courtney + sylvanus (the wedding)

What a wedding! And yes, that is the Deacon that married them holding a box of Lucky Charms. It was such a riot! Yet, perfect as well in how he used the word CHARM as an acronym for everything you need in a marriage. Perfect.

The wedding was at St. Elizabeth's in the small chapel and it was so beautiful. The dark woods with the warm light from the church, the poinsettias, to the groom's brother singing from the balcony, it was beautiful.

Here's the sneak peek and as always, the rest are available by clicking HERE.

We started the day at Harrigan's with a scrumptious lunch and quickly moved to the "beauty" parts of the day.



Love this shot of Courtney's sister, Carol Anne getting smacked by Mom!




The dress! The maids got dressed in this cool house where the bride's mom works. (The Food Bank Headquarters perhaps.) I loved the living rooms window and the dress and I had a mini portrait session.


The head piece was Courtney's Grandmother's. I love it when bride's include a bit of history for the day. For instance, Deacon Behnke married Frank and Jennifer (the bride's mom and dad) in the same church in 1979. I LOVE that!


Beautiful St. Elizabeth's. I love this church! Sure, it can't hold a TON of bodies, but it can hold your favorites, and it totally pays off in how lovely it looks.



Shirley of Celebrations did the flowers. Fabulous job as usual! And one of the few vendors in Lubbock with an actual updated website. My gosh! I have to get this lady a disc quick! I love seeing local weddings blogged, on a web site, etc.




It was freezing outside, so we kept to the warmth of the prayer room. Worked fine for me. I loved the warm lighting and the iron details helped too as well.








A sort of private moment between the newlyweds! LOL


Yum in the balcony!






Okay, Jennifer (BM) is in the middle of this group of girls. Teresa Heath, who's son I photographed for his Senior Year and the lady that helped us find each other, is to Jennifer's left. Thanks Teresa!



Beautiful cake from, I think, Slaton Bakery. I can't believe I forgot to give it a taste! I always eat cake! I think I was having too much fun with Brittany, my 2nd shooter for the night. Oh, my gosh! We were loving the DJ's video and just watching the guests shake their tushies to Johnny Cash. LOL Be sure and check out her work by clicking on her name above. You make recognize her mug and her hubbies. I photographed their wedding this summer and they are what I would call a "jcrew couple". Total cuteness!











Ring shots are so much fun and each location provides lots of potential for a new one. We found this long horn on a table by the bar. Perfect.





Okay, these pupppies are showing up everywhere. They are called Ripsticks and my nephew got one for Christmas. This dude was hanging out in the foyer enjoying the ride! LOL





Congratulations you two! I had such a great time and next time I'm in New York (giggle) I will so look you up! And when I take my next cab ride, I will definitely think of the two of you.

soon, very soon

I'm dying to get the sneak peek up from last night's wedding, but I spent the day with family as many of the cousins are going home soon, and well, I was wiped! Geez...a month off from shooting weddings and I was weak! My legs were shot today!

So, I'm very close to showing the "complete sneak peek", but for now, Courtney's gorgeous ring on a piece of fake fruit will have to do.

soon, very soon

courtney + sylvanus (the rehearsal)

I'm so excited about tomorrow! I have my first wedding in over a month! I'm so itching to shoot again, it's unreal. I will probably abuse this poor couple and never let them rest. Just watch out for tomorrow's blog post after the wedding! Yowzers!

Tonight was the rehearsal at St. Elizabeth's in Lubbock, the chapel. Courtney's mom and dad were married in this church in 1979 and now tomorrow, she will recite her vows. I love stuff like that! Until tomorrow!

On a side note, when you scroll down and see the ceremony shots, check out the preacher, Deacon Behnke. It was a pleasant surprise to see him at the rehearsal! He's a deacon in our church and I did his son's wedding this past June. Great fellow!

Merry Christmas from the 5d

WARNING! TONS OF PHOTOS!

You know me. I love to blog the photos and I've shared from the iphone, but now, for some serious Holiday Blogging. At this point in my chronological telling of the Bednarz Family Christmas, we are 1 day away from Christmas. It's the Sunday before and all the traveling folks are making their way to David and Davida's. Once there, I try to take a few photos to mark the occasion before I have one to many "holiday cheers". Jack, my adorable, energetic nephew helped me tremendously document this night.

