Sioux City, IA Wedding Photographer | Shane Monahan Photography: Blog

Why Professional Photography is Essential for Selling Your Property

(Sioux City, IA Wedding Photographer | Shane Monahan Photography) — Fri, 03 Nov 2023 20:05:17 GMT

Selling a property demands showcasing it in the most appealing way possible, and professional
photography is a vital tool for achieving this. While some may consider DIY or smartphone
snapshots, the advantages of enlisting a seasoned pro are undeniable. Professional photographers
possess the expertise, equipment, and experience necessary to capture a property's finest
attributes.
They master the art of lighting, angles, and composition to produce images that blend aesthetics
with information, offering potential buyers a comprehensive view of the property's layout, size,
and condition. This can significantly boost interest and expedite the sale process. In this
post, we'll explore why professional images are essential for
a quick property sale.

Attracting Potential Buyers

To maximize the pool of potential buyers, high-quality professional photography is
indispensable. Exceptional images set your property apart from competitors and instantly draw
the attention of potential buyers. Studies have consistently shown that properties featuring
professional photos sell faster and at higher prices than those without. This is because such
photos enhance the property's appeal, generating more interest and ultimately leading to a higher
sale price.

Creating a Lasting Impression

Online, the first encounter a potential buyer has with your property is through images. If these
images are blurry, poorly lit, or unattractive, it's likely the buyer will swiftly move on to the next
listing. However, high-quality, well-lit images that highlight your property's best aspects pique
the buyer's interest and encourage further exploration. Professional photographers possess the
skills and equipment to capture your property in the most captivating way possible, ensuring it
makes a strong initial impression.

Emphasizing Unique Aspects

Professionals can expertly capture a property's essence and accentuate its distinctive features.
Their experience enables them to capture your property's highlights, and they will also include
shots of the surrounding area, showcasing nearby amenities such as parks and schools. This
broadens your appeal to a wider range of potential buyers.

Staging and Composition

Professional photographers excel at staging and composing properties to showcase them at their
best. They can rearrange furniture, add props, and declutter to create an inviting atmosphere.
Additionally, they use composition techniques to convey depth, balance, and symmetry in their
photos. Skillful staging and composition create a visual narrative that resonates with the
emotions and aspirations of potential buyers.

Use Adobe Express to Market Your Property

Following the photography session, you can utilize Adobe Express, a free platform offering
templates, stock photos, fonts, and icons to craft effective marketing materials for your real
estate images. You can:

● Craft eye-catching postcards to attract visitors to your open house.

● Produce real estate brochures that highlight your listings and services.
● Establish a professional-looking logo to enhance your brand identity.
● Create custom Facebook ads to reach a wider audience with your property.

Professional photography is an indispensable asset when selling a property. It helps accentuate
its best features, create a strong initial impression, and generate increased interest. Collaborating
with a professional photographer guarantees that your property shines in the market. By
harnessing Adobe Express, you can transform your photos into compelling marketing materials.

For inquiries or to schedule a real estate photography session, contact Shane Monahan Photography today.

The Chocolate Mansion in Sioux City, Iowa

(Sioux City, IA Wedding Photographer | Shane Monahan Photography) — Wed, 27 Jan 2021 18:37:10 GMT

Now that Covid has become a part of our vocabulary, something else has also become more common as well. Small, intimate weddings! Yes, with more and more people social distancing or sticking to smaller crowds, we have noticed the weddings we have photographed have also been much smaller and more intimate as well. If you happen to find yourself in this situation and are looking for a gorgeous venue that is large enough to fit the people you love most, but cozy enough to not feel like you're a speck on the wall, then I highly recommend you consider "The Chocolate Mansion" in Sioux City, Iowa for your venue.

My wife Becca and I recently had the privilege of staying here for her birthday and it was absolutely beautiful inside. The entire mansion had been beautifully restored with lots of modern updates. The rooms all had candy based themes, but weren't over the top Willy Wonka themed spaces. They were all done in a very classy manner. Since we stayed in January, we had the run of most of the place to ourselves which meant I was able to play and photograph most of the building as well. Here are the photos I took during our stay at the Chocolate Mansion! Also worth noting - there is a beautiful outdoor space with a pool and additional guest house that I didn't photograph since it was winter and I didn't have access to the guest house. The place is phenomenal! If you want to book a stay, visit their website at: https://www.chocolatemansionsiouxcity.com/

If you're looking for a photographer to capture your beautiful day OR even a realtor to help you find your next home, please give me a call and I can help you with either of those needs! Thank you so much for visiting my site!

Here's the photos of the mansion!

The Chocolate Mansion

Sioux City, Iowa

January 2021

Shane Monahan is a photographer based out of Sioux City, Iowa and is available worldwide for your photography needs.

E-mail: [email protected] or call: 712.223.1032 to discuss your needs today!

Shane Monahan is a licensed REALTOR based out of Sioux City, Iowa and doing real estate work through J&M Real Estate located in Dakota Dunes, SD.

If you would like to hire Shane to photograph your home, help you list your home for sale and/or purchase a new home, he services the Iowa, South Dakota, Nebraska tri-state area. Give Shane a call today at: 712.223.1032 for all of your real estate needs!

J&M Real Estate

211 Sioux Point Road, Suite 150

Dakota Dunes, SD 57049

Firm is licensed in South Dakota, Iowa and Nebraska

www.jandmrealestate.com

Awesome Gift Ideas for Women!

(Sioux City, IA Wedding Photographer | Shane Monahan Photography) — Mon, 10 Jun 2019 16:26:28 GMT

Awesome Gift Ideas for the Women in your life!

About a year ago, I posted a blog post discussing some awesome gifts for guys. If you didn't see it, you can check out that blog post again right HERE!

I figured if we're going to tell you about gifts for the men in your life, we can't leave out the amazing women we know. We photograph a lot of weddings and get to see some of the cool gifts couples purchase for their wedding party. I'm often impressed with the type of gifts couples find for their friends. If you're looking for gift ideas for your wedding party or for any woman in your life, now is your chance to check out some gifts perfect for that woman or those ladies. This could be as simple as a "thinking of you" gift for a dear friend, something special for Mom or even a whole group of gifts for your bridesmaids or other besties in your life. I got one of these personalized for my wife Becca and think it's awesome!

It is called a "Bridesmaid Bling" tumbler! You can purchase one directly from the company's website HERE.

This tumbler is a stainless steel bottle with a vacuum sealed insulation that keeps your drinks cold for up to 12 hours. That's plenty of time for most wedding days! If you're a hot drink person, the drinks can stay hot for up to 6 hours, but we haven't tested that option out yet! It has a lid with an opening for your straw and a hole that can be closed when you don't want to risk spilling your drink. Probably our favorite part though, is the fact it will fit comfortably in most cup holders! We've had struggles putting our larger tumblers in various cup holders. Not a problem with this one. It's nice having one that fits almost everything.

If tumblers aren't your thing, there are plenty of other gifts to check out. Visit their website at: https://www.bridesmaidgiftsboutique.com/ and see if there's something else you think she'd love. I guarantee, you'll find something cool and unique! Awesome company with great products and FAST shipping!

Anyway, Becca really loves this and of course, the customization with her name and added bling makes it perfect for her! Check out the photos and pick one of these up or some other gift for the awesome ladies in your life!

Awesome Gift Ideas for Men!

