Last Friday, I had the pleasure - no; the distinct HONOR - to take part in Vanessa and Mike's wedding day.
For those of you who don't yet know, Mike and Vanessa are the recipients of this year's SF Dream Wedding Giveaway. You can read their story here.
This blog post isn't about their backstory. It isn't about how they've struggled and dealt with hardships that could incapacitate the strongest of us all. It isn't about Vanessa's cancer and it isn't about Mike's oversea deployments that keep him away from Vanessa.
What this post is about is something bigger and more important than all of that. It's about Mike and Vanessa's love for one another, their love for God and their unconquerable hope.
Recently, my wife went through a scary surgery that shook the foundation of our home. She has since been on the road to recovery and I thank God that, in hindsight, it could have been much, much worse. But I'm more aware than ever that the relationships you build and the lives of people are the single most important things on earth. The support and building up of these relationships are our single most important task.
When I spent the day with Mike and Vanessa, I literally forgot that they were in the midst of hardship. They never once complained. They never once shed a tear of remorse or self-pity. Not one harsh word came from their lips. In fact, the only things I recall being said were all complimentary and encouraging. They did nothing but bring cheer to whichever room they entered. Their friends and family were all glowing with joy when they saw them and I literally felt blessed to have witnessed it.
We didn't have a chance to really chat or have a heart-to-heart like I would have liked to (and for those of you who know me, you know deep conversations are among my favorite things!) but I couldn't help but to feel close to them. I hope they feel the same about me.
I learned from my recent clash with the destructive power or our ailing human bodies that life is frail and, in many ways, hopeless. But seeing how my wife had recovered and how Mike and Vanessa continue to battle for victory, it's clear to me that hope cannot be defeated. And I've discovered that sharing each other's burdens and encouraging one another are invincible weapons against life's worst throes.
Mike and Vanessa are inspiring and amazing.
God bless Mike and Vanessa! We pray for their full recovery and the chance to glorify Him who deserves it most.
(photo by Amy Frulgoli)
The highlight video of their wedding will be coming soon! Stay tuned!
Next Tuesday, May 17th, I will be on a panel along with luxury wedding designer and author, Sasha Souza and celebrity photographer, Brook Todd!
Go to the NACE website for more details. Please come and check it out - it will be an amazing time to network as well as hear some great info!
See you there!
I've asked my friend, Mr. Subliminal, to say a few words about the Bay List contest.
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Hello ladies and gentlemen creeps, My good friend sponsor Andrew, from Studio MSV mswhat? is in the running has no chance for the Best of the Bay competition rigged hosted by SF Gate (www.sfgate.com) He has worked hard at Words with Friends and deserves to win beggar this coveted obscure title!
If you think he has earned your respect sold out, please take a moment to sign up spam at the Baylist site and vote for Andrew creep!
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Thanks, Mr. Subliminal! Please take a moment to vote for me here:
Like several dozen other event filmmaker friends (and about 11,000 photographers,) I will be spending the weekend and part of next week in Las Vegas, Nevada for the annual WPPI (Wedding and Portrait Photographers International) Conference.
My email response during this time might be slower than usual and/or written via iPhone :-) Please bear with me until my return to the studio on Thursday, March 11th.
Until then, you can know what I'm up to by following me on Twitter or check back on this blog frequently. I will (attempting to) blog fairly frequently. Again; using my iPhone.
If there is something more pressing or urgent, please text me or call me on my cell!
have a great week!
As some of you know, I participated in the recent Wedding University event that served as a crash course for brides and grooms on how to plan a wedding. For the vast majority of brides, the wedding they're planning is the first they've ever planned. So an institution/event like Wedding U serves as invaluable for them to learn the ropes.
In a couple of weeks, however, I will be filming a new event - also created and hosted by Jean Marks and Jubilee Lau of Wedding 360 - called The Academy for Planners + Designers.
This event is going to be amazing. It's geared toward event coordinators and designers and if you are a coordinator or designer, it will, undoubtedly, be one of the most informative workshop events you ever attend. With a speaker lineup that reads like a who's who of the wedding and event planning/design industry, the registration fee for the three-day event (with an optional fourth day) is positively a steal!
Go check out the Wedding 360 website and blog (here and here) for more information. And for goodness sakes, if you're a coordinator or planner, go register before it's too late!
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