Our last wedding anniversary of the year is for our dear friends Shawn and Mary! They’re celebrating at their home in Cape Cod, and it’s hard to believe it’s been a year already since we shot their wedding celebration at William & Mary’s Wren Chapel and Williamsburg Winery. We recently chatted and asked them about the images that mean the most to them from their wedding, and this is what they had to say. First, Shawn’s picks:
I love this picture of Mary. It’s hard to put into words what it makes me feel. I just love how she can look gorgeous, dignified, and regal all at once. She just looks so beautiful.
Our first kiss. We were up in front of everyone and the center of attention but I felt felt like we were the only people in the world at that moment. All the anticipation leading up to that moment was now in the past and the only thing left was to enjoy!
Mary’s picks:
Of course all photos capture a moment in time, but this one makes that notion ever present, which I love. I look at it and see Shawn’s enduring calm and sweetness and wonder what he was thinking just then – at 3:12 p.m.
Okay. First of all: My husband is H.O.T. So handsome! I love the whole series of photographs taken just before we were to see each other for the first time that day, but I chose this one because it so beautifully captures how stupidly happy we both were. That morning and early afternoon were frenzied on my end, which is often hard from which to recover (can set the tone if you let it), but as soon as I saw Shawn, all that fell away. He moots the point on my head like no other.
Their joint favorites:
Bill and Anne are amazing. We’re not very good at posing for pictures; this was totally organic and we love it.
We love everything about this photograph, not the least of which is its composition. It’s beautiful.
Candid again. A private moment in the wine cellar just prior to joining the party upstairs. How happy we were for this stolen moment! Shawn says it just seems to capture who we are together.
Shawn’s grandpa: A man like no other. We’ll always remember him dancing – with a line of ladies waiting their turn.
As a personal note, Anne and I both have photos taken at weddings by professional photographers of our moms before their passing, and these images remain among our very favorite, so it warms out heart to know that this one photo of Shawn’s grandpa is among their most prized. Shawn’s grandpa had a tough-as-nails, yet gentle presence about him that day. We loved him immediately.
SAIPUA, a Brooklyn-based company is adding to my already overflowing file folder of wedding flowers wants/needs/must-haves. These arrangements have a great range of textures, height, and organic flow. My wedding palette is based on peach, sage, yellow, aqua, and pink. All these bouquets would work perfectly, especially incorporating the ranch feeling of Catalina Island.
I’m looking to get my venues booked by the end of the year, so that I can take advantage of 2010 prices for my 2011 wedding. I wanted to be prepared and to make sure I had everything handled, since I’m getting married two hours away. I put together this list of questions to ask the venue/sales/event/wedding coordinator, so that I wouldn’t waste any time. I thought it could help you guys out too, so here’s a list:
1. What dates are available in the season that you want to get married in? If you already have the date, find out the availability for the date and hours.
For a more flexible wedding date, it is still important to ask the venue about their availability. That will give you an idea of their busy season.
Knowing a venue’s busy season can clue you into how many other weddings will be taking place the same weekend, and the same day as your own.
2. Ask about the wedding season for the location of your venue. Planning a wedding off season can save you literally thousands of dollars. Off season for most weddings are November-mid-May.
On that note, think about a Friday or Sunday wedding and ask the venue for their prices for those days as well. I’m saving $18K just by doing these two things (Sunday wedding in the off season).
3. What hours are weddings held – from how early in the morning, until how late at night?
Brunch weddings are cheaper than evening weddings, as well.
4. How many events will be held during my wedding?
The facility may do more than weddings, and it is important to know what kind of service you will be receiving on your big day. Ask if there are other events or weddings during yours, before or after yours. This will dramatically affect your set-up, breakdown and rehearsal times.
Some venues book back-to-back events and you and your guests may feel rushed if this is the case.
5. Is your venue easy to find?
6. Is your venue licensed to carry out civil weddings?
7. If you do hold a license for civil ceremonies, what authority do you come under and can you supply names and contact details for the registrar?
