Jenny and Karen

As Jenny's Mom told me last night, "these girls have the most fabulous taste!", and yes ma'am they do! We were so privileged to capture a very special event for two remarkable women--Jenny and Karen. They were celebrating their vows, (which they went away for), with family and friends at the Jewel Box. The gray skies parted about 4 o'clock and the rain left leaving an absolutely beautiful evening. KAREN created their invitation, menu cards and adorable mint tins on the tables, and they were really fantastic. Their theme was yellow and green in such yummy shades that the flowers and decor was eye poppingly gorgeous in the Jewel Box, already dressed up in the pinks and greens of hydrangeas and caladiums. I have to say that the table settings were perhaps the most gorgeous I have ever seen, simply delightful! Their family and friends were treated to an exceptional evening of wonderful passed h'ors d'ouevres and an elegant dinner created by Bryan Young (http://www.cateringplusstlouis.com/). And the flowers? They were unbelievable! I know when you see the photos you will agree! Thetis at Luluthia, what a gift you have! (www.luluthia.com).

What a glorious, fabulous, incredible, gorgeous evening! Thanks to Jenny and Karen for the honor of letting us be a part of such a special event!

Uncommon Threads

photo MO History Museum

We had such a great evening last night! St. Louis Bride held their annual celebration for vendors/clients and others at the Westin St. Louis. It is always a great time to see Ethan and Nancy again, and always a special hug from our rep Dawn, but also to see so many of St. Louis' finest wedding vendors. The perk is of course that you can really chat and enjoy one another outside of working a wedding-- and over cocktails! The Westin's Promenade Ballroom looked great, very high tech and urban, yet soft and comfortable, the provided h'ors d'ouevres were delish; a spicy shrimp skewered with sugar cane served in a square little glass in a puddle of sauce, tempura sushi, various cheeses and fruits and the obligatory crackers. We thoroughly enjoyed ourselves, thanks St. Louis Bride!

I came upon a great opening at the Missouri History Museum last week and wanted to share it with our blog readers. By happenstance, employees of the museum were at the soiree at the Westin last night so now is a good time to tell you about it. Opening on June 17th (and FREE, woo hoo!) is "unCommon Threads" Stories of Missouri Brides. The exhibit is more than dresses and explores the customs of various eras as well as cultural input, the story is told of the women who wore 22 different dresses through the garments and photographs and paintings. One of the stories told is of a black wedding suit. In the 30's it was unfashionable and culturally frowned upon for a married woman to be in the workforce, she took jobs away from men! So this bride was married in a black silk suit and her marriage was kept a secret so that she could continue in her chosen profession. Fascinating stuff---- I can't wait for the exhibit to open in a few weeks, it promises to be outstanding. Check out the Missouri History Museum's website for more deets at http://www.mohistory.org/unCommon_Threads/.

Keep your fingers crossed for the rain to stop, we'll be at a special event this evening and a break in the weather would be much appreciated by the happy couple!

Carrie & Suzie

It rained, dang it but it did! Thank heavens that Carrie and Suzie knew what was important and that was getting married! I have to tell you gentle blog readers, this was THE most incredible ceremony I have ever seen--- and as you can imagine I have seen quite a few. Carrie's lovely bridal bouquet was cinched with the fabric and buttons of her Mother's wedding gown, Suzie's Mother's veil decorated the stairwell leading to the sunken garden, and Carrie's father (who is a Minister) was the officiant. They exchanged vows at the St. Louis Artist's Guild, an incredibly beautiful building that proved to be perfect for this loving couple. There were SO MANY things to note from this wedding but among them was the Unity Candle and their wedding program. The program (photo above) was fabulous and made by some of their friends. The lace fabric on the garments/tops of some of the wedding party was photocopied and used for the cover inset and the page borders---- the staggered pages were topped with vellum and secured with a ribbon---- GORGEOUS! And their Unity Candle celebration was without a doubt my favorite EVER! All of the guests held a small taper and their candles were lit, starting at the back. When the flames reached the center front their Father's lit their candle and then went to light the candles that their Mom's were holding. Then Suzie and Carrie's candles were lit by their Mother's and they lit the individual unity candle. All of this was made extraordinary as Jonathan played the Native American Flute, I have to tell you, it was haunting, beautiful, and mesmerizing. We ended our day with them in the moonlight on the stairs under the arch at Washington University.

