The “out”

Dad and I wait upstairs at MacMurray's Annie Merner Chapel while guests are seated. 15 September 2001 Photo by Zuzana Killam
Dad and I wait while my sister Nicole (far left), and best friends Tracy Mazurkiewicz and Michelle (McIntyre) Davlantis chat. Not pictured is Steve's sister, Janet (Warmowski) Jackson, also a bridesmaid. She was the first one to walk down the aisle, which is probably why she isn't in this photo. 15 September 2001 Photo by Valérie Berta Torales

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I’ll never forget the option my dad gave me before walking me down the aisle on my wedding day 15 September 2001:

Dad (looking at the door to go outside): We can walk out the door if you want to, Tiffy.

Tif: What do you want to do, Daddy?

Dad: No, Tiffy. What do you want to do?

Tif: I think I’ll walk down the aisle.

It might seem weird to be given that option moments before walking down the aisle, but in honesty, I have always been grateful for that “out.”

When we were walking down the aisle, dad said to me, "Tiffy, I've been thinking about this day for a long time." Here we are just before that. My cousin, Amy Bennett, was our flower girl. I was the flower girl in her parents' wedding 18 years before. 15 September 2001 Photo by Valérie Berta Torales

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Before our good friend Esther married Steve’s mentor, Archie Lieberman, Esther’s aunt told her, “Five minutes before is better than five minutes after.” Esther didn’t take the “out.” But she never forgot about her aunt offering to her, either. Esther and Archie were married 60 years before his death in 2008.

We’ve had 3 couples cancel or indefinitely postpone their weddings this summer. But believe me, there are no hard feelings here! Making a lifetime commitment is not something that you should do just because you have been planning a wedding for months or because people will be disappointed if you decide not to go through with it.

I hope that all couples work as hard on preparing for their marriage as they do planning their wedding (if not harder!). And if they reach a point in that process where things don’t feel quite right, then taking a step back and taking a good hard look at things just might be the right thing to do, whether the wedding is months, weeks or days away.

**Photos Copyright Warmowski Photography 2010** Blog post by Tiffany/Warmowski Photography Tiffany & Steve Warmowski were married in Jacksonville and photograph others’ weddings in Jacksonville and around the world. WarmowskiPhotography.com

Rolling with it II

Another situation that requires some real calm is, of course, the weather. The wedding day of Emily and Jk in St. Louis (6 June 2008) included scary-looking clouds, lots and lots of rain and even tornado sirens. But, Emily, Jk and their families took everything in stride. And while it rained during the ceremony and during the reception, there was a break in the weather while everyone traveled from one place to the other. During that break, Emily and I took, literally, 30 seconds to photograph near the gazebo that stands right outside the chapel. Of course, she wanted many more photos there, but the weather and time were not on our side. 

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Copyright WarmowskiPhotography.com - copying is illegal

Looking at the windows behind the maid of honor as she gave her speech, and you will see that the rain was not a drizzle. 

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Copyright WarmowskiPhotography.com - copying is illegal

Rolling with it

There is nothing I admire more than the bride keeping her calm when something (relatively minor) goes wrong. 

Lisa and Jobby (17 May 2008) chose to laugh along with their bridal party when the reception hall’s marquee had the groom’s last name misspelled. It was a digital, scrolling marquee, so every time it scrolled to “congratulations …” there was another round of laughter – and photos. 

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Copyright WarmowskiPhotography.com - copying is illegal