122
Patrick and Melissa's wedding was the last wedding of 2009 for me, which of course, made me very sad because i love my work and actually enjoy being busy every weekend! i worked alongside Arica again, and this was actually a last minute gig for me. i wasn't scheduled to work with her that day, but was called at the last minute and luckily i was available.
the last wedding that i posted, was all about the intimate, quiet, romantic and emotional day that was Steve & Alanna's wedding. this wedding was pretty much the opposite of that, but totally wonderful in its own way. some weddings are just quiet and intimate, and some require coolers of beer to be loaded on the party bus! it's just the nature of the beast i guess!
Patrick and Melissa were just the friendliest and nicest people around, their families were wonderful and loving, and their bridal party was CRAZY! (in a good way of course).
it was a fun way to end my year.
the ceremony was held at a little church, right in the heart of little Italy here in Windsor. even though it was the DARKEST church i have ever worked in (and actually had to use my flash, which i hate doing) i do have to say that it was one of the nicest services i've witnessed in a while. Catholic services are usually all very similar, with the priests reading from the same manual or something. most are very lovely, but this one was a bit out of the ordinary.
i spoke to the priest before the service, to go over the photography rules with him (all churches have rules ya know) and i was instantly charmed by this short, elderly, italian man. i liked him right away!
during the service, he started out with the ritual wedding stuff, read what he needed to read, and yada yada yada.
then......
he moved away from the microphone, stood about a foot in front of the bride and groom, and gave them the best sermon. it was quite the evangelical sermon, if i do say so myself.
it was all about the love of God, putting Jesus at the centre of your relationship, and on and on like that.
AWESOME!!!!
i guess you must just get to a point in your life, when you just don't care what people think about you and whether you're following the rules or not.
this guy was NOT following any rules ,and Arica and i loved it.
i guess what struck me the most, was his compassion and honesty. it was very honourable.
i live in my own little world, where i still believe that everyone is honest with me and unfortunately i get let down a lot. i always appreciate when someone speaks from the heart, doesn't put on any airs, and just says what is true.
again, it was AWESOME!
sorry for my rant, but i wish more people would just be honest, share their heart, and not be afraid to do so.
there, that's my little sermon (i will keep it short due to time constraints).
after the service, we headed onto Erie Street for some photos, then to Willistead Manor. a cool place if i do say so myself.
the reception was held at the Ciocarro Club. yummy :)
ok, so by the time us photographers get to the reception, we're pretty hungry. i admit it.
we work all day, don't take time to eat or drink, and they arrive at the reception and order 4 gingerales and eat 3 buns (or sneak a dessert off the sweet table~ which was Arica, NOT me for the record). i drank the 4 gingerales and i HELPED Arica to sneak a dessert off the sweet table. Arica is italian and can't resist a freshly made cannoli, it's hereditary i think.
the reception was lovely, there was soup, and the DJ was GREAT!!!!
it was quite the party, and the choreographed dance to Michael Jackson's "Thriller" was the icing on the cake.
the only bad part of the reception, was when i accidentally blinded myself with my flash unit (which was only about 6 inches from my eyes at the time) and i saw nothing but a bright white box for about 10 minutes. i was totally blind, and i even felt my rods and cones shriveling up immediately!
seriously, it HURT!
it took about 1/2 an hour before my vision started to return to normal, but by then i had a wicked headache and thought i might die (ok, so not really, but it wasn't very nice at all).
luckily, my near blinding experience didn't last long, and i was actually able to drive myself home afterwards. it was touch and go for a moment.
here are a few photos from the day.
i do have to mention, that the following photo was NOT enhanced in Photoshop. the sky was actually this colour blue that day! awesome , isn't it.
these girls laughed ALL DAY LONG!!! it was hilarious!
when i asked the girls to get their groove on, this is what they gave me
when i asked the guys to give me something, they decided to throw dead leaves at the groom. nice.
the bride and groom got announced at dinner. it was just like being at a football game!!
told ya. football game.
i don't joke about such things.
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Ciocarro Club Wedding Windsor | patrick & melissa
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121
first off, i just want to apologize for my recent lack of blog entries. it was not my intention to ignore my duties as a blogger, but life got in the way and the blog got neglected.
i am truly sorry (insert sad face here).
a few weeks ago, i was the photographer at a wedding (working with Arica Ingratta again) here in the Windsor area. i want to tell you right now, that it wasn't just a normal wedding.
for some reason, this wedding sticks out in my mind.
it's not because of anything over the top, or super exceptional about anything in particular, but it was because of the people (namely the bride and groom).
i had never met Steve & Alanna before this day, so i didn't know their story, but i'm the type of person that wants to know the REAL you and your story, so i ask.
