a calm in the storm : Issue No. 3 "details, details"

What song do we walk down the aisle to? What colors should we choose? Should I have a long train or a short one, or no train at all? Vail or no vail? Tuxedos, suits, vests, no vests, flip flops, formal shoes? Who gets a corsage? Do we get an open bar or not? Will people be offended if we have a small wedding? Why won't my parents tell me what the budget is? How, what, when...it can get overwhelming!

With so many decisions to be made it can be difficult to remember that the details are only an extension of what really matters at the end of the day. Regardless of how perfect or imperfect your wedding day goes, you're still going to be married at the end of your wedding day. You still get to go home as Mr. and Mrs. no matter what. So when it comes to planning the details and the logistics of your wedding day, take any help that's offered to you, know your part of walking down the aisle, and commit your day to the covenant of marriage you're entering into together.

We photographed a wedding this last weekend and the groom said one of the most wonderful things: "Today is by far the best day of my life. Everything was worth it." Their wedding was gorgeous, the details came together, their faces and actions showed that what was important was how much they loved each other. Things didn't go as they expected at times, situations arose that were less than ideal, but at the end of the day, it was perfect because they knew what mattered most, they were starting their own family as husband and wife. And the groom said it all in his genuine sweet words of it being the most amazing day of his life. They are an example of what's really important.

So enjoy the process, take it in stride and keep your eyes focused on the prize...the details matter and are an extension of the celebration you are putting together, but they are not the finish line.

Ambergris Caye, Belize: A beautiful island off the coast of Belize in Central America

We had the privilege of photographing Jeff and Eleanor's wedding on the island of Ambergris Caye, Belize at the end of May. Jeff and Eleanor are an amazing couple and we've had a blast getting to know them. We're looking forward to hanging out with them again. Here are a few pictures from their ceremony and portraits.


The ceremony site had a beautiful and simple island feel. The whole decor was a beautiful contrast to the bright blue sky/water and gleaming white sand.


One of the most fun parts of Belize was driving a golf cart around the island. Most of the locals either walked, biked or drove golf carts. For the most part, the only cars, or should I say minivans, on the road were used by the taxi drivers. Just look at this lifestyle, beach, golf carts, gorgeous sky...never mind the humidity. :)


This decor was unique to Jeff & Eleanor's wedding and a vital part of the wedding ceremony. The first rain of the season often brings tons of mosquitoes. Jeff & Eleanor's fabulous friends put out a couple hundred mosquito coils for the ceremony and reception. We all were at war with the mosquitoes. Thanks to the hard work of this team, we won, for a while at least. :) We all had some battle wounds by the end of the week, but it was well worth it.



This is one of our favorite pictures from their wedding ceremony. The ceremony was small and intimate and the reception was the biggest party of only 22 guests we've ever seen. We'd have to put up a few dozen pictures of the reception to give you a taste of what a fun group this bunch was. It was a good time, that's for sure!


The timing of their ceremony started a little later than expected. That's what happens when you spend a couple of days in Belize, you no longer mind the clock. It ended up being perfect. The light for their portraits really set the mood for Belize. It was soft, romantic, and dramatic. Jeff & Eleanor are a naturally beautiful couple and you can really see how much they love each other. We had a blast doing their portraits. Below are a few of our favorites.





While we were taking detail shots of Jeff & Eleanor's ceremony location and rings, Andrew stumbled upon a family of iguanas. It's pretty amazing to see nature doing its thing when the habitat isn't infiltrated with city. You forget how much is wandering about when you don't live outside of urban development. I guess there was a 7-8 foot alligator roaming around the water too, good thing he didn't crash the wedding. We were okay with the simple reminder of nature through the iguanas. :)


After Jeff & Eleanor's wedding we had the opportunity to stay for a few more days and take a little vacation before the real thrust of wedding season began for us. Here are a few we captured on our trip.

This is the pier in front of the condo where we stayed. The water taxis pick you up and drop you off directly at the pier closes to where you're staying. And as you can see the water is beautiful. The snorkeling was straight out of the Discovery Channel with Belize having the largest barrier reef outside the coast of Australia. While the reef is hard to see in the picture, you can see how the calm the water is around the pier. When you're sitting on the beach, you can see and hear the waves crashing on the reef about 500 yards out.


