Wedding | The Beauty Around Us

Posts tagged ‘Wedding’

Brian and Deborah’s Wedding Day

This past Saturday (June 24) I photographed Brian and Deborah’s wedding. Brian is our friends’ Sheila and Doyle’s oldest son. The last wedding I photographed was in September 2014. I vowed then that it would be the last time I was the official photographer for a wedding. I was “retiring” from photographing weddings for family and friends. Well, after a little arm twisting by Sheila, I agreed to photograph Brian and Deborah’s wedding. Thank you, Brian and Deborah, for choosing me. It was an honor to serve as your wedding photographer.

I created a collage of some of the pictures that I took at the wedding.

Brian and Deborah had a beautiful wedding.

Congratulations Brian and Deborah! May all of your days together be as beautiful and cherished as your wedding day – here’s to your future together as Husband and Wife!

VROC Reunion Rally 2015: A VROC Wedding in Eureka Springs

Today is Day 7 of our 13-day vacation. We are in Eureka Springs, AR attending the annual Vulcan Riders and Owners Club (VROC) Reunion motorcycle rally.

We attended “ZMean1” Susan and “Badger” Joe’s wedding at 11:00 am. Their wedding was held at our hotel, Motel 62, at the fire pit behind the hotel.

I set up my camera and tripod on the parking lot above the fire pit. I took photographs throughout the wedding ceremony.

Sherm, Joe, Jim and Al

Susan was escorted to the fire pit by VROC friend Russ. From where I was standing, I could not see Susan and Russ when they arrived at the fire pit.

I knew Susan had arrived at the fire pit by the look on Joe’s face.

I got tears in my eyes, when I heard Joe singing to Susan.

At the beginning of the wedding ceremony, VROC friend Al read William Shakespeare’s Sonnet 116.

“Let me not to the marriage of true minds
Admit impediments. Love is not love
Which alters when it alteration finds,
Or bends with the remover to remove:
O no; it is an ever-fixed mark,
That looks on tempests, and is never shaken;
It is the star to every wandering bark,
Whose worth’s unknown, although his height be taken.
Love’s not Time’s fool, though rosy lips and cheeks
Within his bending sickle’s compass come;
Love alters not with his brief hours and weeks,
But bears it out even to the edge of doom.
If this be error and upon me proved,
I never writ, nor no man ever loved.”

VROC friend Sherm was the wedding officiant. The wedding ceremony was short, but sweet.

Wedding Vows

Exchange of Wedding Rings

Sherm pronounced Joe and Susan as husband and wife.

The kiss
The kiss that went on and on and on 🙂
In the background you can see Susan’s bridesmaids: Claudia, Melanie and Margo.

Mr. and Mrs. Joe Paradise

Inside Joe and Susan’s wedding program were these words:

“Two lives,
Two hearts joined
together in friendship,
united forever in love.”

After the wedding, we had champagne and wedding cake in front of the hotel on the parking lot.

Joe and Susan enjoyed their first dance as husband and wife
in front of the hotel on the parking lot.

A wedding reception followed at 1:00 pm at the Forest Hill Restaurant.

Susan and Joe are an adorable couple. I am so happy that we were able to share their wedding day with them.

Brad and Nicole’s Wedding Day

Yesterday was Nicole Hall and Brad Theuret’s wedding day. What a beautiful day it was! The sky was blue; the sun shined brightly; and a temperature in the low 70s was quite comfortable.

I was Nicole and Brad’s official photographer. Nicole is a friend of the family. My husband has known Nicole since she was born. My relationship with Nicole is much more recent. I was honored to be chosen by Nicole to photograph her wedding.

My photographer duties began at 12:00 pm at the Deer Head Inn, located in Spring Creek PA. The Deer Head Inn was used to prepare for the wedding ceremony. The girls dressed in a fully furnished apartment located on the first floor of the inn. The guys dressed in an apartment on the second floor that was not furnished. After the girls and guys were dressed in their wedding attire, it was time for the reveal. The reveal is where the bride and groom see each other before the ceremony. Brad was led outside backwards, accompanied by his best man and groomsmen.

The Reveal

Nicole waited for Brad at the end of a bridge, accompanied by her maid of honor, bridesmaids and flower girl. At a designated location on the bridge, Brad slowly turned around and saw his bride for the first time. After the reveal we spent a couple hours taking formal portraits, which up until yesterday I had only taken after the wedding ceremony. The formal portraits were photographed outdoors at the Deer Head Inn, as well as in Garland PA at Oak Alley Farms (the venue for the wedding and reception). The reveal is a bit non-traditional, but it’s definitely my favorite way to photograph the bride and groom and their wedding party. Ample time was provided for the photography; there was no rush to hurry up with the pictures because wedding guests were at the reception waiting to eat; and there was not a large crowd of people around crowding me as I was taking the photographs!

Brad and Nicole’s wedding ceremony was held outdoors and began at 3:30 pm. The wedding ceremony was officiated by John Beard and lasted approximately 15 minutes. Another wedding first for me was the inclusion of the bride and groom’s dogs in the wedding ceremony. Lady and Roscoe were the ring bearers and performed their duties impeccably.

