Channing Johnson Photography » A Photographer's Journal

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Married

Sometimes it’s nice to start at the end.

Brooke and I were married on Saturday. We were walking from the reception to the hotel bar when I took this picture. I liked her flip flops and her dress and the dirt on her hem from the dance floor and fish pier. Our beautiful venue is in the background, and we’re walking back to the hotel bar with our friends and family. It was a perfect day. And this was a perfect moment. 

We’re leaving for our honeymoon tomorrow morning, but there will be plenty more photos shared here when we return in a week.

(This picture is a little blurry, underexposed and out of focus. This is why I decline drinks at my clients’ weddings.)

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Christina and Bill » Channing Johnson Photography - […] There was a little bit of rain on Saturday, and there was a little bit of humidity; neither of which muted the celebration. And it put a smile on my face to see Christina’s camera sitting alone next to her and Bill’s empty dinner plates. It’s tough for photographers to leave behind one of the most effective tools in recording the past on one of the most important days of their lives. […]August 28, 2009 – 4:29 pm

Rich Pizzuti - congratulations… I love this image!May 11, 2009 – 7:16 am

birdie - More to follow!!! B-E-A-U-T-I-F-U-L Pics and subjects!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!May 9, 2009 – 10:15 pm

eliza - congrats, dears! some music…finding you…at a snail’s pace. good thing you’re honeymooning. you and your (wedded) sweetheart welcome in maine this summer.May 2, 2009 – 12:04 am

Ronnie - Congrats!May 1, 2009 – 12:23 am

lisa rigby - congratulations Channing! Saturday was the absolutely best day so far this year, and a wonderful day for a wedding. Looking forward to seeing more pics.April 28, 2009 – 7:19 pm

tully - congrats dude!April 28, 2009 – 2:20 am

timg - complete sweetness channing! congrats and enjoy the honeymoon.April 27, 2009 – 4:28 pm

jessica - congratulations!!April 27, 2009 – 4:13 pm

jennifer - channing, congratulations. we’re thrilled for you!April 27, 2009 – 3:39 pm

DIY

Brooke was so proud of the bouquet she made with Stop & Shop flowers. I thought they were beautiful, too, and wanted to share them. She has a bouquet planned for our Saturday wedding, but flowers for our first wedding (tomorrow) were an afterthought. 

This is probably the last post from single Channing. The next one will be from married Channing. Looking forward to it!

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Channing - Thanks, Li!April 27, 2009 – 2:38 pm

Channing - Thanks, Kristin!April 27, 2009 – 2:38 pm

kristin - Congratulations, Channing and Brooke! Catching up on your last few posts made me a little weepy. You’re going to love being married.April 23, 2009 – 11:58 pm

Li W. - i’m so impressed! congrats and have fun at your wedding. you picked an awesome weekend (if you are indeed getting married around boston) – the weather is going to be amazing!April 23, 2009 – 5:45 pm

Sara - It was so great seeing you two yesterday during the calm before the storm. I am looking forward to the first official spring skip day, as we called them in high school, for a drive to the Cape with the newlyweds.

Enjoy the ride,

You SisApril 23, 2009 – 5:10 pm

lisa - I can’t believe your wedding is THIS Saturday! It seems just a few months ago you mentioned to me that you were getting married in April and it seemed so far away. Even though you won’t be photographing your wedding, maybe you can share some pictures with us on your blog? Will you dare to pick up a camera during the festivities and snap a few? It might be fun.April 23, 2009 – 4:21 pm

The Wedding Cut

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Channing - You can’t see it in the picture, Megan, but actually I did grow a shorty long-back for the wedding. You’ll see it better on the wedding day.April 22, 2009 – 11:19 pm

Megan - Lookin’ good, Channing! Although, I think Brooke would have really appreciated if you would have gotten some mullet extensions, just at the back. Party party party! Have a great time this weekend, and an early congratulations to you both!April 22, 2009 – 2:56 am

Needle in a Haystack

Our wonderful friends Steph and Caitlin are creating all our floral arrangements with flowers from Wilson Farms. All Brooke and I had to do was find some pins and floral stems. 

