Hey there! So you found the most interesting page on my site. This is my recent Oahu wedding, Hawaii wedding, and...well..lets be honest, it's a blog. The story behind this blog, well, it started out purely about Hawaii weddings, then it evolved into everything and all of the above. Basically, ITS MY BLOG!! So I write about anything on here. I updated this blog "alomost" on a daily basis. You can learn more about me, my quirks, my style, and of course, you'll get wedding tips here.
Call me if you want to make me richer..I mean, book my services!
WHEN CUTEST OF CUTE, MEETS THE MEN OF MEN ...MAGIC HAPPENS... The Hawaii Wedding of Rachel and Mark
If there's one thing that I'm great at doing, it's stereotyping. Although that's nothing to brag about, it's one of my God given talents. Mark, I would classify as man, who defines what a tough guy should look and be like: Broad shoulders, big forearms, tattoos, stern look, but at the same time, caring and a great provider. I would probably say Mark would make a great CIA field agent, haha. People say the same thing about me. Rachel on the other hand, is probably one of the cutest brides I have encountered: Big eyes, bright eyes, bright smile, petite body, white smile, while still maintaining a wholesome feel.
Opposites attract? Maybe. But in this case, definitely. Rachel is from Canada, Mark is from the States. They met while Mark was attending a computer conference in Canada, and since then, they've always been in touch. Mark told me maintaining a long distance relationship wasn't that difficult other than it being expensive. But it was all worth it...every penny.
Mark's kid, stealing my job
Joining the wedding was Mark's son. He brought his own camera, started snapping away, and literally stole my job from me. I thought I should have paid him! It was great watching him work like a professional photographer, trying to get photos from hundreds of different angles. I wonder how they came out? But what was even cooler was seeing him embrace Rachel after the wedding, accepting her into the family.
During the wedding, Rachel listening to Reverend Elias
Mark, doing the same. I swear, this guy can try out for the lead in 24.
This is a shot that I don't do very often.
I want you to check out that bouquet. There are feathers on it! Mark's co-worker's wife made it...
The ceremony for Mark and Rachel went extremely well. Mark, as tough as he was, softly repeated his vows to Rachel, breaking her into tears. By the time Rachel repeated her vows, she was a wreck, but she made it through just perfectly. I believe even the Reverend Elias started to cry a bit. By the way, he does cry a lot at wedding. Me on the other hand. I'm like a rock.
I intentionally overexposed this picture, to make it brighter. It's a different feel.
So I know I said earlier that Mark and Rachel are opposites, but they also share a lot of similarities as well. If they didn't have anything in common, they truly wouldn't be together right? It always takes more than love for people to get married. Just as important as love, is common goals, values, beliefs, morals, you name it. One thing I did realize that Mark and Rachel did have in common, on top of what I just listed, was for the fact that they both knew how to have a great time. They both couldn't stop smiling....
Mark, Rachel, I wish you my best. Don't let those good times stop.
So I got this email from one of my advertisers: Check it out. Looks pretty cool! So if you win this contest, just make sure you come to Oahu first to get married, then go there to honeymoon more!
Wedding Paper Divas has partnered with The Islands of The Bahamas to offer unique wedding suites give a chance to win a dream honeymoon escape to Kamalame Cay, an exclusive private island hideaway located just off the coast of Andros in the Out Islands of The Bahamas. The contest starts today and runs through June 12, 2009.
Prize winnings include:
Roundtrip airfare for two
Six nights accommodations in a Beach Suite including breakfast each morning and use of resort amenities, including golf carts, snorkeling equipment, kayaks, tennis courts, pools and more
An indulgent Bath Butler service and a rejuvenating couple's massage at The Spa at Kamalame Cay
A private picnic excursion on a nearby deserted cay
Personally, I think if you already got married with my company, you should still try to sign up for this contest. Why? Because although you came to Oahu for your Hawaii Wedding, technically you came here to get married, not really to honeymoon. Having a full vacation for a honeymoon is something else (in a good way). There's no scrambling to get your marriage license, hair done, etc..etc...
So check it out if you want.... More wedding blogs to come real soon!
Justin, Sarah, and the kids, tying the knot at Sunset Beach
CHEMISTRY, NUFF SAID The Hawaii Wedding of Justin and Sarah
Every now and a VERY LONG then, I run into a couple that has great photographic chemistry. I really don't know how to explain this, but some couples, for some reason, just flow with each shot. No posing is needed, all I have to do is to capture the moment. It happens very rarely..... but when it does, it's a treat, because it makes my job as a photographer, easy. Justin and Sarah were just that type of couple.
Taking pictures, was as easy as 1, 2, and click...
Justin and Sarah met a year ago at a softball game, and from there, they were hitting home runs everyday. The happily married couple tied the not at Sunset Beach, during Sunset, one of the best times. Justin came first with Sarah's kids and family, and Sarah arrived just as my minister, Elias, was walking down to us. Perfect timing. The ceremony was sweet, with Justin and Sarah gazing into each others eyes as they said their vows....and as their kids played in the sand around them.
