Your wedding album will be one of the most precious memories of this big day that you will have.  But have you ever noticed how so many of those “professional” pictures are all the same from wedding album to wedding album?  In fact, one thing that jumps out about the wedding photographer is that for a little while on the wedding day, everything halts and it’s all about him.

You know the drill.  The ceremony is exciting and fun and full of joy, some tears and plenty of meaning as the bride and groom kiss and become one family.  Then it’s all over and everybody files out to go to the reception to dance, have cake and celebrate this union.  But wait, the whole proceeding has to grind to a halt while the photographer stages the wedding party for as long as an hour or more to “recreate” the ceremony and make those perfect wedding photos.  Meanwhile the reception may be getting underway and many of the guests that the bride or the groom or others in the family want to hug and share the joy with may have to go because they just can’t wait out a fussy photographer.

Somehow this complete disruption to the day has become accepted as just part of what the wedding day is all about.  And the worst part about it is that the photographs, while nice and well staged, look like a bunch of mannequins being arranged for a store window.  The joy and fun of the ceremony is over.  For decades to come everybody will say they are beautiful and meaningful but if you look closely the wedding party looks nervous, uncomfortable, bored and like they wish they were somewhere else.

Well maybe its time to throw that tradition out and put some creativity into how the wedding photos and the wedding photographer works in your wedding.  By finding a photographer who will put together some wedding pictures that have some style, some creativity and some sense of inventiveness, you will have that wedding album that really is full of memories worth remembering.

To get that kind of photographer, you are going to have to start early.  You have to find that maverick photographer that “gets it” that the wedding is about the people, not the gowns and the hall and that his photographs must shout out “this was a wonderful day and we celebrated this union.”

You may have to look outside of the conventional “wedding photographers” listing in the phone book.  An artistic photographer may be more appropriate.  But be patient and find one that is just as professional as any photographer in that yellow pages but can bring some creativity and investment of getting to know this wedding party to the job of taking your important wedding pictures.

That wedding photographer should become as much a part of the wedding party as the groomsmen.  After all, if he is going to capture the personality of this couple, he will have to get to know you.  Spend some informal time with him and share those fun memories of when you met, those special times while you dated and certainly those very special places where important moments in your relationship took place.

Armed with that kind of creative individual in charge of your wedding photographs, you will look forward with great anticipation to what he comes up with.  Many of the best shots will be created before the wedding, at some of those special places and he can Photoshop them to blend them with wedding day moments.

Above all that wedding photographer will understand that he is there to serve this wedding and capture those special moments as they occur.  Sure, you may “pose” for a picture from time to time but this whole business of bringing the wedding day to a grinding halt to take stilted pictures of bored wedding party members will go out with the trash.  The outcome will be wedding pictures with style, with life and a lot of love in them to reflect the love that was exchanged in those vows and the love of family and friends as they enjoyed this magical day with you.

Every wedding has a professional photographer who has been doing this for years. What they are going to produce is pretty much a known entity before the wedding even gets started. You know he is going to hold the wedding party over after the ceremony and do a bunch of staged shots. You know he will “stage” the feeding of the cake between bride and groom, the throwing of the bouquet, the dance of father and bride, all that standard stuff.

But you may have the assignment as an amateur photographer to also take pictures of the wedding. This is not unusual. If the bride’s brother is good with a camera or the groom’s uncle knows a thing or two about photography, why not let them take pictures too. So if that assignment has fallen to you, there may be a few tips for you to keep in mind as the big day approaches.

You are the back up guy. So let the professional do his stuff. Remember, just because your sister or best friend has utmost confidence in what you can do to make the wedding album more interesting and fun, those traditional shots are important to the family and to the bride and groom. They may be old fashioned and a bit boring but that paid photographer was hired to do a job. So don’t get in the way of the professional and if you do interact with him, do so respectfully. You don’t want that guy in a bad mood. So give his space.

Be ready. You can bet that paid photographer came here having checked out his equipment and he knows what he needs and he knows it all works. So you be just as “professional” as the next guy and do your prep work the night before. That way when you step up to get that shot you know will make the wedding album sizzle, your equipment works perfectly too. This also includes arriving ready to go with backup batteries, tape, light bulbs and anything else you will need for a full day of shooting.

