Maui Wedding Photographer

It was supposed to be a 3 night 4 day camping trip to Hana with my beautiful 1o year old daughter but we ended it a day short because it rained and the water falls were closed.  Bummer..

It was a easy drive going the back way to Hana. My daughter watched a movie on her new movie player as I drove the winding bumpy roads.  Almost to Hana we started to see numerous cows and wild goats on the sides of the roads. As the road turned into two way traffic on a one lane road, I zig zagged through the cars successfully.  On the last big turn, I saw this Hummer approaching with only room for one car to pass by. Both cars stopped but,  the driver of the Hummer waved for me to proceed. As we passed, we glanced into the hummer and there was “Dog The Bounty Hunter”. He blew us a kiss as we passed by. My daughter and I both looked at each other and said, “that was Dog”.  We laughed and laughed for several minutes.

As a Maui Photographer, I usually drive with a camera in my car but, no….. this time I didn’t bring my camera.

Go figure.

Engagement Rings How To Select and Care For

Women begin to fantasize about their weddings at a very early age. They dream about the dress, the romance, the ceremony, the reception, the proposal and what her Mr. Right would look like. However, another big fantasy that she also dreams about is the engagement ring. After all, this is the ring she will be showing off to all her friends and family, as well as wearing it for the rest of her life. Each woman has different perspectives when it comes to an engagement ring. Some like gold or silver; some prefer big and gaudy, while others like small and not so obtrusive. Some women prefer diamonds, while others may want gems that may have special meanings to them. In any case, there are things you should know when it comes time to select, wear and care for your engagement ring. How To Select Your Engagement Ring Keep in mind that when selecting your engagement ring, this ring will stand out over the wedding band. The wedding band may represent the marriage, but the two rings usually go together as a matching pair. The engagement ring will generally have some kind of gemstone set into it. Most often that gemstone is a diamond solitaire, as the diamond is still looked upon as the creme de la crème of gemstones. The diamond, which symbolizes security and strength, is still Earth’s hardest substance. If buying a diamond ring, you should be aware of the 4C’s, which is how diamond properties are measured. The 4C’s include: – Cut: The Cut of a diamond will indicate its shape as well as how the diamond was cut to that shape. – Clarity: The measure of purity is the diamond’s Clarity. This also determines how many flaws the ring has in it. – Colour: A diamond’s Colour defines the tint of the yellow hue it has. The higher end diamonds are generally clearer in color, thus costing more. Diamonds that have the most yellow tint in them are listed at the lower scale of colour. – Carat: One Carat is equal to 200 milligrams or 1/5 of a gram. A carat is also known as a point and it can contain up to 100 points. Jewelers are happy to give you advice about your engagement ring selection process. As well, they are also very good at suggesting ideas and to show you as many examples as needed to fit within your budget. Therefore, when diamond ring shopping, be sure to look and ask about the 4C’s and their price. That will allow you to make an informed decision that works for you and allow you to get the most value out of your money spent. How To Wear Your Engagement Ring Your engagement ring is placed and worn on your third finger of your left hand, also known as the ring finger. The ring varies in symbolism depending of which part of the world you are from. It is thought that the ring began as early as 3,000 B.C. in Egypt. Egyptians are known to have come up with the phrase, “without beginning, without end.” However, the third finger was not always the finger of choice. It first began on the index finger, but many believed the third finger includes a particular vein which leads itself straight to the heart or known as the “vein of love.” One other thought was dating back to the 17th century when a priest began counting on the bride’s left hand, beginning with her thumb, with each finger as the Father, the Son and the Holy Ghost. The next finger (ring finger) was next and received the ring. How To Care For Your Engagement Ring One mistake many women make after getting their ring is that they don’t take care of it properly. Therefore it’s important you take care of your rings so that they keep their shine and looking top notch. Always be aware when you remove your ring from your hand as pieces can get scratched or broken off. One way to keep your ring clean is by washing and removing dirt and any sludge away with warm soapy water and a soft toothbrush. However, if your ring includes emeralds or opals, you should avoid immersing them in hot water. The sudden temperature change can cause the stones to crack. If this process worries you, there are products available to buy that can also clean them without the worry about ruining your gems. You can also take your ring to a jeweler for a cleaning. In addition, remember your band may also lose its shine. That too can be restored with a quick polish by a local jeweler.