Wow, what a day! We are grateful to have been a part of this unique and loving day between two strong, vibrant and wonderful women. I hope you enjoy looking at a selection of photos from their day. Like ALL weddings, it is a union of souls and it is all about the LOVE!

Happy Memorial Day

We all send our best and hope that this Memorial Day finds you able to relax and enjoy friends and family. Remember while you do, the true meaning of Memorial Day and be thankful for your blessings and the lives of those who have given so much.

Carrie and Sergio

With great excitement we welcome Carrie and Sergio to the wedding family at Bobbi Brinkman Photography. We're delighted for many reasons, among them is the fact that Carrie is a doll and we enjoyed getting to know her and her lively Mom as well. Their wedding reception will be another one at Windows, I told you--- we're getting a cot to put in the back room there! :)

The Memorial Day Weekend kicks off today, whatever your plans are-- have a GREAT weekend! Drive safely and enjoy the first big weekend of the summer season. We will be celebrating along with Carrie and Susie and their families this weekend and Tina will welcome her friend Lynn for a visit. With any luck there might be some baby back ribs in the future!

We Love Lunch!

We do love lunch (no secret there!) and most of all we love lunch when we get to touch base with some of our clients at the same time. Today we were able to have lunch with Elizabeth, the famous Mrs. G! She needed to drop by her album agreement and we all needed to eat so it was the perfect lunch appointment. Elizabeth looks absolutely fabulous, not that she didn't before mind you------- but everyone can see that married life is agreeing with her 100%!

It was also really nice to see Tovah this afternoon when we dropped off her completed wedding album (which turned out so beautifully). Married life is settling nicely on her as well, she looks wonderful! I think that they are hoping for a special visit soon, we'll keep you posted!

Looks like a storm is coming, stay dry and take care!

May Wednesday

For a moment I thought it was the last Wednesday in May, and upon checking the calendar I was delighted to see that the time isn't flying by quite as fast as I thought. (Fast enough mind you!)

We were able to photograph Julie and Angelo's engagement session recently and had a really great time with them. Once again I am always so grateful that our couples are so much fun, so cooperative and so happy. Isn't it wonderful to be able to be surrounded by happy and positive people?

I'm laughing that as we hear from brides and grooms, mothers of the bride, sports clients and others today that everyone is talking about Dancing with the Stars or American Idol! What does this say about us? HA! Personally I was a bit miffed that Apolo won on Dancing........... not that he isn't a superb athlete and a very good dancer but c'mon!!!! Joey was all heart, all charisma, and all sparkle. I guess when you think about it, so was Billy Ray and thank heavens he didn't win, sheeeesh! As far as the American Idol finale this evening it caps off a truly roller coaster season. Once they got rid of Sanjaya the focus was on the music and it was wonderfully entertaining! We were all sorry to see Melinda go but I suppose she was not the quintessential "hip" talent. (Not that she won't do very well in the industry). But it all comes down to Blake and Jordin. Blake is certainly different, and win or not will have a contract and a brilliant career ahead of him. Think back to Taylor last season, his difference won him the title. Tonight if the media buzz holds true, Jordin will win all the marbles. We will all see soon enough!

Okay, what do we talk about next.............. hey!!!! Hell's Kitchen starts June 4th and you know how we love Gordon Ramsay!

Have a fabulous day!

Full Plate

It has been a strange and in many ways sad week. We got the news that a friend of ours passed away, she was a young woman---- you can imagine it hit everyone pretty hard not only in the studio but around the St. Louis area. Life is short, and you just never know when your last day will be. It is another reminder to live your very best life, don't leave anything unfinished when it comes to relationships or telling people that you love them, and as we always say-- be a blessing and pass it on. Then I got the call that my cousin's husband was out on the road and was hospitalized for an emergency. He is heavily sedated, on a ventilator, and is not expected to live. The shock of this event was another that really makes you think about what is important (and what isn't). My heart needed the blog images today to be rather 'zen', peaceful and thought provoking-- hope you enjoy them.

