Corey Talks: Vendor Meals, The Real Skinny
Posted on September 7, 2010
Vendor meals. They’re a pesky thing. Sometimes as photographers we view the “vendor meal” warily as we’re never sure what it will entail. Sometimes we get the same meal the guests have. Sometimes we get a cheaper version. Sometimes we get a boxed lunch and sometimes the promised meal never comes. I’ve addressed this issue before but I feel that I need to expand on my thoughts from before in a new blog as things have changed and meals have evolved. In talking with my couples, I’ve realized that they often don’t quite know what exactly their vendor meal is or what it even entails so here’s the meals that we usually get and what they mean. Hopefully this helps clear some of the mystery surrounding those pesky meals!
Same Meal Guests Have
As photographers, we’re elated when we get the same meal that guests have. The first thing this ensures is that we will be able to photograph the meal that you have chosen to have served to guests. If we aren’t served the same meal, it’s often something we cannot photograph as most people aren’t friendly to strange people taking aside their plate of food. This also usually means we are seated with guests. Some photographers don’t like this but I always enjoy getting to meet someone new. It also means that if we’re in the same room, we’re around to know when anything spontaneous happens during dinner that need photographed. The final perk to this option is that we are also served with guests, so that we are able to eat while everyone is eating and are able to get back to our jobs before events start to happen. The only downside that I’ve encountered while being seated with guests is that often since we’re not in the seat until dinner is about to start, someone moves to our seats assuming we’re not there or we’ll find somewhere else to sit and there isn’t always a place for us to move to resulting in us not having a meal.
Stepped Down Guest Meal
Usually if we are placed in an ante room to the reception for our meal, we are served a vendor meal which is a lighter version of the guest meal (chicken/pasta is typically the option). Sometimes it is really nice to have a room to go to and completely relax and not worry about our stuff being messed with and just talk about the day so far. The food is usually the most economical version of the guest choices (pasta or chicken) and still quite good and nourishing. The downfall to this option is that we do not have a full guest plate to shoot (often ours aren’t dressed up like the served plates are or have the side dishes the guests do). We also are usually pretty far off from the main reception area to know what is going on unless someone keys us in to an event taking place. Since we’re often far off from the main floor, we’re the last to be served since the guests are the priority. I totally understand that but usually by the time we get our meals in the room, the bridal party is already finished with theirs and circling the room – moments we would like to be there to capture. Finally it’s becoming a reality that most of the time, these meals never come – or they come too late for the vendors serving you to enjoy them because your reception is already swinging back into gear. I feel SO badly for my couples when this happens because they pay for a meal that never is enjoyed and I hate to see people loose money!
Boxed Lunch/Sandwich Tray
This option is the most popular with guests that also have to feed a band but has been used a bit more lately. This meal is usually a boxed lunch consisting of a sandwich (baloney and PB&J being the most popular versions) a bag of chips and sometimes water. If it’s a sandwich tray, it’s usually a ring or mini subs from a sub shop. These are usually served in either a back room of the kitchen or in a room that is off to the side of the reception. I’m not a picky eater so I’m usually fine with this but I do get upset when I have to battle the band for a meal. Bands are notorious for eating all of the food in a vendor room. I thought this was a tall tale when starting in the business but I quickly found out that generally bands eat up everything assuming it’s all for them and the rest of the vendors are left without meals. The Sellouts will forever have my heart for insisting we eat first because we’d been working hard all day. The first and only band to ever do this! I’ve found that a great solution to this issue is to have the caterers have one box/bag/ring for the band and another for the other vendors that isn’t brought out until we are there. That way the band can tear through their food but there’s still some left over when we and the videographers, wedding planners etc. come back for our quick bite.
Hopefully this helps solve some of the mystery around Vendor Meals and what exactly they are and what each scenario means behind the scenes!
Corey Talks: Pictures With Dogs
Posted on August 22, 2010
Have a doggie daughter or son and want to include them in your wedding day pictures but not sure how? Here are some easy tips to help your dog be a part of your day when you can’t make them a part of your bridal party!
• Pick a location to take pictures with your dog that is dog friendly but not overly distracting. Dog parks are a great place to play with your dog however too much of a distraction for sitting for pictures. On the other hand, churches very rarely are dog friendly. If the location also will work for pictures afterwards with the humans in your wedding it’s even better!
• Everyone has a friend or family member that is itching to help with the wedding. Have them be the dog person! If they are pet friendly, have them bring your dog to meet you at the specified place and time and take them back home afterwards. If you do a first look it makes it even easier for them as they still have time to get ready for the wedding!
