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Lauri and Mike : Wedding
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© Jasmine Star. This post cannot be republished without permission. Stealing makes me sad. |
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T he wedding dress. The moment she found it, Lauri was smitten with the lace, the beadwork, and the attention to detail. Everyone agreed it was the perfect accoutrement for such a perfect day, so Lauri ordered it and happily left the bridal store. A few short weeks before the wedding, the dress arrived, but when Lauri slipped into it, she could see her ankles. And a portion of her legs. Sort of like a bride waiting for a flood. Not panicked—Lauri employed deep breathing to remain calm—she ordered a new dress. A few short days before the wedding, the dress arrived with various colored lace—patches of beige, cream, vanilla—instead of the white she ordered. Deeper breaths ensued. Lauri’s aunt deconstructed the entire dress and dyed the pieces to match a couple days before the wedding and—much to Lauri’s delight—the wedding dress was perfect.
So perfect was the dress, tears fell from Mike’s face as he saw his bride for the first time. He choked sobs of joy and contentment as Lauri walked toward him, looking radiant and proudly beaming. The girl he met in college, the girl who stole his heart, the girl who makes him laugh, was the same girl walking toward him in a white dress. The perfect white dress.
The entire day was abuzz with happiness and rounds of lemoncello delight. Lauri and Mike spent the afternoon in each others’ arms and looked at each other only the way soul mates can. A look that pierces silence, the soul, and heart.
Lauri and Mike, thank you for inviting JD and me to experience your wedding—yes, truly experience your families, Philadelphia, and the love you both share. We were treated so well and felt like extended family member…thank you! I hope you’re enjoying the Mexican Riviera…there’s nothing like sipping on a frosted drink, on the beach, next to the person you love! Much Love and Appreciation…J*
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| While the girls were preparing at Lauri's house... |
| ...JD was off with Mike and his father at the church... |
| I can't really remember, but I think Lauri may have been laughing at me when the priest motioned for me to sit down...as in, he lifted his hand at me and flicked it down a few times, as if motioning for me to turn off the hallway light. Bewildered, I sat down. East Coast priest don't play around with the Gospel! :) |
| The precious flower girl ready to ring in the newly married couple... |
| One thing I love about destination weddings is that I'm able to photograph in environments I'm not usually exposed to here in Orange County. Lauri made mention that Blue Bell, PA may not have as many backdrop choices as Southern California and I replied, You're Crazy! :) JD and I loved shooting around the grounds of Byers Choice! |
| When Lauri said she was willing to lay on the ground for pictures, I knew we were a perfect match! :) On a sidenote, the dress was not damaged or ruined by laying down and I think Lauri and Mike look ultra fab! |
| The reception was held at Normandy Farm, and the reception hall is actually a refurbished silo...tres chic, no? :) |
| And the reception would not be complete without an homage to Lauri and Mike's Italian heritage by singing That's Amore! |
| To view more of their wedding photos, CLICK HERE for a slideshow! |
    
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Free To Succeed Tour : Chicago
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A n eleven-year-old boy who wanted to teach me all things Gameboy. A Cookie Lee saleswoman. A beautiful financial planner from Newport Coast. A stay-at-home father. A college student. A retired teacher. These are the people I sat next to on flights to new cities in the past week. When JD picked me up from the airport, I kinda felt like I’ve been living on the inside silver cocktail shaker—stirred, on the rocks, and dirty.
After JD prepared an amazing dinner, I sat on the couch and stared blankly as the Women’s Beach Volleyball won the gold medal. It was late, and I was tired. Oh.So.Very.Tired. It was then when JD said what had been on both our minds all day…
Hey, Jaz, you look beat.
And I looked at him with eyes that were all, YOU THINK?!
The good news is that I slept well and now life is back on track for me here in Orange County. I’ll be catching up with editing and emails today, so I hope to be so productive my fingers start smoking from all the work I’m doing. Well, because, I’m hoping today I’ll be THAT fast.
The Free to Succeed seminar in Chicago was absolutely amazing and I have to thank the 160+ photographers who attended! Chicago sure knows how to make a girl feel welcomed, so thanks for proving that the Windy City knows how to represent! One of the cool things about the seminar was that it was filmed in its entirety, so if you haven’t been able to make the tour, you’ll be able to purchase it soon! I don’t have details, but as soon as it’s ready, I’ll blog about it.
A special thanks to Kenny Kim for taking pictures of the seminar…definitely check out his blog for more!
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I’m home to shoot a fabulous wedding this weekend in Los Angeles, then JD and I are rejoining the tour in New York City! Holllllllllla! And here’s a TOUR UPDATE: I’ll be staying on the tour through Boston, so if you’re in the New England area, I’d love to meet you!