We're busy in the studio despite the difficulty of the week, this weekend has us at a private event that should be lots of fun. Then to round things out we're working on a new website that should go live inside a couple of weeks, we're very excited about it and can't wait to share it with you.

Have a great weekend, we appreciate you all!

Be a blessing today and pass it on!

Dancing (revisited)

It's no secret---- we love wedding dances that are one of a kind. The one above on YouTube is just that, a bit corny perhaps but definitely original. Hey--- we are still waiting for Thriller!

Keri & Jeremy

Whew! We are beat, it has been a whirlwind around BBP! We have to dish about Keri and Jeremy's wedding last Saturday however, we had been anxiously awaiting it for some time. The day was absolutely magnificent, low humidity, bright blue sky, not too hot, just about perfect by all accounts. We started out at the Millenium with arguably one of the best views of the arch in St. Louis. From there the couple exchanged vows at the Old Cathedral, the Priest was Keri's cousin which made it very special. Then after a lot of fun (and a VERY hot, un-airconditioned limo--- remember my blog rants!) at different locations around St. Louis with a mellow and happy couple despite the a/c, we ended up at the Lemp Grand Hall. What a WONDERFUL location for a reception. The venue looked absolutely GREAT, and the large outdoor patio was very much enjoyed by all. The food was excellent, the staff attentive, we are looking forward to being back soon! Thanks Keri and Jeremy it was an honor to photograph your wedding with "Images from the Heart..."

Congratulations Danielle!

We all send out our congratulations to Danielle upon her graduation from the University of Missouri, St. Louis with honors in a Bachelor of Science in Elementary Education. It was the culmination of a long dream! She has worked very hard for her degree and everyone who knows her has no doubt that she will not only become an excellent teacher but that she will be the living example of passing along a blessing-- every day. What lucky students she will have!
Of course it means that we will have her around the studio a lot less and that makes us sad, okay in a funk if the truth be told! Now on to the next project of finding the perfect place to begin her career in teaching! Please, Please notice those shoes! Nell always has great shoes (oh to be young again) but I think that her grad shoes were so fabulous they will be hard to beat for any occasion! She was inspired by Anastasia at a recent wedding and she's now taken the Special Occasion Shoe to a new level. Personally, we don't know how she walked in those babies, they made stiletto heels look like flats! But of course, as all shoes go--- comfort and walkability is really second only to how completely fabulous they look. And they did!

Happy Mother's Day!

Happy Mother's Day to all of the Mom's....... especially ours!

We had a great time at Keri and Jeremy's wedding yesterday it was absolutely fabulous! But today we are all spending time at Danielle's college graduation and time with the Mom's in our lives!

Thanks Mom's!!

Sun Drenched Saturday

This Saturday is a brilliant, sun drenched day--- no threat of rain or storms! It will be a perfect backdrop for the wedding of Keri and Jeremy!

The strawberries are ready for picking, we know quite a few of you will be venturing over to Belleville to fill your baskets---- have a great time!

Thankfully, the weather is going to be just as delightful tomorrow for Mother's Day, or so the weathermen say!

Transportation Refresher

Okay............... it is time once again for my semi-annual rant and rave about bridal party transportation. There are a LOT of choices out there, some are very good and some are very bad. We don't have a preferred vendor list for nothing folks, there really IS a reason behind our choices. Bad transportation vendors might not know their way around town very well, have limos and buses that break down, they have been known not to keep gas in their vehicles, the air conditioning may not work, the drivers are rude, or sometimes even worse things than this. I urge you, beseech you, beg and plead with you---- CHOOSE CAREFULLY! We realize that weddings have a budget, however skimping on the limo is not the best place to take the least expensive vendor.

Limo? Party Bus? Trolley? Auto? Hummer? The choices are many. We're happy to give you our list of preferred vendors------ As my gramma used to say "don't be penny-wise and pound-foolish"!