The first kiss and hug as a married couple
Elias and I actually decided to perform this wedding a bit different than most of our weddings. Instead of having Elias' back to the ocean, we put their backs to the ocean. We did this so Justin didn't have to look directly into the sun during the ceremony. Taking photos in this situation, is much more difficult, but not impossible. I just had to be a bit more careful on how I chose my angles.
Usually, I tell couples how to walk on the beach.... I didn't have to with Justin and Sarah.
So let me be rather blunt here. It was so easy to shoot Justin and Sarah, I really didn't feel as though I was doing my job. I actually believe anyone could have gotten great shots. I just clicked away. Can all couples be like easy to shoot like Justin and Sarah? Nah. It's only happened to me twice before I believe. But let me say this. Couples are unique in their own special away. Some are quiet, some willing to do anything, some just want to stay in one area. Despite the couple, I'll still get my shot. And despite how easy or hard one couple may be to shoot, it doesn't make any couple less or better than any other. I can honestly say that 99% of all my couples have been a blast to work with, and to photograph. They are all easy going and fun....emphasize on easy going! There are those 1% who'd I rather not have though...haha...
You can't pose this stuff....
this too wasn't posed even though I pose all of my couples exactly the same....
So here's my lasting two cents for this post. Justin and Sarah had excellent chemistry...period. But what was really more impressive was the way Justin handled Sarah's kids. Even though through blood, he was not their father, he surely loved them as though they were his blood. It takes a big man, with a big heart, to open himself to a single mother of three. It also takes a strong woman, to accept that man, that future male role model to her kids, as well.
KEIKI BEACH WEDDING ACTION The Hawaii Wedding of Ashlie and Donnie
If you would have told me that I'd be helping out a CNN reporter tie the knot on the beaches of Hawaii a month ago, I would have asked you if your liberal butt was smoking some crack. It's not that I have anything against CNN reporters, it's just they have knack of being liberal, and me...well..being obviously conservative. Why would they ever want to book me, an Obama-complaining-conservative, as their wedding planner?
Maybe, just maybe, because I was THAT good...haha.
Enter, Ashley, a CNN journalist who became a fan of my wedding work, and my blog.
And they went for a walk...
Ashley and Donnie, like most of my couples, did it the new fashioned way, and met online. There was a definite attraction between the two from the get go, but Ashley admits, that she was extremely hesitant of getting into any new relationship. She told him that he, Donnie, looked too much like her brother, so she couldn't date him. But Donnie called her bluff, and was very persistent. It's really lucky that he did call her bluff, because two-and-a-half years later, they were still together, tying the knot on the beaches of Hawaii.
Sometimes, men know what's best. Isn't that right women? Haha.
Ashley normally wears glasses, but I have to say, she looks much better without them. I insisted during the wedding, she go without them. She's got some great eyes on her....do we all agree?
Ashley and Donnie tied the knot at Keiki Beach, a hidden beach situated right in front of their vacation home. It was the first time in my life that I actually had shot and performed a wedding there. It was the first time I had ever been there. And I was actually very amazed at the photographic potential of this place. There were lava rocks on one side of the beach, palm trees on another, a great open sandy beach, big waves, I could go on and on. The location was perfect to have a wedding, to ride my bike, to play football..... The only bummer here was the weather that day. On Ashley and Donnie's wedding day, the sun didn't come out. In fact, there were storm clouds all the way to the horizon.
But that didn't mean we couldn't get great photos.
Donnie is smiling here, but you know what...I think he cried during the wedding
And here we have an excellent wall worthy photo
And the same pose, just one with them looking at the camera while God shines down from above
Donnie and Ashley were extremely cool to me that day. When I arrived at their vacation rental home, we relaxed for about ten minutes before heading out to the beach for them to get married. We talked about everything from sports to a little politics. After their wedding, they invited me back to their place to have a drink with them. How cool is that? Extremely. Two cool people can only mean good things for this world. There is no doubt that they will have cool babies, who will also do cool things for this world. I have no doubt. Who would have ever thought somebody who worked for CNN would be so cool? Are there are more cool people at that organization? Hmm...well, if there are...and they want to get married in Hawaii...call me... 1-877-WED-IN-HAWAII. Haha.
Donnie, Ashley, I wish you my very best. Congratulations! Live long and prosper!
DEREK AND CHRISTINE ...the Philadelphia Eagles play setup...
I have to confess something. I've been envolved in a conflicting, roller coaster, frustrating, relationship since the 8th grade. Yes...One minute it looks as though we are headed down the right path, and bam, we can't do anything right. I pray to God sometimes and ask myself if I made the right decision, and if staying committed to this rocky relationship is doing the right thing. Our relationship is so hot and cold sometimes, I'm not sure what to expect every weekend. But I do know this...I will not waiver from my commitment.... I WILL ALWAYS BLEED GREEN. By the way, I am talking about my love affair with my football team....THE PHILADELPHIA EAGLES!!!
Haha...fooled ya didn't I!
My Eagles. Despite not making it to the Superbowl, do a lot of great things in life:
They make people who can run fast and catch the ball well...very rich
They build community centers for the poor and needy
They supply, me, Steve, your wedding guy, with the needed stress and entertainment every week, so he doesn't have to focus on stupid things like Obama
And, they bring destined couples, like Derek and Christine...together.
Nice shot...by the way, do you have any idea how Derek and Christine look like yet?
