In Defense of Doing 4 Wedding-related Photo Sessions

Yes.  By the time our wedding is over, we will have been in a total of FOUR wedding-related photo shoots.  That's a lot. If you would have told me a year ago that we would be doing 4 separate wedding-related photo shoots, I would have laughed in your face and said, "Four photo shoots for what?" When we first got engaged, I didn't know "engagement sessions" and "boudoir sessions" and "day after sessions" and "trash the dress sessions" even existed.  But apparently getting engaged gives us license to channel our inner Tyra's... because pretty much every wedding blogger I know has participated in, or will eventually participate in at least TWO wedding-related photo shoots.  That shit's standard in today's wedding world. But to many, this seems a bit much. But for us, these photo shoots are a near necessity.  Why, you ask? Well, most of the pictures we have of us aren't exactly what you'd call "lovely." Let me explain what I mean by that.  For some odd reason, Mike and I never really owned a working digital camera in the 7 years we've been together.  So we've always relied on friends to take pictures of us with their cameras and share. BUT most of those times when we're with friends and pictures are involved, we're all pretty loaded, and/or holding/double-fisting some sort of alcoholic beverage, in addition to making silly faces. So a lot of the shots we get of ourselves end up looking like we're a couple of weirdo drunks who really think each other are *like* so hawt n stuff.

Case in point:

The "Britt is secretly drinking booze on the city bus and Mike isn't paying attention" shot.

The "Mike is wearing a neon ski jacket from the 80's" shot.

The "Making out at a bar, I look like I'm eating Mike's face" shot.

The "look at my boobs and stop texting" shot.

The "we're only smoking cigarettes because we're drunk" shot.

The "end of the night drunk and sleepy" shot.

The "drunken Halloween, Mike's in a Santa Suit" shot.

The "Look at this big-ass plate of meat" shot.

The.... um... yeah. This one's just weird.

Oh, and then there's the "pit stain" shots:

Yes. That is booze Mike is holding.

Don't get me wrong. I LOVE these pictures. LoveLoveLove these pictures.  But come on. I want some pictures of us without booze in our hands. And without silly looks on our faces.  So I for one am very excited for our upcoming wedding-related photo shoots. We've already done one shoot with the fabulous Holly Steen of Cakes and Kisses Wedding photography (if you missed those set of stylized beauts, click here). And the final three shoots will be done with our uber-balls talented wedding photog Nicole Polk.  With her, we are doing an engagement shoot, a wedding day shoot, and a day-after shoot. It sounds like a lot, but I know that we will be oh so very thankful to have these images of us for years and years to come.  So when we show our kids our wedding pictures (um, like 15 years from now. haha.), we'll say to them, "yeah, we were pretty hot back in the day." And then of course when they're older, we'll show 'em the drunk pics.

Are you guys planning on participating in multiple wedding-related photo sessions?

[Live from the HIGHVE]: Miss Adderall's first post!

Just Throw Some Glitter On It.
---------------------------------------------------------------------
Tuesday, April 27th, 2010 @ 9:10 am by Miss Adderall




Holla HIGHVE!

Miss Crackpipe did a great job of introducing me a week ago and LETSBEHONEST there’s not a whole lot more ya need to know about lil Miss Adderall. Glitter, neon, and firecrackers – the end. But allow me indulge my narcissistic side and introduce my bad self.

By day, I’m a one-woman superhero brigade: graduating college, teaching inner-city middle schoolers, interviewing for jobs, planning an out-of-state move, and smooching Mr. Adderall with a side of Boy Scouts to keep things interesting.

 By night, I’m just your average franzia-slugging, shenanigan-causing fool. I delight in lots of silly things – my world is a sparkly, colorful madhouse. I like to snuggle on the couch with my best friends until 1am, ride the 24-hour monorail in my town for fun, pregame my classes (senioritis, what?), dress my dog up in costumes, dress my SELF up in costumes, leave giant tips and love letters wherever I go, paint my walls a different color like every month, and, well, we’re just getting started. The playlist of my life includes a lot of Miley, Peaches, Girl Talk, Kesha, Sigur Ros, Death Cab, Kenny, Jack’s Mannequin, Jose Gonzalez and Ratatat.

