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This was a new experience for me.
Typically I meet a couple, we have some time together at the engagement shoot and then I see them on the wedding day.
With Kara + Domingo, I got to shoot pictures of them for an entire week leading up to their wedding. (see past blog posts for the story)
I connected more with them and their family than anyone I've ever shot in the last 9 years. It wasn't work, It was truly a blessing for me to be there and experience their day with them.
Part of what made this wedding so amazing was all the behind the scenes stories that I got to be a part of.
The other incredible thing was that Domingo's parents speak Ixil (pronounced ee-sheel), so there was really only pointing, nodding and body language to communicate with them unless Domingo translated - Yet these two families came together in an incredible way.
After having 8 sons, Domingo's mom expresses how she feels like she has a daughter now:
The wedding was held in Domingo's backyard. The entire thing was landscaped and designed around his future wedding.
Here are a few from the beginning of the day:
I love Kara's shoes, the calla lilies, and her dress. Kara also kept peaking out the window to watch Domingo setting up while her incredible sisters helped her get ready. I loved catching moments of the close relationship she has with them as the week went on.
As a gift to his future bride, Kara's great grandfather bought this bracelet from the Vatican. Passed down over the years, Kara's mom leant it to her to wear during the wedding. Amanda and Laura wore it in their weddings too.
Here are more from the wedding:
Domingo, Kara, Paula, Laura, Amanda, Ed & Ruth - thank you for inviting me into your lives for an entire week. (All of the rest of you too!) It was an ubelievable experience that I cherish. Thank you for letting me capture the moments from your day and I look forward to many more visits to Guatemala and Canada. (eh?)
If you are a member of the family, please visit here and for the online galleries.
Typically I meet a couple, we have some time together at the engagement shoot and then I see them on the wedding day.
With Kara + Domingo, I got to shoot pictures of them for an entire week leading up to their wedding. (see past blog posts for the story)
I connected more with them and their family than anyone I've ever shot in the last 9 years. It wasn't work, It was truly a blessing for me to be there and experience their day with them.
Part of what made this wedding so amazing was all the behind the scenes stories that I got to be a part of.
The other incredible thing was that Domingo's parents speak Ixil (pronounced ee-sheel), so there was really only pointing, nodding and body language to communicate with them unless Domingo translated - Yet these two families came together in an incredible way.
After having 8 sons, Domingo's mom expresses how she feels like she has a daughter now:
The wedding was held in Domingo's backyard. The entire thing was landscaped and designed around his future wedding.
Here are a few from the beginning of the day:
I love Kara's shoes, the calla lilies, and her dress. Kara also kept peaking out the window to watch Domingo setting up while her incredible sisters helped her get ready. I loved catching moments of the close relationship she has with them as the week went on.
As a gift to his future bride, Kara's great grandfather bought this bracelet from the Vatican. Passed down over the years, Kara's mom leant it to her to wear during the wedding. Amanda and Laura wore it in their weddings too.
Here are more from the wedding:
Domingo, Kara, Paula, Laura, Amanda, Ed & Ruth - thank you for inviting me into your lives for an entire week. (All of the rest of you too!) It was an ubelievable experience that I cherish. Thank you for letting me capture the moments from your day and I look forward to many more visits to Guatemala and Canada. (eh?)
If you are a member of the family, please visit here and for the online galleries.
Listed below are links to blogs that reference this entry:
kara + domingo: married [nebaj, guatemala]
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109
This was an incredible week. It's hard to describe really. Meeting new people, having an instant connection and sharing amazing experiences and meals together for an entire week really made this special for me. So much so, it really made me forget all about the vacation I had taken the week before.
I flew into Guatemala City to spend the week touring the country with Domingo + Kara, plus her Canadian family. I knew we were going to see some stuff leading up to the wedding weekend, but I had no idea what.
It was an adventure, and I was along for the ride - camera in hand.
We started out Monday morning in Antigua, Guatemala.
