ometimes people enter your life and it's like a gift from God. Our friendship with the Miller's is kinda like that - no, exactly like that. Kara was the receptionist at a midwives clinic that we went to when we were pregnant with Rose. Kara's story is that when she first saw Emily and read that I was a worship pastor (at the time) she thought we'd all get along and so she made a special effort every time we went in to connect with Emily/us. So, one day we all spent an evening together telling stories, laughing, getting to know one another - and the rest is history! I can't believe it's been so long since we saw them. This was our first time meeting their little one!
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The organic farm Kara grew up on came in handy for our little portrait session.
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For whatever reason, I really love this one. The giant hay bail is a perfect frame for their adorable family.
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So are Jake's arms. :)
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This little girl is such a sweetie! And she has about a bazillion different facial expressions.
Here's the 'I'm too cute for words' face.
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Here's the 'I'm gonna jump higher than anyone has ever jumped before' face. AKA 'determination'.
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'Big girl' face.
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The 'Oh, daddy, WHY?' face.
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Iowa. Millers. Spring Break. Ping Pong. Frisbee Golf. Board Games.
e made it home! After reports of a blizzard in Denver last Thursday we extended our stay in Iowa an extra day and drove back on Saturday instead of Friday. It was wonderful to get away from the computer for a week and spend time with the family and some great friends.
Our friends Jake and Kara live in Ohio and so we met up 'halfway' at the farm Kara grew up on. Life on a farm in small town Iowa is certainly different than living in a metropolitan suburb! Here are a few photos of the kids.
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And here is Jeremiah - an old farm dog who only makes a sound when the passing trains blow their horns. He likes to howl in unison.
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One section of the farm is a place where cars and farm equipment go to die I guess. There was this old Pontiac sitting there, being slowly swallowed up into the earth.
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One night the local high school was having a fundraiser carnival. Of course there was facepainting. And when the face artist asked Philip what he would like, he immediately replied 'Vampire'! I was really surprised. I had no idea he even knew that word, let alone the entire concept of this creature. My boy makes a cute Vampire though - the world has nothing to fear.
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Come back very soon to see a family portrait session with Jake, Kara, and their little one Annie!
The next five weeks are going to be incredible, I just know it! Check this out:
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Ok, well, 'Iowa' maybe not so much and 'Ethiopia', well, we're not actually going there YET. I don't know how beautiful or not beautiful Iowa will be, actually. If I've been there before, I can't remember. But what WILL be incredible is spending some time away from the office with my family and seeing some of my best friends on this planet , Jake and Kara, AND meeting their new little girl, Annie.
Then right when I get back I'm hopping on a plane to El Careyes once again for another wedding! Long time blog readers might remember when I went there last March for Angela and Drake's wedding. I can't wait to return!
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And then, a couple of weeks later, I'll be headed to a place I've never been before - Playa del Carmen - for a wedding there that I am sure is going to be super-fabulous! And truly, if Julie at Destination Wedding Divas is involved, there is no doubt! (And I'm crossing my fingers that I might get to swim with some dolphins. I've never done that before...)
And then there's Ethiopia. I've had a lot of people ask me lately just what is going on, and here's the scoop - we're waiting, and it could be any day now. Our documents have been in Ethiopia for 2 months, and we've been waiting. We didn't specify a gender - we already have one of each and so it doesn't really matter to us if we add a boy or a girl to our family - and we've been told that a referral for a boy takes about 2 months and a referral for a girl takes about 6 months. So, with only that to go by, we're somewhat expecting that we could receive a phone call, email, PICTURES - any day now, and most likely for a boy.
This past weekend we had a slumber party to celebrate Rose's 7th birthday. 8 of her friends came over (and 5 spent the night) for our 'Hawaiian Luau' Birthday party and it was so much fun. Here are some of her friends playing 'Hot Coconut'. If you get caught holding the coconut when the music stops - then everyone points at you (or, the coconut) and yells "Coconut!! 9 girls and 1 boy - my son - and guess who got their feelings hurt? :)
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While we were playing, one of the girls had to go potty. So I came up with the idea to kinda hide and then jump up and yell 'surprise' when they returned. The girls thought this was fun.
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Of course there was cake.
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And presents!
I remember, when I was little, wishing that either 1. I were a girl so I could have a half of one of these, or 2. They made these things for boys so I could have a half of one. What is it? Those cool little 'Best Friend' necklaces that split in half. How cute is it that my girl has a 'BE FRI' necklace!
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And just in case you were wondering if it got a little crazy with 9 little girls having a sleepover - yes! But the outbursts were brief, lasting only until we gained control by yelling 'Cake!', or 'Presents!', or 'Movie Time!'. Here is one of those brief moments of rowdiness.
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Happy Birthday Babesy! I love you BIG TIME!
....and speaking of Birthday Parties. Just a few days later some friends had a party of their own. No Hawaiian Luau for this guy. Instead we were treated to a tour of the Erie, Colorado Police Station. The kids just LOVED getting locked in jail. :)
edding season is about to hit full stride - and it was so exciting to get it rolling with Celsey and Morgan who got married on Saturday in Littleton and had their reception at Mile High Station. Until Saturday I had never been to Mile High Station - but now you can count me a fan!
After the ladies were ready we went outside for a few portraits.
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Meanwhile the guys were downstairs getting ready themselves. Here's Morgan...
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And here are all the boys.
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After a little bit of fun outside - it was time for the ceremony. I love this shot Kevin captured just before Daughter and Dad came down the aisle.
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This church building has been around for awhile. Tons of character!
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And then, right after the ceremony, Morgan just HAD to get a photo with the horse in the background!