• Make sure your dog is bathed and ready for their close up! Pack a few baby wipes for muddy paws in case of them finding a mud puddle.
• A pretty collar and leash that matches the bridal party is always fun!
• Have bottled water and a traveling water bowl on hand. It gets hot in the summer and if they had to wait in the car they are even going to be more thirsty!
• Treats are an easy way to get dogs to look up at the camera and well deserved after being good for the camera.
• Make sure that your photographer is dog friendly!!! I personally ADORE dogs but not everyone does. Make sure that your photographer isn’t afraid of dogs before planning to bring your friend in for some pictures during the day.
Do you have any tips to add?
Wear Sunscreen
Posted on June 13, 2010
Sometimes there are things that just grab you… 11 years ago, the “Wear Sunscreen” song by Baz Luhrmann grabbed me. I remember the first time I heard it, I was in my car on my way home from my first ‘adult’ job that I had. I will admit that I got teary eyed as some of this I had already experienced – the loss of my Mother as well as my brother. The song was a short-lived phenomenon though and it, along with its advice, fell to the wayside in my mind along with I’m sure many of your minds. Today I heard this on internet radio and I was almost brought to tears again. In those 11 years since I’ve heard those pearls of wisdom I’ve lost my father and grandmother, got divorced, remarried and gained siblings. I’ve always thought I was fat. I listen too much to the wrong people and take too much to heart. I also don’t wear sunscreen.
Today I was reminded to not sweat the small stuff, take pleasure in the simple things and wear sunscreen.
Maybe you need the reminder too?
Ladies and Gentlemen of the class of ’99,
If I could offer you only one tip for the future, sunscreen would be it.
The long term benefits of sunscreen have been proved by scientists whereas the rest of my advice has no basis more reliable than my own meandering experience…I will dispense this advice now.
Enjoy the power and beauty of your youth; oh nevermind; you will not understand the power and beauty of your youth until they have faded.
But trust me, in 20 years you’ll look back at photos of yourself and recall in a way you can’t grasp now how much possibility lay before you and how fabulous you really looked….You’re not as fat as you imagine.
Don’t worry about the future; or worry, but know that worrying is as effective as trying to solve an algebra equation by chewing bubblegum.
The real troubles in your life are apt to be things that never crossed your worried mind; the kind that blindside you at 4pm on some idle Tuesday.
Do one thing everyday that scares you.
Sing.
Don’t be reckless with other people’s hearts, don’t put up with people who are reckless with yours.
Floss.
Don’t waste your time on jealousy; sometimes you’re ahead, sometimes you’re behind…the race is long, and in the end, it’s only with yourself.
Remember the compliments you receive, forget the insults; if you succeed in doing this, tell me how.
Keep your old love letters, throw away your old bank statements.
Stretch.
Don’t feel guilty if you don’t know what you want to do with your life…the most interesting people I know didn’t know at 22 what they wanted to do with their lives, some of the most interesting 40 year olds I know still don’t.
Get plenty of calcium.
Be kind to your knees, you’ll miss them when they’re gone.
Maybe you’ll marry, maybe you won’t, maybe you’ll have children,maybe you won’t, maybe you’ll divorce at 40, maybe you’ll dance the funky chicken on your 75th wedding anniversary…what ever you do, don’t congratulate yourself too much or berate yourself either – your choices are half chance, so are everybody else’s.
Enjoy your body, use it every way you can…don’t be afraid of it, or what other people think of it, it’s the greatest instrument you’ll ever own..
Dance…even if you have nowhere to do it but in your own living room.
Read the directions, even if you don’t follow them.
Do NOT read beauty magazines, they will only make you feel ugly.
Get to know your parents, you never know when they’ll be gone for good.
Be nice to your siblings; they are the best link to your past and the people most likely to stick with you in the future.
Understand that friends come and go,but for the precious few you should hold on. Work hard to bridge the gaps in geography and lifestyle because the older you get, the more you need the people you knew when you were young.
Live in New York City once, but leave before it makes you hard; live in Northern California once, but leave before it makes you soft.
Travel.
Accept certain inalienable truths, prices will rise, politicians will philander, you too will get old, and when you do you’ll fantasize that when you were young prices were reasonable, politicians were noble and children respected their elders.
Respect your elders.
Don’t expect anyone else to support you. Maybe you have a trust fund, maybe you have a wealthy spouse; but you never know when either one might run out.
