Baby Portraits, Richmond, VA

Sometimes it would be wonderful to be four months old, just like this little one we photographed this past weekend. To have all your needs met and not to have any worries to think about. What a dream!

We always enjoy photographing babies and children. In this case, it was especially enjoyable, because this baby's mom and dad were one of our wedding couples that we photographed three years ago.

This is one of the wonderful things about photographing. You have the honor of watching families grow and being able to capture these precious memories.

Please note that these two images are uncropped versions. The cropped versions that the parents purchased showed more baby than black background.

For more family, children or baby portraits, go to our website, http://www.miller-photo.com/.

You can also communicate with us through Facebook, http://www.facebook.com/pages/Richmond-VA/Miller-Photography-Inc/172936215623

Engagement Portraits, Richmond, VA

Virginia is For Lovers!

Richmond, Virginia is so full of history, art, architecture, and culture. You can find just about anything you want to see, eat, or do within just a few miles each other. It is the perfect place for photographing portraits of newly engaged couples. We had the pleasure of following Melissa and Brandon around downtown Richmond this past Valentine's Day. We, being a couple married for over 20 years, enjoyed being with this special couple and, for us, remembering and renewing what it felt like to have the "world in our hands" and the excitement of a future together.

To see more of our photography, go to http://www.miller-photo.com/.

We are, also, on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/pages/Richmond-VA/Miller-Photography-Inc/172936215623?

Snow Doesn't Stop the Trip to the Chapel!

Who won't forget this winter? As probably many photographers have found out this winter, "Snow doesn't stop couples from getting to the chapel!" We had the honor of photographing Amanda and Brandon's wedding in Warrenton, VA on January 31, 2010. Thankfully, the snow totals were less the farther north we went! We thank Amanda, Brandon, their families and friends for making the day so enjoyable and allowing us to capture many memories.

For more of Amanda and Brandon's wedding photos, visit our Facebook page http://www.facebook.com/pages/Richmond-VA/Miller-Photography-Inc/172936215623? Become our Facebook fan!

Also, visit our website at http://www.miller-photo.com/.

Snow, Snow Go Away!

I don't think any of us in Virginia will forget this winter in a long time. I don't think I will personally complain about the summer temperatures when it reaches 100 this year!

While experiencing the third major snowstorm in two and half months, we watched the birds come to our feeder. It was interesting to imagine what they were saying to each other.

Please don't forget our feathered friends during this major snowstorm. We were out of seed quickly, so we created a type of suet to put in our feeder. We toasted bread, put peanut butter on it and crushed a few nuts. Then we put it in our suet feeder. You don't realize how many birds are outside until you start to feed them.

Flower Girls and Ring Bearers , Article 2 of 2

The name ring bearer originated with being called a paige boy. Traditionally paige boys held the responsiblity of carrying the bride's train as she went down the wedding aisle. They dressed in velvet jackets, short trousers, and large, round linen collars with a large bow attached. They, also, wore white silk hose and black shoes with large buckles. Paiges can still be seen in many British royal weddings. Because of the difficulty of carrying the long train, paige boys were no younger than age seven. Today's ring bearers may be younger than seven--if they can't walk in, they are rolled in a wagon or held in the arms of an attendant.

In today's formal weddings, ring bearers now hold the responsibility of carrying a satin pillow with repricas of the bridal couple's rings. The modern day tradition of being a ring bearer is to give young family members an opportunity to participate in the wedding ceremony. Typically ring bearers are nephews of the bride or groom.

Flower Girls and Ring Bearers, Part I of 2 Articles

Are you planning to have a flower girl or ring bearer at your wedding? When did this tradition begin and why?

The first flower girls walked the aisles in ancient Rome. They carried wheat and herbs for blessings of fertility and prosperity.

In the Elzabethan age, the flower girl's purpose was to entertain the guests before the bride appeared. She would be in front of a merry group of musicians and would carry a silver cup adorned with ribbons and a gilded branch from Rosemary. The entire path from the bride's home to the wedding ceremony location was covered in rose petals.

The Victorian age flower girl is probably the most remembered and the closest to modern day flower girls. She wore a white dress with a colorful sash and carry a basket full of blooms. She would welcome the newly-married couple from the altar.

Today the flower girl is a symbol of childhood and womanhood. It is a reminder to all how brief the magical and the period of innocence lasts. Some modern day flower girls wear dresses to match the bride and others wear colorful outfits that match the bridesmaids.

The next article will be on the beginning of using ring bearers during wedding ceremonies. 

For other wedding information and photos, check out our website, http://www.miller-photo.com/, or call us at 804-994-2169.

Where Did Wearing a Bridal Veil Begin?

In today's society brides wear a veil to compliment their gown or to as a decoration. This was not the case, though, as to how the wedding veil began.

In ancient societies, dating back to Biblical days, when marriages were pre-arranged, the groom was not allowed to see his bride-to-be until the wedding ceremony. The couple was not allowed to see each other until the wedding day. This tradition kept the bride and groom-to-be from balking about marrying each other due to their looks. Up until nearly the end of the wedding ceremony, the bride remained veiled. The groom was allowed to unveil the bride at the end of the ceremony.

The veil was, also, worn as protection from evil spirits that were thought to plague the wedding service. The bride wore a veil as a disguise so that the evil spirits would not recognize her. As superstitions went, the evil spirits were jealous of the brides and their happiness. If the veil was not worn, the evil spirits would make all sorts of trouble for the bride at her wedding.

In some cultures the veil was so long and big that it wrapped the bride like a shroud. The veil was then put away and only brought out again when the woman was buried in it.

Check out our wedding and portraits at http://www.miller-photo.com/.