Brave Brides
You know those OnStar ads? Well, the following is an actual conversation between myself and my three-year-old daughter Alexandra, not more than twenty minutes ago:
Me: Alexandra, you need to go to sleep.
Alexandra: But daddy, I'm not sleepy.
Me: Alexandra, please close your eyes and go to sleep.
Alexandra: I think I need to ask my doctor about Lunesta.
True story. I swear.
I'm incredibly blessed to have a daughter who has a personality the size of Mars, someone who continually gives extra meaning to the term "free spirit." And without getting all gushy here, my brides are of the free spirit mold as well. I feel quite fortunate to continually work with brides who collectively make a mockery of the whole Bridezilla trend. You see, I don't get Bridezillas. Oh, I know they're out there, believe me. Countless television programs tell us so--brides who scream, brides who faint, brides who simply can't get through their wedding without some kind of theatrical display.
But I'm lucky to get the anti-Bridezilla. My brides are far more likely to be overcome with the giggles than any fainting spell, more likely to include children at their wedding than exclude, and more likely to traipse through the snow in pursuit of a good picture than fret about their wedding dress.
As evidenced:
Wendy Colfer and Capt. John Price Van Cleve were married on in a beautiful service at the Old Post Chapel on the grounds of Ft. Meyer in Arlington. Their reception, overlooking the Mall, was capped by the most spectacular sunset and moonrise I can remember.
But before we ever got to the reception it was important for Wendy and John to make one stop, at the United States Marine Corps War Memorial for a few minutes. To say it was bitterly cold that day would be an understatement. But Wendy was a trooper, never once complaining about the wind chill. I was truly touched myself, when out of nowhere, a gentleman came up, placed a large bill in John's hand, and said, "I want to thank you for your service. I hope you guys can have a nice dinner on me sometime." It was really a special moment.
As evidenced:
Erika Mudd and Michael Hodge were married in February. I met with Erika and her mom a long time back and we laughed for an hour. That's pretty much Erika's personality in a nutshell. And from the moment I got to her hotel room in the afternoon to the end of the evening all I heard from her was laughter.
She laughed as she donned her dress, she laughed as Michael let out a little yawn during the church service (truthfully, everyone laughed at that one), and she laughed as they danced their first dance to a funk classic rather than a golden oldie.
Having photographed as many weddings as I have, I can't stress enough the impact of, well, stress, on the entire affair. As I always tell couples, your wedding is not like taking an LSAT. There's no need for that kind of stress. And Erika is the perfect example. Every moment of the day was just another excuse to smile.
As evidenced:
Annie Miller and Danny Orgad were married at Union Station two weeks ago. If there was an award for bridal bravery during a snow squall, Annie and Danny would take top honors.
The entire wedding party left Annie's family home in Northwest Washington en route to Union Station. It was bitterly cold outside, but nothing prepared us for the mini-blizzard that began moments after boarding the shuttle bus. For 45 minutes it was coming down like it hasn't all winter here in the nation's capital. It was one of those storms one dreams about. Absolutely beautiful, and with no danger of having any lasting impact.
So it was with a heavy heart that the bus cruised by the fountain in Dupont Circle. There was no way that I was going to suggest jumping out into the snow before the wedding and so i just swallowed hard and thought of the picture we might have had. Well, Annie must have read my mind because she immediately asked what I was thinking.
"Nothing," I responded. "Don't worry."
"You want to go out in the snow, don't you?" she pressed.
"Well, I wouldn't risk your dress before the wedding. But it is nice, isn't it?!?!"
"Let's do it," she said, with Danny in full agreement.
And so we turned the bus around, headed back to the circle, and crossed our fingers. With the help of some groomsmen we hopped out, gingerly made our way across the street, and laughed hysterically as we found ourselves in a winter wonderland.
It's one of those moments that we, as photographers, all dream about.
-788369.jpg)
And that was just the beginning of the day. Annie and Danny had a truly regal wedding. It's a treat jsut going to Union Station to catch a train; going to a wedding there is even more fun. Wedding planner Bonnie Schwartz turned it into an absolute fantasy.
Annie and Danny weren't the only couple to be treated to snow that weekend. Jill Konz and Ethan Cooper, a truly gentle couple, were treated to the white stuff too. And they weren't going to pass up their chance either. After a ceremony at Old St. Mary's in Old Town we all hopped in a car en route to the Army and Navy Club downtown Washington. But first we made a stop at the Capitol, which looked glorious surrounded in snow, as well as a quickie stop at Farragut Square, where Jill got to show off the gorgeous kimono she received from her bridesmaid.
Jill's dad delivered a touching tribute to his daughter and I was able to make a nice image of Ethan and Jill at their table. (This might be gibberish for those of you who aren't photographers but this particular picture was shot at a 1/15th of a second at f1.8 at 1600. suffice to say, I wouldn't have been able to make this image in a film world.)
And so there you have it. four incredible couple in a row. And that doesn't even include last night's wedding, right here in Arlington, of Lark Dunham and Bruce Flanagan. In keeping with the theme of this post, Lark and Bruce wouldn't have dreamed of not having their beloved pups in a photo. And so, where other brides might have flipped out at the prospect of getting paw prints on her dress, Lark just kept hugging away.
Let us now praise very brave women!
Matt
Me: Alexandra, you need to go to sleep.
Alexandra: But daddy, I'm not sleepy.
Me: Alexandra, please close your eyes and go to sleep.
Alexandra: I think I need to ask my doctor about Lunesta.
True story. I swear.
I'm incredibly blessed to have a daughter who has a personality the size of Mars, someone who continually gives extra meaning to the term "free spirit." And without getting all gushy here, my brides are of the free spirit mold as well. I feel quite fortunate to continually work with brides who collectively make a mockery of the whole Bridezilla trend. You see, I don't get Bridezillas. Oh, I know they're out there, believe me. Countless television programs tell us so--brides who scream, brides who faint, brides who simply can't get through their wedding without some kind of theatrical display.
But I'm lucky to get the anti-Bridezilla. My brides are far more likely to be overcome with the giggles than any fainting spell, more likely to include children at their wedding than exclude, and more likely to traipse through the snow in pursuit of a good picture than fret about their wedding dress.
As evidenced:
Wendy Colfer and Capt. John Price Van Cleve were married on in a beautiful service at the Old Post Chapel on the grounds of Ft. Meyer in Arlington. Their reception, overlooking the Mall, was capped by the most spectacular sunset and moonrise I can remember.
But before we ever got to the reception it was important for Wendy and John to make one stop, at the United States Marine Corps War Memorial for a few minutes. To say it was bitterly cold that day would be an understatement. But Wendy was a trooper, never once complaining about the wind chill. I was truly touched myself, when out of nowhere, a gentleman came up, placed a large bill in John's hand, and said, "I want to thank you for your service. I hope you guys can have a nice dinner on me sometime." It was really a special moment.
As evidenced:
Erika Mudd and Michael Hodge were married in February. I met with Erika and her mom a long time back and we laughed for an hour. That's pretty much Erika's personality in a nutshell. And from the moment I got to her hotel room in the afternoon to the end of the evening all I heard from her was laughter.
She laughed as she donned her dress, she laughed as Michael let out a little yawn during the church service (truthfully, everyone laughed at that one), and she laughed as they danced their first dance to a funk classic rather than a golden oldie.
Having photographed as many weddings as I have, I can't stress enough the impact of, well, stress, on the entire affair. As I always tell couples, your wedding is not like taking an LSAT. There's no need for that kind of stress. And Erika is the perfect example. Every moment of the day was just another excuse to smile.
As evidenced:
Annie Miller and Danny Orgad were married at Union Station two weeks ago. If there was an award for bridal bravery during a snow squall, Annie and Danny would take top honors.
The entire wedding party left Annie's family home in Northwest Washington en route to Union Station. It was bitterly cold outside, but nothing prepared us for the mini-blizzard that began moments after boarding the shuttle bus. For 45 minutes it was coming down like it hasn't all winter here in the nation's capital. It was one of those storms one dreams about. Absolutely beautiful, and with no danger of having any lasting impact.
So it was with a heavy heart that the bus cruised by the fountain in Dupont Circle. There was no way that I was going to suggest jumping out into the snow before the wedding and so i just swallowed hard and thought of the picture we might have had. Well, Annie must have read my mind because she immediately asked what I was thinking.
"Nothing," I responded. "Don't worry."
"You want to go out in the snow, don't you?" she pressed.
"Well, I wouldn't risk your dress before the wedding. But it is nice, isn't it?!?!"
"Let's do it," she said, with Danny in full agreement.
And so we turned the bus around, headed back to the circle, and crossed our fingers. With the help of some groomsmen we hopped out, gingerly made our way across the street, and laughed hysterically as we found ourselves in a winter wonderland.
It's one of those moments that we, as photographers, all dream about.
-791739.jpg)
And that was just the beginning of the day. Annie and Danny had a truly regal wedding. It's a treat jsut going to Union Station to catch a train; going to a wedding there is even more fun. Wedding planner Bonnie Schwartz turned it into an absolute fantasy.Annie and Danny weren't the only couple to be treated to snow that weekend. Jill Konz and Ethan Cooper, a truly gentle couple, were treated to the white stuff too. And they weren't going to pass up their chance either. After a ceremony at Old St. Mary's in Old Town we all hopped in a car en route to the Army and Navy Club downtown Washington. But first we made a stop at the Capitol, which looked glorious surrounded in snow, as well as a quickie stop at Farragut Square, where Jill got to show off the gorgeous kimono she received from her bridesmaid.
Jill's dad delivered a touching tribute to his daughter and I was able to make a nice image of Ethan and Jill at their table. (This might be gibberish for those of you who aren't photographers but this particular picture was shot at a 1/15th of a second at f1.8 at 1600. suffice to say, I wouldn't have been able to make this image in a film world.)
And so there you have it. four incredible couple in a row. And that doesn't even include last night's wedding, right here in Arlington, of Lark Dunham and Bruce Flanagan. In keeping with the theme of this post, Lark and Bruce wouldn't have dreamed of not having their beloved pups in a photo. And so, where other brides might have flipped out at the prospect of getting paw prints on her dress, Lark just kept hugging away.
Let us now praise very brave women!
Matt
posted by matt mendelsohn at 7:57 PM
1 Comments:
Hi Matt,
I just finished "The Lost". I started it on Monday and read it over breakfast, on the bus, during my lunch break, onthe way home, and before bed. I just couldn't put it down! I think my husband thought I'd disappeared for the last 3 days!! And I loved your photographs in it, which led me to this blog... I wish you lived in Sydney and I could have had you photograph my wedding. I just love your style and the way you capture so much of a person in each photo.
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