Don’t mess too much with your hair, or by the time you’re 40, it will look 85.
Be careful whose advice you buy, but, be patient with those who supply it. Advice is a form of nostalgia, dispensing it is a way of fishing the past from the disposal, wiping it off, painting over the
ugly parts and recycling it for more than it’s worth.
But trust me on the sunscreen…
(click here for the You Tube video/song)
Corey Talks: Being a Photo Friendly Guest
Posted on June 3, 2010
The day of a wedding, no guest is worried about anything more than upsetting the bride. There are a million and one rules of etiquette for the day of the wedding but in those many rules there are few rules advising guests how to make sure to avoid ruining an otherwise perfect photo moment. Keep these in mind for the next wedding you attend and you may save yourself from being silently cursed by the bride when seeing her pictures.
If you arrive and the processional has started, please don’t walk down the aisle with the processional. Remember the processional starts with the mothers and continues on through the bridal party and bride. Wait to the side and find your seat after the processional is over.
This wedding had a lot of stragglers that kept sitting themselves through the processional, which ended up confusing the groom’s mother who ended up seating herself due to the confusion. If you are late, wait!
If you arrive late and the processional has started, don’t stand behind the bride at the end of the aisle waiting for her to go down. Wait to the side for her to finish walking up the aisle before coming back to the doorway and taking your seat.
As you can see in this image, there are people waiting at the end of the aisle and they are a distraction in the image as you can see them between the bride and her escort.
During the ceremony, please don’t allow your child to run up and down the aisle, especially if you are between the photographer and the bride and groom.
These guys were running up and down the aisle for the entire ceremony and while it is cute for a couple pictures, it also made the wide angle shot up the aisle a bit tricky as the aisle was never clear.
During the ceremony, when taking pictures please do so from your seat and do not stand up in the aisle to do so, especially when the bride is walking down the aisle.
This guest was standing RIGHT in front of the groom, whom you cannot see in this image or this series of images. I love to get the groom’s reaction in the frame of the bride but it wasn’t possible due to this guest.
Keep arms and legs inside the pews/chairs at all times during the ceremony. It may be more comfy to sprawl out but often your elbow/foot may become the focus of an otherwise perfect shot.
After hearing Heidi’s anguish over this image, I started saving images of guests ruining pictures for a future blog post.
During the exit, leave an exit path for the bride and groom and try to resist the urge to crowd them.
As you can see in this exit, there was no path and seeing the bride and groom isn’t easy. With a clear path for the bride and groom they are easily visible.
Likewise, don’t jump in front of the photographer between the bride and groom and them to take a picture during the exit (or anytime).
This bride wanted a pause at the door for the photo opp of having everyone ringing their bells and being excited which was marred by this guest needing a picture.
If a photographer is taking a picture of you, keep doing what you’re doing – if we wanted you to look at us, we’d tell you (same with make a face!).
This couple was having a great animated conversation but when they saw me they struck a pose…
On the dance floor try to be aware of where the photographer is when dancing, try not to jump in front of our lens. (I delete all these pics so use your imagination here).
Keep an eye on your kids during the reception, they are often intrigued by our cameras and gear. If you see them messing with our gear or us, please make them stop.
This picture is obviously not one the bride and groom received but it proves my point here. This kid kept jumping up and slamming his hand into the lens and trying to hang from it during the garter removal. His parents were nowhere to be found and he would not stop no matter what I said. Eventually my assistant was able to stop him but if she hadn’t, I would have been lucky to get ONE shot of this series.
Please be aware where we are on the dance floor and try not to hit us.
This is me in the ER a couple days after an eventful wedding where a guest slammed her elbow down onto the top of my camera, breaking my nose, pulling some muscles in my neck and getting two black eyes. It was the most horrendous CRUNCH I’ve ever felt in my face and it hurt for quite a few days. I finished out the night, but shooting wasn’t easy after that!
For tips on how to be a polite guest with a camera, please see my Guest Photographers post…. I shall be soon expanding on this with pictures!
Corey Talks to Photogs: Clothes for Pros!
Posted on May 3, 2010
Are you a photographer? Or just want to dress like one? How about you just want to see some comfy shoes? Either way, you may want to check out my new blog, Clothes for Pros, where I’ve been posting clothes suggestions for photographers. I get asked all the time where I find shoes, shirts and the like so I decided to start a blog with suggestions!
Corey Talks: My Wedding: Details!!!
