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

Betsy and Bryan's Wedding Photos - Mapleton, Iowa - Shane Monahan Photography

(Sioux City, IA Wedding Photographer | Shane Monahan Photography) — Fri, 28 Mar 2014 19:25:55 GMT

Becca and I have been in full swing already this year with weddings, engagements, photo booth rentals and more! We had the great privilege of photographing Betsy and Bryan's wedding in the beautiful St. Matthew's church in Mapleton, Iowa a couple weeks ago. Being an early March wedding, the weather was brisk, but the day ended up being absolutely beautiful despite a little chill in the air.

The wedding was perfect and the day ended with a beautifully decorated reception at Emma's Event Center in Sioux City! Thank you again for letting us be a part of your day and congratulations to Betsy, Bryan and Caden on your happy little family!

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Authored by: SHANE Photographed by: SHANE & BECCA Category: WEDDINGS Venue: ST. MATTHEWS CHURCH, MAPLETON, IOWA; EMMA'S EVENT CENTER, SIOUX CITY, IOWA Destination: MAPLETON, IOWA & SIOUX CITY, IOWA

March Madness! Cinderella Nebraska style!

(Sioux City, IA Wedding Photographer | Shane Monahan Photography) — Fri, 21 Mar 2014 16:15:54 GMT

This is a quick post just to show some love to my school! My daughter had a few quick pointers for the team! Cinderella has a new set of dancing shoes on and they're RED baby! Go Huskers! Go Big Red! Nebrasketball! Beat Baylor!!

And if you happened upon my site because you're looking for a wedding photographer, this is the correct place! Haha, I just have to give some Nebraska love to my old school! I'd love to discuss your wedding options with you! (Even if you're not a Husker fan, but that always helps!) :) Contact me today to see if your date is still available!

Number 1 reason to have your wedding photos put in an album or some kind of print

(Sioux City, IA Wedding Photographer | Shane Monahan Photography) — Mon, 17 Mar 2014 20:10:38 GMT

Reason number 1 to have your wedding photos put into an album or some kind of print

There might be 10 reasons, 20 reasons, or 1,000 reasons, but this is the most important reason in my opinion. Regardless of who your wedding photographers are, your memories are priceless. You can never get a moment back. You can only reflect on it. Even if you recreate it… it's not the authentic moment. The recreation is simply a "new" moment. If you hire me as your wedding photographer, chances are good you will end up with an wedding album of some sort. The reason I think this is so important is because YOU have full control over your photos.

If your photos are on a CD, DVD, flash drive, etc., you have control over your files, but ultimately you are responsible for backing up those files and keeping up with new technology so you don't render your precious memories obsolete. This can be a daunting task, but not impossible. Still, I think more often than not, we as humans take these things for granted and treat them like a squeaky windshield wiper. We don't think of them until it rains (or until we need to access or view those files). The problem with this mentality is it leaves you vulnerable to the technology getting pulled out from under you. Even still, this isn't too bad as usually major changes in technology won't completely wipe out your data in one big swoop. Just like VCR tapes didn't immediately become obsolete, your media files won't either. You just need to be proactive and keep up with the changes.

However, if your engagement photos, wedding memories, baby photos and more are all stored on sites like Facebook, Myspace, Instagram, Twitter and more…. you may want to reconsider your long term options. My mother passed away from breast cancer in 2008. She wasn't really big on social media, but she DID have an active Myspace page at the time. There were pictures, videos, favorite music selections, her page was decked out with her style… It was a cool memorial to her and a nice place to visit on those days when i was missing her.

Recently, I discovered that Myspace completely redesigned their whole website. I had already lost access to my Mom's music, but now her blog posts and comments were all gone.

This is how her page looks today. That picture in the background is some stock photo and all of her old posts are gone. Apparently, Myspace had wiped pictures and videos for a while too, but have since restored many of those due to user complaints. I don't know how long I'll be able to enjoy those photos and videos on her page. I don't have her log in info so I'll never be able to back them up. If Myspace goes under or does another big overhaul, that could be it. I can't expect Myspace to preserve those memories for me for free indefinitely. They are a business and it's the way things go sometimes. Bottom line is, don't put your precious memories in the hands of someone else. Today, Facebook seems too big to go under, but if history is any indicator, the odds are, eventually Facebook will find themselves in the same place as Myspace. Are your photos and memories protected? Back up your files and make a wedding album for yourself. You'll enjoy looking back at your memories so much more and actually have a nice heirloom to pass on someday.

Happy St. Patty's day to you!

If you are visiting my site because you are interested in engagement or wedding photography, contact Shane today! Contact Form

We are located in Sioux City, Iowa, but we will travel to any destination to photograph your wedding! We have photographed weddings and events in Cancun, Mexico; Minneapolis, Minnesota; Omaha, Nebraska; Norman, Oklahoma; Atlanta, Georgia, Dayton, Ohio; Manhattan, Kansas; Sioux City, Iowa and many, small towns in the Nebraska, Iowa and South Dakota footprint. We'll go anywhere! We look forward to meeting you!

Romantic Proposals or Proposal Ideas

(Sioux City, IA Wedding Photographer | Shane Monahan Photography) — Wed, 05 Mar 2014 20:41:49 GMT

Win a FREE, no obligation, engagement photo shoot ($300 value) by submitting the most romantic proposal story!

These two are having a destination wedding on a tropical beach in like a week or so! I was blessed to be asked to photograph the proposal, the engagement photos and the Sioux City reception! Sadly, many of the tropical beach hotels gouge guests with extra fees if you try to bring in your own photographer. I won't be on the beach for this wedding, but we'll be there for every other part of it! Congrats again to these two!

Jeremy's proposal to AnnMarie!Jeremy had me pretend to be someone interviewing them about drinking responsibly on New Years Eve and such. I told AnnMarie that I thought they were shooting fireworks off in the distance behind her. She turned around to look and when she turned back around, this is what she saw. :)

Jeremy and AnnMarie's engagement shoot!One of the fun photos we captured during their engagement shoot! Speaking of proposals… now that Valentine's Day has come and gone and we're not too far removed from the New Years Eve proposals and such, I'd really love to hear how some of YOU were proposed to. OR, maybe you just have some really romantic ideas you would like to share.

I don't care if your story is from 15 years ago or 15 days ago, I would just like to hear how you proposed or were proposed to. There are so many romantic ideas and ways to pop the question. Google is amazing for those who just can't come up with ideas on their own. My proposal story is a sad one. Haha…. It was well intentioned, but it turned into one of those, "So… wanna get married?"… type of proposals. I'll admit, I've never been very smooth and back in 99 when I proposed, I didn't realize that some day I would be a wedding photographer and be this involved with the wedding industry. Now, whenever we meet with new couples, one of the first questions we ask a couple is how they met and how he or she proposed. My weak proposal from 15 years ago is constantly put to shame by all of the romantic couples we meet. Some things you just can't live down! Ha ha!

So, let's hear YOUR stories! If I get at least 20 submissions (from different couples), I will put the stories to a vote on my Facebook Business page. The couple who receives the most votes for "Most Romantic Proposal" will win a free photo shoot.

About the photo shoot, RULES, etc.: The photo shoot will be like my basic engagement shoot. If you've already been married, already have engagement photos, etc., that's totally fine. If you have a child or two now and want to include them in some photos, that is ok as well. The photo shoot can only be used for you and your significant other or the two of you and your immediate family. This a $300 value, but can not redeemed for cash. If you hire me to shoot your upcoming wedding, I typically include a free engagement session as part of the wedding package. If you would like another shoot at the time, you will be entitled to that, but no refund can be offered as a result of receiving this free photo shoot. If you win the free photo shoot and require me to go to your location outside of Sioux City, travel fees may apply (55 cents per mile to and from location if more than 20 miles away). You can gift the free engagement shoot to another couple if you like. Photo shoot must be completed within one year of the date it is awarded or it will expire. Stories can be submitted between March 5 thru midnight on March 15, 2014. If more than 20 stories have been submitted, this blog post will again be shared on my Facebook business page and will be open for voting. The couple who receives the most votes for "Most Romantic Proposal" within the yet to be determined timeframe, will win the free engagement photo shoot. There MUST be at least 20 stories from 20 different couples before the contest becomes valid. Contestants must also "Like" my Facebook business page as well to qualify. Final product will include high res photos on a disc with copyright permission to make prints at the lab of your choosing. Any additional products would be extra. Taxes will apply for any products purchased beyond the free photo shoot. Shane Monahan Photography reserves the right to cancel or alter this contest without prior notice or warning.

Ok, so that's all the "official rules" stuff. Now, you know you want to share your story! I know I can't wait to hear them! Ready, Set, …GO!

Shane and Becca Monahan are Sioux City wedding photographers, but we will travel to any destination. Contact Shane today to see if your date is available! Contact Form Thanks for visiting my site!!

Wedding Planning 101 Do's and Don'ts

(Sioux City, IA Wedding Photographer | Shane Monahan Photography) — Wed, 26 Feb 2014 22:39:30 GMT

Warning, this is probably the longest blog I have ever posted. I hope it is useful to you in your planning. :) There aren't a lot of pictures in this post, but there are lots of links to help with cheap travel, photo booth rental, purchasing inexpensive decorations/centerpieces and more.

Becca and I have photographed enough weddings to feel confident in sharing some wisdom we have learned along the way. Here are some tips we feel are important to DO and what NOT to do once you say YES to your fabulous fiancé after his proposal.

DO - Share the excitement of your engagement on Facebook or any other social media of your choice. It's exciting and your friend's will love sharing in the excitement with you!

DON'T - Share the news of your engagement on Facebook or Social media BEFORE sharing with your closest family members (ahem, parents, grandparents and anyone else you feel is in your inner most circle). It's not worth the risk of hurting feelings for those who might be offended if they only find out via Facebook and/or after Joe Bob who knew you from History class your last semester in High School, but found you and added you as a friend even though he barely knows you and somehow he has ties back to your grandparents and now he has spilled the beans…. Don't let Joe Bob spoil the news for you! You and your family will be much happier if you tell them in person. Plus, their reactions can be priceless. You can't appreciate that through Facebook.

DO - Decide on several dates you are interested in saying your "I Do's" on and start calling venue's as soon as possible to check on availability and requirements to reserve the church/venue.

DON'T - Decide on several dates you're interested in and then SIT ON THEM until the last minute. Venues book up fast!! Sometimes several years in advance (especially if you choose a wedding day during the popular months of June or September).

DO - Look for wedding photographers that have a photography style/personality you like and start sending out e-mails or making calls to them to see if they are available.

DON'T - Look for wedding photographers and then procrastinate contacting them. If you find a photographer with a style and personality you like, the thing to remember is, each photographer is an individual with their own levels of experience, knowledge, gear, charisma, style, etc. Photography is definitely not a commodity where one shoe fits all sizes. Since the photographer is just one person, they can only be at one wedding at a time. If your date is already booked, you're out of luck… Then it's back to the drawing board and you have to search all over for another photographer that has a style/personality you like and can work with. One of our past brides actually told me, "Finding a photographer you like, is almost more important than finding the groom"… Haha! Something like that. I might disagree a little as I do hope you find a good spouse, but the fact remains, not all photographers are created equal. The rates they charge are usually in line with their level of experience. More experienced photographers will almost always be more expensive, but they will usually deliver a higher end product and usually have more knowledge in how to make you look your best. Those photographers usually will have additional camera equipment on hand as back ups to ensure they won't have any problems photographing your wedding. Often times, the less expensive photographers are working with one camera and minimal gear. If something should happen to their camera, the couple getting married would be at a serious risk of not getting the photos they expected on their wedding day. I know this topic is very self serving since I'm a photographer, but it really is one of the main things to book right away as I said, because once they're booked with someone else, that's it. You can usually get flowers, cake, food, etc. at a later date since the product is prepared before the wedding and it just needs to be delivered/served. Photographers create their product the day of the wedding and it is the one thing you will pull out and look at to remember your day over and over again as the years go by (Besides wearing your wedding ring every day and occasionally pulling out your wedding dress to look at it). Pretty much everything else is consumed the day of. I have been booked as far out as two years before the wedding. It's never too early to contact your photographer!!

DO - Find a DJ that has adequate experience and knowledge of working a wedding.

DON'T - Go with the cheapest DJ you can find. I'm sorry… I know things add up quick, but the DJ is probably one of THE most important parts of your reception. (If you're going with a live band, then disregard the DJ, but contact your band asap)… The DJ is the guy that keeps the party going. He usually dictates the flow of the entire evening. A good DJ will have excellent music choices or be able to cater to your requests throughout the night. He knows what songs get people dancing and how to keep them dancing. We've seen many DJ's play songs that clear the floor and then watched as they failed to make any changes to what they were doing. We've seen DJ's teach line dances to guests, get kids involved, make the couple money during specific dances, etc. Not all DJ's are created equal either. They can kill the party or keep it going. Remember, the DJ you choose is going to have a live mic and be talking to your closest friends and family throughout the night. They are the ones who give you awesome entrances into the venue and let your guests know what's next throughout the night. No room for shy or awkward DJ's. A lot of DJ services can accommodate more than one event at the same time, so it's not as cut and dry as with the photographer being booked and unavailable, but at the same time, their gear is not cheap either and I wouldn't recommend assuming they can handle more than 2 or 3 bookings tops for your date. Some might not be able to handle more than 1 either. Call them asap if you find one you like!