Mr. Addi and I met in the classic college-kid way: at an 80s frat party. We were dumb and in love and somehow managed to survive the 150 miles between us, lots of inconsequential fights, breaking up, getting back together, trips to Spain, joining the Army, getting lavaliered, living together one summer, living in different countries another summer, his absolute obsession with University of Kentucky basketball, my insufferable amount of shoes, and everything in between to get where we are now: even more crazy than all of that put together. We’re not engaged but we’re planning the wedding: an insane weekend in our favorite place for our favorite people.

Hopefully you no longer wonder where the moniker "Miss Adderall" came from.

Funny story about that actually: when Crackpipe let me know I was invited to this party, I instantly sent a text to my entire address book asking them, “If I were any kind of recreational drug, what would I be?” I got a lot of awesome responses, like “LSD”, “Acid… crazy and trippy in the best of ways”, and, of course, “Adderall!” but of all the texts I got, not a-one asked “WHY?” :)

The Adderall wedding is going to be in-fucking-sane, and I plan to document all of our AWESOMENESS right here alongside the sensational Miss Crackpipe. And our wedding’s not until FALL 2011 BITCHES, so you get to read us for an eternity!

Miss Adderall’s alter ego normally blogs at Technicolor Wedding, AND Miss Adderall has a twitter, yo -- so go ahead and get all up in those bitches.

Deuces until next time ---

Miss Adderall

Happy 18th Anniversary to Bowie + Iman!

On April 24, 1992, our beloved David Bowie and hot-as-balls supermodel Iman tied the knot. Their civil ceremony was held in Lausanne, Switzerland, and their religious ceremony was later held in Florence, Italy... a place the two lovers call their "own little Shangri-la." The pair have been inseparable ever since, and have continued to prove that showbiz marriages actually can last. I stumbled upon an interview they did a while back that talked in depth about how they met and fell in love. Here is my favorite quote from Bowie himself:

David: "For about a week or two, I was a bit cautious because I have a silly sense of humour and I was scared it might put her off me. But when she started laughing at some of my antics, I realised she was a real fun-loving person. And I think humour has become one of our strongest bonds.

"Now one of the things we try do to nurture our relationship is, on every 14th - the date we met - we always have an anniversary dinner. If we're not together, we send flowers to each other, or a note or card. It's just another building block in our relationship to show it is alive and well and a real thing. It is terribly important to help a relationship along."

They are so hot and so in love it's disgusting!

(source)

Do Not Send a List of Required Shots to Your Photog

UNLESS your photographer asked you (I repeat ASKED YOU). Then it is more than ok to send a required shot list to him/her. Whatevs.  Otherwise, sending your photog an unsolicited list of shots, is pretty damn gauche if you ask me. It would be the same as your photographer sending you an email on how to do your job. And last time I checked, I didn't ask our photog for notes on my screenplay--and she certainly didn't ask me for pointers on how to photograph a wedding. No. She is the professional in this situation.  She's the one who photographs weddings for a living. And above all, don't forget that your photographer is an artist. An artist who has probably dedicated most of their life to perfecting their craft. Yes, you are paying for their services, BUT take a look at their portfolio... if they don't have 80 billion fish-eye lens portraits of bridesmaids pointing their bouquets to the camera, chances are, they don't like doing those shots. And if you ask them to take said shots, don't be surprised by their apathy. BUT, if those indeed are the kind of shots you want, then hire a photog whose aesthetic matches yours. As an artist, I personally would NOT feel comfortable putting my name on something I felt didn't go along with my aesthetic.  And I make no apologies about that.  So instead of hiring a random photog and sending them a list of required shots, take your time, do some research. Know what kind of photographer you are booking, and as a result, you won't have to worry about compiling a shot list. Simple as that.

