So I've been tinkering with the idea of creating some sort of photo booth set-up at our wedding and trying to figure out the particulars. I don't want to rent a booth or build a booth, so I figure that we can set something up. And I want it to fit in with the whole country picnic idea. I'm thinking about stringing up a quilt between two trees, having a stationary camera set-up - likely a digital camera mounted on a tripod with a remote trigger, and some fun props and costume items available for dress-up. I'm guessing we'll need to ask somebody to sort of be in charge of the project and the go-to person in case of problems.
I really like the idea of having it hooked up to a photo printer so that folks can print out the image and then insert it into our guest book pages. Friends did that at their wedding with polaroids and I thought it was adorable. Apparently though a lot of guests didn't figure out what to do with the pictures and ended up taking them home as mementos. Could also get expensive for printer paper. Also could be a little too complicated for some guests to figure out. And then there's the issue of dealing with children in this whole project.
Anyhow, I saw photos of a wedding on StyleMePretty (scroll down through pictures to see the Photo booth) that really got me excited about trying to figure it out. The bride (who is also a professional photographer) was kind enough to let me know about how it went and give some tips on set-up.
Readers - what do you think of the idea? Cheesy or fun? Easy or too hard to coordinate? What are some of your ideas for making it work and of course keeping it affordable!
Friday, January 16, 2009
Wednesday, January 14, 2009
Beautiful Truth
Excerpted from A Walk Down the Aisle: Notes on a Modern Wedding by Kate Cohen (New York: Norton, 2001)
[Photographs are the] ideal representation of a relationship. It's what weddings are too. Weddings and photographs are both ways in which we self-invent, present our ideal of ourselves....The bride and groom make vows before a god they have until then ignored. Later they carefully dance a complete, newly acquired waltz routine, though they had never before advanced beyond the junior-high cling and grope. These actions can be read as false, as distortions of reality. And photographs of that distorted reality will be false too: the bride and groom won't end up with an accurate, historical record of who they are and how they felt. They'll end up, in the worst case, with a record of who Hollywood and their parents and their photographer's portfolio taught them a wedding was supposed to be, and who they were supposed to be.
The hardest task a couple have when they wed is holding out against other people's images of what a wedding should be, and how a bride and groom should look and act. But if they can resist those forces, if they can build and then protect their own vision of their wedding and of themselves, they will end up with a truthful record. Maybe it won't reflect the true nature of their feelings for their in-laws, or their true comfort level on the dance floor. But the record will reflect something even more important; it will reflect what at that moment they wished reality had been. When we marry we get to create a day - and a photo album - devoted to our notion of our best selves. There is truth in that, beautiful truth.
And this is why we are striving to make each part of the day something that truly represents us and also why we're not using a professional photography but instead are using the talents of people who already know and love us.
[Photographs are the] ideal representation of a relationship. It's what weddings are too. Weddings and photographs are both ways in which we self-invent, present our ideal of ourselves....The bride and groom make vows before a god they have until then ignored. Later they carefully dance a complete, newly acquired waltz routine, though they had never before advanced beyond the junior-high cling and grope. These actions can be read as false, as distortions of reality. And photographs of that distorted reality will be false too: the bride and groom won't end up with an accurate, historical record of who they are and how they felt. They'll end up, in the worst case, with a record of who Hollywood and their parents and their photographer's portfolio taught them a wedding was supposed to be, and who they were supposed to be.
The hardest task a couple have when they wed is holding out against other people's images of what a wedding should be, and how a bride and groom should look and act. But if they can resist those forces, if they can build and then protect their own vision of their wedding and of themselves, they will end up with a truthful record. Maybe it won't reflect the true nature of their feelings for their in-laws, or their true comfort level on the dance floor. But the record will reflect something even more important; it will reflect what at that moment they wished reality had been. When we marry we get to create a day - and a photo album - devoted to our notion of our best selves. There is truth in that, beautiful truth.
And this is why we are striving to make each part of the day something that truly represents us and also why we're not using a professional photography but instead are using the talents of people who already know and love us.
Tuesday, January 6, 2009
CPSIA about to put me out of business
I only very recently found out about the passage of the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act that goes into effect on February 10th. The intention of the law is to give added protection to children's products in regards to safety and in reaction to the recent spate of unsafe imported toys and toy recalls.
However, the law has been written so that it will affect any sale (or resale) of a children's item including handmade toys, clothing or furniture - even books! This means that I will no longer be able to sell my handmade stuffed animals, baby blocks or any future items without having to pay an insanely prohibitive fine to have the item tested.
Aside from how that will affect just myself, as general consumers our choices will now be severely limited. The costs associated with testing will prohibit many smaller manufacturers, both in the U.S. and abroad, from putting items in the marketplace. That means that you will not have very much choice as a consumer when you go to buy a children's product. Additionally, thrift and resale shops will no longer be able to resell used items. That means that all used items will have to go into the trash! What a waste.
It seems to me that this law was written hastily and is reactionary. The problem of safety is definitely legitimate and needs to be addressed. However, a quickly passed law that will affect businesses and consumers alike by effectively making it impossible for small business to compete is not the answer.
For more information, please check the following links and please consider writing your congressperson to ask for more thought into how they can protect small business and competition while still maintaining the intent of the law.
http://www.handmadetoyalliance.org/
LA Times Article on reselling
Sign a petition
However, the law has been written so that it will affect any sale (or resale) of a children's item including handmade toys, clothing or furniture - even books! This means that I will no longer be able to sell my handmade stuffed animals, baby blocks or any future items without having to pay an insanely prohibitive fine to have the item tested.
Aside from how that will affect just myself, as general consumers our choices will now be severely limited. The costs associated with testing will prohibit many smaller manufacturers, both in the U.S. and abroad, from putting items in the marketplace. That means that you will not have very much choice as a consumer when you go to buy a children's product. Additionally, thrift and resale shops will no longer be able to resell used items. That means that all used items will have to go into the trash! What a waste.
It seems to me that this law was written hastily and is reactionary. The problem of safety is definitely legitimate and needs to be addressed. However, a quickly passed law that will affect businesses and consumers alike by effectively making it impossible for small business to compete is not the answer.
For more information, please check the following links and please consider writing your congressperson to ask for more thought into how they can protect small business and competition while still maintaining the intent of the law.
http://www.handmadetoyalliance.org/
LA Times Article on reselling
Sign a petition
Monday, January 5, 2009
Savannah enters the world of responsible citizenry
If you can believe it, Savannah is instituting curbside recycling starting today. Having grown up with it in my small town and having it everywhere else I've lived, it was terrible to see how much went into the trash here. But I jumped with excitement when I saw the recycling carts being delivered and ours is totally full and ready to be picked up this week. Better late than never...
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