DO - Start shopping around for caterers, florists, limos/party buses, your wedding dress, tuxes, someone to make your wedding cake, invitations, party favors, photo booths (click the link) or any other essential things you would like to have at your wedding. Obviously, many of these things are optional, but they all are great options for making your day as memorable as can be. Pinterest is a great place to search for ideas if you have no idea where to start. Also, along with this "DO" - Do eat LOTS of cake samples (even if you know who you're going to have make your cake)… Why? Because cake is delicious! When else will you have an excuse to eat lots of cake? And who knows, maybe you'll get surprised and find someone you weren't expecting and change your mind at the last minute.

DON'T - Like the other Don'ts, don't wait till the last minute on these things. Also, don't assume since many of these things are more of a commodity item, that cheaper is always better. I have seen $15-$20,000 floral arrangements at weddings. There is definitely a difference between that and a cheap arrangement! I've also seen a cake that was 10 tiers high, had around 3,000 handmade flowers on it and it barely fit through the door! The cake was a beast! It took the cake decorator a year to hand make all of those flowers!! Not cheap, but gorgeous! So, depending on how elaborate you want things to be, put your calls in as soon as possible with these things! Also, don't assume you have to break the bank on everything. Back to the Pinterest mention - There are TONS of ideas that you can do yourself! You can save lots of money on decorations and centerpieces, etc. by purchasing them second hand. If you haven't heard of the Facebook group, Sioux City Wedding Swap, (click the link; you may have to request to be added to the group) you're in for a treat. Lots of couples go there after their big day and sell many of their items that they don't intend to save or have no further use for. Usually centerpieces, decorations and sometimes wedding gowns. It's worth a peek. You never know what you will find there. And if you're not in the Sioux City area, I would recommend doing a search for Wedding Swap groups for your town. You might find some cool stuff out there!

DO - Plan a honeymoon. Most couples do this anyway, but some we've met don't. It's true that it's more money after you have already spent a large amount just to pull off this perfect day, but it's also something you deserve after all of this planning and preparation. It gives you and your new spouse a chance to reset and recharge before you begin living your day to day lives. That doesn't mean you have to drop $10K or more to take some crazy adventure trip in Australia or somewhere exotic… You might just take a couple days going out of town somewhere close together. If you're in Sioux City, Iowa, that might mean staying in Omaha, Nebraska for a couple days and visiting the zoo and having a nice dinner or two together. Just allow yourself a chance to get away for a little while. It makes a bigger difference than you might realize and let's you start your marriage off by making good memories together. It's so good building the foundation of your marriage on happy moments shared together. That's way better than buying a new big screen TV that will go out some day. In my opinion of course. Also, you don't have to break the bank on your honeymoon either. My wife and I love to travel, but we hate paying for expensive airfare or high priced hotels. Depending on how adventurous you are, you have many options. First of all, if you want to find the easiest way to earn free flights, there are lots of credit card companies that will give you HUGE sign up bonuses for spending certain amounts of dollars in a specified period of time. E.g. Spend $1,000 in 3 months and get 30,000 miles. This is easy to do through a number of different ways, but even if you just put your household expenses on the card for a few months, most people could easily hit this number. Then, those 30,000 miles are yours to book flights, hotels, cars, etc. with. Most airlines allow you to book a round trip ticket in the US for about 25,000 miles. Becca and I booked flights to the Dominican Republic one time this way and saved over $900 per ticket!! For more info on this, check out our good friend David Morrison's website TravelandCredit.com. He is currently a missionary in South America, but he has lots of great information on credit cards you can get and which ones have the best offers, etc. Just remember, if you go that route, don't get yourself in credit card trouble. Only work the system if you can afford to pay off those balances each month. You don't really benefit from free flights, if it costs you hundreds (or thousands in interest). Speaking of the Dominican Republic - There are tons of great offers to stay on All-Inclusive resorts down there for next to nothing! The trip I was referring to that Becca and I took, we spent $19 per day per person. So, for $38 per night, we stayed at a tropical beach resort that gave us unlimited food and drinks during our stay!!! (www.cheapcaribbean.com) And we only paid $100 each for our plane tickets (for the tax) after we used our miles earned from credit card programs!! You can travel BIG on a dime if you know how to work the system. There are a ton of other sites out there too if you don't want to just look at our friend's site. If you're really wanting to travel cheap (these methods aren't recommended for your honeymoon), you can use frequent flyer miles to book your flights and then you can either stay at a hostel (usually involves staying in a dorm style room with anywhere from 4-10 other beds shared with other travelers and usually only in larger cities, but they're always quite cheap - www.hostels.com), or for an even cheaper option, you can sometimes stay with people for free via hospitality type of sites like www.couchsurfing.org which involves you contacting the people in advance through the site, letting them know when you'd like to stay and then if they approve you staying, you sleep on whatever arrangement they provide for you. Sometimes it's your own room, sometimes it's literally the couch, sometimes it's the floor with couch cushions put down for you. It's a mixed bag, but I PROMISE you, it is memorable. :) We've had some great experiences couch surfing and even made some great friends from it. Not every experience is pleasant though either. Use caution when staying with others or letting them stay with you.

DON'T - Freak out. :) Enjoy the process. Weddings are a LOT of work and the day will be a blur. You will probably have a hard time remembering everything as the day just happens so fast… That's why you hire people like me. I will help you remember your day. Just enjoy every moment of the process. The anticipation is half the fun of it all. It's like waiting for a baby to be born. Once the baby is born, you have to take care of it… That means sometimes there will be stinky diapers to change. But before the baby is born, everyone is excited and wants to take care of you (Momma), etc. After the baby is born, the real work begins. Long term, it's way more fun raising the baby than it is growing one. Your marriage will be like that too. Lots of stinky diapers along the way, but lots of lasting memories as well.

Have fun planning! If Becca and I can be of any assistance to you along the process, please don't hesitate to ask. We love to help and offer any advice we can. Now… where to start? Google is a wonderful thing! Start with: "Sioux City Photographers"…. Now, click on the one that says "Shane Monahan Photography". :) Ha! I hope this was useful to anyone reading this. Thanks again for visiting my site! Please comment below to add your experiences or questions regarding planning for your wedding! My list is certainly not all inclusive and I hope I didn't offend anybody with my post. All of the wedding vendors I know, pour their hearts into this wonderful industry we work in. I don't want to belittle any of them for what they do, but I also wanted to give you the bride a bit of a roadmap of where to start. Blessings to you.

~Shane

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Time for an update Sioux City!!

(Sioux City, IA Wedding Photographer | Shane Monahan Photography) — Fri, 21 Feb 2014 19:45:44 GMT

Well it has been almost a year since I've updated my blog. This has not been intentional. It has just been THAT busy! What a great year 2013 was for us. 2014 is looking to be even better yet!

Here is our last year in review with some of our favorite photos and moments from birthdays (our daughter) and numerous weddings we have photographed! Enjoy!

Our daughter celebrated her 1st birthday on September 19th of 2013

Ellas1stBirthdayHighRes-3

Ellas1stBirthdayHighRes-4 Ellas1stBirthdayHighRes-27 Ellas1stBirthdayHighRes-16

By my best count, 17 of our past wedding couples gave birth (or are currently pregnant) to 19 children this last year and a half (That's right, two of the couples had TWINS)! Keep this in mind when booking us. Our couples REALLY love each other and are making babies left and right. If you hire us, you MIGHT have a higher likelihood of getting pregnant. :) All kidding aside, we are so excited and happy for all of these wonderful couples and the families they are starting!

We shot a lot of engagements and weddings last year as well! Becca and I are so extremely blessed to have been a part of so many wonderful weddings! Here are a handful of our favorite shots from the last year. :)

StephanieandJasonWeddingHighRes-47 StephanieandJasonWeddingHighRes-276 BrianandRachaelWeddingHighRes-584 RobynandCodyWeddingHighRes-786 JenandErickWeddingHighRes-609 CaitlinandCodyWeddingHighRes-1 CaitlinandCodyWeddingHighRes-677 CharlieandLydiaWeddingHighRes-351 CharlieandLydiaWeddingHighRes-582 JosieandRansenWeddingHighRes-928

This doesn't represent all of the wedding photography we've shot in Sioux City and beyond this last year, but it gives you at least an idea of what we've been up to. It was an awesome year! This year is going to be even better yet!

If you've recently become engaged, we would love to meet with you to discuss your wedding photography. So far, we have 18 weddings booked for 2014 and we have room for about 7 more as we are looking to do about 25 this year. It's never too early to book your date for 2015 either if your wedding is still a ways off. We have 3 dates booked for 2015 already and expect to have a full year next year as well.

Oh, and even though we are Sioux City photographers, we are not limited to shooting in Sioux City. We love shooting destination weddings! We have gone as far as Cancun and have shot in Manhattan, KS; Minneapolis, MN; Atlanta, GA; Omaha, NE; Norman, OK; Trenton, OH; numerous small towns near Sioux City and of course, right here in good old Sioux City, Iowa. We've also recently had inquiries of shooting in Las Vegas, NV, so yes… We will go anywhere to shoot your wedding! :)

If you haven't found a photographer yet for your wedding, give me a call (712.223.1032) or shoot me an e-mail so you can see if we're a good fit for your day. Click HERE to go directly to our contact page. We look forward to hearing from you!

~ Shane

Alisha and Nate's Omaha Wedding!

(Sioux City, IA Wedding Photographer | Shane Monahan Photography) — Sun, 24 Feb 2013 05:10:46 GMT

I've been in beast mode the last 24 hours and have been getting through lots of weddings from this last season. I'm waiting for some files to finish processing so I figured this would be a great time to add another blog post. I've been behind on these too!

This wedding was in September with Alisha and Nate down in Omaha, Nebraska! Their church had just been remodeled and they were only the 2nd couple to have their wedding there since it had been remodeled. It was a beautiful church and a wonderful wedding ceremony! Truly, one of the best sermons I've heard a minister deliver during a wedding yet. This wedding was also the last wedding that Becca was able to be my second photographer prior to my daughter being born as she was VERY pregnant. This wedding was on September 8th and our sweet little Ariella was born on the 19th!! Just snuck in under the gun before she arrived!!

Now, I'm a Sioux City, Iowa guy and am not extremely familiar with Omaha and where the hot spots are to shoot. Fortunately, Alisha and Nate had a plan and we were able to hit a really cool little bar as well as a really pretty park! All in all, it was a great day and we were so honored to be a part of their wedding! Thank you again for allowing us to photograph your day!!

Oh - I also want to thank Heather Mesmer of Moments by Mezz Photography as this was the first of 3 weddings she helped me with while my wife was limited due to being 8 months pregnant. She shot/shadowed us in this wedding, but did an AWESOME job with all of the shots she got. She was a tremendous help and we were very grateful to have her helping us. Thanks again Heather!

As you can see, this was a very fun group for us to photograph! The guys didn't want to be outdone by the ladies though and had to put give their best "Grooms Men" cover shot since the ladies wanted to copy the Bridesmaids movie poster. :) I think they did a pretty good job!!

If you are in need of a photographer or photographers, give us a call. My wife Becca and I are a husband and wife team and we love shooting weddings! We're in Sioux City, Iowa, but we will travel to any destination!! Give us a call or e-mail today!!

Honeymoon destinations???

(Sioux City, IA Wedding Photographer | Shane Monahan Photography) — Sat, 16 Feb 2013 16:44:50 GMT

This picture is not one of the greatest photos I have ever taken. The settings were all wrong, but we were in our room and I heard the fireworks going off so I quickly grabbed my camera and snapped this picture. It wasn't until later that I realized I didn't have the proper settings to take this type of shot. The point is, you too could be staying in this room enjoying what WE enjoyed. This actual resort is on sale right now. :)

To the couples I will be working with (and maybe some I won't), I wanted to share this awesome deal with you before it passes! This deal ends TODAY (Saturday 2/16/13)! If you are still trying to decide where to go on your honeymoon OR if you just want an affordable vacation, check this out! $24 a night (per person) ALL INCLUSIVE resorts in the Dominican Republic! Becca and I have actually stayed at the Lifestyle Resort which is one of the $24 a night places right now and LOVED it! The food is so/so, but it's all included... Oh and drinks are included too! We got used to saying, Dos pina coladas por favor! Just bring some pesos to tip your servers and they'll keep the goodies coming as long as you like. Our favorite part was probably laying on the beds by the beach. We also took the liberty of doing some other adventure trips like white water rafting and going to a place called 27 Charcos (waterfalls) where we were cliff diving, riding down natural water slides, etc. So fun! Anyway, if you want to check out this deal, go to this link:

http://bit.ly/UrqY2W

It will take you to a landing page on CheapCaribbean.com

This deal was sent to my e-mail a couple days ago. We actually went when they had a deal for $19 a day per person, but I mean... $24 a day per person is still ONLY $48 a night for a couple to eat, drink and sleep at a tropical beach resort. TOTALLY WORTH IT!

