I love me a wacky bride who wears non-white shoes!

While Laura was slinkying her way into a zipperless dress… Chad was doing this…

and this

They did a first sight where they exchanged gifts. Laura wrote something that I’m sure was perfect in every way while Chad gave Laura a necklace that she’s been coveting. She said, “I love that you pay attention to me and knew that I wanted this… it means the world” or something like that…

It was a VERY hot June day and we didn’t think it was a great idea to sweat all of the hair and makeup off. So, we stayed inside and shot a few portraits in her parents AWESOME home.

Laura, you have an awesome smile.

Love everything about this.

Laura’s mom is a part of a singing group called the “King’s Daughters”.  These women haven’t sang together in many many MANY years… but, for Laura and Chad’s wedding… they reunited. I get chills thinking about it. Their singing is incredible. I mean, INCREDIBLE! I felt like I was on the set of “O Brother Where Art Thou” listening to Allison Krauss singing “Down to the River to Pray” GOOOOSEBUMP CENTRAL!!!!

I love this guy. Don’t you want to be his friend and listen to his stories? I do.

Back in May a groomsman accused me of “not being creative” because all I do is “line people up at the altar and never do anything cool”. When I mentioned this on twitter/facebook someone sarcastically suggested that I try the “ring of flowers around the brides face” photo… as that’s the DEFINITION of creative! When I asked her to do it for the sake of my own amusement… THIS …was the face she made. How’s THIS for creative Mr. Groomsman?! Thanks for being such a great sport Laura…

Gorgeous smiles & bokeh… what more do I need?!

For me, this photo is perfection. Laura and Chad… canvas… above your bed… k? It’s my favorite

They did a fake out move with their first dance. When the song first started it was “The Growing Pains” theme song… they boogied. It then switched to something more expected… they danced and I took this  

The bouquet only made it 4 feet… as in… it didn’t reach the bridesmaids.  It was funny HOWEVER, when this little lady picked it up… here was her reaction. best.bouquet.reaction… EVER!

Mike’s favorite

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richmond, ind.

wedding planner | Bobbi Kuperwicz (Reception) Kimber Klingman (Ceremony)
hair | Marty Pence, Bride’s Aunt, Owner of Exceeding Limits in Leo, Indiana
makeup | Kiralee
florist | Flowers By Carla
church | First Presbyterian Church
reception  | The Stoller Home
cake | Cinnamon Spice Bakery
piano player | Tom Walker
dog trainer | Joetta Risner of JCDT (Joetta’s Compassionate Dog Training)
dress | “Yolanda” by Claire Pettibone
tuxes | Skeffington’s

……………………………

their songs:

processional: “So Are You To Me” –Eastmountainsouth
recessional: “Wonderful World” –Fisher
first dance: 1) “As Long as We’ve Got Each Other” (the themesong from Growing Pains) –Bobby Morganstein   2)  “We Are One” –Kelly Sweet

laura+chad:

What was the most memorable moment of your day?
laura: hardest question EVER. Acting like a kid on Christmas morning while waiting for Bobbi and Mike to arrive. Seeing the FJ in the driveway and running out to greet Bobbi.  Getting ready with my mom, aunt Marty, Kiralee and Bobbi.  Meeting Chad in the library. Chad’s gift to me (A Lisa Leonard necklace!!!) Kelley coming downstairs before the ceremony.  Artie being the ring bearer.  Seeing Chad at the end of the aisle.  Putting the band on Chad’s finger (I got him!). Getting fun pictures taken around my parent’s house. My dad handing out cool rags to the hot guests…such a wonderful example of his character.  Seeing all of the people who braved the heat to share our day with us.  My mom and dad’s speech.  My matron of honor’s speech. My matron of honor’s awesomeness.  My mom’s beauty.  My brothers.  My bridesmaids. My Chad.
chad: Going into the wedding, I knew that the experience of seeing Laura walk down the aisle would be powerful. But I was shocked by the authentic and overwhelming feelings that moved me to tears. I had to focus on holding myself together because I was overcome with such intense and surreal emotion.  The processional song was particularly moving as I heard it in the context of that moment and I felt like I was hearing it again for the first time.

What was your favorite detail?
Photo stamps from Zazzle.com for our invitations. The pearl pins in my hair. My shoes and purse dyed to match the flower in my dress. The guest favors that Chad and I made together. Bobbi and Mike engagement pictures scattered in frames throughout the reception.

Funniest memory from your wedding day?
The immediate obedience of Artie when Joetta was handling him.  The pathetic bouquet toss that traveled about four feet. Rachel crying down the aisle.  The awkwardness of the cake cutting, which we had completely forgotten to plan for.  The physical awkwardness during our first dance – how can you really dance to a TV theme song?  Rachel screaming at the guests waiting outside the church that “NOTHING IS HAPPENING HERE!”

Any advice for future brides/grooms?
laura: Stay organized. Hire a wedding coordinator. Marry someone like Chad. Don’t underestimate the power of Spanx. Say “thank you” a million times to all of the people who put so much time, effort and money into your event. Don’t obsess about small things – it’s not about the program font, it’s about the marriage. (Unless it’s Comic Sans, in which case you need to reconsider) Stay in the moment as much as possible. Hire Bobbi and Mike. Don’t obsess about how your wedding day  “should be.” Let it be what it is, and accept anything that happens as the experience you were meant to have.  If it rains, buy a cute umbrella. If you break your arm, make a cute picture on the cast. See the humor in the unexpected.
chad: If you’re getting married in the Midwest, plan for an early spring or fall wedding when the weather is cooler. Frequently contact vendors to make sure they are still in business. (Our first florist closed two weeks before the wedding without telling us!)

If you could do it all over, would you change anything?
Plan for more time with guests at the reception!

What was your favorite wedding purchase?
laura: Bobbi and Mike, Kiralee and my dress- God bless Claire Pettibone, I love that dress with everything in me.
chad: The bridal party gifts- personalized M&M’s with their faces on them.

Where did you go on your honeymoon?
We stayed at the Stonecliffe Inn on Mackinac Island. It was AMAZING. Highly recommended.

What was your favorite thing about bobbi+mike? (for the record, they added this question, not me!)
Bobbi and Mike were integral to the enjoyment and experience of the whole day.  We felt totally comfortable with them, we knew that they had everything under control, and they organized people with amazing skill.  They aren’t just capturing the day through photography, they are part of the day with their energy, love, and general awesomeness. Wow Laura… I don’t even know what to say now. I’m blown away by this. thank you thank you thank you.

bobbi+mike:

our favorites: 1) when Laura came running at us at FULL SPEED through the driveway carrying the above canvas over her head when we first arrived. 2) seeing Kiralee. Oh how I adore her. I said to her… “I think it’s time for “Operation Grow Back Eyebrows” to come to a conclusion” to which she responded, “Uhm… yeah… it’s time…” Maybe you had to be there, it was hilarious to me. 3) Seeing Laura’s excitement for all things wedding. 4) Laura slinkying her way into her dress… messing up her hair, makeup… and all while laughing at herself.  Not to worry… team bride to the rescue 5) Their first site. 6) The King’s Daughters singing during the ceremony. 7) the receiving line (usually it’s my least favorite part of the day to photograph… but Laura and Chad’s guests were just so animated and cute… I was having a blast!) The shuttle drive from the  church to the Stoller home… these bridesmads make me laugh. 9) The first dance was ridiculously sweet… and seeing the bridesmaids watch with tears in their eyes. 10) the bouquet toss was HILARIOUS! 11) the emotion contest with Laura. (more on that soon) 12) reading the answers to the blog questionnaire (above) and finally 13) playing “bobbi trivia” with Angie who said she was the biggest fan ever. I’ll go ahead and confirm… she is Angie made me feel like a million buckarooobies.  I named her the president of the bb+mk fan club. I mean… if there were one. There she is… on the right

MUCH love friends… MUUUUCHHH LOVE!!!!!

~bobbi+mike

Sometimes while I’m taking photos… I pose too. It’s weird.

OH HOW DAPPER!

pay no mind to the photographer in the corner… she’s blending….

HA!Maybe some of you remember the “emotion contest” I had in May at Ellen and Brian’s wedding. WELLLL… I knew that Laura would be goooood competition for me. SO, I challenged her. Here’s how it went down. 1) angry. 2) overly joyed. 3) sad. 4) constipated. Now, when I look at these… I think I won. HOWEVER, the bridesmaids said that she won. I think it was just because she was the bride. Bride schmide… a contest is a contest!!!! SO… tell us blog readers, WHO WON?! 

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Amanda, one of Jess’s best friends is an INCREDIBLE makeup artist.