Yes, the night was perfect in Arizona as destiny was written in the stars. Derek, a new transplant to the hot State, had stumbled into a sports bar to watch an Eagles-Dallas game. Sitting across the bar, he caught the eye of his then unknowing future wife, Christine. But destiny didn't hit Derek yet. The night was not primed. God had not spoken. All was not perfect for the Philadelphia Eagles had not laid down the law on the Lowery Cowboys.
Yes, the green gods in helmets had not spoken.
Patiently, and on the edge of this seat, Derek waited as watch the Eagles game intensely till the end. Yes.....success! The Eagles had won the Cowboys, and IT...was good. Christine, knowing that the Eagles God had spoken in their favor walked over to Derek, and they both shared a smile...as did I, unknowingly eight-thousand miles away..... And what can we say... two and a half years later, they hired out an Eagles fan to plan their wedding.
Yes, we can credit the Eagles for bringing Derek and Christine together...
In the water...
Now you may notice that my photography with Derek and Christine's photos are a little different than the standard photos I usually take. Well, the reason they are different, is because the weather was much different that day. The water had flooded in over some of the rocks at one section of the cove, which made it perfect for some special effects shots. And there was just enough storm clouds above to provide soft lighting for me to toy with the flash. A lot of times, the weather really plays a huge roll when determining what type of photos are possible. Some coupes just get lucky.
A nice candid photo of Christine
So this is how Derek looks like.... Can't tell in the other pictures can you...
This is also how a sun burned shoulder looks like...
Christine, patiently waited for the Eagles game to finish before approaching Derek.
Smart woman....love is patient....it's in the Bible!
The funny thing about Derek and Christine is their last name, and well, Christine's new last name. It's the "Imperials." In all of my life doing weddings in Hawaii, I think 1000 plus weddings, I have never met one single person named Imperial. The name Imperial means in the dictionary: "domineering, commanding quality. The nature of a supreme ruler." Poor Derek must have been teased in school all throughout his life... It's too bad that teasing didn't stop with me, his wedding planner...haha. I really wonder if you can trace back in Derek's bloodline some type of pirate or conquering bloodline. You know, with a name like Imperial....you gotta be just a little curious right?
Some couples just get all the luck with weather....
All joking aside, Derek and Christine truly had a grand time together during their wedding. Their wedding was sweet and full of smiles. You really couldn't ask or plan for anything more perfect. There was really nothing anyone could add to make that day more special.
Back in very recent past, couples would get set up by friends, family, or even strangers. Fast forward to the present, friends and family really don't set up their single friends. Everyone is pretty much on their own. More so, no one really likes to get set up these days. And with the invention of the Internet, and the coolness factor of meeting people online become the norm, singles don't really need any ones help. But in this case, Juice, our man of the hour, needed just a little push.
A friend of Juice's actually posted his picture and profile on a site called greatboyfriends.com. From what Tanya told me, in order to get onto that site, you had to be referred. So about eight hours after Juice's profile was up, Tanya had found him. YEAH, THAT FAST!
Juice and Tanya corresponded through email for the next couple of weeks. He had not seen how she looked like, but still kept emailing her. He had connected with here through a Hollywood "You've got mail" scenario. Their first date would soon follow, and six years later, they got married. Isn't that frigging cool?
But, the point here, is that Juice didn't really meet Tanya all on his own. He and her were kinda setup....right?
Tanya and Juice, about to kiss!
The Maile lei that Juice is wearing is a tea leaf maile, it's much better than the real Maile!
Juice and Tanya decided to get married at Ko'olina Secret Cove, in the morning. They met with me the day before, right before one of my weddings. In fact, they met me as I was meeting Derek and Christine (the next couple I will be blogging about) Both couples pulled up into the parking lot at the same time! I bet it made me look like some big type of wedding big shot! Haha..
I love morning weddings at Ko'olina. The sky is blue, the sun is not out in full power, so it's still rather cool, and the sand isn't hot to walk in. The only thing I don't like about morning weddings at Ko'olina is waking up for them. I'm a night owl! I regularly stay up till 5am every night!
A lot of couples like this shot....so I shoot it all the time.
You know, I thought that it was really cool that Juice wore red, and Tanya wore a sun dress that had red colors in it. I never really thought it would be great colors for a wedding photo. But, it actually makes for amazing photos. What do you think? It really makes the photos pop doesn't it?
Juice, Tanya, I wish you my best, in life and in love. Your coolness factor is definitely a 10! Keep that... always! I pray the power of your love grows and accumulates every minute from the day you said "I do."
SUNSET WEDDING AT SUNSET BEACH ...all I can say is...FINALLY!
So Bobbie and Anthony tied the knot at Sunset Beach, FINALLY. I stress on the word finally, because not only did they wait awhile to tie the knot, but they waited a long while to get to Hawaii! A quarter way to Hawaii, their airplane actually ran into Engine trouble, and they had to turn around. A simple trip to Oahu ended up becoming a 20 hour plus fiasco, resulting in Bobbie and Anthony losing one full day to their trip!
But that didn't stop these two lovebirds from tying saying their "I do's..."
Walking on that beach....