After the wedding ceremony, I took a few more formal portraits. Shortly before 4:30 pm the bride and groom were formally introduced, and the wedding reception got under way. The dinner, which was catered, was excellent. Food selections included an assortment of vegetables and dip, dinner roll, pasta salad, baked beans, boiled red potatoes, baked chicken, meatballs, and pulled pork. Dinner was followed by the first dance, the wedding toast, the cutting of the cupcake, the bouquet and garter toss, and the dollar dance. The dance floor was then opened for everyone to dance. Dancing continued until 10:00 pm. The DJ did an awesome job with the music and the lighting. At 10:00 pm the bride and groom and all wedding attendees still present were invited to release wish lanterns into the night sky. The release of wish lanterns was a first experience for me. The release of the wish lanterns concluded Nicole and Brad’s wedding day.

Congratulations and best wishes, Brad and Nicole, for a long and successful married life!

Donna and Scott Get Married

Our friends Donna and Scott got married on Saturday, August 30th.

I met Donna and Scott on July 17, 2013 when Bob and I went on our first Wednesday night ice cream ride together with the 2 Scoop CycleTherapy Group. In June 2014 Donna asked if I would photograph her and Scott’s wedding. After being together for a dozen years, Donna and Scott were excitedly making wedding plans. At first I declined Donna’s request because they were going to be married on Labor Day weekend, and we might make plans for a weekend getaway. In addition I had decided last year that I would no longer photograph weddings. Well, so much for saying no. One week later I accepted Donna’s request to be the official photographer at her and Scott’s wedding. Donna and Scott were thrilled that I agreed to photograph their wedding. I was happy, too, that I made the decision to do so. Even though I was “working” I had a good time at the wedding, as Bob and I shared this special day with Donna and Scott and with our other motorcycle-riding friends.

Donna and Scott were married in Warren PA at St. John’s Lutheran Church, followed by a wedding reception at North Warren Volunteer Fire Department’s social hall. In addition to taking photographs at the church and social hall, I photographed the happy couple at Crescent Park.

Donna and her Parents

Donna and her Parents

The Wedding Ceremony

The Wedding Party

This family photograph is of Donna and Scott with Donna’s son and Scott’s daughter and Donna’s father, mother and stepmother. Unfortunately, Scott’s mother was not able to attend Donna and Scott’s wedding. We did, however, stop by the nursing home, where Scott’s mother lives, on our way to the reception.

Donna, Scott and Scott’s mother

The Wedding Reception

Have you heard of the ALS ice bucket challenge? The ice bucket challenge is an activity involving dumping a bucket of ice water on someone’s head to promote awareness of the disease amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and encourage donations to research. The challenge encourages nominated participants to be filmed having a bucket of ice water poured on their heads and then nominating others to do the same. A common stipulation is that nominated participants have 24 hours to comply or forfeit by way of a charitable financial donation. While others filmed Donna and Scott’s ALS ice bucket challenge, I captured the activity as still photographs.

ALS Ice Bucket Challenge

Congratulations Donna and Scott! I wish you a lifetime of the greatest joy, love and happiness!

My Parents’ Wedding Day

My parents were married on June 7, 1952. Mom’s sisters, Eleanor (“Sis”) and Gladys, and Dad’s niece, Connie, were in my parents’ wedding. Aunt Sis was Mom’s maid-of-honor, and Aunt Gladys was one of two bridesmaids. My cousin, Connie, was the flower girl.

Beautiful Bride

According to the wedding announcement in the local newspaper, Mom wore “a gown of white marquisette over satin with cathedral train. Lace trim around the waist was extended down the front in apron form, and matching lace around the shoulders gave an off-shoulder effect. She carried an orchid mounted on a white Bible.”

Mom was a beautiful bride.
Mom remained beautiful, both inside and outside, her entire life.

My parents on their Wedding Day

Both of my parents are deceased. Dad passed away in February 2004; Mom passed away in November 2007. If they were still alive, Mom and Dad would be celebrating their 61st wedding anniversary today. I know their marriage had its ups and downs, but Mom and Dad stuck it out. They believed that marriage was for life.

Jared and Stephanie Get Married

I photographed a friend’s son’s wedding earlier this month. Jared and Stephanie were married in the afternoon of August 18. The wedding and reception were held at the Covenant United Methodist Church in Warren, PA.

I created this collage, using a program called Microsoft AutoCollage. I have created several collages with this program and like the results.

Jared and Stephanie, congratulations to the both of you. May your life together be full of love, joy and happiness.

Congratulations Jared and Sara!

Mr. and Mrs.

Our nephew, Jared, was married yesterday afternoon. Bob and I have one niece and two nephews. All three are now married.

Jared and Sara were married in the New Stanton Christian Missionary Alliance Church in New Stanton, Pennsylvania. Bob, my stepdaughter Stacey, our son-in-law Mike and I made the 3 1/2 hour drive to New Stanton to attend Jared and Sara’s wedding. Throughout the wedding ceremony it was clear that Jared and Sara’s marriage will be centered around their belief in God. The wedding ceremony was beautiful. The bride was lovely, and the groom was handsome.

After the wedding ceremony we drove to the reception, which was held at Bell’s Banquets located in nearby Mt. Pleasant. I will leave you with a few photographs that I took at the reception.