Tomorrow is the much anticipated wedding of Keri and Jeremy, we can't wait! This couple lives in Nashville Tennessee and have been a lot of fun to work with up to this point. I'm sure that their wedding will be truly beautiful.

Have a fantastic Friday!

Hold up!

It never fails, take one wedding party on location, add in a limo with a cooler full of adult beverages and a couple hours to have fun around town. What happens is that somewhere along the way (usually sooner than later) is that photographs must stop for a Potty Break. Refer back to adult beverages, usually consumed with mad abandon--- after all being part of a wedding party does give one some extra license to party! The girls, more than likely wearing long dresses, require a special stop involving indoor plumbing--- you know, the necessities of life. Unfortunately it takes some planning to find a place with such facilities and when we stop it can take a bit of time to get everyone's comfort accommodated. Now guys........ they just don't require the same effort at all! 9 times out of 10 we find that the men in a wedding party, ---well they wander off. Into wooded areas (with any luck) or locations that have some measure of privacy. It is a known fact that men pee anywhere. Anytime. It is a case in point that they actually seem to enjoy the opportunity to seek relief outdoors, perhaps it takes them back to a time when they were kids! Then it always happens that a running commentary ensues from the women in the bridal party that they find it unfair that they are genetically predisposed to seek comfort indoors, at least while wearing a long gown and heels! What they do on their own time is a subject best not discussed, at least by us!

It just goes without saying, follow your Mother's Advice: Go to the bathroom before getting dressed in the church (and this especially goes for brides) and make sure that when you are in the vicinity of facilities--- use them while the opportunity is good. Mom always knew best!

Wedding Planning

Do YOU need a wedding planner???
It always comes up... do we need a wedding planner? And the answer is as unique as the bride and groom themselves. Because a good wedding planner has different levels of service, we believe that almost everyone can benefit from using them in some capacity. Their expertise can be invaluable. We recently had a conversation with our favorite wedding planner, Christy Ricker of All Dressed in White in order to get our brides the 411. (www.alldressedinwhite.net)

When people ask “Why do I need a wedding planner” or “do you think I need a wedding planner” the answer is yes! No one close to you or yourself should have to worry if the flowers show up on time or if a troubled groomsmen has lost his way. There is so much more than walking down the aisle and saying “I Do”. I wish it was that simple.

Many brides and families do not realize that there are so many “behind the scenes” things happening days before the bells chime and the clock finally strikes midnight. There is follow-up with vendors, organizing out-of-town-guests, making sure venues are properly set-up, just to name a few. No one can be in two places at once, therefore, All Dressed In White, hires only the best assistants to make sure every angle of the day is accounted.

All Dressed In White can help with “Day Of” planning, where we just take your hard work and implement it at the rehearsal, ceremony, and reception. We follow-up with vendors, time-lines, and the total set-up.

Other brides may need just a little more help with vendors, etiquette, invitations, and designs, while other brides do not even live in St. Louis. These brides are the “Complete Bride” package, and nothing is left undone. We never watch a clock to see how many hours you use. All Dressed In White is here for you from now until you say “I Do” We will even customize packages to fit any bride and budget. We know the trendiest spots, newest designs and lighting, and the greatest vendors St. Louis has to offer. Let us help give you a night that no guest will ever forget.
From Christy and the staff at All Dressed In White, We wish you the best!

So there you have it. Wedding planning is not for weaklings (as any bride can tell you)! You may need planning from start to finish, or you may just need a planner there on your day only to help run things smoothly. Perhaps you are one of those uber organized brides that can handle it all by herself. Whatever you choose, we tip our hats to you---- we will appreciate each and every facet of your plans, details, hard work and dreams come true!

To Carb or not to Carb.....

Every bride wants to look her absolute best on her wedding day, and all of our brides are absolutely radiant! In the thick of wedding season we hear (a lot) about how our brides (and a few of our grooms) are doing that horrible thing........... you know......... DIETING! Ugh! I'm nosy, I always ask, so tell me, what are you doing? Weight Watchers, South Beach, Jenny Craig (thanks to Kirstie Alley, Jenny Craig is suddenly chic), low carb, no carb...... what particular form of food torture are you doing? I've been keeping tabs, well- rather unofficially, and it seems to break down to those dreaded CARBS. Most of our brides that are trying to lose a few pounds are limiting carbohydrates. Oh how the pasta, the bread, the rice, the potatoes are missed, so true! How can this be easier to bear? I'm not sure there is an answer, at least an easy one and I haven't heard one from you either, it is just that the lack of carbs in diets are truly missed!

For those of you that have a craving on your dinner plate where a nice carb used to be I have a recipe to share with you, -----give it a try even if you aren't on a diet--- it is good!

Zucchini Browns

On a box grater (really, a box grater, don't bother hauling out the Cuisinart), for EVERY serving grate 1 medium zucchini. Sprinkle the shreds with a bit of salt and let sit for 15 minutes or so. Then squeeze out the extra moisture in a paper towel and place the now drier zucchini in a bowl.

then add (again for every serving you are making)

• add one beaten egg (two servings = two eggs)
  
• 1 Tbs. minced red onion
• 1/4 cup of parmesan cheese (check the label for no starch or fillers added)
• kosher salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

On a lightly oiled grill, form patties from the zucchini mixture. When browned flip over. Can be served with an additional parmesan cheese or even a small dollop of sour cream. If you are no-carbing it, these patties can be used as you would bread....... put a slice of good ham or turkey and cheese between two and enjoy, or melt with cheese.

Zucchini 'bread' Croque Madame

2 zucchini patties, cooked
4 slices ham or turkey
2 slice swiss cheese
no carb cheese sauce*
poached egg

Assemble by layering meats and cheese on a zucchini patty. Top with no carb cheese sauce and broil until the sauce is bubbly. Top with a poached egg for a true Croque Madame. FABULOUS!

*no carb cheese sauce
1 cup heavy cream (there are some benefits to no carbs!)
1 cup shredded sharp cheddar
Microwave cheese and cream for 1-2 minutes until cheese is thoroughly melted


Enjoy!

Anastasia & Greg

After all of the rain, rain and more rain we've had lately, we were happy to put up with the good old St. Louis humidity last Saturday when Anastasia and Greg were married. The sun was out and it was just glorious! The bride could not have been more beautiful and the groom was handsome and smiling,it was hard to beat! The wedding party was a lot of fun as well, right down to the adorable flower girl and ring bearer (I even got a hug after the ceremony!). Danielle who always combs the wedding for ideas she can steal, er borrow..... found two great components that she says she will be using when she gets married. (Let's get her graduated from college first, shall we?)

This Monday morning is bright and sunny--- enjoy it and have a great week!

Happy Cinco de Mayo

Happy Cinco de Mayo indeed! While many of you are enjoying margaritas and Mexican food, attending parties and festivals, and perhaps generally having a great goof off Saturday--- we will (very happily) be photographing Anastasia and Greg's wedding. The weather may be a little gray and cloudy today but I know that this wedding couple will be bright and sunny!

In the spirit of this Cinco de Mayo we're sharing a yummy recipe for a cocktail!

Watermelon Mango Margarita
2 cups watermelon, cut into cubes and remove seeds
1 ripe mango, remove the flesh and cube
Juice of 2 fresh limes
2 tablespoons sugar
2 tablespoon triple sec
3 jiggers tequila--- use a GOOD brand
2 cups ice

With all of the ingredients in a blender, whirr away until mixed and frothy.

Will make two watermelon mango margaritas but you might not want to share!

Where in the world is BBP?

Where in the world indeed? Have you been enjoying the annual "Where in the World is Matt Lauer" series on the Today Show? It has been great to watch (isn't TiVo grand?) and as I'm a veteran traveler, I love to watch the locations. Dubai was fascinating and I want to go, although I will admit that it doesn't sound like an easy location to get to! While I am more than happy to vacation in Hawaii (or Italy) I have to tell you that Matt always whets my appetite for travel that is exotic. The final installment of WITWIML (and I know people who have downloaded the ringer from www.TodayShow.com and have it on their cell phones!) today showed Matt Lauer dancing with Dancing Matt of uTube fame and glory. Now that is a gig and a half. Take a year off and travel the world taking photos and dancing, I'm sure the bugger is working on a book deal and will soon be residing full time in that fab little Hawaiian condo where I only get to sporadically! Anyway, if you missed it, the video clip is on the Today Show site, check it out it is rather entertaining--- even though we all know I am easily amused.