I will not tell a lie… this salon and spa was unlike any other experience ever. Annnnd… by that I don’t mean it was amazing. When I walked in they told me that I was not able to take any photos in the main salon as I would make the other guests uncomfortable.  There was ONE area (about a 20′ x 15′ small room where they applied makeup… in shiz light, mind you) I was allowed to shoot. And after snapping just 2 photos… the makeup artist weirded out and said that I made her nervous and that I couldn’t take photos. So… I had to sit in a tiny room with my camera and two flower girls who were also not allowed out because they were a “disturbance.” They weren’t even allowed to go to the BATHROOM there… they had to go down the elevator to the hotel lobby if they needed to go. ARE YOU KIDDING ME?! Let me say… these flower girls are like 7 years old and VERY well behaved.  So, Jess, who is THE most laid back bride EVER really didn’t let any of this bother her. Me, I would have been flipping my poopy. She’d say, “I have no control over it… so, it is what it is.” She  kept referring to me as “my photographer… who is in timeout”. HA! I’m telling you… UNLIKE ANY other experience. This salon is not on my referral list K? k. Now that I’ve said my peace…. MOVING ON!

However, when it was time for Jess’ hair… we made it happen. Don’t mess with us!

Meanwhile…

WOW to this adorableness!!!!!

Jess had lost a serious amount of weight between buying the dress and her final fitting… and at that point, the weight was still dropping fast.  They told her that “the dress will NOT fit you if you don’t quit losing weight.” WHEN DOES THAT EVER HAPPEN?! High fives Jess… HIGH FIVES! She said she’d been eating ice cream all week so that her dress would fit!  Yeah, that’s a first! HEALTHY TRAIN CHOOOO CHOOOOOOO!

are you KIDDING me with the amazingness that are these shoes?! Though they’re BEAUTIFUL I guess they weren’t the most comfortable. Jess called them “the Choos that didn’t love me back” I won’t lie…. REALLY proud of these photos

That’s a WHOLELOTTA BLINNNNG!

love this. it’s Mikey’s favorite

PERFECT capture Mike! Such a great story telling image. You win.

Marriage is the coolest.

While I’m on full disclosure mode here… Here’s a little story We were supposed to do the bridesmaids/groomsmen photos ahead of time… but because the florist wouldn’t drop off the flowers until an hour before the ceremony started we were way limited (gotta get the bride inside before the guests arrive… and you KNOW they like to be WAY early!) Well, things ran behind and we had to do all of the photos afterward. No biggie. THEN… the bus driver was supposed to head back to the hotel to shuttle the groom/groomsmen to the church… well, SOMEHOW… he didn’t get the memo and the bus was just SITTING out in front of the church after dropping off the bride/ bridesmaids. When someone noticed that WE WERE MISSING THE GROOM the bus driver got in gear and get in gear QUICKLY! So, the ceremony started/ended laaaaaate.

What does that mean? That means that we were now in HIGH SPEED MODE. As in… I had twenty minutes to get ALLLLL of the photos taken (bridesmaids, groomsmen, full wedding party AND bride & groom). We were originally planning on going to downtown Valparaiso for some fun photos. HOWEVER, given the time line… we were now going to work this shiz out in a parking lot. Now, I happen to know from a past parking lot experience (their aforementioned engagement session) that these two are the DEFINITION of laid back. And again, Jess looked at me and said, “I trust you… let’s do this!”  So, just like last time in the rain… I put on my confidence hat and we MADE MAGIC HAPPEN! (okay, that was a bit dramatic… ignore me…).

My favorite SO much joy…

All of the below photos were taken within an 8 minute span… another reason why an engagement session is SO ridiculously valuable. What IF something does delay your wedding portrait time? It happens… and happens way too often. These two knew how I worked, I knew how they worked and together we WORKED IT OUT!

LOOOK AT THOSE EYES!!!! Jess, you’re seriously stunning!

There were no dresses harmed in the making of this photo.

YESSSSSS!!!!!! LOOOOOOOOVE IT!!!!!!!

Now… it’s reception time baaaaaabies!!!!!

DON’T STOP BELIEVINNNNNN’….

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valparaiso, ind.

makeup | Amanda Batista, Freelance Makeup Artist/Bridesmaid Extraordinaire
florist | The Flower Cart
church | Valparaiso University Chapel of the Resurrection
reception hall/cake | Strongbow Inn
DJ | Catalyst Productions
dress | Custom Augusta Jones gown by Couture Bride
bridesmaid dresses | Watters & Watters
tuxes | Men’s Wearhouse

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their songs:

Introductions:
Parents: “All You Need is Love” – The Beatles
Bridal Party: “Good Life” – Kanye West
Bride&Groom: “Lions” – The Features
Cake cutting: “Eat it” – Weird Al
First dance: “You & I” – Michael Buble
Father/Daughter: “You are so Beautiful” – Joe Cocker
Mother/Son: “You’ve Got a Friend” – James Taylor

jess+brad:

What was the most memorable moment of your day?
jess: #1. The entire aisle experience. From those last moments spent with Marissa, my Maid of Honor, to the whispered exchange of words with my father as we walked down the aisle, to the moment I could finally see Brad’s face (it was a really, really long aisle!), to when I finally took Brad’s hand in mine and proceeded up the steps to the altar. I don’t think I’ll ever forget the beauty and emotion felt during every single second of that experience.  #2. When two of out best friends, Amanda and Dave, got engaged at our reception! Made the day just so perfect!
brad: Watching Jess while she was walking down the aisle. When she and her dad finally reached me, her dad kissed her and then he and I were supposed to shake hands, but I was frozen, staring at Jess. Her dad stood there hitting his hand against mine until I finally snapped out of it and shook his hand.

What was your favorite detail?
jess: My something old. It was a handkerchief that belonged to an elderly woman named Neva whom I was very close to when I was young. She passed away many years ago, but Erica, my cousin and Matron of Honor, was able to obtain the handkerchief from Neva’s daughter-in-law right before my bridal shower, and gave it to me as a gift at my shower. Yes, tears were shed. I will treasure it always.
brad: The stained glass windows at the Chapel.

Funniest memory from your wedding day?
jess: I have two. #1. My Ring Bearer, Andrew, got dressed into his little tux, looked into the mirror, and pleased with his appearance, exclaimed, “I look just like Barack Obama!” #2. During our first dance, I asked Brad if he’d like me to sing the song to him. His response: “No, I’d like to enjoy this.” People probably wondered why were were dying laughing during our romantic first dance. Well, that’s why. . .
brad: During my brother’s best man speech, when he, very sincerely, said he was proud of how “sexful” I’d become. He meant to say successful and thought no one noticed his slip of the tongue… but he was wrong.

Any advice for future brides/grooms?
brad: Don’t get stressed, even if a tornado takes out your rehearsal dinner, you’re still going to have a good time. We know this for a fact.
jess: Remember that it’s about the marriage, not about the wedding. Don’t be fussy, enjoy every minute of it with the people you love.

If you could do it all over, would you change anything?
jess: More time for photos and a longer reception!
brad: Longer reception, I didn’t get to visit with half of our guests!

What was your favorite wedding purchase?
Other than Bobbi + Mike? Our Bachelor/Bachelorette party in Vegas! About 20 of our best friends & family + 5 days of insanity = a really fun wedding weekend because everyone had already met and were excited to party together again! We’re already planning another wedding party/guest reunion in October!

Where did you go on your honeymoon?
Sandals Emerald Bay, Great Exuma, Bahamas

This isn’t an answer to a question, but I just have to say that we had an amazing wedding party. We are so lucky to have such ridiculously great friends. The day would not have been the same without them and we love them all very much!

SNUGGGGGLE FAAAAAACE!!!!!!

bobbi+mike

our favorites: 1) the time out chair at the salon. Though it kinda sucked… it was actually quite comical. 2) the wedding party goes in the top 10 of best wedding parties in the history of bobbi+mike. 3) photographing the shoes. AYKM?! 4) the flower girl during the ceremony was HILARIOUS! She was so bored/hot… in the midst of the ceremony she sat down right on a ledge,  rubbed her belly, yawned and laid down. 5) Dave chasing down the bus during photos. 6) Jess and Brad being AWESOME and trusting us entirely during speedy photo time. 7) the families. the speeches… perfect combo of sweet and fun. 9) when Jess announced that Amanda (makeup artist and best friend) and Dave had JUST become engaged! The idea was suggested to Dave by Jess…. and he went with it. Jess announced, “I love that we’ll share this anniversary!” Yeah, Jess REALLY is one in a million!!!! 10) the unboxed booth and all of the hilarity that happened… ESPECIALLY at the end when Jess and her best friend recreated their best poses from childhood… except this time… there was alcohol involved. Maybe you had to be there… it was highly inappropriate and ridiculously funny. (I know I know… I NEEEED to show you some of the newest unboxed stuff. I’ll get on it, I promise!)