Bobbie and Anthony were a blast as a wedding couple. After the wedding, I took them around Sunset Beach for photos. Bobbi had the most trouble I had ever seen, walking on the sand. You couldn't tell from the pictures though! Haha. Talk about having sea legs, she was struggling having sand legs. But I have to admit, the sand at Sandy beach can get deep and unsettling at times.
Getting romantic
I wish Bobbie and Anthony my true best. Their shots came out amazing, and it was a lot of fun to be part of their very special day. I really hope that the rest of their trip turned out good and wasn't as stressful getting back home!
GOING DIGITAL FOR THE PATRIOT PACKAGE The Canon G10, my new toy, and it should be yours too!
For those who know me, I am a die hard film fanatic. I love the quality of film, it's ease of use, it's look, color accuracy and saturation, you name it. So when I say I have a bias toward film, you know I really mean it. But as the world turns, even I realize that soon or later, film will be a thing of the past. It would be a sad day whenever that day comes, but also there would be a need for celebration, as digital would have caught up or exceeded the quality of film. That day is nearing close.
For the past month, I have changed my patriot package, to digital coverage, and no prints, just a CD. The price of the package has remained the same at $295. Changing to digital coverage helps me preserve profit margins, while maintaining quality, and affordability for those on a budget.
The camera which prompted me to change was the Canon G10, a point-and-shoot camera on steroids, which was designed for the professional photographer on the go. It shoots a 14.7 Mega pixel image, which is extraordinarily sharp.
Here is a full frame picture of my cat, Junior
Here is the exact same shot....just enlarged.... The quality of the G10 is amazing. Look at the quality.
There are literally hundreds of reviews of the G10 by professional digital photographers who swear that the picture quality of the G10 is equivalent to their $20,000 medium format digital cameras when comparing side-by-side 16x20 prints. Take this into mind. These camera men can see a difference between their 35mm digital SLR cameras and their $20,000 medium format cameras,but cannot see the difference between the point-and-shoot G10.
From the first time I touched the G10, I could tell that this was made for a professional. Even though it was much smaller than a SLR, there were easy to use adjustment rings for the aperture and shutter speed. Flash power, iso selection, were also easy to adjust on the fly, just like my film camera. The shoe mount on the top of the G10, allowed me to attach a powerful external flash, or adapter for a sync cord. Very nice. For the amateur photographer, there were a handful of computer settings, which performed perfectly for me under all situation. So perfect, I'll probably end up using some for my weddings.
Being a film photographer, I could tell you that there was a noticeable difference in quality when comparing the G10 shots to film. Film, had more punch, more color, naturally. Digital could come close in matching the quality of film if you color corrected it and added a little contrast. Put you could still tell the difference.
What'd bad about this camera? Well, it's digital. If you're shooting on manual, you need to treat this camera as though you are shooting on slide film. Slide film, for those of you who don't know, is a very sensitive to shoot. Exposure must be right on. If you over-expose your picture in film, you lose detail. So, if you're in manual mode on the G10, and you're not careful, you can over expose your shot and get no image. When I shoot on negative film, the more I over expose a shot, the more detail I get. In fact, the pictures that you're looking on my site are over-exposed by about 2 stops!
I'll treat the G10 like a regular film camera and use an external light meter when shooting on this camera in manual mode. I'll probably also use an external flash when shooting sunset shots.
THE VERDICT: The G10 is an excellent camera for professionals and your everyday person. It's also the perfect way to document your honeymoon in Hawaii. The only drawback to this camera is that it's not as portable as those other point-and-shoots that are the size of credit cards, but the quality is amazing.
With all that said, what really determines whether or not one can get great photos? The photographer...not necessarily his equipment.
Hey everyone, I'll be pretty busy till Saturday doing weddings, so I can't write a meaningful blog. In the meantime, check out this song "Tenderness by General Public." It's friggen awesome. I have a photoshoot on the North Shore today, three weddings tomorrow, and one the next day... I'll still have my cell, so you can call me at 1-877-WED-IN-HAWAII if you need to get in touch.
I'll still be answering all my emails when I get back home as well, so you can email me if you want.
BUT WATCH THE VIDEO!!
But here's a quick update. I attended my 1st Muslim wedding today. That was very insiteful. The Muslim weddings have many different traditions when it comes to weddings, which I can educate you on. It was rather interesting to see a different culture go through their wedding ceremony.
Jamie and Stacy tie the knot, while Stacy's son Nathan watches.
THE INTERNET STRIKES AGAIN Myspace brings star-crossed lovers to Hawaii
When I was graduating high school, which was back in '95, the Internet was just gaining it's legs. Only nerds were online, like myself. And the thought of meeting someone on the Internet would be so dorky, even I wouldn't do it. Fast forward to the present, everyone is doing it. I have yet to meet one person who has not met someone: friend, boyfriend or girlfriend; via the Internet. More than half of my couples have met through the Internet, and they are not nerdy at all! In fact, they are all pretty damn cool. And it's not embarrassing at all either to meet through the Internet these days. In fact, I remember one of my couples bowing their heads shamefully saying, "We tell everyone we met on the Internet, but in reality, we met at a bar!"
