Shattered Dreams

Our dreams are the biggest parts of us, they drive us and inspire us causing goals to be reached and satisfaction becomes the end result. Some of our dreams have been with us for a very long time, sometimes going back to our youth or young adulthood. Here at Bobbi Brinkman Photography we take your dreams seriously, it is always our desire to hear your vision for your special day so that we can in any way possible help to achieve them, to bring your dreams to fruition. Our clients, to include our brides, are our passion---- their dreams are ours. As all of our clients know, one of the things that sets us apart is that we really fight for you---- we believe that you deserve the best and do everything possible to make sure that you receive those things.

We had planned to announce with great excitement that one of our weddings was featured as a "Real Wedding" in St. Louis Bride Magazine in the most recent issue with the edgy cover (shot by friends and fellow photographers Diane and Coby from CMAX). Our excitement has dimmed greatly because the dreams of our featured bride were smashed to bits. You see, Katie had always wanted to be in the pages of St. Louis Bride, she even wrote the editor a letter to that effect, about how since the magazine first came out she saw herself there in all her glory, the glossy magazine pages reflecting the beauty of her once in a lifetime day. Her wedding day last December was absolutely exquisite! Not only was Katie gorgeous in her phenominal gown and veil (which I blogged at the time was the most beautiful veil I have ever seen) and her carefully chosen vendors helped her and her wonderful family create the wedding of her dreams. The only remaining part of the dream to be realized was to be selected to be 'in' St. Louis Bride. We were very excited to have learned some months ago that Katie and her husband Jordan's wedding was going to be in the magazine and she was absolutely thrilled. All of us waited for the magazine to come out with baited breath. Katie's wedding was actually in 'hot demand'! There were other magazines that wanted it as well as a local wedding feature in an influential local newspaper. Katie spoke to the Editor at St. Louis Bride and it was her decision not to be in any of the other publications so as not to jeopardize her placement with St. Louis Bride. What a horrible shame that this decision was in favor of a magazine that treated her badly.

The magazine was just released and the bubble burst very quickly. Katie's dreams have been shattered. As the 'mama figure' in the BBP Studio, and one who fights like youknowwhat for my brides---- I am six ways of angry. (Those of you who know me, know that this is not my exact phrase but the slight alteration makes it fit for print).

Katie's magazines were delivered to her place of business, actually to the 'head honcho' of advertising and taken to her office by him. She was distressed, deflated and crushed to see that those things she had been led to believe were going to be in the magazine were not. Not even close. I can't even tell you how distraught she was and how wrenching it was to hear her tears.

The two page spread had become a single page, the story is incorrect and the photos are not what were printed as submitted -- AND the iconic and breathtaking veil shot was cropped so you can't even see the spectacular veil and it's lavish embroidery. We love our vendors, and Katie's vendors were exceptional, however I think the photo of the enormous cake and the gigantic table gift/favor were a bit overkill if they knew they were going to cut back so tremendously on the size of the spread. Just my opinion.


The photo below is the photo that SHOULD have run. Big difference, yes? LOOK at that gorgeous veil? The top----- pretty much standard illusion at the point where it was hacked off in the magazine----- the hem of that very long swath of confection? Amazingly, incredibly, over the top beautiful! Even the bridal salon at Neiman Marcus said that they had never seen a veil as magnificent.


The footer lists two bakeries and while Truffe's is an excellent resource that we love and DO send our brides to, Katie cake was artfully created by Sugaree. Naturally she was also very upset that the magazine could not get the information correct.

Sweet Katie was also geniunely concerned that the photos that were printed in the story were not accurate as far as their color or quality. She said that her bridesmaids even commented that they looked like they looked like they had bad spray on tans. That same image printed, framed in her office, that she purchased from BBP is night and day different. She was worried that the images in the magazine might somehow reflect poorly on the quality of work done here at BBP! (Note: The print quality in our ad does not reflect the ad as created and submitted--there is no 'pop' at all! I won't even go into details at the moment!)

The most important thing to Katie and to us is that they (and everyone) are treated with consideration and respect. Katie feels 1000% that when she called the Editor at St. Louis Bride Magazine, her concerns and disappointment fell on deaf ears. She feels that the magazine just didn't really care. The final crushing blow to a long anticipated dream!

I'm sad. Isn't it a terrible thing not just that dreams were shattered for Katie but that she feels that there is nothing that can be done? That no one wanted even to try to rectify this horrible situation, a situation that could have been solved initially with care and handling. Katie never received a proof of the article they planned to run. As she says, she would have been able to have corrected the copy and to have suggested that the story they would run would be about her wedding day, her shining moment and not the story they ran that focused on their engagement. She would also have been able to tell them that their footer doubled up on the wedding cake. It is NOT as the magazine would have them do--- merely accept the fact that it makes it look as if they had two wedding cakes.

I'm sorry Katie and Jordan, as well as your families. I'm sorry that a local magazine---- one that always touts itself as the best of the best fell well short of the mark. I'm sorry that this last piece of your dream wedding, to be featured in St. Louis Bride was tarnished. Your wedding was absolutely beautiful, know that to be true. The fact that your vendors were wonderful and every detail was well planned and delivered is something that all of us know. It is beyond unfortunate that things happened this way! We send you the very biggest hugs and I'm sure that all of our blog readers do as well.

I'll close by saying that I will share some of the gorgeous engagement photos taken of Mary Beth and Matt while we were with them at the lake at a later date------ but today I felt honor bound to talk about Katie, especially in light of her phone calls about all of these things.