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Photographing the Bride, Groom and Wedding Gown before the Wedding Ceremony

(Above photographs courtesy of Phil Farber)

As you can see from the stunning photographs from Chicago photographers Jai Girard and Phil Farber shown in today’s post (and two of our Chicago StrictlyWeddings.com partners), it is no longer unusual for the Bride and Groom to see each other before the wedding. How else could these photographers capture such a moment?

There’s no right or wrong as to whether you choose to let the groom see you and your wedding gown before you walk down the aisle, yet we think it’s a fabulous idea. You’ll see that these couples stepped out of the “traditional” box and let their photographers’ creativity shine. The end result? Impressive and oh so memorable photos that will last a lifetime (think about the story you get to tell your kids – a special place, a loving kiss, a joyful laugh).

(Above photographs courtesy of Jai Girard)

Whether you take photographs before the wedding or not keep the following ideas in mind:

WHAT IS ROMANCE? Let your photographer understand what is romance for you two. Is it that one moment when the bride and groom see one other for the first time? Is it a special place? A time of day? Let your love for one another take center stage. No matter what the setting, this will definitely come across in the photographs.

PHOTOGRAPH THE MOMENT. Photographing the moment can entail very different approaches. Trust your photographer to know the moment.

AT THE CEREMONY BUT NOT DURING. For couples who would like their photographs before the ceremony but want the aura and mystique of the wedding setting, they can combine the two. Allow close family members to sit in the pews while you stand in the aisle. It can be a very intimate and special experience for you both, as well as for your loved ones.

DO IT YOUR WAY. Whichever route you take, make sure it is determined solely by your vision of your wedding. Scheduling photographs should never be determined by the photographer for the sake of convenience. Some may suggest to you that you should meet before the ceremony “while the makeup is still fresh” in order to get good pictures. Meeting for that reason alone would be a mistake. Be true to your heart. You can depend on your wedding photographer to get memorable shots no matter when you see each other or where the setting.

This Love was Heaven Sent – Featured Weddings – Dorsae & Lewis

The wedding was the natural outcome. The meeting was a message sent from above…

Her story:

Our lives crossed paths on August 21, 1999 at Sambuca’s Jazz Club and Restaurant in downtown Houston, Texas.  Little did I know that God had a divine appointment on His plate. Like many things in my life, I missed it! But God was determined!  Two days later I was running early for an appointment, I stopped at Luby’s Restaurant at Fondren and Westheimer, nothing fancy, a very plain cafeteria, not far from the manger where Jesus was born!  Lo and behold, there was this stranger that I had met two days earlier.  What a coincidence I thought to myself, still not recognizing that this was a divine appointment from God.

Well to make a long story short, it did not take me long to realize that God had His hands in this encounter.  I have had ups and downs in my life, but because of the love and support of my Lewis, the downs have been few.

His story:

I had set out for an evening of jazz performances at a new venue in downtown Houston, Texas called Sambucas. When the band began its second set, I turned to see three beautiful ladies who suddenly appeared from nowhere to sit immediately on my left. The young lady closest to me struck up a conversation that centered around medicine since she was a nurse. Her friend (Dorsae) barely noticed me because the gentleman next to her had her occupied with stories of grandeur since he was an executive with Continental Airlines, with some 20 million frequent flyer miles under his belt and a loft atop of Sambucas.

Eventually, the five of us decided to have dinner whereby the conversations at the bar evolved to the sitting area of the restaurant. My focus for most of the evening was with Dorsae’s friend and the superb jazz band that played music that a jazz enthusiast could truly appreciate. Dorsae continued to converse with “Mr. Continental Airlines” and totally missed God’s calling for her to “abandon the dude” and follow through on His assignment to meet her future husband.

Nevertheless, the evening ended with me finding out her girl friend was married to a doctor and she was also expecting a baby eight months later. Now it’s 2:00 a.m., Dorsae “dumps” the dude and I never got her personal information. I suspect she thought I was interested in her girlfriend.  Little did she know I was so through with wanting to converse with her friend once I found out she was married. So I left the club thinking that I probably wouldn’t see any of these ladies again in life, especially since I lived in Clear Lake, Texas and Dorsae lived in southwest Houston (… it was sixty miles between both of our homes). But God has a sense of humor! While visiting a client in Houston on the west side of the city, a colleague and I were having lunch at a Luby’s Restaurant on Fondren.  I was telling him about my night out two days earlier with the three ladies, but I also failed to get the number of the “gorgeous single lady” whom I should have been conversing with.

