Maui Wedding Photographer

Penny In Shoe

This is a European tradition to bring the Bride good luck, fortune, and protection against want. After the Wedding Day, the lucky penny can be turned into a piece of jewelry as a pendant, charm for a bracelet, or ring setting.

Taking pictures of your new baby is a great way to preserve life long memories. Baby pictures can also make great postcards, keepsakes, or baby shower gifts. Here are some simple tips to get great baby pictures:

1) Avoid bright light – Babies are especially sensitive to bright light including harsh sunlight and flash photography. If possible, try to take photos during the day when flash photography is not necessary. You can also use lamps to create lighting.

2) Take pictures from different distances – Try to take pictures from different distances. Most people like to take close-up pictures, but pictures that are too close can be blurry and out of focus. By taking several pictures from different distances, you can keep the ones that are the best.

3) Be aware of your baby’s mood – Try not to start a photo session when your baby is cranky or crying. If your baby is in a bad mood, then wait awhile until he or she is better rested or calmed. You will get better pictures when your baby is in good spirits.

4) Use a high quality camera and film – This tip may seem simple, but is worth saying. Using high quality cameras and film can make a big difference in the quality of the photo, especially if you are creating photo gifts or favors.

5) Get rid of any distractions – Make sure there are not too many distractions when taking pictures. Anything that moves or makes noise, like the TV, should be turned off is possible. Having too many people around can also be distracting for the baby.

Wedding Traditions of Africa’s Northeast Region
Wedding traditions in Africa bear some of the oldest rituals in the world; after all it is the oldestcontinent on the planet. Many of these traditions can be attributed to religion, culture or tribal. Inthe northeast region of Africa, you’ll find such countries as Chad, Egypt, Libya and Sudan, andwithin those countries you will find a spirit of their rituals.
Chad
There are different groups in the country of Chad; the two most known are the Arab Chad andthe Taubou or Daza Chad.
- The Arab Chad lives in a family that is closely knitted together.
- The primary social unit of the Arab Chad is known as Kashimbet.
- The Taubou Chad, are known for being nomadic.
- The wife is the decision maker in the family.
- The Taubou Chad believes in polygamy.
Egypt
- Often girls in Egypt marry at a young age.
- It is believed that the ring finger has the vein of love as it runs straight to the heart and that iswhy the ring goes on that finger.
- The groom’s family often proposes to the bride as many Egyptian weddings are still arraigned.After the agreement is made the Koran’s first chapter is read aloud.
- The Zaffa, which is an Egyptian wedding march, is played prior to the wedding vows. Itincludes music, drums, horns, belly dancers and flaming sword performers.
- An Egyptian wedding must include at least two Muslim witnesses.
Libya
- With Islam being the state religion of Libya, the wedding ceremony is usually Islamic and isquite often officiated by an imam.
- The marriage contract is signed in the bride’s home, but the festivities that follow usually takesplace on a different day.
- Wedding tradition of the past has a Libyan bride’s body completely covered with her faceveiled. However, the guidelines have changed some in recent years allowing a bride to wear awedding gown from the Western culture.
- An Islamic wedding generally has the new bride and groom eating their dinner secluded from
the wedding guests.
- On her way to her new home, often candy and rice are used to shower the bride as she walks.
Sudan
- Prior to the wedding, in exchange for the daughter’s hand in marriage, the groom’s family willgive the bride’s family sheep or cattle. This will help in replacing the labor lost by losing thedaughter’s help in the field. In some cases, it may cost the man as much as 40 cattle.
- For the wedding, the groom takes center stage. He is adorned with a large decoration knownas Umbul-Umbul as he arrives. Then the mother of the bride will welcome him to her family byputting a garland of flowers on him.
- The couple will then bend over forward and kiss their parent’s knees, which is custom calledsungkem. Sungkem is their way to ask for forgiveness, blessings and the promise to serve theirparents even after they are wedded.
- One wedding scenario takes place in front of a gargoyle water fountain. The water flowingsuggests the parent’s love for their children. Then a man and a woman sing kidung, a song onbehalf of their parents. It advises the new couple to live in harmony.
- Another scenario is that the groom and his bride will take their spots sitting side by side in frontof their future homes entrance under an umbrella. They will sit there with their heads covered bya veil. The umbrella serves two purposes. One is for protection as it shields the couple from anysun or rain. The other is symbolic for respect and esteem.
- After the wedding ceremony, the bride and groom are showered by dancers with flowersinsuring them a fragrant future.
- Rice that is thrown at the couple symbolizes prosperity, while the yellow represents everlastinglove.
- Representing a direction that the couple should take bringing them a happily married life, sevencandles are lit.
- In the southern region of Sudan live the Neur people. Their belief is that the marriage is notcomplete until the wife has given birth to two children. In the event she only bears one, he canseek divorce as well as the return of the cattle.
- In the event the husband dies, his family must present the widow with his brother as hernew husband. If they bear children together, the children will be considered as the deceasedhusband’s kids.