Happy Thursday! |
W e’re all a family. The entire ShowIt crew on the bus has been living together for a few weeks now and we get along quite well. We laugh, joke, and clown on each other pretty much all day. But at the end of each day, our friendship—no matter how mean those boys treat me—is stronger. And sweeter. Well, sometimes.
Yesterday I saw this on the side of the bus:
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Oooooh, I see how it is. Haters. That’s what they all are. And they sip on Haterade all day as proof of their inferiority complexes. Obviously. In search of the culprit, I pieced together who might have had the nerve to make me look like Pancho Villa. Aye, aye, aye!
Around midnight last night—as we were eating the best Kansas City BBQ—I gave an oration and accused Todd (the brain child of ShowIt programming) of the defamation. So good was my argument and theories that he even agreed with the accusation. Which makes me think I might have made a good lawyer had I stayed in law school.
I was feeling quite good about myself until David Jay showed me a video of the assailant in action. On the dark and shaky video I saw none other than OUR BUS DRIVER strategically place the moustache on my oversized face. Jay?!?! Jay did it?! Jaaaaay, HOW COULD YOU?! I thought we were friends?!
So, much like any family, we have our issues. But I’m sure when I find a way to get back at our bus driver, we’ll all go back to being one big, happy and dysfunctional family.
Aye, aye, aye! |
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Free To Succeed Tour : Kansas City
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I ’m sitting on the bus watching the sunrise. Not, like, over the horizon, but over the Kansas City buildings. Cut me some slack, Internet, my sleep patterns are as normal as a hippo bathing in a fishbowl. I arrived in Kansas City yesterday and was greeted by Paul (ShowIt’s videographer) and five of his hometown friends. I can’t express how welcomed I was and immediately treated like family. Having just flown in from Philadelphia for Lauri and Mike’s wedding, I was exhausted, but ready to experience a part of the world Dorothy and Toto call home.
I won’t be blogging the wedding until later this week, but here’s a sneak peek of the fun we had…
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As the tour bus pulled in front of Paul’s family home, everyone was waiting for us in the front yard. The Rogers family was expecting us and left nothing unnoticed—a HUGE Italian meal was prepared, gifts waiting to be unwrapped, and Kansas City t-shirts to be worn—but before the festivities began, Paul asked if I could take a picture of his fabulous family. It was my honor.
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There are 12 children in the Rogers family, two added spouses, one amazing Aunt Jill, and a grandbaby on the way.
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As a cacophony of sounds echoed through the dining room—forks clinking, laughter, talk of big trucks with knobby tires—I sat there and soaked it in. The room was brimming with love and--if one looked hard enough--could feel it oozing through the cracks in the hardwood floor. The Rogers make people feel like the world is but a single home with a white picket fence, on a shaded street, with homemade spaghetti, and enough hugs to make the soul melt.
After singing Happy Birthday to 10-year-old Joseph, we splurged on decadent tiramisu, played backyard volleyball, watched fireflies dance in the moonlight, and said goodbye. Although, now that I think about it, I should have said See you later, because I know I’ll be back visiting them soon. I don’t know when, but it’ll happen because I left a part of my heart somewhere in between the brick fireplace and Lydia’s dollhouse. |
T otal tourists. That’s what we were as we wandered the streets of Philadelphia. The only thing missing was a visor and fanny pack, then we’d totally look like we didn’t belong. JD and I bounced all over the city—yes, eating everything we could along the way—and experienced Philly the best way we knew how: From my blog readers recommendations! Hollllllla!
With many thanks to those of you who emailed and commented, JD and I happily spent the day together. Thank you so much and if you ever come out to Orange County, I hope to do the same for you! Lastly, I have Internet access, but can’t send email, so I’ll be catching up early next week…I appreciate your patience in advance!
I received plenty of opinions on where JD should experience his Philly Cheesesteak, so while I won't say which restaurant he ended up choosing (I'm afraid for my life, Internet!), I will say he enjoyed every last bite, even licking the left over Whiz on the paper wrap. Of course because of my vegetarianism, I didn't partake in the feast, but I watched in wonder. I mean, I don't get the big deal about slices of meat covered in CheeseWhiz and onions, but I--apparently--don't know how to live life. This was told to me in between stuffed mouthfuls, so I had a hard time understanding JD. Or at least that's what I told him! |
| We spent the afternoon visiting historical sites and landmarks and I can't express how much I love this beautiful country! Experiencing and seeing our beautiful culture and past was a true highlight of our day! :) |
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