8. Do you have a list of local officiants and some references for them?
9. Who do I contact if there is a problem?
Because you want your big day to go off without a hitch, it is important to know who the contact person is at the event in case of a question or a problem. Is the manager going to be on site? Who would you talk to and where would you find the venue’s trouble shooting person?
10. On that note, do you offer day-of coordinators? It’d be cheaper and more helpful to have someone on site that has established relationships with local vendors as well as know the ins-and-outs of your location and how to troubleshoot effectively.
11. Does the wedding venue offer any Wedding Package Plans?
A reception facility sometimes offers a wedding package plan. What the package includes varies from reception hall to reception hall. It is important to ask exactly what the packages offer, and if not, which services will cost you extra. Is the ceremony included? Or what is the extra fee for a ceremony?
Money Saving Tip: Compare the price of a package plan to a customized plan to get the services that you need on that day, that also fit your budget.
12. What is the rental fee for the Wedding Venue?
Typically reception halls will quote couples a per-person fee. Not all venues are up-front about the fact that in addition to the per-person fee, there may also be added tax (some venues include it in the per-person fee), and an added gratituity.
On top of that, there could also be an actual rental fee for the venue itself. Ask how much the venue rental fee is, and ask how many hours it covers.
13. Ask the venue how much their deposit is to hold the facility for a specific date. Ask when the deposit is due, and in what form (check, money order, credit card).
Find out when the facility needs a secondary or final payment.
14. Is there a payment schedule? What deposits are required?
15. What’s the cancellation policy?
16. Are there any hidden costs? (Before you sign the contract, read it carefully.)
17. What’s the decor like? Does it fit your style and wedding colors? Will you have to spend a lot of money on flowers and decorations to make it beautiful?
18. Is the wedding venue wheelchair accessible? If not, are there many stairs to climb? How close is the parking to the ceremony?
19. Is there room in the wedding venue for a band, wedding musicians, or DJ to play your processional? Ask about power strips/supply for the band or DJ. They will need one close by to set up their equipment…more members of a band=more power needed. Also, ask about acoustics. Your band director or DJ should know about this but, it’ll save you time and money to have this answered for them before you meet.
20. Does the wedding venue already own a sound system with adequate speakers or will that need to be rented? Or will your band/DJ have to supply it? If you’re hiring a DJ, they’ll have speakers and an amp without charging you extra or making it another thing for you to worry about!
21. Is there a space for the bride and groom to change and/or relax? Will there be separate rooms- bridal suite, etc? You’ll want to calculate the closeness of these rooms to the ceremony and work out how to get to the ceremony without too much time/hassle(brides).
22. Where will you take photographs? Is there a park nearby, or do the coordinators have recommended spots on the grounds? Is there a way to control high traffic areas that you may want to take your photos?
23. Where can your guests park? Are there extra fees for parking? Do they have valet parking? Will there need to be shuttles to bring your guests to the venue?
24. Is the wedding venue convenient to public transportation, especially in big cities? How long will it take your guests to get there?
25. Are candles or other open flames allowed?
26. If its an outdoor location, do they have any backup plans for rain or other inclement weather? If not, is there a place that you can put up a tent?
27. Do they own enough chairs for the ceremony, or will they need to be rented?
28. What is the capacity of the Wedding Venue? One of the earliest and hardest decisions that the couple has to make is how many people to invite. Find out if the venue can hold the amount of guests you intend to invite.
29. Will the Venue Provide Wedding Supplies and Accessories? Chairs, any decorations, aisle runners, huppahs, altars, etc….
30. Do you allow confetti, birdseed, bubbles, flower petals, etc to be thrown at the venue?
It is my absolute ultimate dream to get married on the beach. I just love the idea of being outdoors in the sun with the natural beauty of your surrounds and the smell of the sea. Bliss.
I think it also means that you can play with colour and create an amazingly fresh scene. My favorite colour theme for a beach wedding would be mixing raspberry pink, mango orange and for contrast crystal clear blue in small splashes as homage to the sea that will be the back drop of your photos.