Posted on April 19, 2010
I love detail shots, LOVE them. I think part of why I strive to make sure that evert little detail is captured is because Brooke did such a fantastic job for our wedding. I didn’t really have a ‘theme’ per se for our wedding, I had a feeling – which was the beach. Cream, blue, green, sand and shells. Everyone thought I was crazy, especially back in 2007 when EVERYONE had a very detailed THEME to the wedding. I bucked the trend – and ironically now it’s becoming more popular to not have a structured theme!
The house that we rented for the week, where the ceremony was located behind. If you are looking for a house to rent, I highly recommend Tequila Sunrise in Corolla
I loved my shoes – even if I only wore them for a small amount of time. I got them at DSW!
The flower girl basket that I made filled with tiny shells.
I got this cute Victoria’s Secret hoodie the night before at my bachelorette-ish party. It was when it first came out, but it’s now a staple at most weddings I see! Confession: I still have it even though I know I’ll not wear it out (almost 3 years later I don’t think I count as a bride anymore) but I love it too much to part with it! However if any of my future brides want to borrow it, let me know! I may part with it for the right person LOL!
I love sea oats… and this is by far my favorite ring shot. LOVE.
Our invitation which was custom designed for us by a local in the Outer Banks. I love love love this and it turned out perfectly!
This is my DIY menu that picked up on the star on the invitations and programs. While it’s not elaborate, I am quite proud of this! However… that basho wood paper is IMPOSSIBLE to work with!
The entrance to the home we rented for the reception, The Saltaire (some pics from our wedding are on their site). The starfish on the door were from our florist Renee Landry and we still have them hanging on our front door. Another detail I loved.
The cake table with our bouquets on it, which Lisa informed me is a Southern tradition. The cake was from Argyles and it still to this day is the best wedding cake I’ve ever had.
The tables that were on the verandah of the house. We put some here and some by the pool in case of inclement weather.
The round tables we had near the pool area. It took me a long time to come up with a favor that wasn’t lame, fit in with our look for our wedding and wasn’t a darned cookie. Cookie favors were HUGE then. I ended up with scallop shell wine stoppers and they were perfect!
I LOVED my centerpieces. I had sent Renee things that I had envisioned and she did a marvelous job with them. Everyone raved about how beautiful they were.
The centerpieces for the square tables were just as pretty and I adore the candlelight!
Now for the delicious food… first the appetizers. Here we have the bacon wrapped filet bites. My brother in law devoured an entire plate of these. They were delicious!
Sadly my caterer went out of business so I cannot link you to rave about the food of hers! :(
Basil, mozzarella and tomato! This was my personal favorite.
Finally the shrimp… which was so good it was sinful.
Is your stomach growling yet? Mine is!
The caesar salad, which was absolutely delicious.
The main dish! Kobe Beef!!! Lobster!! AHH! SO GOOD! In all the meals I’ve eaten in my life, this is still bar none the best meal I’ve ever had.
I also ate the lobster, which I loved.
I generally hate lobster.
Hate seafood.
Hate.
Yet that day, I figured hell I paid for 40 + of these suckers, I should try one.
Divine.
Yum.
I didn’t make you quite hungry enough yet so I think I need another shot of my yummy entree.
Holy moly this was delicious.
PS: I had enough for my vendors too, it’d be cruel and unusual punishment in my book to have them take pictures and smell this without being able to eat it.
Next up is some fun reception shots… we got a wee bit wild!
Corey Talks: My Wedding: Bride & Groom Pictures
Posted on April 12, 2010
While I LOVE pictures, I was dreading the time in front of the lens with Chris. I know that I don’t photograph well. I know he tends to make faces. I was worried that it was going to be an awkward session of us being weird because we’re not good subjects. Boy, was I wrong! Brooke is awesome. No no, you don’t understand. She’s seriously superwoman because not only did she get amazing pictures of us (NOT MAKING FACES… well all the time) but she also turned something we were dreading into something that was really fun. After a while, we forgot she was the photographer and she was just another friend that happened to be laughing at us while we ran around the beach like idiots. She literally has the best personality of anyone I know, I can’t cheer about Brooke enough. I need “Pocket Brooke” as an iPhone app so I can have her cute little sayings whenever I’m trying to make people get silly at weddings. If you are EVER in the Outer Banks you need to look her up. I know I have said this about a million times through this recap but I can’t say it enough.
The proof is in the pudding right? So here’s the pictures! Keep in mind that all of these were taken in about 20 minutes or so and all where the ceremony was at. Proof that a great location + a great photographer = awesome pics in a short amount of time.