Use what he does. That professional is going to stage the people to get those shots that are on his list of standard shots all wedding albums get. But during that time when the wedding party is trying to be good but giddy with nervous excitement, there will be dozens of little moments that will make great photographs. Maybe get that shot of sister fixing the flower girls dress. Or that silly tickle session between bride and groom as they play with each other to get through the tension of the day. Use what that photographer is giving to himself. As long as you don’t get in the way, you can grab some great pictures that way.

Those action shots during the ceremony. You have come with a more mobile equipment set than the professional has because your goal is to get the informal shots. So you have what you need pretty much on your back. You can move around the hall and get those little photographs during the ceremony of things going on up on that stage that everybody else will miss. The wedding party will love you for capturing moments that would have been lost to time if you had not come ready to work on your feet and get those little throw away pictures that are worth gold in the wedding album.

The kids are “down there”. Don’t overlook the children during the wedding or the reception. They add a lot of fun and joy. But remember, they are down there closer to the ground than you are. To get their shots, you have to go down there with them.

Remember, this event is not about you. You are the proverbial fly on the wall to get those shots that the pro doesn’t have on his checklist. But at the same time, don’t forget that you are important to this wedding to. So put down that camera every so often and have that glass of wine and do the funky chicken during the reception with everyone else. Let someone else get that picture.

Your wedding is fast approaching and as the anxiety grows in everyone associated with the big day, two big concerns weigh on everybody’s mind. Those are…

(1) How can we reduce the stress of this big day?
(2) How can we cut the costs?

These two questions are in conflict with each other too because in order to reduce stress, you have to increase the work that someone has to do. Sometime during the preparation time frame, the idea will come up, why don’t we let “John Jones” do our wedding pictures? John Jones may be someone’s brother who is “really good at photography” or just a friend of the family. The appeal is that they will save you a pile of money and probably do just as good a job as the expensive photographers.

While you certainly want to watch out before you turn over this important job, maybe you or someone in the wedding party can take the photos as well as a professional. After all, how many wedding nightmares have you heard about a professional photographer who either damaged the romantic nature of the ceremony by butting in too often, aggravated the guests by blotting out their view of the wedding to get an action shot or charged an arm and a leg only to deliver poor quality photos.

In truth, it is entirely possible for an “amateur” photographer to do a terrific job taking pictures at the wedding. But there are some guidelines you should follow if that job has fallen to you. If you are reading this as the bride, groom or anxious mother and you are considering using a friend for these photos, spend an hour going over these guidelines and not only will you get better pictures, your anxiety level will go down too.

1. Know your equipment inside and out. Whether you are using a run of the mill digital camera or an expensive set up that has taken you years to work up, make sure everything is in top-notch working order and that you are thoroughly familiar with every nuance of the machine. Remember Murphy’s Law. If anything can go wrong, it will. So keep Murphy out of the wedding by checking and double checking your camera and related equipment.

2. Have spares of everything possible. If there are batteries involved with the operation of the camera, have several spare sets on hand and know where they are. If the batteries go out as the bride and party are posed at the alter, you don’t want an hour delay why you run to the 7-11 to get more. The same goes for flash bulbs and even the camera itself. Have spares of everything possible so Murphy just goes to the next wedding down the road to make his mess.

3. The photo is about more than the bride and groom. If you are used to “staging” your pictures, you may not worry that often with activity in the room. After all, if everybody is posing, the environment is controlled. This will not be the case during an action shot like during the wedding or reception. So keep a keen awareness of the room, the activity around the subjects, the lighting and background props. You don’t want to produce the perfect shot of bride and groom kissing only to have Cousin Ned gagging on the cake in the background.

4. Be aware of glare from windows, lights and eyeglasses. These can sneak up on you.

As a rule, someone who is part of the event can get great shots because they know the people and can be mixing as those wonderful “little moments” occur. So it’s worth a try if you feel good about the skills of your photographer and they follow these little guidelines.

If you have been hired to create a video of someone’s wedding and reception, it can be a really fun job. Not only is there a lot of joy, laughing and fun moments during a wedding celebration but it is really gratifying to know that the video you are creating will be part of family celebrations of these people for decades to come.

Naturally, you want to do a good job. But whether you are just getting started or have been shooting video for years, you know things can sneak up on you and make your job more difficult. So there are some “insider tricks” that you should keep in mind especially on the big day so the wedding goes off like clockwork and you get that great video without disturbing the joy and fun of the family.

The first few precautions actually happen long before you drive up to the church and that is a thorough equipment check. Check and double check your equipment and then check it again. It can’t hurt to be a bit compulsive about this. Also, check that all of your supplies are new, in good shape and that you have back ups of batteries, bulbs, tapes or whatever recording media you are using. If you know your equipment is in good shape, you can walk in there like the professional you are.

