Happy Halloween!

Happy Halloween!

May your day be a celebration of FUN and SWEET surprises!

So enough of the inquiries as to why the blog entries took a brief hiatus! Although it is nice to know our readers are out there! Tina (who most of you know does the blog) was stung by a bee last weekend--- that little bug(ger) got her in the neck. Ouch indeed. To make matters worse she's allergic to all such beasties and didn't have her Epi-Pen with her when the sting happened. So, long story short is that it's been a rough road with a bit of down time involved. (Tina says "I love honey but I hate bees!") ...............Not very Zen of her eh?

Have a great Halloween! Here's hoping that you have a chance to give candy to a kid in costume, enjoy a great Fall day, and that you might find a nibble or two of a special treat for yourselves!

boo!

Cristina and Kenneth

Welcome Cristina and Kenneth! We are so pleased to have you as members of the family! Christina and Kenneth are planning a fall wedding at the Basilica in the Central West End and a reception at Kemoll's---- it will be a gorgeous day! Having met Mom and Grandma we can also tell that it will be a day of family, and fun and much happiness! We are looking forward to it and you know how time goes, it will be here before we know it.

More rain, more gray skies, more chilly weather. I don't want to hear the weather mavens saying one more word about being below normal on the rainfall! Stay warm, stay dry and keep a sunny outlook.

Most importantly GO CARDS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Do I hear Reindeer?

It is absolutely impossible to believe that the Holiday Season is almost upon us! I think that I might even hear reindeer! While all of us at BBP have been very, very good this year we can only hope that our wonderful clients can say the same! :)

The holiday set is soon to go up and we are getting ready to see so many of our favorite families here at the studio or in their own homes for photos in their finery. One of the absolute highlights of the year is to see everyone again, chit chat and catch up, and have the honor of creating those cool custom cards that everyone loves so much.

So call us! We might even have cookies! Eggnog! Did someone say fudge? We can't wait to see you!

Elizabeth and Mike

The only thing more captivating than the Shrine of St. Joseph last Saturday was the bride and groom Elizabeth and Mike. Their path to marry was less than easy, but they did persevere with faith and love and are now very happily wed. We had such a great time with this wonderful couple during the day and enjoyed their reception on The Hill as well. What a special day of celebration!

Tina is busy giving the Blog a bit of a refresher today--- gotta' love Blogger! We're also sending out the info for the Holiday 2006 Set and Portrait Info this week, the new set this year is sure to please and make the kids and families sparkle!

It is gray and rainy in St. Louis today and the game may not be played----- we will keep our fingers crossed and say GO CARDS!

Can you be too busy?

Can you be too busy indeed! Between family portraits (which have been great) and engagement photos (which are always fun)--- and weddings. Let's just say that we are just that, busy busy busy.

We got to meet Baby Tim on Sunday, the little guy is the son of Lori and Tim who are favorite past wedding clients. Lori and Tim own bragging rights to the most exotic honeymoon destination--- Tahiti. They stayed there for two glorious weeks and came home with a fantastic and unique souvenier, Baby Tim! He is an absolutely adorable little guy, the cutest dude ever!

The Today Show says that they sell 300,000 boxes of Pampers every day in America~ that is a LOT of diapers, and only one brand! I think our previous wedding clients are helping to up that ante................... who will be next?????????

Michelle and Mike

Michelle and Mike came to us as many of our brides do........ old friends, wonderful clients, and recent brides. Well, Michelle and Mike were sort of a combo of all of the above. Regardless how they arrived, we are really excited that they are part of the family! We can always tell ahead of time the 'personality' of a wedding and this one? Let's just say that we have every confidence that it will be romantic, fun, and that the bride and groom and families will be lots of fun to work with.

Lucky we are to be able to do what we love with people we have a great time with! Tomorrow is no exception as we will be capturing the wedding of Elizabeth and Mike. We have looked forward to their once in a lifetime event for a long time-- although no more than they have. This one promises to be very special as the road to their vows has had quite a few unplanned and sometimes scary twists and turns. We are keeping our fingers crossed for sunshine and great weather as we bring "Images from the Heart..." to life. That tagline will hold a very special meaning to Elizabeth and Mike for sure.

Have a great Friday! We finally have some sunshine here in St. Louis although the air is still a bit brisk. Not nearly as brisk as our engagement sessions were yesterday in the park---- 40 degrees in the middle of October, sheesh!

