pearls schmerls...

I think I just dislike anything that is titled into the genre for which it was created. Especially if it's tied to any type of holiday or any other single-day occasions. "Wedding shoes" and worse yet, "wedding jewelry" totally make my eye start twitching. All too often, manufacturers (notice I say "manufacturers" and not "jewelers," "artisans," or "designers") know that these items are to be worn once and thereafter thought of as disposable...and they create these items with that in mind. And somehow the cheap-alloy sparkley chandelier earrings still get slapped with a $55 sticker. Often these are items for which one wouldn't pay $15 for everyday costume jewelry and don't even make it through the first dance.

This is why I encourage seeking your accessories from non-wedding sources. Not only will you find something more unique, you'll get better value out of something you can enjoy again (and remind you of such a happy day), AND it's less waste in the world.

I'm totally in love with ShySiren's earrings. The flower collection is full of gorgeous delicate pieces. These are my favorites for their subtlety:

These little tiny buds remind me of lily-of-the-valley. Only about an inch long, they're just enough embellishment and won't take any attention away from one's face.





These little bells take care of your "something blue" with the sky coloured bead above the frosted bell. Or you could go bolder with the blue bells.



Lots of pretties for your bridesmaids, too.


And the best part? All of these earrings are between $17 and $30. They do custom order, too. You can find ShySiren on Etsy.com. Tell them I say "hi!." (all of the images in this post © ShySiren)

best text message ever

"Just sent you an email. Also, i would like to hire you to document the rest of my life..." - Scott

(Scott and Jaime just received the slideshow proof of their guestbook for their April 26th wedding.) I'll have their engagement session slideshow up here in a few days, but check out their guest book in the mean time.

Oops.

I can't believe I forgot to include this photo from Kevin & Kristin's wedding...it's one of my favorites. This is from the end of the father/daughter dance. I took this shot and tried not to blub like a little girl.

Edit & Marc

I want to share some images from Edit and Marc's March 22nd wedding at the Hilton Easton. A fantastic Russian Jewish party - so so SO much fun. Edit promised much merriment and dancing...and everyone delivered!

I was also honoured to have the fabulous Karen Evans join me as a guest photographer. I've always admired Karen's work and her vision. There was never a dull moment during the night and we had so much fun, it was great to have another friend along with whom to appreciate the party. Kate and I were very grateful to have Karen on board!


Edit's delicate bouquet was created by Blooms Direct.


Edit looked amazing in her dress from Alan Ray Bridal.

Vera Belcher, a SmashBox makeup artist and a bridesmaid, did Edit's makeup. See how pretty she is? Edit has lovely eyes and Vera knew just how to make them pop.



Edit and Marc decided to see each other before their ketuba signing and ceremony. I'd asked Kate to have Edit's Maid of Honor "cover Marc's eyes" and bring him into the room so the surprise wouldn't be lost...I wasn't expecting this! Totally hilarious!




All the men were given a yamaka to wear during the ceremony.


Not all were so adept at wearing one. ;)



Here's a great shot Kate took from the back:


So the ceremony would not be disturbed, we moved around as little as possible. Karen planted herself in a corner behind the chuppah and was able to capture some rare glances of Edit and Marc as they faced the Rabbi.




The Russian band, Alexis, was brought out from New York to provide the music and entertainment. These guys were awesome. The reception room doors opened, they started playing, and within seconds, the dance floor started filling up...all before salad was served. They did much of the MCing in Russian and performed quite a few traditional Russian and Jewish songs.

And my favorite part of any Jewish wedding: the horah! Check out Marc's face!


Vodka is, of course, called for. ;)


The whole slideshow will follow soon. Thanks again to my associate, Kate, and to Karen Evans for joining me for this wedding and sharing their talents!

Éire go brách!

So off I went to NOLA for Wolfgang's brother Kevin's wedding. I'd not met Kristin before, but I had been told she is a 6'2" beauty and a perfect match for Kevin in all capacities. The clans of Curry and O'Sullivan were to be united in wedlock...on St. Patrick's day, of course!

The whole day was perfect. The weather could not have been more gorgeous: 72F, breezy, bright, and no humidity. The wedding took place across Lake Ponchartrain and I'd never been across the bridge before....there's something really bizarre about being on a 40ft wide piece of concrete surrounded by water with no shore in sight. I've never been fond of bridges, so this was like the ultimate in horror movies for me...but of course, I love horror movies...so I rather enjoyed the ride, totally wide-eyed and unsettled. But I digress. Benedict's Plantation is a hidden gem right across the bridge in Mandeville. I love formal southern gardens and the landscaping did not disappoint. Here are some shots from the day:


The adorable flowergirl, Gabby.


Kristin is as beautiful and statuesque as I'd been told.



I love how the sun lit up Kristin's veil from behind...it just adds to her radiance.