I do NOT receive any compensation for you visiting this link. I am simply sharing it because Becca and I took one of these trips and LOVED it. Just trying to help others enjoy the same experience we got to have. Your experience could be different, but we absolutely had a blast!

For everyone else - If you are visiting my site for the first time, welcome!! I don't normally make posts like this, but since I am a wedding photographer here in Sioux City, Iowa, I thought this might be relevant to some of you coming across my site. Plus, if you're like us, you probably LOVE getting out of Sioux City whenever possible. This is one of those deals that they only offer 2-3 times a year. If you're interested in this, jump on it now! Have fun and drink a couple pina coladas for us! :)

Oh and if you need a couple wedding photographers to join you - maybe you're making this a destination wedding... let us know!!

From the archives! Oprah and Bono - Chicago, Illinois 2006 Project RED

(Sioux City, IA Wedding Photographer | Shane Monahan Photography) — Tue, 15 Jan 2013 01:17:16 GMT

So, before I decided to pursue photography full time, I did what most wanna be photographers do... I shot everything and anything I could. This was one of those special moments for me. My camera equipment wasn't as good as it is now, but I was in the right place at the right time and was able to capture the queen of daytime television, Oprah and one of our favorite musicians of all time, Bono walking down the sidewalk in Chicago.

To be fair, my wife and I were really following Bono and U2 hard at that time and were big supporters of the RED campaign that Bono had started. It's a wonderful program and if you've never heard of it before, it's still going strong. Please check it out here: (RED) Anyway, we were really following Bono and the RED campaign hard and just happened to be passing through Chicago when Bono was making his appearance on the Oprah Winfrey Show. Becca actually told me about it on the plane and how cool it would have been to see them live. Well, fast forward into the day. Becca and her Mom had went shopping and the guys (Me, my father-in-law and brother-in-law) had split up to do our own thing in the windy city. Out of the blue, Becca calls me and says there are camera crews set up at some store (I think it was Old Navy or something like it) and that Oprah and Bono were going to be making an appearance for a taping of the Oprah Winfrey Show! We hurried over to the spot and when we got there, Becca said we had just missed them... :(

I waited though and when they came out there was of course a crowd. When Bono and Oprah crossed the street, the crowd parted just long enough for me to get one good shot. It's not the best shot I've ever taken, but I was pretty proud of it when it happened. My first celebrity photo. :)

Just thought this would be something fun to pull out of the archives. I shot this photo in October of 2006. It's a few years old, but hey.... It's Oprah and Bono! If you're visiting my site for the first time, thanks for visiting! My wife and I are wedding photographers in Sioux City, Iowa. My wife and I work together and we will travel anywhere. Thanks for checking out my site! Have a blessed day!

Shane

Holly and Weston's Wedding - Craig and Akron, Iowa

(Sioux City, IA Wedding Photographer | Shane Monahan Photography) — Mon, 14 Jan 2013 22:47:35 GMT

Here is another wedding I shot this fall. If this is the first blog post of mine you have read, I've been gradually trying to get caught up from this fall. My wife gave birth to our first child on September 19th and I fell behind on my wedding updates. Now that my daughter is getting into a better routine, I'm gradually getting caught up.

Holly and Weston are two of THE NICEST people you will ever meet. The wedding wasn't in Sioux City, but the destination wasn't far away! They had a beautiful wedding in Craig, Iowa and then the wedding party took a limo to Akron, Iowa at a place called "The Hole in the Wall". Not gonna lie, when she first told me the reception was at a place called the Hole in the Wall, my expectations for that venue had dropped a bit. I figured we would get some cool grungy pictures and make it work. Little did I know, the Hole in the Wall was actually really awesome! It had a lodge feel to it, but the grounds and the property were beautiful! We had a great time taking photos all over the place out there. They had a wooded area, a huge field, a rickety bridge, a grain silo, barns, you name it. The photography opportunities were endless. It was also the first wedding where the newlyweds and I have ever gone off roading in an ATV type of vehicle before. It was a great time!!

These two are truly amazing people. It was an honor that hey chose us to be their photographers for their beautiful wedding. Thank you again for having us be a part of your day!!

Bridal Spectacular attendees! - Sioux City, Iowa Convention Center

(Sioux City, IA Wedding Photographer | Shane Monahan Photography) — Mon, 07 Jan 2013 07:13:10 GMT

Becca and I had a wonderful time meeting with so many wonderful future brides today! Thank you again to our former bride turned friend, Alyssa for helping us out today at our booth! It was so nice having one more person there to help meet with each of you. Hopefully, if you had the chance to meet with Alyssa, you got to see what a great person she is and have a little sense of WHY we loved working with her and her now husband Zach.

So now what? You've tried the cake, checked out the limos and party buses, you've visit with multiple photographers and maybe even decided on a reception hall. And that's only the tip of the iceberg! We talked with brides having their wedding in Sioux City and brides having their wedding in Vegas, brides having their wedding in Mexico and others in Minnesota! Bottom line is, you are having weddings all over the place! The good news is - if you're still looking for a photographer, we can accommodate a lot of these needs. We love to travel and have shot weddings in many places outside of Sioux City. We are not afraid to travel.

First things first though... We talked to a LOT of brides and there were definitely a lot of you with the same wedding dates. That obviously makes us sad because many of you with overlapping dates we would LOVE to work with.... Unfortunately, we can only work with one of you for each of those dates. If you're seriously considering us, please get in touch with us as soon as possible. You can contact Shane through the contact link on this website. Once we confirm that your date is still available, the next step is to schedule a time to meet with you in person and discuss details in a more personal setting than the Bridal Spectacular was and make sure we can answer any questions you may have. The bridal show is great, but it just gets a little too crazy at times to really give each of you the attention you deserve.

Wedding photography is an important decision for your big day. When everything else is gone, the wedding photos are what remain. It's important that you get along well with your photographer and that you trust your photographer to be able to do a good job. If you have a good working relationship with your photographer (whoever that may be - even if it's not me), it will usually result in much better photos. We genuinely like the couples we have worked with and believe it has paid off by not only allowing us to capture photos our couples have loved, but also to develop real friendships with each of these newlyweds.

We feel really good about the people we met today. I can't wait to talk with each of you more!

Shane

Donna and Jack's Art Deco Wedding - Sioux City, Iowa and South Sioux City, Nebraska

(Sioux City, IA Wedding Photographer | Shane Monahan Photography) — Fri, 04 Jan 2013 16:29:03 GMT

I am still way behind on my blogging, but here is a wedding I shot this last fall in South Sioux City, Nebraska at the Marina Inn.

Donna and Jack's wedding was beautiful (they chose to go with an Art Deco theme), it was hot (literally, it was like 100 degrees outside that day), it was sentimental, it was romantic and it was fun. These two people are such a delight to know and it was such an honor to photograph their wedding.

These two were married outdoors on the riverfront of the Marina Inn. The whole wedding was riddled with sweet moments between Donna and Jack and the wedding party was a hoot! Jack's sister - in a word: Hilarious! Her maid of honor speech was like a comedy sketch! Everyone was dying during her speech!!

At the time of their wedding, Becca (my wife) was about 8 months pregnant. She was still helping photograph weddings, but only doing what her body would allow her to do at that time. Needless to say, everyone was awesome to her! She had lots of people being sweet to her, wanting to touch her belly, etc. It was cute and it meant a lot to me, knowing that so many of Donna and Jack's family and friends (most of whom barely knew us) would be so caring and kind to my wife.

Oh, and Jack's parent's - Dan and Sheila - we adore them! Got to see them again over Christmas when they were picking up some of their prints. Still think they're just incredible people. Unfortunately, Donna's mom was sick in the hospital somewhere outside of Sioux City and we were unable to meet her. We wish her the best though. She has an incredible daughter! Donna's father was with us in spirit and he was the source of some of the sweet sentimental moments during the wedding. Donna had cut a heart out of one of his blue ties and had it stitched into the under part of her dress. It was beautiful and very moving.

We were so glad to be a part of their wedding. Also, one of the things I often tell brides when we meet with them is this, "If you want to try something, just tell me. The answer will always be yes."... I am ALWAYS willing to try for some sort of shot at the brides request. I can't always guarantee I will get what they're looking for, but I'm always willing to try. This wedding was a prime example of WHY I always do that. We were doing a shoot at the Sioux City Art Center and there was a huge Leonardo DaVinci display of "The Last Supper"... To be honest, for most of the shoot, I was annoyed by it's presence because it was "in the way" of other shots I wanted to get. Time was running short and we had about 10 minutes to get back to the Marina for the wedding ceremony. We were about to bolt out the door when Donna asked me, "Can we get a picture in front of the DaVinci painting really quick?" My answer as always, was "Of course, let's just knock it out quick"...

Needless to say, when Donna got in the middle and took the "Jesus" pose, my jaw about hit the floor because I knew right away it was going to be one of my favorite shots of all time. We helped position the group and they were pretty awesome about getting in position and holding character, but the last shot below is the one from that shoot. I absolutely love that shot and it never would have happened if I didn't say "yes". So again, if you as a bride, ever want to try something, the answer is always yes. :) There are probably more photos in this blog post than I normally would put up, but there was just so many good shots that came out of this wedding. Hard to only pick a few favorites. Enjoy!

Hiring a wedding photographer

(Sioux City, IA Wedding Photographer | Shane Monahan Photography) — Wed, 17 Oct 2012 23:03:49 GMT

Hey everyone! If you're stopping by because you met us at the recent Bridal Show at the Stoney Creek Inn here in Sioux City, then WELCOME! I'm so glad you've decided to check out my website. Finding a wedding photographer can be a bit overwhelming. Prices range from almost nothing (friends with cameras) to prices as high as $30-50,000 dollars!! That's not a typo. Good wedding photography isn't cheap, but it is important. You are investing a lot into your big day. When the wedding is over, the food will be eaten, the limos will be returned, tuxes taken back and the dress and decorations packed away (possibly never worn or used again). The photos are usually the only remaining evidence of all the hard work you put into that day. If you're hiring a wedding photographer, make sure you hire a photographer you're comfortable with. Even if it's not us, just make sure you're confident they can handle the work load, treat you and your party with respect and that their gear can handle most lighting situations. We come in all shapes and sizes and have various levels of experience. Not all wedding photographers are created equal.

I'm not the cheapest guy in town, but I'm not the most expensive either. I've shot a number of weddings, have multiple PRO camera bodies, PRO lenses and flashes. If one of my cameras break down, I have backups! With my wedding packages, there are always two of us taking photos. I've used other photographers before, but the second photographer is USUALLY my wife Becca.

We have fun shooting weddings. Truthfully, we have been so blessed to work with so many amazing couples. If we stop having fun, it will be time for us to stop shooting. So far, we love it. We've made some pretty good friendships as well with the couples we've photographed. We are always amazed at some of the horror stories we hear from other couples about their wedding photographers.... There are of course lots of GREAT photographers too, but your mileage may vary. It's so important to get out and meet the people you are considering for your wedding. Not everyone is a good fit (for you OR the photographer). It's better for all parties involved if you get along. If you don't or you're not comfortable with their style. Don't settle. Find someone you're comfortable with.

Also, good photographers get booked up FAST! I used to get concerned about my competition and then I realized I can't shoot every wedding. Unfortunately, I can only be at one wedding at a time. This year alone, I bet I turned away 15 brides requesting wedding dates in September. I simply couldn't shoot them because I was already booked (not to mention other dates during the summer I was already booked). If you find someone you like, make sure you get in touch with them as soon as possible. If you like my style, shoot me a message. Even if you're on the fence and would just like to come by and visit. I'd be glad to let you look more closely at my work and see if you like what I offer. I would love to visit with you! Bridal shows don't count because everything is a blur and you only get maybe 30 seconds with me while the crowd pushes through. :)

This is getting longer than I intended, in a nutshell, when hiring a professional wedding photographer just make sure you like them as a person or as people. You can tell a lot by first impressions. If you click with them as people, you'll likely click with them during your wedding and it will show in your photos. Also, make sure they have good gear and backups to handle your wedding and most lighting situations. (Plus, make sure they actually know how to use it!) If you're not having an outdoor wedding with a nice cloud cover and a brightly lit reception, you might run into issues. Finally, make sure you like their past work. The best predictor of our future is our past and if their photography wasn't your style before, it probably won't be after your wedding. Their price might be right, but their style might be wrong. Cheaper isn't always better. Sometimes cheaper is just CHEAP.

If you're reading this, I would love to hear your wedding photographer stories (good or bad) and if you're still shopping around - take note. Just please leave out names. I don't want to drag others through the mud. I would just like to hear some other experiences.

Oh and as for my style - I model myself heavily after some photographers that start out at $5500, but I also follow the $15-50,000 guys for inspiration. My packages start at $1850. Kind of a steal if you look at it that way! ;) Thanks for checking out my page. If you actually read through this entire post, major, major props to you! Thanks again for checking me out. Give me a smiley face comment or something below at least if you did. I'd love to hear from people!