I get home, download the cards and there are over 500 images! OMG! I quickly thumbed through them in Picasa, which I LOVE for culling images on PC. And seriously folks, there were less than 100 keepers, but hey, he'll get the hang soon! I'll try and let you know which one are his, mine, and various other shooters that love to grab my camera.



Kalyn took this one, and it's a definite descriptive term of just how the evening felt. Very JOYFUL!


This is Kalyn and Summer on Saturday evening when we attended St. Joseph Christmas Novena mass. It's the only one we made this year and I'm so bummed. I really want to make an honest effort to take advantage of what our church offers all of us weary souls during the next Advent season. It's so refreshing to go and receive the mass each day. I know this deep in my soul, and yet I only made one out of the week. NEXT YEAR!

Our beautiful church, St. Joseph. I married Devin here and baptized both my girls. It's such a great place for us and I always feel welcome and like I'm home. I hope we can always attend here.
The matriarch of the Bednarz Clan. This is Devin's Grandmother, Ida Lee Bednarz. She's in the hospital as I type this with a broken hip and in tons of pain while they wait for her doctor to arrive back in Lubbock. Say a prayer! As with anyone undergoing surgery, it can be especially difficult and there's always a risk. But especially so with someone who's in her 90's. It's really put a damper on the folks here visiting and we are nervous and scared, yet relying on our faith that things will be OK.


I made "poppers" to take to David and Davida's and I about DIED peeling the hot stuff out of the inside. Over 120 were wrapped and ready for the grill. YUM!



Ahh....excited about my new Jcrew ballet flats and Kalyn is very excited because we almost wear the same size! YIPEE! Now if I could just fit into her jeans.




The clan that never sleeps. Seriously, they came home with me later and we were up until 3 am. I'm exhausted! Which you can quickly see in my eyes, hair, body, etc. in all the next shots including me. LOL I'm a worn out HAG of a woman that desperately needs a vacation. I'm thinking I ship all the kids to Grandma's tonight and I sleep. Yep. That's the plan.

Speaking of, Grandma...here's Davida with Jason.
Now Jack has the camera and keeps it for quite some time. He did pretty good actually.





Our good friends Gayla and Bux came over to celebrate with us. Reaghan is our Godson and of course the girls were all over that babe!










The Hanson Family arrived!


This is Al, and exchange student that is staying with them and we got to spend the Holidays with her. She's very cool.








They finished the night off with Poker and proceeded to do so almost every night they've been here. I don't play, but my hubby does, but he's pretty zonked this year too, so I think he will LOVE the idea of Grandma keeping kids. LOL

More later! I'm off to run errands and to see about video chatting with the family now that they have all received their video cams Santa gave them from Texas! LOL

BIG Bednarz Christmas (iphone)

Jason and Me

Everyone had cameras yesterday and I'm dying to see all images, but since I'm basically the only one in the Bednarz family that blogs, it may be months, days, even years. sigh Maybe next year I can sign up everyone for a blogger account and show them on my laptop how to get started.

Here's a few photos off my iphone. I'll blog the REAL photos from my 5d later on. Today is a day OFF. And I'm really looking forward to it. (translation...still in pj's.)

Jason

Emily, my ultra cool, sister-in-law, who hates this photo. What better place for it, right?

Summer and Bridgette (Brisket)

Okay, when you see the 5d pictures you will understand the depth of competition much better. But this family has down town, so what do you do? You scooter race in the garage of course! LOL

More later...

Christmas Morning

I can't believe I'm going to blog this, and I'm sure Devin will KILL me for this, and may even take back my amazing coffee maker he got me. But I have to because we are having such a great day today! The entire family is techno geeked out, including Devin with his new iphone, and I just had to share some photos taken with my iphone. It was feeling a bit neglected with the "new babe" on the block.