Next, be everywhere early and well prepared. In fact, it can’t hurt to scope out the church and reception hall the day before to check the lighting and do some planning on where you might plan to get your best video from. If Martin Scorsese can pre-plan all of his shoots, so can you.

Now be sure everybody knows who you are. Meet the bride, groom, the wedding party and others close to the planning. If there are security people, be sure they know who you are as well. If there is a need for passes or badges of any kind, be sure you have one well ahead of the wedding day.

Part of networking with the key players includes getting some face time with others who may be supporting the wedding. Many weddings have a wedding planner who must know everything that is going to happen. Be sure he or she knows who you are and what you are going to do before you start disturbing their domain. It is also a great idea to meet the other photographers and do a bit of preliminary choreography so everybody can get their shots. Be aware that you really don’t want to do such a great job of videotaping the wedding that you damage the experience of the wedding guests. This all takes lots of planning.

If they rehearse, you rehearse. The rehearsal is one of the great missed opportunities that wedding photographers and videographers have to step through the wedding with the party and plan where you are going to be. Now secure permission to be there as you never want to surprise a nervous bride or her mother. But if they know you are working as hard as they are to get ready, they will be thrilled and you may find them giving you directions on shots they want included in the video and where they want (and don’t want) you to be at strategic moments during the wedding. This information is gold on producing a high quality video for your customers.

Once everything is ready, jump in there and enjoy the wedding right along with everyone else. You know you are ready and you like what you do so you can celebrate this big day and produce a top-notch video that will be a treasured memory for this bride and groom for many years to come.

More Than Pictures – Memories…

When you are hired to be the photographer for someone’s wedding, it is quite an honor. For a professional photographer, we can sometimes just see it as another “gig”. But it pays to look at the event through the eyes of the wedding party, the parents, the siblings, the groom and above all the bride. For the bride especially, there is nothing routine about this day. Everything is personal and getting the best possible photos of this important day could not be more personal and important to her and her family and her groom as well.

So if you are expanding into or setting out on building your photography business to include wedding photography, you should plan to approach this task much differently than any other form of photography. You are doing a lot more than taking a few snapshots of an event. You are as much an integral part of the ceremony and the significance of that day for this bride and this groom as the minister or perhaps even many of the wedding guests.

So what can you do to make sure the wedding albums you create capture not only the events of this day but the emotions and the spiritual importance of it as well? The key is to know the hearts and minds of the people who are involved in the event. That means, get involved early and be involved often.

For most weddings, the planning begins as early as a year before the ceremony. If you get hired to be the wedding photographer, it is not too early to meet the wedding party and family that early also. To be a skilled wedding photographer, you should also have a bit of the investigative journalist, the amateur psychologist and the psychic in you as well.

Your photographs will capture not only the images of the event but also the spirit of the people who attend. So get to know each of the key players individually. This certainly includes the bride and groom but a similar level of familiarity is appropriate for the wedding party, the parents of the bride and groom and their best friends too.

There are some subtle ways you can learn the hearts of these people so you can plan to get photographs that will be ones the each person will say, “I am saving that one forever.” Here are some suggestions…

Get to know the colors of the wedding. But more than that, find out how the bride and significant decisions makers view colors. Watch how they dress and show them examples of wedding photographs and listen to their reactions. You can plan the how to stage your pictures accordingly.

Every bride has that perfect romantic setting in their heart. If you can discover that hidden treasure, you may be able to frame a special wedding photo just to fit that dream. Perhaps she there is a public gardens in the city that has a fountain that she has loved since she was a child. If so you can make arrangements to have the wedding party meet out there when the lighting is just right in full dress and get some wedding photos that will be in her heart forever.

Don’t forget the groom. Maybe he would love to have a fun photo showing him and the bride on his Harley. Or if he is a big sports fan, getting a photo dressed out in team regalia at some other time than the wedding can be a fun addition to the portfolio. And it will mean a lot to him too.

Knowing the people, their personalities and what makes them tick makes you a better photographer. Don’t miss a chance to be with the wedding party at every stage of planning. The key players will not only not resent your presence but they will see that you have the same commitment to making this day as special as it can be. And they will love the outcome and you will remain as much a part of this big day as the flowers and the chapel itself.

