Friday, October 31, 2008

Happy Halloween!

As we all prepare to celebrate Halloween in our own individual styles here at BBP, we can all agree that we wish you each a great day and a Happy Halloween!

Don't forget our contest (see Monday's post from the 27th)------- submit photos of yourselves in all of your Halloween glory! We're looking forward to seeing them!

When my daughter was little and October 31st arrived, her clarion cry was "Happy Halloweenie"!!!!!!!!!!! It holds quite a bit less magic now that she is in her twenties, believe me!

No matter if you are out partying tonight, or celebrating a birthday (happy birthday Giuliano!), or handing out candy to the neighborhood kids---- enjoy it all!

And................ Happy Halloweenie!

Wednesday, October 29, 2008

Finally---- Erin & Ross

It seems as if all previous promises to myself to be blogging with my usual timelines have left me in the lurch! I have lied to myself and certainly not fulfilled this particular duty very well lately! My apologies!

We've had the honor and distinct privilege to do some commercial work for Pacific Care Center and that along with the rest of the studio load has taken up a fair bit of time here lately. I can tell you this for sure, should I ever need to find a place to live in my golden years, I'd be Pacific MO bound for sure. This facility is so full of love, family, compassion and caring how could we not be impressed. Laine can take care of me there any old day. Just not too soon I hope---- can I just pop in to visit the residents and maybe enjoy a delicious meal?

Long overdue is the slideshow for Erin and Ross's wedding. It was a lovely event with the reception held in a smashing tent at the Zoo. While the two newlyweds finish up their honeymoon in Hawaii, we will show off a tiny bit of their once in a lifetime day HERE!! We had the opportunity to shoot the wedding with Lisa and Will from Studio M Photographic, and not only had a great time, but enjoyed the creative company of such excellent photographers!

Monday, October 27, 2008

Treats no Tricks!


Halloween is this Friday (which of course to me heralds the beginning of November, not merely Halloween!)

Let's not even THINK about the holidays which are on a freight train of speed rushing towards us!

Instead, let's have a really FUN contest here on the BB Blog!

Send us your photos of yourself and significant other in .jpg format to info@bobbibrinkmanphotography.com no later than November 7th at Noon.

We will choose a winner from all of the photos entered and the grand prize will win a $25.00 Gift Certificate from Bobbi Brinkman Photography.

The treat is really ours as we know we will get some fabulous photos and look forward to each and every one of them!

Plan your outfits............ take your best shot and send it our way, we smile with great anticipation!!!

Saturday, October 25, 2008

National Make a Difference Day

It is National Make a Difference Day so get out there and make one. It's not hard, there are about a zillion different things you can do to get involved and contribute. While it may sound contrite, it is nonetheless true------- we are all connected and what we do for one another we do for ourselves and humanity at large.

I received the following last week and found it wonderful as well as inspiring. In no way do I mean it to be a commercial or an endorsement, just something to make our wheels turn.

As we always say around BBP----------

count your blessings and pass one on.

In that way we all make a difference!



Every Monday Matters

It all started with a piece of trash...

Matthew Emerzian, a successful music industry executive in Los Angeles, was walking back to his office with a co-worker one afternoon in 2004 when he stopped to pick up a plastic fountain drink cover from the sidewalk and put it in a nearby garbage bin.

“My co-worker quickly asked me what I was doing,” Emerzian recalled. “I explained what I thought to be the obvious, but apparently I was wrong.” To the co-worker, litter simple belonged to the litterer, not to the population as a whole.

“I explained to him that litter and pollution are everyone's problem not just the person who couldn't find the trash can for their cup lid. He profoundly responded with 'Dude, you're weird.'”

Emerzian, now 38, walked back to his office both angry and sad.

“I couldn't believe that someone could remove themselves so far from the greater good of our world.”

Matt began to think, 'what if everyone in the country picked up one piece of litter on the same day.' Or 10 pieces! The math was easy, yet so powerful. He then began to think of a few other easy things that 300 million Americans could do to make a difference.

From this, a great idea was born. He called his friend, Kelly Bozza, and told her that he wanted to write a book about how all of us can make a difference with our lives. Within a week, they had over 100 items on their list and were ready to start writing.