(Sioux City, IA Wedding Photographer | Shane Monahan Photography) — Sun, 01 Jul 2018 02:57:12 GMT

Awesome Gift Ideas for Men

Check out these cool gifts for Groomsmen, husbands, Dads, Grandpa's you name it.... And let's be honest. I bet there are plenty of ladies that would like these too! They can all be found at: www.groovyguygifts.com

When I photograph weddings, I get to see so many fun things from each wedding day. Well a popular tradition that goes back a long time, is the tradition of getting gifts for your wedding party. This is not always an easy task and it amazes me sometimes the types of gifts people come up with. That's awesome if you're super creative and can think of super thoughtful gifts on your own. However, if you're like me, sometimes it's hard to come up with gift ideas to give a whole group of people, let alone just one person. If you are a man, struggling with ideas for what to get your groomsmen, or even a woman, struggling with gift ideas for your man (wedding day gift, fathers day gift, birthday, anniversary, you name it), then this message is for you.

I was recently informed about an awesome site called Groovy Guy Gifts.com . I got a few items from their website and LOVED them! I am NOT an affiliate and do not get paid if you purchase from their site. I wouldn't be sharing this info with you if I didn't love these items. That said, I like to share cool things with you all when I learn about them. Being a guy, this stuff was too good for me to pass up sharing. So that said, check out these three cool gifts I got from that site. If you're looking for some cool gifts for the man or men in your life, you must check out this site! I promise you. These are gifts that guys will love!

Here is the first item I decided to purchase.

This was something I thought was cool for a nice walk around pocket knife. I can't believe how much I've used it already. The thing I use the most has been the screwdriver tools, but I've also used the scissors, the saw (I was playing around cutting things when I shouldn't have been - Ha!), of course the knife and even a couple of the little pointy tools that I'm not sure what they're for. Just today, I used one of those to pop open a battery compartment on one of my daughter's toys. It has been incredibly useful. This is the knife I purchased for myself, but also for my Dad. He loved it! On the website, it is called "The One Too Many" and can be seen/purchased here: The One Too Many Knife

It comes in a nice metal case. There is a protective piece of material on top when you open it that keeps your knife safe upon arrival.

The knife and engraving are displayed nicely upon opening. It makes for a great presentation when revealing it as a gift!

Here's a few additional shots of this cool knife. I'm not even sure off the top of my head how many tools it has, but it's a good amount!

The second gift I purchased for myself, simply because it looked awesome and I wanted one, was the "Double Trouble Box Set" or I think it's called the "Box of Trust" on the website. You can see it on their website here: Double Trouble Box Set (Just note, it is more expensive than it appears when you first click the link - I initially thought it was only $24.99 for everything, but it cost extra to get the box with BOTH items - so just be aware of that. Not a big deal, but I don't want anybody to be disappointed if they try to order it and realize it costs more than they expected). I loved the weight and the rugged feel of this knife. I love being able to personalize it again as well. I lose things far too often and feel like it's much more likely to find it's way back to me if it has my last name plastered all over it! But for the record, I really hope to never lose this bad boy! It's a cool knife! I picked this set to purchase because I thought it would be a cool thing to show guys as a gift idea for their men. It comes in a personalized box (you can put your wedding date or his birthday, etc. on it - I chose my birthday) It is well packaged and it makes it so easy to gift by simply putting everything in the personalized box and giving it to him. If you want to fancy it up a little, it has a nice rustic feel to it, so you could maybe put a burlap ribbon around it or something. It wouldn't need much. Check out these pics!

Here's the box you would be able to present it in.

It includes some filler material so you can fluff it up a little and make it look nice in the box. Also, the flask can be personalized with the same date as the box and the 3 initials of the person it will belong to. The personalization of these gifts just makes them super cool!

Here's some more pics!

Isn't that a COOL set?!?! I love it!

The last item I received is probably my favorite. It is so freaking cool! I can imagine groomsmen LOVING these as their wedding gifts from the groom! And again, this would make a great gift idea for anybody, for any occasion (even if they don't drink - I don't drink enough to NEED a flask, but I still think it's really cool and I'm glad to have it!).

So, for the ultimate in personalization, check out this ultra cool flask! On the website, it is called, "The Man in the Iron Flask". It can be seen here: Man in the Iron Flask

I'll let the pictures do the talking.

Not too bad eh?!?!?

I think these are all cool gifts and am super excited to share this with you. If you're struggling with gift ideas for a guy in your life, I hope this helps and gives you some cool ideas on what to get him! Again, if you like these gifts, click on the links above or just browse their website at: www.groovyguygifts.com

Thank you so much for checking out my site! If you're looking for a photographer, I can help you with that TOO! I live in Sioux City, Iowa, but I will travel anywhere in the world to photograph your event. Give me a call and we can book your appointment! I look forward to chatting with you more!

Contact ME

Shane Monahan Photography, Sioux City, Iowa wedding and portrait photographer

Quinton and Kelsie's wedding - Sioux City, IA

(Sioux City, IA Wedding Photographer | Shane Monahan Photography) — Wed, 18 Apr 2018 21:28:40 GMT

Quinton and Kelsie

Wedding Photography - Delta Hotel & Event Center & Country Celebrations; South Sioux City, NE/Sioux City, Iowa

Back in March, Becca and I had the great privilege of starting our wedding season off by shooting Quinton and Kelsie's wedding at Country Celebrations here in Sioux City. It was a beautiful day, but thanks to the recent snowfall, also a very sloppy and wet day outside as everything was melting! The day started off at the old Marina Inn which is now called Delta Hotels by Marriott (I'm sorry, it will probably always be the Marina to me!) We had hoped to go outside for a number of photos, but since it was either muddy or still messy in most places we wanted to go, we had to get creative and use more indoor spots than originally planned.

The wedding ceremony and reception were held at the beautiful Country Celebrations Event Center. We love getting to shoot weddings out there as it always looks gorgeous! It was a fantastic wedding to start our 2018 season off with! These two are such a sweet couple. They were willing to do anything we tried to do for photos and never once complained about the sloppy weather or any crazy thing we might have asked of them! Kelsie was absolutely stunning! Quinton is a stud. Together, they are such a beautiful couple inside and out. Thank you again for letting us be a part of your day! We wish you many years of happiness!

Click HERE to contact Shane and Becca to check on availability for your wedding photography needs. We are Sioux City photographers, but we will travel to any destination to shoot your wedding. Thanks for visiting my site!

Authored by: SHANE Photographed by: SHANE & BECCA Category: WEDDINGS HOTEL: DELTA HOTELS by MARRIOTT Venue: COUNTRY CELEBRATIONS Destination: SIOUX CITY, IOWA CAKE: CAKES TO REMEMBER FLOWERS: PETAL PUSHERS DECOR: 6 SOUTH DESIGNS ENTERTAINMENT: CODY HICKS AND BAND DRESS: CHRYSALIS (ORANGE CITY) SUITS: RALPH LAUREN - MEN'S WEARHOUSE

Sioux City Summer Fest 2017

(Sioux City, IA Wedding Photographer | Shane Monahan Photography) — Mon, 05 Jun 2017 03:35:53 GMT

Sioux City Summer Fest 2017 - Sioux City, Iowa

So last year when the Summer Fest carnival came to town, I was out on an engagement shoot. After I finished with the couple, I decided to stop over by the Tyson Event Center to see if I could get a few cool photos of the carnival. I was in the area, so I figured why not. That photo shoot resulted in this photo.

It got a lot of love on Facebook. In fact, I am positive that photo received more "Likes" than any other photo I've ever posted. Yay! Totally worth stopping and shooting! As a result, I got hooked up with the awesome Kevin Wolff over at iHeartRadio and he asked me to partner up with him and do it again this year!

It's a bit of pressure to try to replicate the success one photo had a year ago, so instead of trying for ONE great photo, I've spent the last four days trying to capture a bit of the excitement from the whole event (in between shooting weddings and trying to pack my house for an upcoming move date!)