I also just adore the idea of a bride wearing a non-structured, flowing, goddess like dress that she will feel comfortable in. Paired with a soft up-do, glowing make-up and jewelled flats I really don’t think you can go wrong.
Then at the reception you can play up more free flower arrangements, fairy lights at dusk and delicious sea food to eat in the balmy weather. The beauty of a beach wedding is you can make it a very casual affair, but you can also amp it up to full of relaxed glamour. You have to love that!
Saturday is a big day for an old work-mate, she’s getting married to the Kiwi of her dreams. Weddings are the only chance I get to dress up so I enjoy the opportunity to go shopping, co-ordinate a wardrobe and find accessories to match. I can see how people can spend hours choosing pieces, mixing and matching for just the right look. For me, the ocassional wedding is more than enough chance to exercise my feminine side.
This past Saturday I had the pleasure of shooting a wedding alongside Jessica Lemmons. Brian and Courtney are from Southern California but Courtney’s family is from the Longview and Vancouver area. Although we all only had just met eachother, I felt like I knew them forever! Cool as cucumbers these kids were!! And the church was probably the most gorgeous building I’ve ever been in. They were married at the historic St. James Catholic Church in Vancouver. I’m pretty sure I wouldn’t mind shooting there again!!!
Anyway, it was a super fun day and thank you Jessica for letting me shoot it with you!!
The boys were waiting patiently while we were setting the girls up– this was just too funny
You Won’t Regret Picking One of These Wonderful Sites!
Daytona Beach and the surrounding areas are some of the most beautiful places to get married, especially in the summertime. Summers in Daytona Beach are often hot, so it’s best to plan accordingly. Finding the perfect spot is not always easy. You’ll want to find a beautiful place with a nice breeze and have a backup plan in case of rain. Usually, however, the rain doesn’t come until the middle of the day in the summertime, so morning weddings are ideal, especially sunrise weddings on the beach or on the Halifax River. The following information includes the author’s top five choices along with some runners-up.
The best place the author can recommend is the incredibly beautiful Lighthouse Point Park in Ponce Inlet, just south of Daytona. The parking lot faces a quant “side beach” with beautiful white powdery sand and a view that is breathtaking. This little beach is connected to a boardwalk, that attaches to the jetty, one of the most picturesque places in Florida. The little beach faces an inlet separating Ponce Inlet from New Smyrna. There are always beautiful boats and when you turn around there is a lovely view of the lighthouse. The ambience in this area is unforgettable. There are also covered areas in case of rain and the restroom facilities are always clean. There is a charge of $3.50 per car to get in unless you have an annual beach park pass. If your wedding is small, you will not need a permit, but if you plan on hosting more than 50 guests you may need one. The Beach Services personnel will be happy to assist you. Contact Tammy Andrasco at (386) 239-6414, extension 21 or (386) 329-7873.
Bonnie Stanford
Yes indeed, the lovely bride at yesterday’s wedding was half an hour late for the festivities.
And it was of course entirely her prerogative to be so, ably assisted by the Saturday afternoon Edinburgh traffic and the conquering of the once-mighty Aussies at Murrayfield.
To say that such a performance (the bride and the Scots at Murrayfield) was a little nerve-inducing was to really only scratch the surface!
Still – good luck to Jenni and Neil, and may you have many happy days together.
So, as some of you know, I’m like most of us and don’t have $100K to spend on a wedding and even if I did, I’d rather put it toward a house. But, that doesn’t stop a girl from dreaming/online window shopping and when I came across the info for Vera Wang’s upcoming trunk shows and sample sales, I became probably a little too excited. So, my lovies, I wanted to share the info with you so that we can all jump for joy!
I was with Samie and See yeong for their Tioman pre-wedding shoot. All I can say is, they are wonderful people and I totally enjoyed working with them.
And how time flies. 6 months later, now happily married. Samie likes her makeup to be natural and her hair to be more pluffy.
Samie likes her makeup to be natural and her hair to be more pluffy.
