This past Saturday I had opportunity to shoot my first Greek Orthodox wedding ceremony. It was so beautiful. Father Nicholas gave me permission to be near the front of the sanctuary during the actual ceremony and the resulting photos were so cool.

I thought the ceremony was cool until I got to the reception. The spread of traditional Greek foods was just as cool as the ceremony. I had chance to try different things that I’d never had before and the dancing that took place really pushed the reception up a notch. Watching all the adults gather in a circle to dance with one another was a photographic joy. Seeing the younger people join in was pretty cool too.

I could not have asked for a group of people to treat me any better than I was treated this weekend. Both sides of the family and all their friends made me feel as if I’d been one of the group for a long time. My only gripe is that while I’m sitting in Arkansas, the bride and groom are running around Greece. Some how, this doesn’t seem fair. Actually, I hope they enjoy their honeymoon and that it will be the perfect start to a lifetime of happiness together.

Here are a few of my favorite shots from the day.

jb

www.b2weddings.com

Ok, I’m finally taking a few minutes away from editing to say thank you to my friends, Brad, Cory Ann and Rick. All three are photographers from different parts of the country who do incredible work. What makes them incredible to me is their thoughtfulness and generosity.

A couple weeks ago Trisha and I shot a wedding in Oklahoma City and on the way out we stopped by the home of Jen and Brad. They were wonderful hosts and took great care to make us comfortable. Plus, Jen made some amazing French toast casserole for breakfast that was so good. Brad and Jen have three beautiful girls who kept us entertained the entire night. You can see Brad’s work here. www.bpimages.com. Thanks for letting us drop by and for the comforts of home.

Here’s Brad taking a photo of me after traveling all day. I hope to never see what his shot looked like, as I’m sure I was not at my best.

And then there’s Rick lamsweddings.com from Ravenna, OH and Cory Ann www.acellisweddings.com from Brookings, SD. Cory Ann was recently spending some time with another friend, Amy www.weloveweddings.com (part of the family we refer to as the Blairs of the great Northwest) around Portland, OR when they came across some little sticky notes that reminded them of our blog.

Rick took it upon himself to cheer me up with a little bit of syrup from his area. He seems to think I’ve been a bit less than my cheery self lately, however he knows I’m just busy trying to finish all these June weddings. So maybe the syrup will keep my brain moving along so I can edit a bit quicker. We’ll see,,,, but I doubt it.

This morning I finally was able to put the syrup to use, and YES, I do like peanut butter on my pancakes.

Thanks guys.  I couldn’t ask for better friends.

jb

www.b2weddings.com 

Last June Trisha and I spent the day with Michael and Abbey when they were married on June 10th in Tulsa, OK. This past weekend we joined Abbey’s family again as her brother, Barrett, married Lindsay. Lindsay looked so elegant in her wedding gown, and the emotions that Barrett couldn’t hold back as she walked down the aisle were proof of how beautiful she looked. I’m sure those tears had something to do with how much this guy is in love with her.

One of the greatest joys in my life is my family. This wedding was proof that my family is growing by leaps and bounds. Not only did we get to see Lindsay and Barrett, we were also joined by a past bride and groom (Michael and Abbey) as well as a future bride (Alley, June 30, 2007). I’m including a photo of Abbey and Alley at the bottom of the photographs posted here.

We’d also like to congratulate Barrett on his recent accomplishment on earning the title of Doctor and to acknowledge that Lindsay will soon be joining him with that name.

We knew that we loved Barrett’s family due to having worked with them last year, but had no idea how much we’d love Lindsay’s family as well. Her mom, dad and sisters made us feel as if they’d known us for years. We spent a little time after the reception was over with Lindsay’s sister and some of the bridal party as a tavern in Bricktown. It’s always cool to be invited along for some fun when all the work is finished.

Anyway, here are a few of our favorite moments from the day.

Oh, and we want to thank Lindsay’s family for the wonderful accommodations that were provided for us at the Skirvin Hilton. The entire hotel was a wonderful experience and Trisha and I truly appreciate the thoughtfulness.

jb

www.b2weddings.com

Every time I leave a wedding, I feel as if I’ve just spent the day with friends. This past Sunday, Trisha and I did just that. I’ve known Tricia for a few years now, as we previously worked together for a local hospital’s ambulance department. Having the pleasure of photographing her and her new husband, Joe, was awesome….. and just like the groom on the previous day, Joe is an incredible dancing man. His energy was non-stop.

Our day with Joe and Tricia could not have been nicer. We were granted access to their entire day and were able to get some phenomenal photos for them. Photos that I am so proud to be able to provide.

Here are a few of our favorites from throughout the day. The one of the two of them standing on the little bridge, is posted here for Louie Stoops. Louie is one of my closest friends, who was also at the wedding, and Louie is also one of our second shooters from time to time. Actually, there are going to be a few photos in the final gallery that Louie took when I threw him a camera. I couldn’t let him be there and not get to play.

Trisha and I want to thank Joe and Tricia (man that got confusing during the day) for letting us share their wedding day with them. I’ve known Tricia for a while now, and I’m thrilled that she found somebody as cool as Joe. You could just tell that he is madly in love with her, and that made me so happy.

jb

www.b2weddings.com

Two nights ago, our neighbor, Doug, came up to the door to tell us he had a black bear in his yard. Doug is a wildlife officer for the Arkansas Game and Fish Department and had the bear at his place for a few minutes during its transport to the national forest. Apparently the little guy had been eating out of a bird feeder in somebody’s back yard, when Doug and his partner tranquilized the bear and tagged it, along with weighing and measuring it as well.

So we quickly walked down the road to show our kids the bear. I know the first photo here looks really sad, but the bear is only sleeping. Soon after this photo was taken the drug began to wear off a bit and he started moving his tongue around. So he wasn’t hurt at all, just taking a little nap.

Anyway, here are just a couple shots from our visit to see the bear.

Seriously, the bear is ONLY SLEEPING.

The bear is approximately two years old, so he wasn’t too big, but will apparently get A LOT bigger. You’ve just got to love living so close to nature and having the opportunity to share it with your kids. Previously, Doug had a white tail deer at his place and rumor has it…. a red tailed hawk may soon be coming by. Most of all, Trisha and I appreciate Doug’s willingness to let our family experience some of the close up interactions with the animals that we have.

jb