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North Central Wisconsin Senior & Portrait Photographers James & Katie Stokes Located in Medford, Wisconsin // Galleries // Weddings    

Category Archives: Weddings

How to Make Sure Your Wedding Photos Are a Success

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May 14, 2019

/ James Stokes

Not only does everyone want their wedding to be perfect, but they also want their wedding to be captured perfectly. It’s incredibly exciting to receive the photos from your big day back from the photographer, and with any luck, you’ll fall in love with every picture that was taken! Here are a few tips to keep in mind. We’re not perfect and neither are you, so cut yourself some slack and have a little fun. Life is short and our expectations are often unrealistic, but these suggestions might help you stay focus on what matters to allow you to revere each moment of your wedding day. #liferevered 

Practice Self-Care Now

To ensure that you’re feeling amazing when it’s time to take your wedding photos, start implementing small positive changes in your everyday life in the months leading up to the event. Real self-care goes well beyond drinking green juice and buying yourself a new pair of Lululemon leggings— it’s about checking in with yourself, both physically and mentally, and making adjustments to your habits and behavior as needed in order to feel your best.

Take up gentle exercise, like yoga or pilates, to help keep your body and mind in tip-top shape. Find your perfect skincare routine, and stick to it. Make a conscious effort to clean up your diet, and drink tons of water. If you feel as though you could be doing better emotionally, consider speaking with a mental health professional so you’re in an ideal frame of mind when the big day arrives. The more you do for your personal well being before it’s time to get in front of the camera and walk down the aisle, the more healthy and happy you’ll look in your photos!

Prioritize Comfort

For Brides, consider movement when saying yes to your dress. Similarly, consider two shoe options, one for looks and the other for practicality, especially if you’re not able to see them. If you’re feeling adventurous, as many of our couples are, we recommend a dress the bustles well. While you certainly want the dress to look beautiful, you’ll also want to make sure you can realistically sit, stand, walk, and dance in your dress for hours on end without getting too uncomfortable. The more at ease you’re able to make yourself feel while photos are being taken, the more natural the finished product will be.

Grooms, we recommend doing the sweat test. The last thing you want is to feel like a hot mess on your wedding day. Select breathable fabric and layers the prevent you from overheating. Do you hate it when you’re constantly having to tuck in your shirt? Me too! I haven’t tried them, but consider Tucked Trunks or something similar to have worry-free dress attire.  We recommend purchasing your shoes instead of renting which allows you to break in your shoes in advance. I am a big fan of Taft shoes. Side note: We happen to really like kilts. 

Reduce Unnecessary Stress

The last thing you would want is to have wedding pictures taken where stress is visibly etched on your face, making you look miserable and less-than-enthused about your new relationship status. One of the major culprits for this stress can be your financial situation. To rid yourself of this anxiety, it’s important that you make sure you’ve given your budget sufficient attention throughout the wedding planning process. That way, you can be certain that you’ve allocated funds in a manner that ensures that your wedding day stays on budget. If you’re not sure where to allocate your funds, ask people what they remember from the last wedding they attended. What are the things people remember? Spend time and money on these things, however, in the end, it will be your day and your memories are what matter most! 

In the months leading up to the big day, keep a close eye on all of your expenses through wedding planning apps that monitor vendor payments or a mobile banking app that will provide a comprehensive overview of your finances. We personally use Mint for our personal finances. You’ll also want to be sure that you’ve prioritized the items in your budget so the components of your wedding that are most important to you— like great music or beautiful photography— have an appropriate amount of money allocated toward them. When you can be confident in the fact that your wedding money is going exactly where it should be, you’ll find it much easier to smile and relax on the day of your event.

Know Your Desired Aesthetic

Marshfield Wedding Photographer

When researching wedding photographers, some couples already have a clear vision in mind of what they want their photos to look like. If you belong to one of those couples, it can be helpful to seek out a professional who is capable of bringing your vision to life and whose photographic style aligns well with your wishes.

Are you and your partner more of the dark and broody type, staring into each other’s eyes with the intensity of a thousand suns? Or are you more lighthearted and silly, laughing in the sunlight with all of your friends and family? Whatever your preferred style may be, with enough research, you should be able to find a photographer who is able to fulfill your desired aesthetic and leave you with high-quality photos you’ll love for years to come. Katie and I have been capturing weddings for over 10 years (that ages us a bit), but we’re still hip… people still say that right? We shoot weddings for our clients like we would want them shot for ourselves. Our approach and aesthetic are simple and we lean towards classic and clean images that have a timeless feel from two different perspectives. We strive to capture raw emotion and focus on making our couples and their wild and fun friends feel as much like themselves as possible. 

Be Yourself

Your wedding photos are something that you and your spouse will flip through fondly for the rest of your lives, so you should try to find a photographer that will help you take pictures that showcase the true nature of the relationships you have with each other and with your loved ones— the good, the unpredictable, and the funny.

