One of my often taught lessons to my (step) kids is that “we’re all fighting our own fight.”  That’s usually used in reference to being judgmental. But right now, more than ever, we truly are all fighting our own fight.

These last five weeks have have been one of the roughest periods of my whole life. So many unknowns, misinformation / contradicting information, kids who are scared, homeschooling, hardly any alone time for a woman who works from home and grew up an only child, figuring out all of the new mandates, navigating the government’s rollout of funding, and well… quite frankly… and this is uncomfortable sharing but… I’m just downright scared.

I’m in the process of writing a stupidly long blog post about all of silver linings but for now I wanted to share just a few quickie things.

1. I’m still trucking along and fully running my beloved business! Please don’t let the lack of blogging make you think otherwise. Blogging has come to a near halt due to not having time to sit down at my computer for extended periods of time (I’m SO not good at getting big things done with distractions / interruptions). When I do start blogging again prepare yourself to be coming back multiple times a week for a smile.
2. WE ARE STILL BOOKING 2021 WEDDINGS!!! Friends, all of the postponements are filling up the 2021 calendar much earlier than usual. If you’re getting married in 2021, time to book now before we book your date. I’ve been sending change-of-date contracts like it’s my job lately. Oh wait, it is my job.
3. My Megan had her baby and she’s perfect. Her name is Josie Bee and I cannot wait to photograph her sweetness. I did drop one of my cameras off with Megan so she could take some big camera photos of our new sweet bee. It was so hard not to hug her when we dropped it off. It was a surreal experience. I dropped the camera on the ground, walked away, and she picked it up. Ughhhh I haaaate thissssss!!!!!
4. I started challenging myself about a week ago to take at least one big camera photo during quarantine every day. I only wish that I had started doing this at the beginning. After all, this is a life-altering and (hopefully) once-in-a-lifetime event; we owe it to our kids and ourselves to make sure it’s documented well. These are “where were you when _____” moments that will be discussed for generations to come. I’ll be sharing some of those soon. I won’t lie, they’re pretty great.
5. I’m crying, that’s dumb. This quarantine is taking its toll, ammiright?! Maybe I shouldn’t be drinking wine while I write? Or maybe it’s genius?!  Oh wait, it’s 3pm, forget I said that.

My wish for all of you is patience, confidence, happiness, good health, and so much more. I encourage you all to take a drive all by yourself; hop on the highway, turn on music* that clears your mind and feel allllll the feels. I often tell my kids (not just in the midst of a pandemic) that if they want to cry, cry big! It feels good and releases all of those bad and sad feelings that we all subconsciously hold in. Releasing feels good, try it; you can thank me later. If you have kids hold them tighter and remind them that while the grown ups have been speaking more freely than ever before and talking about their big feelings and fears… that no matter what we will all figure it and will all come out stronger than ever before. I mean, I keep reminding myself that same thing!

I don’t really know how to end this blog post other than to say I’m with you. Whatever struggle you’re experiencing today, I hope you’re past it tomorrow.  And if you’re not, I hope that you have a plan for getting past it. We have to do everything we can to not let depression sneak in; so, get your butt out of bed and realize that we’re all counting on you!

Much love friends (I mean it),

~Bobbi Michelle Sheridan

*A few from my current rotating playlist:

Andrea Bocelli: Amazing Grace, Con the partirò  //  John Prine: Souvenirs, Fish & Whistle, Angel from Montgomery  //  Bob Dylan: Tangled up in Blue, To Ramona, She Belongs to Me, I’ll Remember You, You Ain’t Goin’ Nowhere, Went to See the Gypsy  //  The Band: Atlantic City, The Weight  //  The Lumineers: Sleep on the Floor, Ophelia, Cleopatra

Holy wow, this isn’t 10% of it! This list could go on and on and on and on and on. I’ll stop. Sheesh. Soon I’ll make a Spotify playlist and share it, I promise!