Alanna shared with me that she's been best friends with Steve's sister for 20 years, and it was only recently that her and Steve met up at a wedding. They had kind of known each other for the years that Alanna has been friends with the family, but they had never seen each other often and i guess it just wasn't the right time.
Alanna and Steve are a bit older then most of the couples i've worked with this year, and i think that's exactly what made this wedding so special. both Alanna and Steve didn't find their soul-mates until they were into their 40's, and because of that, i think they both appreciate each other even more.
it was truly beautiful.
one of the things that i strive to capture with my photography, is the feeling and emotion of the moment. i don't know if that makes any sense, but it's how i feel about what i do as a wedding photographer.
i know the wedding day is filled with stuff, like the flowers, the dress, the jewelry, and everything else that is planned for months and years. i'm not saying that those things are not important and shouldn't be photographed, because all of those things are beautiful and are a part of making the day special.
i guess what i'm trying to say, is that i am just a sucker for people in love.
it is truly lovely, when you can just tell how much people love each other. it is truly lovely, when the couple can't stop looking at each other, especially when the other one's not looking, with a look that says "i am the luckiest person alive". the look between a mother and son during the first dance, always makes me cry, and the look between a dad and his daughter is enough to make me crazy!
weddings are so emotionally charged, that i can hardly stand it! i have pretty much given up on my make-up lasting the whole day.
i want to thank Steve and Alanna for allowing me to be a part of their wedding day, and for letting me have (even though small) a glimpse into their story and their love.
oh, and i want to thank Steve for making sure he gave us his best model poses. i think he must be a closet watcher of America's Next Top Model, because he TOTALLY worked it that day!
one more thing.....
i also want to thank Steve and Alanna for picking the Windsor Club as their reception venue. I have NEVER been served such a huge piece of prime rib IN MY LIFE!!! it was awesome and hilarious all at the same time (of course i couldn't eat it all, since i had to work and everything, but it was fun nonetheless)
seriously......
it pretty much filled the plate and was about 2 inches thick.
my hubby would have cried from joy at the sight of it.
wedding reception : The Windsor Club, Windsor Ontario
flowers: Vernacular, Lasalle Ontario
cake: Gabby's Cakes, Windsor
hair : Salon One, Windsor
photos at : The Art Gallery of Windsor
just look at how much these two are in LOVE!!!! it's so FREAKIN" AWESOME!!
Steve getting his inner model groove on! . LOL!
i caught this moment between the two of them, and it makes me feel all gushy inside.
Megan St. Amour:
I always look forward to seeing your blogs and looking at your wedding pictures but this wedding in particular made me smile. I do agree that you can feel the love that these two share even by just looking at some of the pictures you took. Every single picture made me all tingly inside and I can only hope that my wedding is like this (In many years of course, I'm only 19). Thanks again for sharing your experiences with us.
(12.02.09)
Photographick:
Great pictures, I love the emotion you have captured! I am sure your clients are very very happy.
(12.14.09)
Boston Wedding Photographer:
Very classy wedding. You can tell from the photos. Love the colors as well. That cake looks so appetizing. Great low-light work!
(12.16.09)
Michael Kent - Philadelphia Wedding Photographers:
Wonderful images you've displayed. I love the detail shots - great use of light and color. You also captured some beautiful moments of the bride and groom.
(04.09.10)
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alanna & steve {Windsor Club ~ wedding photography}
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119
i am blessed.
i know i have mentioned that fact before, but i'm saying it again.
if i ever forget that i am blessed, then i can just read this post and remind myself that it's true!
this past weekend, my son Josh came home from university for a break from school and some good old fashioned family lovin'!
we are a very close family, and i can't blame him for missing the love and support of his family, my awesome cooking skills, and of course, his own bed and ceiling fan.
along for the ride, was my daughter's boyfriend, Jake. he's a great teenager himself, and he's a great boyfriend to our daughter. no complaints here.
Jake and Emilie have just celebrated their 2 year anniversary (which had a little blip in the middle, like most romances) , and they asked if i would take a few photos of them.
of course they ask this of me when i'm making soup, making omelets for everyone, making cinnamon buns AND getting ready to drive in Windsor for my other son's symphony rehearsal.
sure, i'll just drop everything and do a photo shoot RIGHT NOW!!!
ok, so i'm a sucker for begging and i gave in for a few minutes.
before i share a few photos, i just wanted to take a minute and use this blog for a little soap-box preaching!
no, i won't get all 'Jerry Fallwell' on anyone, but i wanted to take a minute to talk about parenting.
it's just a minute, so please indulge me.
way back when our kids were small, Darryl and i used to dream of the day when they would be able to take care of themselves and move on with their lives!
i know that sounds horrible, but there were days that i really did dream of these things.
