The "Bee Girl" - The New Me?

Given the state that I find myself in these days, a state, I realize, that I have no one to blame, err, exculpate but myself, a label (read: nickname, alias, insult, slur) is being thrown my way. You see, planning a wedding (or honeymoon) has presented someone with the opportunity to toss a label at me (ep, you label-tosser, you!!).

As The CLE suggests, I've donned the mask, albeit wiser and older, of the "Bee Girl". The "Bee Girl" you ask? Who, pray tell, is that? Surely you know. Come on. Everyone knows the "Bee Girl". The "Bee Girl", circa 1993, was the pivotal character in Blind Melon's "No Rain" video. A happy-go-hippy take on what exactly I am not sure - hence the forthcoming analysis.

Is it because:

-we both have freckles

-we both wear corrective lens (glasses)

-we both like the color yellow

-we both have an affinity for dancing (tap)

-we both can be found wandering the industrial landscape of certain cities (new york)

-we both enjoy the feeling of form-fitting spandex

-we both take pleasure being elevated in worship by our peers

-we both have shed a tear or two attempting to understand the plight of man (and bee)


Perhaps its just because said label-tosser comprehends the joys (and resulting financial freedom) that will eventually present themselves when certain milestones of this project have been completed.

It's strange. The more similarities I dig up the less slanderous and contumelious it sounds. I think a "Thank you" is in order.




No Rain - Lyrics (for those interested)

All I can say is that my life is pretty plain
I like watchin' the puddles gather rain
And all I can do is just pour some tea for two
and speak my point of view
But it's not sane, It's not sane

I just want some one to say to me
I'll always be there when you wake
Ya know I'd like to keep my cheeks dry today
So stay with me and I'll have it made

And I don't understand why I sleep all day
And I start to complain that there's no rain
And all I can do is read a book to stay awake
And it rips my life away, but it's a great escape
escape...escape...escape...
All I can say is that my life is pretty plain
ya don't like my point of view
ya think I'm insane
Its not sane...it's not sane.

An Epiphany - JoVon Photography

No wonder there's nothing about package prices on their website! The reason - because they are cash! (Read: expensive) - at least at first glance, and videography is wrapped into the price. We could separate the two but I think you lose the value in getting both services from one shop. I think integration is key when dealing with a photographer and a videographer.

Their pictures are great and their portfolios (CN Portfolio shout out!) are in line with what we are looking for - something scripted yet photojournalistic. That seems to be the thing these days in case you weren't aware. They offered us a cocktail (*points) during our interview which was, strangely enough, in The Caroline, a residential building on 23rd @ 6th Avenue.

I have yet to breakdown the total cost and compare it to Bella Pictures and the other photographers we will interview so I can get a good grasp of the value each package brings per dollar. That will be a weekend project. I am trying, successfully I may add, to instill this logic on Coco when she thinks about The Honeymoon. Hence Thailand. The USD seems to kill the Thai Bhat. (1 Thai baht = 0.0307337687 U.S. dollars) [Sidebar: 10 decimal places?!?!]

2 photographers down. How many more to go??

Question: I wonder if there is a correlation between fotog HQ and the prices they charge?

JoVon = Brookville

[Disclaimer: Wiki (shall we open the can of worms on wiki reliability??) tells me that the median income for a household is in excess of $200,000 but I would tend to think that's a bit deflated since the southern most points of Brookville are actually in Westbury and North Hempstead. The income per head in those areas is significantly lower and population density should be taken into account since the houses in Brookville are on "..huge tracks 'o land" (god bless Monty Python); the weight of lower incomes clearly tips the median income scale with that of the common folk. I think net worth (total assets minus total liabilities) would be a much more accurate variable in looking at the correlation but access to that information is hard, if not impossible, to come by.]

ps - Does it even need to be said that JoVon himself charges the most?

Didn't think so.