- Shane

Saul and JoBeth's wedding! - South Sioux City, Nebraska

(Sioux City, IA Wedding Photographer | Shane Monahan Photography) — Wed, 10 Oct 2012 04:23:29 GMT

The last two months have been a whirlwind for Becca and I! We've had a wedding every weekend since August. Most of the weddings have been in the Sioux City or South Sioux City area, but we've also traveled to Denison for a Photo Booth rental and even shot a wedding in Omaha. All that and Becca also gave birth to our daughter Ariella on September 19th! It's been wild, but I'm going to try to get caught up on some of these weddings I'm behind on sharing. This post is for Saul and Jo Beth!

Saul and JoBeth are two of the most genuine people we know. Becca and I have known Saul for years and he's just straight up a hard working, fun, honest good man that comes from an amazing family! Jo Beth is equally an amazing woman! Strong character, fun, hard working, just great all around person to know and we had a great time photographing their wedding. I LOVE photographing weddings with Mariachi bands! I'm just going to put that out there. I'm pretty sure there was some speculation on if they were going to have it at first, but I am so glad they did. I think EVERY wedding should have a mariachi band. You KNOW it's a party when those guys show up! There was singing, dancing, English and Spanish toasts, this wedding had it all. We were so glad to be a part of it. They also had our Photo Booth and I know the guests were loving it! It was a great wedding! The reception was at the Marina Inn (which we highly recommend btw) as it is a GREAT venue to have your wedding and/or reception! What a great night! Thanks again for having us be your photographers!

Alyssa and Zach's wedding - Remsen, Iowa

(Sioux City, IA Wedding Photographer | Shane Monahan Photography) — Mon, 10 Sep 2012 18:37:41 GMT

Alyssa and Zach are a couple after my own heart! These two are so incredibly sweet! (I'm telling you, Becca and I are so blessed with the couples we get to photograph!) We had a great time at their engagement shoot where we were blessed to meet a lot of the family and enjoyed a great dinner with them that night. Then, as if the time we spent photographing them and eating with them wasn't enough, they even bought us a Husker car seat cover for our unborn baby! (They are Husker fans and know that we are TOO) What a sweet and PERFECT gift!

The wedding was equally sweet! Their wedding was at the end of July in Remsen, Iowa. They live and work in Sioux City, but Alyssa and her family were Remsenites (Is that a word?) :) This couple is all about FAMILY! They come from large families and there was so much love in the group coming from all sides! The church was beautiful on an epic scale. Just a traditionally awesome Catholic church. Huge, glorious and beautiful.

The day started off with rain, (I was bummed) but it ended beautifully. Perfect temperature, perfect atmosphere. Alyssa and Zach also used our Photo Booth Rental at their reception and from what we saw, everyone had a blast using it!! Such a great wedding and a great day!! Thank you again for letting us be your photographers!

Maggie and BJ's Wedding! - South Sioux City, NE Marina Inn

(Sioux City, IA Wedding Photographer | Shane Monahan Photography) — Mon, 10 Sep 2012 17:30:49 GMT

I'm still playing catch up on my blog from recent weddings here in Sioux City! Hopefully over the next week or so I will get these caught up. Today's post is from a beautiful wedding we did at the end of July with Maggie and BJ! These two had one of the sweetest, most sentimental weddings ever!

They had a beautiful outdoor wedding with a huge tent at the Marina Inn in South Sioux City. It was still extremely hot at that time, but the tent kept most of the guests and wedding party cool until the party started inside later! The guests enjoyed our Photo Booth at the reception and partied till the wee hours of the night! It was just a really great day!

2013 Wedding dates filling up fast!

(Sioux City, IA Wedding Photographer | Shane Monahan Photography) — Wed, 29 Aug 2012 00:17:47 GMT

I have some weddings and a couple senior portrait photo shoots that I need to get up, (I'm WAY behind on those!) but for now I wanted to put out a quick list for 2013 dates that I am unavailable now. Dates fill up quick! I have some 2014 weddings already so it's never too soon to book us for your wedding. Once a date is booked, that's it.

Feb 28th - March 3rd

March 7th - 14th

May 4th

June 1st, 8th, 15th

July 13th

September 21st

These dates are all booked for 2013 as of right now. I really hate having to tell brides no. Just had to tell a bride no again today. June, July, August and September will fill up the quickest. As you can see, June is already almost completely booked.

Give me a call today to lock in your 2013 wedding! Talk to you soon!

Shane

Becky and Channing's wedding! Sioux City, Iowa

(Sioux City, IA Wedding Photographer | Shane Monahan Photography) — Sun, 12 Aug 2012 05:20:41 GMT

I'm way behind on updating my blog, but it has been a busy month! We've been out of town, photographed 3 weddings, been fighting sickness, had doctor's appointments for our soon to arrive baby girl, prenatal classes, you name it! It's been busy, but good!

These photos are from Becky and Channing's wedding that we photographed a few weeks ago here in Sioux City, Iowa! These two are are so sweet together! Their wedding was just a really nice, intimate little wedding here in a church that was literally a minute away from our house. It was so good getting to spend time with these two and having the chance to meet their families and friends!

Congratulations Becky and Channing! Even with a little rain, the day turned out wonderful and you really had a beautiful wedding!

Shane & Becca Monahan are Sioux City Photographers that specialize in Weddings, Engagements and Senior Portraits. Wedding dates filling up fast for 2013! Call today to reserve your date and don't forget to ask about our Photo Booth Rental now available for your reception or party events!

Holly and Weston - Engagement Photos - Sioux City, Iowa

(Sioux City, IA Wedding Photographer | Shane Monahan Photography) — Sat, 07 Jul 2012 13:08:37 GMT

Becca and I had an early morning engagement photo session yesterday here in Sioux City. Holly and Weston are two of the sweetest, most laid back people we've ever worked with. We were having one of those days where things just weren't going according to plan. These two were rock stars! They absolutely didn't let it phase them at all and were so kind and patient as we worked around the circumstances that kept arising. I was getting so flustered with myself that I actually even slipped up and decided to rename them by calling them the names of one of our previous couples. It was one of THOSE kind of mornings for me. Ha. Thankfully, these two were so gracious and kind and didn't let my issues ruin a great day! We adore these two and know they are going to have an incredible married life together! We can't wait to shoot their wedding in September! Here are some of my favorite photos from their engagement shoot yesterday. :)

Holly and Weston engagement photos - by Sioux City photographer - Shane Monahan Photography - Iowa, Wedding & Portrait Photographer

2013 wedding dates are filling up fast! Give Shane a call today to schedule photography for your 2013 wedding! Be sure to ask us about our photo booth rental now available as well! Thanks for visiting my site!

Chicago Skyline

(Sioux City, IA Wedding Photographer | Shane Monahan Photography) — Wed, 04 Jul 2012 00:45:57 GMT

Just a quick blog post. We got back into Sioux City yesterday and I wanted to put a quick photo from our trip! We had a great time! I photographed a LOT and we walked WAY TOO MUCH. Still in recovery mode. Haha! Anyway, here's my skyline shot of Chicago. Enjoy!

Chicago Skyline

Shane Monahan Photography is located in Sioux City, Iowa. We are a husband and wife team and will travel to any destination to photograph your wedding. Give us a call today! 2013 wedding dates are filling up fast! Also, ask us about our photo booth rental available for your event.

Off to Chicago!

(Sioux City, IA Wedding Photographer | Shane Monahan Photography) — Thu, 28 Jun 2012 18:19:01 GMT

We're heading to Chicago and I'm hoping to come back with some great skyline photos and more of the Windy City. I've never spent more than a few hours in Chicago so I'm definitely looking forward to the visit. Besides, I always enjoy the chance to get out of Sioux City. :) I also have a very talented photographer friend we're hoping to meet up with while we're there. She is photographing a child getting cochlear implants and hearing for the first time on Friday, plus shooting a wedding on Saturday AND Sunday. She's pretty busy so it's a long shot, but will be great if it works out!

Anyway, if you're trying to reach me and don't hear back right away, please be patient as sometimes when I'm away it takes me a little longer to respond. I don't enjoy replying to e-mails on my phone so often times I will wait. If it's urgent, I'll get back to you right away, but if not, please be patient. Thanks for visiting my site! Hope to hear from all of you soon!

Shane

This is a skyline shot I took of Denver. I'd love to get something similar of Chicago. We shall see. :)

Alyssa and Zach's engagement photo shoot!

(Sioux City, IA Wedding Photographer | Shane Monahan Photography) — Thu, 28 Jun 2012 03:54:01 GMT

Sometimes you're just having so much fun with a couple, time gets away from you. Our engagement photo shoot with Zach and Alyssa was one of those shoots! We spent around 3 hours shooting these two, but they were just so cute, I had to keep shooting!

Zach works on a farm and Alyssa does graphic design work. Classic city girl marries country boy scenario. They showed up and Alyssa was rocking out the cowgirl gear! Our shoot involved, cowboy hats, boots, actual cows, an old tractor, a newer combine, wild flowers, gazebo's, a little beer, a Harley, and two sweet, really photogenic people... Come on! There was no way we were getting out of this shoot in the usual hour and a half! To top the whole night off, they even bought us a baby present for our unborn child and then took us out for dinner afterwards! It was a great night!

Alyssa is also a huge fan of Pinterest so she had lots of Pinterest inspired ideas she wanted to try! I am always up for a night like that. :) Anyway, the engagement shoot went really well and we're so excited to be photographing their wedding soon!

As you can see, we got a LOT of shots! We LOVED her cute sign! Haha! Great photo shoot!

Shane Monahan Photography is located in Sioux City, Iowa. Shane and Becca Monahan work together and will travel to any destination to photograph your wedding. We LOVE to travel! We love being a part of your big day. 2013 Wedding Photography dates are filling up fast! If you're interested in hiring us, don't delay. Once we receive a deposit for a date, we're locked in and it's gone. I have had to turn away soooo many brides this year due to already being booked. I really hate turning people away. Don't be one of those people I have to say no to. :-/ Thanks for looking!!

Oh, and don't forget to ask us about our Photo Booth Rental options! Discounted rate if I'm your photographer for your wedding!

Becky and Channing's engagement photo session - Sioux City, Iowa

(Sioux City, IA Wedding Photographer | Shane Monahan Photography) — Wed, 27 Jun 2012 06:19:22 GMT

This past Saturday started off rainy and gloomy, but by the end of the day it was a perfect, gorgeous day for shooting engagement photos here in Sioux City! Becky and Channing are getting married in just a few weeks so we were glad to finally have them here in town to take care of their engagement session. I hope they didn't get sick of kissing! Haha! We always joke that my photo shoots are basically an hour or two of making out. I think they had a good time. :) I was crawling through wild flowers on the ground, Becca was toting around my reflectors, I was busting out the step stool, Becca had to do the pregnant lady run across Floyd Avenue... Good times. We love what we do and it's largely because of people like Becky and Channing. These two are an incredible couple and Becca and I had a blast taking them around Sioux City to get their pictures! Next up! Their wedding!!! Here are some of my favorite photos from their engagement session. Thanks again you two! We had a great time.

Shane Monahan Photography is located in Sioux City, Iowa. Shane and Becca love being married and love photographing people anxious to start their lives together. We will travel to any destination to photograph your wedding. Engagement sessions are a complementary gift to couples who book their wedding through us. 2013 Wedding Photography is starting to fill up fast! If you're considering me as your photographer, call me as soon as possible. Dates are already taken next year in May, June, July and September of 2013. Also, don't forget about our Photo Booth Rental option for your Wedding Reception or other party needs! Thanks!

Jabrel and Drew's Engagement Photos

(Sioux City, IA Wedding Photographer | Shane Monahan Photography) — Wed, 20 Jun 2012 02:28:31 GMT

Last night, Becca and I had the pleasure of photographing Jabrel and Drew's engagement photos! These two are a super sweet couple! We've really enjoyed getting to know them better over the last few weeks and can't wait to shoot their wedding photos next March! They also got to be the FIRST people to be photographed in my new studio location in Downtown Sioux City!! Thanks again for letting us be a part of your lives!

Shane Monahan Photography is based out of Sioux City, Iowa. We are a husband and wife team that will do everything we can to get pictures you will love! We are based out of Sioux City, but we will travel to any destination. Just ask us! Also, be sure to ask about renting our Photo Booth for your events!

Kayla and Brandon's Wedding!

(Sioux City, IA Wedding Photographer | Shane Monahan Photography) — Wed, 20 Jun 2012 02:12:32 GMT

I'm a little behind on some of my recent photo shoots! This wedding was from 10 days ago when Becca and I had the great joy of photographing Brandon and Kayla's wedding here in Dakota City and Sioux City (Wedding/Reception)! These two are a wonderful couple and their wedding party knew how to have a good time! This group was a wild bunch, but fun! To top it off, we also had the Photo Booth at their event and from the looks of some of the pictures that were taken, everyone had a great time!!

This was her Dad's first look at the bride!