Wedding Traditions of Western Europe’s North-Central Region

Wedding traditions in Western Europe are steeped in tradition, with many going back several centuries. However, like much of the world, these traditions have also taken on modern roles and found a way to combine the new with the old.

As you will see, some of these wedding traditions can be very meaningful, glamorous and take on religious overtones. At the same time some of these can also be silly, odd and all out bizarre.

Austria

Many of Austria’s traditions all stem from what is considered to bring good luck and thwart off bad luck, such as:

- Wind and cloudy skies is meant the marriage will be stormy.

- Although it is good luck for the bride to look into the mirror before leaving for her wedding, it is bad luck if she looks at it a second time.

- Red and white flowers symbolizes blood and bandages. Therefore, this floral arraignment is avoided.

- The bride is not to make her own wedding dress.

- The bride is not to wear the entire wedding dress ensemble prior to her actual wedding.

- It considered tempting fate if the bride-to-be practices writing her new name before her wedding day.

- It is unlucky to marry a man with the same first letter of the surname.

- For some good luck, seeing a chimney sweep on the way to the church.

- In addition, seeing rainbows, black cats and spiders on the way to the church is also a good omen.

- Although ugly skies are of concern, rain itself is considered good luck and snow means wealth and fertility.

One other note about an Austrian wedding, an old tradition is whichever partner buys the other a new gift first is considered the dominant person in the relationship. Brides are usually the wiser and often plan ahead as they buy a small item from a bridesmaid directly after the wedding ceremony.

Belgium

Like many of the European countries, Belgium is no different. A Belgium wedding can be done either as a religious ceremony or it can be done in a civil ceremony fashion.

Many of the Belgium’s new and old traditions include:

- Wedding invitations being printed on two pieces of paper. One sheet is from the bride’s family, while the other is from the groom’s. These sheets represent the bringing together of the two families.

- During the ceremony, the bride will stop during her walk up the aisle and hand her mother a single flower and embrace. The same will be done during the recessional, with both the bride and groom to the groom’s mother, as symbolizes the new bride accepting her new mother.

- During the ceremony, the bride and groom are considered the King and Queen for the day. Therefore they will sit in two large chairs that is located near the front alter.

- The kiss that takes place at the end of the ceremony is a sign of breathing a portion of themselves into their new partner’s soul.

- For the ceremony, the bride will carry with her an embroidered handkerchief. The bride’s name is embroidered on it and after the ceremony it is hung on their wall in a frame. Later, it will be handed down to another bride and the tradition will continue.

- At the ceremony, the bridesmaids will go and collect coins from the guests and as the new couple exit from the church, the coins are then tossed to the poor waiting outside the church. Giving money as gifts symbolizes prosperity for the new couple.

Germany

With its rich traditions, Germany is no different than any other Western European country filled old and modern traditions, such as:

- After the wedding date is announced, trees that were planted the day the bride was born, are sold off to help pay for the dowry.

- It is also customary for a wedding newspaper to be created by family and friends that contains stories and photos of the newly engaged couple.

- A German wedding can last up to three days. Day one is a civil ceremony for family and close friends. Day two is the big ceremony for all to attend. Day three is a religious ceremony.

- Wedding guests bring, and then break, dishes thus leaving them to be swept up by the new couple. Sweeping up the mess as a couple means nothing will be broken in their new house.

- While leaving the church from the ceremony, coins are tossed to watching children.

- After the third ceremony, the best man will take the bride from the reception to a local pub. While there, they will drink champagne together until they are found by the groom. Once the groom finds them, he is to pay the bar bill.