With Rings You Get Custard

Have you seen the latest Southwest Bank commercial? Of course you have, the one with the Southwest Bank guy at Ted Drewes? The bank guy is somewhat of an institution around town, the commercials are always interesting and feature different STL landmarks and hometown folks.

At the recent wedding of Dana and Roberto, at a necessary stop for the bride and groom to enjoy their favorite local custard tradition, we ran into the taping of a commercial for the bank. The commercial being taped was actually the one you see on television now! Dana is from STL but currently lives in Austin where she has resided for several years. You know what is on a girl's list when coming back to town------- mmmhmmmm custard!

It was lots of fun to watch and Dana and Roberto got a kick out of meeting the actor who plays the Southwest Bank Guy, he was most kind and generous with his time. Of course enjoying frozen treats at Ted Drewes wasn't so bad either!

Expanding Family---- Shelly & Toney

Joining the family ranks soon to say their "I Do's" is Shelly & Toney, a really wonderful couple that we're thrilled to welcome to the BBP Wedding Family. There is no doubt that this will be a long lasting and happy working relationship, we're honored and blessed!

Every Crayon in the Box?

Choosing a color theme for your personal style is hard enough------ deciding what colors to use for your wedding can be most daunting. Some rules to make (both) easier? Try a color board!

• Purchase a large black foam board (heavier than posterboard).
• Go through your stack of bridal magazines and pull out things you like based on color, style and just because the photo grabbed your eye. Cut out the individual item from the page and sort into stacks according to theme (color navy/pretty flowers/bridesmaids dresses/table decor).
• Determine if there is a theme, what do you think? Is there a predominant color you are led to? Are you following simple lines, lots of lace, overflowing bouquets, european style?
• Looking at this start, do you have some colors in mind?
• Head to the paint department of the nearest big box store and just take in the color. Don't rush. What colors do you love, what colors elicit a response?
  
• Pull colors (in the biggest color chips you can find) that you love. They're free, don't worry about not getting enough, you will edit your choices later. When you're done, put on your sunglasses and go home!

When you are relaxed at home, sort your colors by color wheel:


While there are rules about colors to some extent, for the moment play with color a bit. Are you initially drawn to a warm navy blue? What color makes it come alive? Do you like that color with a warm brown tone or a complimentary antique gold? Perhaps you like it with the very sophisticated black tone.

Pull colors until you have at least three top contenders. The first is your main color, the second your coordinating color and the last is your accent color. Of course you can have more than one accent color if you like. The idea is to have fun with this, enjoy the process. Take your time and at the end of the exercise you will arrive at a color palette that is totally YOU, the theme of your wedding, and be organized and ready to take it from there.

On your color board arrange your color chips, any photographs that still resonate with you after the color choosing exercise. You might have photos that have nothing to do with color as much as style- this is fine. Arrange them in such a way that is pleasing to you but leave room for other clippings and items to be added. Punch two holes for hanging in the top corners and run a pretty piece of ribbon through it------- you can now hang your color board up for reference and inspiration. Add to it when you talk to your florist, when you have chosen your gown. Incorporate bits of actual fabric from dresses, table linens, silk or pressed flowers, anything that inspires you.

You may find (as I do) that a color board is lots of fun as you get your personal wardrobe ready for every season---- especially fall.


Wedding design maven Vera Wang (whom we adore) has her color palette set for fall and it is spectacular.
Navy--Charcoal--Nutmeg--Antique Gold--Fig--Stone--Fog--Cafe--Ebony--Cactus

Veronica from Vera Wang in the fabulous Antique Gold

In Navy: Ashley (also Wang)

In Fig comes Carol, Vera Wang.

Have a great time choosing colors for your wedding, or your personal life and style! Remember, you don't have to use every crayon in the box! Me? I'm charcoal, ebony, merlot with some gold, eggplant and olive tossed into the mix........................

