aparna knanolkar is an ayurvedic personal chef….she also teaches ayurvedic cooking classes in santa barabara….she is a wonderful woman & her food is scrumptious….for those of you not in the santa barbara area, her website has lots of info and great recipes…simply delicious….when planning your wedding supper, consider alternative ideas for your menu….an ayurvedic meal is healthy & delicious….these images were from a recent shoot for an editorial spread in santa barbara magazine…..

 

 

aparna’s rice pudding

one handful of white
jasmine or basmati rice
1 tsp. of ghee or sunflower oil
4 cups organic whole milk 
1/2 cup turbinado sugar
a few stands of saffron
a handful of raisins
a handful of cashews
(or pistachios or slivered almonds)
2 tsp. rose water (optional)
1 tsp. cardamom
1/2 tsp. nutmeg 

 
 

wash rice three times and drain completely….heat ghee or sunflower oil in large pot & saute rice for two to three minutes….add milk & sugar and bring to a boil….turn down heat & add saffron….stir frequently and cook on low heat for about one & a half hours….add raisins, nuts, rose water, cardamom, and nutmeg & cook for another ten minutes….serve warm…serves four people….yummy!

i LOVE chocolate….in a way that really defies words….these delicious truffles were made by the amazing jessica foster….she also made hundreds of them for my wedding….which i highly recommend…chocolate truffles make a wonderful pairing with any wedding cake…and all your chocolate loving friends will be so grateful…did i mention, i LOVE chocolate….bon appetite!!

thank you to everyone who shared their thoughts….there were so many heartfelt comments….in honor of the official release day of Wedding Photography Unveiled, here are the two winning comments:

Bride to be Elana said:
“It’s hard to explain just how meaningful wedding photography is to me, but I’ll give it a go. Bear with me here. So, you know how you can imagine things in your head? Mental visual imagery? For example, if I were to ask you to imagine a red square.. or a wedding dress… or a beach.. anything.. you’d be able to see something in your head? I can’t. As I noted, it’s incredibly difficult to explain this to someone who doesn’t experience it (and I’ve never met anyone else who does, though I’ve read of others on the good ole internet)… it’s hard enough to explain this in person, nevermind via a short comment. But–that’s it. While I know I have visual dreams, in my waking life, I have the inability to visualize in any way–be it a memory or thinking of inspiration or whatnot. It’s a connection that I’m seemingly lacking in my brain.

So what does that all have to do with wedding photography? My inability to visualize makes my memory much worse than I imagine it would be otherwise. For goodness sakes, I can’t even visualize my fiance (the only reason I can tell you the color of his eyes is because I have told myself over and over again what color they are… and this isn’t because I don’t love staring into them!). So on a day as important as my wedding, I want to be able to remember… the emotion, the sights, the people, all of it. I want to be able to see this as I won’t ever be able to bring back the visual memory in my head. And that is why wedding photography is so remarkably important to me.

Wedding Photographer Lara said:
“I love the weight, the feel of the camera in my hand>>getting lost inside the photos as I compose/recompose and press down upon the shutter>>smiling, laughing, getting blurry-eyed from the happiness of others>>happy when the images cross over into fine art>>happy when the images stir joy, surprise, passion in my clients and friends>>the beauty of the moments and the details and the everything else all around>>being inspired by what others see and capture>>growing, reflecting, experimenting>>eventually finding my own voice>>always so many moments waiting….”

may your day be full of pretty green things & lots of kisses

A Soolip Wedding Event

many of you may already know about the upcoming soolip event…for those of you who don’t….there are some wonderful & talented people participating…. kirstie kelly is an amazing couture dress designer….i adore her & her dresses…. stop by this unique event….march 29, 2009 from 11:00-3:00pm @ 210 south main street, los angeles….it’s not only a great experience for brides to get ideas but also an wonderful opportunity for any wedding professional to meet some of the best in the business…  GIVEAWAY…. i have two tickets to give away to this soolip event….so if you want to go….leave a comment….the winner will be announced on friday….

Good Morning Bride….may you have a simply beautiful monday!

“Everyone has their kindergarten kiss stories.  I happened to be the little girl dressed up in the perfect floral dress and bow in my hair, that played kissy tag during recess.  Except instead of running away from the boys, screaming all the while, I ran towards them.  I ran my dress and ribbon right into the mud chasing after a kiss.”

-isabelle hahn

some things are hard to describe with words…waxworks pieces are the most beautiful evocative treasures…the technique is know as encaustic painting…the images are literally covered in hot bees wax & paint….waxworks is the love child of two amazing artists…leah macdonald & susan beard….they are also amazing photographers, but it’s this unique company they’ve created together that makes my heart skip a beat…feast your eyes on these divine wax paintings…the images don’t even do them justice….what is really amazing is the texture & feel of the surface…the images are mounted on wood (or paper) & then painted….they are simply scrumptous…..seriously dreamy…..

waxworks markets their pieces of art to photographers….they can take ANY image and turn it into a work of art…so ask your wedding photographer…anyone can order a piece….you can also contact them directly & have any personal images transformed….i have done so many of my images this way…i adore them…in fact i’d let them cover me in wax if it were possible….

waxworks has been kind enough to offer this encaustic image of the eiffel tower as a giveaway….i took this image at a wedding a little while back….and it soon became one of my favorites….the encaustic painting makes me love it even more (it’s a 9×12 photograph mounted on wood & painted with bees wax)……here is how to win this lovely piece of art; simply write a comment telling us about your day dreams….something you just adore, like paris or chocolate…ummm…enough about me….

share your dreams & win this beautiful piece of art by waxworks

fathers play such an important role in our lives….they help define our attitudes & understanding of men….even those of us who grew up without a father nearby are effected by their absense….and those who were blessed with a loving and present father know how important the impact of their father’s love is….i notice it every day when my daughter calls for her father….”daddy”….she smiles every time he comes in the room….and can play endlessly at his feet….as though just being near him fills her with happiness….good fathers are great men & deserve our humble appreciation….

call your father….kiss your husband…let the men in your life know how much you love them….xoxo

 

Kiss & Tell…..

“My love story with John began with a bang…it was literally love at first site.  We might have initially thought it was trouble at first site, but soon realized we had each found the one person God had selected just for us.  I always believed that there was one right person for each of us, and although that theory was tested during my years of dating, John proved me right in the first moment we met.  I had questioned those who claimed to “just know” when you find that one person, but the moment I locked eyes with the man I’d been hoping really did exist, my heart filled with understanding.  It was an understanding that only comes from experiencing it for myself.  Our first kiss was both a bond and a promise.  Without having to express it in words, we both had gained that kind of unspoken understanding that told us this was forever.  Kissing John has only become more exciting as time has passed because I know that our love is unending, unwavering, and will never be lost.  And while there is great assurance and peace that accompanies those feelings, there is also a growing excitement….because kissing him, just like loving him, keeps getting better and better.  ”

 -Kielle

remember to be playful when you have your engagement portraits made….the more natural & comfortable you are with eachother & your photographer, the more the images will be a true reflection of your relationship….hold hands….laugh….and kiss alot…..xoxo