I think the carnival so far has been a huge success! Lots of people have been down there and everybody seems to be having a great time! Today was a blast! They offered free rides for one hour and 7 minutes between 4:00 and 5:07. The place was packed with people and excitement! They had a stilt walker, a clown, a fire manipulator/juggler, live DJ playing music, so much food (have I mentioned Funnel Cake yet) and lots of free rides! If you haven't been down there yet, I encourage you to check it out. We have a lot of carnivals in town during the summer, but this is by far the best one in my opinion. It's a great way to get out of the house and have some fun with your family!

That said, enough talking! Here are some of my favorite photos from the last 4 days! Oh and since you're over here - if you're looking to get married or know someone who is, check out my site. My wife and I work together and love getting to work with couples to capture their big day! We'd love to work with you too! Contact info is below if you're interested. Thanks!

Click HERE to contact Shane and Becca to check on availability for your wedding photography needs. We are Sioux City photographers, but we will travel to any destination to shoot your wedding. Thanks for visiting my site!

Authored by: SHANE Photographed by: SHANE Category: EVENT CHURCH: N/A Venue: TYSON EVENT'S CENTER Destination: SIOUX CITY, IOWA

Devon and Abby's wedding - Sioux City, IA

(Sioux City, IA Wedding Photographer | Shane Monahan Photography) — Sat, 15 Aug 2015 03:32:41 GMT

Devon and Abby

Wedding Photography - Peace Reformed Church & Bev's on the River; Sioux City, Iowa

Two weekends ago, Becca and I had the honor of photographing Devon and Abby's wedding at Peace Reformed Church here in Sioux City. We love the modern feel and design of this beautiful church. Devon's father is the pastor at Peace Reformed and was also the one to marry the couple. It made the ceremony even more emotional and powerful than usual having his Dad at the front while they shared their vows. I love photographing weddings like this. Nothing better than when people let their guards down and aren't afraid to show emotion during times like this.

After the ceremony, the wedding party hopped on a trolly with a guy that I have to believe has a bunch of fans! Cowboy Tom was the driver and all I can say is - he's the only driver I've ever been around that was "memorable". Not that I haven't been around great drivers or nice drivers, he's just hard to forget. Kind of like Kramer on Seinfeld. Ha! Great guy with a fun personality. He loves what he does!

The wedding was followed up by a gorgeous reception down at Bev's on the River. The reception was FULL! These two are popular! Not much else I can say about that. What a beautiful wedding and reception though. All of the details came together perfectly and we couldn't have asked for a better day.

Enjoy the photos!

Authored by: SHANE Photographed by: SHANE & BECCA Category: WEDDINGS CHURCH: PEACE REFORMED CHURCH Venue: BEV'S ON THE RIVER, IOWA Destination: SIOUX CITY, IOWA

Tori and Ben's Iowa Wedding!

(Sioux City, IA Wedding Photographer | Shane Monahan Photography) — Mon, 06 Jul 2015 01:20:37 GMT

Benjamin and Victoria

Wedding Photography - Silver Sioux Barn; Quimby, Iowa

I have been super busy and have neglected my blog for almost a year! Tori and Ben's wedding was one of those weddings though. There were SO many personal touches and special "moments" throughout the day I HAD to post a blog for their wedding (This would have been WAY too many photos to post on Facebook!). Don't get me wrong, every wedding I shoot has great moments, but Tori and Ben's day just KEPT producing them.

Becca and I often tell couples to "be in the moment", but the day of the wedding it can be SO DIFFICULT for couples. So much time and money is spent planning for the big day and then in the blink of an eye, it's over. Often, the stress of family, friends, small children, vendors, etc. can be too much and it overwhelms couples, preventing them from enjoying all they have worked so hard for. When we witness someone just stopping for a second and being in the moment, it is a beautiful thing. You'll see it in the pictures, but after Tori and Ben had their first look, Tori actually wanted to just walk to the lodge where everyone else was hanging out. Normally, this wouldn't be a big deal, but it was probably a half mile to a mile away down a dirt road! I was surprised that she wanted to do this, but once we began walking, I remembered myself how nice it is to slow down once in a while and just take in the day (We forget to do this also!). They had a nice walk that resulted in some beautiful moments including a mini private dance with some good twirls of the dress and even a little dip. It was stuff like that, that just kept happening all day long.

Their rustic country wedding took place at the Silver Sioux Barn near Quimby, Iowa. I have never been there or shot there before, but after this wedding, I am a huge fan of the place! It is a quick 50 minute drive out of Sioux City and worth the drive. The park it is located in is gorgeous and the venue just has so much to offer for photography! I'm selfish like that!

A couple favorite moments besides the walk - I've never been at a wedding where the groom met the bride halfway down and walked her the rest of the way. Ben met her at the halfway point and walked her to the front. This was necessary to honor both her step father and her father. Her step dad began the walk and took her to the half way point, Ben met her in the middle and her Dad was at the front waiting for them as he was conducting the ceremony and actually married them. It was just a beautiful ceremony! They also had one of their favorite bands, "Marah" there playing live music for the dancing and entertainment. Ben and Tori's song is, "You are my sunshine" and Marah didn't disappoint with their rendition of it.

Also, Ben is a huge Star Wars fan! Pay attention to his boutonniere (Yoda) and his gift from Tori (Darth Vader toaster). Let's not forget the stuff you can't experience in photos - their ceremony ended with them exiting to the closing theme from Star Wars. Ben is a man after my own heart!

I will let the pictures tell the rest of the story, but it was a beautiful wedding and a terrific day overall! Thank you so much for choosing us to be your photographers! We hope you love the photos as much as we loved taking them!

