my 'stache

Here is a sneak preview of the props I am making for K's wedding reception photobooth... I'm excited for the actual event. Hopefully I get everything done in time and it doesn't get crushed in my luggage...

Sping Preview

My windowsill in full bloom.

The last few days have been sunny and warm. On Thursday J and I went to Central Park. It was beautiful. We ended up at the Bethesda Fountain. On the terrace was a group of break-dancers with a large crowd, and along the other side of the fountain was a cellist. There was no water in the fountain, so we climbed in and sat at the base of the statue. It was nice to bask in the sun and watch the cellist and a little girl who was playing nearby. J said that being inside the Bethesda Fountain was probably the best place that anyone could hope to be.



Here is a photo of the fountain when it does have water in it (and a bride & groom in front. This is the photo I could find, from a wedding I photographed.)

Soon the cellist packed up and a saxophonist started. J was hoping that they would play a duet.

Later we saw a couple under a tree standing facing a woman with an open book. We stopped to figure out what was happening, and decided they must be getting married. (Although we didn't see any witnesses.) There was another couple standing near us, also watching. They turned to us and the man said, "we're next, then you!" It's always interesting to see who assumes that we are a couple and who assumes that we are siblings. It did seem like the perfect day to get married--early spring, one of the first really beautiful days, in a park teeming with happy people, under a tree, privately.

We headed back toward the temple, where I was volunteering that night.

Here are the other plants on my windowsill:



The bonsai elm from J & W.



An orange seed that I planted.

The bulbs that I planted around the trees outside the community garden are also coming up:





It's nice to walk past them and realize that I helped!

We'll see how long the weather holds.

The Summer of Weddings Part 2

The second wedding that I attended this summer was in Philadelphia. It's only a two hour bus trip away, but I decided to stay overnight so that I could see some of the city, as I've never been before. I found a great hostel to stay in, the apple hostel, right in the heart of old city.

I arrived around 4 pm, and was able to see a few of the sites before they closed. I went to the Betsy Ross house. I hadn't realized that few people knew that she designed the flag during her lifetime. They also have a neat program called Once Upon a Nation where they have storytellers tell stories from the city's history.

After the historical areas closed, I wandered around Chinatown. Here's a view of the downtown.



Here's a self-portrait in a window.



The next day I attended a Quaker service at one of the oldest Quaker buildings in America. Then I went to the wedding.

V and A had a very fun, relaxed wedding that fit their style. The ceremony was at a park right across from their house. Here's their front door.



V choose a vintage dress.



The reception was at a science fiction bookstore.



Specially decorated for the evening.



The cake is Alf.



The highlight of the reception was when A's grandfather broke out the harmonica.



The cake cutting.



The bouquet toss. (Taken by a friend of V & A's with a sweet vintage polaroid camera.)



Me and V

The Summer of Weddings Part 1

Working for a wedding photographer, as well as photographing some weddings myself, I am often surrounded by weddings. But this summer is different, as I have been to several weddings as a guest. Here are the highlights:

May 9th I was actually invited to 3 different weddings--one in Boston, one in S. Carolina, and a Sikh one in San Jose. I wish that I could have gone to all of them, but decided on my best friend from high school's. I didn't take any photos at the wedding or reception, but they did have a lovely photographer. I even am in few of the photos on the photographer's blog. (The two b&w of her getting ready, and one of my hand with a plant.) It was a beautiful wedding, complete in every detail. The ceremony incorporated much music, and the reception focused on dancing. I am so happy that the two of them are together, and that I could be there to witness their union. Here's one photo I did take, at the bride's apartment, where she graciously let me stay:



Both hat and cello belong to the bride.

As favors they had a bottle of honey (from Ohio State bees! Educated bees make the best honey.) and elm tree sprouts, which they raised themselves. Two people at my table were not taking their trees home, so I brought home three. One didn't make it, and I was worried about one of the others, but I have 2 healthy plants right now. Here are some plants in their greenhouse:



In the next installment: Phun in Philly or Alien Nuptials...