Saturday, August 27, 2011

Winehaven - Honey Mead

"Wine to me is passion.  It's family and friends. It's warmth
of heart and generosity of spirit. Wine is art. It's culture.
It's the essence of civilization and the art of living."
                                           -Robert Mondavi



I spent the afternoon with a good friend scouring the countryside in search of great landscapes to photograph.  Our journey brought us to Winehaven, a local vineyard in Chisago City.  We enjoyed tasting a great variety of wines working across the menu of white, red, and specialty combinations.

We spoke with the Peterson's about their family Vineyard and inquired about it's history. They started out producing honey and offered only a specialty Honey Mead.  As our tastebuds roared with delight from the sample of the sensational Honeywine, we were given some interesting facts about the word Honeymoon and its origins. 

In ancient cultures it was a common tradition to drink honey mead for the first 30 days of marriage.  It was believed to enhance the fertility in the wedded couple and act as a natural aphrodisiac.  It was also thought to bring additional luck into the marraiges.  The term "Honeymoon"  comes from the idea that the couple must have enough honey mead to last until the next full moon. 



 

Friday, August 26, 2011

The Language Of Flowers

I dreamed of a wedding of elaborate elegance,
A church filled with family and friends.
I asked him what kind of a wedding he wished for,
He said one that would make me his wife.
                             - Author Unknown





The elegant wedding of Gregory & Serena Roberts was rich and vibrant with red and purple roses.  After looking through my images and admiring the beautiful display of flowers it made me think of a lost language.  Today, selecting wedding flowers comes down to a matter of personal taste or color themes.  Not too long ago flowers carried a heavier meaning with a language of their own.

 In the 19th century flower symbolism was a popular culture movement that quickly spread from Europe to America. Some of the remnants of this movement are still common knowledge such as the red rose, a symbol for beauty and love. Here are just a few examples.

Red Peony - Devotion
Pink Peony - Shame, Bashful
Yellow Tulip - Hopeless Love
Striped Tulip - Beautiful Eyes
Yellow Carnation - No!
Purple Lilac - First Emotions of Love
Lavender - Distrust
Iris - I Have a Message For You

Thursday, August 25, 2011

Back Yard Adventures

" I prefer to explore the most intimate moments, the smaller,
 crystallized details we all hinge our lives on."
                                                                        - Rita Dove


Photo sessions outdoors are always filled with welcomed surprises.  We stumbled upon this fantastic caterpillar while we were shooting in the yard and took a moment to enjoy it's curious movements and colors.  This particular shot captured the moment perfectly, the excitement of exploring nature with genuine awe and wonder.