My Family, the Weddings and the Photographs 

This is a photograph of my Great Great Grandparents. At least that is what I am told, However nobody knows for sure which Great Great Grandparents. There was no date and no names on the photograph. It was common practice, at the time, to have your photograph taken in all your wedding finery.

Compare this to the modern wedding album. Things sure have changed. This photograph is 100 years old, give or take a couple of years. All of the color photographs that we use in all of our albums, folios and wall portraits are made with the finest professional print papers. They could easily last as long as this one. Your Great Great Grandchildren will be able to show their Grandchildren, you in your finest hours, your wedding day.

One thing I want you to consider is that you should make notes in your photo albums or on the back of your photos, giving the year, the event  and the names of the people.

I know you were expecting a story, and of course you were right.

THANKS TO A MAN WITH A CAMERA THIS STORY CAN BE TOLD

Susie moved to California from Missouri to be with her married sister Marie. She took a job as a waitress and had met a good friend named Joan Reynolds. later they would work together as Riveters at the Douglas Aircraft Plant.

Bob known as Snuffy to his fellow workers, worked at the plant. His best friends were Richard and Joan Reynolds. (Notice the connection here.) You got it; Richard and Joan decided to introduce Bob (Snuffy) to Suzie.

	They say, your best matches come from friends and families. Well Suzie and Bob hit it right off, in fact they fell deeply in love. Suzie introduced Bob to her sister Marie and told her she wanted to marry him. Marie was upset because she did not approve of Bob. First he was a Republican and second, she felt he was a rogue and not fit for her little sister. Some in our family believe she would not have approved of anyone.  She never did approve of Bob, no matter what he did, and she could never forgive him for being a Republican.
Dorothy Suzzane (Suzie) Beard		Robert (Bob/Snuffy) Watson Smith

When Bob introduced Suzie to his family. His father Clyde immediately liked Suzie, but his mother Isabel did not approve of Suzie for her son. Ultimately she ended up liking Suzie a lot. Bob’s parents, told him that they did not want him to marry until he had finish college Bob was living at his parent’s house and Suzie at her sisters. They where both 21 years old and in love, and as love never waits for logic or listens to reason, both Bob and Suzie decided to elope in secret. Only Joan who was to be Suzie's bridesmaid and Richard, Bob's best man were to know. It is Richard, the man with the camera, that we owe our thanks for the pictures. As Bob came sneaking out of his parent’s house and running down the driveway, his best man took the picture of him smiling, “ I made it!” Later after Bob and Suzie were married, at the Justice of the Peace, Richard took the picture of Suzie running to her sister’s house with the marriage certificate in her hand. (Notice the very stylish, wedding veil on her head) This was in the spring of 1939 and love had started a new family.

There are three things that you will still have a year after your wedding, everything else will be just a memory. The rings, they are a lasting symbol of a couples commitment and generally the first major investment that a couple make together. The wedding license, made to last a lifetime. The photographs, the reminder of the love, kinship and beauty of the day. The beautiful images of the bride who is queen of this day, the hansom groom, the joyous friends and family who attend to pay their respects to the union formed and the flowers that so quickly wilt and fade. The photographer that you choose will have only one chance to capture all of this and more. How will you choose a photographer? Is the photographers style important? Is price the only consideration?

 We ask our clients to check out at least five other photographers before booking our services. We think it is important to find the photographer that matches your tastes and style. We only photograph twenty weddings a year. That is the most that we can do and still give our clients the service and attention that they have come to expect from us. Because we only book twenty weddings a year we want to book the right clients. The ones that are sure we are the right  photographers for their wedding. If you feel that we may be right for you, take a moment to fill out our Bridal Registry form. We will be glad to discuss our photographs and your wedding plans with you.