The photography blog of Carissa Uribe, an international wedding photographer based out of Park City, Utah and Conroe, Texas.

Scouting

I love location scouting. Just going for a drive by myself with the music cranked up. It can be most therapeutic. Particularly when the to-do list is too long and the day is far too short. And especially if I give that time up to God. Because even when life brings bumps in the road, and my plans unravel, He is there with His unfailing love, His everlasting peace. It’s hard to come back with a heavy heart after such an experience. Oh yes, sometimes taking a drive is just the thing…

"I have said these things to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation.

But take heart; I have overcome the world.” John 16:33

Wedding Wednesday: Silk Flowers for Bridals

Top o’ the mornin’ to ya! (Blame it on the Irish Creamer I have in my coffee.)

Today is the start of a new series on the blog that will hopefully be a big help to all you lovely ladies out there planning your wedding!! Welcome to my very first Wedding Wednesday, where every few Wednesday’s I will have a post giving tips, ideas, advice, or inspiration on all things wedding. It could be anything from decor, to make up, to venders, to different kinds of bustles… and everything in between! So without further ado, let’s jump right in, shall we?

I’m starting off with sort of a double whammy… two tips in one post. I figured, go big or go home!

The first tip is this: If you’re getting bridals done, bring a bouquet!!

And the second is this: Use silk flowers for your bridal bouquet!!

I think bridals started as more of a western state thing. Or maybe even just a Utah thing. (I had friends in college who had never heard of bridals before…) But lately they are definitely growing in popularity. And for a good reason, too! I mean, you spend all this time and money on the dress of your dreams, why not wear it and revel in it as much as you possibly can?! I know I did :) If you do bridals, though, definitely plan to bring a bouquet! First, it will give you something to do with your hands, especially if you’re nervous/shy in front of the camera! I don’t know about you, but when I’m nervous I like to have something to do with my hands. This way you can look gorgeous and not feel awkward as you ease into the shoot! It also adds YOUR wedding colors into the photos. Even if you’re having your photos done at your reception site, your wedding colors won’t really be incorporated. You carefully and thoughtfully selected the colors and flowers for your wedding, why not include a piece of that in your bridals? Lastly, it just helps to add variety. You might be surprised by how much of a difference is made with a bouquet in, or not in, a photo. And sure, you probably won’t want your flowers in every photo, but at least you will have the option!

Those flowers are pretty, right? They’re not real. They’re silk. And they’re the flowers I had in my bridals almost two years ago.

When it was first brought to my attention, I was really turned off by the idea of FAKE flowers. I mean, who wants fake when you can have real, right? Wrong. I was totally wrong! When you use silk flowers, you can change your mind about it and play with it until it’s exactly what you want. They photograph beautifully. (My photographers couldn’t even tell it was fake until I told them at the end!) And my favorite part, they don’t die the next day. It’s true, if you want good quality silk flowers that look real, it can be just as, if not more expensive than real flowers. BUT you get to keep it forever. Jake’s mom made my arrangement. It sits in my office so that every day I see it, and I’m reminded of her sweet gift, of my wonderful experience, and it just adds beauty to the room! If I could do it all over again, I would choose silk flowers for my bridals every time.

So there you have it, the first Wedding Wednesday post! I hope it was helpful to some of you :) Also, while I have a few ideas of my own to share, if you are a bride and you have a topic you’d like covered, please let me know!! Feel free to comment below, or ask a question on my fanpage, or email me!

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Leanne - May 7, 2012 - 11:31 am

Any suggestions on where to buy nice silk flowers?

Carissa - May 7, 2012 - 11:51 am

Sure! Most craft stores will have decent ones. The majority of flowers from my bouquet are actually just from Hobby Lobby and Michael’s. If there are any specialty craft stores around you though (not big chain stores), those are usually excellent places to check. A store near me called Tai Pan Trading had incredibly beautiful and real looking ones, but I think that store is only in Utah. Just remember that the nicer ones will be more expensive, but totally worth it in the end :)

Music Monday

The weather has been seriously playing with my heart this month. We’ve had gorgeous days in the 60’s, even 70’s, giving me intense spring fever. Or maybe I should say summer fever. I’m ready to don the summer look, complete with sunglasses, frilly tops, and pink lipgloss a la Blake Lively.

