Bella Figura Letterpress

I was so excited to see the launch of Bella Figura's green letterpress line, and not just because I happened to use them for my own nuptials in 2005.

Their new designs are seriously gorgeous:





and like everything green, they are made the old fashioned way: by hand, with antique letterpress machines and with non toxic inks that won't harm the enviornment.

Paper or Plastic?

My friend Stacey is an eco -warrior and will not rest until she convinces everyone of the ills of plastic bags. She went so far as to don a jumpsuit made from over 500 plastic bags and wore it around downtown Memphis as a way to raise awareness. But when I saw it, all I could think of was conceptual Vogue shoot. When she showed up in her suit, I couldn't help but think it looked like a super eco wedding dress. She vigorously denied this. I suddenly had visions of supermodels exchanging vows in vintage bags from Ralph's.

Yellow Fever

Cup of Jo's Joanna Goddard also blogs about love for Glamour Magazine and unearthed these pics of what may be one of the most photogenic, beautiful and absolutely non traditional brides I've seen yet. How cute is that yellow dress?





More cute yellow dress pics here

Young Love

I may be the last person on the planet to have heard this story, but that's not going to stop me from posting it here.

Little Mika is probably going to get his behind kicked from here to the Serengeti when he realizes that he's not supposed to like girls, but for now, he's the world's tiniest sweetheart. All MIka and Anna wanted to do was escape their dreary Germany and go for a walk in the sun. As newlyweds. Did I mention they are 6 and 7? On New Year's Day they snuck out of Anna's parents' home and, along with Anna's sister as the potential wedding witness, they made their way to Grand Central where their plan hit a snag:

Unfortunately the kids were nabbed while on an express train headed out of Hanover, bound for the airport. An official got suspicious once he noticed, you know, three "little ones ... completely on their own ... [with] lots of swimming gear with them." Their parents, who were apparently asleep when the children stole into the early morning, came to retrieve them at the police station, which the kids got a tour of by way of a consolation prize/engagement present.

But don't worry, they'll get their opportunity someday... soon, maybe. Said a police spokesman: "They'll have the chance to put their plan into action at a later date."

If his parents ever let him out of the house again.

via Gawker

21st century dowry

It seems the dowry system is still alive and well in some parts of the third world...and California. Well, in fairness, the arrested father is originally from Mexico where selling your daughter for beer and meat is apparently perfectly acceptable. From cnn.com:

Martinez had arranged through a third party to have his daughter marry the older teenager, identified by authorities as Margarito de Jesus Galindo, of Gonzales, California. In exchange, Galindo was to pay Martinez $16,000 and provide him with 160 cases of beer, 100 cases of soda, 50 cases of Gatorade, two cases of wine, and six cases of meat, Greenfield Police Chief Joe Grebmeier told CNN.

All those involved in the case are from the western Mexican state of Oaxaca, the police chief said. In the Oaxacan community, such an agreement is "normal and honorable," he said. "In California, it's against the law."

More on this upstanding citizen here.

Sucre

Anybody lucky enough to be in New Orleans at this very moment? If they weren't already overflowing with amazing restaurants, somebody had to go and build the most beautiful monument to sugar, the appropriately named Sucre. Tonight the pastry chef is debuting a new line of designer wedding cakes, and if they taste remotely as wonderful as her macarons and gelato, it may be worth hopping in your car and driving cross country for them.

I mean, seriously. I want to take a bite out of the building, it's so cute.

Fontilicious

This would normally be filed under the Don't Care at All, Really, with special points subtracted for My Humps category, if not for the adorable font on the invitation of Fergie to Josh Duhamel.

via Radaronline

Ben & Ione

Where have I been?

Musician Ben Lee, known to most as the ex of Claire Danes and Ione Skye, known to most as the recipient of Lloyd Dobler's boomboxed affection* just tied the knot in India

* I attended a screening and Q&A with Cameron Crowe who told the story behind that famous scene. Turns out John Cusack was really into speedmetal at the time, and he gave the director a tape, convinced that his character would be into the same music. He apparently was equally as convinced that Lloyd Dobler would not be into pansy-ass Peter Gabriel. Humoring his star, Crowe did several takes with the speedmetal but wasn't psyched. The light was fading, and Crowe asked/begged Cusack for one more take. He reluctantly agreed, holding the boombox above his head while the stupid, stupid Peter Gabriel song played and he was bored and pissed off and done. And thanks to the magic of cinema - and a pissy star - we have a heartbroken, yearning Lloyd Dobler, a Top 40 smash, and one of the greatest moments in teen movie history.

Southern Weddings Magazine

Southern Weddings Magazine officially launched today, and I'm thrilled to see that the modern wave of "new" photography has fully extended its reaches into the kind of place pretty resistant to change. Gone are the weird, stiff poses and in its place are happy couples doing a lot of looking fabulous. Jose villa is responsible for the beautiful cover (cover model Tec Pejata is an amazing photographer in his own right).

Happy New Year

Hello!

I hope you've had a wonderful, restful holiday. I was actually eager for our vacation to draw to a close as we have so many exciting projects and ventures to embark upon. The Book - the whole reason for this silly little blog - is finally going to see the light of day and I am a few weeks away from launching my wedding photography website, so stay tuned!

In the meantime, while you were noshing on egg nog and peppermint bark, scientists discovered that true love exists. For reals.