Prior to the advent of digital photography, we were severely limited in terms of quality cameras and photo-editing tools. Before SLR cameras and Photoshop burst on the scene, one would assume that they had captured the ultimate shot, only to find the picture was blurry, and the moment having passed and the opportunity was lost forever. Luckily, now even a layperson can capture a beautiful image if they are willing to pay the cost of the newest, most improved high tech gadget to hit the market…

However, too often we forget that photography is not only a way to snap candid shots of friends and families in high resolution, but that it is also an art. Lane Dittoe’s spectacular shots posted on his blog reminds us that photography requires a combination of technique and artistic vision, both of which he has in spades.

Lane Dittoe’s collection of photos he has posted on his blog isolate the important elements of a wedding and preserves them on film, a pristine imprint of a moment in time. You can easily envision these prints used to endorse a major brand, but at the end of the day, where they truly belong is on display in the home of the happy bride and groom.

Dittoe’s talent has earned him numerous web awards, and upon going through his extensive album, we can definitely understand the hype behind this acclaimed photographer from San Clemente, who reminds us that although a good camera is a definite asset, it’s really who’s behind it that really counts.

It was June 6, 2010 . . . my fiancé’s birthday! We decided to go out for a nice family supper with his daughters and me. However, one of his daughters told me, “No you guys just go, I am going to stay to make Dad an Angel food cake for his birthday”. So we ended up going alone while the girls stayed home to “bake their father a cake”. We were told we had to stay out for two hours. After a while into our dinner, I was starting to get suspicious as his daughters kept calling my fiancé, lol.

After dinner as we were almost home he says to me, “We are supposed to honk when we are here!” So we pulled onto the driveway and honked. We got out of the car and as he let me through the gate, I saw an isle of tea light candles lined all the way down the drive on the other side of the gate. Wrapping around to the backyard we walked up to a beautifully decorated isle way of candles and flowers leading to a lace canopy with a table underneath full of candles, two wine glasses, and a bottle of wine! In the background, our favorite song was playing . . . I was truly in awe!

Dave sat me down on one of the chairs and poured me a glass of wine. I kept asking what the heck is going on, because I didn’t think he would propose on his own birthday. As we sat, he was fiddling with something under the table and I asked, “What are you doing??” . . . and his response, “Nothing! Is that the girls in the window?” (trying to get me to look the other way.) When I looked back he was down on one knee holding out the ring box. I literally BURST into tears as he asked, “Honey will you marry me?” I was crying so hard that I was speechless, so I shook my head YES. Finally, I was able to reply “Well aren’t you gonna put it on?” Haha, just then the girls popped into the canopy, right beside us, with a camera in hand, screaming “yes, yes, yes!!!” Afterwards, I found out that he had to keep calling because they were doing all of this while we were out to supper. They were trying to light all the candles right before we got home so that they wouldn’t blow out, lol. It was definitely an unforgettable proposal!!!

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Bridal Fantasy thinks the two girls did an awesome job! Congrats Ferne and Dave!

Since getting married earlier this year to pro hockey player Mike Fisher, Country singer and sweetheart Carrie Underwood shares with her fans a few glimpses of her wedding day in her new video titled “Mama’s Song”.

In the video, Carrie’s mom is featured going through a photo album of Carrie’s childhood leading up to a beautiful photo of the two Underwood gals on Carrie’s wedding day.

From tender moments shared with Mike to her Mama welling up with tears, “Mama’s Song” is sure to warm the hearts of all her fans and viewers!

Nicolas was in the armed forces. I had made him a scrap book when he was away on course of all of our good times, and things we had made it through together to cheer him up when I saw him again.

We would go weeks without contact, it was very difficult. One night he sat me down with my favorite wine and the scrap book I made for him in my lap. Being that he is very sentimental I thought that he was just going to go through our memories together. Instead, when I got to the last page, which I had left unfinished for us to fill with new memories, there was a ring slipped into the book. He then got down on one knee, told me he loved me, and asked me if I would marry him.

Such a romantic man!

-Rachel