Phara and Jeff’s Sophisticated Outdoor Engagements

It’s not every couple who can pull off looking both ultra cool and incredibly in love at the same time.  And yet between the sunglasses, the shoes, and the obvious affection they have for each other, Phara and Jeff do so effortlessly.  Of course, that is probably because they are ultra cool and incredibly in love in real life too!  J. and I got to celebrate Phara and Jeff’s wedding with them recently, and we are so HAPPY for this wonderful couple!  These are their engagement photos, which were taken in Central Park.  I love how their photographer captured so much of their essence, and yet so simply (and yes, photo credit to come- as soon as Phara returns from her honeymoon!)

Congratulations Phara and Jeff!!

Rielly and Sean’s Rustic, Romatic Engagement Shoot

Today I’m super psyched to be able to feature the kind of photos that simply make me melt every time I look at them.  These photos were taken by Sanderson Images for my friends Rielly and Sean out in western NJ (near Bucks County, PA) and really, you don’t need to be told much more than that.  They speak for themselves!  Of course, it helps that it had rained that day, which made the greenery ultra vibrant, and the sky indulgently moody.  I think we now know why rain is considered good luck on one’s wedding day.  And what’s even more awesome, is that these two are tying the knot THIS WEEKEND and I get to be a bridesmaid!  Remember the Paper Porn from a few weeks ago?   Yep, no surprise, that’s their wedding!  I can’t wait to feature more!  Congrats to Rielly and Sean!

My Bridal Shots- No Trashing of Dress Required!

So I know I’ve mentioned how much fun I had with Jessica  Morrisy working on my bridal shoot at the Brooklyn Bridge… and now she’s got highlights up on her blog!!  Here’s some samples, but definitely head over to her blog to check them out!

Win Free Wedding Photography from Unusually Fine!

Today I am super-extra excited to share with you a very cool contest- you can thank bridesmaid H.  for sending this goodness our way!  If you are getting married in NYC in 2010 or 2011, you definitely need to check this out: a full day of free wedding photography (including an album!  what?! yes!)  from the incredibly talented folks at Unusually Fine!  But make sure you enter soon- the deadline is March 12!  The photos featured in this post belong to them…

Is this not 100% totally adorable?

Here’s the scoop, from the source:

Attn: All lovers.

Unusually Fine is going to shoot one lucky couple’s New York wedding for FREE.  We’re new to the city and it’s our way of saying, “Hello, New York. Can I buy you a drink?”

Here’s the deal. Max and Margaret are suckers for a good love story.  Send yours our way by Friday, March 12th.  Tell us why your love is special and why you think Unusually Fine ought to shoot your wedding.   A team of highly-trained monkey judges will choose three finalists.  The top three entries will be posted to our blog and we’ll leave it to our fans to decide who wins.

That’s it.  The winner receives up to 8 hours of wedding day coverage, a gorgeous album, and the DVD of images.  There are no strings attached, no hidden costs, no taxes, no obligation to buy a single thing.  This is so free.  It’s 110% free.  So.  Send this link to your friends, family, coworkers, boss, or nominate them yourself, and make sure you do it before March 12th.

RULES:
1. You must be in love.
2. The wedding must take place in the great state of New York.
3. The wedding must be in 2010 or 2011.

HOW TO ENTER:
Send your love story to look@unusuallyfine.com in 1,000 words or fewer, along with a snapshot of the engaged couple.

And here’s the adorable blog:  http://unusuallyfine.blogspot.com/

Go sign up now!

The Brooklyn Bridge and My Bridal Shoot!

One of the things that kept me busy this past Sunday, other than making cake truffles for J., was that I met up with our photographer, the always mind-blowingly talented Jessica Morrisy, and we had a bridal photo shoot.  On none other than the Brooklyn bridge!  I had heard of doing “trash the dress” sessions before, but given my intense love for my own dress, hadn’t considered it an option for myself.  But when Jessica offered to do a bridal session- a session where you have fun but don’t ruin your dress- well, I was all for it!  I mean, who gets to wear their wedding dress two times?  Joy!

Given that it is winter, we had limited daylight on our actual wedding day for portraits- not to mention I was perhaps a tad emotional and overwhelmed by it all.  So doing a post-wedding photo shoot was really an excellent way for us to beef up some of the portraiture and have some fun playing with props, ideas, and backgrounds.  Jessica brought her boyfriend along (who was a great helper and super-cute) and we had the best time running around in the snow.  A huge, huge thanks to Jessica for yet another amazing set of photos!

And now for a teaser, courtesy of Jessica of course!

Our Winter Wonderland Wedding: Getting Ready Pro Pics

I’m still sifting through all the amazing candid shots taken by family and friends so I can give my loyal and wonderful readers real recaps, but until then, get thee to Jessica Morrisy’s blog and check out the getting ready highlights!  Our photographer rocks my world, and this is why.  Why are you still reading this?  Go!

(image by Jessica Morrisy)

Getting My Ladies Photo-Ready!

With ten bridesmaids, one of the things I’ve been thinking about is how they might look best in photos.  I’ve asked them to all choose different dresses from a list of eight potentials in the same fabrics and colors.  So they’ll all look a bit different.  Plus, they’ve each been asked to do their hair however they like, get whatever shoes they like, wear whatever jewelery they like.  I actually want them to look different.  They’re all gorgeous ladies with unique styles, so shoehorning them into matchy-matchy madness was absolutely not acceptable to me.  Can you imagine: ten ladies looking like green, wind-up toy soldiers?  Notsomuch.

I’m hoping that by giving them the space to find their own looks, the end result will be cohesive but interesting- and more importantly, will yield me a happy group of ten ladies (woe to the bride with ten unhappy peers on her hands)!  I’m thinking we should do some group photos a la Annie Liebowitz in Vanity Fair?  I LOVE those fashion spreads, where everyone is fascinating and lovely in their own right, and the group as a whole is also incredibly striking.  Knowing my ladies, we’ll be less serious and more silly, but that actually sounds good to me too!

click for image source

click for image source

Are you loving the Annie Liebowitz as much as I am?  And PS, special props to Ruffled Blog for bringing this idea to my attention!

Getting Ready: Should You Take Photos?

A friend recently pointed me to this fasctinating news article about a Long Island bride who sued her photographer claiming post-traumatic stress disorder, after the photographer posted photos of the bride online in her underwear while getting ready for the wedding.  Ultimately, the studio agreed to take the photos off the website, but it seems that it took a lawsuit for the complaint to be taken seriously.  Which begs the question: do I want myself portraited in various states of undress as part of the documentation of our wedding?

The truth is, I’m pretty comfortable with my body, especially since I’ve been on my superstar-prewedding-power-diet-and-exercise kick.  And my photographer, Jessica Morrisy, already did a boudoir session with me which resulted in a high quality set of amazing, tasteful photos.  (I highly, highly recommend doing one whether you’re getting married or celebrating a birthday, especially with Jessica!)  So I’m ok with her photographing my process of getting ready.  I know she won’t need to be told not to post my rear end all over her blog- she’s cool like that.  And actually, I’m getting hair and makeup done before I even meet with her, so I know I won’t be bare-faced or hair crazy in any of the photos.

But I think the point is well taken that brides should have a conversation with their photographer about their getting ready photos, and what they are comfortable with.  I won’t go so far as to create a checklist of things to ask about, but one thing I’d be sure to ask is whether any such pictures will be, at a minimum, password protected so that at the very least, a supervising colleague might not be able to see your tushie with a quick google search.  Maybe you’re fortunate enough to work somewhere where people wouldn’t try, but I certainly don’t, and let’s face it, we women already have a few issues in the work place- we certainly don’t need someone recalling our “getting ready pictures” when we’re giving a presentation or reporting on research!

Have any of you brides out there had feelings or dealings on this issue?

image source

Erin and Anthony’s Romantic Getaway Wedding

Its Friday, and I’m pretty happy to be able to say that.  So in honor of happy Fridays, today I have another amazing wedding to share with you!  The wedding of Erin and Anthony!

I should say at the outset that originally I myself wanted to have a destination wedding, and when you see these photos you’ll understand exactly why!  These two were married in an intimate ceremony at Couples Swept Away in Jamaica, with their families and each other.  The bride’s favorite color has always been orange, so the couple paired it with a bright shade of teal for a fun pop of not-too-formal color.   The bride carried tropical flowers featuring orange lilies, and wore a lightweight chiffon gown perfect for the weather!  The bride and groom said “I do” right on the beach with the salt, sand and wind, and afterward ate cake, drank champagne, and – yes – took a swim!  You can see instantly just how much complete and total FUN these two are together.  It has been a blast to see them in love- its like cuteness to the 1000th degree!

After the wedding and a few lovely days away, the bride and groom threw a barbecue reception (also pictured below) at the bride’s parents home in Solon, Ohio, complete with the best BBQ I’ve ever had: Hoggy’s.  The tables were decorated with hand painted pots filled with flowers, photos of their wedding were everywhere, and a second, larger cake was cut for all to share!  J. and I ate seconds, thirds and fourths, and had a great time visiting with Erin and Anthony, and their friends and family!

I also ought to note a huge feature of this wedding that is not at all obvious by looking at it- this wedding was done on a budget!  Yes, really!  By keeping the wedding small and by celebrating BBQ style at home, Erin and Anthony were able to experience a truly romantic getaway, a private and deeply personal ceremony, amazing family memories, and in the process they saved enough money to buy a gorgeous new home where they recently celebrated their one year anniversary!

Congrats Erin and Anthony!

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Tattoos: Haute or Hide?

Most people are surprised to learn that I have a tattoo.  A big, giant fairy tattoo on my back.  My good friend T. worked with me at the tender age of 19 to create this stunner, and I had the work done at Stained Skin in Columbus, Ohio.  Would I do it again?  Heck no, that sucker was painful.  But I love it.  It is a reminder of a time in my life that was all about freedom and growth, rebellion and identity.  So when people ask if I’m planning to cover it up for the wedding I am always a little taken aback.  I know some brides do so (and I really do understand why), but the way I see it, its a part of who I am and I refuse to cover up who I am!

my tattoo and T. the artist!

And that’s why today, I’d like to feature some of my favorite images of super-cute brides showing off their tattoos!  I love how in each photo, the tattoo is notable but doesn’t steal the show- absolutely lovely!  The description below each image links to it’s source. Continue reading »