[Girlie Scream] We Met Jasmine Star!!

Photo by theFIX crew

For those of you NOT in the wedding industry, this may not seem exciting...but we basically met one of our idols! Jasmine Star has been a huge influence in how we've shaped our business model so when we heard her speaking tour theFIX was coming to Boston, there was no way we were missing it! She's kind of a big deal.

We expected to meet Jasmine and hear her talk and pick up copies of Exposed, her magazine-format mini book about her story and how she came to be so friggen fabulous. We did all of those things, we even got our magazines signed like the squealing fangirl/boy that we are.

What we didn't expect were the new friends! We met SO MANY amazing photographers! We made sure to follow Jasmine's advice and leave with two new contacts and we've grown quite attached to our little Facebook group that has now become the J* Alumni Boston group.

Too often in this and I imagine other industries, competition puts people against each other. Jasmine was among the first to stand up and say FUNK DAT...we need to stick together. We need to lift this industry up together. When Jasmine was starting out, she teamed up with a couple other photographers similar to her style and pricing and shared a Google calendar (girl after my own Google-run heart) with them so that when she was already booked, she could send clients to these other trusted friends. Brilliant! We love that stuff.

Instagram by Pam

So anyway, theFIXers put together a photo walk that James and I desperately tried to make but we arrived in Boston too late and couldn't find them. Doh! So we decided to be early to dinner at Upper Crust, a delicious pizza place on Tremont St. We arrived to find a single FIXer, the hilarious and exuberant Teresa Porter who hails from North Carolina, y'all! My VYS (that's Very Yankee Self) was thoroughly delighted to be called "y'all". Teresa made for excellent (and hilarious...she is a riot!) company and as other FIXers streamed in, we all waved frantically...the universal sign for "over here, photogs!"

Instagram by Pam

 We ate, we drank, we made merry. Hands were shaken, cards exchanged and there was a lot of laughter. It was lovely. But it was time to go!

After a long walk to fetch James a notebook, we hopped in line and waited. We spotted JD taking he and Jasmine's furbaby, Polo for a walk. We watched the door. We waited some more!

Photo by Pam

And then it was time. theFIX crew caught this hilarious photo of James walking in as if he were 8 years old and penetrating the gates of Disneyworld for the first time.

Photo by theFIX crew

Jasmine began the evening with an open bar (bless her sweet soul) and mingling. We got our adult bevvies and stood around awkwardly because we are...well, awkward. We chatted with some ladies sitting next to us, one of which was Megan Dandeles, who is not only cute as a button but has some serious skills! We hopped in line to get our photos snapped with J* by theFIX crew.

Flashy instagram by Pam

James got to shake JD's hand and share some mutual "phew, there are guys here" relief. Not that James minded being lost in a sea of beautiful and talented women or anything...

It was right about then that I yelled "AHA! CAKE LADY!" and ran over to the startled and smiling Alicia Candelora and handed her our cake donation money. Alicia was the brains behind the coolest group surprise of theFIX tour. Yeah I just said that. Forget it other cities, only Boston is real! A group of us threw in to get Polo his very own doggy cake from Polka Dog and then a doggy cake in the shape of Polo for Jasmine and JD from Cake For Occasions! This thing was off the chain. Look at this!

Jasmine with Polo's cake

Jasmine getting the cake in the shape of Polo!

She may have cried a little...

The presentation was amazing, inspiring and many other "ing" adjectives. Jasmine spoke about her journey to where she was now, how she learned her skills (she's of the School of Orange Tree in Backyard it turns out) and how she tailored her business to exactly what she wanted it to be. She spoke about helping your peers and being kind. She took questions, I asked one...

Photo by theFIX crew

During the break we chatted with by far the best dressed gal in the joint, Sarah from Sarah Vanessa Photography. She was wondering about working with her fiance as a partner and we agreed to chat again. Turns out Sarah and I share many interests including but not limited to heavy metal music and sequins.

We got our books signed after and took a couple more photos.

James was apparently drunk on J* because this is how my photo with Jasmine came out!

Instagram by James

His was better, we'll just blame the ambien.

Instagram by Pam

theFIX was a GREAT experience! If you get the chance to catch Jasmine in person, we highly recommend you do so. She's inspiring and funny and everything our industry needs right now! Thanks Jasmine, JD, Polo and the whole FIX crew for a wonderful night!

Rockstar Couple: Kat & Rick's Nautical Cruise Ship Wedding (Boston, MA)

We've been to more weddings with Kat and Rick than we have with anyone in our own families! We saw them at Nicole and Keith's New Year's wedding and again at Melissa & Matt's wedding and that was just this year!

So when it was finally their turn, we were excited to put the spotlight on them! They got married on The Odyssey in Boston, MA on a blustery(!) May afternoon that sure didn't feel like Spring, but that's par for the course in New England, isn't it?

Oh and did I mention Rick managed to break his hand mere days before the wedding? He never did tell us what happened but I can only imagine he sustained his injuries while wrestling a crocodile or thwarting bank robbers and saving an orphanage full of toddlers.



Is this a wedding party for the magazines, or what?





Mother of the bride...



Kat was really knocking the tears out of everyone!



Her gown was gorgeous.



Father of the bride...



And our dashing groom!





Heading to the Odyssey









The ceremony... Rick must have said "wow" five times before Kat reached him.









I love a wedding party with a little bit'o'swagger.



Too cute, can't take it.







We walked around for the formals, Boston is full of great spots...I could have shot them all day but eventually someone from the ship tracked us down and hauled us back!











We got back to the ship and into the waiting room where the wedding party was rummaging through bags for props like life jackets and flippy floppies and I thought "please be announced to 'I'm on a Boat'...please." BTW that link is totally not safe for work or anyone who didn't grow up in a foul-mouthed Irish family like myself.

Here's Kat's brother makin' it rain.







The details...









Their reception was wild, right up there with Melissa and Matt's! And it featured one of my all-time favorite wedding grandparents! Nicole (of Nicole & Keith's New Year's Eve wedding) has the best grandmother ever.



She's so awesome Keith can't contain his amazement.





BEST!

Nicole and Keith AND Michelle and Matt were there, I think three Rockstar Couples is a record for one wedding!













Kat and Rick had no intentions of stopping the party by dinnertime when their time on The Odyssey was up, so they rented out part of The Times bar across the street for a karaoke afterparty! Needless to say, it was a great time! James and I did Billy Idol's White Wedding. ;)



Melissa rocking out!









I wrote down the karaoke DJ's name but seem to have lost it in the depths of my camera bag...Kat? Anyone?

We had such a good time with Kat, Rick and their great family and friends. Congratulations guys!! See you at a wedding soon? haha

More pics here.