Merry Christmas everyone!

the heinrich sisters

WARNING: YOU CAN NOT TELL NANCY! Yeah, I'm laughing typing those words, because not telling Nancy something is almost next to impossible. So, this blog post is sort of a "test" of sorts, to see how many friends of Nancy actually read this blog. Hmm...this will be interesting. LOL

Back in 1987, I first met Mary Katherine on Crosby Street when I was visiting my "boyfriend" Devin for the summer. I was meeting his family for the first time and meeting his neighbors. Small towns are just that way. They can sniff out us newbies in a minute. LOL

Devin grew up next to these girls and they have so many memories together. Meet, Amy, Mary Katherine (whom I've always called MK) and Allyson. If you know their mother, you are sworn to secrecy to NOT tell her about these portraits and how utterly beautiful they are! I only took the photos, these beauties did the rest.

They wanted to give their mom and dad something special for their upcoming anniversary and we met last night and hit East Lubbock for that YUMMY light I love.

Enjoy!

green bean casserole for 30 people

I'm anticipating all the things I need to do. Could do. Should do. And instead of doing, I'm sitting and sipping coffee.

I wanted to show you my tree. The girls decorated it this year. I love our tree, not because of the tree, but because of the ornaments. Nothing matches, yet it's all us so it works. And the fruit loop garland is my favorite, but kinda scary too. We've had it for almost 5 years and no mice have ever tried to eat it. Yes, country people have mice. Just a way of life. So, if a mice won't eat processed cereal, should we?

Oh, and the blog title post? That's what I'm supposed to bring Christmas Day to Barbara's house.

Merry Christmas everyone!

Merry Christmas

I have not blogged in FOREVER! But I've been busy working on albums, orders and Christmas Cards for my clients. This year is our BIG Bednarz Christmas as Devin's cousins visit from Wisconsin. We all have so much fun together just enjoying the Christmas Season. But things are moving so fast for me this season, I haven't even caught my breath a time or two to sit and just breathe. Does anyone ever do that anymore? I wonder.

Holiday Schedule (for those of you interested)

December 22nd - January 13th
I'm taking off to spend time with my family AND photographing 3 weddings during this time. So, if I'm difficult to reach, this could be why. I will be answering emails of course and any orders placed during that time will be completed. So, it's not REALLY a vacation, but hey, until I'm flat on my back on the beach with something that entails a paper umbrella, it's close enough.

Oh, and so I can leave you with tons of photos to oogle and ahhh, Julie's "Be Merry" Party. How could I have forgotten to blog this! Julie's Party! She started this tradition last year and I'm so glad she did this again. I LOVE her parties!

Her beautiful home all Merry and Brite for Christmas!


Love this shot of her front door, and if I had half a mind, I'd make it my Christmas Card. LOL


The rest of these photographs are what happens to parents when their children leave them unattended. We act crazy and really need to be kept under lock and key.
























Merry Christmas Everyone!

elizabeth + garret

If you are long time blog reader, then you will know that friend Eli passed away this summer. Her name was Elizabeth and she married my husband's cousin, Garett. I didn't realize the significance of my couple's names from last night's session until just right now. LOL Isn't that something?

Meet Elizabeth and Garret. They are getting married next year and I have the pleasure of photographing their wedding. And after spending a bitter cold evening with them last night, and a wonderful dinner together, it will definitely be a pleasure.

Thanks you two for being so brave, and so cuddly and so lovely full of yummy mushy love together. I loved photographing you two!

the kuhn family

The Kuhn Family
Jason, Laura, Wyatt, Savannah, and Lilly

Last night, Wyatt, who is the boy in the shot above, asked me when we finished photographing last night if I would have dinner with them. The Kuhn family lives in Levelland and I had driven over last night to photograph their family. I wanted to say yes. No, correct that, I wanted to SCREAM yes! I've been dealing with a head cold, and album issues, not to mention just the basic holiday stress and I would have loved nothing more than to sit down with this adorable, imaginative little boy and his family and enjoy myself. I had so much fun photographing them, just thinking about dinner and getting the giggles warmed my heart. But alas, I had a family myself waiting at home, so I had to tell Wyatt no. Sorry about that, Wyatt.

Laura and Jason, if you guys are reading this? Your kids are ultra precious and I loved spending time with them and with you. Hope you love your sneak peek!










The shot below was taken by Wyatt. I better watch out! When he grows up, he will totally be stealing my clients! Great shot, Wyatt!