Teresa & Pierre

Pierre is a small town boy from a place in Minnesota so far north is is practically Canada and Teresa is a lovely young woman from Missouri, a very sweet couple that came to us from our favorite wedding planner "All Dressed in White". We are so excited to be able to welcome them to the wedding family and capture their special day with "Images from the Heart..." The icing on the cake is that we are able to work with Christy again, and that is a true pleasure.

Happy to have you aboard Teresa and Pierre, I'm sure we will enjoy a great relationship for years to come!

Rockin' Robyn

Last Saturday had us at the Marriott West with Robyn and Mark and their friends and family, all celebrating with the very happy newlyweds. We always love to shoot a wedding when the couple is so blissfully and obviously in love (and sadly, no this is not a given)--- and Robyn and mark certainly were. One of the highlights was the Father Bride dance. I have to say, it was the first time EVER to hear this song played and no amount of guessing or wagering could have brought us to the point where we would have had that collective 'aha' moment where we just knew what their song would be. It was "Rockin' Robin"--- that fun rock classic sometimes heard at wedding receptions but never (to us anyway) for this most auspicious dance. Robyn and her Dad really cut a rug, all smiles and such beaming happiness, WOW! It was great. We understand that Robyn and Mark are going to Hawaii on their honeymoon, bet they are quite happy they didn't leave the day after their wedding because of course the 6.6 magnitude earthquake hit the Big Island. The power was restored in about 18 hours and all seems well. By the time they arrive there should be a cool drink with an umbrella in it and maybe an order of sushi and chicken katsu as well. Aloha to Robyn & Mark, definitely a fantastic couple!

Thanks to all of the brides and grooms (and Mom's and Dad's in the mix) that we met at the Marriott on Sunday at the bridal show. Despite the gray and drizzly skies, and the abundance of people it was a great show. We talked ourselves hoarse as usual, but really enjoyed meeting everyone. We are looking forward to seeing you in the Studio, it will definitely be quieter and more relaxing to discuss your wedding vision.

Wedding Show

See you at the wedding show at the Marriott Airport, St. Louis BestBridal always does a great job putting together a mix of vendors. Today rumor has it that there will be h'ors d'oeuvres and beverages, can't go wrong with that! It might even lure a fiance or two away from the football game this afternoon! (Or maybe not!)

Have a fantastic Sunday!

Finally Friday

All of our brides today said------ "Yeaaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhhhh, it is finally Friday!" And they all sigh, and then quickly say---- "oh, but you don't have weekends like the rest of us!" And yes ma'am, that is a fact!

Tomorrow has us photographing Mark and Robyn's wedding, the weather sounds as if it will be absolutely delightful! We're really looking forward to it.

Sunday, we will be at the St. Louis Best Bridal wedding show at the Airport Marriott. If you are going, please stop by and say hello! I'm sure it will be very busy but we'd love to see you.

Whatever you are doing for fun this weekend, have a great one! Enjoy!

Stats

Here at BBP we do more than wedding photography, although weddings do increasingly make up the lion's share of the business for sure. But last night, while the staff was gathered at a 'see and be seen event' in St. Louis, someone asked a question that sparked some interesting conversation and thinking. "If half of every wedding will end up in divorce, isn't it depressing to photograph them?" Wow. Of course we are aware of the national statistic, depressing to consider, that one of every two marriages will end, but we don't give that a minutes thought when we are photographing a wedding, the first day in the joined lives of a couple. Well almost never. You see, we are quite lucky! In thinking about it, and actually grabbing a dinner napkin sometime after the event and scribbling down recent names-- our numbers as the collective wedding family are far higher. Of course, this made for a lot of laughter as we thought of possible advertising slogans, "What we click will stick"................. or "better wed than dread". We do know of several marriages that sadly did not survive for various reasons, but for the most part our couples are still in love and building happy families. That is simply quite remarkable! We tip our hat and offer wild applause!

No, we have nothing to do with the longevity of a wedding--- of course not. But we do consider it a blessing to know and be a part of so many working marriages. We'll keep on photographing weddings keeping our fingers crossed that the trend holds. Don't watch for the ad anytime soon that says "Weddings we shoot don't go kaput!" :)

It is the first cold day in St. Louis, here's hoping you have your love to keep you warm!

Take a Seat

The invitations are sent. Right on time thank you Emily Post and all the rest of the Manners Mavens! The endless preparations have been done, the groom is ready and in place with his men, the bride has arrived resplendent in her glory--- is it time yet?

Maybe.