Mr. & Mrs. L------- Jennifer & Kyle

Jennifer and Kyle's wedding day was gorgeous! They were married at the Conservatory in St. Charles, always a lovely venue and Saturday was no exception. One of the things we heard over and over that day was that this couple is the Real Deal.

Congratulations Mr. & Mrs. L--------- blessings to you!

Jennifer & Kyle

It looks like the rain is going to hold for weddings in St. Louis today, at least that is our hope! Today is the day that Jennifer & Kyle will get married------ and it is going to be a spectacular day! We love this couple for many reasons, it is hard to find people who are kinder, more caring, and generous. We can't wait to photograph their day!

Another day a bit under the normal high temperature here, while we are delighted it seems the entire town collectively wonders about the payback. Until then we will enjoy a high in the low 80's, not bad for the end of July!

Michelle & Brad--- BBP Wedding Family Intro

It really doesn't matter how many brides and grooms are in the family here at Bobbi Brinkman Photography, we are extraordinarily thrilled to have each and every one of them and deliver our great customer service to all! Every single client (no pun intended) is special and unique and we continue to be a very fortunate studio indeed!

The latest happy couple to join the wedding family at BBP are Michelle and Brad----- welcome welcome welcome! This great couple is getting married the day before my birthday, a birthday eve wedding as it happens. [Fabulous great news and we will party together!] The months will zoom by in an amazing burst of speed as they always do and before you know it, we'll be capturing your once in a lifetime day with "Images from the Heart..."

We're blessed and honored!

Awards are as Awards Do

Awards are always exciting--------- especially when they are unexpected! The founders of Project Wedding recently sent us notification that BBP had been selected as one of St. Louis's top 5% of wedding professionals!

Thanks Project Wedding------ we appreciate it! For brides and grooms the Project Wedding tools are many; an online wedding community, wedding countdown emails, and free wedding websites. Check 'em out!

In related BBP news the staff meeting moves to our favorite Mexican restaurant tonight. All hands on deck! Okay, one hand on deck b/c the other will be holding a margarita! One CAN work while shouting olé !!!

Right?????

Wedding Family Intro: Sara & Joe

On a day where rain is falling, BBP is a brighter place to be able to welcome a new couple to the wedding family! Sara & Joe............ we're delighted to have you! They're a great couple, and we're fortunate to have them on board!

As always we mean what we say---- and when we say that we have the very best clients in the world, we mean it!

Welcome Sara and Joe, all of us here at BBP are looking forward to working with you!

Jean & Joe and Weather Makes Three

what in the world could have POSSIBLY been better than the weather last Saturday? 70 degrees, no humidity, gently clouded skies------- gor/geous! Jean & Joe lucked into that fabulous weather on their wedding day and we were there to capture it all! Jean will tell you unequivocally that she paid for the beautiful day with her appendix a couple of weeks before the I Do's and that it was worth every little bit of it.

They're a fantastic couple and we had a wonderful time! Thanks P's for letting us share your day and capture it with "Images from the Heart..."

Check out the fabulous Sneak Peek of their wedding images!

Jean & Joe

Long awaited...................... much anticipated..................... sans appendix (a recent thing)--- it is finally time for Jean and Joe to get married!

It will be a fabulous day, we are not only looking forward to it but anxious to share images! You could NOT ask for better weather today, woo hoo!

Stephen's Senior Session

In a long career there are definitely highlights!

For Bobbi many of those highlights come in the form of the families she has photographed over the years, capturing important milestones, the early sports careers of the kids, watching young children become young women and young men. Recently Bobbi had the opportunity to photograph Stephen for his senior portrait........ can it be that he is going to be a senior in high school? Say it ain't so! This young man is one of a kind, a great person a wonderful individual. Have we mentioned that his family is absolutely top notch?

He had just returned from a summer stint with his school to Paris (I'm most jealous) and had his photos taken with his guitar and his baseball bat----- who he is, of course! The photo shoot was great as well as being a good time.