Their book, titled Every Monday Matters...52 Ways to Make a Difference, has sold 120,000 copies. It is both powerful and thought-provoking. The ideas are simple - small acts that collectively add up to an enormous impact for the greater good. It's 144 pages with lots of illustrations - chocked full of big ideas.

Dr. Martin Luther King said, “Everyone has the power of greatness; not for fame, but greatness. Because greatness is determined by service.”

Also, today, I am pleased to offer you a way to get started with making every Monday matter, in honor of National Make a Difference Day, Sunday, October 25. The tip for week 41 is to use a re-usable shopping bag.

Tuesday, October 21, 2008

Hearing a Whisper





You asked for it.............................. and of course we deliver!

Coming up and incredibly cool....................................... Whisper Sessions!

Call us for details!

Monday, October 20, 2008

What a Weekend Indeed!!

The last weeks have flown by in a blur and a whir and a blender if the truth be told! Last weekend was wild as we shared Erin and Ross's wedding day and rolled right in to the wedding show held out at the Ameristar.

A brief note on both: photos from Erin and Ross will be forthcoming, let me just say that of the things that happened that day, their lovely cake was in a car accident (every bride's nightmare!) and while the occupants of the delivery vehicle were fine, the cake suffered a bit. More to come!

The wedding show was a huge success! It was the first time for St. Louis Best Bridal to be out in St. Charles at the Ameristar but both put on a really nice show. (On a side note, did you know that the Four Tops and the Chippendales will be at the casino soon? Talk about diverse entertainment!!) As always we had a wonderful time meeting brides, grooms and their families as they strolled the show. We're already booking appointments for consultations and look forward to being able to relax a little bit with them out of the madness that was the bridal show!

We did not stop to gamble after the show, or to eat there--------- very dutifully (and in exhaustion) we packed up and headed back to the studio to unload.

Saturday, October 18, 2008

Erin & Ross

Somehow it feels like a very long time that we've known Erin and Ross! Today is their wedding day, a much anticipated day. Erin is an event planner for Wash U so she's been working every detail inside and out and even the weather looks like it is going to cooperate.

It's hard to believe that so much time has gone by since the last blog post, definitely not my usual. The truth is that we're very, very, happily busy----- and other things have gotten in the way.

BBP will be sending out details for our Whisper Boudoir Marathon sessions very soon....... don't miss out! Stay tuned for that and loads planned for the next few weeks!

Tuesday, October 14, 2008

Kelly and Jim

Was the weather last weekend absolutely gorgeous? A titch warm by St. Louis in the middle of October standards, but it was lovely just the same! A downright perfect weekend for the wedding of Kelly and Jim, a couple who very much deserved every detail to be wonderful on their special day. Aren't they a great looking couple?


And the gracious Kelly was glowing from the second we arrived! Jim was fairly beaming himself, and why would they not---- their wedding day had finally arrived! We loved them both, they were not only a pleasure to work with but sincerely enjoyed each second of their once in a lifetime day and were such great people!

Doesn't it look as if Jim is talking to his broker? Of course on a Saturday that would not be the case (or would it)?

Yes, the weather was gorgeous and the fall leaves are beginning to show their fiery color--- check out that tree!

Their reception was so much fun and everyone had a totally fabulous time! In the photo above, darling Kelly is channeling Meatloaf. Nothing says incredibly wonderful reception like Meatloaf, yes? This bride and groom tore up the dance floor---- as a matter of fact Jim was the first one out on it! There was even "Thriller"............... woo hoo! We've been waiting!

Congratulations Kelly and Jim--- may your life be full of joy and blessings!

Saturday, October 11, 2008

Jackets off Saturday

It may be the fall season with leaves changing almost before our eyes, snow in the Rockies and high elevations, and the holidays are beginning to loom large but today, here in St. Louis anyway, the weather is summer-like. A sunny high of 83 lovely degrees means no jackets required.

For the wedding of Kelly and Jim today that will more than likely translate into a lot of tuxedo jackets removed! Their very special day promises to be a completely gorgeous day, ---a near perfect day for a wedding!

Being involved in a wedding every Saturday is quite good for your outlook on life. Think about it, on a regular basis joy is the order of the day. Life is painted in beautiful colors and the focus is on love, tradition, and family, painting the future is seen in shades of brilliance. The smile of a bride and groom can light up the souls of everyone around them and the sunshiny happiness has a lasting effect.

