Faith looking all Hollywood glam!

Wow! What a day for a wedding. Maybe this will start a new trend and give a whole new meaning to Hump Day. Faith and Arin tied the knot at the Exeter Inn in New Hampshire in front of about 125 family and friends–great excuse to call in sick to work or school, “Hey I’m calling in married so I won’t be in the next couple of days or 3 weeks.”  They jetted off to the Emerald Isle and are enjoying a proper pint of Guinness as I type this.

All this got me thinking about Wednesday:

Simple but elegant this hallway made a casual portrait just right.

Songs About Wednesday

1. Wednesday Morning, 3 A.M. – Simon & Garfunkel

2. Ash Wednesday – Elvis Perkins

3. Wednesday – Tori Amos

4. Wednesday Week – The Undertones

5. Wednesday Morning – America (cover)

6. Wednesday Night Waltz

Cultural References for Wednesday (from Wikipedia)

An American English idiom for Wednesday is “hump day”, a reference to making it through to the middle of the work week as getting “over the hump.”

In the folk rhyme, “Wednesday’s child is full of woe”. In another rhyme reciting the days of the week, Solomon Grundy was ‘Married on Wednesday.’ In Winnie the Pooh and the Blustery Day, the disagreeable nature of the weather is attributed to it being “Winds-Day” (a play on “Wednesday”). In Richard Brautigan’s In Watermelon Sugar Wednesday is the day when the sun shines grey.

Wednesday is used as a character’s first or last name in several narrative works, including Thursday’s fictions by Richard James Allen, Neil Gaiman’s novel American Gods, and the 60’s television show, The Addams Family.

In the 1945 John Steinbeck novel Sweet Thursday, the titular day is preceded by “Lousy Wednesday”.

According to the Thai solar calendar, the color associated with Wednesday is green.

Sheffield Wednesday Football Club are a professional football club based in Sheffield, Yorkshire, England.

Spy Wednesday is an old name given to the Wednesday immediately preceding Easter, in allusion to the betrayal of Jesus by Judas Iscariot.

The name comes from the Middle English Wednes dei, which is from Old English Wōdnesdæg, meaning the day of the English god Woden (Wodan), a god in Anglo-Saxon England until about the 7th century.

If you can’t think of anything to make for the hungry during the midweek check out The Wednesday Chef blog.

Arin's got Faith.

As for Faith and Arin, I do not know why they chose this banal day in the middle of the week during a month that usually gets little attention save for Easter and the start of Spring.  Maybe the ground hog’s shadow had something to do with it…

Or maybe not.

The week may begin on Sunday for some and Monday for most but Faith and Arin began the first day of the rest of their lives on a Wednesday in March in Exeter, NH, while the rest of us went about our business.

Erin & Chuck's wedding details

If this Boston Wedding is not yummy, what is?

Inspired by our talented June bride, Katie– Katie has been posting different inspiration boards on facebook for herself & her friends, so I decided it was time  DMPJ created  some inspiration boards for couples looking for some fun ideas…

Thanks Katie, and thanks Teresa (our amazing designer). You’d think Teresa and I were getting ready to plan our own weddings; we obsess  over details, colors, and how “yummy” it all looks! Katie inspired it, I shared it, and Teresa made it happen. Just goes to show that it takes a village to create.  

Enjoy!

Asha

Asha Ramakrishna is a writer and  Director of Business Development at DMPJ. She makes sure the vision of each client is materialized in the wedding photos & album process. She’s Glen’s partner and wife. They stay on their toes due to two little girls who have more energy than an energizer bunny, and they are crazy about traveling to far away lands as a family. For more visit, www.travelingfamilycircus.com and www.visualreportage.com

Live shoot!

Where to find inspiration–that freshy–fresh, wow!–That little bit of zip to start the next cycle. I’m at the first of several workshops sponging up everything I can. I’m a snob. A show-me-the-money, what–can–you–teach-me, snob about attending workshops. My inner journalist is banging a lead pipe against the inside of my skull as I listen to my mentors and workshop-goers alike. Don’t get me wrong here–I am going to get my money’s worth of value if I have to squeeze them like limes for my famous homemade margarita mix (using natural limes, brown sugar and a splash of OJ–but that is another blog post).

This is how I roll and I expect the same no–holds barred, take–the–sissy–gloves–off–approach to any and all critiques and small tidbits of wisdom leveled upon me. I don’t need anymore smoke blown up my ass–less there be an explosion of all the sugar-coated, patty cakes that is usually digested at these things. I’m a big boy–let me have it.  I’m here to learn and be inspired — my craft depends on on it and my clients expect it.

