Andy Stenz Photography (Hawaii for Lovers)

bility of hiring him for our event, we knew he would do an excellent job. Andy was helpful, full of ideas, down to earth, thoughtful, excited, and passionate. He was intrigued and inspired by our unique event, so that all built a lot of confidence in working with him. Working with Andy was delightful! He was professional and personal all at the same time. He was dedicated to our event, and captured it as if we were his own family. On the day of the wedding, he captured the ceremony without being obtrusive, but able to have full coverage from every angle. He was personable with all of the wedding party and family, and easy to work with throughout the process. From my first phone conversation to the day of the event and afterward, I have been impressed with Andy's passion for his work and his art. From the first moment, he was full of ideas, ready to plan collaboratively, and authentically friendly. He took unique requests into consideration and made sure the entire day was captured with the spirit in which it had been planned and experienced. Communicating with Andy is flawless, by phone or email. His work is exceptional and captured memories we will have for a lifetime.

pture amazing moments without making the posing feel artificial. Andy did nothing but deliver, and he went above and beyond, helping out with a song sanfu during the reception. Andy is the kind of guy you can trust to do an amazing job with the photography and also to work with your family and friends in a professional, lighthearted way, making the day all that much more enjoyable (and low stress!). My husband and I were nothing but impressed with the end product, the photos that will last a life time, as well as the amazing personal, kind service that he provided on our special day.

. So, where do I begin? I think my friend the Thesaurus can help: Amazing, extraordinary, spectacular, stunning, wondrous, astounding, impressive, marvelous, stupendous, beautiful, breathtaking, striking, awesome, awe inspiring, BOSS, outstanding, terrific, fantastic, fabulous, phenomenal, magical, astonishing, incredible, moving, mind-blowing, exceptional. Even the Thesaurus can't find enough positive adjectives to express how we felt when working with Andy and when viewing all the photos (it was torture for my wife to wait until I got home from work to view them when they were delivered). They were everything we wanted and much more! Not only are Andy's photographs fantastic, but as an individual, you're hard pressed to find anyone more kind hearted and professional, willing to go the extra mile simply because it's the right thing to do. We have what one might call difficult extended families, and despite our worries, Andy pressed forward as the consummate professional he is, being direct but tactful in helping wrangle the herd time and time again. This eased a lot of our concerns the day of. I've met photographers who lack the quality of being assertive enough to deal with chaotic large families, but Andy managed them like a seasoned orchestral conductor to keep the day smooth and moving forward. We are so, so happy with Andy's work. In my own life, I am also an enthusiast photographer. Not a professional by any stretch of the imagination, but it allows me to recognize talent and dedication to the craft when I see it, and Andy embodies those qualities in his work. We're so glad Andy was there to share our day and capture the moments for us. I would highly recommend Andy to photograph yourself, your loved ones, your big day, or just about anything you want captured!

t us and our relationship, and what we wanted for our wedding. Not only are his photographs absolutely spectacular, but he took the time to give us every shot we wanted (and gave us unique, creative shots we would never have dreamed of). He is also a wonderful person to have by your side on the wedding day. He makes the stress melt away, and keeps you on time making sure everything you want happens. He is much more than just a photographer. He is worth every penny, and more. The epitome of excellence in photography.

learly communicated expectations, costs, and was easy to get in touch with. I truly appreciated his good planning. The photos we received from him captured details and moments that my husband and I never really had time to process and absorb in all of the busy-ness of the day. Everything was covered from the formal photos to the candid moments. The images we got were beautiful and well beyond what we expected.

