Tradition of the Veil
Are you planning on wearing a veil to your wedding ceremony? I often like the soft romantic look that it gives to a bride.
Just as we are discovering with some other wedding traditions, the tradition of wearing a veil has a less than romantic birth. It is believed that the origin of the tradition dates back to Roman days when the bride would wear a full-length veil that was also used as her burial shroud. I read that veils had color once, Roman veils were red and in Greek, yellow. Also, Roman beliefs were that wearing a veil would throw off the evil spirits that were potentially stalking the bride. It seems that these spirits were envious of the couples happiness and the veil/disguise tricked them. So easily fooled! So, for Roman’s the veil was certainly dual purpose. We can also look to the days when capturing a bride was all the rage…the veil is a reminder of the act of the groom, or should I say abductor throwing a sack over the prospective bride’s noggin and then carrying her off to her wedding. I think these theories seem to conflict, back in Roman days, the spirits were jealous of the bridal couple’s happiness, and then what, marriage evolved to kidnappings and then business arrangements, and then back to the modern days of marrying for love? More research may be required on this subject.
Other traditions hold that a woman wore a veil because the groom in the arranged marriage wasn’t to see the bride until the marriage was official; this was done so that the groom wouldn’t back out based on her appearance. A nice invention after all, it lets the couple focus on the business deal at hand!
Modern day veils. According to OurMarriage.com ”Veils came into vogue in the United States when Nelly Curtis wore a veil at her wedding to George Washington’s aid, Major Lawrence Lewis. Major Lewis saw his bride to be standing behind a filmy curtain and commented to her how beautiful she appeared. She then decided to veil herself for their ceremony.” She was a trend setter here in the U.S.
There are themes of the bride’s veil demonstrating the male dominance over the woman, a willingness for the wife to obey her husband. Huh? My guess is that historically (but more recent history, not ancient), society looked at the history of kidnappings, arranged marriages etc., and when wearing a veil you were acknowledging the man as the dominant one in the situation’. But wait, didn’t I wear a veil because I liked the finishing touch that it offered to my ensemble? Maybe I liked the romantic, soft look that it gave to my face! But, I digress. Again OurMarriage.com states that; “The lifting of the veil (by the groom) at the end of the ceremony symbolizes male dominance. If the bride takes the initiative in lifting it, thereby presenting herself to him, she is showing more independence. ” So, with this bold act of the bride lifting her own veil, are we are seeing the birth of ending misogamy? …the birth of the women’s right act?
Are we women throwing aside the symbolic submission in a marriage, i.e., the veil, by not wearing a veil to our weddings? Are we wearing a veil to say “hey, I think this makes me look pretty and romantic; and, I may do your laundry from time to time, but don’t ask me to obey you! Honestly, when I got married, I did not know the history behind this tradition, I just thought the veil looked cool.
Wedding Traditions – Why Does The Bride Carry A Bouquet?
Why does the bride carry a bouquet? The origin of this tradition is a little blurred…. One of the reasons that brides carried bouquets was born out of the ‘necessity’ of covering odor, trying to smell pretty on that special day. Ever take a tour in one of the older cities in Europe, let’s say Edinburgh for example? It was a very odiferous lifestyle way back then! In the 1600′s and for a very long time afterwards, people bathed extremely infrequently. According to the Huffington Post, during the 15th century, people took their yearly baths in May and would generally get married in June. Just to be safe, brides carried bouquets to mask the smell of body odor. You will find this reason repeatedly if you research the tradition behind the bride carrying a bouquet. Another old and popular custom for carrying a bouquet, was to ward of evil spirits. Usually these bouquets were made from very pungent herbs, spices and yes, garlic could be involved. I am thinking that you could kill two birds with one stone with a garlic bouquet; evil spirits and evil odor could be knocked out with one bouquet! Oh the old days! Sometimes the spices/flowers that were included in the bouquet, for example; dill and marigolds (edible) were added and subsequently served up at the wedding feast to promote lust. So think about the fun that you can have with your bouquet! I will paraphrase what I recently read in “Herlife” Magazine with regard to the tradition. ”In ancient times, a bride was considered especially lucky on her wedding day. So, guest were compelled to tear off parts of her dress to obtain a good luck talisman for themselves! Not all brides cared for this activity, as it seamed unpleasant to have their clothing ripped from her bit by bit, compliments of the guests. So it evolved, that the bride outsmart her guest by giving an offering of herself; enabling a guest to obtain a lucky talisman and allowing herself to keep her clothing intact: she starting throwing her garter and bouquet in lieu of pieces of her dress.”