For her shoulder length hair, we thought it would be better and more elegant to have her hair all up. For the day, it is a nice Audrey Hepburn pluffy hairdo. For the night, in her wedding gown, it was a more subdued hairdo to complement her beautiful pink gown.
On Saturday, I think Saturday…, I posted my favorite esession shots. This time I am gonna post my favorite weddings. I know 2010 isn’t here yet, but whatever. ha!
We had a wonderful time with Tomo and Natsuko on their wedding day which took place at the lovely Carilley Estate in Perth’s Swan Valley. Friends and family from around Australia and Japan joined with them to make it a day to remember. The day was bathed in sunshine and smiles and laughter were the order of the day, as the photos show.
According to People.com, Slipknot/Stone Sour frontman Corey Taylor married Stephanie Luby on ‘lucky’ Friday, Nov. 13 at Las Vegas’ Palms Casino & Hotel, where the wedding party walked down the aisle to Metallica’s “For Whom The Bell Tolls”.
Approximately 350 wedding guests packed the hotel’s nearby Pearl Concert Theater, including Sugar Ray’s Mark McGrath, as well as Camp Freddy’s Dave Navarro and Billy Morrison, who acted as the minister. The rockers then all took the stage, and even the groom joined in on three songs.
This is Taylor’s second marriage.
Taylor, 35, has two children: A daughter named Angie, born in 1992, and a son named Griffin, born in 2002, both of whom he had with his first wife, Scarlett.
Taylor divorced Scarlett — whom he married on March 11, 2004 in a small ceremony at the Botanical center in Des Moines, Iowa — in early 2007.
In the November 2008 issue of Revolver magazine, he is quoted as saying, “After I got sober, I realized my relationship wasn’t right for me. My wife and I had damaged each other too much.”
Taking a break from my travel blog-a-thon, I thought about posting my favorite eSessions that I have taken so far. Running from April to now, these are my favorite photos of these wonderful couples, though I really love all the ones I took. You might see some repeats from my entires of their session. I will do a favorite wedding post later.
The Pickering Barn was full of color for JoJo and Brian’s wedding day and everyone, including their 250 guests, 22 bridesmaids and groomsmen with 7 or so flower/ring children, and the local fawn, turned out for it! Heather, from Mona Lisa Events brought it all together and on time effortlessly, which was a big deal given the number of corsages, etc., large crowd, many w/kids, multiple food stations, and very happy, ruckus groups. Everyone loved our photo studio, especially the girls who were inspired to stage a pyramid for our photo pleasure! (no, I didn’t upload it to this blog…sorry!) Meanwhile, on the dancefloor, Sean of Seattle Parties made sure it was always full – but you only get one guess on the song he played for revelers in the last photo….
Fuck, I love this toasty weather and I don’t care who doesn’t. After all my years in the kitchens of the world my perseverance in sweaty locales is finally paying off. It would appear that we have been blessed with an early summer and I for one am not complaining. I reckon that in the last week we, the denizens of Melbourne, have had more sun and fun than the whole of Hibernia put together over the last 3 wet summers of theirs.
If the elevated ambient temperature isn’t enough to get you excited how about the long overdue return of thunderstorms. Now don’t get me wrong, we have had a few thunderstorms in the last 7 years or so but by and large they have all been dry events without even the slightest drop of electrically charged uisce beatha to give us a good soaking. It might have been just two weeks ago when we had stormy weather on both Friday and Saturday nights and what storms they were. In Australia wet and wild thunderstorms generally only last an hour two before they blow over and hit somebody elses back yard, not like back in the old country where they could go on for the best part of a week and linger around like an unwanted guest from Leitrim.
I happened to be out on both these nights and have the photos to prove it. On the Friday I caught up with some old friends at the Wesley Anne(Lesbianne) before schmoozing on down to Bar Nancy to see me old mucker Zen. It was while we were counting our blessings and the percentage contained within that the first of the weekends thunderstorms passed us by.
Beauty and the beast
This was the scene a few hours before Thor gave us what for.