with. What I did not know what all of the gifts that he would bestow upon us throughout the planning process. First, you should know that my husband has a really hard time with staged photographs (think Chandler Bing from that Friends episode...) and had never successfully taken a posed picture alone or with me when we met Andy. Andy was so sensitive to this that he offered to take our engagement pictures in our new home state of Colorado even though we were getting married at my parents' house in Milwaukee. Andy arranged extremely affordable flights and stayed at a family member's home to keep our costs down--he even flew in a day early to scout out all the best spots to take pictures in Colorado given October lighting. During that day we spent together, he truly got to know us--so much so that he bore witness to the deepest, truest nature of our relationship, which he caught on film against the dramatic backdrop of the Rocky Mountains. From there, Andy became more of a friend than a vendor. He knew us better than most of our family did, and we began to establish a deep trust with him. When he delivered the incredible engagement shots, which include a portrait of my husband that he uses to this day as his LinkedIn profile picture, Andy also recommended that we add in a First Look to our wedding day. We were initially skeptical of this addition (tradition!!!!) but heard his reasoning and trusted his judgment--and I'm so grateful we did. Andy created for us the most sacred moment of our entire wedding day by knowing us well enough to know we needed a moment alone before the big moment. And he new us well enough that we welcomed him in to that poignant, loving, and emotional time. As far as the ceremony goes, Andy served as our personal steward through the process. He knew when we needed time alone, and created moments to breathe amidst the chaos of a wedding. He worked with our other vendors to find space for us to have these moments including gaining access to the rooftop of our venue, which provided a stunning Milwaukee skyline for us. Throughout the evening, he not only captured candid beautiful shots of us celebrating our new marriage, but he got shots of our friends and family dancing the night away. It's a testament to his talent that many of our friends have pictures of themselves at our wedding--not their own--sitting framed atop their mantles. They regularly tell us that Andy caught them "at the most honest moment" of their relationships. Today when I look back at our wedding pictures--and at the pictures of us Andy took at my younger sister's wedding a year later (she booked him after seeing his performance at our event)--I am instantly transported back to the moment they were taken. I can hear the band and feel the immense love and happiness that I felt on that day. And I'm forever indebted to Andy for capturing those pictures, and for my "most honest" picture, which was taken at my sister's wedding (although my wedding pictures are perfect, I just happen prefer pictures of me and my husband in which I'm not wearing a wedding dress...) My advice is to hire Andy immediately--and to not look back. He'll become your great ally and friend through your wedding process. We'll certainly be partnering with him for all the big moments yet to come.

with. What I did not know what all of the gifts that he would bestow upon us throughout the planning process. First, you should know that my husband has a really hard time with staged photographs (think Chandler Bing from that Friends episode...) and had never successfully taken a posed picture alone or with me when we met Andy. Andy was so sensitive to this that he offered to take our engagement pictures in our new home state of Colorado even though we were getting married at my parents' house in Milwaukee. Andy arranged extremely affordable flights and stayed at a family member's home to keep our costs down--he even flew in a day early to scout out all the best spots to take pictures in Colorado given October lighting. During that day we spent together, he truly got to know us--so much so that he bore witness to the deepest, truest nature of our relationship, which he caught on film against the dramatic backdrop of the Rocky Mountains. From there, Andy became more of a friend than a vendor. He knew us better than most of our family did, and we began to establish a deep trust with him. When he delivered the incredible engagement shots, which include a portrait of my husband that he uses to this day as his LinkedIn profile picture, Andy also recommended that we add in a First Look to our wedding day. We were initially skeptical of this addition (tradition!!!!) but heard his reasoning and trusted his judgment--and I'm so grateful we did. Andy created for us the most sacred moment of our entire wedding day by knowing us well enough to know we needed a moment alone before the big moment. And he new us well enough that we welcomed him in to that poignant, loving, and emotional time. As far as the ceremony goes, Andy served as our personal steward through the process. He knew when we needed time alone, and created moments to breathe amidst the chaos of a wedding. He worked with our other vendors to find space for us to have these moments including gaining access to the rooftop of our venue, which provided a stunning Milwaukee skyline for us. Throughout the evening, he not only captured candid beautiful shots of us celebrating our new marriage, but he got shots of our friends and family dancing the night away. It's a testament to his talent that many of our friends have pictures of themselves at our wedding--not their own--sitting framed atop their mantles. They regularly tell us that Andy caught them "at the most honest moment" of their relationships. Today when I look back at our wedding pictures--and at the pictures of us Andy took at my younger sister's wedding a year later (she booked him after seeing his performance at our event)--I am instantly transported back to the moment they were taken. I can hear the band and feel the immense love and happiness that I felt on that day. And I'm forever indebted to Andy for capturing those pictures, and for my "most honest" picture, which was taken at my sister's wedding (although my wedding pictures are perfect, I just happen prefer pictures of me and my husband in which I'm not wearing a wedding dress...) My advice is to hire Andy immediately--and to not look back. He'll become your great ally and friend through your wedding process. We'll certainly be partnering with him for all the big moments yet to come.