I was glad to find this article, because it now explains to me some of the crazy bouquet grabbing, or should I say tackling behaviour that I have witnessed at some of my family and friends weddings! Somewhere around the 1700′s brides started carrying pretty bouquets, because: bouquets are pretty! and, this tradition is still in style today. bouquets bring beauty, elegance, a touch of the color scheme, and a bit of the old custom to your day. There are many florist to shop for your flowers, if you are looking for a good florist here in the Evergreen, CO area, check out Stems, I simply must mention them here, because I have seen some really creative, elegant, and impressive flowers at some of the weddings that we have photographed, all compliments of this designer. But, I digress. So, bouquets: they also may be used to express yourself through the flowers themselves. Roses represent everlasting love, lilac is for first love, Stephanotis is good luck, ivy says fidelity and on and on. You can really add some beauty and say a lot about yourself with a bouquet. 
This custom seems to have evolved quite a bit from its origin, but todays tradition for the bouquet: added beauty and personal expression.
Wedding Traditions – Bride And Groom Do Not See Each Other Before The Ceremony
Why don’t the bride and groom see each other before the wedding ceremony?
A hundred years ago or so, the bride and groom would put on their best clothing and walk together to the church or town meeting center to ‘make it official’.
And, years before that, when arranged marriages were the norm, the betrothed were never permitted to have a glance at one another. Marriage was business, and it meant acquiring land, property and other goods through joining two people. No father wanted to muck up a perfectly good business deal by having the groom see the potential bride and not like what he sees, thus backing out of the deal. That bride needed to be a 10 on the attractiveness scale for a dad to take such a chance of letting the groom see her before the ceremony. In some cultures, dowry’s were involved, ah the dowry, no father wants his son to lose that, so, again, no visual for the bride and groom. In other words, it was considered “bad Luck” for the groom to see the bride because the groom, back in the day, would leave the “visual unpleasing” bride at the alter, indeed bad luck for her.
In the last couple of years, there has been a trend for people to marry because they love one another, and also, they are usually very attracted to each other! Win, win!
In the U.S., arranged marriages are not very common nowadays, however, many brides still don’t allow their groom to see them before the wedding. Many brides believe it gives them a sense of excitement and longing, making their wedding day more memorable. And then many brides enjoy hanging out with their betrothed for a spot of time before their ceremony, allowing them to calm nervousness and share intimate moments together before the ceremony.
So, have you thought it through? Will you see each other before the wedding?
From a photographers standpoint, we will do whatever you wish; it is your day, but some of the best “first glance” photo’s are birthed out of the calm meeting of bride and groom before the spotlight of the ceremony. Again, I would like to restate, it is your day, so we will do whatever you would like with respect to seeing each other before the ceremony or not. With that said, Dave and I have had discussions about the difference that we see when a couple sees each other pre-ceremony versus when they do not. I personally think that is gives us a chance to capture the “first look” photos but something more; it gives the bride and groom a tender visit with each other. A time to calm each others nerves, a very intensely romantic time. The average couple will feel nervous before they walk down the aisle, let’s face it, it is not every day that you do this! Personally, I think it would be very romantic and very cool to see a tradition form, where the couple spends some time together before the ceremony, reaffirming their love, calming, soothing and celebrating their bond together before they make their grand entrance! After all, we are no longer talking about a business deal that might fail because of aesthetics…we are talking about the latest tradition of marrying for love. Below are some pics of a “First Look” from a recent wedding.
What are your thoughts?
Colorado Wedding Photographers – Urban Denver Engagement Session
Last week I met with clients at City O’ City restaurant in the Capital Hill neighborhood in Denver. As I was walking from my car to the restaurant, I was noticing how many great spots there were to shoot an Engagement session. Well… we put my observations to the test yesterday, when I met Megan and Joey to shoot their Engagement session. We met at City O’ City for a beer, then headed out to shoot in the alleys and streets of the ‘hood. I have a feeling that this won’t be the last time we shoot here. Check out their pics! We had a great time.
As always, comments are not only welcome, but encouraged! Leave them at the bottom of the blog post.
