Saturday, February 23, 2008

 

Grooms Are People Too!

Having photographed many weddings over the past 17 years I've come to the conclusion that the wedding day seems to be all about the bride. Not exactly shocking news you might think, but considering the groom is 50% of the union he's certainly an underrepresented minority.

As a wedding photographer my day starts at the bride's home where all the bridesmaids and flower girls have assembled. There's a madhouse of activity with telephones ringing, flowers and bouquets being delivered and the heavy scent of hairspray lingering in the air. There's absolutely no denying it. I'm at WEDDING HEADQUARTERS! I'm working at a rapid pace, photographing all the details of the wedding preparation. There are classic photographs that must be taken. Some of which include the bride with her bridesmaids, along with photos with her mom and dad and then.....the sleek limousine pulls into the driveway. Finally I'll photograph the bride leaving her parents home for the last time as their unmarried daughter, getting into the limousine and heading off for the ceremony.

I'm already breaking out in a sweat and I haven't even seen the groom yet. He's that poor, forgotten figure who mysteriously appears at the front of the church, awaiting his beautiful bride. Anyone will acknowledge that there's not going to be a wedding without him, but somehow he gets lost in the pre-wedding hysteria. Somehow that trip to the tuxedo rental shop doesn't hold the same mystique for him that the bride experiences while hunting down the perfect dress. Obviously there are going to be exceptions to these observations, but most of the excitement, fun, and yes, the WORK of wedding planning is handled by the bride. Maybe it's just traditional that the bride and her family plan for the wedding, and this may be particularly true when the two families live far from each other.

That being said, it's my job as a wedding photographer to treat everyone equally during the wedding day. I'm always sure to photograph the groom and his family along with any special family request from either side. Some of the most emotional moments from any wedding celebration occur during the mother/son dance. My camera has captured many a teary eye during these dances. (tears of joy of course!) Not long ago I was working on a wedding album with one of my bridal customers. She's a very nice young lady who was extremely low-key about the whole process. She had no unusual demands and never even approached a "bridezilla" moment. There was ONE thing she asked me to do when assembling her album. She told me that she didn't care if the photos were placed in perfect chronology coinciding with the wedding day. She INSISTED that the first page of the album be a photograph of she AND her husband. "The wedding was about both of us", she said. We then proceeded to select the perfect photograph to start the album.

Andy Heller is the owner/operator of Heller Photography, http://www.hellerphoto.com specializing in Boston Wedding Photography and social events throughout Massachusetts since 1987. He can be reached at 508-668-4277 or by email: andy@hellerphoto.com

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The Hidden Dangers of Holiday Decorating

Decorating for the holidays is a fun way for you and your family to prepare for the Christmas season. Hanging ornaments on the tree, stringing lights along your eves and letting little ones help with the holiday decorating are all a wonderful part of the season.

But, Says Christie MacLachlan of Christmastime site http://Christmaslightsanddecorations.com. with all the joy and excitement surrounding Christmas it can be easy to forget that there are some real dangers involved in adorning your home and living with holiday decorations day to day.

According to the US National Center for Disease Prevention and Control (CDC) and the National Protection Agency, it is estimated that nearly 6000 injuries, 33 deaths and 600 fires a year occur as a result of decorating for Christmas. Added to the over 23 million dollars in property damage caused during the holidays, a significant amount of risk is involved in decorating your home for the holidays!

The most common Christmastime injuries come from climbing and reaching, followed closely by electrocution and fires caused by improper handling of Christmas lights. Balancing on furniture such as couches and chairs that arent meant for climbing is the easiest way to get hurt. Its easy to prevent injury while decorating for Christmas, though! MacLachlan sites these simple tips to improving your holiday safety.

Make sure you follow safe practices when working up high. Always use ladders for climbing and dont overextend your reach. Check that your ladder is sturdy and be sure to have someone hold the bottom so that it doesnt slip. For extra safety, you can hire a professional roofer to put up your roof top decorations.

When youre installing your Christmas lights make sure they are undamaged. Frayed strings and exposed wires can cause a serious risk of electrocution both inside and outside. Also, do not ever try to force a plug into a socket you may need to use an extension cord to properly fit your light string to your electricity source.

After decorating pay close attention to everyday safety. Christmas lights and candles are a fire risk, so monitor them closely. Anything that creates heat should be not be put near Christmas trees or any flammable material and should not be left on when you are not there to keep an eye on them. Also make sure that none of your decorations obstruct any high traffic areas. Place decorations away from spots where they are at risk of tripping or injuring someone.

Children are especially susceptible to injury from Christmas decorations. The twinkling lights and unusual shapes are a major attraction to little fingers. Kids are especially at risk for burns and electrocutions - they might not think twice about putting their hands up to flames or playing with wires and electrical sockets.

Be aware of your fragile glass decorations, too. Broken decorations are a choking hazard for children and can cause serious scratches and cuts. The best way to keep little ones safe is to hang all decorations far out of reach! Also, parents should be mindful of poisonous plants such as poinsettia, which can harm children and pets if consumed.

Keep your Christmas decorating safe this year by being aware of the dangers and working to prevent accidents, says MacLachlan. Practice common sense holiday safety throughout your home this season so you and your family can enjoy and happy accident and injury-free Christmas.

Catherine Spelling absolutely loves spending Christmas with family and friends. When she is not counting down the days until Christmas, she writes for http://christmaslightsanddecorations.com an online resources for all things relating to Christmas and decorations, with information about ( http://www.christmaslightsanddecorations.com/christmas-ornaments.aspx ), ( http://www.christmaslightsanddecorations.com/christmas-candles.aspx ), ( http://www.christmaslightsanddecorations.com/ ) and more.

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