Seniors? It is definitely time to be scheduling your session for your senior portraits---- we have some spots remaining---give us a call or Facebook us, we'd love to get you in front of the camera!

If Mrs. O wasn't Mrs. O...

The question I pose today is; if Mrs. O wasn't Mrs. O (yet) would this fashion trendsetter wear a wedding gown from J*Crew? In world-wide fashion news, Michelle O*bama has made a strong statement by choosing to wear trendy off-the-rack clothing and local designers-- in a way giving fashion afficianados a bit of notice.

With the FIRST big sample sale for wedding wear being held in NYC today by Mrs. O fave J*Crew, we all wondered, would SHE wear a gown from one of her favorite stores? And when viewed, how do the gowns stack up from this resource?

There were some strong candidates----- most with the unmistakable simplicity and clean lines that define J*Crew as a fashion house.

At just under 3K, a very pretty tiered gown

Super fresh and deceptively simple is Penelope, created from a rich slub silk and coming in under $700.

The Rosette gown made from yummy silk dupionni, the ticket is around 3K

Francette (above) at $1500 is crafted from Italian silk gazette, very simple but extremely elegant. It would also show off a nice set of guns, yes?

J*Crew also has some wonderful gowns for bridal attendants:

The silk taffeta dress above runs about $205----- simple and yet very elegant. While many bridesmaids say 'you could wear this again' you really could wear this one as well as many of the other choices.

So.............. what would Mrs. O wear?

Something fresh I think, something very modern, classic with a twist, perhaps like this gown, 'Dominique' in patterned silk, $2850 from J*Crew.

The BBP bride always chooses a gown that reflects her personal style with a nod to the wedding day. When you're wearing your wedding gown you should wear it and not vice versa and you should look like "you".

Unfortunately I don't think there is time to fly to NYCity and attend the sale! Crew-ites, can we have a bit more notice next time?

New BBP Family- Trish & Andy

Absolutely nothing could make us all more thrilled today than to be able to welcome another fantastic couple to the wedding family at Bobbi Brinkman Photography! Trish & Andy will be a perfectly wonderful addition! This future bride and groom continue a long line of weddings BBP has done for their family, as a matter of fact we photographed the wedding of Trish's sister Becky when she married husband Nick. All of our couples will agree that the time between now and next August will fly faster than you ever thought possible!

On a related wedding-y note, did you see the wedding on the Today show? The tenth annual summer wedding on the Plaza was celebrated this morning and was absolutely lovely. In my (very) humble opinion all of the viewer choices worked out well; the petite bride looked beautiful in her gown, the groom was very handsome in his tux and the wedding party also looked great (but nervous) during their big moment. I especially loved it when the groom went "off script" at the very beginning of the ceremony and told the bride how gorgeous she looked, it was such a sweet moment. Most of the weddings here in STL are of the hour to hour+ category, this exchange of vows at under 5 minutes went by in a blur. I do confess to wishing that Martina was singing at more local receptions! ;)

Welcome Kristin & Eben

Another new family addition............ more to do the happy dance about! We're really excited to welcome Kristin and Eben to the BBP wedding family they are a great couple and will be such fun to work with!

If you are commuting or trying to get anywhere in this gridlocked town that is St. Louis today, hang in there! With the All Star mania in town, and the Prez coming in for first pitch tonight cars may not be moving but every resident is surely proud of our showing on the national stage. Play Ball!

In the spirit of the games, some great shots from the recent engagement session with Kate and Steven, big Cards fans--- it was such fun!

Sneak Peek- Jeff & Janine

Well first of all, thanks to ALL of the fabulous brides, grooms, moms and others that we had the good fortune to meet at the bridal show at the Doubletree in Chesterfield yesterday. Despite the rain, it was an excellent day! The best part for us is that so many of you are coming in to the studio to sit down with Bobbi and spend some time (in the calm) discussing your Big Day.