Ben and Tori's Quimby, Iowa wedding by Sioux City photographers Shane Monahan Photography Ben and Tori's Quimby, Iowa wedding by Sioux City photographers Shane Monahan Photography Ben and Tori's Quimby, Iowa wedding by Sioux City photographers Shane Monahan Photography Ben and Tori's Quimby, Iowa wedding by Sioux City photographers Shane Monahan Photography Ben and Tori's Quimby, Iowa wedding by Sioux City photographers Shane Monahan Photography Ben and Tori's Quimby, Iowa wedding by Sioux City photographers Shane Monahan Photography Ben and Tori's Quimby, Iowa wedding by Sioux City photographers Shane Monahan Photography Ben and Tori's Quimby, Iowa wedding by Sioux City photographers Shane Monahan Photography Ben and Tori's Quimby, Iowa wedding by Sioux City photographers Shane Monahan Photography Ben and Tori's Quimby, Iowa wedding by Sioux City photographers Shane Monahan Photography Ben and Tori's Quimby, Iowa wedding by Sioux City photographers Shane Monahan Photography Ben and Tori's Quimby, Iowa wedding by Sioux City photographers Shane Monahan Photography Ben and Tori's Quimby, Iowa wedding by Sioux City photographers Shane Monahan Photography Ben and Tori's Quimby, Iowa wedding by Sioux City photographers Shane Monahan Photography Ben and Tori's Quimby, Iowa wedding by Sioux City photographers Shane Monahan Photography Ben and Tori's Quimby, Iowa wedding by Sioux City photographers Shane Monahan Photography Ben and Tori's Quimby, Iowa wedding by Sioux City photographers Shane Monahan Photography Ben and Tori's Quimby, Iowa wedding by Sioux City photographers Shane Monahan Photography Ben and Tori's Quimby, Iowa wedding by Sioux City photographers Shane Monahan Photography Ben and Tori's Quimby, Iowa wedding by Sioux City photographers Shane Monahan Photography Ben and Tori's Quimby, Iowa wedding by Sioux City photographers Shane Monahan Photography Ben and Tori's Quimby, Iowa wedding by Sioux City photographers Shane Monahan Photography Ben and Tori's Quimby, Iowa wedding by Sioux City photographers Shane Monahan Photography Ben and Tori's Quimby, Iowa wedding by Sioux City photographers Shane Monahan Photography Ben and Tori's Quimby, Iowa wedding by Sioux City photographers Shane Monahan Photography Ben and Tori's Quimby, Iowa wedding by Sioux City photographers Shane Monahan Photography Ben and Tori's Quimby, Iowa wedding by Sioux City photographers Shane Monahan Photography Ben and Tori's Quimby, Iowa wedding by Sioux City photographers Shane Monahan Photography Ben and Tori's Quimby, Iowa wedding by Sioux City photographers Shane Monahan Photography Ben and Tori's Quimby, Iowa wedding by Sioux City photographers Shane Monahan Photography Ben and Tori's Quimby, Iowa wedding by Sioux City photographers Shane Monahan Photography Ben and Tori's Quimby, Iowa wedding by Sioux City photographers Shane Monahan Photography Ben and Tori's Quimby, Iowa wedding by Sioux City photographers Shane Monahan Photography Ben and Tori's Quimby, Iowa wedding by Sioux City photographers Shane Monahan Photography Ben and Tori's Quimby, Iowa wedding by Sioux City photographers Shane Monahan Photography Ben and Tori's Quimby, Iowa wedding by Sioux City photographers Shane Monahan Photography Ben and Tori's Quimby, Iowa wedding by Sioux City photographers Shane Monahan Photography Ben and Tori's Quimby, Iowa wedding by Sioux City photographers Shane Monahan Photography Ben and Tori's Quimby, Iowa wedding by Sioux City photographers Shane Monahan Photography Ben and Tori's Quimby, Iowa wedding by Sioux City photographers Shane Monahan Photography Ben and Tori's Quimby, Iowa wedding by Sioux City photographers Shane Monahan Photography Ben and Tori's Quimby, Iowa wedding by Sioux City photographers Shane Monahan Photography Ben and Tori's Quimby, Iowa wedding by Sioux City photographers Shane Monahan Photography Ben and Tori's Quimby, Iowa wedding by Sioux City photographers Shane Monahan Photography Ben and Tori's Quimby, Iowa wedding by Sioux City photographers Shane Monahan Photography Ben and Tori's Quimby, Iowa wedding by Sioux City photographers Shane Monahan Photography Ben and Tori's Quimby, Iowa wedding by Sioux City photographers Shane Monahan Photography Ben and Tori's Quimby, Iowa wedding by Sioux City photographers Shane Monahan Photography Ben and Tori's Quimby, Iowa wedding by Sioux City photographers Shane Monahan Photography Ben and Tori's Quimby, Iowa wedding by Sioux City photographers Shane Monahan Photography Ben and Tori's Quimby, Iowa wedding by Sioux City photographers Shane Monahan Photography Ben and Tori's Quimby, Iowa wedding by Sioux City photographers Shane Monahan Photography

One last thing... Since Ben is such a big Star Wars nerd like myself, I gotta throw this in just for him! :)

Authored by: SHANE Photographed by: SHANE & BECCA Category: WEDDINGS Venue: SILVER SIOUX BARN; QUIMBY, IOWA Destination: QUIMBY, IOWA

John and Kelly's Wedding - Marcus, Iowa

(Sioux City, IA Wedding Photographer | Shane Monahan Photography) — Mon, 11 Aug 2014 04:50:19 GMT

John & Kelly

Wedding Photography - Marcus, Iowa

I first met John at a different wedding Becca and I were photographing a year prior to their big day. John was actually one of the groomsmen for our friend's Brian and Rachel that day. I am SO glad these two decided to hire us for their wedding! John and Kelly, Rachel and Brian and their group of friends in general, have been some of the kindest, funniest people we've ever worked with! Seriously - they KNOW how to have fun!

I love photographing farmers because they usually have access to cool toys, tractors and great locations! John is also a firefighter so we were able to take advantage of that for photos when we did their engagement pics! As far as the wedding day went, I've said it before and I'll say it again - I love photographing weddings in these beautiful old Catholic churches! They have so much character and beauty.

This wedding also included probably the scariest thing I've done to date in my efforts to capture a great photo! We went to the farm in between the wedding and reception to capture some photos and John thought it would be cool to get a shot of the whole wedding party on the steps to this silo/grain bin thing with me up high shooting down on them! I agreed! I was probably between 40 and 50 feet up in the air, wind was blowing, the steps were non slip (which means they had really sharp platforms that I couldn't kneel on or rest my arms on) so I was holding my camera with my heaviest/most expensive lens in between the steps hovering above the wedding party with nothing to stabilize myself on!! I was a little nervous to say the least! Anything for a good shot though! I loved the resulting photo and would do it again in a heart beat! Living on the edge! We also got pictures on the swing set which John and his siblings played on growing up. They each got a picture sitting in THEIR childhood swing! I love taking photos that have meaning and are more than just a pretty picture! Swing set fit the bill!

These two light up the room when they are around each other. I LOVED John's reaction to seeing Kelly for the first time. He was SO excited! There is almost nothing I love more than seeing a groom get excited about seeing his bride in her wedding dress for the first time. These two are going to have a long happy marriage. What more could you ask for? Becca and I are just honored to have been a part of something so beautiful. There were so many great moments that happened, I can't name them all, but it was a GREAT day! Thank you again to both of you for letting us be a part of the excitement! We couldn't have asked for a better experience with you and everyone involved in your wedding. You both are amazing people and have surrounded yourself with a wonderful group of family and friends! We are glad to know you and call you our friends as well now. :) Congrats again!

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Authored by: SHANE Photographed by: SHANE & BECCA Category: WEDDINGS Venue: HOLY NAME CATHOLIC CHURCH/MARCUS COMMUNITY CENTER Destination: MARCUS, IOWA

Hard Rock Casino now open in Sioux City!

(Sioux City, IA Wedding Photographer | Shane Monahan Photography) — Sat, 02 Aug 2014 04:06:59 GMT

The Hard Rock Casino opened tonight here in Sioux City! I dropped by to grab some photos of the guitar smashing ceremony and see the unveiling of their beautiful new facilities! The facilities look awesome! It was PACKED tonight so it was a little difficult to check out everything they had to offer, but it's exciting to have another great option for shows and entertainment in our city. Here's a few pictures from the guitar smashing ceremony! There was even a Gene Simmons look alike in the house! :)

Jeremy and Ann Marie - Proposal, engagement, wedding, reception and THRILLER

(Sioux City, IA Wedding Photographer | Shane Monahan Photography) — Sun, 13 Jul 2014 21:01:24 GMT

Jeremy and Ann Marie

Wedding Photos and more - Sioux City, Iowa

Let me start out by saying, if you're looking for the Thriller video, this is the correct place to see it. Scroll all the way to the bottom if you don't want to read the details about this awesome couple. (You're missing out though if you skip ahead!)

I normally don't post a blog from a wedding I shot until I am ready to post pictures from the whole day and they've been edited, etc. I've been involved with so many parts of Jeremy and Ann Marie's engaged and now married life, but have had photos and videos I couldn't post until now. These two have been an unbelievable joy to work with and I hope we have many more opportunities to work with them going forward. Their love for one another is infectious and they are just a fun couple to be around. It has been a pleasure and an honor to be able to work with you both!