And on the great news for everyone note---- what a celebration it feels like when gas is under $3.00 a gallon! While gas at $2.97 is still steep, we're all smiling over gas that doesn't almost kill you to fill the tank! It seems as if the pundits are saying that the price at the pump will continue to fall, we will take the bright spots where we find them!

Unleaded Gasoline Average Prices
St. Louis USA Trend
Today
Yesterday
One Week Ago
One Month Ago
One Year Ago
3.159
3.203
3.442
3.651
2.752
3.264
3.264
3.477
3.666
2.761


Have an absolutely gorgeous weekend, enjoy the weather and remember to make someone's day. Count your blessings and pass one on!

Wednesday, October 08, 2008

Kristin & Rob

Kristin was an absolutely lovely bride don't you think? Her dress was stunning and suited her perfectly. She had the dreamy happy sort of countenance that only comes about on a wedding day!

She worked HARD----- just ask her! :)

Weren't the flowers absolutely gorgeous? The colors were not only the perfect epitome of fall but with the addition of the protea they showed a bit of a departure from the norm. When I lived in Hawaii, protea were a regular addition to my dining room table, they're so interesting!

Kristin and Rob............. thanks for allowing us to be part of your special day! Enjoy your honeymoon, you deserve it.

Tuesday, October 07, 2008

Nicole and Andrew


Well, our last Andrew was completely and absolutely fabulous so I have to say that the newest Andrew to the BBP fold will undoubtedly be just as wonderful!!

Welcome to our newest bride and groom, Nicole and Andrew! We are very, very pleased to welcome you to the wedding family.

It perhaps deserves to be mentioned again that we appreciate each and every one of our clients tremendously! We have full appreciation that there are many choices out there and when we are selected to photograph an event such as a wedding, the honor and privilege are heartfelt. There is not a studio in the world that has better clients than we do, it could not be possible. We are honored that so many of you are our clients and more than that---- friends. What a blessing!

Here's to all of you.......................... and especially today to Nicole and Andrew! We not only welcome you to the family but look forward to spending time with you as the time marches on toward your wedding day but in subsequent days when we can document your life as it unfolds.

Thoughts are turning to fall things as the weather gets ready to turn decidedly cooler today with a promise of a downright cold snap by next week. Apples and red wine, pot roast and mashed potatoes, marshmallows over the fire pit, sweaters and beautiful leaves! What will you be doing as fall falls?

Monday, October 06, 2008

Personal Wedding Blogs

The young man above was so adorable I had to use his handsomeness on the blog------ as I do not have a blog post currently about handsome young men in the wedding party I beg your forgiveness as I use it here! Can you be any cuter?

So, do you have a personal wedding blog? Aside from your regular personal blog, your work blog, or your 'other' blog? 85% of the BBP brides DO have a blog to tell the story of their wedding as it unfolds.

If you do not have a wedding blog and don't want to create one yourself from the very user friendly Blogger or WordPress there are quite a few excellent sites out there that have templates for blogs that are quite good.

Check out:

The I Do Foundation
Get Best Wedding
Blogger
WordPress
TypePad

If you have other great sites, please let me know I'm always looking for new sources!

Sunday, October 05, 2008

You are Cordially Invited

My MOTHER of all people sent me this in an email! While I'm not wild about forwards, or sharing them------ I had to share THIS!




Don't you wonder what he sees in her?

Saturday, October 04, 2008

Angie & Eric


What a great day..................... a lovely Saturday in our favorite month (or close enough) and I have the privilege of welcoming Angie and Eric to the wedding family at Bobbi Brinkman Photography! Angie is absolutely adorable and is going to make the loveliest of brides, what a lucky guy Eric is! We look forward to your wedding day and years of photographing your family!

On this gorgeous St. Louis day is the wedding of Kristin and Rob! As with most of our couples we have known them for some time and their special day is finally here. Isn't it great that they have such spectacular weather?

Wherever you are in this big old world (our blog readers are global!) and whatever you are doing, we hope that you have a spectacular weekend!

