True Love…

Though the day was just starting it was already getting busy when an elderly gentleman arrived to have stitches removed from his thumb. He said he was in a hurry as he had another appointment at 9:00 am.

I took him into the exam room, evaluated his wound, saw that is was well healed, so I remove his sutures and redressed his wound.

While caring for him I asked if he had another doctor's appointment this morning, as he appeared to be anxious about being late.

He told me no, that he was going to the nursing home to have breakfast with his wife, like he does every morning.

I inquired about her health, wondering why she was in a nursing home.

He told me that she suffered from Alzheimer's disease and needed the kind of care he could no longer provide at home.

As we talked, I asked if she would be upset if he was just a bit late.

His voice and head dropped a little as he replied "No", she no longer knew who he was, that she hadn’t recognized him for several years now.

I asked him, “And you still go the same time every morning, even though she doesn't know who you are?”

He smiled as he patted my hand and said, "She doesn't remember who I am, but I still remember who she is."

THE ICE CREAM PARLOUR

We've all seen the candy buffet, the cookie/dessert table, the chocolate fountain, make your own s'mores and of course the cupcake tower. One of Viva's recent couples had a popcorn buffet and almost all outdoor weddings we coordinate include a late night meal of poutine and pogos provided by the local chip truck that parks itself on the front lawn. There seems to be no end to the creative ideas our brides and grooms-to-be are coming up with to add a little fun to the food served at their wedding. While we haven't yet seen the DIY Sunday table first hand, after viewing the images below, we're all for it!

Photo Credits: Eat, Drink, Chic by Amy Moss

THE WAIT IS OVER!

Since announcing their engagement back in December 2009 everyone has been talking about Carrie Underwood and Mike Fisher's wedding. Where would they get married? What would she wear? As time went on there seemed to be more and more questions with no real answers to satisfy inquiring minds. With confidentiality agreements signed by all those involved, no one was talkling. Well now the wait is over!

People magazine bought the rights to publish images of Carrie and Mike's big day and with the latest issue now on stands, anyone who didn't have the priviledge of attending the much anticipated event in person can now see the gorgeous dresses she wore and read all about the fabulous details by simply picking up a copy.

Here are a few details to tie you over until you have it in hand...

- Carrie Underwood and Mike Fisher were wed on July 10 2010 in a white tent set up on the lawn of Georgia's Ritz-Carleton Reynolds Plantation resort, their dinner reception was held in the ballroom.

- Mike played golf with his groomsmen the morning of the wedding while Carrie got ready with her bridal party.

- Monique Lhuillier designed both wedding gowns. Carrie wore a Chantilly lace and silk organza gown for the ceremony and later changed into a strapless cocktail dress to dance the night away.

- The tiara Carrie wore for the ceremony was a gift from Mike and contained more than 40 carats of diamonds. When Carrie changed into her cocktail dress she also changed her headpiece to a custom band by bando. The gorgeous sweeping feather was created by hand stitching a mix of vintage brooches and earrings as well as some shiny new Swarovski crystal onto silk organza.

- Carrie's nephew Max was the ring bearer, Mike's cousin Hanna was the flower girl, and of course Carrie's dog Ace walked down the aisle with them in a Swarovski crystal-encrusted pink tuxedo.

- Carrie entered to a string quartet playing Wagner's "Bridal Chorus".

- Carrie and Mike exchanged vows beneath an arbor of birch trees and roses created by Nashville's Branches Event Florist.

- Painted hockey pucks were used as escort cards displaying the guest's name and table number.

- The ballroom, where guests were treated to a four course dinner, was dripping with 5,000 crystals and lit in shades of pink. The tables were covered with vintage toile tablecloths and tuxedo folded napkins were accented with crystals.

- The cupcake tower was made by one of Carrie's bridesmaids Ivey Childers, owner of Ivey Cake in Franklin, Tenn.

- Carrie surprised Mike by getting contemporary Christian singer Brandon Heath to perform their first dance, "Love Never Fails".

And last but not least, who helped Carrie and Mike plan this fabulous day...

- Carrie and Mike's wedding planner was none other than Jayne Bubis of JB Events.

Dying to see the pictures and learn a little more about their dream wedding? People is on news stands now but we hear they're selling out fast. Get moving!!

Keep 'em coming...

Yesterday our stats showed that we passed one thousand six hundred subscribers.

The number of people who think this blog is a good thing just blows me away.

"They like me, they really like me".

;)

Thank you for your support.

iPhone fashion shoot with Lee Morris...

Pretty darn good images huh?

Heck, most of us would be thrilled to get these shots with our Nikon D3 or a Canon Marky Mark.

Lee said the purpose of the shoot, making the video was to make the point "that you should not be limited by your camera".

I think he drove that point home with a very large hammer.

You can see Lee's original post with many more images from his iPhone fashion shoot here and be sure to check out his website for more stunning imagery and to be inspired.

One of the hidden gems is what you can learn about lighting... so pay attention and watch every minute!

This is a great video.

(as always subscribers will need to return to Weekly Photo Tips to watch this video as they are not pushed through with your subscription)

Images from Yesterday...

Here are just a couple images from the meet up yesterday in Portsmouth New Hampshire to see the folks picking up their dogs from Last Chance Highway.

The truck hadn't even come to a complete stop and there was laughter and tears (and that was just from me).


Just after Kyle arrived with the dogs the skies opened up (insert "raining like cats and dogs" joke here) so I did not get too many images.

I intend on going back again (and again.... and...) so you can expect to see more.

"Last Chance Highway" assignment...

There is a new show on the Animal Planet that my family has become huge fans of called "Last Chance Highway".

It tracks the efforts of wonderful volunteers who have dedicated themselves (and their own money) to saving the lives of abused and abandoned dogs.

Shelly is the person who rescues the dogs and gets them healthy enough for their new homes, Kyle runs the company that drives thousands of miles every week to deliver them.


They drive as far north as Portsmouth New Hampshire to deliver these pups to their new owners and today is delivery day, so I'll be loading up my camera gear and heading down to photograph it (and to cry like a girly-man).

If you are considering adding a dog to your family might I suggest heading over to PetFinder.com and check out some dogs looking for a loving home (yes they have cats too).

They can also point you in the direction of shelters and resources in your local area.


Maybe you're not looking for a dog right now but want to do something, all of these organizations are looking for support, they can all use your help.

One of the biggest needs at our local shelter are volunteers to come in just to pet and play with the animals.

You can visit Shelly's website here, Kyle's here, PetFinders here, and The Last Chance Highway here.


If you love dogs, if you love happy endings, fire up the popcorn and sit down for Last Chance Highway tonight (Saturdays) at 8.

Below is a 1 minute sample of what you can expect.

(If you are a subscriber you'll need to return to the blog or head directly over to YouTube to watch this video)