as a parent of 3 small children, i felt buried under the pressure to be a great mom, even though being a mom had never been a dream of mine. of course, some girls grow up and dream of being the best mom in the world, having 8 kids, and never looking back.
i didn't have these dreams.
i felt guilt over these feelings, but i plugged along because i loved these little drool-faces more than i could have imagined possible.
there were many weeks and days that i parented alone, since Darryl went from being in school full-time for 4 years, to working 2 jobs, then to a new job in Windsor that demanded lots of attention during RRSP & tax season (he's a financial advisor).
of course, there were days that i begrudged our choice to have me stay at home and be the domesticated mom. i had big dreams, big plans, and wanted time for ME!
being a full-time mom didn't lend itself to having much ME time.
of course, i loved the time with my kids most of the time, but i remember wishing they could wipe their own butts, do their own laundry, and even move out one day!
darryl and i dreamed of traveling and having adventures of our own, especially since we were 22 when Josh was born , and i was 26 when my last kid came around.
fast forward to today.....
i spend many hours wishing that my kids were small again, so that we could snuggle up on the couch and read books, play hide and seek , so puzzles and sing stupid songs.
how come i wished their younger years away, when i should have treasured every moment.
i should have treasured every snot filled, temper tantrum moment, because i didn't know how wonderful they were until they were gone.
of course, i wouldn't trade my kids in for anything.
i love them so much that it hurts.
our kids are all beautiful people, inside and out. they all follow the Lord in their lives, they are phenomenal students, and just the funniest kids around!
i always thought that i'd regret wasting years on being a full-time mom, because i didn't see the importance of it back then, but....
i have realized that my children wouldn't be the people that they are, if i hadn't given them every ounce of my being for all of those years.
my kids love science because i have nurtured a love of it in them, and looking at the world around us to see how awesome it is (which has included catching bugs, looking closely at worms, talking about chemistry, and looking at tadpole eggs , to name a few things). my kids love music because we have always exposed them to music from the day they were born, and they are all talented musicians. my kids have a warped sense of humour, which Darryl would say is his influence, but i think i can take credit for a good chunk of it.
my kids love each other because we have always treated each other with so much love and respect, that i can't imagine them not adoring each other like they do (my kids will still ALL snuggle up together on a couch and cuddle. it's a serious love-fest).
we never had the money for me to stay home, but we did it anyways.
i always regretted not having my own life, since i got buried in the lives of my family and their needs. i always wished i had finished university, but now i see that it doesn't matter at all.
i always wanted something that i didn't have, but now i realize that what i did have was much better than anything i could have ever planned for myself.
i do regret all of my wishing, wanting and regrets, but that's in the past.
i will move forward , help to raise my teens and young adults, and keep working on becoming a wonderful wedding photographer & person.
i have to write about something that melted my heart this weekend....
on Saturday night, we were all watching Elf. i was sitting on the couch , sandwiched between Josh and Darryl, which is always a good place to be.
at one point, Josh looked at me, leaned over, and put his head on my shoulder for a good snuggle.
my heart almost melted as i held back the tears.
my 18 year old son still needs his mom, at least for a little while longer anyways.
ok, so here are some photos of Emilie and Jake
now, this is Josh. he is all about music and more music. i miss the music when he's not around, but it makes me appreciate it even more when he's home!
Sarah Cipkar-Baert:
I just wanted to say thank you for sharing this heartfelt post! It brought a tear to my eye as I look forward to one day having kids ... (a long ways away if my mom is reading this lol).
Again, thank you for sharing your life with me (with everyone I guess) and I look up to you in so many ways!! You do have great kids ... can't wait to see the legacy grow that you've laid excellent foundations for! :)
Hope that you're having a good night ....
(11.23.09)
Wendy Rae:
Michele-I can't tell you how much this post meant to me to read. I have felt these feelings too many time and I have questioned my choice to be a stay-at-home mom so many times. Am I doing the right thing or is it more important for me to go out and work outside the home. Thank you for helping me realize the importance and value of my choice and the rewards I will benefit from it as my children grow and change.
(11.24.09)
Don :
It looks and sounds like you've got wonderful kids. That's what it's all about. Your photographs are delightful!
(11.25.09)
Anna:
Love what you wrote, and I really admire what you've done, raising a family so young.. for at 24 now it all still seems so far away, I feel like I'm still a kid myself. Anyway, the photos are just gorgeous too! LOVE the light! Glad you gave in.. :)
(11.25.09)
Brianna Phelan:
I loved this post. Thanks so much for your words and honesty and sharing your heart. Great shots :)
(11.25.09)
Washington DC Wedding Photographers:
Wow, I love these shots, it's so hard to have teenagers become emotional and free with you as a photographer but you did a great job. The post was marvelous and the pictures look superb. I love the emotion and playful atmosphere of the shots. Very well captured!