Here's another amazing view of the pier. The Coral Bay Villas, where we stayed, shares its pier with the the condo resort next door. Most of the piers had a canopy and hammocks at the end so you could relax over the water. The backdrop was breathtaking. It was quite humid on shore, but as soon as you went out on the water there was a refreshing breeze and no mosquitoes! Because it was the beginning of their rainy season, the clouds were phenomenal.


In 1998 Hurricane Mitch hit part of the island and destroyed most of the equipment at this park. We just thought it was awesome to have a swing set on the beach. We don't suggest scratching yourself on this particular swing set. :)


This was one of the most fun nights. We did some long exposures and watched God work the wonder of his lightning. The lightning from the distant thunderstorms lit up the sky behind the lower layer of clouds. The only light in this picture is from the natural light show. It was a really sweet time for us. We relaxed at the end of the pier with some homemade custard ice cream and just the two of us. It's always nice to take a moment and just enjoy some quality time together. The picture used for the "a calm in a storm" series is one of the self portraits we took to have a reminder of what a special time it was for us. We were able to wrap up shooting, finish our ice cream and run for shelter just before it began to pour.


San Pedro, which is the town we were in, had some interesting architecture. There were buildings reflecting wealth and class, buildings reflecting a modern and sleek style, buildings with an edge...and then a building like this, right on the main drag, which seemed to be abandoned and forgotten about. There's something intriguing about buildings that are left empty long enough to fall apart in the midst of their beautiful surroundings.


Thank you for taking the time to share in our experience.

a calm in the storm : Issue No. 2 "SERVING"

"Seek to understand before being understood."
Glenn and Barbi Rouse

Before we got married we were blessed by Glenn and Barbi Rouse. An amazing husband and wife team who lead a pre-marital counseling class. Their class takes you through different questions and obstacles that can arise between two people in a committed relationship. (If you live in Orange County, we strongly recommend their class called "Love for a Lifetime"). One of the hardest things to do in a relationship is put yourself aside and put your husband/wife, fiance, boyfriend/girlfriend first. The key is seeking to understand their heart, their perspective, their feelings before you press on to make them understand your own. I've found in my marriage, when I first put myself in my husband's shoes and recognize his point, he then has the opportunity to recognize mine. Generally, it's the other way around. :) I have an amazing husband who knows how to take my guard down by doing nothing more than relinquishing the need to prove his point. It brings me to a humbling place when I see what an amazing man of God he is by coming to me with the desire to know my heart before sharing his. When we serve each other first, we are served in return in a way that is so sweet because it is without reserve. We've been able to work through the difficulties of emotions with open ears. There are times when we are talking and realizing we're not getting anywhere. You have to stop and set the pride aside. It's not about being right or wrong, or getting your point across, it's about loving each other through the conflict and miscommunication. It's about closing your mouth and opening your ears, it's about seeking to understand before being understood, it's about putting your spouse first like you would if you were still trying to catch their eye the very first time you met him/her. Did you ever go out of your way to try to catch a glimpse of each other? Did you walk the long way to your desk at the office just to walk by your fiance? Or did you get to class an hour early and walk a mile in the opposite direction of your class hoping to "run" into him/her? You put the opportunity to see them well before your needs or time frame. That power of putting yourself aside and putting the other person first will change the dynamic of your relationship and fulfill both of you in ways that exceed your expectations. It will keep your marriage alive, your relationship fresh and your actions will begin to reflect your intentions. The Pastor at our church said something one Sunday that stuck in both Andrew's and my head. "We judge others by their actions while we judge ourselves by our intentions." We need to strive to have our actions meet our intentions and to always view your spouse for their intentions. To serve them into a place where their intentions become their actions because there is a humble love that rules over your relationship. As you plan your marriage and your life together, remember to put yourself aside. Leave your pride at the door and ask yourself what you can do to serve the person you love. Make your relationship a priority in your life because it's easy to take it for granted. As you're planning the details for your wedding day, the list of tasks can become large and overwhelming. But remember, the most important thing is the person who will be standing across from you at the alter. Serve that person vowing to become one with you on your wedding day before you serve yourself.