So meet Jamie and Stacy, who met on the Internet, through the networking website, Myspace. Jamie was new to Vegas, and was basically looking for friends. Stacy's name popped up and he emailed her. It didn't take very long before they met at the Red rock Casino. From that very first day, everything clicked.
Check out the seashell bouquet, Stacy made that!
Now Jamie is huge metal fan, metal as in music, not in metal as in....the type you bend or build houses with (have yet to meet that type of metal fan); and Stacy is is a fan of classic rock and also a fan of copper (just kidding). Between them, they are also dog lovers (they have five), and get this....football fanatics. Jamie is a huge Washington Redskins fan, and Stacy is a die hard Raider's fan. It's really too bad for them that the Philadelphia Eagles, my team, is a much better football team than the Raiders and Redskins put together...hahah (had to get that zinger in there!)
At Waimanalo
Stacy actually made her own bouquet out of seashells. If you remember, she was gracious enough to send her pictures of her bouquet in the making (http://dreamweddingshawaii.com/2009/02/seashell-bouquet.html) The bouquet came out looking extremely cool and extremely dangerous at the same time. Not only could this weapon function as a bouquet at a beach wedding, but also in the front line of a war...haha. I still wonder how she ever got this thing on a plane without being stopped?
This is the front yard of their vacation rental
Jamie and Stacy's wedding took place in the beach behind their vacation home. Rev. Elias Parker performed a traditional Hawaiian civil ceremony. To view their ceremony, click here The ceremony was customized to include a lei exchange, sharing of breaths, and a ring ceremony that included Nathan, Stacy's son. I really don't want to explain more about the wedding, other than it was sweet and romantic. Watch the video!!!
Nathan signs as a witness at his mother's wedding.
Nathan and Jamie, truly get along well together as friends and now, family. Nathan, by the way, is an amazing high school athlete. Be on the lookout for his face in the college ranks. He'll definitely be a NCAA athlete.
The newly weds.
Walking on the beach...
My last thoughts on Jamie and Stacy are nothing but positive. They are an extremely cool couple from head to toe. They did all the things, great couples do. Finish each other sentences, shared great laughs, good times. I had the opportunity to spend a little time with them weeks after their wedding, and I could tell that they were destined to be together...that and Jamie really liked some of our local food. Haha. Jamie, Stacy, if you're reading this, I wish you my best.
Hey everyone, I was burning the midnight oil and apparently the morning oil as well, working. Finally got this wedding video encoded for the web. It was giving me a headache trying to figure out how to make it sharp and sharper! Then for a good two hours, the program I was using failed to convert a certain file type...and finally I trouble shot the damn thing..haha.
So here's Jamie and Stacy's wedding video without any further delay. I will blog about their wedding as soon as I wake up from self-induced coma, which is coming like in five minutes...(ouu that bed is calling).
STAR TREK In my humble opinion, one of the best movies of all time
Here's a confession. I'm not a fan of Star Trek and I'm not a crazy fan of Star Trek, but I think I can see myself become one. I took a look at this movie last night with high expectations going in. And I think, in a sick way, I wanted to hate this movie because I really didn't want to see myself as a Trekkie. But, I couldn't help it. Star Trek was written so well, so perfectly, that I want to see this movie again to study it's story structure. It is everything that the Star Wars prequels should have been...awesome. The only thing which wasn't great as it should be was the action scenes. At times, you didn't know what was going on. But that was a minor setback to what Star Trek was.
If you haven't seen it yet...see it. If you want to get into screenwriting, see it. If you want to see some pretty awesome action scenes, see it. If you want to see one of the best movies of all time, see it. Yes, move on over Casablanca and Citizen Kane, there's a new kid on the block.
Just in case you never did catch an episode of Star Trek, you can do so below. But don't get caught at work!
Shawn, a hero, a great father, a soldier who had returned from Iraq, is simply an amazing person. Between training for his deployment for Iraq, being a great husband to Katie, and providing for his three daughters, he had the time to plan in detail, a surprise vow renewal for his wife. Katie and Shawn had been married for some time now, but because of his quick deployment to Iraq, they truly never had the opportunity to have a real wedding, with real wedding photos. Katie, who dreamt one day of filling the album she had bought with wedding photos, would soon have that dream come true.
A day before the wedding, Shawn took the time off of work to meet me at Sunset Beach to plan the surprise. It took just a few minutes of coordinating, and we were done. I have to say, the pre-planning logistics is a breeze if I deal with a man whose been in combat military. Their combat experience really pays off when it comes down to pulling off surprises. In combat, maintaining the logistical element of surprise is key to that soldiers survival. Pulling of a surprise vow renewal or even a wedding, is a walk in the park to these heroes compared to what their jobs calls for. Not to insult all the over controlling mother-in-laws out there, but it would probably take me two to three hours to do the same thing if I were to plan it with them.
Needless to say, everything went off as planned, and Katie was surprised!
Katie finally got her photos
So Shawn makes his living as a hero serving this nation and protecting our freedoms, and Katie is just as heroic as she makes her living caring for their three young daughters full time. Did you know that a recent statistic came out that says "the stay-at-home mother is equivalent to $150,000." I have no doubt about that. Do you know that a mother who just cuts coupons every week can save thousands of dollars per year. A mother who cooks at home most of the days per week, can save $30,000 in household earnings. A mother who stays at home and raises her children can save $30,000 in nanny and day care services per year. A 20/20 report once took five couples, broke down their household income, and concluded that it would be not just the right thing to do for the woman to stay home, but also it would be financially sensible.