It started when Jeremy first contacted me in December of 2012 to photograph him proposing to his then girlfriend on New Years Eve. It was the first time I had the pleasure of doing something like that with someone, but I was completely psyched to do it! His plan was to have a beautiful dinner at Bev's on the River and have me approach them like a media person interviewing them about drinking on New Years Eve. I was posing as a member of "Stay Classy Iowa". I am not a videographer and don't normally do video. That said, I couldn't resist the opportunity to video a proposal. Seemed like it would make my interview story more legit too anyway! My interview skills are pretty rough and my audio on the video was a bit of a struggle, but I think the video says all that needs to be said about that moment. Jeremy likes to point out that the first words out of her mouth after he asked were, "No…." :)

Enjoy this video and pics from their proposal.

Then came the engagement shoot - which turned into one of the messiest, craziest shoots I've done to date, but it was a blast! Have I mentioned how much fun these two are?

THEN came the secret wedding. Not secret because they wanted to keep loved ones out of the loop, but secret because they wanted their destination wedding in the Dominican Republic to be special for themselves, but also for everyone involved. Getting married in the courthouse before their beach wedding just made all of the legal stuff easier and hassle free for them so things could go smoothly out of the country. They're not the first to have to go this route, but I was so glad they were interested in having photos taken just so these special moments could still be treasured. That said, even though they were just getting married in the Courthouse, these two weren't going to let their wedding day go to waste! This was the first wedding I got to be a witness in. :) Not to mention having to keep a secret for almost a year!

Then the beach wedding happened which sadly I was unable to be a part of due to the outrageously high resort fees charged for bringing in an outside photographer. So I don't have any photos taken by me to show off from the Dominican. They did get some gorgeous photos from their destination wedding though! They just weren't by me.

Fast forward to yesterday which was the big reception day! I have been anticipating this day for quite some time! 6 months to a year ago, they told me about the "Thriller" dance that Jeremy and his friends do at every wedding they are a part of! I got to see some iPhone footage and was immediately excited about this happening at their reception! The reception was beautiful and their hard work was very evident as they put a lot of thought into the details and events they had planned for their day! They both have wonderful families and friends as well so it was nice getting to visit with each of them! Since the reception was just yesterday, I don't have a lot of pictures to share yet, but here are a few -

The photo booth was a huge hit last night as well! I won't post those pics because, what happens in the photo booth should probably stay in the photo booth! But it was a lot of fun!

And last but not least, the thing I've been eagerly anticipating for months, the Thriller performance by Jeremy and his friends! This was one of those things that really needed to be recorded on video to be fully appreciated. Pictures alone just don't do it justice. Out came the videography again! I think the audio is a little better this time around! Unless you hang with their crowd, you might not ever get to witness something like this in person! It was definitely a special thing to witness and I will remember it for a long time to come! So much fun! Enjoy the video!

THRILLER!

There were also some technical difficulties from the DJ during the reception with the audio so if you missed their highlight video and wanted to watch it again, here it is: Click play below! (NOTE, video contains photos from their childhood through their Dominican wedding). I did not photograph all of these photos and am not claiming to take credit for all of them. (I did take some though!)

Authored by: SHANE Photographed by: SHANE & BECCA Category: WEDDINGS, ENGAGEMENTS, PROPOSALS Venue: BEV'S ON THE RIVER, EMMA'S EVENT CENTER Destination: SIOUX CITY, IOWA

Melissa and Craig's Wedding photos - Sioux City, Iowa

(Sioux City, IA Wedding Photographer | Shane Monahan Photography) — Sat, 12 Jul 2014 16:31:24 GMT

Melissa & Craig

Wedding Photos - Sioux City, Iowa

As I prepare to walk out the door to shoot another wedding today, I wanted to share some photos from Melissa and Craig's beautiful wedding from two weeks ago. All of the weddings we get to be a part of are special, but this wedding had some unique moments that made it different from many of the weddings we shoot.

Melissa's son Ethan took on many roles throughout the day and deserves a lot of credit for what he did. Because he was the man in her life before Craig came along, Ethan was one of the first ones to see Melissa after she got into her dress, he was the ring bearer AND he walked her down the aisle! Not bad for the young man! He also was part of a really great toast at the reception and had a sweet solo dance with his Momma at the end of the night. That's a full day for anybody, let alone a boy his age.

There were SO many amazing people that contributed to making this wedding such a beautiful and memorable day. Melissa's mom was so nice and was amazing with her part in the planning of the day. Craig's parents were equally wonderful and it was neat seeing the love they all had for one another. Melissa and Craig actually carried on a family tradition by having their wedding day on Craig's Mom's birthday! The birthday song and speech given for her at the reception was beautiful and well deserved for a remarkable lady.

All in all, it was a terrific wedding and we were so blessed to be a part of it! Congratulations to Melissa, Craig and Ethan on your happy little family! We were so happy to be your photographers and we wish you many years of happiness!

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Authored by: SHANE Photographed by: SHANE & BECCA Category: WEDDINGS Venue: MORNINGSIDE LUTHERAN CHURCH & MARINA CENTERDestination: SIOUX CITY, IOWA AND SOUTH SIOUX CITY, NEBRASKA

Rebecca and Kevin's Wedding Photos - Elk Point, South Dakota

(Sioux City, IA Wedding Photographer | Shane Monahan Photography) — Thu, 26 Jun 2014 20:09:18 GMT

Rebecca & Kevin

Wedding Photos - Elk Point & Dakota Dunes, South Dakota

I usually have the opportunity to do engagement photos with each couple I photograph prior to shooting their wedding. With Becky (Rebecca) and Kevin however, it just didn't work out due to our schedules, weather and the out of town factor. If we don't get to shoot engagement photos, it's never the end of the world, but it does make things a bit easier on the wedding day simply because the couple is more comfortable with me. It's nice if the first time you step in front of my camera is not on your wedding day when your mind is thinking about a million other things. Again, it's not something that worries me too much because I feel confident enough in what I do that everything will work out. This wedding had me a little nervous though. We didn't get to do the engagement shoot which can cause a little awkwardness as couples get comfortable in front of the camera, but what made me nervous was all the rain we've been having actually forced I29 to close due to the Big Sioux river threatening to flood over it's banks. It wouldn't have been a huge deal, except the wedding wasn't in Sioux City - It was in Elk Point and the reception was in Dakota Dunes - both on opposite sides of the closure. A simple 20 minute ride away from each other without the detour. With the detour however, it was a 75 mile reroute and about an hour and a half extra driving!! We would have been driving that twice in the same day - once to get from Dakota Dunes to Elk Point and once to get back. 3 hours on the road(give or take depending on driving speed)! No problem…. I was a little nervous because it was going to make our timeline even more difficult to get a lot of photos in for the couple, plus, it was one more thing to add stress and tension to a couple that had never been in front of my camera. Now I was getting nervous.

Calls were made, Becca and I tried to drive the back roads ourselves to see if there was an unlisted back road we could use… something, anything…. nothing. All that said, turns out we had a little good fortune on our side after all. The Friday before the wedding, the interstate opened back up and on Saturday Becky and Kevin were two of the most relaxed people I've ever worked with. I think the overwhelming stress of the interstate closing and how it would affect their guests combined with the relief of it opening back up made the normal wedding day stress seem like a walk in the park. They were both amazing to work with all day long. Not only were they awesome to work with, but they had an incredible wedding party! Oh my word… Becca and I usually have a great time with wedding party's anyway, but this group took it to another level! They were absolutely a blast to work with and they might have had more fun on the party bus than any group I've ever shot! What a fun group! After all the concerns we had leading up to the wedding, the day actually ended up going perfect.

