Friday, December 18, 2009

Yuck it Up

STOP!

WARNING!

MOM AND/OR DAD - DO NOT READ THIS POST OR I WILL KILL YOU! I LOVE YOU BOTH DEARLY, BUT I WILL KILL YOU IF YOU SO MUCH AS GLANCE AT THIS POST. YOU WILL RUIN CHRISTMAS FOR EVERYONE IF YOU DO. DO YOU WANT TO BE RESPONSIBLE FOR RUINING CHRISTMAS FOR EVERYONE? I THINK NOT. AND WHILE I'M AT IT, AUSTIN AND/OR CHRISTINA - YOU SHOULDN'T READ THIS EITHER. I CAN THREATEN YOU TWO WITH DEATH AS WELL, BUT YOU ARE BOTH CRAFTY, INSANE PEOPLE WHO WOULD GIVE ME A RUN FOR MY MONEY IN A DEATH MATCH. SO, I'M JUST GOING TO TRY TO GUILT YOU INTO NOT READING THIS POST. DO NOT RUIN CHRISTMAS!!!!!!

And back to the recaps.......

The great thing about a First Look scenario is that you get all the pictures out of the way (for the most part) prior to the ceremony and the reception. I am so glad we did this. Any of you with an ounce of Type A coursing through your veins - I highly suggest the First Look. Why? Because I was SO impatient! I was ready to get my reception on.

So after the first look, we had some more formal shots taken as well as some fun ones. Jonathon Campbell, photographer extraordinaire, has a photo-journalistic style, but managed to capture some really great formal portrait styles as well - all with just a hint of flair and personality. And when I say personality, I mean ours, not his. His photography shows off the personality of the people in front of the camera, not behind it.

The Candyman and I crack each other up all the time. We talk all the time. We make faces at each other all the time. We are cheesy and goofy and we don't care. We are so not cool, but I think we do a good job at faking it when we need to. Jonathon was able to capture that in ways that were endearing and charming and just plain romantic. What's great is that our families are the same way! Both are goofy and cheesy and fun and I am so glad we got that vibe captured on film! Below are some of the images that capture this spirit. While they aren't the ones that I will have matted and mounted and hanging in the living room, they are the ones I think I love the very most.
Typical. A shit-eating grin on The Candyman's face and me cracking up!


I absolutely adore this photo. Joshua, The Candyman's brother and Best Man is the wittiest creature I know. He can be so dead-pan. It's awesome. Joshua also has what The Candyman refers to as "The People's Eyebrow." I think this has something to do with the wrestler/actor The Rock, but I have to admit, my knowledge of the WWF is limited. Both The Candyman and his brother have the same eyebrow thing and Joshua is showing it here. I'm sure the look followed a snarky comment that set The Candyman into hysterics.

This is The Candyman and one of his other brothers, Preston. Preston was paralyzed when he was 18 years old (he's 40-something now) and has just the most incredible spirit. Wheelchair or no, those two behave like any other siblings.

OK, I've got to preface these next couple of shots. My MOH is not one who laughs or smiles a whole lot. She never really has been. It's not that she's grumpy or unhappy, it's just got to be something really funny for her to laugh. Her children are very similar. They are not unhappy children, just somewhat serious, like their mother.
Here we are about to get some shots of the The Flower Girl and the MOH and me. As you can see, the FG is taking this very seriously.

Jonathon took a couple of shots with the FG just sort of standing there looking at the camera. She wasn't smiling and looked a little scared. Sharon, Jonathon's partner in crime, gingerly asked her, "Do you think you can give us a little smile, honey?" And right on cue:
Stunner!

Jonathon (or maybe the second shooter?) immediately got this shot right after:
Me and the MOH cracking up at the FG. She went from this sad-looking little girl right into happy mode at the gentlest of prompting. It was too funny!

As I've mentioned several times before, I had to have some "help" in filling out my dress. Not familiar? You can read about it here. Here's my MOH in a moment of jocularity over the new wedding day cleavage!

And then me, checking out the girls myself:

My mother will totally hate this picture of herself, but I love it. She's totally laughing at me for some reason and clearly I'm enjoying myself too!

From the smug look on my brother's face, I know he's probably said something disgusting and/or completely inappropriate. However, since we're family and we all have a totally twisted sense of humor, we think it's funny too.

