Joleen and Kenneth are off to DisneyWorld! They hit the trail right after the wedding...I mean right after...well, they did dance, toast and cake, but they couldn't wait to hit the road. Their first stop, Mobile -about a 9 hour drive! Just think of the gas bill! But, if you get to relax in Mickeyland...you will soon forget your gasoline bill.

Here are a few images. 

And I might as well point out that you'll see what I'm doing the week after the wedding. I'm taking the images and enhancing them in various ways...sharpening, vignetting, bringing out the color, adjusting the exposure etc. You'll notice I don't always choose to put the subjects right in the middle of the image... you'll see Kenneth and Joleen dancing with some best friends watching. That's a far more interesting image than 10 shots of just the two of them right smack in the center of the image. It sets the scene. 

The other shot is of the "boys" stopping at Albertson's before the wedding. It's tweaked too. And don't email me and say your photographer gave you the cd right after the wedding. The weekend photographer (who's got a job someplace during the week) has to give you that cd and be done...after all, he's got to go back to work Monday. You get what you pay for.

Northeast Wedding Chapel wedding - Jim Rode Photographer

Great wedding! Kara and Erik got married! And the family! Wow! Talk about knowing how to have a good time... The music and dancing at the reception was wild and fun. 

The ceremony was flawless (as it usually is at Northeast Wedding Chapel -here is their link in case anyone needs it NortheastWeddingChapel.com). Kara came down the staircase to meet her father (who almost it seemed, carried the bouquet up the aisle for her!)

I know a lot of people read my blog, not just family (-spread all over!) -in Grand Rapids, Nashville, San Francisco, and Kansas City. I try to be uplifting...and talk about fun things. But recently I did a wedding for a great couple. I enjoyed getting to know them on their engagements. We spent 3 or 4 hours together on that day getting the coolest shots! I will not name them to protect their privacy.

Unknown to me, after their wedding, they had to cancel the honeymoon with the sudden illness of his beloved mother. She passed. The "bride" wrote me the kindest note about how much she enjoyed the last photographs taken of them spending time with her at the wedding. It breaks my heart as she was a wonderful person. I would ask you all to spend a moment with God in prayer for the family. God will hear.

People, none of us are superman. We are all human, and we never know the time or place where we might be called "home." Make it a point to throw that extra kiss. Pick up the phone and call someone you love. Send a card. Embrace those you love. We are here together on this planet, and we should work to make it a better place...and that begins with our own families. Embrace them today, tomorrow we can do it again!