MUUUUUUCH love friends… MUCH LOVE!

~bobbi+mike

I had to take my shoes off during the ceremony because they were loud…

Mike, you are so damn handsome. Seriously. HOT HOT HOT!

That’s a face only a Mike Belschner could love… WHAT THE HELL AM I SAYING?!  I was showing Jess her next pose. Luckily for her, she didn’t make the same face. WOW TO ME!

As previously stated on the last wedding blog entry… I CANNOT resist me some Britney Spears. Don’t judge us.

SOOOO… the WHOLE reason Jess and Brad even knew team bb+mk existed? Because Amanda suggested us. You see, she was in Erin and Lucky’s wedding (and also did the makeup)… and has been following our work since (that was 3 years ago). SOOO… yes yes yes…  as you’ve already read… she got engaged THAT night and couldn’t wait to share. These photos make me so happy Thanks Brad for taking them!  PS. guess who JUST booked us? BOOOOOYAH!!!! MAY 2011 HERE WE COME!!!!!

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Mike’s fave!

BLINNNNNNNNG!

SUCH fun bridesmaids!

Though Janine’s Dad is no longer with us… he was absolutely 1000% a part of the day.

Hi Mavris!

IT’S PHOTO TIIIIIIME!!!!!! Let me tell you… this day was HOT HOT HOT! How her hair didn’t completely collapse is beyond me! The hair stylist said that morning “this hair isn’t going anywhere!” Now… I’ve heard that before and have not seen the best results. I will not lie… I wasn’t nearly as optimistic knowing the crazy humid/hot forecast. However, it looked as amazing at the end of the day as it started. Wow to that!

WACKY BOBBI STRIKES AGAIN!!!!!

Yeah, this place card photo rocks… I mean, just in case you didn’t notice. HA! I have NO shame…

First dance…

Top 5 most amazing best man speeches ever. I might even go as far as saying that it was #1.  HE HAD PROPS! In his hand… just in case you can’t tell… that’s a stripper heel. You can only IMAGINE what that was about!!! My favorite

The sister/brother dance…. it was perfect. Here’s the difference between how I shoot the reception events…

…and how Mikey shoots them. SUCH a great capture!

Mother/Son dance.

The Gamma Phi girls from Indiana State University…

I almost didn’t blog this because I was in it. Mike and I are pretty good at shooting the same event from different angles but still staying out of the photo. However, it seems that I didn’t have much shame and stepped right into his shot.  I decided that I liked it… regardless of my presence. FURTHERMORE… I’m a part of the day anyway so… whatever, there I am

……………………………

indianapolis,ind.

hair | Studio 135 Salon and Spa
florist | Cate Marshall
ceremony/reception venue | The Mavris
DJ | Sound Spectrum Entertainment
cake | Jonathyn Byrd
dress | Maggie Sottero
bridesmaid dresses | Alfred Angelo
tuxes | MW Tux

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their songs:

First dance: “At Last” – Etta James
Brother/Sister: “Who You’d be Today” – Kenny Chesney
Mother/Son: “I Hope You Dance” – Lee Ann Womack
Introductions: “Higher State” – Bailey featuring Jodie Conner
Cake cutting: “How Sweet It Is (To Be Loved By You)” – James Taylor

janine+scott:

What was the most memorable moment of your day?
Scott: First time that I saw Janine in her dress. Beautiful!!!
Janine: Ditto for me, but obviously Scott in his Tux. So handsome!!!!

What was your favorite detail?
The overall atmosphere was incredible! The Ice Sculpture was perfect and you can’t forget the Gas America cup.

Funniest memory from your wedding day?
1) Bo’s toast (I mean Roast). 2) Greg falling on the dance floor. 3) Bo’s size 12 foot in size 9 shoes.

Any advice for future brides/grooms?
Scott: Have fun!!!
Janine: Relax and work on your own time – it’s your day.

What was your favorite wedding purchase?
Janine: My Team Bride tank top – it took a team to make this thing happen!

What are your honeymoon plans?
Cruise in October.

bobbi+mike

What was our favorite part of the day?
1) laughing with the bridesmaids at the salon… strike that… ALLLL DAYYYY!. 2) When Scott first saw Janine… his expression was perfect! 3) right before Janine and Scott were announced into the reception…. Janine gave a genuine and personal toast just to us. Janine, you’ll never know how much that meant to me. Thank you. 4) Bo’s toast… ARE YOU KIDDING ME!? HILAAAAARIOUS! WHen he busted out the Gas America cups I nearly peed myself. I guess Scott LOOOOVES the huuuuge styrofoam fountain soda cups from there.  Bo’s final “raise your glasses” moment of his toast… they all raised them with the famous cups.  When the speeches were over… they were gathering up all of the props to clear the dance floor when Scott runs over to the person who’s cleaning up the cups (I just happened to be standing right there) and he says in all seriousness, “Don’t throw those away…!” I laughed… he said… “Bobbi, they’re the best ever… you need to drink out of one… you’ll see why!” 5) dancing with the wedding party with the “Bobbi” dance that I invented that morning. It’s not a pretty dance… so, don’t get your hopes up This wedding party rocked it OUT with the  “Bobbi” 6) knowing that I have the best clients in the biz… not all would be okay with their photogs dancing… ours however, ours rock. Thanks Janine and Scott!

Much love friends

~bobbi+mike +

Oh, PS. for the record… If I do dance… it’s to only one song. I can’t resist me some BOOM BOOM POW! orrrr… Britney (don’t judge me!)… orrrr… Meatloaf (Though Meatloaf isn’t as common as one might hope!) I promise you… I’m not just at the wedding to party it up!

That photo on the right I was showing off my amazing tan. If you’ve ever heard me say “my legs haven’t seen sun since the 7th grade” you know now I wasn’t joking, here’s the PROOF! You’ll need shades if you’re hangin’ with me! PS. wearing shorts SOMEDAY is on my healthy train bucket list. That’s kind of a BIG deal (its’ been 17 years… are you KIDDING me!?).

I REALLY have NO idea what I’m doing here… but, it made me laugh when I came across it

The famous “Bobbi” dance that I invented that morning. I have NO idea what came over me… but I was feeling it! How do you do it? WELLLL…. you collapse your entire body… pretty much letting go of all muscle control and just wiggle/jiggle.  And if you’re REALLY feelin’ it… you can jiggle yourself up and down. Yeah, you can be jealous… it’s the coolest . The ONLY person making the right face in this photo is Amy… the girl right next to me. You not only have to let go of the muscle control in your body… but in your face. Let me tell you… it’s a PRETTTTTTY dance!!!!! HA! thanks new friends for being good sports with my goofiness You guys are the best!

HA!!!!!! LAUGH WAYYYYY OUT LOUD!!!!!! Could I BE any more of a mutant mini person?!?!! I put this up on our Facebook page and someone said, “well, maybe she’s just very tall” uhm… she’s probably 5′10″. Yeah… that’s tall… but not crazy. Me… I look RIDC!!!! Her butt is seriously level with the small of my back. ARE YOU KIDDING ME?! AM I REEEEEEALLY THAT SHORT?!!?! Wow to this. Regardless… Amy, thanks for dancing it up with me despite my vertical impairment

Unboxing it up!

OOOOOOKAYYYYY…. I CAN’T BELIEVE I’M POSTING THIS!!!!! But it’s TOO good NOT to! We have new mustache/lips/glasses on sticks photo props for our unboxed booth…. Scott for some reason had one of these in his back pocket all night. I saw it and couldn’t RESIST taking a photo with it! I asked him to do this… him knowing NO idea that this was in his pocket nor what I was up to until I showed him the photo on the back of the camera. The response? A hearty laugh, high five and a hug See… told you we had the best clients.

PS. Sometimes I put up photos of us that most photographers/clients would file into the inappropriate file. Yeah, it probably is. BUT, when I start to doubt that I should be putting these kinds of images on our blog…. I always remind myself that it’s a GOOD thing for our biz. I may turn a LOT of people off… but we’re turning all of the right people on to us. Make sense? So, if you saw the above photo and rolled your eyes… that’s perfectly okay. But, if you saw it and let out a hearty laugh and wanted to give me a high five… email us… we’d love to photograph your wedding!

“I’d rather be hated for who I am, than loved for who I am not.” – Kurt Cobain

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You may be thinking to yourself…. “sellllfffff…. why did Julie have two pairs of shoes?!?” PS. are you KIDDING me with these?!

OHHHHH… THAT’S WHY!!!! Julie was a two-dress bride!  I love when brides have a reception dress… nice to switch things up and not have that heavy/long dress to mess with  all night while dancing it up!  Oh, side note… in my OH SO humble opinion… her ceremony dress was THE perfect beach wedding dress! It seems that Maggie Sottero has an entire line of destination dresses for such the occasion I’ve seen brides get married on the beach in full sized traditional dresses and while it may seem cool in the comfort of the bridal boutique… that thing is VERY thick, full of tons of layers, quite heavy and not breathable. SOOOO… just keep that in mind when planning your wedding day attire

Love.

Meanwhile…

Julie has THE best smile. EVER!

GORGEOUS! Seriously, you’re stunning Julie

The men ain’t too bad either! (Did I really just say “ain’t”?! What is happening to me?!) The man on the right… that’s his best man… also his dad. You don’t see that very often (I can think of maybe twice?). I love that. Don’t you?

Julie’s dad rocked. Big time.

Final prayer before being announced as husband and wife…

Michael… I ADORE your love of life and spontaneity!

Every beach wedding should include two things: 1. sunglasses

2. jumping What’s a destination wedding without the cliche jump in front of the beach shot?! When I counted to three to get them to jump, Mike jumped at the same time so that people knew their timing. It works very well.   After I picked out the blog images he came over to check out what I’d selected… “Mike, this is great angle with interesting light…” His response, “Thanks… I took it while jumping” WHAT??!!? MAJOR bonus points for that move. PS. Adam, you’re fun!

LOVE this Such great expressions!

DRESSSSS NUMBER TWOOOOOO WITH THE JIMMY CHOOOOOOS!

Please use this as your thank you card. I’m a HUGE fan of it.

FAAAAAAAAAVORITE!!!!!

Julie with her sisters.

SUCH a fantastic party!

Yes, your eyes are not playing tricks on you… that’s the groom’s dad in his arms with a tie around his head…. Not hard to see why he was the best man!

MANNNNN OHHHH MANNNNNN!!!!!! You two SO rock

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NAPLES, fla

makeup | Dani
florist | The Garden District
reception venue | La Playa Resort
band | Double Dare
dress | 1: Maggie Sottero • 2: BCBG
bridesmaid dresses | Liz Fields

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their songs:

first dance: “How Sweet It Is” – Michael Buble
father/daughter, mother/son dance: “My Wish”
processional: “Somewhere Over the Rainbow”
recessional: “I’m Yours” – Jason Mraz

julie+michael:

What was the most memorable moment of your day?
julie: Seeing Michael cry as I walked down the aisle and during the entire ceremony (note: he never cries – especially in front of all his family and friends).  Also, I loved my dad’s “Piano Man” and how it got everyone up and involved.  That was a surprise!  
michael: Piano Man

What was your favorite detail?
julie: I loved my dresses and shoes (both!).  I also liked how the sand dollar place settings turned out that I seriously spent hours making.
michael: The flower shoulder strap on Julie’s dress

Any advice for future bride/grooms?
julie: Figure out what is most important to you and spend the most money from your budget on those things.  Also, get married somewhere that’s already beautiful!  It saves you money on decorations, flowers, etc.  And… hire Bobbi + Mike!
michael: Choose the right person

Funniest memory from your wedding day?
julie: Adam’s moves on the dance floor (the 6′ 6″ groomsman)! Life of the party!
michael: Adam picking up my dad on the dance floor

If you could do it all over, would you change anything?
julie: Not anything in particular  It would have been nice to have more time with everyone though.
michael: Get better tasting cigars (more than the $1 ones we had from KMart)

What was your favorite wedding purchase?
julie: Bobbi and Mike, of course!  Also… our food selections.
michael: The wedding location, La Playa.

You can tell Mikey and I are a couple of Midwesterners…. we were a bittttt red at the end of the day

bobbi+mike

What was our favorite part of the day?
bobbi: THE DADS!!!!! 1) Watching the relationship that Julie’s dad had with his girls was incredible. a) crying while watching the slideshow. b) holding back the tears right before the walk down the aisle. c) the father/daughter dance… AYKM?! d) during his speech he mentioned how long everyone there had been married. Both sets of grandparents (Julie’s and Michaels) had been married for over 60 years. There were absolutey no divorces in this entire family.  e) THE BEST… when he surprised everyone at the grand piano with “Piano Man” and ALL of the guests sang with him. 2) LOVED that Michael picked HIS dad as his best man. The speech he gave was so genuine. “People said to me, ‘well, that’s different that Michael picked you to be his best man… were you surprised?’ No… We’ve always been best friends, who else would he pick?!” 3) Adam, a groomsmen, cracked me up ALLLL day! especially on the dance floor. 4) dancing it up to a little Britney Spears with the bridesmaids. 5) RIGHT before Michael and Julie were announced (as in the band was saying… “and now introduuuucing….” Michael said, “JUMP ON MY BACK!” she did…. and off they went. Michael is the KING of spontanaity
mike: he’s gone again It seems that I like to blog when he’s not around so that I can fully focus… Mike, from now on… you have to send me your faves RIGHT after the wedding. Deal? deal!

MUCH LOVE FRIENDS!

~bobbi+mike  +

I went shopping FOR Mike WITHOUT Mike for the first time ever! I was so nervous.  He needed a new suit for shooting a destination wedding. I’d say that after seeing the results… I rocked this out!!!! I’m OBSESSED with seeing him in it! Because it’s so much more light weight… he’s worn it to nearly every wedding since. I can’t take my eyes off of his hotness. Seriously, this man is CUTE!

Three guesses for what I was saying here? ….and the first two guesses don’t count

HA! Even Renee, the singer of the band, couldn’t resist her some Mike Actually… she was just trying to get around him without ruining the shot… so this was her dance move Quite slick Renee!

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Here are all of the fathers in all of the weddings…

…and all of the family sessions we’ve photo’d since Father ’s Day 2009

MAN OH MAN I’m a BIG fan of these. Makes me smile.

As I was making this collage I was in a pile of tears… man oh man… thank you to all of the fathers who are just… uhm… good dads. Big hugs to all of you.

Happy Father’s Day!

LOVE!

~bobbi+mike +

….meanwhile….

OHHHHH the smellllll of kiwi! Brought back some army memories. 

three words: MON • O • GRAM!

Oh, I’m sorry that I photograph the prettiest brides on the planet…  BOOOOOYAH!!!!!!

“FAIR IS FAIR!!!!” If you get that… I’ll be quite impressed…

This is a close contender for favorite… but not quite number one. HELLOOOOO HAPPINESS!!!!

They met while at the University of Dayton. On the left, Crew with his roommates in front of their old college house. On the right… Caitlin with her roommates in front of THEIR old college house. Cute, huh?! Now, Mike and I have a similar story… but we met at Indiana State University in good ol’ Terre Haute, Indiana… if we got photos in front of OUR old college houses, it CERTAINLY wouldn’t be pretty… and if you’ve ever been to Terre Haute… you KNOW what I’m talkin’ about! (For the record, I have NOTHING but love for that city… )

Crew, in the middle. To the left of Crew… that’s his brother. To the right of Crew… that’s his other brother. Can you tell by the craziness?!

There was a requirement to be in this bridal party… and can you tell what it was? Well… lucky for you I’m going to tell you… HOT LEGS!!!!! MAN OH MAN… are you KIDDING me with those?! I definitely wouldn’t have made the bridal party cut… mine are short, stumpy  and EXTRA white (these legs haven’t seen the sun since 7th grade… I’m SO not exaggerating) Though, I definitely would have been willing to buy gold shoes… I mean… just in case you need a fill in for your vow renewal PS. I’m kidding about the requirement… but these legs sure do make it seem like there was!

WACKY BOBBI STRIKES AGAIN!!!!!

Thank you wind.

Probably our most asked question by fellow wedding photographers: “How do you get your brides to sit/lay down in their wedding dress?!” My answer, “I ask”. Yes, we have amazing brides willing to sit almost anywhere in their wedding dress. No, her dress didn’t get even 1% dirty by sitting there. Yes, my brides trust that I would never allow that to happen. Yes, we’re lucky Oh, and… Yes… you only wear it once anyway!

I’m a fan of this. Thought you should know.

BLUE SKIES SMILING AT MEEEEEE… NOTHING BUT BLUUUUUE SKIES DO I SEEEEEE!!!!!!

Crew sent me an email that went something like this, “I know you guys go to a lot of weddings and hear a lot of bands… who are the best ones?” To which I responded… “Zanna-Doo! if they’re not available, I’ll give you a list… but check there first, because really… there’s no one better.”  Well, they were available… and willing to come to Dayton. THIS BAND DID NOT DISAPPOINT! Zanna-Doo! was THE talk of the night… I don’t think I’ve everrrr heard so many guests rave about a band like they did that night. One thing you should know about us… we don’t give a recommendation unless we 200% believe in it. I suppose that’s from my waitin’ tables days

This is SO Crew!!!!

Because I hadn’t picked out the photos for the blog until after I’d received Caitlin’s and Crew’s questionnaire… I was able to incorporate many of the things they mentioned (as you’re about to read) into this blog entry.  One of Caitlin’s favorite moments of the day was when her sister and Crew’s brother hopped up on stage and danced it up with the band. So, here you go Miss Caitlin… a favorite moment

Yeah yeah yeah… they’re kind of a big deal… Sarah Silverman was in the bridal party. (or maybe just someone who looks IDENTICAL to her… AYKM with the identicalness of them?!)

BB+MK FAVORITE!!!!! + The PERFECT way to end an awesome day!!!!!

……………………………

dayton, ohio

event planner | Heather Meta, Day of Détente Coordination
hair/makeup |  Square One Salon
florist | The Flower Shoppe
church | Corpus Christi Catholic Church
reception venue | Dayton Masonic Center
band | Zanna-Doo!
cake | Dorothy Lane Market
dress | Watters
bridesmaid dresses | j.crew

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their songs:

First dance: “Forever my Friend” – Ray LaMontagne, sung by friend & groomsmen Chris Albanese
Father/Daughter: “Ain’t No Mountain High Enough” – Marvin Gaye & Tammi Terrell
Mother/Son: “I Hope You Dance” – Lee Ann Womack
Groom/MOB & Bride/FOG dance: “How Sweet It Is” – James Taylor (since Crew has only brothers and Caitlin only has sisters Crew’s dad will never have a father/daughter dance and Caitlin’s mom will never have a mother/son dance so we wanted to have a special dance for them because they now have a daughter / son)
Wedding party introduction: “Just Dance” – Lady GaGa
Bride & groom introduction: “Beautiful Day” by U2
Cake cutting: “I Got You Babe” – Sonny and Cher (Crew’s request – he loves this song!!)

caitlin+crew:

What was the most memorable moment of your day?
Caitlin: Ohh, there were so many!  But when I think back about the day I always think about my walk down the aisle with my dad.  I was looking right at Crew and just had this feeling of calm and joy all at once.  Chris singing our first dance song was also amazing.
Crew: I definitely have 2 memorable moments: 1) I will never forget when the doors were swung open and I got the first glimpse of my bride.  I knew at that moment that I was the luckiest man on the planet.  2) When Caitlin and I were introduced at the reception it was such an amazing feeling.   The music was blaring and all of our guests were on their feet cheering – it was awesome.

What was your favorite detail?
Caitlin: I have to say, I loved the ribbon wands (thanks to Grace for making all 200+ of them!!)!  And really loved our c&c monogram.
Crew: I had many favorite little details, but one of my favorites was the c&c monogram that we used on all of our programs, notes, etc.  I complained about buying the stupid embosser but it turned out to look great.  I also really liked giving out communion at the ceremony; it was a great touch and another awesome way to interact with our guests. 

Funniest memory from your wedding day?
Caitlin: think seeing my sister and Crew’s brother dancing on stage with the band.  I am not sure how they got up there but they had some sweet air guitar dance moves going on.
Crew: So we could not get a cab home from the bar after the reception so Caitlin and I decided to walk home from the bar to the hotel (a 10 minute walk).  We made a quick stop at the concierge house (“party central” as my mom called it) where we had another beer and some more champagne.  Then we proceeded to walk back to the hotel with a bowl of Doritos, and 2 Milwaukee’s Best Light (“Beasts”) beers, Caitlin still in her dress and me carrying her shoes.

Any advice for future brides/grooms?
Caitlin: keep the engagement short!  And hire at least a day of coordinator to set up your weekend for you – that way someone else is worrying about the details and you are just having fun!  Also, don’t go to cocktail hour and instead sneak away with bb+mk for some photos at your venue that are unique and fun and allow you to calm down for a few moments before the party starts.  Lastly, make your ceremony as personal and unique to you both as you can – it will shine through and all of your guests will feel how special it is and will help set the tone for your whole celebration.
Crew: There definitely are going to be some ups and downs throughout the entire wedding planning process but just remember that all of the little details will not matter on the actual day – no one will notice if the ceremony brochure is a ½ inch or a full inch from the center fold.  Also I would recommend the bride and groom to do something that they enjoy the morning of the wedding – I played tennis with my dad and really was able to calm some nerves.

What was your favorite wedding purchase?
Caitlin: I loved our flowers – I was in love with my bouquet of peonies and the bright orange and yellow for the rest of the wedding party looked so bright and fresh for spring. 
Crew: I loved the green argyle socks and custom cufflinks to match the green dresses of the bridesmaids that I got all of the groomsmen.  It customized the guys’ look and made the classic tuxedo a little more fun.

Where did you go on your honeymoon?
Fiji – heaven on earth.  HIGHLY recommend for a beach get away packed with fun excursions and total relaxation on the other side of the world.

and this is a first… me with my brides… and a bun in the oven! HELLOOOOOOOO MARYJANE!!!!!! Oh, you’re MORE than welcome to name your future child Bobbi/Bobby… I wouldn’t be offended… after all, it IS a great name

And THIS was one of MY favorite moments of the day PLEASE don’t judge the hair… it was a long/hot day!

bobbi+mike:

What was our favorite part of the day?
bobbi: 1) I ADOOOORED these bridesmaids! 2) Seeing SO many familiar faces from Maryjane’s and Jon’s wedding… most remembered us and gave us hugs and high fives. 3) the priests have known Crew’s family for 1000 years (give or take) and their ceremony was so personalized and funny. 4) when I told the bus driver to pull over at the spot I wanted to shoot the wedding party. “REALLY?! WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU GOING TO SHOOT HERE?!” My response, “amazingness, you’ll see…” HA! 5) THE FULL MOOOOON! 6) The moment right before Caitlin and Crew were announced at their reception. Crew was SO flipping excited… he couldn’t stand still 7) Zanna-Doo… NEED I SAY MORE?! 7) Watching Caitlin and Crew dance it up at the end of their reception. 8 ) When Crew INSISTED on getting a photo with me at the end of the night… as in, he was already running late and he delayed the party to make sure that we were in the photo booth together. TALK ABOUT MAKING A GIRL FEEL SPECIAL?! Thank you friend
mike: While there was lots of comedy with these two crazies… Crew presenting the full moon to the guys in the bridal party who were hollering and teasing while we were taking photos of just the two of them was great (scroll to the end to see)!

MUCH LOVE FRIENDS!

~bobbi+mike  +

::said like Mary Katherine Gallagher:: Sometimes, when I get nervous, I like to hold my camera up to my mouth and quack like a duck like this…. QUACK QUACK QUACK! (Seriously… WHAT THE HELL AM I DOING?!)

Why does my husband look like a rag doll? No, really? Why do you sit like this? That can’t be comfortable! I mean… what the hell do I know… I have lady parts and you have… well… not lady parts. Okay… I’m shushing now.

Another blessing from Bobbi. You’re welcome

Caption this! No, wait… DON’T! We gotta keep the blog as kid-friendly as we can! I’m going to go ahead and say that THIS is THE most hilarious “in-action” photo to date. To me, this looks right out of a Monty Python movie! Here’s what happened… I was getting ready to place the bride and groom in a photo when his groomsmen started to get ornery. Crew dropped his pants and busted out a full moon. Mike was at the top of the hill ready to capture the amazingness that is that whiiiiite moon… I see what’s going own and as quickly as I can, dropped to the ground attempting to get out of the shoot. For the actual full moon photo, all you can see is a pile of red hair laying on the ground. After he pulled his pants back up I sat up thinking the photo moment had passed and proceeded to laugh uncontrollably. Mike, of course… didn’t think the photo moment had passed SO funny… especially if you don’t have this photo in context!

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OHHHHH how I love when brides wear non-white shoes A little pop of the unexpected…. people everywhere, all day…  “WHOA! WERE THOSE BLUUUUUUE SHOES I SAW?!” Okay… maybe that’s a bit of a lie…. but I KNOW they were all thinking it!

Meet Ellen’s younger sister Sarah She’s cute… and a big fan of the blog Doesn’t she look like Kirsten Dunst?! Yes, I know I know… I’m so good at the “what celebrity do you look like” game

Meet Brian (or at least meet the lower half of his face), he’s in the top ten nicest guys I’ve ever met…. and, I know a lot of guys. So yes… that’s a BIG deal He’s THAT nice. (Mike is in the number 1 position, but I may be biased )

HAAAAAA!!!!! This is HILAAAAARIOUS!!!!! If you’re not laughing yet then you haven”t notice the guy on the right and the quality of his bow tie.  They stood in line and had Tony, the resident boy scout, fix them I couldn’t stop laughing when editing through this series!

Ellen used to be a florist in Chicago… LOVING the flowers in her hair. Can’t wait for you to see the amazingness that were the bouquets

love.love.love.

If you were a bug watching this ceremony, this would be your view. ORRRR if you were a Mike photographing this wedding, this would also be your view….

YOU’RE MARRRRRRIED!!!!!!

I know… I knowwwww…. this composition looks familiar When Ellen saw that image she KNEW she wanted one similar… and because I don’t like to 100% recreate our past work (especially a shot so uhm… memorable…), I made this one a weeeee bit different I’m a fan!

YEAHHHHHHH!!!! GO TEAM WEDDING!!!!!!!!! I’m telling you, we’ve had some incredible color combos this year LOVING the navy and hot pink!

Mikey’s fave (…he’s so predictable …)

How GORGEOUS are these bridesmaids?! Two things. 1) At first you may have thought I was crazy with my Kirsten Dunst reference from above… but look at Sarah now with that big ol’ smile… THEY’RE TWINS! (second from the right). and 2) Notice Kristina on the right?

If I could do my wedding over again, I would absolutely have had guys on my side. See her there? That’s Brian’s sister… and also the “Best Woman” Tradition schmadition… Good for you Brian!

TOLD you the flowers were amazing! If you want peonies… and you want them to be this gorgeous… and you’re getting married in the Midwest… and you don’t want to spend an arm and a leg… get married in May

IT’S A DRIVE-BY TONY! Mike let him use one of our second cameras and he went to town with the photo snappin’! ….I caught him in the act…

WHOA! ARE THOSE BLUUUUUUE SHOES I SEE?! …you were thinking it, weren’t you?! Told ya!!!!!

OH HELLLLLL YES!!!!! I’m a fan. A BIG fan of this.

Ellen, you’re a stunner. K? k.

It’s reception time baaaaabies!

ABSOLUTELY my favorite

PARRRRRRRRRTY!

This makes me smile. That’s Ellen’s mom on the left… We get to photograph the best best best parties. Seeing this makes me want to turn on some GaGa and boogie…. at 9 in the morning. Who’s with me?!

……………………………

ST. LOUIS, Mo.

event planner & florist | Rachel & Amanda, Lucky You Productions
hair |  Melanie Wilson
makeup artist | Lauren Graf
church | St. John the Apostle and Evangelist
reception venue | An American Place
band | Arvell & Company
cake | Rosigliones
invitations & programs | Lemonseed & Co.
dress | Town & Country Bridal Boutique | Watters
bridesmaid dresses | j.crew
tuxes | Black Tie Formal Wear

……………………………

their songs:

First dance: “That’s How Strong My Love Is” – Otis Redding
Father/Daughter: “Unforgettable” – Natalie Cole

ellen+brian:

What was the most memorable moment of your day?
ellen: When the doors of the Church opened and I looked down the aisle and saw Brian and all the guests.
brian: When I took Ellen’s arm at the front of the Church after she had walked down the aisle.

What was your favorite detail?
This isn’t really a detail, but we loved the room where the reception was held.  It looked really, really beautiful with the architectural details and the stunning flowers.

Any advice for future bride/grooms?
Hire a planner! At least a day-of planner like we had.  Lucky You did a great job keeping everyone in line.  It was so easy and worry-free on the big day.  Also – get a band! A live band is so much fun.

Funniest memory from your wedding day?
ellen: Joking with Brian while we were waiting to be announced at the reception…watching funny dancers…taking lots of Bobbi and Mike photobooth photos…photographs at our last location next to the “questionable” building/garage/residence
brian: Seeing the first-try bow ties on the groomsmen

If you could do it all over, would you change anything?
More time to talk to everyone, dance, take pictures!!!

What was your favorite wedding purchase?
ellen: Dress! Bobbi and Mike!
brian: Tickets to Spain

Where did you go on your honeymoon?
Spain!!! Barcelona, Valencia, Granada, Cordoba, Toledo, Madrid.  Mucho gusto! Mas vino tinto por favor!

bobbi+mike:

What was our favorite part of the day?
bobbi: 1. I adoooooored this bridal party. Seriously, my kind of people! Fun, nice, unfiltered, sincere and crazy. 2. Hanging out with Ellen and her bridesmaids as they got their makeup on. Seeing SO many familiar faces. I about flipped my poopy in excitement when I saw (past bbmk bride & groom) Mike and Kristina. 3. Photographing them in an unexpected part of town. I asked Ellen what she had in mind for photo locations. She said… “you know, I have zero preferences when it comes to that… I trust you entirely, just pick something you like” And that we did! Ellen & Brian, you two rock rock ROCK. 4. Shooting in the unboxed photo booth… what a FUN group! I haven’t been so great about blogging photos from that… maybe I’ll get on that next week! 5. Getting one of the sweetest emails from Ellen, after the wedding, before they’d even seen the photos. Seriously brought me to tears. I’ll share a part of it below.
mike: I’m actually blogging from 40,000 feet on a Boeing 737 en route to Florida for a wedding tomorrow (HOW COOL THAT I’M ONLINE?! OHHHH how I love AirTrain!). Anyway… Here is Mike’s current state. SOOOO… needless to say, we’re just gonna have to wait for his fave. Lucky for him, he’s even cute when ZONNNNNNKED out

Oh, and that email I told you about… here’s what she wrote that got me a bit choked up.

“I just have to say again how much we love you guys.  We are truly so happy that you and Mike were there on our big day to capture all of our memories.  It’s a very personal thing to have somebody photograph your wedding and I didn’t realize that until the actual day.  We feel like we have gained two new friends and could not be more grateful.

PS. In Spain we did lots of walking toward/walking away photos a la bobbi+mike… Brian even did a lying on the ground photo in honor of Bobbi – unfortunately I did not have another camera to catch him!”

You’re absolutely right Ellen, it IS a very personal thing…. and we take that honor quite seriously. After all, it’s one of the most intimate/memorable days of your life and we’re there to photograph it exactly as it happens, without being the creepy photographer in the corner. We try to photo these memories as though it had happend with no one else is in the room.  However, yes yes yes, once the moment has passed, I like to throw high fives As cheesy and cliche as this sounds… for us, it’s so much more than just our  job. So yeah… your email definitely made my month. Thank you thank you thank you.

Oh, and you DID gain two new friends, DUHTOWN!

You guys are the best… Really, the best.

Much love…

~bobbi+mike +

Me, with my hot tamale brides. OH HELLLLLL YES TO THIS!!!!!! Having a bridesmaid that was a past bbmk bride… It’s one of my favorite parts of the job

These two guys and I had an “emotion competition” in the unboxed booth. From left to right: happy | angry | scared. SERIOUSLY guys… SCAAAAARED?! THAT IS YOUR SCARED?!!? I clearly win! BY A LANDSLIDE! You clearly only have two emotions.

My famous leg move. I’m pretty sure this is why Mike married me.

Photographers, if you’re looking for your next pose idea…. We saw this out of the limo bus window as we were leaving the arch and I snapped a photo for future reference… You’re welcome.

Mike’s long flowing hair… He’s borderline Fabio!

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*Offer only applies on Thursday morning between 8:00am and 8:01am during a hailstorm while the presidential motorcade is driving by you. Offer does not apply if you are a male, female or android. Offer not legal in all 50 states, Canada, Mexico or Zimbabwe.**

**We don’t have that much money anyway, sorry about your luck.***

***And if you’re still reading this, high fives to you.

****Exchange rate for one high five from bobbi or mike is equal to that of one million dollars.

That was… until I got there… and I realized immediately that this group was awesome… and patient… and giving… and taught me SO much…

Meet Kristin and her beautiful blue eyes. SO much pink…. EVERYWHERE! You’ll see…

…reading Donald’s card…

Another new favorite ring shot. AYKM?! Have you ever seen so much Tiffany, ever? You probably have. Me… not me… WOW TO THIS!

LOVING these reactions to the beauty that was the reveal of Kristin, the bride

…me love me some symmetry…

Hi Donald.   Mikey’s favorite

HELLOOOOOOO PERFECT GUST OF WIND! THANK YOUUUUU MOTHER NATURE!

St st st stunning…

My favorite… ABSOLUTELY my favorite! The best part about it? The “I love you”

Their vows were some of the best I’ve heard. People were talking about them all night long. Donald signed them, the best man held them and the interpreter uhm… interpreted them!

We were only given a few minutes (3!) of photo time… Luckily for us, they’re hot tamales and we were able to come out with this gorgeousness… in no time.

PINNNNNNNK CENTRAL!

Kristin had two maids of honor… the girl on the right forgot her champagne so, the other shared Also, notice the maid on the left with her hand up? That’s how you clap in sign language. You raise your hands (jazz hands style) and shake them

LOVE this!!!!!! LOVE LOVE LOOOOOVE IT!