Friday, October 03, 2008

Wedding Manicure

It is official, the BBP unofficial wedding manicure poll! Of weddings in the last two years, 99% of our brides have worn a French Manicure. Of those manicures 92% of those were the traditional white and nude combination with the balance being white tips and pale pink nails. The other 1% of manicures? A sheer wash of shiny blush toned polish.

The latest update to the French Manicure is a white tip with a very pale neutral wash on the nail itself, sometimes brushed over the white tip giving the whole thing a more subtle glow. While it seems to give a fresher look to the French Manicure, decreed by Vogue as passe last year, we don't see it replacing a Wedding day manicure here in the heartland anytime soon.

Whatever your choice of wedding polish, experiment with your manicurist frequently before your big day. This is something that you might well do anyway so taking the time to audition different wedding looks is a great idea. While looking through bridal magazines make sure you notice manicures to get some ideas.

If you decide to go with the traditional French manicure, know that you will not be alone in that decision!

Thursday, October 02, 2008

Hollywood Calling!!!!!

Do you remember last spring, that is the spring of 2007, when I shared that Bobbi had been an extra in a movie filming here in St. Louis? At the time it had only a working title and a rough release date. She'd been counting on using her photography skills for a few days, but instead found herself living the life of an extra for the day. Plus her car, affectionately known by all as Gretel.

[The car was actually paid more than she was but don't tell her I said so!]

The movie was released as "The L*ucky Ones" and is now in the theater with some excellent actors. Hey, even Roger Ebert liked the film, 3 stars and all that.

With no other staff takers, Bobbi and I ventured out to catch the film not knowing if she was in any scenes or what they might be, or even if her part had been cut out altogether.

We were quickly rewarded within the first ten minutes of the movie to see her CAR following behind the one carrying Pena, McAdams, and Robbins. Yes indeed, proof that her Mercury Mountaineer had earned it's fee! Thank heavens that the theater was not crowded because mere minutes later we both fell out of our seats in hysterics when Miss Bobbi B herself is seen in a McDonald's scene eating! She says it was a scene shot with lots and lots and lots of eating to get that snippet on film. There she is in all her glory, striped short sleeved shirt, seen in a Mickey D booth! HA! We laughed like fourth grade girls! Who knew that 3 seconds of on screen appearance would cause such a reaction?

Our film review? Snooze. The acting was good, absolutely. But the plot was slow and even tedious in spots and really.......................... in this age of grim news, we found is a bit depressing. Sorry, I guess I want to be entertained---- laughter, love, something cherry and chipper. Where is Bill and Ted's Excellent Adventure when you need it anyway?

If you are not an avid movie goer, you might want to save this one for rental. But make sure you watch for Bobbi------- and give a shout when you do! If you are not one for chick flicks (which seem heavy on the Hollywood schedule this time of year) you might be looking for one just like this.

***^^^***
From Roger Ebert's fine column at the Sun-Times:

The Lucky Ones (R)
Ebert:

Three soldiers — Cheaver (Tim Robbins, left), T.K. (Michael Pena) and Colee (Rachel McAdams) — bond during a long road trip in “The Lucky Ones.”

The Lucky Ones

September 25, 2008

Cast & Credits
Colee: Rachel McAdams
Cheaver: Tim Robbins
T.K.: Michael Pena
Bob: John Heard

Roadside Attractions presents a film directed by Neil Burger. Written by Burger and Dirk Wittenborn. Running time: 113 minutes. Rated R (for language and some sexual content). Opening today at local theaters.


By Roger Ebert

Three soldiers, home on a month's leave from Iraq, find themselves on an odyssey from New York to Las Vegas in "The Lucky Ones." That's the setup. The journey involves your standard rest stops: friendly diners, dubious mechanics, fervent church people, roadside hookers, redneck saloons, lonely motels, tornadoes, casinos -- those sorts of things. This formula is fraught with pitfalls, but the characters and the actors redeem it with a surprising emotional impact.

Tim Robbins plays the father figure, a fiftysomething career Army sergeant who received a back injury and is returning home to St. Louis. After a blackout shuts down JFK, he rents a car and ends up taking the others on board. Rachel McAdams plays Pvt. Colee Dunn, who has a leg injury and is heading for Vegas to return a guitar belonging to her boyfriend, who was killed in the war. Michael Pena plays Sgt. T.K. Poole, injured by shrapnel in the groin, who wants to go to Vegas to find hookers who can reawaken his equipment before he meets his stateside girlfriend.

