The Wedding Register

Ringing it in

2009-06-22T18:30:00.001-07:00

I love this sweet little wedding cake ring

via designsponge

Our Labor of Love

2009-06-19T11:18:00.000-07:00

I've been following Atlanta based photographers Our Labor of Love for awhile, but I had to post what may be the most beautiful wedding I've ever seen. The pictures are absolutely brilliant. Let these images dance in your head and carry you into the weekend...

The Book is almost here!!!

2009-03-22T08:37:00.000-07:00

The next couple of weeks promise a flurry of activity. I leave next week for what promises to be a game changing photography workshop in Santa Fe, the Sweazys return to LA for a wedding, and my beautiful, magical daughter will celebrate her second birthday.

But I have some news I've been dying to share.

My book is finished. This sucker has long been a labor of love and has been through so many draft changes and agents and artists that I'm amazed we both survived intact. But it's finished and almost ready to make its debut. I'm 99% certain that I will be selling the book through the Veiled Remarks website, and my media blitz of one will be coming to your blogs and cocktail hours soon.

But here is a little sneak peek. Isn't GORGEOUS??? The artists of Harvest patiently brought my story to life, and for that I am just beyond grateful.

More news and hopefully a link to a shopping cart soon! Have an awesome weekend!

The Corpse Bride

2009-03-12T08:55:00.000-07:00

I'm still not exactly sure how I stumbled onto this story. I don't routinely surf websites entitled Malaysian Babes, but for some reason the links I followed brought me to a post about this super spooky photo and tale:

p.s. For the easily creeped out, i.e people who can't watch The Ring, let alone Watcher in the Woods, skip this post.

Trust Me.

I mean it.

Still here? Ok.

At first look, nothing amiss, right?

Well?

She dead.

According to the internet story - someone helpfully translated from the original Malaysian which was translated from the Chinese (so you know it's reliable), a historian unearthed this photo and revealed it's story. The wedding photo was taken in 1922, the bride the daughter of a wealthy Chinese family and the groom a poor but extremely handsome fella. Tragically the bride developed a high fever and died before she could be buried. But that didn't deter her parents who were unwilling to send their daughter to the grave unwed. The groom, rightfully unwilling to be married to a dead girl, fled his village and joined the army. Her parents tracked him down, and six days after the bride's death, they was joined in holy matrimony.

For the J-horror twist, you aren't supposed to look at her photo too long. Because she just might smile at you.

Love Match

2009-02-16T06:12:00.000-08:00

Some say there are matches made in the stars.

There are matches made by exceptionally wise/meddlesome family members.

Match.com anyone?

For these folks, their kidneys were a perfect match.

Good thing he'd already given her the ring.

image from cnn.com

Happy Valentine's/Darwin's Birthday

2009-02-13T12:24:00.000-08:00

Whether you are celebrating Darwin's birthday or the day of the Whitman Sampler, I hope you have a lovely one.

Ever the thinker, Darwin composed a practical pro and con list debating the merits of marriage.

Oh, that Darwin. God's gift to evolution. To the ladies? Eh, not so much...

Pros:

Children (if it Please God)
Constant companion (and friend in old age) who will feel interested in one
Object to be beloved and played with. Better than a dog anyhow
Home, & someone to take care of house
Charms of music and female chit-chat
These things good for one’s health—but terrible loss of time
My God, it is intolerable to think of spending one’s whole life, like a neuter bee, working, working, and nothing after all—No, no, won’t do
Imagine living all one’s day solitary in smoky dirty London House
Picture yourself with a nice soft wife on a sofa with a good fire and books and music perhaps compare this vision with the dingy reality of Great Marlboro Street, London
Cons:

Freedom to go where one liked
Choice of Society and little of it
Conversation of clever men at clubs
Not forced to visit relatives and bend in every trifle
Expense and anxiety of children
Perhaps quarrelling
Loss of Time
Cannot read in the evenings
Fatness and idleness
Anxiety and responsibility
Less money for books etc.
If many children forced to gain one’s bread (But then it is very bad for one’s health to work too much)
Perhaps my wife won’t like London; then the sentence is banishment and degradation into indolent, idle fool

Etsy

2009-02-01T07:00:00.000-08:00

Valentine's Day is approaching, if you hadn't already noticed by the onslaught of red rose specials and heart shaped boxes virtually lining your path toward the checkout. Fortunately somebody invented etsy to remedy the generic, traditional offerings, and Poppytalk Handmade took it a step further with its curated marketplace. In addition to the adorable, quirky valentine day cards and gifts, she has some wedding day offerings, like this beautiful, handmade ring bearer pillow from paperhill.

Then how about one of these quirky sweet cards from Bumble Ink for your Valentine?

