You Heard It, She Said An “I Do”

One of my favorite TV show scenes is from “A Different World” when Whitley is about to marry Byron. The minister goes through a list of commitments the bride and groom are making to each other. He asks Byron if he will follow through, and Byron responds with an “I will.” Whitley is given the same speech and when it’s her turn to confirm, she freezes. Everywhere she turns, she sees Dwayne Wayne’s face. (And if you don’t already know this, Dwayne was her long-time boyfriend, another main character on the show.) So anyway, Whitley’s mother encourages her to say “I will” because the ceremony can’t continue without her verbal confirmation. Just then, Dwayne, who slipped into the wedding without drawing attention to himself, stands up and asks Whitley, “Will you?” It’s a superbly dramatic scene! Dwayne resists the groomsmen who try to wrestle him away from the ceremony, all while asking Whitley to marry him. She says “I do!” Her mom tells the minister to go on with the Byron-groomed ceremony because Whitley said “I do.” The minister sums up the entire scene by asking, “but to whom?!” It’s a fantastic moment. Dwayne and Whitley get married and the crowd cheers. Well, at least her side did.

As I navigate through my 30s, I know I’m closer now to the husband I want to be. The funny part is… I’m still single. But in the things I do, in who I date, I’m aiming towards the “I do.” The big question still remains, though, “but to whom!?”

Wedding Highlights – “So Are You To Me” Peter Bradley Adams

The first time I heard this song by Peter Bradley Adams I knew I had to make a wedding highlight video to go along with it. The idea’s been simmering in my mind for over a year. I recently shot a wedding and knew it would be the perfect one to use. I’m also working on another one featuring this same couple with the song “White Dress” by Ben Rector, so if you come back to this site in a few weeks, you should check that one out, too. If you have a second, let me know what you think about this one in the comments below. Thanks for watching!

Alive and I Know It

What do you get when you cross feeling deflated with yellow police tape? It’s one of those moments that will be remembered for a long time. I was driving home late one evening after losing a flag football playoff game. I had mixed emotions because on the one hand, the team I play for is good. On the other hand, our season was over. Constantly reviewing what we could have done different, what I could have done better, how we could have won the game, the usually calm 30 minute drive home was suddenly interrupted by flashing lights and one lane traffic. By the amount of commotion, I knew something was different. It wasn’t a fender bender or a speeding ticket. As I inched toward the scene, I was clued in a bit more by the yellow tape. I couldn’t make out all of what was printed on it, but I clearly saw “crime scene.”

There was a large area cordoned off including 3 lanes and in one of them, illuminated by the nearby streetlight, a covered body lay motionless. No one near it at the moment. Authorities reconstructing events. Emergency staff coming up with a plan. A 33-year old passer-by realizing the value of just being alive. I caught the news the next morning and found out the guy was 25 years old. Somewhere there’s a family that will be in mourning. There’s a parent who won’t believe it. And actually, there’s a driver responsible that fled the scene. A selfish move after an event that will haunt them.

It’s moments like this that I won’t soon forget. On the one hand, I was just an outsider looking in on an event I was not involved in. But on the other hand, I have a better appreciation of a gracious attitude, a more realistic perspective on life, the mystery of death, and the insignificance of losing a flag football game.

If Break-ups are a Black Cloud, Music is the Silver Lining

If you know me at all, you know I really, really love music. The songs that seem to stick with me and have a lasting impression offer something more than a nice melody. It’s about the lyrics, but it’s also about the whole presentation. But mostly, it’s the lyrics. Two bands at the top of my list have been there for a while, it’s Muse and Zac Brown Band. Couldn’t be more different in their styles, but it’s the words that stop me in my tracks; they write songs I wish I wrote. If breakups are a black cloud, songs like these are the silver lining. Here’s “Goodbye In Her Eyes” from Zac Brown Band and “Madness” from Muse. Be sure to check out the Misa Digital Kitara, which is the instrument making the synth sound in Muse’s video. It’s kinda awesome.