Perhaps it is just something in my name, refer to previous blogs, but I can’t help but love the old thunder and lightning malarkey. It might also have something to do with the spark of life that they provide and that I have been known to do the same. Do not under any circumstances take that last conceited remark seriously!
The night progressed as they generally do in my neck of the woods; a long walk home, some supper and then a dose of Carl Sagan’s ‘Cosmos” before closing my eyes on another wonderful days existence.
I do however believe that the good Mr Zen, as seen sporting a marvellous face warmer here, would have considered such an early retirement cowardly in the extreme and most untoward for one as young as myself. Zen never sleeps without saying hello to Dawn first.
Zen holding court and looking for Thor.
The big storm occurred on the following night and yet again I was to be found in the general vicinity of Northcote.
I was out the back of The Northcote Social club with all the new metros in their freshly ironed shirts and spikey hair dos when the mother of all showers descended on us. It is a funny thing but over here in dry Australia we sometimes forget what rain sounds like. There are occasions when young ducks and animals get the shock of their lives when they get rained on for the first time in years. These events make the feel good news sections of the evening tabloid tv shows and everybody goes ‘aahhhhhhhhhh the stupid fuckin’ duck!’
Sadly though for us the thunderstorm was the only bit of excitement to be had in that neck of the woods until we happened to stroll into The Lomond Hotel on the way home for a night cap.
Several things became obvious as myself and Steve downed our first pots of pale ale; firstly that we were the youngest patrons of the bar by a good dozen years or so and secondly that there was to be entertainment of the four piece female fronted band variety.
Are we famous now?
Little did we know then just how many more pots of ale and shots of whiskey were gonna disappear down our throats before our heads hit the pillows but a good half dozen would be a fair guess. The band turned out to be Lil’ Fi, which must have been a reference to her shoe size as there was nothing diminutive about her voice or on stage persona. Myself and Steve were quietly impressed with her commandeering voice which she used to sing songs from the greats; Billie, Ella and Dinah. I’m sure there was more but my memory is truly fuckin’ atrocious.
Next up on the social diary was Bev and Lloyd’s Melbourne cup day party. This is an annual event attended by a mixed bag of locals, fly ins and passers by. There is nothing scandalous or astounding about this even but I was in the right place at the right time and my camera was with me too. One cannot plan when a couple engages in a sweet kiss in Paris or when a wrinkle on an old face tells the story of our generation and likewise one couldn’t have planned to get the following four formidable women to sit side by side and all be decked out in rouge.
Red riding hoods...
Next up is the lovely business of matrimony and in particular between a good friend of mine, and fellow blogger, and his beautiful new companion. I was going to use the partner word there but abstained because I truly hate that word in the relationship sense more than any other word I can think of. ’Athlone’ as a word and a place comes a very close second.
"Hard day at the office dear?"
So it was to be that the Gallant Janne and the Joyous Josara were to be wed in Melbourne and I was honoured to be asked to be an official witness to their betrothal of everlasting love and happiness. The weather was perfect, the groom was dashing, the bride was beautiful in blue and everything went swimmingly well. After a brief ceremony at the registry office on Spring st., and what a lovely office it was too, we all repaired back to The Old Colonial Pub on Brunswick st. for refreshments and comestibles.
I do! We did! It's Done!
Let me first admit that the last time I had the dubious pleasure of patronising this pub I got horribly trashed on grand final day and the previous time I happened to fall off a bar stool after just 2 sips of beer! On this occasion I noticed that the chef on duty was an old partner(correct use of the word) in crime and an absolute nutter. He did however put on a fantastic spread before he headed off to headline at The Espy in St Kilda and perform sordid sex acts on himself while fronting a band, and nobody has since come down with anything other than a hangover.
The Knot Shop Sale has a great deal going on right now for all you last minute DIY brides! My BFF that just got married this last September told me that favors are a waste of money but, she still had personalized matchbooks. Then again, most of her guests were smokers. The Knot’s sale has personalized matchbooks: $25.99/100 with free personalization.
Take your guests into consideration when planning for favors. Chocoholics? There’s Kisses or miniture chocolate bars on sale for $19.99/100. Are you or your guests “green”? There’s plantable favors $7.99/12 or personalized shopping totes from $5.99/each.
Check out the link for more details and I hope it helps! Let me know what you ended up getting or what you’re thinking about for favors….
What an amazing experience – my first Hindi Wedding. We travelled into town to take the bridal preparation shots and then to Lenasia for the Ceremony, which was beautiful and very inspiring in all respects. There were 280 guests. Subash looked stunning - her hair was adorned in a long plaite tied with orchids, roses and baby’s breath and she wore a red and gold sari. Her cerise pink shoes were a perfect marriage of tradtion and glamour!
A beautiful bride.
The following are images taken during the Cermony. Karshan is pictured in the centre
If I had my wedding to do all over again, I’d have it on the beach in some tropical paradise. I’d be barefoot, slathered in sunscreen, and already at my honeymoon destination. The only problem that I see with a destination wedding is convincing the wedding party and guests to GO HOME. I would have had to spend my honeymoon with my entire family, so I guess I’m glad I got married in my church and then left.
This is my wedding invitation. For a while, our identities were replaced by frogs.
I shake my head in shame.
What was I thinking? Women think of roses, romance, and beauty when they plan their wedding. Did I have pond scum on my mind?
FringeMan and I had our first date in December. We were engaged on May 20th and married on September 20th of the same year. Whispers were told in person and on the telephone; however, our first child was not born until two and half years later. Unless I gestated for thirty months, I was not pregnant on my wedding day.
Because we were poor had a budget wedding, we enlisted the help of friends and family. My mother-in-law made chocolate bride and groom lollipop favors, a friend took pictures for us, my aunt made my veil, and a relative drove me to the church in his car…no limo. I fixed my own hair and put on some makeup.
Now I would need a crew of landscapers and painters just to work on my head, but this was twelve years ago and youth was on my side.
In keeping with our simple wedding, we decided to forgo a big reception. In New York your parents generally take out a home equity line to pay for your wedding and you promise the florist your first child’s college fund. Weddings are elaborate. You begin your lives in a blissful heap of wedded debt.
I decided that I was going to have cake and punch and hold my reception in the church’s all-purpose room. I think I made more than one aunt cry with my hasty actions, but I promised them that it would be a good cake – the best; however, my mother had a friend. The end.
Never let your mother’s friend bake your wedding cake and transport it from Brooklyn unless you live exactly three blocks from her house. New York’s potholes have been known to devour eighteen wheelers in one gulp.
My cake was to have five layers, strawberry filling, fluffy icing, and a sort of basket-weave pattern with mini pearls. This cake cost more than my wedding dress. It’s sad to eat so much money, but we did.
If I were making the decision now, I’d go to Kleinfeld’s, spend all my money on a dress, and be on TLC’s ‘Say Yes To The Dress’. I’d trade my cake for five minutes of fame and an overpriced cloud of tulle. Then I would send my guests away with their chocolate lollipops and call it a reception.
But I bought the cake and my grandmother bought the cookies. She said we must.
You can see by the high-end plastic table cloths that this was to be an event laced with class.
All good weddings need an events coordinator or wedding planner and my big day was no exception.
My aunt, the one with her hands on her hips, became ‘The Director’. Twelve years later my father-in-law still refers to her as ‘The Director’. She did her job well. She also made that veil that’s flying in the wind.
After the “I do’s”, the rings, and the big kiss, FringeMan and I dismissed our guests row by row. They filtered into the reception area and began drinking punch and nibbling on cookies. I’m sure they were hungry because I was starving. Lunch was on my mind, but we had to get through dessert first. Pictures were taken and we were led to the reception room.
For me, the morning of my wedding is mostly a blur. On the way to the church, my stomach knotted and my heart froze with fright. I walked down the aisle without really seeing anyone. It wasn’t until I tried putting FringeMan’s ring on the wrong hand and everyone broke out into laughter that I relaxed.