Thank you so much for choosing us to photograph your day. You are a beautiful couple inside and out, with an incredible group of friends and family to support you. We were so blessed to be a part of your wedding. Thanks again! P.S. I hope you've had a chance to look through your photo booth pictures and videos! Oh my! Haha! :)

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Authored by: SHANE Photographed by: SHANE & BECCA Category: WEDDINGS Venue: IMMANUEL LUTHERAN CHURCH & DAKOTA DUNES COUNTRY CLUB Destination: ELK POINT & DAKOTA DUNES, SOUTH DAKOTA

Brittany and Lee's Wedding - Storm Lake, Iowa

(Sioux City, IA Wedding Photographer | Shane Monahan Photography) — Wed, 25 Jun 2014 19:17:12 GMT

Brittany & Lee

Wedding Photos - Storm Lake, Iowa

Becca and I had the joy of photographing our first wedding at the beautiful King's Pointe resort in Storm Lake, Iowa a couple weeks ago. The midwest has been getting wrecked with thunderstorms, tornadoes and lots and lots of rain! We were certain the wedding day was going to be rained out and we would be forced to do all of our photography indoors. The drive there had us driving through torrential rain with almost zero visibility. Not reassuring to say the least. Turns out - We were wrong! There were a few sprinkles and definitely cloudy skies, but miraculously, Storm Lake managed to hold off getting blasted until the wedding was over and we were out of town. The drive home was another story. Definitely one of the scariest drives we've ever been involved in! Tornado warnings were everywhere that night. While we were driving, we actually would see crazy funnel clouds in the sky every time lightning lit the sky up. So creepy to say the least.

That said, the wedding day was GREAT! We loved working with these two and couldn't have been happier with how the day went. They have a wonderful family and group of friends. Brittany was absolutely stunning as a bride and Lee looked awesome! Is it just me, or does he remind you a little of Daniel Craig in some of the shots they took together. I was definitely thinking he pulled off the cool James Bond look in some of the shots. Brittany is an easy choice to be a Bond girl. Gorgeous. We were so blessed to have the opportunity to photograph these two. As photogenic as they were together, the love they showed each other was even better! Oh and can we talk about the traveling Elmo? Haha! For those who don't know the back story, apparently Elmo has a long family tradition of showing up randomly at special events. He made an appearance at the wedding and it was awesome! My daughter is an absolute Elmo fanatic and would have lost her mind if she had been there to see him. :)

Thank you so much for choosing us to photograph your wedding day. I'm sure you could have found photographers anywhere who would have been dying to photograph the two of you, let alone get to shoot a destination wedding at King's Pointe resort. It means so much to us knowing you trusted us with such an important occasion. Thank you again! We wish you both many years of happiness!!

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Authored by: SHANE Photographed by: SHANE & BECCA Category: WEDDINGS Venue: GRACE LUTHERAN CHURCH & KING'S POINTE RESORT; STORM LAKE, IOWA Destination: STORM LAKE, IOWA

Leah and Stephen - Engagement Photos, Sioux City, Iowa

(Sioux City, IA Wedding Photographer | Shane Monahan Photography) — Fri, 13 Jun 2014 18:10:16 GMT

Leah & Stephen

Engagement Photos - Sioux City, Iowa

Living in Iowa, Becca and I don't have the opportunity to shoot a lot of December weddings. It's just too dang cold for most people! Ha! Fortunately, not everyone avoids the chilly winters as Leah and Stephen recently found us to shoot their December wedding this year at the Peirce Mansion in Sioux City! These two are a lot of fun and I am excited about getting to know them even better as we get closer to their big day!

This shoot was all about the engagement photos for now though! They love going to Sioux City hockey games and spending time together at home. We wanted to give a nod to the hometown Muskies so we started out with some photos by the Tyson Event Center and then made our way downtown for the rest of their shoot. The weather held up perfectly for us and I'm pretty sure nobody had a drop of sweat. It was a fun shoot! Those are my kind of nights!

Thanks again for trusting us to photograph your wedding! We can't wait!!

Authored by: SHANE MONAHAN Photographed by: SHANE Category: ENGAGEMENT Venue: TYSON EVENT CENTER & DOWNTOWN SIOUX CITY AREA; SIOUX CITY, IOWA Destination: SIOUX CITY, IOWA

Sonya and James wedding photos - Sioux City, Iowa

(Sioux City, IA Wedding Photographer | Shane Monahan Photography) — Thu, 12 Jun 2014 01:52:05 GMT

Sonya and James

Wedding Photos - Sioux City, Iowa

Becca and I first met Jim almost 15 years ago. When Sonya first called me about photographing her wedding, we were thrilled to find out we would be reunited with an old friend and his wonderful wife to be! Whenever we have the privilege of shooting a wedding at Morningside Assembly of God, it always has an added sentiment for us because Becca and I were married in that same church almost 14 years ago!

Jim is an avid hunter and fisherman while Sonya has a love for scrapbooking. We always try to find a way to incorporate something personal into each wedding we photograph. We weren't set up to go hunting or fishing, but it worked out perfect for us to visit the Sioux City Art Center to get creative photos Sonya could use in her scrapbooking! I definitely asked the wedding party to do things I don't typically do in a shoot, but we weren't making any photo stops between the ceremony and reception and I knew the Art Center was our best shot at getting some creative shots.

The wedding party was awesome! They went along with everything we asked and I couldn't be happier with how the photos turned out! Thank you so much to the Sioux City Art Center for allowing us to take photos in your facility, thank you to the wedding party for being willing to do everything I asked and thank you so much to Jim and Sonya for allowing us to photograph your wedding. We are blessed to know you.

If you enjoyed these photos, please follow/Like us on Facebook here: Facebook and if you are interested in learning more about what goes into editing photos and how that process works, check out this awesome article by shootdotedit.com ! http://shootdotedit.com/2018/04/how-to-edit-wedding-photos/ I use shootdotedit exclusively for my really big jobs and it allows me to get my weddings finished/delivered to my couples SO MUCH FASTER than if I was trying to do it all by myself. If you're a photographer reading this, check them out and give them a try. It's one of the best decisions I've ever made for my business. You won't regret it!

Authored by: SHANE Photographed by: SHANE & BECCA Category: WEDDINGS Venue: MORNINGSIDE ASSEMBLY OF GOD & SIOUX CITY ART CENTER; SIOUX CITY, IOWA Destination: SIOUX CITY, IOWA

Amanda and Brett's wedding - Sioux City, Iowa

(Sioux City, IA Wedding Photographer | Shane Monahan Photography) — Tue, 10 Jun 2014 16:16:05 GMT

Amanda & Brett

Wedding Photos - Sioux City, Iowa

Amanda and Brett are two incredible people and I absolutely misread them. Becca and I photograph a lot of weddings. I feel like I've gotten to a point where I can kind of sense if a couple is going to show a lot of emotion and how the family will react, etc. Every family is different and shows their emotions in different ways. Some just show less outward emotions than others. Nothing wrong with that. Being a photographer, I love it when people are more outward expressing with their feelings. It photographs well. :)

That said, for whatever reason, I did not expect Amanda and Brett's wedding to have as many amazing emotional moments as it did. Shame on me for thinking like that. Their wedding was beautiful. They told me Amanda's father was not very emotional and that he wouldn't cry. I'll give him this, I don't think I would use the term cry for him either, but I'm pretty sure his eyes looked a little glassy when he saw Amanda for the first time. He said he had actually practiced his speech and various other moments the night before so he would maintain his composure. He even came prepared to the first look with Amanda and had a hanky for her. For those of you who know me, I've told you this before. Since my daughter was born, I have a soft spot for Dad's on the wedding day now. Later that night, he gave one of the most beautiful toasts I've heard at a wedding as well. Considering this man was not supposed to be someone who was very emotional, he had me in tears and probably a good number of guests as well. He also received a standing ovation after his toast to Amanda and Brett which I feel may also be a first for a wedding I've shot. It was pretty awesome.