Jeff & Janine's big day was this past Saturday, a sneak peek is offered below. Janine started off her wedding week in the hospital, bless her heart! She did manage to gather some strength and go on a photo shoot with her beloved Jeff and become his wife before having to go back into the hospital. It was quite a week, she is a trooper that girl is! Surely the rest of their married life will be cool, calm and collected!

Doubletree Chesterfield---- Calling All Brides

We will be at the Doubletree Chesterfield today for one of the best bridal shows of the year==== brought to you by St. Louis Best Bridal! :) It is sure to be lots of fun and we love to see everyone, so please stop by if you're coming out!

7 Come 11-- Janine & Jeff

In a week of some great numbers (should you follow that sort of thing)---- remember 456789---- comes 7/11.

That date was specifically chosen by the bride and groom today, 7/11, Janine and Jeff. They're a great couple and we do hope that this lucky number brings them a lifetime of favor.

C'mon baby, mama needs new shoes.....................

Sarah & Jon

Come on along with us on the engagement session with Sarah & Jon that we shot this week. The weather was wonderful when you consider how hot it was last week, and how hot it will be in the very near future. We were sort of 'in the cradle' on this one!



We were also privileged to have photographed the last engagement session for Jennifer & Kyle this week. They are busy EMT's, all around great people, and just about the warmest most caring individuals you might meet. Their wedding is coming up soon------ we can't wait.

On a musical note, everyone that knows me is aware that I'm an XM *Radio devotee, 60's on 6 makes me smile. [Knitting-great Cafe Ventana coffee- 60's music]=good stuff. For those of you who were but visions in the 60's, do you know "I only want to be with you" by Dusty Springfield? Complete happiness, check it out, now playing on the website gallery "She Said Yes". I guess the era speaks to me because it is relatively uncomplicated, you know the words and can't get them out of your mind, maybe when it gets right down to it---- it's all about the love! And........... y'know, here at BBP we ARE all about the love after all!

Chase or not the Chase?

When is the Chase not the Chase? Well, for starters when one is not working, engaged in bridely pursuits the Chase is a beautiful and elegant place to relax. Last night the elite of St. Louis wedding vendors gathered at the Chase Park Plaza to join with St. Louis Bride as they launched their latest issue. It was great to see Ethan and Nancy again and to have the opportunity to see so many colleagues 'off the clock'. When better to enjoy each others company, certainly not while everyone is hard at work, ships passing each other around St. Louis.

The food was really great, Asiago cheese baskets filled with guacamole, procuitto wrapped asparagus on toasts, some wonderful rare ahi canapes, various cheeses and fruits------ and other tidbits, all wonderful! The bar provided the usual suspects along with a trio of custom cocktails, colorful and delicious. The star for me (as always) is dessert and on that note the Chase never disappoints! There was a full dessert bar with everything from chocolate mousse to lemon bars to chocolate cake and fruit as well as pecan tarts. Yum! I told more than one person that I would sort of like to be left alone with the table. Well, and the bar but I digress.

Thanks St. Louis Bride, it is a lovely issue and as always, a great party!

As an aside, for the Today Wedding Junkies, how about that-------- my ring choice won! I figured it would follow suit and be second choice but instead the DeBeers ring won with all of its lovely pave work. Now please tell me that the sweet bride will wear it solo and not with her engagement ring? The honeymoon destinations were announced today, all remarkable. I can't decide which trip I'd rather take if I had the choice!

Rings, Things, & Money

Where were you at 456789? When the numbers all lined up at 4:56 a.m. on 7/8/9? I was sleeping but know that the magic fairy dust must have been sprinkled somehow!

If you are joining us in the annual guilty pleasure that is the Today Show wedding then you know that my number one picks for anything have pretty much passed by the wayside. I'm pulling solid second places----- which makes me really nervous about talking about the Cards too much!

The gown of choice ended up being #3, the simple gown by Christos that featured the little beaded sleeves. I look forward to seeing Leigh in that dress, I'm not sure if the dress as simple as it is won't wear her, we'll see in a week.