These hilarious cards from La Familia Green make me wish every day was Valentine's Day.

Bella Figura Letterpress

2009-01-27T08:42:00.001-08:00

I was so excited to see the launch of Bella Figura's green letterpress line, and not just because I happened to use them for my own nuptials in 2005.

Their new designs are seriously gorgeous:

and like everything green, they are made the old fashioned way: by hand, with antique letterpress machines and with non toxic inks that won't harm the enviornment.

Paper or Plastic?

2009-01-23T06:23:00.000-08:00

My friend Stacey is an eco -warrior and will not rest until she convinces everyone of the ills of plastic bags. She went so far as to don a jumpsuit made from over 500 plastic bags and wore it around downtown Memphis as a way to raise awareness. But when I saw it, all I could think of was conceptual Vogue shoot. When she showed up in her suit, I couldn't help but think it looked like a super eco wedding dress. She vigorously denied this. I suddenly had visions of supermodels exchanging vows in vintage bags from Ralph's.

Yellow Fever

2009-01-19T09:46:00.001-08:00

Cup of Jo's Joanna Goddard also blogs about love for Glamour Magazine and unearthed these pics of what may be one of the most photogenic, beautiful and absolutely non traditional brides I've seen yet. How cute is that yellow dress?

More cute yellow dress pics here

Young Love

2009-01-16T21:00:00.000-08:00

I may be the last person on the planet to have heard this story, but that's not going to stop me from posting it here.

Little Mika is probably going to get his behind kicked from here to the Serengeti when he realizes that he's not supposed to like girls, but for now, he's the world's tiniest sweetheart. All MIka and Anna wanted to do was escape their dreary Germany and go for a walk in the sun. As newlyweds. Did I mention they are 6 and 7? On New Year's Day they snuck out of Anna's parents' home and, along with Anna's sister as the potential wedding witness, they made their way to Grand Central where their plan hit a snag:

Unfortunately the kids were nabbed while on an express train headed out of Hanover, bound for the airport. An official got suspicious once he noticed, you know, three "little ones ... completely on their own ... [with] lots of swimming gear with them." Their parents, who were apparently asleep when the children stole into the early morning, came to retrieve them at the police station, which the kids got a tour of by way of a consolation prize/engagement present.

But don't worry, they'll get their opportunity someday... soon, maybe. Said a police spokesman: "They'll have the chance to put their plan into action at a later date."

If his parents ever let him out of the house again.

via Gawker

21st century dowry

2009-01-14T05:54:00.000-08:00

It seems the dowry system is still alive and well in some parts of the third world...and California. Well, in fairness, the arrested father is originally from Mexico where selling your daughter for beer and meat is apparently perfectly acceptable. From cnn.com:

Martinez had arranged through a third party to have his daughter marry the older teenager, identified by authorities as Margarito de Jesus Galindo, of Gonzales, California. In exchange, Galindo was to pay Martinez $16,000 and provide him with 160 cases of beer, 100 cases of soda, 50 cases of Gatorade, two cases of wine, and six cases of meat, Greenfield Police Chief Joe Grebmeier told CNN.

All those involved in the case are from the western Mexican state of Oaxaca, the police chief said. In the Oaxacan community, such an agreement is "normal and honorable," he said. "In California, it's against the law."

Sucre

2009-01-14T05:33:00.000-08:00

Anybody lucky enough to be in New Orleans at this very moment? If they weren't already overflowing with amazing restaurants, somebody had to go and build the most beautiful monument to sugar, the appropriately named Sucre. Tonight the pastry chef is debuting a new line of designer wedding cakes, and if they taste remotely as wonderful as her macarons and gelato, it may be worth hopping in your car and driving cross country for them.

I mean, seriously. I want to take a bite out of the building, it's so cute.

Fontilicious

2009-01-12T06:05:00.000-08:00

This would normally be filed under the Don't Care at All, Really, with special points subtracted for My Humps category, if not for the adorable font on the invitation of Fergie to Josh Duhamel.

via Radaronline

Ben & Ione

2009-01-08T21:32:00.000-08:00

Where have I been?

Musician Ben Lee, known to most as the ex of Claire Danes and Ione Skye, known to most as the recipient of Lloyd Dobler's boomboxed affection* just tied the knot in India

* I attended a screening and Q&A with Cameron Crowe who told the story behind that famous scene. Turns out John Cusack was really into speedmetal at the time, and he gave the director a tape, convinced that his character would be into the same music. He apparently was equally as convinced that Lloyd Dobler would not be into pansy-ass Peter Gabriel. Humoring his star, Crowe did several takes with the speedmetal but wasn't psyched. The light was fading, and Crowe asked/begged Cusack for one more take. He reluctantly agreed, holding the boombox above his head while the stupid, stupid Peter Gabriel song played and he was bored and pissed off and done. And thanks to the magic of cinema - and a pissy star - we have a heartbroken, yearning Lloyd Dobler, a Top 40 smash, and one of the greatest moments in teen movie history.