the day well was something that was important to both of us and worth the investment. Seeing Andy's photos online, we knew he was very skilled and loved the way he captured candid moments with artistry, but none of the cheesy effects you see elsewhere. We were even more sold that he was our guy once we met him in person. Andy is professional, friendly, and always has a way to help put you at ease. (He even made sure we had a few moments to ourselves throughout the whirlwind of the day to soak it all in.) We trusted that he would capture not only the essential shots, but also the spirit of the day, and were both blown away with what he delivered. The lighting in our venue was challenging, but Andy is a master in this area. He pulled out an app during our walk through that told him exactly where the sun would be during the ceremony and made recommendations on where to have is stand in order to utilize it to our advantage. I can only imagine the amazing work that he would be able to do in Hawaii if he made Milwaukee, WI in March look so good. Three years later and we still get comments from our friends about our pictures and the "ninja-like" photographer that managed to get an amazing shot without even realizing he was there. I'd recommend Andy to anyone, anywhere, anytime. We might even have to take a second honeymoon to Hawaii just to say hi and work with him again!

ed out truly magical and we are forever grateful for the memories captured on camera! Andy is so personable, and made us feel comfortable before, during, and after our special day. He even went above and beyond and got my "very difficult" brother to smile! We appreciated Andy's keen eye for beauty, as he helped us capture some "old Hawaii" shots, as well as finding some unique and beautiful locations to shoot. Andy worked well with all of our other vendors and was very prompt in responding to any correspondence we had. We would recommend Andy to anyone and everyone who is looking for a photographer and we would hire him again in a heartbeat!

y present during a whirlwind wedding day. He knows so much about weddings, so was a great resource too! You will not regret working with him! We are so happy with the photos and our overall experience. Highly recommend!!

ing people for group shots- He got a lot of great shots on our wedding day that were made possible only because he had the vision and the drive to make them happen! We were blown away by how many of the photos we got back were our favorites! We loved that Andy always had time for us- we didn't feel like "just another client" to him- in fact, he was so helpful and quick to respond to our emails that we felt like there were no other clients. Andy felt more like a great new friend than a wedding photographer. He's still the only vendor we refer to by name; everyone else was "the DJ" or "The florist", but Andy has always been just Andy. :) Before we chose our photographer we worried a little bit about being "stiff" in our photos, but Andy made it so easy for us to feel relaxed and comfortable having our photo taken! We loved how fun the experience was.

g our first meeting and that continued all the way through our engagement photos and wedding day (he even was willing to give us some important and worthwhile advice leading up to our actual wedding day). Andy made all of our photos about US; who we are as a couple, what we like, what works for us, ways to showcase our relationship and connection. He didn't make it about him. He took his creative eye and applied it in a variety of situations and locations and made beautiful photography from it. I don't even remember seeing him a majority of the actual wedding ceremony, but there were plenty of photos where he was close enough to us that I should have noticed. He was able to capture wonderfully intimate and emotional moments without being intrusive, demanding or in the way. Andy allowed us to be us and his creativity was able to create photography that will last us a lifetime. We often look at our wedding photos and are just constantly in awe of how great the photos are. And not just the finished colors of the photo (top of the line) but the actual composition of the picture, the way it emphasized important aspects of the day and allowed us to see our emotions. Andy took his time editing and processing our photos in order to make them look their best. They were delivered in a timely manner and arrived in a beautiful keepsake box with a personal note. Andy is simply a great human. He doesn't judge, listens well and truly cares about his clients and their wishes. It shows in everything he does...and his photographs are simply outstanding. He will truly be the best decision you can make for your wedding.

would hire him again in a heartbeat!