This wedding was one of the most incredible I’ve ever photographed. I’ve had these images posted on my blog for quite a while with a “captions coming soon” disclaimer. Well, it’s been over a year and I still feel overwhelmed with writing this. There’s no way my words could possibly do any justice to what this day was.

Quick refresher: Josh has a brother named Dan. Dan married a woman named Blair. I photographed Blair & Dan’s wedding in 2015. Fast forward to 2018 when Josh became engaged to Blair, he remembered me from his brother’s wedding and the rest is history!

Oh, and to answer your question: Yes, there are two Blair’s. Two brothers (Josh & Dan) each married themselves a Blair. They don’t know this but I refer to one as Party Blair and the other as Disco Blair. Guess who’s who? Oh, and both Blair’s have since had baby girls 3.5 months apart (Charley & Riley). Got it? Good!

Lastly, if you’re in need of a pre-smile to get you in the right mindset before scrolling through these, click here to see their NYC engagement photos.

Powerhouse women!

Their entire wedding party were full of my favorite kinds of people: live-out-loud, confident, successful, compassionate humans. I can’t wait to photograph all of your future weddings. No really, I’ll be there.

The older I get the more I realize the importance of this moment. After all I’m a (step) mom now! When was the last time mom get to dress her daughter? Will there be a next time? See what I mean?

Blair’s mom Ricki has one daughter; this was likely the only time she’ll get to do this. Lori is Josh’s mom; she has two sons. Blair asking Lori to be a part of this was such a gift. In the rush of it all people often forget to slow down to appreciate what’s really happening. We’re often quite distracted by all of the things left to do to ensure the day is a success. There are times throughout our lives when nothing else matters and we need to slow down and appreciate the enormity of what’s happening; a momma putting her daughter in her wedding dress is one of those times.* I remember Lori needing to go help with the men’s bow ties in midst of this and I specifically remember looking at Lori and whispering something along the lines of, “this is the only time you’ll get to do this.” A flip switched and time stood still.

All of this to say, please never take this opportunity for granted. It’s a big damn deal.

*I realize I’m being super dramatic right now but this is the first blog post I’ve written since the pandemic so please excuse me as I’m feeling all the feels!

Brothers.

Disclaimer: I also take traditional photos of wedding parties, I just choose to show the fun ones. It’s kind of a signature photo of mine; I’ve been taking photos like this for the last 15 years. Though, I have been noticing many photographers who’ve added photos like this to their portfolios. I’d like to think that I inspired* that shift.

*My inspiration came from starting my career photographing marching bands; I just brought some of that marching band quirkiness into the wedding photography fold.

Oh you know, just doin’ what I do.

Signing their ketubah.

In my observation the signing of the ketubah is more important than the ceremony itself. This is their marital contract and has been an essential part of Jewish weddings for thousands of years. The ketubah is always signed before the ceremony and is usually very intimate with only close friends and family and is then on display under the chuppah during the ceremony. The Rabbi usually makes references to it throughout the ceremony.

Side note: I know you’ve heard me say this before but I feel it always needs repeating: Jewish weddings are my favorite.

A Bobbi first: photographing a wedding in front of the Hudson River.  WHAAAA???!

It’s tradition for both mom and dad to walk the bride down the aisle; and while it may not have seemed so at first glance… they both did.

THAT CHUPPAH?!?!! ARE YOU KIDDING ME??!! I’m not sure if I’ve seen a more beautiful setting for a wedding… well… ever.

I mentioned earlier that traditionally both parents walk the bride down the aisle. The same is true for the groom. After the processional, both sets of parents (and sometimes their siblings) then stand beside them for the entirety of their ceremony while the wedding party usually watches from the front row.

Their expressions?! I can’t. I just can’t! I love these families as though they were my own.

THAT LIGHT?! I’m dead. Call 911, Bobbi died.

This. Is. Everything.

