Here are a couple of my new favorite images from the wedding.
(I feel so lucky to have such artful friends.)

These photos were taken by my good friend, the talented
Portsmouth-area photographer Gwyneth Dahler.

I am back in the states after a fantastic wedding and honeymoon and rebranding for real… life has been leading to this fresh start for well over a year now but its commencement was delayed by logistical issues.I want to leave you with a great quote I just found from REALSIMPLE.

“Creativity is allowing yourself to make mistakes. Art is knowing which ones to keep.”
— Scott Adams

Dear hearts, you can reach me at rachel@mergeweddings.com and see my new stuff over at the new blog. I’ll be taking commissions and meetings again in April, and portrait work upon request but my marketing and branding will be focused on ethnic and destination weddings.

]]> http://decenturbanlifestyle.org/?feed=rss2&p=390 1 http://decenturbanlifestyle.org/?p=385 http://decenturbanlifestyle.org/?p=385#comments Mon, 03 Mar 2008 23:08:00 +0000 rachel http://www.mergeweddings.com/blog/2008/03/03/first-class-shoe-shine/

image © Marina Miller, redheartphoto.com.

we are indebted to the many people who helped make our wedding a happy and beautiful celebration. thank you, friends.

There’s nothing more reassuring than knowing someone, that someone, has your back when you weren’t sure if he did or not.

I am about to go get married in a somewhat chaotic fashion.

What I have not yet experienced is the buildup. The week before when all the relatives start to gather and coo…. a culmination of all of their hopes and dreams vigorously and vicariously thrust upon you and your wedding. The questions. The group salon visits.

Add to that that this is a ‘destination’ wedding of sorts – I and everyone dear to me is completely out of their element and their time zone and ethnic grouping and language. I’ve been sharing a bedroom in the in-laws’ house with my mom for a week now and I’ve been hanging out with his family for three weeks.

And then finally, seemingly out of the blue came the breakdown. I found myself so upset and frustrated I made a small excuse to get out of the house and ended up taking 22 minutes to get out of their neighborhood because I kept going around the same block more than seven times.
I just had to cry to let out some of the emotion, and scream a little and say things out loud like “I am upset and frustrated right now and I don’t want any of this to be happening the way it is.”

When we made the decision to have the wedding in his territory and embrace Persian traditions, it didn’t take me long to figure out that this is not our wedding. It is theirs. Firmly, historically, culturally, sociologically…. his family becomes the oligarchy by which every decision is made.

I love their family. I love their culture. I don’t agree with everything, but I am trying to at least understand.

But… it is difficult to give up control.
And my emotions are DEFINITELY a roller coaster of craziness this week.

I can only imagine how my beautiful clients feel the week before the wedding. I think I am going to start taking them [you] out for drinks.

Also… I would not recommend that you offer to house and transport your friends. Make them find their own way. This is insane.

Jen and Joe – who are and will always be my favorite archaeologists – were married on June 16, 2007 in Boston’s Public Gardens under a glorious huge tree. They’re completely unpretentious and really really into one another. I can’t wait to see where life takes them in these next few years.

Jen writes that the reason they have chosen these as their most unforgettable images is that they are “gorgeous artistic photos that happen to have us in them – they capture the day as beautifully as we saw it at the time. I can’t believe that when we’re 80 well be able to look back at these pictures and remember being as young and beautiful as these make us feel.”

And yeah, their favorite moment working with me was when I got my car towed at the engagement session. Good times.

His favorite image:

Her favorite image:

“Dave has this magical power wherein he puts his hand on my back, says any number of sweet things in my ear, and BOOM! instant calm and instant perspective. This photo captures that moment.”

I know an extreme amount of careful consideration went into their wedding plans, and it went off without a hitch. Beautiful people, beautiful day.

Runners-up for their favorite wedding images:

Here’s a deep-calling image of sweet Kayla during our shoot this morning. The location was a vineyard full of yellow flowers behind an old abandoned train station near Napa.

Napa is probably the most overall stunningly beautiful place I have been for a long time. I love it all here. Not only the many many vineyards but today I spent the morning shooting fashion shots at an abandoned train station with a bunch of photographers.

So. Now I really really really want to shoot a Napa wedding. Anyone?

I know, I know. I need to get the new website up and at ‘em, because I have been all talk for like six months now.