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We had a few minutes for portraits with the entire wedding party (I count 18!) once we got to Mile High Station. I LOVE this image!
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After Celsey and Morgan had a chance to relax and grab a bite I got them to sneak back outside with me for just a few minutes. I'm so glad we did. These photos make me smile - and this next one is destined to be an all-time favorite! (Thanks to JMC for a little bit of inspiration.)
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Mile High Station is such a great venue for receptions. I love the surrounding balcony, the giant chandeliers, and the glossy floor. And to make it even better - Celsey and Morgan filled the place with wonderful, fun loving people. It was a magical evening!
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And I thought I'd throw this one in here as well. I have no idea what he did to deserve this - but everyone starting throwing this guy into the air.
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And a few minutes later - Celsey tossed her bouquet up there as well...
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I'm so excited that the Colorado wedding season is drawing near. Look - you can see how happy I am to be doing what I do. (Thanks Kevin for the lovely portrait, you sneaky little guy!)
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I leave you with an extended presentation via Blip.TV To see more from the wedding just start the show - and photographers out there, note that the reason this is on Blip and not ShowIt is because this is the first one of these I've done that shows off a bit of the 5D mkii's special powers. :)
know I've posted about Stacey and Eric's wedding before - but I just have to show you what we've been up to! And besides, Stacey and Eric's picturesque wedding at the Little NellAspen Wedding Deck was so amazing - I'll take every opportunity I can to show it to you again! (If you want to see Stacey and Eric's wedding you can click on 'gallery' above, or you can view the original post here.)
Recently I've begun to increase the number of different books I offer my clients from the great lineup of books by Couture. These books truly are a work of art and while the leather flushmount albums by Leather Craftsmen have been the preferred choice of my wedding clients for the last few years - I would expect that to change very soon as these Couture books are so beautiful and unique! Add to that the big plus of containing 150-300 pages (instead of 30-50) and you can see why Stacey and Eric chose to go with the 'French Paris' book by Couture.
I've heard these books described as a 'storybook' and I can see why. It's elegant without being 'stuffy'. It takes the concept of 'capturing the day as it unfolds' and runs with it. You won't see it so much as a 'wedding album' but your story in pictures. Tuck away some vellum inserts into this book for another touch of class and once you see it you're going to be in love!
When Stacey and Eric's book is finished and in my hands I'll take some photos to share with all of you. For now, click on the slideshow to view their completed design.
(Photographer's Note: If you are using Couture and InDesign and are interested in some wonderful and simple layouts that truly reflect the character of each Couture Book - shoot me an email at jaredATjaredwilsonphotographyDOTcom and I'll tell you where to get some!)
I believe it was early 2008 when the inspiration for Easter House Weddings first struck. Of course the idea didn’t come all at once but rather through a series of events that eventually lead me down this path. Let me briefly share…
It all started when an inquiry for my wedding photography services came through my site. I don’t have the email any more, unfortunately, but the story this bride-to-be told me went something like this:
”Dear Jared,
We are in love with your work and we hope you have our date available! My fiancé and I both work with disabled children. Neither of us earns much money and so, obviously, our budget is very tight. We are getting married at Camp Easter Seals and we think you should know that many of those in attendance will be the children we work with…”
She didn’t need to say any more. I was determined to photograph their wedding – even if I didn’t make a dollar. Sadly, I couldn’t make contact with her again and I never heard back.
Ever since she contacted me and shared with me what her and her fiancé were planning – I couldn’t get her, or their story, out of my mind. If I wasn’t thinking about them daily, it was at least every week – for nearly a year. And when you think about something for so long, ideas start to form, and inspiration strikes.
So, when another bride-to-be, Jennifer, contacted me in January of 2009 and, after viewing my pricing and packages, informed me that she worked for a non-profit and that I was a bit out of their budget, something rose up within me and told me not to let this one go. I asked her what non-profit she worked for and she replied: “Samaritan House, family services. It’s a homeless shelter and program designed to get homeless families and children off the streets and back on their feet.”
To make a long story short, Jennifer, Tim, and Samaritan House, became the first to benefit from what I am now calling ‘Easter House Weddings’. I’ll keep the specific details private – but I will tell you that I am really looking forward to photographing Jennifer and Tim’s wedding in September of 2009! Samaritan House will also benefit from this effort and, as part of the package we worked out, I will not gain anything financially. I believe that as a part of the global community, I’ve already been paid.
The idea is simple. People who serve our community, locally and/or globally, have earned great reward. For most of us, our earnings are measured monetarily, but that is not always the case for those who serve others. Their earnings, and their reward, must be measured in other ways – the ‘thank you’ from those they provide shelter for, the laughter of the ‘broken’ child they just taught to water-ski. Their treasure isn’t held inside a bank; it’s stored up in a place other than here. But while they walk these streets, what can they buy with that? Well, somehow, in some way, I want to let these people know that they can buy great photography! They’ve earned it.
Now, as I am able (two or three times a year?), I am donating my time and talents toward repaying those who serve our world. Details, packages, and availability will be worked out on a case-by-case basis. If you, or someone you know, are getting married, need a great photographer, have a limited budget – and serve our local and/or global community – then please send your story, a photo of the happy couple, your wedding date, and any other pertinent details, to:
jaredATjaredwilsonphotographyDOTcom or
Easter House Weddings
c/o Jared Wilson Photography
13243 Holly Street Unit E
Thornton, CO 80241
I will do my best to respond within one week and let you know if I am available.
Honestly, this journey has just begun. I don’t know if it will be a short one, or one of epic proportions. All I know is that I’ve taken the first step and that I hope there will be many more.
And I pray that all of us with treasure stored up here on earth will do our part to repay those whose treasure is stored up in heaven.