Rings are next to vote on and I did have a good smile this morning when they put the wedding bands up for "vote". Several times it was mentioned that the engagement ring 'could' be moved over to the other hand. COULD? Oh yeah.............. rather impractical and [for me] seriously unnatractive that square cut emerald is. Yeeeeesh. The bands were all very pretty and no doubt pricey, not one of them would look good worn together with the engagement ring but truthfully there is not a wedding band in the world that would. I voted for ring #4 from DeBeers, the pave diamonds were stunning! In this case, it really doesn't matter to me which ring wins as in any case that emerald has got to go!

In a non-related story heard as I gathered things to head out the door was a very interesting story about MONEY. The thing other than in-laws guaranteed to bring more than a snap and a snafu to most relationships. It made me curious about the BBP bride! Squirelling money away----- hiding it. Do you have separate money? Is having separate money being dishonest, sneaky even? Is there a difference when you call it the small amount of money [think mani-pedi] that is non-reportable in a marriage................... or large amounts that are tucked away and hidden? I know of a woman who tucked away monies throughout a relationship for years, her personal hedge fund. LOTS of money, poof. In that case I think it is just plain stealing---- don't you? Way different that writing a check for $20 more at the grocery store. Guess it bears repeating, your Mama was right, talk about money up front: who makes what, how things get paid, do you split or do you pick and choose, what happens if and when one spouse doesn't have the income they do now, what money can be spent without report, etc.

I'm on a mission now, what do YOU think about money in a marriage?

Post Holiday Get---

Definitely a day to GET:

• Get back into the groove after a holiday weekend
• Get used to the return of warmer temps
• Get ready for the upcoming wedding show at the Doubletree out in Chesterfield
• Get to the grocery store (oh wait........... that is another list!!!)

Did you check out the beautiful gowns on the voting block for the Today wedding? They are all really, really lovely. Fresh, clean, interesting, modern---- yummy. GET on over there and check them out, and vote of course! They do bring to mind the dilemma that comes from not only matching the personality of a bride, the style of her wedding overall, but also the body type of the bride as well. It is often thought that the hardest body type to "bride up" is the bride past a size 16 but that is not entirely true. The winning Today bride has the opposite problem, of being quite petite combined with an athletic build. All of the dresses chosen for her are wonderfully complementary. After all we remember, the bride should wear the dress and not the other way around.

Visit msnbc.com for Breaking News, World News, and News about the Economy

I'm a huge Anne Barge devotee, her bridal couture is gorgeous. We were all excited to see one of her gowns as part of the collection to be considered for the upcoming morning television wedding. Her design for the Today bride, Leigh, is from her La Fleur collection. You can see more of her truly beautiful work at AnneBarge.com. How can you not find enchanting a bridal gown designer who grew up knowing this was her destiny----- not to mention hailing from the Buck*head area of Atlanta? Her lovely gown won the special gown for the 2003 Today Show Wedding, our fingers are crossed that her incredibly seamed and detailed, pocketed wedding gown will win again this year. Yes, we GET the Anne Barge bridal collection!

Now, get back to it!

Ashley & Brad, Plus...

I've waited long enough to show you a selection of the absolutely gorgeous images from Ashley & Brad's wedding day!



Many factors came together to insure such a wonderful day:

• it was hot as can be and not one person complained
• the wedding party remembered that it was all about the happy couple
• wedding finery was comfortable
• the ladies remembered to bring comfy shoes
• and last but not least, the men wore fab socks!!!

Last and more than likely least, the couples from the Today Show's wedding series have been at long last decided. (Did anyone other than us think the contests for determining the lucky couple this year were more than a little lame?)

This year the winners were Leigh and Nick, former Olympic hopefuls and seemingly All-American. They were not my first choice (gasp) but my second. What happens over the next two weeks on the show is always our fave------ looking at the amazing gowns, tuxes, cakes and honeymoon destinations trotted out to make us all envious.

Enjoy the incredible weather -- we've fought long and hard for it here in STL!