Alisha and Nate's engagement session - Sioux City

(Sioux City, IA Wedding Photographer | Shane Monahan Photography) — Tue, 05 Jun 2012 13:57:51 GMT

We postponed this engagement photo shoot a couple days. It was originally supposed to be last Friday, but cold, rainy weather forced us to hold off until Monday. Wow, so glad we did! The weather was gorgeous last night and Becca and I had a great time photographing Alisha and Nate's engagement photos. These two are adorable together and just a fun couple to hang out with! We are so excited for them and we can't wait to photograph their wedding this September! Here are a few shots from their engagement session last night. :)

As you can see, these two are simply adorable. We had a wonderful time shooting their photos!

Shane Monahan is a local photographer in Sioux City, Iowa. I work with my wife Becca and we specialize in wedding and engagement photography. We love to travel and will travel to any destination for your wedding. Just ask! Also, don't forget to ask us about our photo booth - now available for rental at your events!

Megan's Grad party!

(Sioux City, IA Wedding Photographer | Shane Monahan Photography) — Thu, 31 May 2012 14:52:32 GMT

Becca and I had a great time with the photo booth at Megan's graduation party here in Sioux City! If you were at the party and are looking for the pictures, they can be found HERE! Thanks again for everyone who came out to her grad party and took some fun pics in the photo booth! Here's a few shots from the day!

Don't forget the videos!

Sioux City Photo Booth Rental - Shane Monahan Photography - Megan

Shane Monahan is a local photographer in Sioux City, Iowa. He specializes in Wedding and Senior Portrait Photography. I work with my wife Becca and we will travel to any destination for your wedding or event. Just ask!

Brandon and Kayla's Engagement Session

(Sioux City, IA Wedding Photographer | Shane Monahan Photography) — Sun, 27 May 2012 02:29:54 GMT

Becca and I got out of Sioux City for this engagement photo shoot! I graduated from the University of Nebraska so any chance I get to go to Lincoln is something I jump at the chance to do. I love that town! We met up with this lovely couple on Thursday and the rainy weather that had been lingering for a few days cleared up just in time for our shoot!

Becca and I have the privilege of photographing Kayla and Brandon's wedding here locally in a couple more weeks! Looking forward to it! Here are some shots from our engagement session on Thursday!

Shane Monahan is a local photographer in Sioux City, Iowa. I work with my wife Becca and we specialize in engagement/wedding photography and Senior portraits. We will travel to any destination for your wedding. Just ask us! We also now have a photo booth available for rental. Contact Shane today for details!

A few quick shots from Brooke and Matt's wedding today!

(Sioux City, IA Wedding Photographer | Shane Monahan Photography) — Sun, 20 May 2012 06:07:22 GMT

Well, we had a fabulous time photographing Brooke and Matt's wedding today here in Sioux City. The rain held out long enough for us to get some great photos indoors AND out! We DID get quite wet unloading all of our gear at the end of the day though. Oh well, worth it. :)

The day wasn't without it's casualties though. My very expensive $2,000 lens took a spill out of my unzipped bag (My mistake... was stupid and in a hurry and forgot to double check my zippers)... Anyway, it crashed on the hard marble steps and broke it... :( We've already called Canon and are hoping the repair bill isn't too bad. Stupid. The Photo Booth had it's first official event and from the things people were saying, it was a huge success!

Brooke and Matt were of course great! They were such good sports and willing to do whatever we asked them to do. Anything to get a good photograph. :) We definitely made them work today, but they did awesome! All in all, it was a very good day (minus the lens casualty). Here are some photos from the wedding to wet your appetite. Enjoy!

Shane Monahan is a Sioux City Photographer that focuses on Wedding and Portrait Photography. Call us today to book your wedding photos or Photo Booth Rental.

Pre-Wedding Excitement!

(Sioux City, IA Wedding Photographer | Shane Monahan Photography) — Sat, 19 May 2012 06:00:47 GMT

You know how as a bride and groom, there's always nerves and excitement the day before your wedding? Well, it's like that for me as a photographer too. I have complete confidence I'll get great photos for the couples I'm working with, but in the same light, I'm also always filled with nervous anticipation of the unexpected. I probably go way overboard in trying to bring the house with me so I don't forget anything or have backups for worst case scenarios, but I'm also just excited to go shoot some beautiful pictures of a wonderful couple. Becca and I are super excited to be shooting Brooke and Matt's wedding tomorrow! Here are a couple teasers from the rehearsal tonight. Just a sample of the beautiful natural light in this venue. Can't wait for tomorrow!

Engagements, Photo Booth Rentals and Weddings!!

(Sioux City, IA Wedding Photographer | Shane Monahan Photography) — Fri, 11 May 2012 05:53:17 GMT

Wow, things are really heating up! We have been setting up lots of appointments recently for engagements, and photo booth rentals lately! Wedding season is right behind all of that. We actually have one of our first weddings for this summer season coming up on the 19th of May and then things start getting crazy after that! Becca and I are super excited and happy for all of the amazing couples we have met and get to photograph this season. Being a photographer and getting to share in people's weddings is truly a blessing to me and to my wife. We love sharing in this special day with couples.

If you are getting married this summer or fall, there ARE still a few openings left, but not a lot. If you've waited till the last minute, please get in touch with me as soon as possible so we can discuss your options and get you on the schedule. And if you're getting married in 2013, let us know as soon as possible for that too! The best dates fill up quick!! This year, September seemed to be the popular month for many of the brides we spoke with. We turned away a LOT of September brides simply because we were already booked. Don't let that be you! And if you don't live in Sioux City, that's ok! We love to travel! Just let us know when and where and we'll iron out the details. Talk to you soon!

-Shane

Shane Monahan is a local photographer in Sioux City, Iowa. He specializes in weddings and senior portraits. We will travel to any destination. Be sure to ask us about our new photo booth available for rental! Thanks!

Peggy and Jesse's engagement photo session!

(Sioux City, IA Wedding Photographer | Shane Monahan Photography) — Fri, 04 May 2012 02:34:38 GMT

Becca and I had a great time Tuesday night photographing Jesse and Peggy's engagement photos here in Sioux City, Iowa! These two are some of the sweetest people you will ever meet. We loved shooting them and are really looking forward to getting to know this wonderful couple better as we get ready for their big wedding! Another great thing about this couple - They are Irish and love all things Irish. Score for us! We love Ireland too!

After the photo shoot, Becca and I were heading back and passed a beautiful field of purple flowers and had to stop to take some maternity photos while we were there! Unfortunately, Becca stepped in some nettles and we had to get out of there as her feet were swelling up. Oops! Anyway, we had a great time with Peggy and Jesse and are looking forward to their wedding!

Here are some shots from their engagement photo shoot. :)

And last but not least, here's a couple shots of Becca we took afterwards in the pretty fields. Great night! We adore this couple!!

Shane Monahan is a wedding photographer in Sioux City, Iowa. We love being married and love shooting weddings! We will travel to any destination your wedding requires us to be. Just ask! Also, don't forget to ask us about our new photo booth available for rental!

A break from normal photography to hear our baby's heart beat.

(Sioux City, IA Wedding Photographer | Shane Monahan Photography) — Fri, 20 Apr 2012 17:55:31 GMT

As many of you already know, my wife Becca and I are expecting our first child. Today was the second time we got to hear the heart beat. Unfortunately, I didn't bring any recording devices for the first time, but I was prepared today. By the time this video was recorded, boredom and crazy feelings were starting to set in. Our appointment was scheduled for 8:15 AM... We got in pretty quick, but then were sitting in the exam room for almost an hour by the time I recorded this... We were getting delusional... At least I was!! So, enjoy the goofiness, but the last 17 seconds are really what I'm sharing. Our baby's heart was beating at 156 beats per minute! During our first session it was about 169-170 bpm. The last part of this video is just the audio of our child's heart beating. A tiny, lemon sized little Monahan heart beating. :) Thanks for looking!

Shane Monahan Photography - Sioux City, Iowa Wedding & Portrait Photographer Photo Booth Rental Baby heart beating Becca Baby

Shane Monahan is a wedding and portrait photographer in Sioux City, Iowa. Thanks for visiting my blog!

Easter Photos at RiverzEdge Church

(Sioux City, IA Wedding Photographer | Shane Monahan Photography) — Fri, 13 Apr 2012 19:33:04 GMT

Becca and I are regular attenders at RiverzEdge church here in Sioux City and for the last couple of years we have offered family photo shoots at a discounted rate for our church members. This Easter was no different. We enjoyed a great sermon and had a great time photographing all of the families that had us take their photos. Thanks again to RiverzEdge and all of our friends we've made while there. You have truly become an extended family to Becca and I. If you're looking for your photos, they can be found here: EASTER PHOTOS.

Here are a few samples from our Easter photo shoot. :)

Engagement shoot with Chris and Alyssa!

(Sioux City, IA Wedding Photographer | Shane Monahan Photography) — Fri, 13 Apr 2012 19:22:38 GMT

I'm behind on my blog updates, but we had the great privilege of shooting engagement photos with our friends Chris and Alyssa! We will be shooting their wedding in June of 2013 and can't wait! These two are so much fun to photograph, but also just to hang out with as well. Great people, great friends! Here's a few favorites from their engagement shoot!

Oh, and I should mention - they're track people!

Save the Date photo (06/08/2013) :)

Shane is a local photographer here in Sioux City, Iowa. We will travel to any destination for your wedding. Also, ask us about our new Photo Booth Rental option as an add on for your wedding! Special introductory rate offers for a limited time!!

Engagement Shoot with Maggie and BJ!

(Sioux City, IA Wedding Photographer | Shane Monahan Photography) — Thu, 05 Apr 2012 08:06:50 GMT

Becca and I had the honor of photographing Maggie and BJ's engagement photos tonight! They are one of the nicest, cutest couples you will ever meet! We even got to play with their dogs for a while tonight! They are an awesome couple in every way! We can't wait to photograph their wedding in July!! Here are some shots from their session tonight!

I have so many more I could add to this set, but this gives you a good taste of what we got tonight. Just a wonderful couple. I hope they had as much fun as we did!

BIG news for Becca and I!!

(Sioux City, IA Wedding Photographer | Shane Monahan Photography) — Tue, 20 Mar 2012 16:16:44 GMT

Becca and I have been married for almost 12 years! We have 3 dogs and one of our best friends that live with us. It's been a great 12 years, but things are about to get even more exciting! We have big news. Check out the video below. :)

Shane and Becca Our BIG announcement

Best Friend Photo Shoot - Emily and Sarah

(Sioux City, IA Wedding Photographer | Shane Monahan Photography) — Fri, 16 Mar 2012 03:31:01 GMT

I did a best friend photo shoot tonight with a couple of girls that my wife and I have known since they were in Middle School. It's amazing to see how they have grown into these awesome women that love the Lord and have such good heads on their shoulders. We were going to shoot down by the river, but had forgotten just how apocalyptic it was on the Sioux City river front. Pretty much everything was dead or barren. Not much to look at. So we took the cameras and lights and headed to downtown Sioux City. It was a good time! Here are some photos from our shoot tonight!

Emily

I thought this was a really cute picture of Emily. Her Dad sells tires so we thought it was fun to have her sitting on the tire pile.

Sarah looking super cute!

Work it Sarah!

All photos taken by Shane Monahan Photography. Shane is a photographer in Sioux City, Iowa.

Thanks to the Sioux City Camera Club for giving me the stage tonight!

(Sioux City, IA Wedding Photographer | Shane Monahan Photography) — Fri, 09 Mar 2012 06:17:07 GMT

I have been stressing out for the better part of the last two weeks trying to put together a presentation that I thought would be worthy of a room full of talented photographers. In the end, I think it went well. I gave a presentation on Making the Most out of Travel Photography.

The presentation highlighted Ireland Photography and touched on some of the key things I focus on with travel photography such as: Architecture, Foreign signs and Landscape photography. I discussed some of the important things to plan for when traveling to foreign countries such as: knowing the primary language of that country, things to pack when traveling, what to wear, etc.

The presentation included select photos I've taken while traveling to destinations like: Ireland, New York City, San Diego, Crater Lake National Park - Oregon, Puerto Plata - Dominican Republic, and even pictures from right here in Sioux City. I also showed some before and after photos to highlight the fact that you should always take lots of pictures when traveling abroad. Even if the picture doesn't look amazing to you then, you never know how you might want to manipulate the photo later in photo editing software like Photoshop or something. I was amazed at the number of pictures I liked now that I didn't care for 3 years ago when we visit Ireland. Fresh eyes will make old pictures seem new and exciting again. I was able to run some of those old photos through Photoshop and turn them into pictures I actually want to make into prints. Who knew?

I've seen the Sioux City Camera Club group reach numbers as high as 30-40 people attending on a night (if not more) so tonight was pretty tame in comparison as I only had to present to 20 people. They were super kind during and after the presentation. Thanks again for letting me share with you all!

Here are a few of the images I shared tonight at the club.

BEFORE Picture of Slane Castle in Ireland - taken from a car

AFTER picture of Slane Castle in Ireland

Irish National Museum in Dublin, Ireland BEFORE Picture

Irish National Museum in Dublin, Ireland AFTER Picture

Irish Rainbow near the Giant's Causeway in Northern Ireland - BEFORE Picture - taken from a car

Irish Rainbow near the Giant's Causeway in Northern Ireland - AFTER picture

The point of showing the before and after photos of these was to show what could be done after the fact, even if the picture wasn't stellar to begin with. There were a lot more photos, but this should give you a good idea. If you're interested in seeing more, please let me know. Thanks!