Please allow us just a moment to vent a bit, one of our largest pet peeves (and yes, why we do have a few)--- is wedding latecomers.

You the bride and groom sent your invitations some time ago--- I mean they didn't arrive yesterday. Your guests have known what time you were getting married with enough time to calendar your event, and allow plenty of time to get there. Even if they have to MapQuest it and we KNOW our brides and grooms, they send lots of directions and details along with the invitation. Stuff happens, life intervenes---- they are going to a wedding, you would think that there would be plenty of time built in for anything that might arise. So, the guests are ready and waiting, the musicians have begun playing and the groom is at the head of the church nervously waiting his gorgeous bride. Mom might even already be sniffling! The aisle runner is down, it is almost time to go! What happens at almost every wedding? Of course, someone is late. They come waltzing in as if it is their day for heaven's sake---- and want to walk right down the aisle and take a seat.

Amazing! Perhaps they have never attended a wedding before and don't know that being late is just stupid rude................. or maybe they think the world revolves around them. Which we all know it doesn't but that is besides the point don't you think?

Let it be known, we are absolute junkyard dogs about guarding the aisle once the ceremony has begun. These people will not be seated until after the bride has gone down the aisle to meet her handsome groom and the photographs have been taken of this momentous event. Our latecomers are then instructed to take a side aisle (if available) down and sit quietly-- in the back. They don't always like us, but we don't much care about that. What we insist on is that every bride is respected, and that the once in a lifetime day of a wedding couple and their families is as protected as possible.

So, start telling your friends------------ come early, and take a seat!

Katie and Jordan

We are thrilled to be able to officially welcome Katie and Jordan to the wedding family at Bobbi Brinkman Photography! Katie's brother and sister-in-law are one of our very favorite bride and grooms and we get tickled to be able to be able to photograph the wedding of one of their family members. Katie is adorable---- and her family is really wonderful as well. Woo Hoo............

Now Katie, you know we are bound by oath not to tell Jeff and Jonna that we might have a new favorite bride on the horizon---- they might not appreciate that!

Haul out your coats

I suppose we should not be surprised that it is time to find the coats and sweaters from last winter, the weather here in St. Louis has been wildly unpredictable this summer so why should things be different? But there are significant signs that the really nice days might be drawing to an end. By the middle of the week the weatherman is calling for 30's and 40's for lows, with the "s" word even mentioned to the north. (Seems too early to think about that but who knows?) When the yard across the street from Bobbi's house is sporting a large Halloween village of inflatables and the windows of that house are sparkling with spooky holiday decor--- every store in town has their candy picked over--- and we are working with some of our favorite families on the fall family portraits I guess it must be a fact............ winter can't be far behind. One of the people in the bridal party from the wedding last Saturday even knew exactly how many days it is until Christmas! THAT, is just going too far!

Of course Molly and Jason (of Today Show fame) are off to New Zealand on their posh honeymoon. Is it spring there? Or fall? 50's and 60's whatever season that translates to.

Have a great Monday! Get out your woolies just in case!

Wedding Weekend

Another wedding weekend! Today we have the joy of capturing the special day of Deana and Eric--- and you couldn't ask for a more beautiful day!

Whether you are attending a wedding today, (for our photographer friends) shooting a wedding today, or just enjoying a day off------ have a great day!

The Wrong One

It happened AGAIN yesterday, our least favorite thing as wedding photographers. Actually we get the call at least twice a month-- sometimes more in the peak of wedding season, and it breaks our hearts. Brides or grooms call the studio and tell the same sad story; their wedding is a couple of weeks away and they discover that despite their careful planning they do not have a photographer to capture their very special day. It could be for a lot of reasons but the bottom line is that they are left standing in the lurch and in high panic mode. Sometimes we can help them as we are available on their day, but more often than not we have been booked for some time as are all of the reputable photographers we know. It is a horrible situation to be in!

What can be done to minimize the likelihood of this happening to your wedding? A few steps can increase the odds in your favor:

When you initially choose your photographer know her/his reputation. How long have they been in business? Are they brick and mortar or just a 'click' studio? Do you know who will be doing your photography if you are with a large multi-photographer company? What happens if the photographer on your contract is not available? Read your contract and understand it thoroughly (it always amazes us that people don't have an idea what it says). When you choose a photographer consider more than price! Frequently when a bride comes back to us we hear one thing------- "You were out of my price range when I looked at photographers". The saddest of all things to hear believe me because this bride who is now without a wedding photographer and is coming back to us found that we might have stretched her budget at first thought. No matter that they loved our style or professionalism, our reputation or personality. Now, in the clear light of day facing a tragedy the old adage 'you get what you pay for' couldn't be more true. Be cautious, don't choose entirely with your pocketbook, and select wisely.