This could very well be one of my favorite wedding images. This was immediately after they'd walked back down the aisle and disappeared out of the garden. I love the look of pure simple joy on Kristin's face and the tightness of Kevin's embrace in the first few private moments of actually being married before everyone followed to congratulate them.


Kevin and his mom.



I'm almost done editing, so check back for the slideshow!

"At first sight, violently."

Do I really need to quote Louis Armstrong? That's way too overplayed...regardless of how often I find myself whistling that tune. So let me quote a lesser known lover of the Crescent City, Andrei Codrescu, writing about New Orleans:

"How did we fall in love? At first sight, violently."

I nearly wept when I read that first statement in Codrescu's book; it could not sum up my feelings more clearly or simply. I remember the first time I went to New Orleans. A duo-birthday trip for Sarah and me. It was a place I'd vaguely wanted to visit, it sounded fun, and I watched Angel Heart over and over more to look at the dingy rain-soaked architecture than to be creeped out by Mickey Rourke. We left the airport by cab and I felt much like a cocker spaniel with its head hanging out the window going "oooh!...a palm tree!....ooh!...a Best Buy...with a palm tree!" Then we exited 10 and turned onto Rampart....and I'd left the country for the next 5 days. I wanted to move immediately. An impulse that was quickly squelched by the fear that such beauty and atmosphere might, possibly, could maybe become commonplace to me...that and the fact that the humidity was doing bloody murder to my hair. This would simply have to be my home away from home, somewhere I could dream about between visits and look forward to returning to again and again. And so it went. What excuses could I find? Did I run out of that perfume they custom make on Royal? A wedding? Did I forget my toothbrush the last time?

And then Katrina reared her ugly head. Wolfgang's brother, Kevin, had transplanted himself down there a few years before hand and W was on the phone with him as the winds were tearing the roof from his apartment building. He survived and returned to the place where many will always love to call home, (...has a phrase ever been so literal?) come Hell or high water. I craved return visits with the same intensity (and frequency) as I crave really salty crispy french fries and when I was about to literally lose my mind near the end of 2007, there was only one place I could think of to run away to. And I did for 4 days of blessed solitude, just walking and walking as much as my recuperating back would allow. I thought that would give me my fix for a while...alas, in the grey wetness of our Ohio winter months, I was daydreaming of moss draped trees, boutiques, cast iron, and non-previously frozen seafood.

And then the phone call: Kevin was getting married.

And we’re off!

The wedding season has officially begun for me. And one of the goals this year is to actually keep up on this blog. I love sharing what I’ve experienced at all the weddings I’ve attended and it was one of my regrets last year to have to let the updating slide so I could concentrate on more pressing concerns.

Jill and Wes found me in January at the Columbus Bride Show and booked me the next day for their November 8th wedding at The Venue at the Smith Bros. They love the zoo and we decided it would be a great place for me to follow them around as they wandered this Columbus jungle.




I love when my couples get silly and play like little kids. Jill and Wes stomped through 4 inches of snow to climb a giant steel dinosaur, mocked a T-Rex fight, and had quite a good visit with the gorillas.

This little kitten worked it for all it was worth...she knew she had an audience (I think she could hear the stereo "awwwWWWwww" from Jill and me) and several times coyly looked over her shoulder making little meows at us. She knows she's pretty...and once having graced us with her short-lived attention, she turned her back to us - the show was over. "Always leave them wanting more, dahling..."




We ended their session on the path where Wes made his proposal to Jill. Check out their slideshow to see the rest of their photos. You'll see the leopard gave Jill some advice on how to get Wes off the phone. :)

Flourish Workshop Deux!

By the way, you can now sign up for the Flourish Workshop mailing list on the website.

Go here: Flourish Workshop Website

Angela, Kim, and I will be announcing some exciting information in a few short days, so be sure to get on the list!

New blog coming soon!

Yes. Forever. I know! Much has happened in the last few (ok, many) months since I've updated this blog. The latest of which was the fabulous experience of Flourish Workshop. Angela, Kim, and I were moved to tears by the responses we received from the amazing attendees. I have so much more to say (and so many photos to show) about Flourish, but I'm saving it all up for (drumroll please) my new blog! One of our gracious sponsors, Into the Darkroom, is setting me up with a fantastic custom blog. It's funny, but when I saw Angie's new blog and then Kim's, it actually made me want to get typing. So, friends and neighbors, it's in the works! In the meantime I'd prefer to keep my focus on designing books for my 2007 couples...which is my favorite thing to do, next to shooting. Laying out the whole story is for me the most fulfilling part of my job. It's seriously a very, well...zen-like experience. There's something so thrilling about telling a story without a single written word, something one doesn't have to think about, just look and feel. I just love it.

Only 8 seats left for Flourish Workshop!

That's right, friends and neighbors...Flourish Workshop is almost full with only 8 seats available. We're filling up quickly, so if you've been holding back, now is the time to sign up for three days of learning and shooting and much fabulousness with Angela Anderson, Kim Reed, and lil' ol' me.