Last Saturday was a day that I have been looking forward to for years! One of Ali's best friends, Maddie, tied the knot with her sweetheart, Caloub. As you know, I always pride myself on getting the slideshow up very early in the week. Of all weeks for me to be out of town with NO internet access, it had to be the week after Maddie's wedding...go figure! Indulge me, I couldn't resist putting a photo of me and the adorable bride on this post ;)
Who wouldn't have had a great weekend with everything that I got to do? I LOVE when I have the opportunity to photograph a wedding that requires a plane trip ;) It's a lot of fun to work in a venue I've never seen before, and to meet new people as well. I left Friday morning and headed to Boise for the celebration of the year (and that celebration was two fold-but more on that later in the post). Ali met Maddie in 2005 when Ali was an RA at UP. Maddie was one of the incoming freshman (and along with Jena), the three of them became fast friends...best friends in fact. Everyone who knows Maddie had awaited her engagement to her prince charming, and squeals of delight were heard in my house when Ali found out that Madds and Cay (as they're affectionately known) were on the road to matrimony.
There is no doubt in my mind that you will find this bride just as adorable as I do! Don't you love this photo of her showing off her shoes? I did a little photoshop effect and it's one of my faves of the day!
Although I've known Maddie for several years, I had never met her family. Meeting a more gracious and welcoming family probably would have been impossible. Gregory and Lor (as the girls call them; in fact all the parents have been given "pet names" by the girls-I'm Deb-NONE OF THEM call me Debbie!) were the perfect hosts. It was so much fun to share this special time with someone who means so much to my daughter.
I had no idea Boise would be just as hot as Lincoln! Saturday was an extremely warm day, but the large wedding party sure was full of troopers. Part of the fun of the day was that we took a trolley from the ceremony to the reception; what a great mode of transportation! It fit the entire wedding pary, and then some!
Part of what made this wedding so incredible for me to photograph was that I knew so much of the back story of Maddie and Caloub; one of the things being that I knew how he proposed to her (with a handmade sign lit up with blue lights spelling out "Will You Marry Me"). I think the most emotional part of the day was just before the father/daughter and mother/son dances. Maddie and Caloub had written messages to their parents and just before each dance the dj told us all those messages. Actually, I got to read them several days before the wedding and I was in tears reading what Caloub wrote to his mom. He had been in a car accident years before, and he talked about how she was by his side until he awoke. Just last year he and his mom both graduated from the same college together and what a mother/son moment that must have been! One of the other really special moments of the day was one that very few people got to see. Maddie's dad, Gregg, was sitting on the back patio looking over his speech for later that afternoon. Before I knew it, Maddie was out there, sitting on her dad's lap, having one last "daddy/little girl" moment. The whole time I was standing inside the house looking at the window, I kept hoping that Maddie would look at her dad. Neither one of them looked at each other, and now that I think about that moment, I'm sure if either of them at looked at the other that emotions would have been uncontrollable. Oh, I just love this photo, because you can see her dad wiping away a tear and just imagine what he as thinking!
For months I had yeard about how spectacular the reception location was. The Sky Center at Boise State overlooks the football field and was an extraordinary location for a reception!
Oh, the joy I have being able to photograph weddings for people who I have a history with, is truly one of the best parts of what I do. The laughter, happiness and emotions that I experience with the couples and families I have a personal connection with is the icing on the wedding cake ;) When I photograph most couples I don't know their backstories, or maybe the special moments that happened previously. Although all my couples are truly special to me, it's always fun when I get to spend a day, or weekend, with someone I have a past with.
Maddie and Caloub, oh, what can I say? I have been so excited for the two of you and am so happy that you've begun your life together. Madds, UP gave you and Ali a wonderful education, but more importantly it gave all of you these incredible friendships. Maddie, one of my favorite things about photographing you last weekend was how your "attitude" came through in the photos. All I would have to do is say the word attitude, and you were on fire! The way you scrunch your nose when you laugh and your smile when you look at your new husband was precious! Caloub I have no idea what your wife was talking about when she said for me to make sure that you don't get that "goofy" look on your face in the photos ;) We'll show her...your photos are amazing! ;) You are an incredible young man and I know that life with your new bride will be nothing but perfect for decades to come!! Every bride should be so lucky to have a man like you.
A couple things about this slideshow. I've been planning this slideshow for months, and there was one song that was in the back of my head that I thought would fit this couple perfectly. It's fun, whimsical and cute...JUST LIKE THEM! I had sort of forgotten that I was planning on using it, until about 30 minutes ago. If you see my slideshows on a regular basis, you'll know this one's a little different for another reason-there are two songs...Madd's, Deb promised you a longer one, so here it is! Take a look at their slideshow, leave some comments, and then scroll down past their slideshow to read about the rest of my weekend! If you want to see more of their photos feel free to look at my facebook page.
So here's the story...two of my best friends from high school have moved out of state. Nicole lives in Oregon, and D'Jean lives in Boise. Well what do you think I got to do last weekend? Yup, within an hour or so of me landing, D'Jean showed up at my hotel and we spent the next six hours getting reacquainted and had SO much fun. Saturday night Nicole was supposed to come back into town (she had passed through the previous weekend, but found out I was going to be there, so she and her partner came back to town. I haven't seen either of them in 11 years, and 11 years ago was the only time I've seen either of them in the last 25 years or so! Along with D'Jean's sister, they all came to pick me up from the wedding, and from the minute I got in that car, to the minute they dropped me off at 1:00am I don't think we stopped laughing!! It was so much fun to catch up with all of them and we also met up with Michelle whose husband's band was playing that night. So many things I had forgotten about came back to me on this trip, and it was truly a weekend that I will remember for a long time. Between Maddie's wedding, and then being with old friends all weekend, who could have a better job than your's truly?
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