More on Wedding Day Photography

We had our first sit-down with Bella Pictures on Friday evening. It went well but I can't say that I didn't expect it. I think the two of us have done enough research to know what we'll like and what we won't like. I think it just really comes down to what the marginal utility per dollar will be of the services they are offering. One of most useful aspects was that the meeting allowed us to see and feel what producing an album will be like. Needless-to-say we disagreed on what the final product will be/look like if we choose to go with Bella.

We have meeting planned with JoVon Photography this Tuesday. I can't imagine it will go much differently but you never can tell.

Am I wrong in expecting a celebratory cocktail at these meetings?? I mean, we are celebrating a wonderful moment in our lives. Perhaps when we actually go to contract. It just seems like the right thing to do.

I am also shocked that up until just recently, I haven't hit Craigslist in search of wedding day services. Craigslist can seem so hit or miss at times. I did, however, come across this wonderful photographer, Farnaz K, who seems to be offering her wedding services at a considerable discount. She is building her wedding portfolio so this might be a great match in terms of value. Check out her stuff here. Thoughts? Preferences?

Rain Rain Go Away

I'm back on the honeymoon kick. I'm making an executive decision to travel far, FAR AWAY. My reasoning is this: Because a country is somewhere on the other side of the world, does that mean I should not travel there at ANY point in my lifetime? I can't really take a two week vacation every year ( unlike a certain someone I know). So I think that we should travel as far away as humanly possible. My parents have tried to dissuade us from taking a long flight (Please note that my mother has traveled to Japan), that I'll get more value if we traveled a shorter distance. I don' t know, those flights to Hawaii are pretty darn expensive and those pesky flights to Roma are over a grand. Who knows what's going to happen, for now, I'm a dreamer and I'm dreaming HUGE.

How does a 22 hour flight to Thailand sound? Sounds great to me! My wonderful, former boss Terry has kindly put me in touch with a gentleman by the name of Stan. Stan is a world traveler and is currently in Tokyo right as we speak. Terry and Stan traveled together to Thailand before the tsunami and both say that it's FANTASTIC. Even though September gets more rain than any other month, I've been reading that it's like Miami: It pours for 20 minutes during the day and then is beautiful and sunny soon after. I don't know, I'm conflicted. I just feel it's so much more exciting than Tahiti. Thailand has culture, beaches and great food. If we go, I promise to make a full comparison of the food in Thailand to that of Song/Joya. Man, I love their Pad See Yue. =)

Terry also suggested that we should fly through Hong Kong and stay there for a couple of days before heading down to Thailand. Thoughts on that people? Could be fun!

Random Thought of Weddingness

How will she and I incorporate ethnic customs or cultural traditions into the wedding?

Politely speaking, we're mutts whose families are at least 3 generations removed from whatever coasts they left from. What little culture or ethnic traditions I have, and please note that I am not including my like of scotch, I'd like to tie them into the wedding. Somehow. I don't know about you but when I see ethic weddings I get jealous.

Latin weddings make me want to tango and salsa and samba and all that good stuff. (Man, I hope Renegade can do something with a latin twist and I don't mean 'Santana-inspired'.) Indian weddings are so beautiful with endless floral displays and eye popping colors. (Ash rocks.) Asian weddings are equally rich with color, movement and meaning. And Israeli/Jewish weddings, as large as they usually are, are chock full of tradition. And if I may, to G$'s benefit, I'm always involved with the chair lifting. His body can't take the abuse anymore.

So, where am I going with this? [Pause] I'd like to incorporate who we are culturally into the wedding. I almost guarantee that Coco may not be up for this since this means messing with her Vision but here's how I see her responding:

"Culture? You want to infuse culture and tradition in my, I mean, our wedding? Culture? What does that even mean? We're not cultural. You're only cultural on St. Patrick's Day. And then you're annoying and can't keep your hands off of me after drinking all day. The only culture I think we have in us is NYC and Brooklyn. That means the only color you'll see is Black and White. Besides, you'll see color in the bouquets - dark, blood red, almost Black, flowers. How's that for color?"

