2012 May » prequels.net

Claire is not superstitious, particularly after her Friday the 13^th wedding flowed without a glitch. She’s 32 and lives in a beautiful village in rural Oxfordshire, about 20 miles south of Oxford.

She spoke with Prequels about her love story and surprise honeymoon.

When and how did you meet your husband?

In May 2008. We both work at the same scientific research facility (although not together) and we met at a work night out that he had organised soon after I joined. I was the new girl and was invited by a colleague to give me a chance to meet people. By chance, one of his friends had brought along a female friend with the intention of setting them up. It didn’t work out so well for her, but worked out great for me!

At what point did you know you wanted to marry him?

Pretty early on, he’s a very caring and supportive person. We always laugh/groan at each others’ jokes, even the really old cheesy ones we’ve heard a million times before. We’ll probably still be laughing at the same jokes when we’re in our 80s. Also, I came home one day and found Simon ironing. He said “the football was on TV, so I did the ironing.” Now I wouldn’t say that was a natural combination (I would have expected beer and pizza instead), but he likes to justify sole control of the TV for the duration of the game and I’m happy to let him. Who wouldn’t marry a man who always volunteers to do the ironing?!

Prequels is offering a special promotion for June, July & August 2012 brides and grooms! Have your love story written by a professional journalist, in time for your wedding, at a fabulous price! Please email denise@prequels.net with your wedding date to receive all the details!

Internship Opportunity: Editorial Assistant

Prequels is seeking an intern to assist the Owner in all aspects of the business including logistics, social media, internet research, and interviews with brides, grooms and wedding vendors.

Prequels is an exciting new business that combines journalism, story-telling and weddings. Learn more about Prequels at www.prequels.net

This is a full-time, four-week unpaid internship. Duration may be extended upon mutual agreement. References will gladly be provided upon successful completion.

Candidates should have access to a computer and Internet, and must be able to work from home or another suitable work space.

Candidates should be social media-savvy and creative Internet researchers. We are looking for someone who is a self-starter and works well independently. Experience with journalism or the wedding industry is preferred but not required.

If interested please contact denise@prequels.net

We are an equal opportunity employer, dedicated to a policy of non-discrimination in employment on any basis including race, creed, color, age, sex, religion or national origin.

Jason Gardner is a Brooklyn-based photographer. He spoke with Prequels about his work.

You talk about your work as “visual anthropology” – what does that mean?

It means not just shooting the obvious stuff. It means shooting everything that builds up the culture of the day. Part of how I do that is I ask a lot of questions beforehand. One question I always ask couples is, “What’s important to you?” Not just what family members you want photographed, but what aspects of your wedding, or what you’re wearing, is important to your family. A few years ago, the groom had a pair of cufflets that had been in the family for four generations. Had I not asked the question, he might not have thought to tell me. So I made sure to include that in the “getting-ready” shots. Just last month, I shot a wedding where the table under the chuppah included a teddy bear. The groom had had this teddy bear since he was 2 years-old and they dressed it up in a little suit. So while they were getting ready I went out there to make sure that was included in the album.

How did you get into photography?

I’ve loved it ever since I was a kid. My parents were always taking me to photography shows and I studied it in high school, but that was all black and white. I went to Cornell for college, and there, everyone is “pre” something; pre-law, pre-medicine. I wasn’t “pre” anything, but I was really into marketing, because I was creative. I worked in marketing for four years after school but I was unfulfilled, and had a quarter-life crisis when I was 25. I backpacked around the world on-and-off for 2 years. When I came back and was trying to decide what to do, I started looking at my photographs, and decided I would try it. It’s what I’d always loved. It was about having the emotional maturity to connect my passion with my profession.

“My biggest regret is that I didn’t spend more time planning a personal touch to my reception,” my friend Michelle told me recently. She got married in Minneapolis almost 10 years ago, when she was 25. Her wedding was lovely, and she did a great job of involving lots of good friends in the ceremony and the reception. But in retrospect, she wishes she and her husband had addressed their guests themselves and shared parts of their story. “My groom was not one to give speeches, but I could have done it.” Or, she thought, she might have put together a slideshow of the progression of their courtship or childhood pictures of each of them.

I have been to many weddings where the couple asked their friends to toast and roast them, but never took the microphone themselves. I always leave those weddings feeling like something was missing. Continue reading »

Surprise Honeymoon?

June, July & August Brides and Grooms!

Internship Opportunity

Wedding Photography as Visual Anthropology

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