In closing, here's the group I had the privilege of speaking to this evening. Thanks again!

Lawton High Senior - Jesse Rhodes

(Sioux City, IA Wedding Photographer | Shane Monahan Photography) — Thu, 08 Mar 2012 23:50:30 GMT

I had the opportunity to do a Senior Photo Shoot with Jesse a couple days ago! The weather was an unheard of 70 degrees in early March!! We had a great time although I think our vehicles and shoes got a little muddy driving around in some of the muddier areas of Sioux City. Sorry!! I think it was worth it though as we got some great photos! Here are some samples from his shoot!

All photos taken by Shane Monahan Photography - Sioux City, Iowa

Ask us about our new Photo Booth Rental!

Another photo from Ireland! Sphere in Sphere

(Sioux City, IA Wedding Photographer | Shane Monahan Photography) — Wed, 07 Mar 2012 20:59:32 GMT

As I prepare for my presentation I have tomorrow with the Sioux City Camera Club, I keep finding old pictures from our Ireland trip 3 years ago that I really like. It's pretty cool looking at a photo with fresh eyes. Some of the photos that I took to simply document the moment are now photos that I am loving after a little photoshop help to turn the photo into something that looks a little more like art. Don't get me wrong, I know this style isn't for everybody, but I like it. I had to research a bit because I couldn't remember where this picture was taken. Turns out it was taken at Trinity College in Dublin, Ireland and the piece of art is called, "Sphere in Sphere" by Arnaldo Pomodoro. For me, the original shot I took of this was kind of boring. After playing around with the image in Photoshop today, I now want to make a print of it. Funny how spending a little time on something can change your whole opinion on something. Have a great day everybody!

Something else to ponder before I post this picture. I read an awesome quote today by a great photographer named Sandy Puc. She recently taught a course on CreativeLive.com and one of the things she said during the course was this, "What you do today is important because you are exchanging a day of your life for it..." Wow! That smacked me upside the head today. It's so good and so true. If each day of our life is like a finite amount of currency... $1 a day type of thing... How many dollars do you actually have left? Spend each dollar wisely. You can never be given more, but you can lose dollars and they can be taken from you... don't waste them on meaningless things.

For Today new single released tonight!

(Sioux City, IA Wedding Photographer | Shane Monahan Photography) — Tue, 06 Mar 2012 06:58:32 GMT

I didn't expect to put up another blog post so soon, but I like to promote good things that come out of Sioux City, Iowa whenever possible and our good friends from the band "For Today" have released a single from their new album tonight. They are a hardcore, metal Christian band so if you've never listened to that genre of music, be prepared. It's pretty heavy.

These guys have such a heart for the Lord though and have been touring and ministering for a number of years now. They've been to nearly every continent in the world spreading the gospel. Becca and I have been so blessed to call them our friends and brothers. If you look at the "Special Events" tab under pricing, the band shot in the photo was taken during a "For Today" concert in Illinois a few years ago. They have played in front of thousands of people and their CD can be purchased in stores all around the world and on iTunes. If you are the type of person who likes to support people working for a cause, I'd highly encourage you to consider purchasing an album from these guys. Again, the music is an acquired taste if you're not used to the genre, but you'd be surprised at how quick it can grow on you.

The band started in Sioux City, Iowa but now all of the members are married except for the drummer David and they have spread themselves around the country with their wives. Now we get to visit these guys all over the place! Anyway, their new album is called, "Immortal" and the song that was released as a single tonight is called, "Fearless". Check it out!

The album art is not mine. I apologize - I can't even give credit as this image was pulled off of Google images. It is art off their new album though.

The single can be found on iTunes. Search for "For Today" and "Fearless". $1.29. Cool song. :)

Shane Monahan is a Sioux City Photographer that specializes on weddings and senior portraits. We live in Iowa, but will travel to any destination! Also, ask us about our new Photo Booth rental now available. Thanks!

Ireland on my mind this week. Sioux City Camera Club talk on travel.

(Sioux City, IA Wedding Photographer | Shane Monahan Photography) — Mon, 05 Mar 2012 23:17:40 GMT

So I have been grinding this week trying to put together a presentation for the Sioux City Camera Club. First of all, let me just say that I have even more respect for the photographers that get up and do this than I did before... and it was a lot then. It's no easy task getting in front of photographers with (in some cases) more years experience photographing than I've been alive (x2). Literally, there are some photographers in this group that have been at it for over 70 years! I'm only 34 so... yeah. Ha! But... we all have something to offer so this week is my week to see what I can contribute to such an awesome and seasoned group of photographers.

The topic that was chosen for me was to talk to the group about taking photos in Ireland. Sounds good, but how in the world do I talk about taking pictures in a country I've only been to once and won't be able to visit anytime soon?!? Everyone LOVES looking at other people's vacation photos right? It's always great having a platform to speak from and having the stage, but seriously... I don't want to put people to sleep just looking at my Ireland photos. I've decided to give my presentation on getting the most out of travel photography. I believe I've had more travel experience in recent years than the average person and can offer some sound advice on getting good travel photography. Since it was requested that I talk about Ireland, I'm going to still be presenting some of my photos from there, but will be discussing other places I've visit and in addition to talking about the shots I got, I will be discussing the mistakes I've made and how I would do it different if I could do it again. If you've ever thought about attending the Sioux City Camera Club and have an interest in this (or just checking out the club in general), feel free to come to the First Presbyterian Church on the corner of 6th and Nebraska in downtown Sioux City this Thursday at 7:30 PM.

For now, here's one of the pictures I've dug out of the archives from Ireland. It's a photo of the Irish National Museum in Dublin. :) Enjoy!

Here's one more from Ireland. This is actually from the center of town in a small town called, "Monaghan". :)

Church, Lost, Pancakes, Video, Work, Dogs and more

(Sioux City, IA Wedding Photographer | Shane Monahan Photography) — Mon, 05 Mar 2012 02:18:45 GMT

Today was a fairly productive day, but probably not productive in a useful way. Becca and I both woke up early and got off to a great start! Becca made pancakes for us, we made it to the early service for church today at Riverz Edge. By the way, what a great sermon! If you've been looking for a great church home, please consider Riverz Edge. They are a network church of Lifechurch out of Oklahoma City. Pastor Craig Groeschel preaches and his sermons are incredible! If you've never watched a sermon online, check out his latest series and see what you think. Visit Lifechurch.tv . Good stuff!

After church, we came home, made some lunch, I made a funny video for pastor Joe and we finished Season 4 of Lost on Netflix and hung out with our dogs. I also paid some bills and mapped out my work schedule for the next week. LOTS to do!! So, here's to a busy upcoming week! Check out one of the photos I took yesterday while wandering around Sioux City. :) I liked how this one turned out. It's one of the old brick buildings in Downtown Sioux City.

Rock Climbing Photographer in Sioux City, Iowa

(Sioux City, IA Wedding Photographer | Shane Monahan Photography) — Sun, 04 Mar 2012 03:11:08 GMT

Becca and I had the pleasure of rock climbing today (actually Becca wasn't feeling up for climbing so she just hung out), but we had the pleasure of rock climbing/hanging out with our good friends (and former wedding clients) Tom and Nikki! It was a great day! We started off with a tasty lunch at Milwaukee Weiner House (You just can't go wrong there), climbed at the Tyson Family Recreation Center for a couple hours and then I took Becca home. After that, I went back out to shoot some local photos and we capped the day off with some Rosie's Pizza from South Sioux City.

I hope the nice weather holds up! It sounds like we're going to have a great week of weather this next week. Gonna be out shooting some photos for sure!

Here's a couple pictures from today's rock climbing adventure!

Tom's killing the wall! We won't discuss the little girls that climbed higher than him on the other wall though. ;-)

I "might" be trying a bit too hard to be cool here. At least I can say I made it to the top of one of the big walls. :)

A Night at the Theater - Downtown Sioux City, Iowa

(Sioux City, IA Wedding Photographer | Shane Monahan Photography) — Sat, 03 Mar 2012 04:53:56 GMT

Just a look at Downtown Sioux City from March 1, 2012. It was chilly out, but that didn't keep people from coming downtown to watch funny man, Gabriel Iglesias, aka Fluffy perform at the Sioux City Orpheum Theater. By the time I got down there to take this picture, the sign had already been changed. They don't waste anytime!

Anyway, I don't have much more to add to this other than I just wanted to get a blog up and share a new photo with you all! I am a photographer after all. :) Thanks for visiting my site!

Make it a Redbox night! Oscar winner - Hugo

(Sioux City, IA Wedding Photographer | Shane Monahan Photography) — Thu, 01 Mar 2012 21:22:35 GMT

Well, if I'm being honest, I'd have to say the Oscar winner for Best Picture, Hugo, never appealed to me. That said, it won a lot of awards... Guess I better fork over the $1.20 plus tax to see what all the fuss is about. :) So, tonight is a Redbox night! My good friend David said he didn't think it was that great. I will have to make my own opinion of it. I'd really like to be pleasantly surprised by it. Expectations are still a bit low.

I'm also working on a presentation for the Sioux City Camera Club this week. I will be presenting on Making the Best of Travel Photography. I'm at a bit of a loss on what to discuss. It'd be really easy to turn the presentation into a "Look at my vacation pictures" type of presentation... Sounds like a great time! I really want it to be useful information as opposed to just being an opportunity to show off my pretty vacation pictures. I expect to discuss issues on preparation for the local area you're visiting, what gear to pack, shots I've got and how I've retouched the photos, and being a tourist in your own town. That itinerary could change, but I'll call Photographer's prerogative and maybe it will be a surprise on Thursday!

Thanks again for visiting my blog! I plan on putting up a new post every day. Keep me accountable if I'm not!! I'd like this blog to be a place worth visiting daily. Please feel free to comment or chime in below! Any thoughts on Hugo from anyone? Like it? Love it? Hate it?

UPDATE: A quick correction is in order - I said Hugo was the Oscar winner for Best Picture. That is incorrect, The Artist won Best Picture. My mistake. After watching Hugo, I can say a couple things. One, it was filmed beautifully. Every scene was composed perfectly and if you took just a still shot of the frame, practically every frame of the movie could be a beautiful still shot of it's own. The film though... while I think it was a heart warming story... It lost my interest pretty early. It was very slow moving and about 30-40 minutes in I became distracted and started playing on my iPad... I continued to watch it, but without all of my focus. So, for what I paid attention to, it seemed like a nice movie, but it was kind of boring for my taste. I'm glad I only spent $1.20 on it.

Happy Leap Year 2012!

(Sioux City, IA Wedding Photographer | Shane Monahan Photography) — Wed, 29 Feb 2012 19:54:55 GMT

Happy Leap Year 2012 Sioux City!

So, what are you doing to celebrate this once every 4 years occasion? So far, I have spent my day in a bit of a fog. I stayed up working on this site till 3 AM last night trying to get it ready to go live with my old address again and just working general web stuff to get this site optimized. You know, boring internet stuff. I don't recommend staying up that late if you can avoid it. I didn't want to sleep till noon today so I forced myself to wake up kind of early still so I can avoid living my life like a vampire.

I lost my Mom 3 1/2 years ago back in June of 2008 and I can't help but think of her today. Before I was born, my Mom gave birth to a baby girl. My sister's name was Mary. Unfortunately, she didn't survive child birth as she and my Mom had become very sick. Her birthday was on a February 29th (a leap year). I think a lot of people had forgotten about this over the years, but Mom always quietly remembered her little girl on this day. She always appreciated it when I let her know I was thinking of her on Mary's birthday. So Mom, I'm thinking of you today. I love you and miss you so much!

Me at a very early age. Apparently I wasn't always the perfect angel I was led to believe. The gun rack in the background cracks me up a little now. My step Dad was a big hunter, but it looks kind of funny in this picture now (just because I'm a baby around all those guns).

My Mom was so pretty -

Still miss her all the time!

So, ... What are YOU doing today?

Heading to Omaha!

(Sioux City, IA Wedding Photographer | Shane Monahan Photography) — Tue, 28 Feb 2012 21:44:35 GMT

Well, off to Omaha to pick up our good friend David Morrison from his big Guatemala trip. I'm hoping the roads aren't too icy with all the rain we've had today. Might have to stop off and pick up some Chipotle while we're there as well. :) If you love to travel, you should check out our friends blog. He has helped us take a lot of trips for next to nothing by working the system with credit card sign up bonuses and such. We've used frequent flyer miles to go places like the Dominican Republic for $102 each (roundtrip ticket - just paid the taxes on a $900 ticket!)... Anyway, he has lots of great info! Check out his site at: www.travelandcredit.com

See you later!

Shane Monahan is a Sioux City Photographer that specializes on weddings and senior portraits. We live in Iowa, but will travel to any destination! Also, ask us about our new Photo Booth available for rental. Thanks!

Peach Wave frozen Yogurt!