But that wasn't the only moment. Brett was amazing during his first look with Amanda! It was a great moment and almost nothing makes me happier than seeing a groom tear up the first time he sees his bride. Brett did not disappoint and it was obvious to me right then and there just how much these two really love each other. It was a beautiful moment to say the least.

I could go on and on about the numerous moments and people that made their wedding as wonderful as it was. Amanda's vows, Brett's dance with his Mom, all of the amazing music they were jamming to all day, etc. It was so good! These two have wonderful parents and an amazing group of family and friends in their lives. The wedding was an outdoor wedding at the Anderson Dance Pavillion on the Sioux City waterfront. The reception that followed was at the Stoney Creek Inn. Both locations were perfect for their wedding. It was a great day and we are so thankful we were asked to be a part of it. Thanks again! May you both have many years of happiness!

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Authored by: SHANE Photographed by: SHANE & BECCA Category: WEDDINGS Venue: ANDERSON DANCE PAVILLION & STONEY CREEK INN; SIOUX CITY, IOWA Destination: SIOUX CITY, IOWA

Kendra and Tyson's Engagement Photos - Sioux Falls, South Dakota

(Sioux City, IA Wedding Photographer | Shane Monahan Photography) — Thu, 15 May 2014 19:24:39 GMT

Kendra & Tyson

Engagement Photos - Sioux Falls, South Dakota

Tyson and Kendra are two of the nicest people. They are one of those couples I ALMOST didn't get to photograph! She had contacted me asking about availability (I was available), but after our initial conversation, I hadn't heard back from her in a while. A couple weeks went by and another bride asked about the same day. At that time, I was still available so I told the new bride I was free on her day. Literally the next day, I heard from Kendra again and she wanted to confirm I was still available. The new bride had not followed up so as it stood, I WAS in fact, still open. Knowing there was another interested party, Kendra booked me right away. I am SO happy that she did. The other bride may have been equally incredible (I'll never know), but I LOVE working with these two. They are fun, have a great chemistry together, have great ideas and are just a joy to work with!

This engagement shoot was another opportunity for me to get out of Sioux City for the day. I made the short trip up to Sioux Falls for the evening and got to see some of their favorite spots. I always want engagement shoots to feel like date night and I just happen to be there with a camera capturing the moments. This shoot really did feel like date night. We spent time around the Falls, their favorite neighborhoods and some of their favorite places to get dinner and dessert. It was a fun shoot! Also, I typically shoot engagement shoots by myself since Becca is usually home with our daughter at that time. I didn't have Becca with me for their photo shoot, but they did bring Kendra's sister Jessica along and she was an AWESOME assistant! I didn't want to leave her out. She made the night even easier on my end since she was lugging gear around right with me. Thanks again Jessica!

The wedding will be an outdoor wedding this August. It will probably be a hot day, but I don't even care. I love outdoor weddings and the freedom I have to move around without being too distracting to the guests. Some of my favorite photos have been taken during outdoor weddings! The fact that it will involve these two makes it even better. I can't wait!

Authored by: SHANE Photographed by: SHANE Category: ENGAGEMENTS Venue: OUTDOOR; FALLS PARK, DOWNTOWN SIOUX FALLS, SOUTH DAKOTA Destination: SIOUX FALLS, SOUTH DAKOTA

Stacy and Jared's wedding - Sioux City, Iowa

(Sioux City, IA Wedding Photographer | Shane Monahan Photography) — Tue, 13 May 2014 01:24:38 GMT

Stacy & Jared

Wedding Photos - Sioux City, Iowa

Stacy first contacted me to photograph her wedding nearly TWO years ago! Even though it feels like she's been on my calendar for a very long time, it's amazing how fast that time actually goes. The week leading up to their wedding had been fairly rainy so it was a huge relief when the weather ended up being practically perfect. Not too hot, not too cold, a little breeze to keep the temps comfortable, no rain... No complaints here.

Becca and I have been wanting to photograph a wedding at Morningside Presbyterian as well. It's literally about 3 minutes away from our house, but we had never shot there before. The building is beautiful with amazing old stained glass windows and just lots of character throughout. We were incredibly blessed to shoot this wedding here.

Also, their daughter Brylee did an awesome job throughout the day! Often, it can be very tiring for children of her age to be involved with so many photos and to just do as much as she did throughout the wedding. Brylee was a rock star though! She was really funny during formals and was like a little model flashing different poses all throughout the shoot. Stacy and Jared deserve a lot of credit for raising her well so far and Brylee deserves a lot of credit for being a champ all day long!

These guys have a wonderful little family and have been an absolute joy to work with! Thank you so much for trusting us to shoot your wedding (and for having faith in me to do it well two years ago when my experience was rather limited!) Congratulations again on your marriage!

Authored by: SHANE Photographed by: SHANE & BECCA Category: WEDDINGS Venue: MORNINGSIDE PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH & EMMA'S EVENT CENTER; SIOUX CITY, IOWA Destination: SIOUX CITY, IOWA

Kathy and Brandon - Engagement photos - Sioux City, IA

(Sioux City, IA Wedding Photographer | Shane Monahan Photography) — Thu, 08 May 2014 16:49:10 GMT

Kathy & Brandon

Engagement Photos - Sioux City, Iowa

After a full weekend in Omaha which included a trip to the zoo and an engagement shoot with one of our couples getting married this fall, it was good to be home. Nothing like sleeping in your own bed and getting stuff done! Also, as awesome as it is to shoot in new places, it's always great getting to do shoots in familiar territory as well. Yesterday was one of those really productive days for me. I spent the bulk of my morning and early afternoon helping my friend, pastor and new Dad to be, create some videos for some upcoming messages they will be teaching at church. Then, the afternoon and evening was capped off doing an engagement shoot with this wonderful couple - Brandon and Kathy, which we will be photographing their wedding this August.

I'm thrilled to be working with these two. They are very much in love and just a lot of fun to photograph. Brandon had all kinds of ideas and suggestions for things he wanted to try during the shoot and Kathy is a lovely woman that is just down to do anything. They compliment each other very well. One of my favorite parts about meeting and photographing couples is watching how they interact with each other, how they look at each other and how they make each other laugh. Brandon and Kathy have great chemistry together. It's fun to watch. Also, I LOVE it when couple's enjoy the process of creating photos and bring their own ideas to the table. It makes the whole shoot that much more enjoyable. Their August wedding is quickly approaching so it was important for us to get these done soon. The weather was almost perfect last night. Warm, but a nice breeze to keep us cool. And all the road work aside, I love all the beautiful springtime growth/blossoms, etc. that I am seeing right now in Sioux City. I told Brandon this yesterday, but it reminds me a lot of driving across Ireland. So much green (especially when you head out towards Stone Park) and the trees are looking awesome as well! Good stuff. Enjoy these photos from their engagement shoot. Can't wait till your wedding!

