Limited Edition Bridal Gown from White House Black Market ($498)

I’ve been seeing a lot lately about bridal gowns being available from retailers who aren’t traditional bridal outlets like White House Black Market (fittings available in select boutiques), J Crew (website/catalog only), with Urban Outfitters’ Anthropologie line and The Limited joining the fray soon.

J Crew Chiffon & Organza Dune Gown ($895)

The prices on these range anywhere from $295 to $2500.  The first obvious question is, do you like some of the dresses available on these sites?  And the follow up, of course, is, would you consider a dress from retailers like this, and if so, what would your expectations be?  Would you want to see the dresses in the stores at these prices or is online only OK, how much support would you expect from the stores, would you expect to have to take it somewhere else for alterations?

Leave me a comment and tell me what you think!

I was set to visit wedding designer Julie Murphy at her downtown Lexington studio yesterday, when I got an excited call from her– there’s a friend of yours here who wants to surprise you! So I hightail it down to Woodland Avenue, and when I got there, Eliska the mother of one of last year’s brides, Carlyn, was in, talking with Julie about her son Will’s upcoming wedding! (We’re still not sure if that one will be Lexington or Cincinnati, but I can’t wait!)

Carlyn and Scottie were one of the fun ones last year–great locations (Maxwell Street Presbyterian Church and Fasig-Tipton), charming couple, obvious affection. Here’s a look inside their wedding story…

Click the gallery images below for more…

There’s a certain progression to how the wedding booking process goes.  First, the venue– if you don’t have your reception site booked, you don’t really have a wedding date yet.  Next, people tend to see the photographers, because we book up quickly.  For most people, the next decision is DJ or band.  While most people opt for DJ’s for budget reasons, there’s nothing that compares to a really good band at a wedding.  Since I’ve started shooting primarily in Kentucky, I haven’t had a band that I could recommend without reservations.

Until now.

I was working a more intimate bridal show yesterday at the Galt House in Louisville, aimed at a multicultural audience.  With my wide background, it was a natural fit for me.  During the show, instead of having a DJ pump in some music to set the mood, there was a band… and what a band it was.  BoogieJuice showed a wide range of musical stylings, from classic 70’s disco to swing, a couple of great Prince songs from the 80’s, and even produced a beautifully slow rendition of Curtis Mayfield and the Impressions’ “People Get Ready.”

They played stuff that was perfect for every point in the reception, whether it be something as simple as some music to transition out of dinner time, to the stuff that calls everyone out on the dance floor.

Speaking with singer Maurice Hamilton after the bridal show ended, I found out that they often play in Lexington and even go as far as Richmond for gigs.  I highly recommend them for your reception, and you can contact them at http://www.boogiejuice.com or call them at 513.652.2358, and as always, let them know I recommended you!

I was in Cincinnati, Ohio last weekend to shoot the All About Deaf Kids Fair for the Deaf Institute, which took place on the campus of Cincinnati Christian University.  I see the directors of the Institute, Bryan and Pam Eubanks, each year when I shoot for the Eastern Christian Convention in Hershey, Pennsylvania, and they do all the interpreting for the convention.  Pam and I go a long way back:  she was my first piano teacher, way back when I was in first grade.

The All About Deaf Kids festival is one of the high points of their calendar, with participants coming in from all around the Midwest.  It’s designed to not only be an event that creates a fun atmosphere for deaf kids, but also includes their hearing siblings.  For instance, during the storytimes, the actors on stage (some of whom were deaf, like Pam’s son, Nathaniel) would tell the story in sign language, but at the same time, an interpreter in the audience would narrate the action and dialogue by voice.  There were also games, crafts, hearing screenings, and booths that told the kids about life in other countries.  I saw tons of smiles, laughing kids, and happy parents.  I kept thinking that my oldest daughter, Caroline, who’s very interested in sign language, would have had a great time… hope I can bring her next year!

Booking season is rolling on, and next Sunday, March 21st, I’ll be appearing at the Tapestry bridal show at the Galt House. Tapestry is specifically geared towards multicultural brides, and as you’ve probably seen here, I specialize in weddings of many cultures, including Indian, Jewish, and Eastern Orthodox traditions.  I just added my first Arabic wedding for July, as well!

Here’s the latest on which dates are unavailable for 2010:

March 26, 27, 28

April 17, 24, 25

May 21, 22, 23

June 4, 5, 6, 11, 12, 13, 19, 26, 27

July 10, 11, 16, 17

October 16

As you can imagine, I expect to see a number of inquiries come up shortly, so if you’re still needing to lock down your date with me, don’t delay!

… had some of the things that hold this banana stand go boom and now my dropdown menus and photos are all over the place– of course it happens while the web developer is out of the office till Friday. Whoopsie.

I added a tumblelog recently as a way of aggregating my posts between the blog and Twitter. Just experimenting with it for now, but we’ll see where it goes. Check it out at loveunscripted.tumblr.com!