Don’t worry about looking perfect in your pictures— focus instead on having the most fun you can at your wedding and letting the joy you feel at marrying your significant other pour out of you. The professional you’ve hired will take care of the rest! Not only will the photos be artistic and well-composed, but they’ll also capture that joy, excitement, and any other range of emotions you experience over the course of your special day, making them feel all the more real and meaningful to you as your reminisce.  

For Brides, For Grooms, Weddings / Wedding Advice / Comment

Published! Midwest Bride

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March 26, 2015

/ James Stokes

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Photos By: James Stokes Photography | Venue: White’s Wildwood Retreat | Flowers: Eau Claire Farmer’s Market | Videography: Lasting Images Videography | Rentals: A1 Rentals | Catering: Sweet Clarisse Catering | Dress Store: The Wedding Shoppe

Press, Weddings / Bride, Cabin, Chippewa, Midwest, Midwest Bride, Northwoods, Press, Rustic, Wedding / Comment

Happy New Year! Wisconsin Wedding Photographer

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January 1, 2015

/ James Stokes

Katie and I are grateful for the memories we have made and captured in 2014! We look forward to the wonderful couples we will have the pleasure of working with in 2015. Thank you and Have a Happy New Year!

The Stokes

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CHRIS & KIM | YAWKEY HOUSE MUSEUM GARDEN WEDDING

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August 14, 2014

/ James Stokes

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BROOKE & KELLEN | RIB MOUNTAIN WEDDING

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August 7, 2014

/ James Stokes

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Weddings / Central Wisconsin Wedding, Outdoor Wedding, Wausau, Wausau Wedding, Wedding, Wisconsin Outdoor Wedding Venues / 2 Comments

Polly & Mike | Marshfield Wisconsin Wedding

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May 16, 2014

/ James Stokes

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Marshfield WI Wedding

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Weddings / Marshfield Wedding / Comment

Central Wisconsin Fall Wedding | Justen & Kayla

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October 26, 2013

/ James Stokes

I simply couldn’t hold on to these images any longer! These two had such an incredibly day surrounded by the fog of an early October wedding. I don’t think I have ever been at a wedding with so much emotion. These two have a great deal of respect and reverence for their family and the people who have shaped them into the fine people they are today. Kayla’s day was filled with personal components that made their day especially theirs. Her dress was simply stunning with a long veil that made for epic bridals. Kayla wore her late grandmother’s dancing shoes, which were also something blue. We couldn’t have been more pleased with how the weather cooperated for us, giving us a beautiful diffused haze surrounded by Portage County fall color. From the first time Justen and Kayla stepped in front of our cameras to now, we have grown to know this couple and their families, it helps we grew up in the same town, but Katie and I truly felt like friends with cameras at their wedding, which made for great fun with their dynamic bridal party and loving family!
Thank you both for allowing us to capture your day! We can’t wait to see where life takes you.

Blessings,

J&K

Amherst Wedding

Portage County Wedding Photographer

Weddings / Fall, Wedding / Comment

Rib Mountain Outdoor Wedding | Luke & Melissa

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September 5, 2013

/ James Stokes

Getting married on top of a mountain is something people from Wisconsin only dream of. While we have plenty of rolling hill, fields, and bluffs we lack any major mountain range, however, Rib Mountain is as good as it gets and it serves up an incredible view and the feeling you’re standing in the clouds.
Katie and I are thankful to have been referred by friends and previous clients. They knew that we would be the perfect fit for Luke & Melissa’s outdoor Wausau wedding.

During our engagement session, we shot on Luke’s family farm in Athens, WI. Luke and Melissa make you feel like you have known them your whole life and are a true joy to be around! Growing up on a dairy farm myself, it always feels like home whenever I am photographing in the country surrounded by cows and fields.

Moments before the ceremony, Melissa stepped out of the limo to be escorted down the isle by her father. Luke, in all white, eagerly waited atop the Rib Mountain Amphitheater. Emotions ran high as parents looking onward. Melissa’s aunt, an aspiring wedding planner, attended to every detail and everything went off without a hitch. Their wedding celebration continued at the Sundance Chalet at Granite Peak in Wausau, Wisconsin. With vaulted ceilings and large windows, it made an ideal location for their evening’s dance and reception. The venue was decorated with pink accents, mason jars, candy, & wood blocks.

The couple snuck away for a few minutes during their wedding slideshow so we could capture them just before sunset. Upon their return, they were greeted to a surprise their parents and siblings were in on involving the police!

We feel lucky just have met Luke and Melissa, but we are even more honored to have been able to capture their incredible day!

Blessings,

J&K

Rib Mountain Outdoor Wedding

Weddings / Outdoor Wedding, Rib Mountain, Wausau, Wedding, Wisconsin Outdoor Wedding Venues / 1 Comment

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