. But every once in a while we get to dress up and have a reason to celebrate and that is what Gracie and Eric did and that is what their loved ones did. And I was fortunate enough to be there with them.

Grace and her girls

An elegant father and daughter dance

I Am Your Miracle

My extraordinary niece Anna celebrated her golden birthday and her official passage into adulthood as she turned twenty-one on the twenty-first February. A party was necessary as this day could not come soon enough for her (oh, to not be “just a kid” anymore). This was a day to be celebrated! Anna’s life has been full of struggles that began the day she was born. She has endured more medical problems and surgeries than most of us ever will and she has faced more challenges and disappointments in life than anyone should. The things that most take for granted, Anna has had to struggle with.

No one knows this more than her friends because they share similar stories. With the help of Anna’s parents, Jeff and Terri, and her sister Lindy (everyone should have a sister like Lindy) the festivities took place at the Flannery's Bar and Restaurant in Grafton. In true Anna-fashion, there would be food and cake, there would be dancing, of course presents would be necessary, and it wouldn’t be a party without speeches. Anna confidently approached the microphone with her speech prepared well in advance (I secretly think she planned a big party in order to have an audience!). One by one she introduced the special people in her life; not surprisingly for Anna by the time she was done she had called everyone’s name! Then her friend Katelyn took the floor and spoke straight from her heart; she acknowledged Anna, her life, her struggles, and their long friendship. She ended this rousing and passionate speech with the declaration, “Anna, I AM your MIRACLE! I am YOUR Miracle, Anna!” This brought down the house: there was clapping, cheering, and laughter.

Since that day, Kaitlyn’s phrase has been repeated around our house, a memory of a happy day. But this morning I realized what she was saying. It does seem bold to tell someone “I am your miracle”. We are taught to appreciate those around us; after all life would be pretty difficult and colorless without them. But rarely do we tell someone in an honest, heartfelt way that yes, you survived because of me, your day is better because I am in it, your life wouldn’t be the same without me...essentially, I AM your miracle. It seems to be not only a declaration, but a promise. Making that promise binds us to the awesome and amazing task each of us has to contribute to the comfort, the happiness and the success of the people we love. I plan to take Kaitlyn’s challenge, to be a small miracle to my loved ones, and not only my loved ones, but I can extend that to everyone around me, my neighbors, my co-workers, my clients. It doesn’t take much, just one small miracle at a time.

Anna and her friends




“Anna, I AM your MIRACLE! I am YOUR Miracle, Anna!”


Lindy dancing with Anna and her friends


Anna and Katelyn

Look at the View

I was once told that I focus too much on how I think things “should be” and I am disappointed when life doesn’t go that way. The flip side of that, this person told me, is to expect the worst in life and be surprised when it doesn’t turn out that way (that’s how she lives). I learned a lot from her. We had many more conversations, but only that one sticks in my mind.

That was a long time ago, and I still struggle with that at times. My automatic response when something goes awry is to cry out to myself, “that is NOT how it’s supposed to be!” Ten years ago I found myself in a life-changing situation, of which I had little control. I thought, if only I could take charge and put everyone where they should be, that would fix it all. But, thankfully, that is not how it works! You see, what I have learned is that I am neither powerful enough nor creative enough to do this well. I would have messed it up! Moving forward in my life was kind of like making a puzzle where you have all the pieces but you don’t have the box top to see what picture you are making. Slowly, slowly, piece by piece, my life evolved in ways and images I could not have imagined. No, I didn’t get the story I had in mind, but I got something completely different, completely beautiful, completely creative! How outrageous of me to assume I knew how things should be, and who am I to complain about how things are. (Now the people in Haiti, well they have something to complain about, but I really don’t.)

So, I’ve learned my lesson, though it still takes some practice (and I admit I am guilty of going off the deep end at times). When my mind starts to wander towards how I think my life should be, all I have to do is open my eyes and really look at how my life IS. And when I do that, all I am is grateful for all I’ve been given. The view from here is pretty great and I wouldn’t trade if for anywhere else in the world!

Jan

Here is a picture from Jeff's birthday last year


(Disclaimer: Four teenagers, two tired parents and a run-away dog doesn’t always make for a “happy” view - but that’s one of the reasons we take photographs!)

Jeff's Coffee Rules

"I am not addicted to coffee! It's just that I get headaches if I go a day without having any." Jan laughed and told me it was one of the funniest things I'd ever said. (Yeah, I know: I'm not very funny.) So I want to set the record straight. I'm really not addicted to coffee. I'm just very particular about coffee. Here's what I really have to have to enjoy this amazing beverage.

WHAT
If I were to go to McDonald's with you for breakfast (only if there were no other restaurant around for miles, we hadn't eaten for days, and we had only a few dollars between us would we do this) I wouldn't order coffee. The same would be true for most restaurants. And don't even think about a gas station! Because I'm not looking for caffeine. If I were and we were at one of these places, I'd have to find it in something else. But when I say I like coffee I mean coffee. I don't mean a single shot Grande one pump vanilla non-fat extra whip mocha. I like plain coffee. And sometimes I'll drink an Americano because espresso and water is pretty much the same thing. But please don't put anything in it. I like it black.



HOW
It also matters to me what I drink the coffee out of. I of course will drink the coffee out of a paper cup at Starbucks because its…its…fine, I'll be honest: you're just a little bit cooler if you're carrying a Starbucks cup. And though I will take a travel mug with me when I work early in the morning, that's just because I don't want to spill. No, my favorite way to drink coffee is out of a ceramic coffee mug. It just tastes better. I don't know why: it just does. Now I realize I'm being fairly picky but I've gone this far, I may as well be honest and tell you the last couple preferences I have about coffee.

WHERE
There really are only two places that I really, really enjoy drinking coffee. This first isn't very original but I love coffee shops. Jan and I will never pass up an opportunity to sit in Starbucks' big, comfy, brown chairs and waste the good part of an afternoon. We have quite a list of fun memories of doing this very thing. But my absolute favorite? Our kitchen counter. When it's just the two of us and we have the time we love to brew a pot of coffee, sit in the quiet house and just be together that is the perfect way to start any day.



So you see, I'm not addicted to coffee. But I am trying to figure out a way to be able to start every day at the kitchen counter with Jan and a cup of coffee. OK, and I'm trying to avoid the headache!



If you want to know why there are two Adirondack Chairs in all these pictures you'll have to stick around a couple months: we're not ready to tell you yet.

Sara Cleveland - Senior Portraits

She will graduate from Port Washington High School in June but I knew her when she watched the Barney: Live in Concert video non-stop. She was just accepted to Marquette University and the University of Wisconsin but I knew her when she came home from elementary school and said, "Today I learned that Lucky [our dog] is a bitch!" She has learned to play multiple instruments and been in more music programs at school than I can recall but I was the one that took her to Summerfest to hear Billy Gilmann only to have her tell me she didn't want to stand in the rain: we turned around and went back home without listening to one song. She became a fiercely independent person at a young age but I was the person the doctor handed her to just minutes after she was born. So even though Jeff Cleveland Photography, LLC isn't focused on Senior Portraits, when it came time for Sara Cleveland to get hers, neither one of us would have wanted it any other way.

I posted this sneak peak for her friends awhile ago but here are the rest of my favorites.

Sara, out of all the girls in the whole wide world - I'd choose you!

If you know Sara and have a favorite memory of her, would you share it with me by leaving it in the comments?

Jeff