If you're from Kansas City, picture the plaza, just hundreds of years older with incredible architecture, charming little shops where practically everything is hand made, and oh yeah, volcanoes in the distance. This happens every 15 days apparently, and we happened to be there on one of those days -
We visited a candle maker's shop to pick out a unity candle and anything else that we could use for the wedding:
I love this moment with Kara and her mom, and Andrew's face in the background
We spent a lot of time on this:
Kara + Domingo didn't seem to mind:
The first day we went zip-lining in Panajachel, right off Lake Atitlan which had 3 volcanoes behind it. Imagine flying over the tree line 50-100 feet up and looking down into a valley leading to a lake with volcanoes behind it. It's even more amazing than it sounds. The whole family came along, even Kara's 9 yr-old nephew Andrew who did amazing.
Day 2 began with Domingo loading our luggage on top of the bus
I gave our bus driver Juan my sun glasses because he was cool, and I sat up front with him a lot. "Tu & Yo, Juan" (You and Me) I would say pointing at the horizon and he would laugh as I pretended to have any idea where we were going. He didn't speak a lick of English, and got lost every day of the trip.
We visited a glass blowing shop and I got to shoot them in action -
After that, we hit the hot springs - naturally heated by the volcano.
We drove further north each day getting closer and closer to Nebaj, which is where Domingo is from, and where he and Kara first met.
On the way we stopped by a children's camp to show the family what Kara's dad had been helping with on missions trips, as well as cutting down some bamboo for wedding decorations.
You'll get to see what was done with the the bamboo in the wedding post.
Let me throw in some shots of Domingo + Kara now. I'd take them from time to time, place to place, but we also had an impromptu engagement session right there in the Mayan ruins.
I'm going to leave it at that for now. I'll show you all some wedding photos and maybe some set-up stuff too in the next one...
I flew into Guatemala City to spend the week touring the country with Domingo + Kara, plus her Canadian family. I knew we were going to see some stuff leading up to the wedding weekend, but I had no idea what.
It was an adventure, and I was along for the ride - camera in hand.
We started out Monday morning in Antigua, Guatemala.
If you're from Kansas City, picture the plaza, just hundreds of years older with incredible architecture, charming little shops where practically everything is hand made, and oh yeah, volcanoes in the distance. This happens every 15 days apparently, and we happened to be there on one of those days -
We visited a candle maker's shop to pick out a unity candle and anything else that we could use for the wedding:
I love this moment with Kara and her mom, and Andrew's face in the background
We spent a lot of time on this:
Kara + Domingo didn't seem to mind:
The first day we went zip-lining in Panajachel, right off Lake Atitlan which had 3 volcanoes behind it. Imagine flying over the tree line 50-100 feet up and looking down into a valley leading to a lake with volcanoes behind it. It's even more amazing than it sounds. The whole family came along, even Kara's 9 yr-old nephew Andrew who did amazing.
Day 2 began with Domingo loading our luggage on top of the bus
I gave our bus driver Juan my sun glasses because he was cool, and I sat up front with him a lot. "Tu & Yo, Juan" (You and Me) I would say pointing at the horizon and he would laugh as I pretended to have any idea where we were going. He didn't speak a lick of English, and got lost every day of the trip.
We visited a glass blowing shop and I got to shoot them in action -
After that, we hit the hot springs - naturally heated by the volcano.
We drove further north each day getting closer and closer to Nebaj, which is where Domingo is from, and where he and Kara first met.
On the way we stopped by a children's camp to show the family what Kara's dad had been helping with on missions trips, as well as cutting down some bamboo for wedding decorations.
You'll get to see what was done with the the bamboo in the wedding post.
Let me throw in some shots of Domingo + Kara now. I'd take them from time to time, place to place, but we also had an impromptu engagement session right there in the Mayan ruins.
I'm going to leave it at that for now. I'll show you all some wedding photos and maybe some set-up stuff too in the next one...
amanda van soelen:
beautiful! Can hardly wait to see the wedding shots!
(02.04.10)
Paula:
AMAZING! Thanks for the pics... can I steal some and put them on FB?
(02.04.10)
Kara:
Wow, Mike! You are way too awesome at what you do. I am your biggest fan :) Miss you!
(02.12.10)
Listed below are links to blogs that reference this entry:
Guatemala
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106
Incase you're trying to reach me, I most likely have no phone or email service until Feb. 2nd.