After the ceremony, we were led into the reception area. The time had come to cut the cake. I walked in and expected to find a party going on, but as I looked around, everyone stared at me and several women had tears in their eyes. I looked to ‘The Director’ and saw a grief on her face. Her hand covered her mouth and I heard her whisper, she doesn’t look too sad.
I was clueless.
They they, the throng of women, pointed to the cake.
I looked and thought, “It should be bigger.” That is when the women converged on me with a million words, tears, and hugs.
Apparently the cake fell victim to a New York City pothole. FringeMan says that before I arrived at the church, Spanish women were wailing like he only thought possible at a funeral. My cake was salvaged and scooped onto plates to serve our guests.
The top two layers survived unscathed.
The wedding topper – two frogs under wedding bells. One with a veil and one with a bow-tie and tophat…my grandfather’s creation.
My wedding advice…
Order cupcakes!
Happily Ever After,
The FringeCouple
**this post is part of Meetings, Marriages, and Memories. Click HERE for more stories.
Amazing pop/rock covers combo – FOG – the party/theatre/functions specialist 4-piece featuring Chris Berry, Andy Myers, Peter Goacher and Mick Clark played two stunning sets over this weekend @ Doncaster and Ackworth.
Chris Berry - lead singer of FOG
It’s all part of their 2009 tour which has 3 more dates in November. ‘We’re looking forward to a welcome return to one of our ‘home’ gigs next Saturday (14 November),’ says Chris. ‘It’s in Otley and is the ‘home’ gig for Pete & Andy so we always look forward to it. On Saturday 28 November we play a special ball at the Bridge Inn, Walshford and then on Sunday 29 November we’re particularly looking forward to our FOG debut in Boroughbridge. Watch out for all of our dates on our website.’ FOG have some fantastic pre-Christmas dates line-up too and their diary is already fast filling up for 2010 with 37 bookings already in place! ‘We’re just 4 guys who want to entertain all the time,’ says Chris.
www.chrisberrysingerandwriter.wordpress.com www.the-fog.talktalk.net www.myspace.com/chrisberrysinger www.myspace.com/cmcacoustic email: chris@chrisberry.tv Chris is also on Facebook and Twitter
Wow, it’s been way too long since I’ve posted. I’ve gotten off of my blogging schedule! Sorry.
Meaghan & Shawn: We loved being with you! Thank you for allowing us to shoot for you and get to know you. Meaghan-I love your laughter! As I looked through the photos, there is so much laughter and happiness! I love it. I hope you enjoy the photos.
Clifford & Choua’s wedding party were a lot of fun and we took a ton of really fun pictures before their wedding!
This is a fun series of the girls…
the boys
the party
one of my favorites…
They were great at even ‘walking’ to the car. i think they practiced. i gave them the award for doing a jumping picture in the least amout of ‘takes’ ! bravo.
what a wonderful way to conclude this years amazing wedding season. jacque & robert are from my birth state of alaska. they made the journey to gorgeous south lake tahoe for their wedding at the edgewood. i cannot say enough about this couple and their families, it truly makes me realize how blessed i am to be able to do what i do for a living. you all were simply amazing people. i miss you all of you already!!! c’mon you guys, move to tahoe, pretty please!!
I totally suck at keeping up this blog. Totally suck at it. And I’m sure that’s ok. And I’m sure that no one (hi mom and dad) misses it. But I do like writing about silly things whether anyone is reading or not. And I’m going to get a lot more interesting very soon, I promise. Well, for about 6 weeks, at least. I’m 98% sure that I’m going to be doing a tour of China with a yet-to-be-named group (not because I’m being secretive but because it really doesn’t have a name yet) just after Christmas. It’s nearly all booked but I’m going to wait till I get a contract or ticket or visa before I let myself get too excited.
Part of the reason why I’ve not had much time to write is that my entire summer was eaten up by weddings, nine to be exact, seven of which were on consecutive weekends, two of which I sadly had to miss. I am not complaining about this, though. Being with family and friends at weddings and the gatherings that happen around them is a pretty wonderful way to spend your time.