But I’ve also woken up to days like this:

Not exactly a warm welcome. All I have to say is, if April Showers bring May flowers, this weather better be bringing us some greenery straight out of Dr. Seuss, if you catch my drift.

But even if it’s snowing outside, inside I’m pretending it’s summer. With my newfound love of Sarah Jaffe. Lately I’ve had her on repeat while I edit. I couldn’t even narrow down which song to choose, so I’m sharing two. Enjoy :)

Happy Monday!

Pillow Talk

Jake has talked in his sleep for as long as I’ve known him. Even before, actually. I’d heard all the stories of him sleep walking when he was younger. I’d experienced it in college when we would talk on the phone late into the night and he would drift off, suddenly babbling hilarious and incomprehensible things. And let’s not forget the one time during a family vacation when he sat up and yelled at my brother, in his sleep, for messing with him while he rested on the couch. Needless to say he had no idea why my brother apologized the next morning.

I’ve always thought his sleep talking antics were pretty comical. And really, for the most part they are. Particularly when he wakes up just enough to realize that I’m laughing hysterically at what he’s saying, but as frustrated as he might be while trying to talk, he’s still too tired to make sense.

This weekend, however, was a different story. He crossed a line. Asleep or not, he took it much too far. HE STOLE MY PILLOW.

I woke up to a tugging under my head. I don’t know what time it was, I didn’t bother looking at the clock. But suddenly I became aware of the fact that my head was being jerked around. I shot straight up, alarmed that something bad was happening. (And indeed it was.) After a few seconds of scanning the room, I turned and looked at Jake. Had I not just woken out of a deep sleep, I probably would have laughed. Because my lovely slumber had been interrupted, though, it was not funny. At all. He was sitting up, looking at me quite bewildered, my pillow clutched to his chest. His face was turned up in question, as if he was saying Why do YOU have this?? That’s when I got angry. WHY did I have it?? Because it was MY PILLOW!

I snatched it from him, pointed directly at the pillow behind him, and said “THAT is your pillow. This is MY pillow!!” Oh yes, I told him how it was. I almost added in a waving finger and a “honey boo boo child.” Desperate times call for desperate measures. He’s just lucky I didn’t pull a hulk and turn all green and muscle-y.

Fortunately, we both slept soundly the rest of the night. But I’m pretty sure his awake self and his asleep self now know… don’t mess with my pillow.

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Jeremiah Ragsdale - April 10, 2012 - 8:42 am

Bahahaha That’s fantastic.

I mean terrible. That’s terrible.

*straight face*

Rebecca - April 10, 2012 - 8:57 am

LOL. My husband does the same thing! He also tries to smoother me with blankets. Since he is ALWAYS cold I must be too so in his sleep he will try to mummify me with the blankets and I always wake up to him “tucking” me in. We now sleep with seperate blankets:)

Roni - August 16, 2012 - 11:16 am

This was too funny, cuz it reminds me of what tim does when we sleep, he knows now that its our bed but its my pillow and my blanket and back off. Its been very comical some nights.

Heritage Park Wedding: Roni + Tim

“It feels good to finally call her my wife!” he said with tears in his eyes. And Tim doesn’t exactly strike me as the type of guy who tears up easily. But standing there, in front of his family and closest friends, exchanging rings with the beautiful woman who was as excited to spend the rest of her life with him as he was with her… well, he teared up. In fact, I’m pretty sure everyone watching teared up. I know I did. Because when you witness two people who love each other as much as Tim and Roni do, it’s impossible not to feel their love bubbling over, like a just-popped bottle of champagne. And as Tim continued to talk, Roni looked up at him, her eyes silently expressing the same sentiments that he spoke.

As the night began to wind down, and the laughing, dancing, and celebrating came to an end, they thanked everyone for coming and sharing in their love. Following an abundance of hugs and kisses, they slipped into their car and off into the night, nothing but smiles. After all, their wedding might’ve been over… But their lives? Their lives were just beginning. Together.