My response:

"Great. Sounds just like a funeral." [Feel free to insert your own wedding-day-really-a-funeral-for-a-bachelor joke here. I'm not that brave.]

Alas, fear not, for I have a solution. I'll start with one suggestion and see where that gets me - I plan on incorporating the McNamara tartan. (Have I mentioned this before because it sounds awfully familiar?) Here, have a look. Not bad right. I'm not sure how just yet to incorporate it but what about as a ribbon around the boutonnieres for the groomsmen? A tartan tie? A pair of suspenders? Handkerchiefs for the wedding parties? Or as a garter - hubba, hubba. I think it can be done with style and class. It's not like I want to wear a kilt. I'm not asking for a lot - just a bit of color. A splash, per se.

I'm rather confident The Mothers will support my efforts. Thoughts?

[Coco, care to parry and riposte?]

The evolution of a post (or lack thereof)

Hmm...




What about...




Or...




But...




If we...




Alas...




...




[sigh]...





Mais naturellement...elle qui est ma muse m'amuse.

Our Foray into Wedding Photography - Wish Me Luck

So, we've booked our first consultation with a photography group, Bella Pictures. Check out their site here. What do you think? (Is it me or is the guy's hand in the photo that first appears on their site a little out of place??) Thoughts? Comments? Other?

Date: Friday, April 20th
Time: 5:45pm
Location: 116 West. 23rd Street (btw 6th and 7th), 5th floor

Wedding / Marriage Humor

In no particular order-

#1: One day, a man came home and was greeted by his wife dressed in a very Sexy nightie. "Tie me up," she purred, "and you can do
anything you want. So he tied her up and went golfing.

#2: A man came home, screeching his car into the driveway, and ran into the house. He slammed the door and shouted at the top of is
lungs, "Honey, pack your bags. I won the lottery!" The wife said, "Oh my God! What should I pack, beach stuff or mountain stuff?" "Doesn't matter," he said. "Just get out."

#3: Marriage is a relationship in which one person is always right, and the other is a husband.

#4 (AKA my personal favorite): A wife was making a breakfast of fried eggs for her husband. Suddenly, her husband burst into the kitchen. "Careful," he said, "CAREFUL! Put in some more butter! Oh my GOD!
You're cooking too many at once. TOO MANY! Turn them! TURN THEM NOW! We need more butter. Oh my GOD! WHERE are we going to get MORE BUTTER? They're going to STICK!
Careful. CAREFUL! I said be CAREFUL! You NEVER listen to me when you 're cooking! Never! Turn them! Hurry up! Are you CRAZY? Have you LOST your mind? Don't forget to salt them. You know you always forget to salt them. Use the salt. USE THE SALT! THE SALT!"

The wife stared at him. "What in the world is wrong with you? You think I don't know how to fry a couple of eggs?"

The husband calmly replied, "I just wanted to show you what it feels like when I'm driving."


Proudly brought to you by the bride-to-be's father

For those readers that are already married...

The topic of "Wedding Photo/Videography" is on the floor. What say ye? We want to hear the good and the bad. Some things to keep in mind when attempting to recall the happiest day of your life:


-image negatives/files
-digital vs. digital only
-CD/DVD production
-indoor vs. outdoor lighting
-when is the perfect time of day?
-before or after the ceremony
-tips on dealing with family
-how much time to alot?
-what would you differently?

Am I missing anything other than cost?

Ugh

On the way to The Cloud Room show, actually right outside the venue (Hiro Ballroom), as I was fighting the arctic April winds of Jersey, I stepped behind Bri to shield myself ONLY TO HAVE THE HEEL OF MY FAVORITE PAIR OF BOOTS BREAK. EEEKK! OMG!! UGH!! That was the quintessential "straw that broke the camel's back" AKA let the tears commence. Needless to say I am now home and having to listen to Cloud Room show attendees insinuate that Bri and I happily bailed. Hey, now, now. That's not his style. That's it! The wedding is off!