Colorado Wedding Photographer – Engagement Session in Golden, CO
Tis the season for Engagement sessions! Yesterday we met Jane Lee and Brendan at the Buffalo Rose, in Golden to discuss their wedding and get to know each other before we headed over to the Clear Creek History Park. I had never been there before, but I know I will be back. This place is full of cool old buildings that have amazing character and textures. We love shooting backdrops like this. Utilizing rough textures like stone, old wood, flakey paint… It ads a nice contrast to a great looking couple like Jane Lee and Brendan. Check out their pics. I’m sure you’ll agree!
Comments are not only welcome, but encouraged, so please leave them at the bottom of this post. Also… if you like our work, please “Like” us on Facebook!
Colorado Wedding Photographer – Vail Engagement Session
As with most of our wedding clients, they are referred to us by their friends that have already worked with us. In Dana and Drew’s case we met at a wedding we shot this past summer at Mary’s Lake Lodge in Estes Park, CO. It also seems like our wedding clients are like minded to Peggy and I. It is awesome to consistently work with such awesome people! Our original plan for their engagement shoot was to have a backcountry ski day. As most of you who live in Colorado know, our winter is not cooperating, and we ended up hiking on a half snow, and a half dirt trial on Vail Pass for some of our shoot! After Vail Pass, we went to Vail Village to shoot the rest. We hit the Tap Room for a beer or two, then got a few more shots in town. Check out their pics, and please feel free to leave comments at the bottom of the post!
Colorado Wedding Photographers shoot second Denver Engagement session in two days!
Our Engagement session with Lyndsay and Shawn, and their dog Luna, was the second session of the weekend, and I have to say, it was an awesome one. We had a ton of fun in a short amount of time. They live in (or near???) the Highlands neighborhood of Denver, in a cool old house. Anyone that knows the area can attest that is full of artistic areas to shoot. The area really fits our style of photography. Utilizing textures and colors of bricks, stone, trees, metal and wood buildings, is what we love shooting to contrast the fun, and sometimes dressy look of our shoots.
Lyndsay and Shawn have a great sense of fashion, and knew what they were looking for! For the last half of the shoot they got dressed up, with Shawn wearing dress clothes with a pair of classic wing tip shoes, and Lyndsay, in an over the top, formal gown, with combat boots (again… adding an awesome contrast to the look!). We did the shoot in less than a one block radius of their house! Hopefully you can see how much fun we had:
Colorado Wedding Photographer – Denver Engagement Session – “Take One”
This weekend was a busy one, with two Denver Engagement sessions, for some of our awesome 2012 Wedding clients. For this session I met Michelle & Jimmy at the Denver Beer Co for a beer and chat about their wedding. If you haven’t checked out the Brewery yet, what are you waiting for? Amazing beer! The plan for the day was to follow the actual path of an elaborate Engagement that Jimmy planned, that included bar hoping across town, and finishing at the Oxford Hotel. Saturday’s session was the first of two sessions that we will be doing to fully cover replication of the Engagement day! Look out for Part Two in the Spring of 2012!
“To be continued”!!!
Alicia and Tyler’s Engagement session in Boulder
To start our Engagement session, I met Tyler and Alicia for a drink at The Sink, in Boulder. Add a beautiful couple, and the setting of the CU – Boulder campus, and you have the recipe for a really fun Engagement session. Check out some of the pics from the day:
Colorado Wedding Photographers – Engagement shoot at St Mary’s Glacier
A couple weekends ago we did two distinctly different Engagement shoots. The one below this post at the Clock Tower, with an urban feel, and this one at St Mary’s Glacier (and then into Idaho Springs) for Matt and Allison. I love mixing up the looks to match the personalities of our clients. Let us know what you think, by posting your comments at the bottom of this post. Enjoy!
Colorado Photographers shoot an Engagement shoot at the Denver Clock Tower (maybe the first?)
When we booked Tia and Justin’s wedding, and after seeing some of the Clock Tower wedding images on our website, they wanted to know if we could shoot their engagement session in the Clock Tower. Once I got permission, I started planning the shoot. Since Justin is the Midwest Director for GQ Magazine, they wanted a “GQ look” to some of their pics. Hopefully we achieved it! With the great fashion sense of Tia and Justin, and the ‘WOW’ factor of the Clock Tower, it was easy to make their images look great!
To date we have shot two weddings at the Denver Clock Tower, and we just booked two more weddings, for 2012. If you are interested in having your wedding at the Clocktower (and us shooting it, of course!), please don’t hesitate to contact us!
