Andrea + Bobby :: Forever

Andrea's mouth dropped open in disbelief.  Bobby's face blanked.  The pastor froze, with his hand out, waiting for the best man to produce the ring.  The groomsmen stood in a row, arms grasping as the bride's wedding ring tumbled out of their hands and into the gaping air conditioning vent located on the floor beneath their feet.


Or did it?


No, it didn't. It was a joke, and it worked pretty well! 


Andrea + Bobby's wedding was a great one, bursting with personality.  Their original church double booked, so they were forced to find somewhere else to have the wedding, and I think they are the ones who ended up winning.  The little church called Sts Peter and Paul Chapel near Solon, IA, was a wonderful historical surprise in the middle of what seemed like nowhere.  It was the perfect place for this intimate wedding.


Jodi and I have photographed over 100 weddings in the past 6 years that we've been working together, and we've got to throw this out there.  Live bands are the way to go.  Bobby is a long time musician, and he had some connections to throw together an all-star jazz band for the beginning of the reception.  In fact, the vocalist was booked 5 years ago when Bobby heard her sing somewhere.  Her voice was enough to put you into a coma, it was so amazing! 


"Andrea + Bobby:  Who knew when you two met in the 4th grade that you would be spending the rest of your lives together?! We love your story, and how passionately and detailed you recall it.  We also loved hanging out with you, and just how open and friendly you were even in the midst of the busyness that is a wedding.  Thank you for letting us into your lives at one of life's biggest moments, and trusting us to capture it all!  God bless!"

Rodney & Jodi

Ceremony: Sts Peter and Paul Chapel, Solon, IA
Reception: Bella Sala, Tiffin, IA

Courtney + Matt :: Forever

Matt and Courtney's wedding day started off in downpour, but the clouds eventually took their rain elsewhere, and we were able to jump outside for a few scenes before the wedding started. 


We've photographed at St Mary's in Riverside quite often the past several years, and one of the cool things that Father Adam does on occasion, is to have the couple write letters to each other during their meetings with him.  At Courtney + Matt's wedding, he read those letters aloud, and the love these two share for each other was very moving.  It is a true love story of how these two hearts still beat for the other....















On the way to the reception hall, we stopped at the tractor dealership to shoot a few scenes with Matt's brand new John Deere! 

Kari + Brad :: Forever

Kari + Brad had a gorgeous day for an outdoor wedding! It was pretty hot, but everyone hung in there, and kept a great attitude throughout the day.   We had heard a lot about Fireside Winery, in Marengo, IA, but this was the first time we'd been there.  


"Thanks for allowing us the honor of capturing your wedding, Kari + Brad! We loved working with you, and appreciated everything about your day!  We hear wedding toasts at receptions every weekend, but I don't think I've laughed quite as hard as I did during the toasts at your reception!  There were some memorable lines in there!  
You two are great together, and we wish you all the best marriage can bring! Congratulations!" - Rodney & Jodi

















Wedding Venue: Fireside Winery, Marengo, IA
Reception Venue: Iowa Memorial Union, Iowa City, IA

Kelly + Brent :: Disc Golf Love

"Kelly + Brent: You guys did great on the engagement session! You both have these beautiful, contagious smiles, and we loved how you got into the pictures and made them your own.  It's been fun to get to know you both a little better the past few months, and we're excited about the wedding next year!" - Rodney & Jodi

Corrie + Myles :: Forever

Corrie + Myles' wedding day started out pretty soggy, and when we awoke, the sky was hosing rain! But, it cleared off in time for us to get some outdoor photos on a local farm, where Myles had arranged for his grandfather's tractor to be there for pictures.  He had passed away last year, so the tractor was pretty special to Myles and his family.  


"Corrie + Myles, we were honored to capture your wedding! We loved the little things that made your wedding special, from the cuff links, to the garter, to the tractor, to the bird cage, to Corrie's shoes.  We wish you both all the best God has for you, and your marriage!"

Rodney & Jodi

Wedding Venue: West Union Mennonite Church, Parnell, IA
Reception Venue: Upper Deer Creek Church, Wellman, IA

Stacie + Matt :: Picnic Love

Stacie + Matt's engagement session was one I wish we could have stayed at for another 2 hours. For one main reason: Food. Not that Stacie + Matt weren't a pleasure to photograph... they are awesome together and very enjoyable to work with.  But food and I go way back, where we forged a friendship that continues to this day, and Stacie brought enough for a tribe!  Sandwiches, chocolate-covered strawberries, grapes, candies, fruits, champagne... you name it. It was amazing. But alas, they had to eat it all themselves as we had another appointment right after theirs, and couldn't stay to picnic with them.

Stacie is also a photographer, and it's an honor to be asked by one of our industry peers to capture their wedding.  Thanks to the Internet, there are a gazillion photographers to choose from at any given moment, and we're grateful to all of you who choose Jodi and I. 

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We also have a winner in our Caption Contest!  
Tim Stauffer, you win with Caption #3!  Shoot us an email, or phone call, and we'll get you hooked up with some awesome coffee!  

Thanks to everyone who entered, and voted!  

Contest :: You Decide

If you're on Facebook, and a member of our awesome Wedding Photography Fan Page, you've no doubt seen the Caption Contest we ran last week on this image. So, as always, it's tough to choose a winner. This time around, we'll let you choose!

We've selected our top 3 captions, now it's up to you to decide the winner. You have until Friday morning to cast your vote... simply write 1, 2, or 3 in the comment box below, and we'll count them up at the end of the week.

I should also point out that the prize is coffee from Hemisphere Coffee Roasters. They are good friends of ours, and the cool thing is that this coffee goes beyond Fair Trade. Head over to their website and learn all about it... it's pretty cool. Anyway, Gehman Photography will buy you a 16oz package of coffee if your comment is chosen as the winner! You win... and the coffee farmer wins.

Here's the image which I took with my iPhone at the I-80 Truck Stop a few weeks ago. 

Caption #1: "Should have ordered the 'tow' package!"

Caption #2: "Headin' to the Redneck Yacht Club"

Caption #3: "Saving money on the Turnpike" (although you probably have to travel toll roads a lot to appreciate this one)

Thanks to all of you who entered! Now get your vote on, and in the comment box, write 1, 2, or 3.

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Oh, and on Thursday, there will be a sweet engagement session hitting the blog, so check back for that as well!