(Sioux City, IA Wedding Photographer | Shane Monahan Photography) — Tue, 28 Feb 2012 00:26:37 GMT

Have any of you been to or tried the new frozen yogurt shop in town? It's called Peach Wave and it's located next to Buffalo Wild Wings in the Lakeport Commons here in Sioux City, Iowa. All I can say is... WOW! That place is so good! It's like crack for me... Except I'm on a diet and it's killing me. This place has made me fall off the diet wagon multiple times already. It's too good. I'm going there tonight with my family and expect to overdo it. LOL. I will put some photos up when I return, but expect a follow up blog post in the upcoming days about my diet and me getting back on the wagon. Ha! Tonight though, ... Tonight belongs to Peach Wave. :)

As promised, here are the pictures from tonight. Oh it was so good.

Or if you prefer a view from the top down. :) Mmmmmmmmmmm....

Who says having dogs isn't like kids?

(Sioux City, IA Wedding Photographer | Shane Monahan Photography) — Sun, 26 Feb 2012 01:23:19 GMT

Just a quick post! These are two of our three dogs. They were out in the snow a little too long today. Apparently, they got bored and decided to dig! LOL! I stopped them both at the door and had to call Becca to help me get them both to the bath tub immediately!! They were so pathetic and cute, how could I possibly be mad at them though? They were so muddy! LOL! Gotta love em!

New website! Thoughts?

(Sioux City, IA Wedding Photographer | Shane Monahan Photography) — Thu, 23 Feb 2012 19:28:31 GMT

Hi everybody! Thanks for visiting my website. If this is your first time visiting the site, welcome. I am a Sioux City Photographer and my wife Becca assists me at all weddings we photograph.

Concerning the website, we're at the same address we've been at, but we've changed the look and functionality up a bit. I've always wanted more interaction on my site as well as a bit more functionality with my galleries and such for all of the great couples/high school seniors/families I've worked with.

The old site allowed me to post blogs, but it didn't allow anyone to leave comments or feedback. Don't get me wrong, it's nice to have a platform to speak your mind at, but I feel like the only way to grow is to have open dialogue. I like to hear feedback so I can know if what I'm offering is even what brides are looking for today. The response has been pretty good so far. We've met up with a lot of amazing couples and can't wait to shoot your weddings!! We're looking forward to getting to know each of you better through this whole process!

Please take a minute to register on my website. It truthfully takes like 30 seconds. All you need is your Name, email and a password. It helps me communicate with you all better (especially if I'm shooting your wedding - please sign up), but it also allows you to quickly and easily leave comments on blog posts, check your order history - (if you order prints through the website) and it just helps make this site as interactive as possible. Thanks again!

Also, in case you haven't noticed, I'm offering a new service. I have officially ordered a Photo Booth (should be here within two to three weeks) and it will be offered as either an Add-On to my Photography packages OR if you already have a photographer, but need JUST the Booth, it will be available to rent by itself also.

There has been a number of you that have expressed interest in it already so if you have been thinking of renting one, please let me know asap. I only have one booth for now so availability will be on a first come, first serve basis. As an Add-On to a Photography Package, the introductory rate will be $550. That includes the Photo Booth for a minimum of 4 hours, but we will stay up to 8 hours total if your reception lasts longer at no additional charge (wedding receptions only). You will have 1 attendant and unlimited use. That rate also includes a Photo Album that you will take home at the end of the night as well as a disk with the digital files of everybody that took their picture AND VIDEO files from people that chose to leave you a VIDEO message.

If you already have a photographer lined up, you can still rent just the booth (if it's available) for the introductory rate of $675. That includes all of the above features and services. We're super excited about the new Photo Booth and can't wait to start using it at your events!

Rental of the Photo Booth is not limited to just Sioux City, Iowa. We will take the booth wherever your wedding or destination event needs us to be. We will take the booth to any location within a 30 mile radius at no additional charge. Outside of that radius, the rate will be determined on a case by case basis. We only want to recoup our fuel costs so the charges could be $50-$60 if you live in Omaha or Lincoln for example (unless of course we're already photographing your wedding - no additional charges would apply on top of the rate we would be charging to travel to your wedding anyway).

Please let me know what you think of the new website and the new services we will be offering! Thanks again!

We ordered a Photo Booth!

(Sioux City, IA Wedding Photographer | Shane Monahan Photography) — Thu, 23 Feb 2012 18:40:21 GMT

Photo Booth Rental is now an option!

If you're like many brides we've recently spoken with, you've considered renting a Photo Booth for your reception or party. If not, let me tell you about them! They are awesome! I had the opportunity to try some out on my recent trip to New Orleans for the Imaging USA 2012 PPA meeting this year. I loved the possibilities almost instantly! As a photographer, I always try to get as many shots as possible during your wedding and reception. That said, it's hard to get everybody. The Photo Booth is the perfect add-on for your reception! It allows your guests to take fun/candid photos and put one copy into an album you get to take home at the end of the night AND gives them a copy to keep as a party favor! In addition to doing all the normal things a Photo Booth should do, the Booth I've ordered ALSO does VIDEO! So, not only will you get great photos of your friends and family being goofy, you can also hear them congratulate you on your big day. Who wouldn't love to look back on their wedding and listen to words of wisdom from a Great Grandparent or long lost relative? Anyway, if you can't tell - I'm pretty excited about this new service we are offering. I won't have the booth in my hands for 2-3 weeks, but the rental requests have already been starting to come in.

If you're interested in renting a Photo Booth from us, please contact me as soon as possible. I will only have one Booth for now so availability will be limited. As a special introductory offer, I will be offering the Photo Booth at the following Introductory Rates:

As an Add-On to a Photography Package (If you hire me as your main photographer): $550

Just the Photo Booth without a Photography Package: $675 (Special introductory rate - limited time offer)

Both options include the Photo Booth and a minimum of 4 hours of use at your wedding reception. If you need the Photo Booth longer, we will stay at your wedding reception for up to 4 additional hours (8 total) at no additional charge.

Both options include an album that guests can put your photos into and you take home at the end of the night.

Both options include a burned copy of all the pictures taken on the booth as well as the videos that are recorded on the Photo Booth.

Both options include 1 attendant.

We will bring the Photo Booth to any wedding within 20 miles of Sioux City at no additional charge. if you are outside the 20 mile radius, fees will be determined on a case by case basis. Generally, we just want to recover our fuel costs. Places within an hour or two of Sioux City will likely require an additional $50-$60. All charges will be determined prior to the event.

Sound good? Give me a call or shoot me an e-mail if you're interested! I'd love to talk with you about your wedding photography needs!

Shane Monahan is a local photographer in Sioux City, Iowa. We are available for weddings in any destination! Whether you're in Sioux City, Hawaii, Minneapolis or Chicago, no place is too far. We will go where ever you need us to be! I look forward to hearing from you!

Wedding dates for 2012 filling up FAST!

(Sioux City, IA Wedding Photographer | Shane Monahan Photography) — Thu, 23 Feb 2012 18:39:18 GMT

Weddings, weddings, weddings!

Becca and I have had the privilege of attending some Bridal shows here in Sioux City this month and have met a TON of AWESOME brides-to-be! We are so honored to be a part of each of your weddings! Thank you again to each of you that took the time to come by our booth and visit with us. If you missed the Bridal shows or just didn't get a chance to visit, we would LOVE to meet with you for a personal one on one consultation. If you haven't booked a photographer yet for your 2012 date, please get in touch with us as soon as possible. Dates are filling up fast for this year (and even some dates for 2013 are already taken). I've had to tell several brides no already because we were already booked on their date. Don't let that be you! We would love to work with you. Give me a call today and we'll have you over to discuss your wedding photography in greater detail. Thanks again!

-Shane

712-223-1032

Shane Monahan is a local photographer in Sioux City, Iowa

We will travel to any destination your wedding requires us to travel to. We love weddings and love getting to know you and your future spouse! Give me a call today and let's set up your destination wedding!

Bridal Fair- South Sioux City, Nebraska

(Sioux City, IA Wedding Photographer | Shane Monahan Photography) — Thu, 23 Feb 2012 18:25:20 GMT

Bridal Fair 2012 South Sioux City, Nebraska, Marina Inn! January 28, 2012 10 AM - 3 PM.

If you missed us at the Bridal Spectacular a couple weeks ago, you'll have another opportunity to meet up with us. We will be at the Bridal Fair in South Sioux City, Nebraska on January 28th at the Marina Inn. Please stop by and say hi! We had such a great time at the last Bridal show that we're really looking forward to meeting more of you at the Bridal Fair as well! Cost is $8.00 at the door, but if you pre-register, you can save $3.00 and get in for $5.00! Here's a link that you can pre-register at if you're planning on attending. Bridal Fair 2012 .

Also, please keep in mind, these bridal shows get pretty crazy so it's hard to give you the one on one attention we prefer to offer when discussing your wedding. If you would like to meet with us prior to the show, please contact me via phone or e-mail and we will schedule a time to meet. I've spoke with quite a few brides since the last show and dates are filling up fast! Let's get in touch so we can lock in your wedding date! I'm looking forward to meeting all of you!!

Bridal Spectacular!

(Sioux City, IA Wedding Photographer | Shane Monahan Photography) — Thu, 23 Feb 2012 06:23:23 GMT

Hi everyone! Sorry for not posting a lot of updates to the blog! Things have been busy, but with the holidays now past, it's time to look to the future! We're expecting big things in 2012 for us and can't wait to shoot the weddings we've already booked for this year. Brides to be - If you're getting married and still haven't decided on a wedding photographer, please come visit us at the Bridal Spectacular downtown at the Sioux City Convention Center on Sunday January 8th from 11 AM - 4 PM. We'll have some specials the day of the Bridal Spectacular for those of you who want to lock in your date when you're there. First come, first serve on the dates. Of course, if you want to lock in your wedding photography with us before the Bridal Spectacular, you can contact us anytime and hire us while your date is still available. Also, if you're located outside of Sioux City, we would love to come to you. We are available for any destination wedding photography. Additional costs will apply and vary on a case by case basis. We look forward to meeting you! See you January 8th at the Bridal Spectacular!!

Shane Monahan is a local photographer in Sioux City, Iowa. He specializes in weddings, engagements and Senior photos. We will go where ever you need us to go. Call or e-mail today to lock in your wedding date for 2012! Ask us about our new Photo Booth Rental option!

Does retouching a photo really matter?

(Sioux City, IA Wedding Photographer | Shane Monahan Photography) — Thu, 23 Feb 2012 06:20:28 GMT

Does retouching a photo really matter? This is a question as a photographer, I've heard often. The answer really comes down to your personal opinion and budget. Most good photographers will do at least some minor retouching to your photos. Personally, unless you ask me not to... I ALWAYS try to remove any blemishes, sharpen your eyes, pop the colors and vibrancy of yourphotos, warm up the shot, etc. Beyond those basic retouching things, I'll also consider if there's any artistic things I can do to make the photo more interesting (I don't do this for every picture). Sometimes that means I have to clone out distracting items in the photo or turn the photo into a black and white or sepia toned shot. There are a lot of things that can be done to a photo. I feel the key to making it look good though is to not overdo it. Many newer photographers get excited and try to do too much. I believe too much photoshop can ruin a good picture and not doing at least SOME post processing can leave the photo dull and boring. The key is to find that sweet spot.

How does retouching affect you the consumer? Aside from the obvious picture quality, it affects your pocket book. If you're ok with just getting pictures right out of the camera with no retouching, many photographers would be willing to give you a lower rate... BUT, if you want professional looking, high quality shots with a bit of the photographers creative touch applied, then you're also paying for his/her time. I know for myself personally, it's not at all uncommon for me to spend 1-2 hours with a couple during a photo shoot, but then spend another 30-40 hours (or more) retouching their photos afterwards. It's the whole tip of the iceberg thing... When you see the photographer, you're only seeing a portion of the time that they'll be working on your shoot. The biggest chunk of a photographer's time is spent sorting through the photos, cherry picking the best, retouching each one, uploading them to websites, e-mailing back and forth, burning disks, printing labels, ordering prints, etc. Not to mention driving to and from each location.

So... with all that said.... does retouching a photo really matter? It's all in the eye of the beholder. I don't usually show "before" pictures as I only like people to see finished products, but below is an example of a "before and after" photo to show a little of what I offer. If you like my style, I'd love to work for you. I promise at the end of the day, you will get my best effort.

- Shane :)

Sioux City, Iowa Fall photos

(Sioux City, IA Wedding Photographer | Shane Monahan Photography) — Thu, 23 Feb 2012 06:11:13 GMT

Sioux City, Iowa Fall photos! My wife and I woke up extra early this week to capture some good fall photos. I was concerned that I didn't get anything worthwhile, but after getting home, I was pleased to find there were a few good pictures afterall! Enjoy!

The Cunningham family

(Sioux City, IA Wedding Photographer | Shane Monahan Photography) — Thu, 23 Feb 2012 06:06:45 GMT

It's getting chilly in Sioux City! I had the opportunity to photograph the Cunningham family tonight. We had a great time, but we had to move fast as that chilly late September weather was rolling in! Here are some previews from tonights photo shoot! Thanks for letting me be your photographer!

