A few years ago, I got to do a first. Cris looked at me and said, "I think you need a new car. What would you like?" I was ecstatic.
Then I was paralyzed.
You see, I had always "inherited" my vehicles or had them chosen for me. When I was 16, I got my parent's old vehicle. When I went away for college, my parents found a "serviceable" car. Yes, I dreamed of an MG Midget roadster or a jeep, but in all honesty, neither of those would have been a good fit. Then I got married and I got Cris' old vehicle...and the pattern continued.
But now, I had complete freedom. Anything. Any color. Any shape. It was all my choice.
In the old school days, you would go to the local lot, talk to the guy your parents or grandparents have used and pick from the 50 or so vehicles on the lot. If you are on the used lot, the salesman could tell you about them all because he knew the original owners. Choices were limited, but you felt like you really knew what you were getting.
Today it is an "all-you-can-eat" buffet that stretches off into eternity. You can got to the local lot, you can search online, you can hire a dealer to search every single lot in the US--and even overseas.
After we drove everything imaginable, we found our new love--SAAB. In fact, we bought two. It's a little quirky. A little off beat, but it is all performance. When my little turbo hits its sweet spot you could drive forever. (I'm not going to reveal the "sweet spot" as we really like our law enforcement friends and that bit of information may compromise our friendships.) Just know, we had to search a bit, but when we found what we loved, it was over.
Wedding Photography or Photographic Wedding Art is at the same place today.
Old school was you used who your parents used or whoever had been photographing you since you were five. Today, at 3am you can sift through literally thousands and after a while they can start to blend together. There are so many choices you may be like me--paralyzed with all the options.
Let's make this easy.
We are kind of like the SAAB. We aren't a "big box" studio churning out hundreds of weddings a year--often doing two or three weddings a day. No, we are a boutique studio. We limit ourselves to 20 weddings a year. That keeps us fresh and allows us to really get to know you--to know the "quirks" in your own relationships. If you have found us, you looked a bit or were referred by a friend. Either way, we are glad that you are here.
Welcome.
There are a couple of different approaches to weddings. Some people follow a formula--here is the shot list and we will work through it line by line. It feels a bit like a wedding factory. Others view it all as art and just flow through the day capturing it as it unfolds. At our very base, we are storytellers and often the story that we tell through the lens reflects our own personal views of love, romance and marriage.
What?
Really?
Yes, no matter the venues, the time of year or the dress style, your photographer will use his/her personal feelings about life to tell your story. Magazines may tell you that, "the photographer is important because they are the one you will be spending your whole day with." They take it from the standpoint that a stressed out, all-business artist will make your day stressed out. A disorganized artist can make your day last forever--and not in a good way.
But we think it goes deeper than that. If your wedding photographer sees beauty in life, they will show that beauty in you. If your photographic wedding artist values connections across the generations, your wedding images will reflect that. If your wedding photographer likes to laugh, there will be a lot of joy.
So, what will your wedding look like when you select C j Duncan Photography?
Grab a latte, a power shake or a glass of cool, clear water and let's see...
"Hey, what's your last name?"
I look around. In front of me in line for the Shockwave is this lanky, way cute guy wearing faded jeans and well worn boots.
I don't hand out with guys in boots. I defiantly don't speak to strangers.
I ignore him, but he asks again.
"Kuehn"
"You're the editor of the paper, aren't you?"
That gives me pause. WHO actually reads the high school newspaper? It must be a set up. I am all prepared to just avoid him for the rest of the trip when he continues.
"I really liked that story you wrote last month about your brothers. Did it really happen that way?"
The next thing I knew we were actually talking. Sharing ideas. I didn't want it to stop.
That evening, the high school youth group played spades and everyone was partnering up.
Cris led the group with his bold statement: "I'm the king of spades."
Here is where it gets interesting (and a little awkward).
I can't flirt. I can't tell a joke to save my life. I can talk with you for hours about the important stuff of life, but I am not funny.
I screwed up my face and in the most awkward way possible I tried to flirt.
"Well, I am the Queen of Spades, so boy you just met your match." (Don't you just cringe reading that?)
We partnered up. We played and started loosing pretty badly--we must have been king and queen of some VERY small country. The only way we could win was if we played a "double blind nilo." Cris looked at me and said he would kiss me if we won.
Good night, we are on a church youth trip.
It was also News Year's Eve and they say that if you kiss on New Year's you will spend the rest of the year with that person and be happy all year.
Cris was really cute (even if he was wearing boots) and I really didn't like the guy I was dating so...Game On!
WE WON!
He leaned over the table and gave me the most discreet peck on the cheek, but that is all it took. I was over the moon.
Every year we go to that same Sheraton in Arlington, hold hands and kiss. The kisses have improved, but the butterflies in the stomach and the smile is still the same.
Now, there must be truth in writing, so really, that wasn't all it took--remember there was the boots issue and as I soon found out he had a love for country music which is a story for another day. However, that was the start of our friendship--remember there still was that other guy and I learned later on there was another girl in the youth group that wanted to renew her friendship with Cris. Meow. Let's just say that was the start of something...which turned out to be beautiful.
You know, God is pretty amazing. I can't tell a joke to save my life, but Cris has never met a joke he can't embellish somehow. I can (usually) keep things organized and running smoothly and Cris can keep the atmosphere light and fun. I can have a broken heart and Cris will be there to hold me. Cris (it may surprise you) can be a little down sometimes, and I get to lift him up with my lame attempt at joke telling.
All I have to do is start with my Highlight's magazine style humor such as, "If the army and the navy are playing each other in a basketball game and they all foul out, who do they call in?"
Cris will look at me. Roll his eyes and beat me to the punch line.
"The sub-marines."
We then laugh. Hug. And encourage one another.
Actually, after 14 years of marriage we have a whole lot of those crazy cues to laugh.
We dated all throughout college and got married two weeks after graduation. Back then, we really believed that we knew all there was to know about love. We knew how to make love fun. You never knew when you got out of the car when you might be tackled on the lawn and a tickle fight might ensue.
I learned to love country music. I must admit, there is nothing better than a day of skiing on the lake with a country blaring, good friends and some Pinkie's BBQ. We learned to laugh together.
Then, my brother almost died and we learned what it means to cleave together.
Then, we were blessed with our daughter and there were some issues. The sight of Cris, fervently praying with tears streaming down his face is an image I will never forget. The big house of love we shared got bigger.
Then, we started building a dream together--a way of helping others have tangible evidence of their love that they can touch, feel and see everyday--heirlooms of affection that they can pass on from generation to generation.
That brings us to today.
Our passion, our heart is for strong marriages.
Yes, there is the romance. It is like the beautiful blossom unfolding for all to see. There is also the stem--the strength of the bloom that will last from season to season--year to year.
For your wedding, we want to chronicle your full story--the romance and the strength. We don't want to stop there. We want to stand beside you as you build your life together. We want to celebrate the miraculous and smile over the mundane.
That may sound a little different--remember we are a bit quirky. We believe wedding photography goes beyond simple prints and a book. It goes beyond style and reaches to the heart. For us, it is a ministry where you open the door to your love and allow us to capture it forever. It is a relationship.
Thank you for opening the door.
Let's get together again. We want to hear your story and if you need a laugh or two, we can fill-in-the blanks from our first meeting in the Sheraton to today.
Okay, it's your turn. We will even make it easy for you, you can click here to contact us.
We look forward to hearing from you!
Blessings!
Cris and Deanna