Anyone can plan their own wedding but they should realize there will be a great deal of work involved. They should also realize there is a general timeline which should be followed to ensure tasks are completed on time. This article will provide a basic timeline for the year leading up to the couple’s wedding day.

The process of planning a wedding typically begins at least one year before the actual wedding day. The first task couples should accomplish at this time is selecting a date for the wedding. This is important because many reception halls book up early so choosing a wedding date at least a year in advance can prevent the couple from missing out on their dream location. It also helps to ensure friends and family members have plenty of time to make arrangements to attend the wedding. During this time the couple should set their budget, book the location for the reception and begin shopping for a wedding gown.

Approximately 8-10 months before the wedding date the couple will begin making some serious decisions about the wedding. They should formalize a theme, select bridesmaid dresses and create a gift registry. The couple should also interview and select a number of service providers including a photographer, videographer, caterer, and entertainers such as a band or a DJ. The couple should also create their guest list during this time.

Approximately 5-7 months before the wedding date the couple will still be making important decisions and plans for the wedding. Now is the time to order wedding invitations and finalize the guest list. The couple will also want to begin interviewing cake designers and will want to select one soon because good cake designers may book up months in advance. Plans for the honeymoon should also begin during this time. Couples will also want to reserve a block of rooms in a local hotel at this time. By reserving a large block of rooms, the couple will likely be able to secure a discount for their guests and will also save their out of town guests the trouble of having to search around for hotel accommodations.

Approximately 3-4 months before the wedding the whirlwind of planning begins to slow down but there is still work to be done. During this time the couple should shop for and order wedding bands and select a florist. The couple will also want to shop for and order favors at this time. They will also want to select and reserve the groom’s and groomsmen’s attire. During this time the couple should also meet with the caterer to finalize the menu. It is also finally time to send out invitations for the wedding.

Approximately two months before the wedding date the planning preparation picks up. Now is the time for the couple to make plans for the rehearsal dinner. The bride will also have to start scheduling her fittings as well as fittings for the bridesmaids and flower girl. The groom should confirm the reservations for his attire and the attire of his groomsmen.

One month before the wedding the couple is into the home stretch of planning. They should apply for their marriage license and confirm details with all wedding service providers. The bride should also meet with her hair stylist and make-up artist to decide on wedding day styles.

The last two weeks before the wedding is a virtual whirlwind of events. The couple will have a lot to do and will likely need help from others to accomplish these last minute details. They will need to call guests who have not yet responded, provide a final headcount to the caterer, create seating plans, confirm floral deliveries, confirm honeymoon reservations and pick up wedding gown and tuxedos.

One important wedding planning task which must be considered before the happy couple begins scouting potential locations for the wedding ceremony and reception is the guest list. It is very important to give the guest list some consideration before looking at ceremony and reception locations because you want to select locations that are large enough to accommodate all of your guests. Likewise you do not want to select locations that accommodate many more people than you have on your guest list especially if budget is a concern. This is because larger reception halls are going to be costly and will likely require the couple to pay for a minimum number of guests in order to reserve these larger spaces.

The process of beginning to create a guest list should naturally begin with creating a list of the closest beloved family members and friends to the couple. This is the most obvious starting point because these are the people who the couple truly wants to have with them to celebrate on the day of the wedding. Depending on the size of the family and the number of friends the couple has this list may be very long, very short or somewhere in between. Regardless of the size of this original list, it will include those whose presence will truly be appreciated at the wedding.

Next the couple will have to consider who is footing the bill for the wedding. If the couple is paying for the wedding themselves, this makes the guest list easier. When the couple pays for the wedding they are not obligated to include guests requested by either sets of parents. However, they may still wish to do so. When one of the parents or both sets of parents are contributing to the cost of the wedding, the guest list becomes trickier. This is because the parents may wish to include additional guests. These guests may include friends or colleagues of the parents. The parents may also wish to include more relatives the couple may not know well but whom the parents feel should be included on the guest list. The parents may also wish to include acquaintances who have invited the parents to the weddings of their children as a form of reciprocity.

Regardless of who is paying for the wedding the couple will have to consider inviting those who invited the couple to their own wedding. Whether or not the couple chose to attend the event, there is social pressure to include these individuals on the guest list especially if the couple sees the other couple on a regular basis or they share common friends who may mention the upcoming wedding. In this case it is a matter of politeness and not wanting to offend those who thought highly enough of the couple to include them in their own wedding day. However, when the budget is tight, it is acceptable to eliminate these people from the guest list especially if the wedding reception will be a relatively small one.