As always, comments (leave comments at the bottom of the blog post) are not only welcome, but encouraged.
Check us out on Facebook too!
Evergreen, CO Engagement Shoot
With a slight lull in our Wedding season, and wrapping up our X Games work, we shot Max and Nicole’s Engagement session here in Evergreen. We met at the Little Bear Saloon for a beer, and then headed over to Elk Meadow, then off to a secret location. We had a ton fun, and had the rare perfect light for Colorado.
Check out the pics. We would love to hear your comments! Please leave them at the bottom of the post.
Colorado Wedding Photographer Shoots an Engagement shoot at 14,240′ on Mt Evans, CO
I spoke with Ben days before the shoot, and he and Kelly wanted a quintessential Colorado look to their Engagement photos. After a couple f minutes of thinking about where to do the shoot, I came up with Mt Evans. It boasts the highest paved rd in the North America at 14,240′, and it’s right in our backyard near Evergreen, CO. We had such a great time, on such a beautiful day! Check out their pics, and feel free to leave comments at the bottom of the blog post:
Colorado Wedding Photographer – Jen & Scott’s Keystone Wedding
This past winter we did an engagement shoot in Breckenridge with Jen and Scott. We got to know them, and realized quickly that they have a great sense of humor. At their wedding in Keystone, it was obvious that their sense of humor is shared by their family and friends!
Their wedding was so awesome! From the very meaningful ceremony officiated by Leon Littlebird, with his amazing Native American flute playing, and a Sage Ceremony, to their highly entertaining friends and family.
DJ – DJ Guy, Zack Demare. (Some DJ’s can be pretty cheesy… NOT Zack!)
Catering – A Chef’s Touch. Outstanding! We’re still talking about the Prime Rib!
Flowers – Bloom Flower Shop. Their work was very creative, and held up great all day! See for yourself in the pics.
Venue – Warren Station in Keystone. If your looking for a great venue, right next to the Quaking Leaf Amphitheater (Ceremony site), in Keystone…
Officiant – Leon Littlebird. We met Leon at an event at Arapahoe Basin this past winter, and really took to him. He is a VERY talented, nice guy!
Hair and Makeup – Serenity Spa & Salon. This is the second wedding that we have worked on with Serenity. They do a great job, in a very cool & convenient location, right at Keystone!
Check out some of Jen and Scott’s images! Comments are not only welcome, but Encouraged!!!
Thank you,
Dave & Peggy
If you like our work, our biggest compliment is a referral of a friend! Ask us about our referral incentives.
Denver Wedding Photographer Shoots another Wedding at the Denver Clocktower
Ted and Lynlee’s wedding was our second wedding at the Denver Clocktower. The Clocktower is by far one of the most unique venues that we have worked in! To top it off (no pun intended. ha ha) we were allowed up into the belfry to get some shots at sunset.
Their wedding was so heartfelt, that we couldn’t help but tear up a few times, especially when Lynlee’s son and daughter read their speeches. I must say… unbelievable! Not a dry eye in the house (including Peggy and I, and the caterers). It was so nice spending the day with such amazing people!
This has turned out to be the season of details at our weddings. Ted and Lynlee hired Lux Dezign to do all of their coordinating. Lux killed it! The attention to detail, and the overall flow of the night was second to none!
Check out some of the images from the day, and I’m sure you will agree that it was a pretty unique wedding. As always, please feel free to leave comments….
Thank you!
Dave & Peggy
If you like our work, our biggest compliment is a referral of a friend! Ask us about our referral incentives.
Lynnlee’s day started out at the swanky Scarlet Salon.
Dad before the ceremony.
Antebellum Farmhouse Wedding in Granville OH
When Eric and Bethany called us to shoot their Antebellum (Latin for “Before the War”. I had to look it up. ha ha…) wedding, we really didn’t no what to expect. When we got to OH, and visited with them the day before the wedding, we knew we would be in for a treat! The details were so well thought out that it blew us away. The wedding was held at their beautiful home, that was built by a Civil War General (Eric & Bethany, correct me if I’m wrong!). As you can see by these pics, they had it dialed. Congrats Eric & Bethany! Enjoy the pics!!! As always, feel free to leave comments!
Details, Details everywhere!!! Eric mowed hearts into the lawn, as a surprise for Bethany!
Bethany set up a “living room” with antique furniture out on the lawn. It turned out to be an awesome set for a “photo booth”. We brought a couple studio strobes, and made the most of the living room!