Here is the *only* acceptable unsolicited list of shots you can send to your photog.  Which is also the list I will jokingly send to our fab photog, Nicole Polk:

1. A shot of my boobs wearing Sequin Blue Nippies. 
2. A close-up of me grabbing my crotch on the dance floor. 
3. A close-up of me grabbing Mike's crotch on the dance floor. 
4. An extreme close-up of the first tear that rolls down Mike's cheek during the ceremony. Not the *second* tear. The first. 
5. An areal shot of my parents making out in a dark corner. 
6. A shot of Mike taking his morning shit. 
7. A distorted close-up image of me humping the taco truck.
8. A fish-eye lens close-up of my hands gripping Mike's ass.
9. Shots of guests passed out drunk.
10. A collage of "Nip Slips."

As for us... we knew that Nicole's photography style matched our tastes when we saw this picture:

Nicole Polk Photography

Yup. This image basically took my breath away.  So yeah. Not sending her a required shot list.

We're Told Not to Look Hotter than the Bride...

...But no one said anything about looking hotter than the GROOM. One of the ladies in our wedding party, Titfield Thunderbolt, is wearing a vest and pants for the ceremony. Yes, you read right. NO matching taffeta bridesmaid gown will be worn by Ms. Thunderbolt. She will be rocking a vest. And pants. Mike is *also* wearing a vest and pants for the ceremony... So will Titfield's attire outshine the groom? Let the games begin... 

WHO’S GOING TO WEAR THE VEST THE BEST? 
by Titfield Thunderbolt

Have you ever been to a wedding where there’s that catty woman who tries to compete with the bride? You know the one, she comes in wearing a white dress OR she over dresses and ends up being more glammed up than all the decorations combined?

Well, at the Bowie wedding, I’m going to be the weirdo competing with the groom. Actually not really, but I am wearing a vest. And I DO want to make Bowie Groom a little nervous, but all in good fun. Let’s face it, at a genuine wedding, no one looks better than the bride and groom. They have a natural glow that radiates from their souls, and that can’t be bought, applied or faked.

In a previous post, I mentioned that Bowie Bride and Groom are having a gender neutral wedding party, without ranks. We also, much to my delight, get to pick out our outfits costumes! Going with the gender neutral theme, I decided I wanted to combine elements of traditional American bridesmaids and groomsmen. I already own the bottoms I want to wear, which are fitted, sailor-style, taupe-colored trousers. And if it works out, I have a pair of beloved pink “summertime mom sandals” I would love to wear (phrase coined by Bowie Bride herself). I have a few classy embellishments that I have in mind for the final touches. 

But my main piece to the ensemble, which I have yet to find, is the vest. I did have the perfect vest which I wore for last year’s old timey pick-pocketer Halloween costume, but who knew certain articles of clothing couldn’t be washed and dried at home with fleece pajamas. So I’m on the hunt for a new perfect vest. Here's a pic of the vest that I would have worn, had it not gotten ruined:

The vest that could have been...

You all saw Bowie Groom’s vest, which, let’s be honest, is the ultimate vest. And I have to admit I’m genuinely jealous. I know my own vest I find will be spectacular, but I need a little edge over Bowie Groom’s vest to keep him on his toes. And I’ve realized what needs to be done. I need to wear my vest sans shirt. And no I don’t want it to be a slutty Jennifer Love Hewitt shirtless version, but more the Michele Obama power arms version, like so:

As of now, I have 102 days (101 if you’re one of those people who don’t count today) to find the perfect vest and to sculpt the perfect Obama arms. Check back to see my progress on both. And eventually decide for yourself, who wore the vest the best. Here's arm photo #1:

I am determined to get OBAMA ARMS!

What are some creative outfits you've seen a wedding party wear?

Guest Book Idea: Sex Mix Playlist Suggestions

source

I don't want a conventional guest book. I definitely want some kind of memento dedicated to the guests in attendance, but it's gonna be a lil on the looney side. Hear me out.

Everyone always asks their guests to write "marriage advice" next to their names in the guestbook. So the guests generally end up writing old standby's like "Don't go to bed angry"... Or "Always go to bed angry, and talk it out in the morning after you've had time to digest." That kind of advice is all well and good, but we've been living together for 5 years... so I think we've got a handle on whether or not going to bed angry works for us or not.  Every couple is different, and therefore will respond to marriage advice differently. But I do know a bit of advice that EVERY couple can get down with. And that advice, my friends, is simply this: "Have a lot of sex." And to better enable us to have lots of married sex, I thought it would be an awesome idea to ask our guests for song suggestions to go on a "Sex Mix" playlist... you know, their favorite funky grooves to fuck to. Then the next day, after the wedding has come and gone, our freshly married selves will read through the suggestions, and make an arsenal of Sex Mixes ready for our honeymoon listening pleasures.