Authored by: SHANE Photographed by: SHANE Category: ENGAGEMENTS Venue: OUTDOOR; STONE PARK, GRANDVIEW PARK, DOWNTOWN SIOUX CITY, IOWA Destination: SIOUX CITY, IOWA

Ashleigh and Cody - Engagement Photos - Omaha, Nebraska

(Sioux City, IA Wedding Photographer | Shane Monahan Photography) — Tue, 06 May 2014 15:06:44 GMT

Ashleigh & Cody

Engagement Photos - Omaha, Nebraska

Becca and I wanted to take a quick mini vacation to Omaha for the weekend before we start getting REALLY busy with wedding season. It worked out perfect to sneak in a quick engagement photo shoot with Ashleigh and Cody. They live in Omaha and we had been discussing when we could meet to do their photos. With their wedding quickly approaching (September), we wanted to act soon. The weather was perfect and we were happy to meet and get their engagement photos taken! I loved having the opportunity to do a shoot in downtown Omaha and in the Old Market area. As long as I've been a photographer, I've wanted to do a photo shoot down there. It finally worked out and I couldn't be happier! It was fun looking at new scenery from our usual photo spot of Sioux City, Iowa. These two are such a sweet couple and I am very much looking forward to shooting their wedding!!

We did manage to take our daughter Ella to the Henry Doorly zoo while in town. She didn't fully appreciate the awesomeness of that zoo, but she did enjoy the petting area. :)

Authored by: SHANE Photographed by: SHANE Category: ENGAGEMENTS Venue: OUTDOOR, OMAHA, NEBRASKA Destination: OMAHA, NEBRASKA

Angie and Sias' wedding - Sioux City, Iowa

(Sioux City, IA Wedding Photographer | Shane Monahan Photography) — Thu, 01 May 2014 22:08:55 GMT

Angie & Sias

Morningside Assembly of God, Sioux City, IA

Angie and Sias are two absolutely amazing people. They both come from caring families and it shows in their wonderful personalities. I didn't realize it or at least remember until late in the night, but Sias and Angie do a lot in a local dance troupe and it turns out, pretty much EVERYBODY involved with this wedding is an awesome dancer! Wait till the end of this post and check out the dancing picks from the first ever DANCE OFF that I've witnessed in place of a garter toss! Also, Angie did a fake out on the bouquet toss as well (in case you're confused why there's multiple shots of her throwing the bouquet).

Angie, Sias, their families and the wedding party all were amazing people to work with and they just really knew how to have a good time. Becca and I had a blast photographing their wedding and we wish them a long happy marriage! Thank you so much for letting us photograph your wedding. It was a beautiful wedding and a perfect day. We had a lot of fun photographing it! Thanks again for having us!

Here's the DANCE OFF I was talking about! So awesome!!

Authored by: SHANE Photographed by: SHANE & BECCA Category: WEDDINGS Venue: MORNINGSIDE ASSEMBLY OF GOD; SIOUX CITY, IOWA & SERGEANT BLUFF COMMUNITY CENTER; SERGEANT BLUFF, IOWA Destination: SIOUX CITY, IOWA/SERGEANT BLUFF, IOWA

Josh and Kristin's Engagement Photos - Sioux City, Iowa

(Sioux City, IA Wedding Photographer | Shane Monahan Photography) — Sat, 05 Apr 2014 20:32:41 GMT

Josh and Kristin met at a bank and their love grew from there. I have a soft spot for bankers as I used to be one myself back in 2000. They already have a little family started with their sweet little dog, "Paisley ". Of course, we had to get a few shots with their puppy included.

These two are incredible people and I can not wait to shoot their wedding later this year! Thanks again to both of you for choosing Becca and I to photograph your wedding! We got lucky and had a pretty nice day for late March. Here are some of my favorites from their engagement photo shoot.

Kristin and Josh Engagement Photos - Sioux City, Iowa - Shane Monahan Photography Kristin and Josh Engagement Photos - Sioux City, Iowa - Shane Monahan Photography Kristin and Josh Engagement Photos - Sioux City, Iowa - Shane Monahan Photography Kristin and Josh Engagement Photos - Sioux City, Iowa - Shane Monahan Photography Kristin and Josh Engagement Photos - Sioux City, Iowa - Shane Monahan Photography Kristin and Josh Engagement Photos - Sioux City, Iowa - Shane Monahan Photography Kristin and Josh Engagement Photos - Sioux City, Iowa - Shane Monahan Photography Kristin and Josh Engagement Photos - Sioux City, Iowa - Shane Monahan Photography Kristin and Josh Engagement Photos - Sioux City, Iowa - Shane Monahan Photography Kristin and Josh Engagement Photos - Sioux City, Iowa - Shane Monahan Photography Kristin and Josh Engagement Photos - Sioux City, Iowa - Shane Monahan Photography Kristin and Josh Engagement Photos - Sioux City, Iowa - Shane Monahan Photography Kristin and Josh Engagement Photos - Sioux City, Iowa - Shane Monahan Photography Kristin and Josh Engagement Photos - Sioux City, Iowa - Shane Monahan Photography Kristin and Josh Engagement Photos - Sioux City, Iowa - Shane Monahan Photography Kristin and Josh Engagement Photos - Sioux City, Iowa - Shane Monahan Photography Kristin and Josh Engagement Photos - Sioux City, Iowa - Shane Monahan Photography Kristin and Josh Engagement Photos - Sioux City, Iowa - Shane Monahan Photography Kristin and Josh Engagement Photos - Sioux City, Iowa - Shane Monahan Photography Kristin and Josh Engagement Photos - Sioux City, Iowa - Shane Monahan Photography Kristin and Josh Engagement Photos - Sioux City, Iowa - Shane Monahan Photography Kristin and Josh Engagement Photos - Sioux City, Iowa - Shane Monahan Photography Kristin and Josh Engagement Photos - Sioux City, Iowa - Shane Monahan Photography Kristin and Josh Engagement Photos - Sioux City, Iowa - Shane Monahan Photography Kristin and Josh Engagement Photos - Sioux City, Iowa - Shane Monahan Photography Kristin and Josh Engagement Photos - Sioux City, Iowa - Shane Monahan Photography Kristin and Josh Engagement Photos - Sioux City, Iowa - Shane Monahan Photography Kristin and Josh Engagement Photos - Sioux City, Iowa - Shane Monahan Photography Kristin and Josh Engagement Photos - Sioux City, Iowa - Shane Monahan Photography Kristin and Josh Engagement Photos - Sioux City, Iowa - Shane Monahan Photography Kristin and Josh Engagement Photos - Sioux City, Iowa - Shane Monahan Photography Kristin and Josh Engagement Photos - Sioux City, Iowa - Shane Monahan Photography Kristin and Josh Engagement Photos - Sioux City, Iowa - Shane Monahan Photography Kristin and Josh Engagement Photos - Sioux City, Iowa - Shane Monahan Photography

Authored by: SHANE Photographed by: SHANE Category: ENGAGEMENTS Venue: MULTIPLE OUTDOOR LOCATIONS, SIOUX CITY, IOWA Destination: DOWNTOWN SIOUX CITY, BACON CREEK

Shane Monahan Photography featured in an article by Siouxland Life

(Sioux City, IA Wedding Photographer | Shane Monahan Photography) — Fri, 04 Apr 2014 17:05:55 GMT

This is just a quick post to share the great article Ally Karsyn of the Sioux City Journal did about Becca and I and what we do. It discusses wedding photography, but also a bit about how technology affects us, our couples and the wedding photography industry as a whole. Special thanks again go out to Ally for reaching out to us for this interview! The article is available to read online and will also be available in the April print version of Siouxland Life available in stores now.

Click on the photo to view the article.

Digital world changes life of photographerSioux City wedding photographer Shane Monahan taking advantage of technology

Here's a photo of Ally I got during the interview. Wonderful person. If you ever get the chance to be interviewed by her for any reason, I highly recommend it. :)

Ally Karsyn of the Sioux City Journal interviewing wedding photographers Shane & Becca Monahan of Shane Monahan Photography about technologyInterview with Sioux City photographers Shane & Becca Monahan