Here is what is wrong with today's society. To sum it up, men have become feminized and because of that, women have been forced to masculinize. Here in America, and I'm sure in other parts of the world, many men sleep with women, get them pregnant, and leave. Do they want to be providers? No! Women are forced to become the providers, to get jobs, and devote less time to raising the child.
Then, there are men and society who expect a woman to work even if the man's income is more than sufficient to provide a steady income for that family. I remember talking to a former friend of mine who literally said that he would force his wife to get a job. It's no wonder my former friend is still not married, and to no surprise, not a friend anymore. I don't keep jerks like that as my friends.
So what is the unfortunate result of women being forced out their care-taking role? Kids get raised by MTV, have Britney Spears as role models, and learn sex ed from video games, friends, and movies. Then they get brainwashed into thinking America is evil, capitalism is bad, from our "great" public school teachers and they come out with some child abandonment issues and eventually end up hating society.
What the heartland of America should resemble
This is why I truly admire stay at home mothers like Katie and my own mother. They buck the trend, do what's right, and help raise their kids right so one day they would become great adults. I am where I am today because I had great parents: a stay at home mother who cared for me around the clock, and a father who was a great provider. There is no scientific proof that can conclude 100% that women who care and raise their children end up having a child who will eventually become successful. And I am in no way saying or even concluding, that if a woman works a full time job, and has to hire day care for their child, that they are being a bad mother. Sometimes you have to do, what you have to do. Sometimes two incomes are needed to support the family, especially in this economy. Sometimes, in fact all the time, the single mother has to be the provider and the care taker for the child...and that in itself is just amazing. And as a lasting note, it is a not an guaranteed assumption that a child will end up failing in life as a result of bad parenting, just look at Obama, he became president.
I am just arguing the case and praise, for the stay-at-home mom, because society seems to look down on them...and sometimes, they seem to look down on themselves. Ask a young girl what she wants to be in life these days, and if she says "a great stay-at-home mother" she gets laughed at, and even classified as lazy. Personally, I think that's a great goal. If anything we should be looking up to stay-at-home mothers as an example of what society should be.
So lets look at the other extreme end of the spectrum. Lets look at Hollywood, where celebrity mothers spend more time on set, hitting red carpet galas, and hire round the clock nanny's to care for their children. They provide the best money can money can buy: schools, clothes, toys, psychologist, and jobs for their kids. They provide everything except motherly love 24 hours a day. The result. By the age of 34, the typical Hollywood chlid is either dead, manically depressive, or suffering from alcoholism, drug abuse, a good sense of morals, or all of the above. A starving kid in Africa has a better chance of living a longer better life than a kid raised in Hollywood. Why we let celebrities go to 3rd world countries to adopt, I HAVE NO IDEA!!!
So since today is mothers day, I would like to salute you, especially stay-at-home moms, for a job well done. For those mothers who need to work, I am also sure you still provide that nurturing love as well and I salute you.
Here is a video by Dr. Laura worth watching "In Praise of Stay-at-Home Mothers:
Wedding Paper Divas - Wedding Invitations - Site Review!!
WEDDINGPAPERDIVAS.COM My two cents
As you may have noticed, Weddingpaperdivas.com is one of my advertisers on my website, and for great reason. Not only do they help contribute to the for-profit corporation of Steve Young (that's me!), they also have a service which you, my loyal brides and customers, may need in the near future. WEDDING INVITATIONS.
Before weddingpaperdivas.com became an advertiser of mine, I had to make sure I would be comfortable endorsing them. So I spent a few good hours tearing apart their website, customizing a few wedding invitations, and taking a look at their available designs. Overall,they past my litmus test with flying colors.
Their website was extremely easy to use. Everything from navigation to checkout, was very easy and striaght forward. I hate those websites that are hard to navigate, they are a pain in the ass. As far as available templates were concerned, there were a handful that I thought were excellent examples of design.
One thing which I did enjoy about this website was their customization on how information was conveyed on wedding invitations. They had an option to either display your invitation information "formally" or "casually." The formal style spells out all the information on an invitation. For example. Instead of writing March 6, 2009... the formal style would read, "On the sixth day of March in the year year of two thousand and nine" Personally, I believe the "formal style" of invitations may look nice, but is highly ineffective in conveying information, so I always tell my couples to go "casual." It was nice to know weddingpaperdivas.com offered information to be conveyed "casually..." Most invitations sites don't.
I'd highly recommend giving their website at least a once over to see if they could be of service to you. They are located at http://www.weddingpaperdivas.com/
If you look carefully, you can see Seth biting his lip...about to cry
JAMBA JUICE PASSION Seth and Katherine, mix it up
Seth and Katherine caught each others eye at Jamba Juice. Seth, was a regular customer, and Katherine, was just an employee, working the register. It took just a few visits to Jamba juice till they both hit on each other, at the same time. Yes, at the same time! Apparently, they both passed love notes asking for each others numbers simultaneously. It was love at first mix.