Colorado Wedding Photographer – Mara & Will’s Engagement Shoot
Yesterday I met up with Mara & Will to shoot their Engagement session. To get to know our wedding clients more I always like to meet up at a bar or coffee shop, before a camera is introduced to the scene. In our case, we met at the Goosetown Taven, near their house, and then walked around the neighborhood. One of the stops was The Bluebird Theater, and got some shots inside, then it was on to City Park (where their wedding will be held)… The shoot was so much fun!!! Below are some pics, and as always comments are not only welcome, but encouraged! Enjoy.
Colorado Wedding Photographer shoots a Newport RI wedding
This past fall, I shot Jessica and Michael’s wedding in Newport, RI. I had so much fun with J & M, and their families and friends. Their ceremony was held at St. Baranabas church in Portsmouth, and their reception was at the Atlantic Beach Club, in Newport. After the ceremony they packed the rock star, party bus with wedding party, and family, and we headed to Second beach to have some fun with some pics. Jessica had some really cool ideas, so all I had to do was pull the trigger (OK, I did some other things too. ha ha). It was so much fun to shoot on the beach!!! Then it was on to the party. You’ll see from the pics, that it was quite a party. Check ‘em out!
As a side note, I am from RI, and all of my family is still live their. This allows us to stay really competitive with other local New England wedding photographers. So although we’re located in CO, if you know anyone getting married in NE, we’d love to chat with them about their wedding!
OK… this pic and the next two need explanations… We’re on the way to the church, and Jessica’s zipper broke! We had to stop at CVS to get a sewing kit. It’s a good thing everyone had a great sense of humor about the situation!!!
Evergreen Wedding Photographer shoots The Holly Berry
Today I met up with Pam Gilbert at her shop, The Holly Berry, in downtown Evergreen to photograph some of the arrangements they had put together for a local bridal show. They do awesome work, so please check them out next time your in Evergreen, or if you need a florist for your wedding.
I am really happy with how the shots came out! Let us know what you think!
Wedding Photographers love these!
Today I opened the mail, and in it was the ‘Thank You’ card below. I shot Jessica and Michael’s ridiculously fun wedding in Newport, RI a few months ago.
After being sick with the nastiest cold I’ve had in years, it was really nice to read. Nothing makes us happier than when clients are this satisfied with our work!
Thanks Jessica & Michael!
Evergreen Wedding Photographer breaking the rules?
I made this image tonight near our house in Evergreen…. It has made me think about doing a “trash the dress” session, or wedding formals like this… I would love to know your thoughts.
Let me know if you have any questions.
Evergreen Wedding Photographer – Breckenridge Engagement shoot
Our shoot with Jen and Scott was so much fun. They live in Keystone, and when we were trying to pick out locations, I suggested Breckenridge because of all of the old buildings, and general vibe of the town. I love using architectural features and textures to add a certain quality and depth to our images.
We started the day out at the oldest bar in Breckenridge. The Gold Pan Saloon, built in 1879, made for a really cool spot to hang out and get to know Jen and Scott, and obviously get some really cool shots.
From the Gold Pan, we headed out and walked around town. We then headed up to Hoosier Pass to get some outdoorsy shots. We hope you enjoy their pics as much as we had shooting and editing them! As always, comments or questions are encouraged and appreciated (at the bottom of the post). Here’s a small sample of the day:
Canon 580EX II vs Alien Bees 400 comparison test
I just purchased a couple AB 400′s, and I wanted to see a real life, light output, comparison between the Canon 580EX II, and the AB’s. I shot the below shots mid day, sunny, in the shade. I metered without strobes, and set the exposure at -2 stops (ISO 200, F13, 1/200, 16mm lens), and then set the 580EX II at 1/1 (on manual), and full power on the AB 400′s. I stood approximately 12′ – 15′ away from the strobes. All strobes were lined up side by side.
Here we go…
Here’s the Metering shot, set at -2:
Here’s The AB400 with the stock 7″ reflector. Again, set on full power:
Here’s the 580 EX, set 1/1, zoomed at 70mm (I know this isn’t really an apples to apples comparison to the 7″ AB reflector, but… it still gives you a good example of output:
Here’s the AB 400 with the Long Throw 11″ reflector:
Here’s two AB 400′s. One with the 11″ long throw reflector, and one with the stock 7″ reflector:
