My Big Fat Faux Wedding

A GREAT WEDDING PHOTOGRAPHER

I’ve always enjoyed a movie that is more about the characters and less about the plot.

I’ve always enjoyed wedding photos that are more about the couple than the wedding. Beautiful wedding photos are not of the boquest toss or the cake cutting…they focus on the couple in the most intimate and almost vulnerable point of their lives. Wedding photographers have the really unique opportunity of catching two people’s connection and commitment when it is at it’s strongest. The following photos from Davina and Daniel tell a story in just one shot. Not only is this couple talented, they’re lucky they get to put love into photos.

Bachelorette Parties: Top Ten NEW Ideas

Hey, I’ve got nothing against men dressed as Tarzan or a shirtless police officer.

Stuffing dollar bills in leapord print man thongs is definitely up there on my favorite activities list. Wearing veils with plastic tiaras and penis necklaces all sounds great but… is this really how you want to spend your last big night out with girls before you get married?

This could be you…

I especially like the black and white bra sitting on the bar. If you want to opt for a fresh Bachelorette party idea, spend your dollar bills on something else and read on…

1. Go to a Comedy Club - laugh off some pre-wedding stress, have a few cocktails, and leave feeling like you got a mini ab workout.

2. Take a Pole Dancing Class - book a private class for the whole bridal party. Sure to present many great photo ops. Who knows? One of you might find your calling to be exotic dancing.

3. Do Something Team Building - a group of girlfriends and I went to a place called X-treme Gladiator Challenge once. It was a whole warehouse designed by an American Gladiator - we had to do a ton of physical team challenges that brought us closer but also brought out our competitive sides.

4. Go Camping - a cheap alternative to staying overnight in a hotel…kind of. Defnitely for the bridal party who isn’t afraid to rough it and craves the occassional hot dog and beer combo.

5. Take a Group Cooking Class

6. Go Skydiving - Hey, it’s a little extreme but not extremely expensive and the perfect activity for the bride who is about to jump into a new life. (For the brides without bridal balls…indoor skydiving in the wind tunnel.)

7. Wine Tasting - What group of girls isn’t looking for an excuse to sit with friends and have a bottle of cabernet…and merlot, and shiraz, and pinot grigio…

8. Go to a Fortune Teller / Numerologist - as long as you aren’t afraid to hear something you don’t want to…

9. Race Go Carts - no, not the the ones at the miniature golf course. Race the serious ones…you get the jumpsuit, goggles, sign your life away on the safety waver…

10. Hell…get a stripper, some cheesy accessories, and embark on any of the above adventures. Sounds like a guaranteed good time.

The Trash The Dress Phenomenon

WARNING: This is only for brides with what I like to call “bridal balls.” Here’s to the gutsy brides who have started and carry on the trash the dress trend.

Trash the Dress is exactly what it sounds like…brides sacrificing their dress for artsy photos. The rationale behind it is that a wedding dress is really only something you will wear once. (No, your daughter and granddaughter will not have any interest in your dress come their wedding 40 years down the road.)

I think the idea of getting a little dirty, swimming in the ocean, or splatter painting your dress is fantastic. I also, however, know that I will never have the bridal balls to do such a thing. Though, I do plan on wearing my dress frequently after I’m married (to go to the grocery store, pick kids up from school…). Why the hell not?

Check out these incredible photos of brides who are perpetuating this trend….

Photo Cred: Paul Johnson

Photo Cred: Matt Adcock

Photo Cred: Martin Labedzcki

THIS WEDDING WILL MAKE ALL MY DREAMS COME TRUE!

Do all little girls really dream about the day they’ll marry? I mean honestly, every bride on Say Yes to the Dress or Platinum Weddings claims they have been dreaming about their big day since they were a little girl.

Where are the girls out there who couldn’t care less about their wedding let alone what future down payment on a house they’ll be blowing on a dress they’ll wear only once? Just one time I want to hear some girl say, “When I was a little girl I was dreaming about getting an elephant for christmas and then taking it to the moon with me…not about my wedding.”

Let me clarify. I am a wedding lover. Watch all the reality shows, go to the wedding expos, subscribe to the magazines…the works. But the older I grow and the more I fall in love and sometimes fall out of love, I become more skeptical about the marriage thing.

My hate relationship with weddings started at a later age. Once I matured a bit (which is now?). With the divorce rate at about 50% I wonder, does getting married really ruin a relationship? Are the men who always say “Good luck buddy…” or “This is the beginning of the end of your life…” really right? Now, I can hear all you who took psychology muttering under your breath..”“Oh, she must have come from a broken home with no positive examples of love.” Blah blah blah. A la contraire, my friend. I am a firm believer in love and relationships. I don’t think couples are doomed to fail from the start, but their are some couples who just dont give a shit and would rather spend their marriage in misery than work on their issues. It’s these people who give marriage a bad rap. Poo poo on you.

Either way, in my little heart or hearts I am starting to believe that a wedding really isn’t the best way or the only way to commit to another. Superficial things like a licensee or a ring really aren’t going to seal the deal. Still, beliefs aside, I one day will hopefully be getting married. I mean, you can’t pass up that party.