The photos above? Where ARE they taken? Any guesses. Photo A and Photo B are different locations, do you know? I can tell you it is not my condo on Kauai nor is it Dubai!

Tomorrow we will be capturing the wedding of Anastasia and Greg--- we've been looking forward to it and know it will be gorgeous! Her wedding invitations are just phenominal, the color is a rather metallic blue, not robins egg, not marine, just a wonderful color. Mum is coming in from England so she has done a bit of the where in the world gig herself!

BBP Telethon

Well it just has to be official----- it just HAS to be! The time has come to broaden our scope of charitable opportunities and reach out to someone really and truly in need. Really. Truly. What in the world are we talking about? The BBP Telethon! Here are the details:

Danielle, our incredibly talented and personable second shooter is graduating from college with her degree in Elementary Education on May 13th (woo hoo!). The BBP telethon doesn't have anything to do with her education (although please do send her your best wishes) but her future plans. Our dear Nell has always placed Windows On Washington as her favorite reception location. After our wedding there last weekend she said once again that she is definitely going to have her celebration there. Now we won't even discuss that Nell doesn't have a serious gentleman caller at the moment----- much less a wedding date in mind. But Danielle is a woman who stubbornly clings to What She Wants. The problem? Last Saturday she found out just exactly what sort of financial contribution WOW wishes in order to host a wedding reception. Picture what happened next (if you will), it had been a long day and we were tired, hungry and well......... tired. We all started laughing and making jokes and that is when we decided that we'd just host a BBP Telethon for Danielle's Wedding Reception at Windows. Heck, I figure that we can either impose a surcharge on all our weddings (surely that couldn't be misconstrued?) or perhaps have a place on the web to send contributions! Come one, come all, send your spare change, your dollars, your investments, your checks, money orders and the like------ let's start that fund now for Nell's Reception! Should I start a Bank Account? Call a Broker? Maybe ask Windows directly if we can Start A Fund?????

On a more serious note (if that is possible) you must realize that it is going to be very difficult for Danielle to get married in St. Louis. Not that finding a young man will be the problem, as those of you who know her are well aware, she is a gorgeous and intelligent woman. No, Danielle has seen many, many weddings during her time shooting with Bobbi Brinkman Photography. And, no surprise, she loves all of the most gorgeous, most unique and most elaborate of things that we have seen over the years. I think if she were planning her wedding today she could tell you without any second thought or pause where she would look for her gown and exactly what it would look like, the church to take her vows in, the locations she would have to be photographed in (down to the golf cart), and where to hold her reception (Windows, of course!). She would be an excellent wedding planner because she has collected so many great ideas over the years, things to do and things to avoid.

Alright............ we'll just sit back and let the enormous floodgates of contributions open!!!! :)

Beauty at the Basin

When Jodi and Derek exchanged vows last Saturday at the Grand Basin it was a simply spectacular spring day! (Say that fast a few times!) The bride's was lovely in her beautiful gown, the groom handsome and expectant in his extraordinary duds, the bridal party was a delight to work with, and even the sky cooperated. The brilliant blue sky contributed to the day by showing off fat puffy white clouds, and the temperature was near perfect! We thoroughly enjoyed our day and express thanks to everyone! The evening brought us all to Windows Off Washington, the reception was lovely and it is always such a treat to hear the bride say "I am having the BEST time!"----- hey.......... that is what it is all about after all, the culmination of all of your hard work and planning, enjoy it! I'm pretty sure that there was always a bridal presence on the dance floor where Luke from TKO DJ's kept the party on it's feet.

A special shout out to Ken Jones, the limo driver at Cardinal Limo. We hadn't had the opportunity to work with him before and it was a fantastic experience. Ken is not only the consummate professional but a really great guy, super interesting and just a 'good guy'.