That said: Here’s a few more images from a live shoot we did today. I learned a few things. I met some nice people. In the end I’ll take my 10% away and apply it to what I do leaving the other 90% to those that need it more.  For this small edge I will be 100% better and my clients will be 100% happier.

I gotta remember this monument for my next Concord wedding.

Here is a behind the scenes look at our photo shoot with Sarah and Noah on the Lenox Hotel roof. As a Boston wedding photographer getting outside even in the dead of Winter is a must. We just have to be careful how we phrase instructions…good thing for us that all our clients are as fun and easy going as Sarah and Noah. Enjoy!

Dipper Mouth Blues from Glen Cooper on Vimeo.

A little behind the scenes from last months wedding at the Lenox Hotel. Chris Gagne was shooting Canon 5D M2 and the 7D for this. Standing in the cold and snow on a windy rooftop I guess my mouth and brain were a bit out of sync–good thing Sarah and Noah are my kind of folk.

“Bride’s Choice Awards recognizes and celebrates excellence in quality and service within the wedding industry, as determined by over 500,000 newlyweds. Being a recipient of this award means you are in the top 5 percent of all wedding professionals in the Martha Stewart & WeddingWire Community! ”
We are honored & grateful.

Sally & Matt-- photos like this happen when talent meets awesome clients

There is much talk these days about the economy, and although we are all sensitive to the topic, we cannot let it determine every decision. I (Asha- Glen’s  partner & wife) have coach other artist in growing their business, and I see that many folks use money as an obstacle to realizing their dreams. Trust me, I can come up with the best of excuses when I don’t want to do something or when I am afraid to do something, but I try to keep this one in check.

So, I always ask myself and others, “If money were not an obstacle, what would you do?” This always gets people thinking in a totally different plane. Look, I don’t want to deter people from their budget, especially with wedding planning and how outrageously expensive it can be, but when you have chemistry, I feel like how much you spend is secondary.

As a company we invest in consultants, assistance, and advertising, and clients, but we don’t just engage with just any one or anything. We trust our gut. We listen to what feels right. It was worked so far, and we have the best clients. We really do! People always joke with me about “Bridezillas”– we honestly, don’t have any.  We operate from a space of connecting with clients, photographers, and a network that is in alignment with who we are.

I advice the same for couples: meet the photographer, and get a sense of how you feel around them– do you want to spend 8-10hr on one of the most intimate days of your life? If it feels right, trust that. Nothing like spending $1K less than the photographer you really wanted, having bad chemistry, and ending up with mediocre pictures. After all the work you’ve put into the wedding, chemistry is key.

And of course, as a Boston Wedding Photographers, we love it when people tell us that Photography is on their top 2 in wedding planning. Yeah, that’s someone with their priorities in the right place.

Remember, if you can: Chemistry first, Price second.

Hugs,

Asha

Asha Ramakrishna is a writer and  Director of Business Development at DMPJ. She makes sure the vision of each client is materialized in the wedding photos & album process. She’s Glen’s partner and wife. They stay on their toes due to two little girls who have more energy than an energizer bunny, and they are crazy about traveling to far away lands as a family. For more visit, www.travelingfamilycircus.com and www.visualreportage.com

While it has absolutely nothing to do with wedding photography–Oh, wait, check that. It has everything to do with wedding photography. This is me training to get in shape for another incredibly busy wedding season. I promise I won’t wear the Vibram 5-Fingers when I shoot your wedding–well, maybe if I’m asked.

Winter Barefootin’ from Glen Cooper on Vimeo.

Winter trail run along the Skyline Trail in The Fells, Medford, Massachusetts. Shot with my Flip Mini HD during a 7.8 mile run in my Vibram 5 Fingers–I could feel every pebble and acorn but it was very primal and exhilarating experience.

Video and production by Glen Cooper

My Girl from Glen Cooper on Vimeo.

Waiting for clients in our studio–A video portrait of Asha.

Just a quick post to let you know about this idea- many couples like it and it’s a great way of sharing your favorite Engagement Session photo. As wedding photographers we have seen how much couples just love bringing this priceless gift home.

We like to use metallic paper to give it pop, and of course use the best framer in Boston- our little secret. 

leaving a little message for Beth & Joe

Some more photography highlights from Nathan and myself:

Sarah and Noah Getting Married from Glen Cooper on Vimeo.