I believe in working hard, and playing hard. Over the last 6 months the wedding season has been so busy I haven't done a great job at the playing part - SO - after a vacation in the Caribbean with some Nashville friends I'll be back in Guatemala for a little over a week shooting Domingo + Kara's wedding.
I first met Domingo at the Summit conference held by Food for the Hungry last February and was incredibly impressed with his passion for his work against poverty in Guatemala.
I was incredibly excited when I found out I got to spend a week with him last September touring his country with him as an advocate for FH, shooting pictures and video to show the power that Child Sponsorship has in those areas of extreme poverty.
Now, our friendship continues as I tour the country with him and his fiance Kara. Her and her family are from Canada so we'll be touring the beauty that Guatemala has to offer during the week, then their wedding that weekend.
I'm excited to be shooting photos for them of all their experiences, and especially the wedding.
If you're on here because your wedding is this year and you're looking for an incredible video to remember your day, please email me at mikevarel@mac.com (or use the contact button at the top) and I'll get back to you as soon as I can.
2010 dates are filling up quickly - I Iook forward to meeting and working with you, or referring you to some of the other incredible photo/video friends of mine!
I believe in working hard, and playing hard. Over the last 6 months the wedding season has been so busy I haven't done a great job at the playing part - SO - after a vacation in the Caribbean with some Nashville friends I'll be back in Guatemala for a little over a week shooting Domingo + Kara's wedding.
I first met Domingo at the Summit conference held by Food for the Hungry last February and was incredibly impressed with his passion for his work against poverty in Guatemala.
I was incredibly excited when I found out I got to spend a week with him last September touring his country with him as an advocate for FH, shooting pictures and video to show the power that Child Sponsorship has in those areas of extreme poverty.
Now, our friendship continues as I tour the country with him and his fiance Kara. Her and her family are from Canada so we'll be touring the beauty that Guatemala has to offer during the week, then their wedding that weekend.
I'm excited to be shooting photos for them of all their experiences, and especially the wedding.
If you're on here because your wedding is this year and you're looking for an incredible video to remember your day, please email me at mikevarel@mac.com (or use the contact button at the top) and I'll get back to you as soon as I can.
2010 dates are filling up quickly - I Iook forward to meeting and working with you, or referring you to some of the other incredible photo/video friends of mine!
Listed below are links to blogs that reference this entry:
Out of the country till Feb 2nd
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107
I met Emilee + Dan at the Gathering. They are one of the most fun couples I've had the pleasure of photographing. Dan's facial expressions are hilarious and Emilee follows quickly behind his goofiness. (I looked up how to spell that, it's right, trust me.)
I loved Emilee's friends and their expressions in the photos as they watched and helped her get ready that morning.
Their wedding was at Emmanuel Baptist Church where Dan's dad is actually the pastor. He officiated the ceremony which I loved because him and Dan shared several glances and moments as it went on.
I think I was in a black and white mood for this wedding - Here are a few more for you:
We were done by early in the afternoon and decided to go shoot some pics on the plaza. It was freezing that day - but a speical thanks goes to the Cheesecake Factory for letting us use their elevator waiting room which was quite toasty.
I loved Emilee's friends and their expressions in the photos as they watched and helped her get ready that morning.
Their wedding was at Emmanuel Baptist Church where Dan's dad is actually the pastor. He officiated the ceremony which I loved because him and Dan shared several glances and moments as it went on.
I think I was in a black and white mood for this wedding - Here are a few more for you:
We were done by early in the afternoon and decided to go shoot some pics on the plaza. It was freezing that day - but a speical thanks goes to the Cheesecake Factory for letting us use their elevator waiting room which was quite toasty.
thaddeus:
good job mike with the wedding pichures... love em'!
(01.20.10)
Listed below are links to blogs that reference this entry:
emilee + dan: married [kansas city]
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101
Emilee + Dan were married December 19th - here's a little sneak peak:
Rachel:
This is just precious.
(12.28.09)
Listed below are links to blogs that reference this entry:
Coming Soon: Emilee + Dan
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Sweet post Mike!
(02.13.10)I have tears in my eyes, you have captured the week so amazingly! It was an amazing experience!
(02.14.10)