I love how there are two birds above us. :)
It’s hard to tell unless you look by my feet but we are sitting in a shipwreck here! Dad had discovered it the year before and I wanted to make sure we incorporated it into the pictures. It’s an unknown shipwreck and when it’s uncovered you can smell the turpentine still all these years later from the wood.
Another rare shot of me that I like.
Brooke had us walk down from the dune area and go towards the water. I love this picture SO much. Used it for our christmas cards that year!
Brooke didn’t tell, ask or even hint at me going into the water. I went in on my own. Chris stopped when we got towards the ocean but I kept going in!
These pictures make it worth it.
Um, completely worth the salt water and sand in the dress. COMPLETELY.
I loved my bouquet. Renee Landry Style rocks socks. I wish she had a subdivision in Ohio so I could have her awesome flowers at all of my weddings.
“What is she doing!?!? Do I go in too??”
Favorite!!!!
Yes, we did.
My favorite one of us smiling at the camera.
So this isn’t a great photo of us but a hilarious moment captured. We tossed my bouquet up to catch it and it got some flowers knocked out of it when Chris grabbed it. I LOVED my bouquet so that made me sad… so I chucked the fallen rose at him resulting in this image. LOL! I love how it’s exploding off his head.
One last pretty portrait on the beach!
And another shot as we walk up to the stairs… LOVE this one a lot. Especially my awesome bruise.
Another shot I adore, featuring said awesome bouquet.
Such a lovely moment… he was threatening to shove me over!
How I got rid of the sand!!! :) LOL
Corey Talks: Why Posed Pictures Are Important
Posted on April 5, 2010
When I meet with clients, usually there is only one question from the Mother of the Bride, usually while worryingly rubbing her hands together, “do you still do the standard pictures at the church?” When I tell her that I absolutely still do them, the sigh of relief is almost palpable as those shots are really important to Moms. I jokingly call them “Mom Shots” because if I don’t get them, Moms are usually the first ones to be upset. While I do not always do them in the church (I can’t stress enough how going even outside on the steps in front of the church can make for much better images!) I still ALWAYS do the standard posed shots. In non-photographer terms, they are the pictures with the families and bridal party after the wedding, the standard one-two-three-smile! pictures that everyone dreads after a wedding. They don’t take long but after the wedding is over, having even ONE shot of everyone looking at the camera and smiling can be priceless. The above picture of Kristin and her Dad isn’t going to win any awards, but years from now, Kristin’s still going to look back on that picture and smile because she has that one nice shot of her and her Dad on her wedding day smiling at the camera.
It’s kind of a personal reason why these pictures are so important to me. As you may know from reading my blog, my immediate family is all deceased. Pictures are all I really have left of them and us as a family. Sadly though, there aren’t many of them. I have one shot from my Aunt’s wedding that is blurry and barely recognizable and one image from Christmas (above with my Grandmother) and that’s it of me and my family as a whole, smiling at the camera. Even with my first wedding, the photographer didn’t take any standard pictures of me and my Dad smiling at the camera, he had us pose and fake stuff (putting the veil on etc) rather than take a nice portrait of us together. Even though the above shot isn’t remotely formal, or professional it’s still all I’ve got. Who knows, maybe I wouldn’t even be a photographer had my family made it a point to go to a studio every few years to get a nice picture of us together… but we didn’t. So during a wedding, I toss my photojournalist hat aside and make sure that for that half hour, I’m making sure for that moment in time you have awesome pictures of your family frozen forever (bonus is that you all will look amazing since you’re fancied up!).
Regardless if you book me, or someone else – make sure you get the standard portraits. You never want to look back and wish you had one nice posed shot of you and a loved one. Instead, you want to look at it and be happy you have it.
Corey Talks: My Wedding: After the Ceremony
Posted on February 11, 2010
PICTURE TIME!
You know this is one of my favorite parts of the day right??? Duh!
I’m going to start with the few fun pictures before all the gorgeous and drool-worthy pics that we took with Brooke though… because they are a fun part of the day!
All pictures © Brooke Mayo Photography.
The first thing we did right after the ceremony was take a group picture. I LOVE having this. What also made me laugh was the girls in the sand in the upper right corner. As the wedding progressed they inched closer and closer to the wedding. It was really cute. There were also a ton of spectators and when we cheered after this picture, they cheered as well! I highly encourage everyone that CAN get this shot to do it. Brides love it 
There is always a logistic problem though… when there’s like 200+ people LOL.
While we took pictures with the family, people blew bubbles!