ly should do so immediately. The short version: Andy is engaging, entertaining, intelligent, thoughtful, and warm, which you want in a photographer for such an important event. His work is stylish and he works hard to make sure he has the perfect shots, which can be purchased in numerous forms (albums, prints, canvases). He has tons of ideas for how to make the day all about the couple and helps make the day perfect beyond just the photography--really, he’s a man of all trades! We appreciated his advice on several matters that we asked him about. Everyone loved him on the wedding day, from children to grandparents. His knowledge and skill are both strong, and I wish we had unlimited money because we would fly to Hawaii for more photo shoots with Andy. He’s the best professional and the only person we could have imagined taking photos of us on our wedding day. Okay, that was the short version. Here’s the long one! When we saw his work, we knew we wanted to work with Andy. His style is photojournalistic and natural but still artistic. Of course, he does the standard photos, but he does them in creative (and non-cheesy) ways. As a dedicated professional who knows how to present his product, he uses the best printing methods to make your wedding photography shine. We booked an engagement (“beloved”) session in fall, and this helped us feel more natural working in front of a photographer. He knows the Milwaukee area well, which allows him to guide couples to spots that fit their personalities and style. As the months before the wedding passed, we touched base with Andy often. He helped us create a schedule for the day. On the wedding day, Andy showed up right on time, and he took time to wander through our house, taking shots of the aspects of our personality we had on display to provide a bigger picture of who we were on more than just this big day. His picture of our cat with a skeptical look in her eyes is now on our bookshelf! He served as a runner between us, delivering the wedding-day gifts, and even helped us button my dress when we had difficulty! Our first look photos were incredibly special. After learning that my father would not be able to walk me down the aisle because it was an orthodox ceremony, I suggested that Dad walk me to my husband during the first look. Andy took it one step further, suggesting that I have a first look for both these special men. It was an emotional and powerful moment. He took shots throughout the ceremony, even working around some barriers in the venue, and helped us determine methods to both stay engaged during the ceremony and manage our guests as we ended the ceremony. He took our party to a park he knows, and it was wonderful to work with him with our small group. His easygoing style was perfect for our easygoing party, and our personalities were part of every photo. Once we arrived at the reception, Andy took the two of us for photos which used the features of downtown to strike a contrast with our nature-filled group and engagement photos. The reception shots, too, were wonderful. All my guests were wowed by his energy and hugely impressed with his work. We loved working with Andy. He made our day wonderful. If you want great photos and a fantastic day working with an absolute professional, work with Andy.

e was great with getting photos. Can't wait to see how they turned out!

. If you want great photos, a no-stress experience, and some fun, hire Andy! He is professional, communicates clearly, and does a great job. We gained a friend in the process of having our wedding photographed by Andy. We were blessed to find him. Thank you, Andy!

friendly and outgoing. His photos captured everyone in the moment and they showed emotion. We loved all our photos and have had many complements from our friends and family. We also did an engagement photo shoot with Andy which gave us the opportunity to get to know him and his style. I would highly recommend doing that. He used those photos to make a guest book which turned out awesome. Andy is all around a great photographer who can capture your special day. His photos turned out beautiful and was a pleasure to work with on our special day. Thanks Andy!

ay where you're wearing the most fancy dress you'll probably ever wear (if you're like me). Andy has an eye for capturing the essence of the moment and does a fantastic job with candid and artistic pictures. In my experience, I was not as blown away by the larger group portraits as the candids. But my family does have a lot of eye closers and awkward expression makers, so you can't fault him much for that. We were thrilled with the pictures overall though. We purchased the 10 hour package & had an engagement session, guest book, and wedding album as our included extras. The engagement shoot helped us get to know each other and feel more comfortable with his shooting style. I would highly recommend doing one before the wedding. The guest book was high quality, and although we haven't seen the final album, the detail that went into the photo box that contained our USB makes me excited to see it. Although we went a little over our budget for this photographer, it was worth it. I would highly recommend Andy to couples who are looking for someone who you can trust to get great shots that capture the emotion and joy of the day.

, I felt at ease knowing he was there and would capture the day for us. He was professional, funny, easy-going, and he even helped take my veil out!

during the wedding and reception. The photos turned out beautiful. They were clear, color was accurate, and Andy was able to capture natural moments. We couldn't be more happy with the service and quality.

d ever seen. He was so good at listening to us about what we were comfortable with and what we weren't, he tries to get natural looking photos by talking to you and asking questions. I can't say enough good things about Andy!!!

t were special because they actually happened. He did just that, and so much more. I cannot say enough about Andy and his work. He made us feel comfortable, and we had a lot of fun! I would book him over and over, and suggest him to every future bride! Simply amazing!

tures were unflattering to the people (mainly bride) even though the background looked good. Overall the photos were unique.

rfect angle and light to capture the moment so beautifully. I highly recommend checking out his website, www.andystenz.com, to see his work and meet with him because he is so wonderful and great to work with! He is a true professional who takes great pride in his work and delivers such high quality in everything he does.