(12.14.09)
Barb:
Michelle, I've just spent the last couple of hours exploring your blog. What a wonderful family you have raised, beautiful children and your abilities as a photographer are extraordinary. Feel free to visit my blog and read about my life. (Darryl's) Aunt Barb xox
(05.06.10)
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three cute teenagers and my camera
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118
SNEAK PEEK!!!!!!
a few weeks ago, i photographed a beautiful wedding with Arica (again) , and i have to say that this one is up there as one of my favourites.
Steve & Alanna were the sweetest couple , and not only were they sweet, but their story was off the charts.
this photo says it all.
you can tell how happy Alanna is, even with her eyes closed.
they found each other later in life, but that just makes it even sweeter in my opinion.
ahhhhhhhhhhhhhh..... love :)
WHAT'S HITTING THE BLOG THIS WEEK?
- more Steve & Alanna
- Melissa & Patrick
so keep checking in, ok?
Tonee:
this is such a sweet picture to showcase. lovely job. I am really digging the brides bringing back the half veil this year!
(11.29.09)
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alanna & steve {windsor ontario wedding photographer}
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117
last week, i had THREE engagement sessions, as a few of my couples wanted to get some fall colours in their photos. Melissa and Steve were my third couple of the week, and it was a fun way to end my engagement photos until Christmas-time.
i met Melissa for the very first time, this past summer. she drove into Kingsville to meet with me, and brought her mom along for the ride.
we sat down, spoke about the wedding plans, and then we laughed. both Melissa and her mom had me laughing the whole time.
it was a wonderful meeting.
Melissa and Steve are getting married next June, at a cute little Bed and Breakfast in Windsor, and i can't wait! i am super excited about being their wedding photographer
we met up at Lakeside Park in Kinsgville, for their engagement photos, after having to reschedule our session twice! the weather was being difficult, and the third time was a charm.
it was a bit chilly, and a little cloudy, but we were thankful that the leaves were still on the trees, and we weren't getting rained on!
a week after their session, most of the leaves in my area are off the trees now, and the weather is getting colder. i guess we got done just in time!
we had fun, i think they thought i was a bit nuts, and i was happy to see that they are two people who are very much in love. i can't wait to photograph their wedding next year, and i'm so thankful that they chose me.
ok, so i'm only posting the next photo because i wanted to prove to my kids that some people actually think i am funny
they aren't laughing at me here, so i thought i'd post this one as well, since they look awesome !
Anna:
That wide-angle scene where they are standing on the rocks is like a painting! Gorgeous! Really beautiful photos & fall colour, love it!
(11.07.09)
Pasadena Wedding Photographer - Ben Chen:
Great engagement session. love the photo of the couple by the edge of the lake.
(11.07.09)
Anonymous:
that guy is good looking
(11.07.09)
Joan Davies:
wow --what beautiful pictures ---the sence is amazing
(11.08.09)
Destination Wedding Photographer:
Great fall colors in the images. I especially like the lake and rocks photo. Beautiful work. --Robert
(11.09.09)
Vancouver wedding photographer:
Beautiful couple. They look so happy together. Great fall backdrop too! Love the colors.
(11.11.09)
John Chan:
Beautiful as always Michele! Also... I think I went high school with Steve, hehe.
(11.25.09)
Boston Wedding Photographer:
Hate to agree with everyone else but the lakeside one is the pick of the litter. Great work. Your area is so beautiful. The couple looks very happy and you captured that very well.
(12.16.09)
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melissa & steve { Kingsville Lakeside Park ~ engagement photography }
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You have an awesome eye and are very talented. Keep up the good work.
(12.07.09)Gorgeous work, as always, Michele!!
That shot of the reception crowd whooping and hollering is the best thing EVER!!!
(12.07.09)I love the b&w shot from above of the couple in the circle. And also the hilarious bouquet toss shot. That girl in front is really going for it!
(12.08.09)Love the detail shot of the to-do list. It's an easy miss at any wedding, but I'm glad you got a photo of it! Beautifully photographed wedding!
(12.15.09)Great images! Very fun and natural!
(12.16.09)Great story telling in this series. Speak to fun in the fall weddings. Great photos.
(12.16.09)What a great series of shots, Michele! And I love that last flower-catching shot...so much fun! As a Norfolk Wedding Photographer, my goal has always been to capture every moment that I can for my clients, and I can tell you are very adept at doing so as well...very nice!
(12.16.09)What a great way to end the year Michele! I love the entrance shots, looks like it was a fun crowd!
(12.24.09)These wedding photographs are excellent, you really told a great story of the day with your work. You captured the emotion of everyone is all of the pictures perfectly. Good job!!
(12.29.09)Love picture #12 - beautiful on that "circle"!
(01.21.10)