Our next 2008 feature is Rachael & Keith’s wedding. Renee and I got to work together on this one, which was a lot of fun. I started with Rachael while Renee went to photograph Keith and the groomsmen. Afterwards we were off to St. Peter’s Church for the ceremony. We were originally going to go to a local park for the in between photos but it had rained earlier in the day and we were all concerned about the mud. I suggested East 4th and Prospect by The House of Blues. Rachael and Keith were so easy and trusting. I really appreciated that, and the fact that the entire bridal party hung in there despite the fact that it was a chilly October day. It may have been a backup plan but we got some awesome stuff!

The reception was held at The Crowne Plaza in Middleburg Hts. TKO Entertainment was there to provide the entertainment and the dance floor was packed all night!

Here are a few favs from the day. Enjoy!

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Since we’ve added two more bridal shows to our schedule this year we have decided to extend our current promotion. If you book any package by March 31, 2009 you will receive your choice of a framed 20x24 signature print or a 40-side guest sign-in book.

And speaking of bridal shows we will be at the Westlake Holiday Inn tomorrow from 12:00 noon to 3:00 PM. For more information or to register go to www.cleveland-wedding.com. Stop by and see us!

Ken

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Almost everyone gets high school senior portraits but Kristen’s mom Donna felt that it was important to commemorate her daughter's college graduation as well. Kristen’s parents are very proud of her and with good reason. Kristen will be graduating with a pharmacy degree this spring.

I went to Kristen's parents' home in Lyndhurst for the session. Kristen was very relaxed in front of the camera and was a lot of fun to photograph. I also had the opportunity to try out a few new backgrounds as we are accumulating more and more in preparation for our new camera room (coming soon). Here are a few of my favorites from the session.

Ken

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I normally wouldn’t use this platform to discuss something so personal but I really felt compelled to do so.

I had to drop something off at my kid’s elementary school yesterday. As I was leaving I noticed a class project that was on display about Martin Luther King Jr. The wall was covered with construction paper portraits of Dr. King and underneath each portrait were the words “My dream is...” along with some lines for the children to fill in their own dreams. I stopped for a moment to read a few. Their dreams ranged from the grandiose ending of poverty, world hunger and global warming to the more personal of wanting to be a professional athlete or a policeman. I smiled at most and chuckled at others.

Then I read one that was quite sobering. A little girl wrote, “My dream is that my mommy and daddy will love each other and stay together.” “Wow,” I thought, “what caused her to write those words?”

We live in an age where personal happiness supersedes personal responsibility. Many people enter marriage with the attitude that if it doesn’t work out then divorce is always an option. But I wonder what would happen if we lived as though there was no option. What if we truly took the marriage commitment to heart? What if we agreed that the word divorce would never come from our lips in the midst of a conflict? Wouldn’t we try just that much harder to make it work?

I am not an expert on marriage. I’m just a guy who’s been married for fourteen years. I can attest to the fact that every (and I mean every) marriage falls on hard times, but I can also testify to how much better things can be and how much deeper your relationship can grow once you’re on the other side of those trials. When I got married I had no idea what I was in for. I didn’t have a clue how difficult things could get. I also had no idea how good things could be and that I could love anyone as much as I love Natalie now.

As important as it is to love each other for better or for worse it is prudent to ask questions before you take the walk down the aisle. As difficult and embarrassing as it may be to cancel a wedding it is far less devastating than divorce, especially where children are involved. When Natalie and I were engaged we went through a book called “Before you say I do” (Amazon link). While it certainly does not offer any guarantees it does help to determine how well matched you and your future spouse are and how you might handle difficult times and decisions.

By the way, it is a faith based book but don’t let that scare you. You need to find out where you and your future spouse each stand on those issues as well.

Ken



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Lindsay & Brian

Now that we (finally) have a blog we thought it might be fun to feature some of our weddings from last year. Our first 2008 feature is Lindsay and Brian’s wedding. Lindsay sticks out in my head as one of the most radiant brides that I have had the pleasure to photograph. She had such a warm demeanor and seemed just to be smiling all day long. Brian is a firefighter with a great sense of humor and when they looked at each other it was magic. It made my job so easy!

They had a beautiful October day for their wedding. The ceremony was held at Lakewood United Methodist Church. We stopped at the Cleveland Museum of Art for a few photos and then headed to Massimo da Milano’s for the reception.

Here are some of our favorites from that day. Enjoy!

Ken

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All of the bridesmaids wrote well wishes on the bottom of Lindsay's shoes.



This was the wall in the mud room at Lindsay's parent's home. I've paid good money for backdrops that didn't photograph this well!

























We took a few photos on the Detroit-Superior bridge across the street from Massimo's













This closing image was taken in the lower level of Massimo's. I loved the texture in the brick.