In the background is one of the interpreters… meet Gail She was signing their last song as they danced and watched…

……………………………

ITASCA, Ill.

hair:  Bridal Makeup Chicago
makeup artist: Liz – Bobbi Brown
venue: Eaglewood Resort & Spa
dj: MDM Entertainment
cake: Oak Mill Bakery
dress: Vineyard
bridesmaid dresses: Dessy
bridesmaid jewelry: Erin Gallagher
tuxes: Men’s Wearhouse

……………………………

their songs:

First dance: “Fortunate” – Maxwell
Father/Daughter: “I Loved Her First” – Heartland
Mother/Son: “Because You Loved Me” – Celine Dion
Introductions: “I Got a Feeling” – Black Eyed Peas
Cake cutting: “The Luckiest” – Ben Folds
Bouquet Toss: “My Life Would Suck Without You” – Kelly Clarkson
Garter Toss: “A Little Less Conversation” – Elvis Presley
Last Dance: “Bless the Broken Road” – Rascal Flatts
The best man signed this song to us: “My Wish” – Rascal Flatts

kristin+donald:

What was the most memorable moment of your day?
kristin: 1. Seeing my father cry for the first time ever and he made me cry! 2. Walking down the aisle and seeing Don.  3. Exchanging our vows.
donald: 1. Watching Kristin walk down the aisle. 2. Exchanging our vows.

What was your favorite detail?
Hard to pick just one but that’d be our wedding cake!

Any advice for future bride/grooms?
1. Start booking early.
2. Stay organized throughout the wedding planning.
3. Delegate some tasks to the bridesmaids/groomsmen, they will be more than willing to help.
4. On the day of the wedding, some things will go wrong but keep your sense of humor and a flexible attitude on for the day.
5. And oh yeah, let people drink too much!

Funniest memory from your wedding day?
The video clip Don’s groomsmen put up for the entire audience to see. This clip was taken at Don’s bachelor party where his groomsmen asked what he loved the most about me (Kristin) and he replied “everything. I just love her so much” he had quite a lot to drink that night. We didn’t know they would show the video at our wedding.

If you could do it all over, would you change anything?
We would have spent more time working on the slideshow but that’s all we would have changed.

What was your favorite wedding purchase?
1. Why, of course, bobbi+mike!
2. Our wedding rings.

Where did you go on your honeymoon?
Maui, Hawaii   so fabulous!!! We learned how to surf!  We’ll definitely be back.. perhaps for our 5 years anniversary??

bobbi+mike:

What was our favorite part of the day?
bobbi: 1) I loved photographing the rings.  2) learning a bit of sign language! I already knew the alphabet from teaching myself in the 4th grade (which came in RIDICULOUSLY handy)… but that day I learned SO much more. People were so patient… I love love LOVED learning/trying to figure out what people were saying. ASL is so damn neat. 3) Watching/listening to their vows. 4) Seeing Donald watch the interpreter as Kristin danced with her dad. I’ve heard “I Loved Her First” a zillion times in my life… and think nothing of it… but to see Donald truly appreciate the song made me hear that song in a whole new way. I watched and cried… hard. As in, the ugly cry. Luckily for me, I have a big camera in front of my face to cover most of me up. I’m having a hard time explaining myself here… hopefully you get what I’m saying… argh.  ::I JUST read Mike’s answer… and he said it MUCH more eloquently than I did… whew!) 5) the dancing. I LOVED watching the guests dance and cut loose!!!!!! 6) At the end of the night, I was talking with a few of my new friends when Tate (a photorapher in Louisiana… who also happens to be deaf) says, as I’m explaining something amazing, “….you have a deaf face!” HAHAHAHA! Favorite quote of the night! It was his way of saying that I’m expressive and animated. I suppose that’s why there wasn’t much of a language barrier all day. I wear EVERY emotion on my face. So, Mom… my dramatics are a good thing… SEE!!!!  The Deaf community REALLY and TRULY is an incredible one.

mike: Seeing the best man sign Rascal Flatts’ “My Wish” to the Kristin and Donald was quite a moment in a few ways.  Seeing this big, tall bear of a best man signing a love song with the emotion and elegance that he did was just something I wasn’t prepared for. Also…it really made a hearie like myself stop to think about and appreciate lyrics to music; hearies “hear” music all of the time, but rarely listen to music and grasp its meaning.  One other thing that occurred to me is that as wedding photographers we become so callused to some really great music.  Just because we hear some of this music every weekend doesn’t mean that we can’t enjoy some of it in our free time.

MUCH LOVE FRIENDS!

~bobbi+mike +

PS. in reference to Mike’s “hearie” term… it’s what deaf people often call people who can hear.

PPS. I don’t very often think I look like my mom (I’m kind of a spittin’ image of the Sheridan’s)…. but in the photo of us with the b&g… I REALLY look like her!

PPPS. how hot is Mike’s longer hair?! He got a haircut last week just to shape it up and it’s way shorter than he thought it was going to be… so, again.. back to growing it out…

For photo time, I had an interpreter with me. Yeah, ME! Can you imagine someone trying to sign MY A.D.D.ness? YEAHHH… I think interpreting me was an entirely new experience/challenge for them! 

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Krissy V did some of the most beautiful makeup I’ve seen.  But yes yes yes, she had a GORGEOUS palette to work with.

ARE YOU KIDDDDDDDING ME WITH THIS PHOTO??!!?!? MARJIE… YOU ARE ST ST ST STUNNNNNNINNNNNNNG!!!!!!!!

I seriously could have photographed bridals of her all day. AYKM?! gorgeous. GORGEOUS!

Another new favorite color palette… gray and yellow

Oh hello there handsome men …wa wa wa waitttttt… am I seeing doubles???

ME LOVE THE SYMMETREEEEEE!!!

YES YES YES… I AM SEEING DOUBLES!!!! AHHHHH I LOOOOOVE IDENTICAL TWINNNNNNS!!!!! Meet Geoff’s twin brother Brian Oh, and get this Marjie’s a fraternal twin. How flipping cool is that?! Twins… marrying… TWINS! One more thing… Brian married a Marcie. So… just to keep things easy on the brothers… they have wives whose names rhyme.

This was the second time I’ve seen this… and I think it’s genius The bride & groom were the Eucharistic ministers…. (along with the priest, of course). BTW… that’s Brian, not Geoff

I could NOT resist the “EVERYDAY TAMALES” !!!

Wow to this sexiness. I mean, WOW. WOWOWOWOW!

I’m not one for the cliche jumping shot… but I’m a fan of this

Taken with the 45mm 2.8 TS lens. Mike…. nice work

SO much colorful amazingness in Whiting Indiana!

ONE OF MY FAAAAAAVORE BB+MK PHOTOS OF ALLLLL TIIIIIIME!!!! Top five material here. Yeah, that’s serious. My favorite and his too

Yes, that’s a real bird This little guy along with another bird sat on the seat assignment table and flew around their cage. Marjie was going for a garden chic theme… and I think she nailed it.

Geoff’s twin brother busted out his planner from high school (where Marjie and Geoff both attended… but didn’t start dating until their 10 year HS reunion) during the best man speech… where it had only ONE name and phone number written in the contacts… Marjie’s. HILARIOUS! No one remembered that ever happening… to include Brian and Marjie!  I guess when Mom was going through old stuff recently, she found that planner and was flipping through where she found Marjie’s name. IT WAS HILARIOUS! His brother said (and I’m completely paraphrasing here), “Now, you may have gotten the girl… but it seems that I was first!” I’m doing this story ZERO justice… but I assure you… it was very funny  

HAHAHAHAAAA!!! See me there on the right? I didn’t notice I was there until I picked it out for a blog photo. It seems that the guy behind me wasn’t a fan of me cutting through the dance floor. The look on his face is priceless. BUSTED!!!! HAHAHAHAAAA!!!!!

love. love. love.

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WHITING, Ind.

wedding planner/florist: Virtuous Events
makeup: Krissy V
church: St. John the Baptist Catholic Church
videographer: Studio This Is
reception venue: Radisson Hotel at Star Plaza
band:  Standing Room Only
cake:  Cakes by Karen
trolley:  Elegant Trolley
bridesmaids dresses:  Alfred Sung
bridesmaids jewelry: Tracy Falda, Inc.

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their songs:

First dance: “Just the Way You Are” – Billy Joel
Father Remembrance Dance: “Crazy” – Patsy Cline
Mother/Son: “In My Life” – The Beatles
Bridal Party Introductions: “Let My Love Open the Door” – Pete Townshend
Bride/Groom Entrance:  “Tik Tok” – Keisha
Bridal Party Dance: “September” – Earth, Wind, & Fire

marjie+geoff:

What was the most memorable moment of your day?
Marjie: walking down the aisle with my mom and seeing geoff for the first time that day. 
Geoff: having all the important people in our lives, together at once!

