Here are several photos from the Private Workshop.

In this photo we can see Daniel Romero, one of the best Wedding Photographers in Puerto Rico (IMHO), enjoying the Private Workshop.

One of my prints, titled “Love at the stairs”, was awarded an Exhibition Merit. 

The workshop was organized by Fotografos Profesionales de Boda del Caribe at Caguas, Puerto Rico.

The workshop was filled with great stories that only wedding photograpers with the experience of the speakers, will be able to share to us!

During a break I was able to have a photo taken with the Masters Daniel Romero and Carlos Esteva.

At the workshop I found several good friends and we had a great time while enjoying a pizza!

They are the most versatile diamond shape because they can be used in many styles of jewelry, from pairing a solitaire with a simple gold band to surrounding it with many additional stones in a ring wrap.

PRINCESS
Next in popularity is the princess cut, which is a square diamond with sharp corners and a lot of brilliance.

A princess cut stone looks a bit smaller than a round diamond with the same carat weight due to the princess cut stone being cut deeper to achieve its stylish shape. However, the princess cut, with 76 facets, often has more fire and brilliance than the round cut.

MARQUISE
The marquise diamond, with a point on each of its two ends, often looks larger than other cuts of the same carat weight. With about 56 facets, the marquise is quite a sparkler. Legend has it that this stone was named in honor of Louis XV’s mistress, Marquise de Pompadour.

EMERALD
Once a popular choice for royalty and the rich, the emerald cut is a rectangle-shaped diamond that shows off its clarity better than other shapes. When looking within the stone, an emerald will resemble a prism, while a round or princess cut looks like a kaleidoscope. Emeralds have few (but larger) flashes of light; compare this to round and princess cuts which have more (but smaller) flashes of light.

HEART
While often chosen for its sentimentality, the heart-shaped diamond isn’t as popular because it simply doesn’t shine as brightly as other cuts. The very cuts that turned the stone into the shape of a heart take away some of its ability to sparkle and shine.

OVAL
An elongated version of the round cut, the oval-shaped diamond is a great choice for long fingers. Popular since it appeared on the scene in the 1960s, the oval has 56 facets and makes a great choice for a center stone in multi-stone engagement rings.

ASSCHER
This vintage shape made its comeback in the 1990s, appearing on the fingers of many Hollywood starlets. The Asscher is a modified-square cut with stepped facets, created in Holland more than a century ago. At that time, only the uber-rich could afford its brilliance. Today, the Asscher cut diamond is in short supply and high demand.

With a cut that resembles the emerald at first glance, its cut seems to go on forever when you look deep into the Asscher diamond.

CUSHION
The cushion cut diamond, square or rectangular with rounded corners, looks great in today’s vintage style engagement rings. The stones’ 58 facets are generally cut large, creating large flashes of light.

PEAR
The pear-shaped diamond is unique in that it resembles a round diamond at one end and a marquise at the other. When worn on the finger, the point should face one’s fingertips. Often less sparkly than the round diamond, the 58-facet pear tends to make the wearer’s fingers appear slimmer. This cut looks fabulous with trillions or smaller pears next to the main stone.

BAGUETTE & TRILLIAN
The baguette and the trillian cut are two additional diamond shapes which are quite popular these days, but rarely stand on their own. Instead, both are used to accent larger stones.

Developed in 1978, the trillian was derived from the Princess cut. Trillians look like a triangle and resemble the Princess cut when you look deep within the stone.

Like the stick of French bread that shares its name, the baguette diamond is long and slim. A large baguette is rare. They are most common alongside a larger stone, or several may be set together in a channel setting.

Make sure your kids feel included from the start by beginning long before the wedding day itself. Younger children might help you stuff and mail the invitations, while older kids could use their confidence on the computer to keep your guest list and RSVPs organized in a spreadsheet or creating your wedding programs.

Let your kids have a say in what they will wear to the rehearsal dinner and wedding – within reason, of course. If your child insists on wearing cowboy boots and a superhero costume every day of the week, this might be a challenge. But, if your child understands the level of formality you and your fiancé have chosen for the event and you express your enthusiasm over the color or style of clothing, go ahead and let your child loose within those limitations and encourage their creativity as far as accessories he or she might wear such as a miniature bouquet or boutonnière, headband or earrings, a pillow or some other way to carry the rings, etc.

There are numerous tasks that your kids can handle during the wedding and feel as though they are playing an important role.
1. Flower girl or ring bearer – Usually between the ages of 4 to 7.
2. Attendants — Junior bridesmaids or junior groomsmen are usually between the ages of 8 to 12, while older children may act as a maid or honor or best man.
3. Ushers to seat guests
4. Pass out something to the guests, whether it be the wedding programs, favors, bubbles or birdseed
5. Guest book or gift table duty
6. Roving photographer or videographer
7. Vocal or instrumental soloist
8. Read scripture or poetry during the ceremony
9. Add vows for you and your new spouse to express to the children during the ceremony.
10. Include the kids in lighting a unity candle or family candle, a prayer or a blessing during the wedding.
11. Present each child with a symbolic piece of jewelry such as a charm or medallion to represent your love and devotion during this time of growth and change.
12. Include your children in the first dance ritual at the reception by encouraging them to join you and your new spouse during the second verse or in a special song following your first dance.
13. Instead of a groom’s cake, let your kids choose the design and style of a cake for the reception.

What if your fiancé has children, but you don’t? Including his family in your wedding is still a great way to encourage a smooth transition into this new stage of your lives. This can be a little tricky depending on the atmosphere and any challenges that might exist such as whether you may have already met his kids and started to form a relationship with them prior to the wedding or if his ex harbors resentment toward your happiness. Discuss the possibilities with your husband-to-be in advance of the wedding, with plenty of time to discover the best way to ask the children to be involved.

If your children are grown and have families of their own, think about using some of these ideas to make sure your grandchildren feel included in your day.

This is a test of a new Black and White procedure I am developing. This photo was captures during the Private Seminar that Bambi Cantrell did in Puerto Rico to a small group of Wedding Photographers.