Here are a few of my favorite Sex Mix Playlist tunes. Feel free to use them at will...

1. "Since I've Been Lovin' You" - Led Zeppelin
2. "Beast of Burden" - The Rolling Stones
3. "El Scorcho" - Weezer
4. "Sweet Jane" - The Velvet Underground
5. "Jealous Again" - The Black Crowes
6. "La La Love You" - The Pixies
7. "Cry to Me" - Solomon Burke
8. "These Arms of Mine" - Otis Redding
9. "I Might Be Wrong" - Radiohead
10. "This Must Be the Place" - Talking Heads

What are your favorite songs to get down to?  What would be the #1 Sex Mix Playlist song you'd write on our guestbook?

What the hell is a Junior Bridesmaid?

And why do they need a special title?  'Cause 4.5 years ago, when we first got engaged, and my little sister was 12 years old at the time, it never *once* crossed my mind that she wouldn't be my bridesmaid because she was a lot younger than the other girls. And it also never *once* crossed my mind that she would need to be called a "Junior Bridesmaid" just because of her age.  Ridiculous. Every supposed "duty" a junior bridesmaid is expected to perform pretty much mirrors that of a full grown bridesmaid.  Well, save for this one (via The Knot. Of course): "While junior bridesmaids are not expected to give showers, they should plan to attend and help out with cleaning up, favormaking, and more."

This pic creeps.me.out

Really? Do we really need to point out that a 12 year old isn't expected to plan and execute a bridal shower?  I mean, that shit goes without saying, right? So can we please stop with this "junior" business?  Your bridesmaids ain't Barbie, and they sure as hell ain't Skipper. Regardless of age, they are your chosen bridesmaids. End of story.

image source

And what if a bride wanted to have her grandma in her wedding party? Would we then have to call her  Senior Bridesmaid? Or Long in the Tooth Bridesmaid?  Oooo, what set of arbitrary rules can we come up with for her!?!? I've got one! "Senior Bridesmaid will be expected to not kick the bucket before the ceremony is over."

And, faaaaaaart.

My Makeup & Hair Artist is a PIMP

YO. Mama hit the jackpot on the hair & make-up, kiddies.  Her name is Julia Papworth, and she's so.freaking.talented. Not only did she and I go to the same high school, but she's kind of a badass in her industry. Julia has done everything from magazine covers, to print ads, to movies and red carpet events, to runway shows, to music videos and lucky for me (and you!), she does weddings! Girl does it ALL and does it with style. And, oh, did I mention she kicks ass? One of her most recent gigs was doing Kendra's hair for the Jay Leno Show.  Check out how fly she made Miss Kendra look:

From edgy to elegant, Julia has the chops to do practically anything... which is EXACTLY what the doctor ordered for the type of wedding we're putting on.  I believe when I emailed my initial inquiry to Julia, I told her I wanted to look "fly as shit" for my wedding. And her response was, "I can do fly as shit!"  So, yeah. I could tell right away that we were going to get along. Check out some more of her work:
Holy-balls fierceness:

 Funky Rad Awesomeness:

 Gorgeous Wedding loveliness:

And Totally Avant-garde Amazingness:

See! I told you she can do it all!  There were so many breathtaking images on Julia's website, it was hard to choose which ones to show off. All the gals in our bridal party are getting services from Julia on our big day as well, and I cannot wait to see how fierce the results are. So to all my Cali-brides: Get your ass over to Julia's site, JuliaPapworth.com and book her... You can also find Julia on Facebook, Twitter, and on Model Mayhem.  My thanks to Julia for sharing all these gorgeous images with us, and an even bigger thank you to her for being awesomesauce incarnate. I cannot wait to work with her.