We finished lunch and were leaving for our appointment, when I turned the corner of the restaurant and there she was!  Dorsae was literally having lunch in the same restaurant!  It was though God had said,  … “If you two screw this up this time, I am through with you both!” We both were in awe of seeing each other again, and both felt that this was no coincidence, especially since we lived on opposite sides of the world.

Nevertheless, I followed through on my hunch that this was no ordinary “sister”, rather a unique, smart, statuesque, beautiful woman, that I eventually found out loved the Lord.  In fact our first date was to attend her church, and the rest is history. Yes, God does have a sense of humor!  And I am glad He brought us back together again as He did to prove to both of us, this is no accident.  “I want you two to follow through on My Divine Province for you both!  I want you married to each other!”

The Proposal:

Lewis: Wa ya ma me!!!???
Dorsae: Lewis get that bread out of your mouth, I don’t know what you’re saying
Lewis: Will you marry me?
Dorsae: What?
Lewis:  Will you marry me?
Dorsae:  I don’t see no ring!
Lewis: Rings are non-refundable! Will you marry me or not?
Dorsae:  It depends!
Lewis:  On what?
Dorsae:  Will you love and obey?
Lewis:  It depends!
Dorsae:  On what?
Lewis:  Will you submit and not ask questions?
Dorsae:  It depends!
Lewis:  On what?
Dorsae:  Are you rich?
Lewis:  Yes!
Dorsae:  No further questions!
Lewis:  Honey, I love you!  Will you marry me?
Dorsae:  I love you too honey!  Yes, yes I’ll marry you!
Lewis:  Excuse me!  Can I get a Vodka and tonic?
Dorsae:  Excuse me!  Can I have a box of kleenex?

(American Idol finalist LaKisha Jones sang at the wedding)

Dorsae Riddles and Lewis Bennett – November 29, 2009

Ceremony: Rockerfeller Chapel
Reception: The Palmer House
Flowers: Daniels Floriculture
Photography: Jai Girard Photography

Jai Girard Wins Two Accolades of Excellence in 2010 Awards of Excellence 16×20 Print Competition

We are proud of the award our Chicago partner, Jai Girard, has received.

She received special honors in the WEDDING & PORTRAIT PHOTOGRAPHERS INTERNATIONAL (WPPI) 2010 Awards of Excellence 16×20 Print Competition. “Lost in a Dream” received an Accolade of Excellence in the Bride and Groom Together category. ” In a Wedding Dress and Alone” received an Accolade of Excellence in the Non-Wedding Photojournalism category.

Girard competed against an international field of photographers to win such honors. The Awards of Excellence 16×20 Print Competition awards are presented each year at the largest trade show, educational platform and convention in the United States for professional photographers. The 2010 competition included 3388 prints in 18 different categories submitted by photographers from all over the world.

Lost in a Dream

In a dress and alone

A love so deep – Featured Weddings – Chicago’s Emily and Craig

Emily Miller and Craig Mandell have been together since they were 18. They met 8 years ago at college and both went to the University of Wisconsin-Madison, but were from nearby Chicago suburbs. They have been living in Chicago, mostly together, since school. Craig is an attorney and Emily is in Healthcare Consulting. StrictlyWeddings.com would like to thank the lovely couple for sharing their beautiful wedding with us.

Photography: Jai Girard Photography
Video: Larry Wayne Evolution Video
Flowers- Kehoe (Vince)
Planner- Barbara Moss Events
Band- Larry King Orchestra
Dress: Divina Sposa
Bridemsaid dresses- Jenny Yoo
Rings- Cy Fredricks
Makeup- Cynde Cosmetics
Hair- Jessica Gryz
Venue: Fairmont

Jai Girard Photography on StrictlyWeddings.com Chicago

We’ve found a wonderful photograph through Jai Girard to go on our StrictlyWeddings.com Chicago landing page. It’s such a wonderful shot and the Chicago skyline is brilliant. On a fun note, one of our employees saw that image and said “that’s where I proposed to my wife!” Definitely a popular site for the bride and groom!

Jai Girard – Wedding Photographer Bends Creative Curve

Jai Girard has for years been described as the most innovative and talented wedding photographer in Chicago. Booked as much as two years in advance, she shows an unrelenting desire to bend the creative curve so that every picture becomes not just a chronicle of an event but the capture of a memory that will last a lifetime. She dedicates herself to finding the unique excitement between a bride and groom, has been a pioneer in urban realism, and is known for her unique understanding of the understated simplicity of a wedding’s emotion.

StrictlyWeddings.com is thrilled to add Jai as one of our Chicago partners. Visit her page on StrictlyWeddings.com or her web site.