Lacey and Seth - Engagement Session

(Sioux City, IA Wedding Photographer | Shane Monahan Photography) — Thu, 23 Feb 2012 06:00:45 GMT

I had the privilege of meeting Lacey and Seth tonight for their engagement photo session! These two are such a sweet couple. My wife and I couldn't help but think back to 11 years ago when we were their age - young, in love, and no worries in the world! They are very much in love though and had a neat proposal story. :) We were honored to be able to shoot their engagement photos! For the third night in a row, it was a perfect night for taking photos in Sioux City! It was a little windy, but it made it perfect for flying a kite!! Here are a some preview pics from the engagement photo session this evening! Thanks again for letting me be your photographer!

Nicole - 2012 Senior

(Sioux City, IA Wedding Photographer | Shane Monahan Photography) — Thu, 23 Feb 2012 05:55:59 GMT

I had the pleasure of hanging out with Nicole and her Dad Tim tonight during Nicole's Senior Portrait session. Nicole is such a down to earth girl and her Dad is one of the easiest going Dad's I've ever met. I really enjoyed hanging out with the two of them tonight. They had some ideas in mind for where they wanted to have the photo shoot, but they were equally willing to go anywhere I suggested. My idea led us to some railroad tracks and unfortunately it also got us kicked OFF the railroad tracks by some workers! Ha! Oh well... It was still a beautiful night in Sioux City and we still had a great time taking some pictures! I'm excited to start working on her photos. Here's a couple samples from tonight's photo shoot. Thanks again for choosing me to be your photographer!

Amber and Dave in the Bahamas - Destination Photography

(Sioux City, IA Wedding Photographer | Shane Monahan Photography) — Thu, 23 Feb 2012 05:53:23 GMT

I have been REALLY busy lately and have been terrible about updating my blog! This photo shoot is definitely out of order, but I'm in Florida at the moment and these are the only pictures I have access to until I return home. I'll be working on getting the other recent photo shoots posted on here as soon as possible once I return. I'll be playing some serious catchup!

That said, these photos were taken of Amber and Dave, at the beautiful "Our Lucaya Beach Resort" in Freeport Bahamas. These two were such a great couple! Amber is a young, upcoming actress/photographer/model and Dave is a firefighter. They both had some crazy/cool life stories! I had a lot of fun talking to them. Truly just a nice couple that was a pleasure to hang with andphotograph. Thanks again for letting me be a part of your day at the beach! These are just a few of the great pics we got this week. I couldn't have picked a better destination to shoot them at!! Enjoy!

Margee - 2012 West High Senior

(Sioux City, IA Wedding Photographer | Shane Monahan Photography) — Thu, 23 Feb 2012 05:48:31 GMT

Margee - 2012 - Sioux City, West High Senior Photos

I had the pleasure of photographing Margee this week and had a blast during our photo shoot! She is a talented singer that loves to sing and was a joy to visit with and photograph during our shoot! Here are her previews pictures!

Mark and Anna Engagement Session

(Sioux City, IA Wedding Photographer | Shane Monahan Photography) — Thu, 23 Feb 2012 05:42:43 GMT

Mark and Anna's engagement session

Mark and Anna are such an amazing couple! I met these two while photographing the Diamond Dash here in Sioux City a couple months ago! By a freak chance, I came across them during the event and actually had them pose for some staged photos during the event. They were super sweet (and good sports) then and nothing has changed since! They actually won the event and it couldn't have happened to a nicer couple! I was honored to take their engagement photos. Next up - their wedding! Can't wait!

Mattie and Candice maternity pics

(Sioux City, IA Wedding Photographer | Shane Monahan Photography) — Thu, 23 Feb 2012 05:37:38 GMT

These maternity photos were taken during a quick road trip down to Kansas City! These are two, scratch that... THREE of our absolute favorite people! They love the Lord and are going to be amazing parents to their child. I can't wait to take photos of their beautiful baby! Thanks again for letting us be a part of this new chapter in your lives!

American Gothic

(Sioux City, IA Wedding Photographer | Shane Monahan Photography) — Thu, 23 Feb 2012 05:32:46 GMT

I had a chance to photograph this lovely couple during their bridal shower here near Sioux City, Iowa... Mike and Susanna are incredible people and they are going to be the absolute sweetest married couple. Looking forward to watching their love grow along with their family. :) For now though, let's have some fun. Here's our version of an old classic. American Gothic:

Happy Fourth of July Sioux City!

(Sioux City, IA Wedding Photographer | Shane Monahan Photography) — Tue, 21 Feb 2012 21:14:25 GMT

Happy Fourth of July!!

Happy Fourth of July Sioux City, IA; Jefferson, SD; and all of America!! Here are some photos I captured of the fireworks during the 4th of July festivities on July 4, 2011! These pictures were taken in Jefferson, SD. It gets pretty crazy up there!

The Big Parade Mardi Gras Parade - 2011 Archives

(Sioux City, IA Wedding Photographer | Shane Monahan Photography) — Tue, 21 Feb 2012 21:11:24 GMT

The Big Parade Mardi Gras Parade in Sioux City, Iowa - July 1st 2011.

I took a bunch of photos from the Mardi Gras Parade tonight in Sioux City! If you were there, I might have taken a picture with you in it! To see the larger gallery, please check out my facebook page at: www.facebook.com/shanemphotography . If you're in any of the photos and are interested in purchasing a print, please let me know. I can offer reduced rates from my normal prints on this type of job. Thanks!!

A last look at the Sioux City water front before the flood takes over

(Sioux City, IA Wedding Photographer | Shane Monahan Photography) — Tue, 21 Feb 2012 21:05:01 GMT

A last look at the Sioux City water front before the flood takes over

I wandered around some of the flooded water front today here in Sioux City. As a photographer, it gives me something interesting to take pictures of... Unfortunately, it's not at all what I would like to photograph. We have family and friends that are in the path of the flooding and can only pray that the damage is minimal. Please keep the families ofSioux City, South Sioux City, Dakota Dunes, Jackson NE, Dakota City and anyone else in the flood zone in your thoughts and prayers. Here is a final look at the Sioux Cityriver front before the flooding gets bad. As you can see, the water is already starting to get high. It won't be long before all of that grassy area is water.

All photos taken by Shane Monahan Photography - Sioux City, Iowa

So Sioux City is gonna be flooded...

(Sioux City, IA Wedding Photographer | Shane Monahan Photography) — Tue, 21 Feb 2012 20:57:28 GMT

So Sioux City is gonna be flooded...

So it appears Sioux City is going to be flooded in a bad way in some of our popular hot spots along the river... Serious bummer. I was hanging out with some friends up in Yankton near the Gavin's Point Dam today and decided to snap some photos of what we have to look forward to. The water was coming out pretty fast and furious today. Here's my favorite photo of the day!

Just returned from Denver - 2011 archives

(Sioux City, IA Wedding Photographer | Shane Monahan Photography) — Tue, 21 Feb 2012 07:13:31 GMT

Just returned from Denver!

So my wife and I just returned from Denver! We had such a great time! One of our best friends, David Morrison purchased U2 tickets for us as a Christmas gift last year, but due to Bono having emergency back surgery, the concert was postponed for an extra year. Well, the concert finally took place and it was AMAZING! We were in the nose bleed seats, but it didn't matter. I took lots of pictures of Denver and lots from the concert. Unfortunately, I was not permitted to bring in my assortment of professional lenses to theconcert. I was limited to just one of my shorter lenses. I got some good shots, but wasn't able to get the super wide angle shots or the tight close ups. All the same though, I think I was able to capture some of the excitement! Since I just got home, I haven't had a chance to go through all of my U2 photos to get the best ones yet, but for now, here is one of my favorite pictures of the Denver skyline. (Also added this to my freelance section). :) Thanks for looking!

Shane

P.S. I'll put more photos up later!

UPDATE: Added more pics to this post! Enjoy!

This is a bit wider version of the above shot. I really liked how this turned out with the amusement park in the shot off to the right!

This is the Denver Capitol building! It is a beautiful building and the clouds were amazing!

These next couple were taken in the Botanic Gardens in Denver. :)

These last few were taken at the U2 concert at Invesco Field! Such an amazing show!!

Gunderson's Diamond Dash a success! 2011 archives

(Sioux City, IA Wedding Photographer | Shane Monahan Photography) — Tue, 21 Feb 2012 07:02:14 GMT

Gunderson's Diamond Dash a success!

Thank you so much to all of the people who came out and participated today at the Sioux City Diamond Dash!!! Even though not everybody could win, I believe EVERYBODY had a GREAT time! It was so much fun meeting and visiting with all of the participants I got to chat with!! Here's one of the group photos I got this morning. I wish I could've got everybody in one shot because honestly, this is only about a third of the people! Such a great and beautiful day!! I'll put another blog up later with the winners and some otherpictures!

An oldie but a goody - 2011 Archives

(Sioux City, IA Wedding Photographer | Shane Monahan Photography) — Tue, 21 Feb 2012 06:55:29 GMT

An oldie but a goody

So tonight is Sioux City Camera Club night and I've been looking through some of my old pictures to submit for competitive prints... I came across this old Studebaker photo that was taken last summer and applied some of my new editing skills to the picture resulting in what you see here. It's a combination of bracketing three photos, creating an HDR image, tweaking the vibrancy, colors and such in photoshop, cloning out some distracting stuff from the background and applying a "Lomo" effect through Photoshop actions to the picture. A lot of steps, but I liked how it turned out. :) Hopefully, it'll do well in competition!! Have a great day!

Shane

Have a bright, COLORFUL Day Sioux City! 2011 Archives

(Sioux City, IA Wedding Photographer | Shane Monahan Photography) — Tue, 21 Feb 2012 06:51:01 GMT

Have a bright, COLORFUL Day Sioux City!

I was driving through my neighborhood a few days ago and passed a house I've managed to never notice (I have NO IDEA HOW) until now. It was SO colorful that I just KNEW it had to be photographed and turned into some sort of visual eye candy... Here's my best attempt at just that! I can't say I'd ever paint MY house this color, but it sure makes for an interesting photo!

So, as I was saying... Have a bright, and COLORFUL day Sioux City!

Mercy Medial Birth Center/Child Advocacy Program Fund Raiser Event - 2011 archives

(Sioux City, IA Wedding Photographer | Shane Monahan Photography) — Tue, 21 Feb 2012 06:43:03 GMT

Mercy Medical Birth Center/Child Advocacy Program Fund Raiser Event

I will be helping out with a fundraiser on April 9, 2011 benefiting the Mercy Medical Birth Center/Child Advocacy Program here in Sioux City. I've been told the Birthing Center will be purchasing new glider chairs and the Advocacy Program will be purchasing new toys and such for their waiting room as well as other needs. Admittedly, I don't know a lot about these programs, but anything that helps children in my opinion is worth supporting. If you would like to see what's taking place, feel free to visit the Girls Inc. building on April 9, 2011 at 500 Main Street, Sioux City, Iowa from 11 AM until 2 PM that day. I've been told they will have clowns and other activities for kids. They've done this each year for a number of years now and from what I've been told, it's a good time! They're expecting 150-200 kids down there (if not more) so I'd expect a lot of fun activities.

I'll be doing my photographer thing while down there. The word on the street is that they will have clowns down there getting their photos taken with the kids. Cost per photo is $2.50 each with profits benefiting these causes. Hope to see you there!

Shane

Siouxland Swine Rugby - from 2011 archives

(Sioux City, IA Wedding Photographer | Shane Monahan Photography) — Tue, 21 Feb 2012 06:31:04 GMT

Siouxland Swine Rugby!

I had the opportunity to go photograph some pictures during the Siouxland Swine Rugby game this past Saturday! It was their first game of the season, so it was a bit rough going for them. Despite the outcome, it was a great day for rugby and I got some cool photos! This one is probably my favorite from the day... but there were some close 2nds! If you like sports, go support these guys! They're good guys and admission is free! What else is there to do in Sioux City? Eat? Watch tv? This is great entertainment for free! Their home games are held on the South Sioux City soccer fields down by the river. Look them up on facebook for additional details.

January Photo Winner!

(Sioux City, IA Wedding Photographer | Shane Monahan Photography) — Tue, 21 Feb 2012 06:18:32 GMT

January Photo winner!

So, now that I've got a blog on my site, I want to share projects and things that I have done or will be doing. I also hope to share some of my favorite eating establishments and any other local favorites I can tell you about! First things first though - I have liked this photo since they day I laid eyes on this scene and it was finally recognized for being special. :) I recently started attending the local camera club here in Sioux City. Each month we have a photo contest which could have anywhere from 30-40 on up to 50-70 submissions or even more per month. I'm not sure how many were submitted during the month of January. I'd guess around 50-60 prints, but whatever the number, my Ireland shot came in 3rd out of some AMAZING photos! I was flattered and honored that my picture would rate so high. It was up against some great competition!! I will be continuing to compete in these monthly contests as I see fit (and if I have prints that I think can win) and if I win again in the future, those photographs will also be displayed for all to see! Thanks again for visiting my site! I hope to do business with you soon.

Here's the 3rd place winner from January 2011