Now, this last shot might be my most favorite picture of all time. For reals. I'm not exactly sure how this started, but my brother and I have been doing this for decades. If I'm remembering it correctly, he and I were young and were acting up (Southern for misbehaving) one day. Someone (I want to say my dad, but it could have been my mom) told us to knock it off and to stop acting like little cretins. The adults left the room and I asked Austin what a cretin was. He made this weird face at me and made a strange sort of snorting noise and said, "That's a cretin." I mimicked him the best I could and said, "Like this?" And he said, "Yeah, like that!" And thus, The Cretin Face was born. It lives on to this day. Behold, The Cretins.

So it's Friday and this is the last weekend before the holidays. If y'all are as behind as I am then it will be a crazy-insane weekend, no? The beginning of next week is going to be so off-the-hook for me that I'm not sure how much posting time I can get in! Besides, The Candyman and I are heading out to The Carolinas to visit families so will be on the road quite a bit. If I can't get in any good posting time I want to say the following:

Merry Christmas to you. Happy Hanukkah to my Jewish peeps. Happy Kwanza to those who celebrate it. But to all, regardless of how or where you celebrate this time of year, I wish you peace, love and all the happiness and health that The Candyman and I are blessed to have. Please be safe in your travels - look out for the other guy as he might not see you. Please don't drink and drive. Lastly, thank you to all of you who have followed and who continue to follow me in my writing and rants. You have made my wedding journey unforgettable in so many ways. Happy Holidays everyone! More recaps to come!

20 comments:

  1. This may be my all-time favorite post! Those cretin poses - PRICELESS! I love all the shots of laughter - come to think of it, those are my favorites too!

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  2. I LOVE the pic of you and your mom! The others turned out great too! =)

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  3. girl, you should have waited to post these so that your parents wont be tempted! beautiful though. xoxo

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  4. Fantastic pictures! Your flower girl is so adorable! I’m glad she gave you a smile. :)

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  5. happy holidays to u too!

    these r such great pix! love the one of u and ur mom. the happiness is exuding out of both of u :)

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  6. I love all the pics of you, your MOH, and FG and the one with your mom!

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  7. The cretin picture sealed it: I have a girl crush on your awesomeness. We, um, might be planning on a similar set of photos to continue a series we affectionately refer to as "spitty-face-pictures" (they includes absolutely no spitting, promise.) But they are horrifically awesome, and I thought I was the only weirdo who wanted weirdo hideous pictures at her wedding.

    Happy holidays Louise. Enjoy your first Christmas as husband and wife.

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  8. Great post! Love the FG she is too cute. That picture of you and the Candyman laughing is awesome!

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  9. Your flower girl is soooo cute! What great pictures.

    Have a wonderful holiday!

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  10. You are hilarious!! Such great shots! You look stunning in your dress btw...I just love it

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  11. these photos are so full of love!!!! have a wonderful Christmas :)

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  12. haha, that last photo is cracking me up! it really looks like you guys are just having so much fun and really savoring the day. congrats!

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  13. Your expressions in all of these photos reminded me that for so many reasons, I just love you! Merry Christmas!

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  14. That last photo is CLASSIC! You are totally my kinda crazy.

    Your flower girl is adorable. Loving these recaps - they are keeping me sane....

    Have a lovely holiday!

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  15. I got your Christmas card- it was gorgeous!

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  16. Awww, love these pictures (and your other recap posts as well). The laughing pictures are the best.

    Greetings from Taiwan! Awww cretin poses. Love, love.

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  17. Dying laughing at the Cretins shot...Every holiday my sis and I wipe all the spit off our front teeth and get our lips to stick up on them and take pictures. Every holiday. Never get's old :)

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  18. Oh, I don't know if I have the nerve to do that last one!

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  19. It would be hard for me to imagine a happier day!

    You were relaxed, beautiful and seemed to enjoy and savor every moment of the wedding experience.

    I have never seen such an atmosphere of calm and confidence in any wedding ceremony. Clearly your manic planning and attention to the most minute of details paid a hansom dividend.

    The Father of the Bride could not be more proud.

    I wish and hope that you and Shane may spend a lifetime together like your mom and dad have enjoyed.

    All my love.

    Dad

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