We didn’t know what floral stems were and spent more time than anyone should ever have to in Michaels Wedding and Ribbon section. I’ve enjoyed wedding planning so far, but with three days to go, I think I’m done. At this point, I just want to get my dance on.

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Impetus

I made this picture in March of 2004. About a year later, Brooke saw it hanging up in my sister’s office and asked who took it. Sara immediately made the connection that Brooke and I would be good partners. She actually said, “You should marry my brother!” 

Never mind we hadn’t met. And never mind I lived in Michigan and Brooke lived in Boston. We eventually overcame the obstacles, geographic and otherwise. Now we’re getting married this Saturday. 

Sara was right. She usually is. Patti could learn a lot from her. 

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Goodbye » Channing Johnson Photography - […] Brooke and I met in this car. Sort of. There was a 3 month e-mail courtship before she picked me up at the airport and drove me to a job interview two hours away. We’ve filled up the tiny cargo space with presents and spent several Christmas mornings driving between families in this car. When the radio would stop working we sang Disney songs in this car. One of our biggest arguments was in this car. We’ve driven to the beach to eat pizza and lobster rolls and have traveled to Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, New York and Connecticut and collected some of my favorite memories of the past 7 years in this car.  Yes, I know, emotionally attaching ourselves to a material possession is frowned upon, but the one constant variable of all these memories is this car, and it just feels a little sad to toss it aside once we’re done with it. Brooke has had the car for the past 11 years. Think of all those memories. She’s having a tough time. […]February 27, 2013 – 12:34 pm

One Year Anniversary » Channing Johnson Photography - […] sister thought we would be good together, and so we schemed a roof-deck party where I would fly out from Michigan and meet the woman of my […]April 25, 2010 – 12:48 pm

Me and My Passport » Channing Johnson Photography - […] Brooke and I met for the second time when she flew out to Michigan and drove with me to Vermont in 2006. We stayed a […]August 20, 2009 – 1:25 pm

ashley o'dell - my favorite story about you guys ever! yay!April 20, 2009 – 9:56 pm

Phyllis - Good work, Sara! Channing, we’re glad you listened to your big sister this time!April 19, 2009 – 7:49 pm

Mr. and Mrs.

Brooke worked on our place cards while I flexed my embossing muscles and finished up our programs. This was the first time I saw Brooke with my last name. I’m sorry. Our last name. 

I told her not to give up Reitano, but she insisted. I suppose it is nice to have one family name. But in that case I should have taken Reitano. That’s a lot more interesting than Johnson. Channing Reitano. I like that.  

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jose - The wedding/reception was this past weekend. It was beautiful. The table of the evening was number 11. Thanks Channng for hooking us up!April 27, 2009 – 8:35 pm

treehugger - I too like Reitano more than Johnson. In Spain woman don’t lose their family name, I like it better.April 23, 2009 – 5:34 pm

Pete - You are seating us who?! Oh no you din-nt! You will be getting a call from my mother! ;-) Hope all is going well in preparation from the wedding(s) – congratulations and see you soon!!April 22, 2009 – 8:52 am

birdie - We are at table 5!!! We are at table 5!!! We are at table 5!!!
ummm…Is that a good thing??? LOL…Its all gooooood.April 19, 2009 – 8:03 pm

Stress

Wedding planning has been easier than I thought it would be.  Our families have been supportive and extremely helpful, and friends have pitched in and done more for us than we ever could have expected.  It’s enough to make a grown man get a little emotional when he stops to really think about it. 

But even when wedding planning goes well, it’s still stressful. 

In many ways, the planning process has been like a mini marriage boot camp. For the first time we’re spending a large amount of money as a team with different ideas of how to go about it.  We’re working closely with each other’s families to make decisions that also affect them.  And we’re working closely with each other to make sure our different personalities are part of one cohesive event.  After eight months of planning, I think we’re better listeners, better at making ourselves heard, and better partners.  The process has also exposed some areas we need to work on : )

When I proposed, I could have been talked into eloping.  But at this point I think that would have missed an important opportunity.  The experience has been worth every penny (a whole bunch of pennies), and we haven’t even danced at the reception yet.

Below, Brooke takes a moment after making a call to confirm our flower order.  One of many little things on our big to-do list).

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