Seth and Katherine's wedding day didn't flow as smooth as most of my weddings. There was a small amount of drama that unfolded a few hours before the start of the wedding.
Surprisingly, two Ko'olina security guards appeared out of nowhwere and tried to shut down the wedding. But the law was not on their side as:
They had no jurisdiction over Lanikohunua as it was a public beach, not the property of Ko'olina.
They had no jurisdiction over where we parked, since we parked in a state owned public parking lot.
They, by State Law, could not block public or commercial activity from accessing the public beach entry way or else the security guards would be fine $1000 per first incident, $2000 per second incident.
I gave the young security guards a print out of the State public access beach law, which stated that they could be fined up to $2000 for stopping me acces a publich beach. I then told them, "This fine would be three-quarters of your paycheck. The law as you can see is on my side. What say you?"
The two security guards looked at each other, then after a long second they said, "We're outta here...that's more than my pay check." They left, never to come back. From there, everything was smooth sailing.
Luckily, all of this drama unfolded before Katherine arrived, as she was a bit nervous upon arrival.
Walkway by Seth
Other than that incident, the wedding ran very smooth. Seth arrived early with his groomsmen and created a make shift isle. He then strategically hid himself so Katherine couldn't see him when she arrived.
Seth and Katherine were very emotional during the wedding. Both were red, watery eyed, and on the verge of crying. I think Katherine did cry. Seth, held it in pretty well.
Sweet...
After Elias and I finished the Jamba Juice couple's wedding, we soon found out that they had forgot their marriage license at the hotel. That really wasn't a problem. Elias and I met Seth and Katherine a few days later at Sunset Beach and made everything legal. It was at that time, when we found out that Seth had lost his wedding band while swimming at the beach. It really wasn't that big a deal for the happy couple, just another memory to laugh at.
I like this shot
This picture looks awesome when it's blown up to a 16x20
One thing I forgot to metion about Seth is that he's a pilot. When Katherine and Seth first started dating, Seth took her up in one his planes...I bet that was what sealed the deal. Pilots always get all the chicks.
On a side note, since the Ko'olina Security guard incident, I have performed over twenty weddings at that same location, and many other companies have done so as well...with no trouble. Another wedding planner had told me that they are now very aware that they have no jurisdiction over Lanikuhonua's beach. Great news.
I'm busy editing wedding videos tonight, so I thought instead of reading one of my wedding blogs today, you can watch one of my favorite TV shows! I love this show. Jack Bauer I think represents what a real man should be...patriot, protector of his family and children, die for his country type of guy. I promise to have some wedding blogs up by tomorrow.
So I thought I switch up my blog for a bit. It's been awhile since I blogged about movies and political stuff so here goes. First off, my movie review, with no spoilers!
X-MEN Origins: Wolverine. Simple statement: See the movie, it's great. In fact it's really good. Not too long, not too short. And for all you women Hugh Jackmen fans out there, he appears naked for a good portion of the movie. I swear, I went to see this movie with a woman friend of mine who is a huge Hugh fan, I literally had to pry her off of me by the end of the movie.
This movie shows us how Wolverine came to be, what type of life he lead prior to joining the X-Men and losing his memory. The story is easy to follow, with the lots of action interwoven perfectly throughout. Character development, storyline, dialogue, everything, I give an A-plus. In fact, this movie should be hailed as an example of perfect screenwriting. Of course, this movie won't win any Oscar. Why? Well, there are far too many cars in here, so it's not "Green" enough, and there is not enough gay political statements. If only Wolverine would have exposed his secret gay love life, this movie would be up for an Oscar.
The only thing I do recommend doing if you have the time, is to watch the last three X-Men episodes, so you can see how everything wove together. I didn't do that. Instead, I opted to bring my friend who is a comic book nerd.
TWO-CLAWS UP...way up!
NOW ONTO SOMETHING MUCH MORE IMPORTANT
MICHAEL SAVAGE BANNED FROM UK FOR THINKING
I'm not sure if many you out there are aware who Michael Savage is, but let me give you a quick run down. Michael Savage, real name, Dr. Michael Weiner, is an extremely popular conservative national talk show host, best selling author, and holds a Phd. Epidemiology and Nutrition Science. He is best known for his conservative view, and is many times labeled "Extreme" by the mainstream media and liberal bloggers, even though his views are far from "Extreme" but rather plain and traditional. Those who hate Savage, hate him because he preaches a strong message, supported by easy to understand logic and ethics. His message and values are simple: That in order for America to survive as a nation, it must protect its borders, English language, and traditional culture. While how plain and traditional Savage's message has been, he has been a lightening rod for progressive liberals.
On Monday, Dr. Savage, was put on a list that included terrorists, those who advocated violence, murderers, and was banned from entering the UK.
Now I have been a staunch listener of Michael Savage for over nine years, and not once has Dr. Savage tried to organize a violent act against any one person or nation. He has held his opinions strongly to himself, as he is a man who has very strong convictions. But should a man be grouped in with some of the most vile humans on earth, just because he shares a conviction that conflicts with those of a country's government? Not once, has Dr. Savage advocated any violence in the UK, yet he gets banned. Radical Muslims in the UK have called for the destruction of Parliament, yet they are given asylum.