Wow--------- that goes for a lot of things now doesn't it?

Suddenly Season

No doubt about it fall has arrived! You can't necessarily tell by the weather (although today happens to be a fine example) or by the coloring leaves on the trees. At BBP fall means engagement sessions galore! Most of the members of our wedding family with dates coming up next spring and summer choose to have their engagement portraits done in the fall, and we are jam packed with yet to be weds. It is always a great time to photograph the giggly planning stages happiness that comes with an engagement session and lots of fun to get caught up with our favorite couples, there is always something new to hear about.

We're still a little cranky about the whole Molly and Jason thing on the Today Show. Of course America--- we all collectively love a great wedding, no doubt about it. So far fairly decent choices have been made for the details leading to the wedding of this couple from California, but lately we've been thinking about the couple themselves. It stands to reason that they are very nice, sweet, upstanding citizens but for Pete's sake they are pushing 40 years old and both have very successful careers, he owns a studio location equipment company and she is a mortgage banker. What happened to giving a chance to some fresh young kids that need the leg up? Why, the whole thing is almost as disconcerting as knowing that Jerry Springer remains on Dancing With The Stars while Vivica Fox was given the pointy toed dancing shoe! We as Americans don't always really think about it, now do we?

Enjoy this great fall day in St. Louis----- who knows those awful 90 day spells of weather might not have left us yet!

Wedding Trans

'Wedding Trans' can be a leading title bar.................... for the purpose of today's blog entry, what we mean by that is transportation. It's funny, wedding couples choose a variety of different modes of transportation to get to the church from home, get to location photography venues from the ceremony, or to get to the reception from either. Naturally in over 25 years we have seen it all (or nearly so)! The favorite choices in St. Louis are traditional limo, trolley, party bus, the groom's personally restored wheels, or luxury auto-- we've even seen married teachers getting around in a school bus! Lately we've ridden on and followed a seemingly growing part of a disturbing trend, Transportation From Hell!!!! By that I mean limos that have horrible air conditioning, drivers that are complete idiots, and safety precautions being thrown out the window. (Try following a huge limo carrying the entire bridal party and one photographer down the highway going 85 miles an hour!), horrible stuff. While we get irritated, angry-- especially when we get stuck at yet another light when following behind a bozo who insists on driving through one more dead red light--- cuss and fuss and find ourselves cranky, we are mostly just amazed. We are thinking that when we are retained by a bride and groom we need to say 'use X Limo' or the deal is off! That of course is rash, and would never actually happen--- but it should! The bottom line is that we have a lot of experience and know what makes your day truly exceptional in every detail. ASK for suggestions for your vendors and take our suggestions. Please. We have a couple favorite vendors who are wonderful, tried and true, folks who are professional and who really do everything to insure that the day is as nice as can be. Our list is longer for those we strongly suggest you don't use!

Now.............................. get out there and drive safely!

Hair Hair Hair

Hair Hair Hair............... or hardeharhar? Sorry---- but just seeing the image above makes us a little silly. The topic around the studio the past couple of weeks has been the upcoming Today Wedding, you know the deal- right?? Couples vie to be chosen to win a nationally televised wedding on the Today Show and the viewing audience gets to choose not only who will marry but their wedding wear, rings, cake, and even brides hairdo. Our new favorite wedding blog (hilarious) is talking about this today too---- who knew! So timely are we at BBP! :)

You know we shout it from the rooftops, HAIR SHOULD BE YOU-YOU-YOU!!!!!!!! No one wants to look like the Bride of Frankenstein on her wedding day, after all the photographs will record how you look for all time. Don't scare your grandkids! On the Today Show today their hairdresser Louis Licari was on showcasing the bridal hair selections to be voted on, for the most part they were all very nice. Mr. Licari said that the bride should look like herself, and we all agree completely. However, of the four hairstyles presented, one- the 'Romantic' did have a hairpiece on the top of the head. If a bride routinely wears a hairpiece that is great.................... but most don't after all! We're all voting for the 'Elegant' and pulling for Molly not to have to wear drugstore hair on her wedding day!!! Of course, you can vote too! It is America after all, http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/15000205/ is the URL. Just trot over there today and vote for Molly's hair.

No doubt you have nothing better to do.....................................