P.S. As a funny tidbit: I don't know if Julia remembers this or not, but when I was a freshman in high school, she was a senior. And I was dating one of her best friends at the time.  And we ended up wearing the SAME EXACT dress to prom that year. It was hilarious.

Introducing Miss Adderall!

Introducing Miss Adderall!
---------------------------------------------------------------------
Wednesday, April 14th, 2010 @ 9:10 am by Miss Crack Pipe




Miss Crack Pipe's been gettin' high all by her lonesome for too damn long, friends.  The time has finally come to add another "piece" to the Highve...  and let me tell you, this lil firecracker of a bride I got for you is one special lady.  She is balls-hilarious, a fabulous writer, has a ferosh personality, is full of life and is planning a fabulous Technicolor Wedding. The Adderalls aren't *technically* engaged yet... but here at the Highve, the "rules" of the wedding world don't really apply. At all.  So if you and your partner are planning your nupts sans "ring," then you're in good company. And if your partner has been a tad A.D.D. with this whole wedding planning thing, well, let's just say, Miss Adderall has got your cure.  Whether she's aiding you in pulling an all night study session, or spilling the deets about her badassically epic 3-day wedding jubilee, Miss Adderall has got your hook-up. Let's welcome her fly ass to the Highve! Take it away, Miss A!


 











Miss Adderall, Indianapolis, IN
Age and Occupation: 22, Teacher
Fiance's Age and Occupation: 22, Medical student/Army 2nd Lieutenant
Engagement Date: Not yet engaged!
Wedding Date: Oct 1 2011
Blogging Since: March 2010
Venue: Historic Mansion on the banks of the Ohio River
About Me: I enjoy jello shots, trawling through flea markets, and have a huge crush on Joel McHale. Though Mr. Adderall and I spend our summers making fire and paddling canoes, my entire life is covered in pink and sparkles. The Adderalls do things their own way and everyone else is left to keep up. Between my middle-school teaching, his medical schooling and Army-ing, moving to another state, our volunteer work, our crazy dog, and, oh yeah, the stuff we do for fun, sometimes we just need a little pick-me-up, if yaknowwhatimean. We're planning a technicolored hootenanny wedding weekend on the banks of the Ohio River for our giant hillbilly families and crazy friends, so get in, hang on, and enjoy this Addi-fueled ride!

Miss the beginnings of Bowie Bride's Weddingbee Parody? Read all about Miss Crack Pipe here.

$60 Wedding Dress

I walked into a vintage shop on Melrose. Found this dress. And fell in love with it. The dress search could have been that easy. No muss. No fuss. Just tried the sucker on, walked out of the dressing room, and felt like a bride. DONE. I could have avoided all the bullshit bridal salon visits... the gajillion posts about how I want a short dress for the reception... and how I shouldn't have bought this gown, or this gown, or even dreamed about tearing apart this gown to make this gown... and have to eventually grapple with getting alterations... It would have been that easy.  Le sigh.  In the end, I did not buy this gorgeous vintage dress. I was tempted... but I already have a dress... a dress that I am extremely balls-lucky to wear on my wedding day.  I don't have it yet (the designer is making it as I type!), but I promise I will reveal it to you once I go for my first fitting. I am SO excited about it. It's going to be short, unique, eco-friendly, and full of sass. I can't wait to see it!

And the dress looks hella cute with Chucks. Can't go wrong there.

What was the dress search like for you guys?  How many did you try on, or buy, before you landed on the one that felt the most "you"?

Last Batch of Our Stylized E-Pics!

Here's the last batch of delicious pics from Holly Steen of Cakes and Kisses Wedding Photography, art director/stylist, April Liaez de Brimer and creative coordinator, Wendy Ramos, (who is also our D.O.C.!) And here are the other pics if you missed them: 

Part 1

Part 2

Part 3

Part III of Our Stylized E-Sesh!

You've seen the "Dark Side of the Moon" with Part I & Part II... now see the lighter side... More delicious pics from Holly Steen of Cakes and Kisses Wedding Photography, art director/stylist, April Liaez de Brimer and creative coordinator, Wendy Ramos, (who is also our D.O.C.!)