Southern Weddings Magazine

2009-01-07T10:30:00.000-08:00

Southern Weddings Magazine officially launched today, and I'm thrilled to see that the modern wave of "new" photography has fully extended its reaches into the kind of place pretty resistant to change. Gone are the weird, stiff poses and in its place are happy couples doing a lot of looking fabulous. Jose villa is responsible for the beautiful cover (cover model Tec Pejata is an amazing photographer in his own right).

Happy New Year

2009-01-05T05:34:00.000-08:00

Hello!

I hope you've had a wonderful, restful holiday. I was actually eager for our vacation to draw to a close as we have so many exciting projects and ventures to embark upon. The Book - the whole reason for this silly little blog - is finally going to see the light of day and I am a few weeks away from launching my wedding photography website, so stay tuned!

In the meantime, while you were noshing on egg nog and peppermint bark, scientists discovered that true love exists. For reals.

Hatfields and McCoys: Karachi Edition

2008-11-01T12:11:00.000-07:00

It's a solution worthy of a Shakespeare comedy, minus the pre-pre(pre?) pubescent protagonists:

A Pakistani court has freed the parents of a 5-year-old girl and a 7-year-old boy on bail a day after police raided an illegal wedding for the children.

Police arrested the parents and a cleric preparing to perform the ceremony before 100 guests in Karachi on Friday.

On Saturday, a judge ordered the parents released pending the next hearing in their case.

Marriage below the age of 18 is illegal in Pakistan, though some Muslim scholars say it is permissible if the bride and groom have reached puberty.

The parents reportedly arranged the wedding to end a long feud between the families.

A Pakistan Human Rights Commission official says the maximum punishment for the parents would be one month in prison and a fine of about $10

Via cnn.com

Real or Staged?

2008-10-23T18:02:00.001-07:00

You be the judge...

Worst Best Man Ever @ Yahoo! Video

Lovely

2008-10-20T13:58:00.000-07:00

I like to imagine that in another universe, this is a bride on her wedding day, her fine feathered friends preparing to give her away.

Via lost.net

Image X

2008-10-09T22:12:00.000-07:00

This getting engaged-getting dumped-getting married-writing a book about the wedding saga has become quite the curious journey as it looks that I am becoming, through no fault of my own, a wedding photographer. I just returned from a workshop in New Orleans with the very best in the wedding photography field where I had the honor of shooting with and learning from some of my photography heroes. My tastes run to the quirky, so nothing pleased me more than the privilege of shooting with Julia Bailey who is a New Orleans local, a brilliant artist, and all around bad-ass.

If you are getting married in New Orleans or have some serious bank to fly this woman and her gloriously deranged husband Max to your wedding, Book. Her. Now. I know I go on and on about the time machine I want to build, but seriously, I want it just to go back to my wedding and have Julia and Max impart some of their magic on my day.

You can find more of her work here.

My favorite photo from my "Julia" Day:

Manhattan Wedding Bureau Gets New Digs

2008-10-05T06:09:00.001-07:00

Today's NYT announces that in their bid to rival Vegas as a wedding destination, the Manhattan Wedding Bureau is getting a 13 million dollar makeover. The happy news is that at least for a short while, it will still only cost $25 to get hitched there. No guarantee if this will still include the cracked out street hustler to serve as your witness.

I would argue that when you have a couple as radiant as the one pictured above getting married there, they are the only decor the clerk's office needs.

photo credit: Nicole Bengiveno

Dear Blog

2008-09-03T09:21:00.000-07:00

Dear poor, sweet neglected blog,

It's not intentional. I wish you knew just how hard I have been working on you behind the scenes. I think I will post some pictures soon to show you the progress. I just wanted you to know its nothing personal.

In the meantime, I want to live in this paper dress by paper sculptural artist Zoe Bradley. I'm not sure how functional it would actually be, but I like imagining a bride's dramatic entrance down the aisle in this.

(via design*sponge)

Oops...

2008-08-12T19:18:00.000-07:00

Got the ring? Check.

Booked the honeymoon? Check.

Paid the deposit on the flowers? Check.

Remembered to lift that restraining order against your ex-husband? The one you are remarrying today?

Uh...

Ban.Do

2008-08-07T10:24:00.000-07:00

Another happy creation courtesy of stylist/polaroid maven Jen Gotch

Ban Do!

I want to wear one of these everyday. Do you?

(via Oh Joy)