Funniest memory from your wedding day?
Sending Michelle, the Maid of Honor, back up the stairs “for the 3rd time!!” while getting ready, the horrible jokes made by the driver on the way to church,  shoving a Special K bar down the bride’s throat, trying not to step in bird poop while jumping for pics, the band playing “Poker Face,” watching everyone on the dance floor!!!!!!!!!  

If you could do it all over, would you change anything?
We wish we could have sit and talked with every single guest for 30 minutes each!!  The day just flew by!!

What was your weirdest wedding purchase?
2 canary’s and bags of Funyuns

Where did you go on your honeymoon?
Maui, Hawaii!!   So wonderful!!!   …watch for us in the movie, “Just Go With It,” starring Jennifer Aniston and Adam Sandler… they filmed at our resort the entire time… we may be in the background… hahaha! 

bobbi+mike:

What was our favorite part of the day?
bobbi: 1) I loved taking bridals of Marjie in her room she had while growing up. 2) The moment with her mom right before she walked Marjie walked down the aisle.  3) knowing the second I grabbed that seagull shot that I nailed it 4) talking with Geoff on the long trolley ride.  5) when Brian busted out that planner during his best man speech.
mike: Guys are so predictable.  In a great example of solid wedding day logistics, the emergency kits were clear tubs and were packed in a “unisex” fashion.  “Tampax” was easily the most visible item included.  As we’re walking from the hotel room to the bus, the guy carrying it notices I’m being obvious trying to get a photo with men in tuxes carrying a bright blue Tampax box.  The tub gets passed.  The next guy notices…tub is passed again, and again…turned and switched between hands.  All silently, but everyone knows what’s going down.  They’re not going to be the one photographed with a big box of Tampax!  So…I did have to settle for a trailing, faceless shot of an arm, a tux and some tampons.  Groomsmen 1, Mike 0.

MUCH LOVE FRIENDS!

~bobbi+mike +

Whenever I see photos of myself like this I can’t help but think of The Jerk. You know, “and that’s all I need…” I’ve got my 5D and my other 5D and that’s all I need! Oh, and if you haven’t seen this movie…. RENT IT TOMORROW!!!!! It’s in second place for my favorite movie of all time. Can you guess which one is my number 1?

GET DOWN ON IT!!!!! PS. I TOTALLY need a new dancing face. I look ridiculous. Luckily for me… I’m a MUCH better photographer than I am a dancer!

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You see, they had the entire golf course to themselves. ENTIRE GOLF COURSE!!!!! Take a group of six men drinking Bud Light who are completely alone on a huge golf course… and what do you get?! THIS! HAHAHAHA! Maybe this photo isn’t necessarily blog appropriate… but I couldn’t resist! I guess they decided that if, on a previous hole, one of them swung at a bad shot… that on the next tee off, they’d have to pull their pants down.  Mike caught PLENTY of photos with men in their boxers…. COMPLETELY harmless. Well, a few of them were out laaaaaate the night before…. drinking…. so, MAYBE someone FORGOT that they weren’t wearing underwear when they dropped their pants! As I was editing through this, I didn’t notice it on the first 2 run throughs., as he was wearing light pants that kinda looked like the color of his skin… then on the final edit… REEEEEEWINNNNNND!!! IS THAT WHAT I THINK IT IS??!!!?!?? A little surprise just for Bobbi HA!

Golf+lunch took longer than it was supposed to (story of my wedding photography life!) and while I’m usually pretty low key about timelines getting screwed up… that day, I wasn’t The forecast showed rain that was going to DOWNPOUR VERY SOON! I told Mike to tell those men to MOOOOVE And move they did Here they all are half dressed in the elevator on their way.   If you hadn’t rushed, NONE of the photos that I got before the ceremony would have happened. So from the bottom of my little heart, THANK YOU!!!!!

HA!

Love the irony here… the bride taking a photo of the bridesmaids At first, I let her take the photo because I knew it’d be a fun image… then I grabbed the camera from her so that she could get in it. SEE! I’m nice (just a bittttt fiesty when the rain is coming )

Their first site was perfect

THEN… it was GOOOOO TIME!!!!!!

This wedding color palette was one of my favorites. gray+burgandy+a splash of pink. Whooooda thunk it?! Kristi’s a graphic designer… most brides never would have put this combo together!

The on-site wedding coordinator was shocked when I put them up there for this photo (on the left). You see, this wedding happened at a nature preserve.  So, why would someone take a photo against the building when there’s so much gorgeous nature behind us?! She said “I’ve been here for a long time, and I have to say… that’s a first! I’ve never seen a wedding photographer take that shot” I thought to myself, well… you’ve never met bobbi+mike! I happen to LOVE the photo!!!!! It’s Mike’s favorite

If that coordinator hadn’t been gathering the bridal party for photos she might have DIED when I took these shots. You see, as I already mentioned, we were limited on time because of the rain. As we were running through the parking lot to catch up with the bridal party… I was just shooting anything I saw. And THIS was what we saw WACKY BOBBI STRIKES AGAIN!!!!!!!!

ARE YOU KIDDDDDDING ME WITH THOSE GRAY SUITS?! Please… future grooms, take note

HOLY HOT BRIDESMAIDS BATMAN!

and HEEEERE was the rain. OHHH YES… We do have the best couples. Grab an umbrella and MAKE IT WORK!

That umbrella…. we bought it specifically for this wedding And now… it’s part of the bb+mk collection.   Oh, and hands down… MY FAVORITE!

Mike’s view… (see me there? )

Mine

On the way there…. for a small window of time… the rain stopped. We hopped out of the limo for just a fewwwww more shots.

I love all things first dance Don’t you?

Such an awesome night…

……………………………

CINCINNATI, Ohio.

Hair/Makeup: Tayna’s Image and Wellness Salon
Florist: Hyde Park Floral
Ceremony site: The Cincinnati Art
Reception venue: The Westin Hotel, Cincinnati
DJ: Fred Caldwell from DJ Butlers
Cake: Classic Confection Cakes
Bridesmaids Jewelry: The Next Best Thing
Limo: A Savannah Nite
Stationary: Kristi

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their songs:

First dance: “You are the Best Thing” by Ray Lamontagne
Father/Daughter: “Sweet Child of Mine” by Guns and Roses
Mother/Son: “What a Wonderful World” by Louis Armstrong
Introductions: “Hells Bells” by AC/DC

kristi+kyle:

What was the most memorable moment of your day?
Kristi: Dancing with my father.  We always went to rock concerts together so the song was perfect for us!!
Kyle: Saying I do

What was your favorite detail?
Our unity service.  We used colored water instead of a candle.

Funniest memory from your wedding day?
Kyle couldn’t get the ring on my finger during the ceremony.  My finger must have swelled from being so anxious!!  When we turned around for the unity service, I had to tell Kyle to pause so I could shove it on! (The photos from that are hilarious, btw )

What was your favorite wedding purchase?
Bobbi + Mike……….duuuuhhh!!! (thank you friends You two are the best best best!!!!)

bobbi+mike:

What was our favorite part of the day?
bobbi: 1) the moment right before the walk down the aisle with kristi and her dad. 2) The limo ride to the reception. What was supposed to be a 27 seater really only fit 18 with 1 photographer on the floor. I don’t think I’ve ever had so much fun in a limo… this was a CRAAAAAAZY bunch!!! (if you couldn’t already tell by the images!) 3. when Kristi said to me,”Bobbi, if you weren’t our wedding photographer, and we’d known you already… you and Mike totally would have been invited to our wedding, we love you guys!”
mike: Well…I feel like I should say the ceremony or first dance or something mushy like that.  I don’t really do mushy.  The golf outing was by far the most entertaining I’ve photographed so far. I would play a round with these guys any day! BTW grooms, if you’re golfing the morning of your wedding and some of the guys have no idea what they’re doing…play a scramble type format.  Everyone will have a good time!

MUCH LOVE FRIENDS!

~bobbi+mike +

You may be thinking to yourself, “How did Bobbi get such beautiful locks?” or, “I didn’t know Mike had such curly tresses?!” The rain. Oh yes… THE RAIN! You’re welcome for that beauty tidbit

Me and my brides! (That’s Courtney on the right).

In the “getting ready” room… I noticed a skinny mirror I couldn’t resist taking a photo of the skinnyness . I went to snap and Kristi couldn’t resist, either! This photo CRACKS me up!!!!

Mike is the definition of gentleman. But, you already knew that…

Wacky Bobbi IN action!

So, how did my hair go from a sleeeeek rain melted ponytail to a frizzy mess? WELLLL… in our unboxed booth, Courtney wanted a photo with me. I handed my camera over to Jordan.  We posed LITTLE DID WE KNOW THAT HER EARRING WAS ATTACHED TO MY HAIR!!!!!!! Jordan, of course, kept on shooting Courtney, how can your “pain face” be so cute while mine is so uhm… NOT?!

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