This wedding?! See what I mean?! Like I said in the beginning, it’s really hard to have all of the words necessary to write about it. Luckily I’m a pretty good photographer, so that helps.

Mazel Tov!

Cocktail hour.

Blair and Josh surprised everyone, and I mean everyone (except us, because we kind of had to know) with an epic choreographed first dance. The crowd went wild! See Dan back there to the right of Josh? He couldn’t even deal! I mean, Dan is the ultimate hype man.

This is hands down, bar none, my favorite part of a jewish wedding: THE HORA! I won’t lie, it’s not the easiest thing to photograph, I usually get hurt because I can’t see what’s coming at me because I have a camera in front of my face. People are packed in dancing so tightly; the energy (and the sweat!) can’t be matched.  It’s the time of the day when every person you love is right next to you experiencing the same level of happiness that you’ve been experiencing all day. It’s where people who’ve never met are holding hands and swinging each other around. I could go on and on but instead I’ll wrap this up with one word: bliss.

I thrive under pressure, happy people energize me, and I live for a challenge.  And now you know why this is my favorite part.

For much of the hora, the men dance with the men and the women dance with the women.

Everyone had such great toasts.

After the reception they had a silent disco and it was a hayuuuuge hit. Highly recommend!

Blair, Josh, friends, family: I hope that you know unequivocally how special you have been to me throughout the years and how much you’ve contributed to my growth as a human and as an artist.  I am a better person because of you all. I 100% mean that. Thank you for being you and for loving me no matter what. The feeling couldn’t be more mutual.

I adore you all.

Also, this photo?! I have no words.

Much love friends!

Bobbi

PS. Action shots coming soon. It’s been so long that the RAW files have been archived. Gotta dust off the ol’ 2019 hard drive.

When Kara, an insanely talented photographer based in Kansas City, Mo (my hometown!), contacted me to photograph her wedding on our last open weekend we had left last fall, we haaaaaad to say yes! Usually when we’re working so many back-to-back weddings I’ll add to our calendar, “DO NOT BOOK!!!” so that we have a minute to breathe. But come ON! I couldn’t say no and let me tell you, I’m so incredibly glad I didn’t. 😀

The forecast for that day was welllll… a little less than desirable… as in…. it rained ALLLLL DAMN AFTERNOON! But Kara and Micah were up for the Bobbi Rain Challenge (ie. we go outside even if the weather is crazy with the promise that we will try EVERYTHING in our power to keep you dry and beautiful!). I wasn’t there for the “getting ready” portion of the day so we started things out with portraits… in the rain!

Seeing the inevitable rain forecast in advance, we packed our clear umbrellas in our luggage and thank goodness we did!

All of the photos of them that you see without an umbrella, those were taken under bridges and overhangs. I love having a couple who trusts me and is down with my crazy.

A BREAK IN THE RAIN??!?! YESSSS!!! When we scouted for locations the day before, the spot with the most amount of overhangs/bridges… well… there was some sort of festival planned. So what did the four of us do? We made that festival ours! (I really wanted to say a bad word there, but I’m keeping this blog post PG 😉 )

Not only was this wedding a marriage of two people, it was also the marriage of two families. Now you know I be lovin’ me a blended family!

They got married in the cutest little chapel in Kansas City. Kara’s son walked her down the aisle.

After the ceremony the sun came out and we were loving every second! I snapped a few photos of our lovely couple on the sidewalk where our cars were parked. HOLY WOW TO THIS!

Kara and Micah, I cannot thank you both enough for letting Megan and I into your family for the day.  Many people approached me at your reception saying something along the lines of, “Kara speaks very highly of you and she’s the most talented photographer I’ve ever known; so you must be the best!” Ummm, NO PRESSURE! In all actuality, I have to agree with your friends; Kara, you truly do have a gift with that camera of yours.  Thank you for asking us to photograph one of the most important days of your lives.

Your love was an incredible thing to witness.

Much love friends,

Bobbi