The year 2013 has seen me shoot a few Winter and Spring weddings already, but now that June is upon us, things are really heating up. Next week sees a double header wedding weekend with Todd and Krystyne on Friday at the Parish of St. Joseph in Homewood, Illinois and Mike and Kelly at White Hawk Country Club in Crown Point.

To celebrate I thought I'd post a few first kisses wedding photos to get us all excited...

First kiss at an outdoor ceremony in the Cancer Survivor's Garden inside Grant Park in Chicago

Shaun and Brittany had a gloriously sunny day for their Chicago wedding in Grant Park. You can tell by the warm tone of the photograph just how sunny it was that day. I love this photograph, but the one I'm nuts about is this next one where our groom spontaneously lifts his bride into the air. I'm always poised and ready for the first kiss, but also keenly aware that sometimes the best moments occur right after...

The newly married couple celebrates after becoming man and wife at an outdoor wedding in downtown Chicago.

Another similar candid moment occurred at Gary and Brandi's outdoor wedding at Deep River Park in Hobart, Indiana. I love the spontaneous burst of laughter and joy in the the bride's face as well as the way she tenderly holds her new husband face with her hand. A very loving moment...

The bride erupts with laughter and joy during her outdoor wedding ceremony at Deep River Park in Hobart, Indiana.

I've photographed a lot of Catholic ceremonies inside churches so I've learned anticipate the first kiss. It doesn't always occur at the end of the ceremony in many cases. Here is an image of Brandon and Jackie at St. Michael's Church in Schererville, Indiana.

First kiss at a wedding ceremony St. Michael's Catholic Church in Schererville, Indiana.

The next image in our series of first kiss photographs usually can't happen at churches, but I was able to pull it off during an indoor wedding ceremony at Avalon Manor with David and Jessica. I loved catching family and friends in the background as the bride and groom did their traditional first kiss.

First kiss at an indoor wedding ceremony at Avalon Manor in Hobart, Indiana.

I don't really coach my clients on how to kiss, but I will give this bit of advice to the grooms - don't be shy!! Don't just give her a quick peck, I swear her dad won't lecture you afterward!! :)

I'm looking forward to all my June weddings. If you are a planning a 2014 wedding, please contact me via the online form now. June and September dates tend to fill up a year in advance. I've already got June weddings for 2014 booked and I'm having consultations for another this coming week as well as a September couple. If your day isn't available, I'd be glad to refer you to a qualified professional.

Happy planning!!

First kiss at an outdoor ceremony at the International Friendship Garden in Portage, Indiana.

Anthony and Beth's wedding ceremony was held on January 7th, but inside St. Matthias Church in Crown Point, Indiana it looked much more like December 25th. Beth's Dad asked if the Christmas lights could be turned on and indeed they were. It made for a terrific and unique backdrop for the wedding photos. - click above image to enlarge -

Since the church has great architecture, I shot wide angle for quite a few shots. My second camera with a zoom lens on my other hip to capture the bride and groom up close.

Below we have the adorable ring bearer and flower girl and another shot of Beth and her Dad as he gave her away....

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Here is a photo of one of the readers surrounded by the beautiful Christmas decor...

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The lights, the wooden architecture, the Hammond organ, the crowd..... time for the wide angle lens.

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Anybody who has seen my work here know that I love black and white so I had to get a few of those in despite the wonderful color that is in the church.

Just as in the Getting Ready part, the bride and groom were as calm as could be. At least they appeared that way. Here is one of the many smiles and laughs caught by zoom lens during the catholic ceremony....

Our bride greeting her bridesmaids....

Soon Anthony and Beth would be pronounced man and wife. Better get into position for the first kiss...

Ah, there it is, the kiss. Congratulations to a truly great couple!!

Anthony's mom congratulates her son with a hug. These two have terrific families and I'm very appreciative in the way they treated me during the big day and afterwards at the Premier Night.

Let raise our glass, I mean our bouquet of flowers - in honor of the happy couple. The next installment will have a selection of formal pictures along with commentary. Stay tuned.

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To view the entire gallery of Ceremony images, please visit Ceremony at St. Matthias in Crown Point.