…and Lisa signed the marriage license.
… while Petra ate the bubbles! LOL
She then fell on the ground. This was one of her first trips to the beach (maybe the first? It may have been) and she really liked rolling around in the sand.
She isn’t the only one that fell. When we needed to step back into the light for pics, Chris stepped on my dress, so when I stepped back, I fell down. I laughed really, really hard. Also, notice that awesome arm bruise? So picture worthy!
Next up are some fun pics with the Bridal Party… and then our pics!
Corey Talks: My Wedding: Ceremony
Posted on February 10, 2010
Almost every little girl dreams of her wedding day from the first time she lays eyes on Wedding Day Barbie. I know I did! My dream has always been to get married barefoot on the beach, with a small intimate group of people and nothing but the ocean sounds as ambiance. It’s rare that people actually GET their dream wedding but I did! However… it wasn’t all a dream ceremony but the little stuff that went wrong just made it more memorable!
I literally could NOT have asked for a better wedding day weather wise. It was sunny, warm and there were blue skies. I was REALLY worried about 3 main things with weather 1 – rain/storms, 2 – hurricane and 3 – extreme heat. I was VERY lucky and avoided all three – the temperature the day of the wedding was just around 80 degrees – with the breeze from the ocean it was pretty much perfect! All week they had been calling for rain and storms so I was one happy girl the morning of the wedding!
Now onto the ceremony!
Before everyone took their seats on the beach, they were able to pick up programs, bubbles, fans and water on the deck of the rental house. I watched from above in the house while everyone gathered and talked. This is a picture of Eddie, my godparents son.
A picture of our program overlooking the ceremony area on the beach. LOVE this picture.
Chris and his mom waiting to walk down the aisle. I forgot to mention it before but in lieu of flowers I decided to have starfish boutonnieres instead. I LOVED them.
By far my favorite shot of the ceremony location. I’ve always loved Sea Oats and in an ideal world, I’d have had them in my bouquet.
I rented the chairs and the arch came with the package we chose from the officiant, Dr. Dave. Simple and perfect! I didn’t want people to stand for the ceremony and I think the white chairs were perfect!
Dr. Dave (our officiant) and the guys make their way to the altar.
Chris’s poor sunburned feet!
After a potty break, Lisa and Petra made their way down the aisle. While she didn’t drop any of the seashells, she did try to give the basket away!
If you know me, you know that I am accident prone. Right before I walked down to the deck from the house, one of the shells on my bouquet stem broke off and the needle that was behind it went into my hand, OUCH. We finally hammered the needle into the bouquet so it wouldn’t poke me anymore and started walking down towards the beach. Then another calamity struck, I got a splinter in my foot! I can’t tell you how many times I’ve run around barefoot on this deck – we’ve rented this house quite a few times. I have NEVER got a splinter before. With some help from Rob and my Wedding Coordinators, I was on the road again… laughing the whole way. I was worried that Chris was starting to wonder where I was but luckily Petra enjoyed the spotlight and took her sweet time getting down the aisle so no one knew that it took me longer than anticipated to get there!
My hubby waiting for me!
The overview of the ceremony location while I was escorted down the aisle! What is funny is there are a ton of point and shoot cameras out but to this day I think I’ve only seen pictures from two people’s cameras!!!
I finally made it!!!!
Love love love this picture.
During our ceremony, we had words said for our fathers who had recently passed. My Dad died the year before, Chris’s Dad died the month before. We were both tearing up and so I squished my eyes closed. I forgot about my neat party trick – I can catch my eyelashes behind my eyelid which then flips my eyelids inside out. So when I opened my eyes again when the saying was over, my eyelids were flipped inside out. Chris started giggling and so did I. We laughed literally through the rest of the ceremony. I wouldn’t have it any other way.
Trying to be serious. It’s not working though.
The exchanging of rings, gotta love this part! I also love that since we were on the open beach, Brooke and her crew were able to run around and get all kinds of angles. That’s the one thing I loathe about church weddings, you are usually VERY limited when it comes to getting shots of the ceremony.
Hmm, what is Petra up to you ask?
I noticed out of the corner of my eye that the arch was shaking but I assumed it was because of the breeze. When Dr. Dave shifted, I noticed that Petra was actually the culprit! She was SHAKING the altar with all of her might! We all started roaring, it took a few minutes to stop laughing. Perfect ending to the ceremony!
Once we were able to control ourselves, it was time for the kiss!
I love this shot!!!
The hug! I love hugs at the altar – even at my own wedding!