Just kidding. But I am still in a terrible mood. I'm allowed to be, aren't I? Imagine how pissed I am going to be if I actually have to replace these boots even though I got them for free. Anyone know of a miracle worker/cobbler?

But in other, much happier news...Congratulations to Glenn and Ashley who just got engaged! Welcome to the club. We are both sooooo excited and thrilled and wish them both all the happiness in the world. We also hope that they comment on our congratulatory remarks, that way we'll know if they are actually reading this blog. =) It would seem like a severe injustice if only people in Zurich and Tanzania and Seoul and Beijing and Tasmania and Cleveland and Wantagh read this thing.

ps...don't worry. If you're reading this and we know you, an Engagement Party invitation is destined to reach your doorstep. Just give it some time. For those that can't wait, it's Saturday, June 30th.

pps...EP and Mrs. EP (our biggest fans), if lil' ep isn't too busy being so darn cute and his schedule allows for it, his presence is requested. Feel free to come as chaperones - you might not want him flying alone. =) Invitation to follow.

Minster Keith (of NY Marriages)

So, I've had our very first officiant interview. Progress. See what happens when I get a week off from school!?

The interview, albeit via phone, was pleasantly uneventful and sufficiently informative - just what I wanted. Minister Keith has been ordained for almost 2 years and in that time has wed 30-40 couples. He grew up going to Catholic school (Nan should love that, huh.) but has since, I think, drifted to more liberal views. He's wed inter-faith, same-sex and non-demoninational (hee hee) marriages and understands that not every faith answers all questions. Personally, I liked that about him. He's 34, was married almost 2 years ago and has a set of twins (a boy and a girl). Do you think the twin thing is a sign?? He also provided 2 references that he has married as early as November 2006. He seems very professional and strongly urges a meeting before we go to contract. Chemistry is key.

Our conversation wasn't forced and he answered all of my questions, and to be honest, was impressed with how thorough I was - imagine that - me being thorough. As expected, there will be a contract with a a 'back up minister' provision just in case triplets strike.

His website is pretty complete, has an FAQ, a list of services, sample vows, and some sponsor links. [Here] I would really only change one thing - some more pictures. What can I say - I'm a picture kind of guy. Either of him and couples he has wed or just him. Image is important to us regardless of how old (or young) someone may be. Here's a picture of him. He will also ask us to complete a brief questionnaire so that he can incorporate some of the answers into the ceremony. That seems cool.

Here it is:

Where did you meet?

What’s your favorite thing about one another?

What religious faith do you most closely adhere?

What is your perception of the ideal marriage?

If you had to choose one adjective to describe your fiancé, what would it be?

Any other comments you would like to consider adding to the procession narrative:



Seems pretty straightforward, no?

Since this is the first of what we hope will be only a few interviews, the cost structure of the various packages that he offers seems OK (read: affordable) - $350 & $400 for 3 different packages. Does that seem on par?

I'm only worried about one thing though - after following the link to the group that did his website, their contact form playfully suggests an email address that I find rather offensive - joe@YankeesRule.com - see for yourself. I mean, come on, as it stands they can't even beat Tampa Bay on opening day (as of the 6th inning). I think this is the only strike against Minister Keith. Pun intentional.

He gets points back for believing that Stef and I are students studying the Lordosis affect on hermaphroditic internal fertilization in mammals. Silly minister. We're just students of love.

ps. I'm not sure if it was me or not but I think he said "Stefi". Eeek.

pps. The above ps is ruled null and void since he spelled Coco's name right on the sample vow and contract. Go Minister Keith.

ppps. Mets. Rule.

pppps. Minister Keith, if you're out there, thanks for taking time to speak.