Which leads me to my next thought: Have you even felt like you were the only single person at a wedding? I’m sure many of us have. But, have you ever been at a wedding and looked around and realized that you are literally THE ONLY SINGLE PERSON THERE? This summer I had that delightful experience. At one point, Beyonce’s masterpiece ‘Single Ladies (Put A Ring On It)’ came on and I looked around me and it was all married ladies. Ok, one was engaged but the point is that they all had a ring on it.
Something in me snapped.
I proceeded to yell, “You’re not single! You’re not single” and push every one of them off the dance floor including the bride (sorry, Jill). The DJ responded quickly with, “We can let the married ladies dance to this song too!” (his allegiance obviously with the bride) to which I responded, “No we can’t! this is MY song…MINE!” It was momentary. Everyone laughed. And if you can’t laugh at yourself then, well, you’re dumb.
In fairness, there was one single gentleman there. But he had his shirt off for most of the reception. He was also involved in an alleged breast-grabbing incident. Plus, he kind of reminded me of Charlie from ‘It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia’ but a little less endearing. In light of these things and the fact that he was very sweaty, I stayed away from him.
Despite my episode, it was a beautiful wedding and a beautiful weekend. It was in Sutton’s Bay on the Leelenau peninsula. The Leelenau peninsula might be my favorite place in Michigan though Pictured Rocks and Beaver Island are close behind. Saturday and Sunday were spent driving the peninsula taking in the landscape, local food, trying to decide which cottage I wanted to buy and looking for Mario Batali. In fact, one of the reasons I want a cottage there is so I can become friends with Mario Batali. After reading this article, I can just picture myself sitting on the shore of Lake Michigan, sipping prosecco while Mario Batali makes me pizza in the oven he had flown over from Italy. Plus, I bet Bourain stops by from time to time.
This wedding took place at the Dreams Tulum Resort & Spa in the Riviera Maya. The day of the wedding was a bit cloudy but we got a lot of nice pictures. Some days later we did Trash the Dress here in Cancun, and the weather was just perfect to take the pictures. Following are some of my favorite pictures from this luckly couple, first from their wedding day…
Few days later in Cancun… We did Trash the Dress!!!
Recently I have seen so many beautiful ideas for buttonholes that I have been inspired to design my own for this month’s *creative project*. Sometime soon I will pull all the images together and showcase them on the blog as they are well worth sharing.
I have created my buttonholes for a cosy Christmas wedding, choosing some of the vibrant red berries that there are in the hedgerows at the moment combined with dark glossy greens.
On Sunday I could be found stuck in hedgerows on the country lanes of Surrey searching for a selection of berries that I could use in this month’s project – with N sat in the car reading the newspaper wondering what on earth I was up to.
Anyway, I opted for a sprig of plump, glossy hawthorn berries and one of blood red rosehips. I have paired the rosehips with a small branch of bay leaves found in my garden (and many of yours I’m sure) and the hawthorn berries with some variegated ivy.
Using some floral tape (I must confess I only had sellotape in the house but I wouldn’t recommend it for a wedding as I don’t think it would hold!) simply bind your chosen selection of berries and leaves together into a small posy.
Next, choose a complimentary ribbon or twine – I chose a moss green and a Christmassy tartan – and wind this round the tape a couple of times. Secure the ribbon at the back of the buttonhole and you’re finished!
October is a beautiful month for a wedding and the date that Trish and Ryan chose was no exception. Family and friends gathered together at St. Thomas the Apostle Catholic Church, in Ann Arbor, to witness the couple exchange their vows in a solemn ceremony, that expressed their deep faith and included the beautifully sung Litany of Saints. Following the ceremony, Dawn from Perfection Limousine, skillfully navigated us through the post Uof M game traffic and on to various locations throughout Howell for pictures and some really amazing video footage. Genoa Woods hosted the couples reception where guests were treated to a wonderful evening of music, dining and dancing. Thank you Trish & Ryan and your families for allowing us to be part of your special day!
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