Don't laugh when I say this: These three resemble in broad outline the three returning servicemen in the classic "The Best Years of Our Lives" (1946). That film had an alcoholic older man returning to a loyal wife, a younger man returning to a sluttish wife and another afraid to marry his girlfriend because he had lost his hands. Change one man to a woman, shuffle a little, and you see what I mean.

That's doesn't mean the film is a "homage"; director and co-writer Neil Burger told me he hasn't seen the 1946 film. It means the underlying structure and character group is somewhat archetypal. What distinguished "Best Years" was its gravitas. What makes "The Lucky Ones" so gratifying to me is anything but gravitas; these three characters are simply likable, warm, sincere and often funny. The performances are so good, they carry the film right along.

Consider the events during the road trip. They are far from original. Many road movies are about what happens on the road. In "The Lucky Ones," the events are somewhat inconsequential backdrops to the three-way relationship and the sympathy we feel for the characters. Yes, there are some considerable payoffs at the end, although not exactly unforeseen. There are also some plot contrivances that seem hauled in. I noted this, but didn't much mind.

Rachel McAdams ("The Notebook," "Mean Girls") comes into her own here. Previously she has been seen mostly as a hot chick (the title of her worst film) or an idealized sweetheart. Here she is feisty, vulnerable, plucky, warm, funny. This is her coming of age as an actress. She provides yet another lesson that you can't judge acting ability until you see an actor given a chance to really stretch. Watch the poignance of the scene when she meets her boyfriend's family.

Michael Pena plays a type I recognize: young, earnest, prudent, brimming with unsolicited advice. The opposite of stereotypes. T.K. needs to grow up some more, of course. He is so obsessed with his groin injury because without sex, he says, he and his girlfriend have nothing in common. This is an upbeat film, which explains, I suppose, why the shrapnel aftereffects could be cured not by a doctor but by a hooker. If he and his girl have only sex in common, maybe she could have done the healing free lance. Along the way, Pena's T.K. provides a nudging counterpoint.

Tim Robbins' Army lifer is, above all, a decent man, and honest enough to reveal how he received his back injury in less than heroic circumstances. We sense he's been shepherding younger soldiers for most of his career, and now, during his leave, he's doing it again. He is not stupid, but he isn't the brightest bulb in the chandelier. He has a plan to finance his son's college tuition by winning in Vegas. This shows a touching but unwise fatherly love. Because we know how smart and quick Robbins is, it's uncanny how convincing he is as a steady and dependable calming hand.

Movies about the war in Iraq have not been popular -- not even such a good one as "In the Valley of Elah," with its Tommy Lee Jones performance. But as I wrote after seeing "The Lucky Ones" at Toronto, it is not an Iraq war movie. These three characters could be returning home from anywhere, for countless reasons. That might be a weakness in a film that wanted to make a statement about Iraq, but these three good and brave soldiers see the war in personal, not ideological terms; the film clearly focuses on their personalities more than their experiences.

There were some reviews from Toronto that seemed to focus on its departure from some theoretical, serious war film. I believe audiences will be moved by the characters. I was.

***^^^***
You will note that, sadly, nowhere in this thorough review does it mention the cameo (re:extra-ly) appearance by a fabulous St. Louis photographer! Without a doubt I'd have to say it made the film.............. two thumbs up!

No autographs, please! :)

Wednesday, October 01, 2008

Remember the kissin' when the kissin' runs out!

The inevitable is that someday (far, far, far down the road) the kissing might well run out, or at least let up some. Other things creep in, jobs, family, bills, and life. What to do?

Remember the kissing! (Or kissin' in Palinese). As time goes by it seems that married couples look at their photos less and less, and let's face it................... it is easy to forget!

Keep The Bliss:
1. Mom was right, never go to bed angry
2. Keep a date night no matter what you do
3. Remember to keep each other first in your lives
4. Talk about everything, just like you did when you were first dating
5. Look at your wedding album a lot
6. Remember how you felt when you wore that white dress and wedding tux, remember the kissing, the excitement, the person that you fell in love with!
7. "Facing Pillows" notwithstanding, don't expect to fight or to fail

and remember................ on any given day, you can "be right, or be love".

Choose love!