Something isn't right when an innocent man can be banned by a country for holding a conflicting conviction. And there are still many questions.
1. How can the UK decide to ban Michael Savage when his show does not broadcasts in the UK? How did the even hear about him? Who told the UK about Savage?
2. The White house made it a point to go after Rush Limbaugh, as Limbaugh was critical of Obama's actions. Why would the executive branch of the United States ever go after a talk show host? Has that ever been done in the history of the White House? Did Bush ever go after Al Franken or any outspoken critic of his? Could the Obama administration have tipped off the UK on outspoken conservative voices? Could this be a trend be a coordinated effort to silence free speech in America, more so...opposing speech, around the world? The Executive Branch in America targets Limbaugh, the Executive Branch in the UK targets Savage.....hmm....cooincidental?
3. What's next? I share many beliefs of Dr. Savage. Could I be labeled as an extremist and banned by the UK as well?
For more information, please visit http://www.michaelsavage.com/ His talk show is 3rd most popular in the nation. Listen to him respond to his band by clicking here. Dr. Savage is currently suing to get his name off this list, and I believe he needs our support. The silencing of Savage is only piece of a larger movement, where all opposing speech will eventually become illegal.
Faye, taking John's last name, and finally making it official!
FINALLY! ...the wedding of John and Faye...
If you were to ask me how many weddings I've done in the past, I probably couldn't tell you. I lost track. I married couples who had rushed to the alter after knowing of each other for just two weeks! Then, on the extreme opposite, I've met couples like John and Faye. Couples who did things pretty much backwards. John and Faye started dating in middle school, had two kids, bought a house, then got married. I'm not one to judge which way, rushing or waiting to go to the alter, is better than the other. All I know is... it is pretty much the norm nowadays to live together first, then to eventually get married. This is in fact, the norm even for Christian people, even though the church preaches 100% against it!
John and Faye came to me sometime in March of this year to book my wedding services. Their original plans called for them to get married in front of the beach at the Hilton Hawaiian Village. I protested their choice, and told them...FIND ANOTHER! The beach in front of the Hilton Hawaiian Village was crowded, ugly, and at times...smelly. John, being a surfer, entertained the idea of getting married on a famous North Shore beach, but then reneged on that idea when he took into account the travel time. So, the Hilton Hawaiian Village it was.....for now.
Wait a minute, this shot was taken at Ko'olina!
I have no problem when my clients don't take my advice. They pay my bills, so wherever they want me, I'll go and do my best. I had one elderly couple who just wanted to get married in their apartment...no problem. Pay me, I'll do anything you want, even dance. So John and Faye arrived in Hawaii, check into their hotel at the Hilton Hawaiian, took a peek at the beach, and called me to tell me, "We can't have the wedding there. It's too crowded, it's not private, it's not nice!"
And they would love for me to help them choose another location. Ah, the wedding guy was right, again!
The following day, I met with John and Faye and showed them Magic Island, then Ko'olina. John immediately fell in love with Ko'olina, as with Faye, and they decide to get married there...My original recommendation.
John and Faye shook their head, smiling, knowing they should have listened to my advice and apologize for not doing so. I tell them, no hard feelings, and that I can't help it that I'm always right, even in politics.
That is legendary Clyde Aikau playing for John and Faye!
The wedding ceremony went great. John and Faye included their children in the ceremony, and Clyde Aikau, legendary surfer and brother to Eddie Aikau (Eddie would go!), showed up to congratulate the couple on their wedding... and to sing! Clyde was John's surprise, setup by Faye. John is a huge surfing fan and Clyde is basically a surfing god...so this was huge, even for me!
Faye was not nice
The happy couple also ordered a wedding cake. Lets just say, John and Faye were not nice to each other, but Faye really wasn't nice...haha.
Finally, officially together!
a kiss....
On a photography note: if there is water nearby, chances are, I'm probably going to make you stand in it for a shot. Getting great shots in water, makes pictures ten times better. It makes me look like a great photographer, although all I'm doing is making a couple standing in water. If I had my choice, I'd make couples stand in a bucket of water or spilled milk all the time...hahaha.
So what's the moral of the story of John and Faye's wedding story? Just one. Never doubt "The Wedding Guy!" That's me! I come with plethora of information at your disposal. Don't let it ever a good mind go to waste!
If you want to view their wedding video, check out the blog below, or follow this link
John and Faye's Wedding Video Ko'olina, HI April 4, 2009
This is John and Faye's Wedding video. They ordered the ceremony package, plus the video-edit upgrade which includes a 15 picture slide show in the beginning, and 3 camera coverage of their wedding. I'm still toying with the compression setting on this VIMEO thing, so the video may not look as sharp as Jay and Taryn's wedding...but it's still pretty good. I think the next video, I will use a higher bit rate. Also, there are a bit more pictures here in the slide show than the norm as John and Faye paid a tad bit more to include more pics... Other notes, you can notice here that the wind plays a few tricks on the mic a few times. That's something that I really can't avoid. I try my best to shield the mic, then to turn down it's sensitivity...but sometimes, the wind just swoops in right at the right angle, causing wind noise....
I'll be blogging about their wedding in the next few hours :) Then I have one more video of a wedding to publish on this thing... :)