Couples also need to consider the relationships among members of the guest list. This is especially important if there are members of the guest list who will not likely be able to behave civilly at the wedding ceremony or reception. This is most often the case in families where there has been a bitter divorce or some other type of family dispute. It may also be the case among former friends who have had a falling out. These situations can be very tricky to handle and it may be necessary to leave some people off the guest list to avoid uncomfortable situations for the couple as well as other guests. In an example where the brides parents have undergone a difficult divorce and it is not feasible for them both to attend the bride would have to decide to have only one of them present or neither of them. This is a difficult and very personal decision which will have to be given careful thought before the final decision is made.

Where to Start When Planning Your Wedding…

Getting engaged is always extremely exciting and most couples spend the first few days after the engagement celebrating and letting friends and family members know about the engagement. These first few days are extremely exciting. However, in no time at all the couple begins to realize the first question friends and family members ask after offering their congratulations is when the wedding will be. This is when the excitement over the engagement begins to wear off and the couple realizes they need to start planning their wedding in earnest. However, this can be a very daunting task. As the couple starts to think about everything that is involved in the process of planning a wedding it is very easy to get overwhelmed. However, this does not have to be the case. This article will discuss the process of starting to plan a wedding.

The first step in the process of planning a wedding is not to panic. It is very easy to get caught up in thinking there is no way you can handle planning a wedding but this is not true. Couples have been planning weddings for years and they are no more organized or more talented than you are. Even if planning events is not your strong suit, I promise you can pull this off. You may need a little more help than some people will need but you can do this.

The problem most couples have when it comes to planning a wedding is they just don’t know where to start. They start thinking about all of the little details involved and have trouble prioritizing the list of tasks they need to complete. The easiest way to solve this problem is to buy a book to assist you in planning your wedding. There are all kinds of books which you may find useful. Most couples really like using wedding planners which include timelines to assist you in the wedding planning process. These are structured like calendars but you can start them at any time of the year and work backwards from your wedding date to determine when you need to accomplish certain tasks. These types of planners let you know how soon before your wedding date each tasks should be accomplished. These planners also provide you with advice on where to begin and which tasks to complete first. Most wedding planners also provide you with areas for taking notes and storing receipts. Other types of books many couples use are more like textbooks and cover everything from creating a budge to etiquette and timelines to assist the couple in the wedding plans and preparations.

Hiring a wedding planner to assist in the process of planning the wedding is the first step for those couples who feel as though books, websites and advice from family members will not be enough to help them plan their wedding the right way. Hiring a wedding planner can be expensive but if the budget allows for this luxury it can also help to eliminate a great deal of stress for the couple. The wedding planner can not only help to keep the couple organized and on schedule but can also make recommendations for locations and service providers. The wedding planner can also handle negotiations with service providers. This can result in a significant savings for the couple especially if the service providers are in the habit of offering discounts to the wedding planner based on the amount of business she brings to them. In some cases these discounts may even more than offset the price of hiring the wedding planner in the first place.

Finally, when a couple first begins to start planning a wedding they have to consider whether or not they are open to input from friends and family members. This is important because the couple is likely to receive a great deal of unsolicited advice at this time. They have to decide whether they are open to this type of advice or whether they need to decide on a way to politely decline offers of advice and assistance. This may not sound significant but once the couple begins to get inundated with offers of advice and assistance they will realize how important it is to have a strategy for dealing with this in place.

One of the most difficult situations when planning a wedding involves cases where the bride’s family and the groom’s family have different religious or cultural traditions associated with weddings. These situations become difficult because both sides of the family may expect their traditions to be followed and feelings can become easily hurt if the couple makes decisions which leave out certain traditions. These situations can also cause problems between the bride to be and the groom to be if they side with their own family in these disputes instead of working with their fiancé to compromise. This article will discuss a few strategies for dealing with these difficult situations involving religious and cultural traditions.

Without a doubt the best strategy for dealing with cultural and religious differences is to keep and open mind and be willing to compromise. This is very important because both sides of the family will want to feel as though they are being included in the wedding. However, if the plans are made to include one religion or culture while the other is ignored there are bound to be hurt feelings. Often when there are religious differences involved the religious leaders can play a significant role in facilitating a compromise which will make both sides happy. Most religious leaders have dealt with these types of situations in the past and they may have a number of good ideas about how a ceremony can be structured to include both religions. Family elders can play the same type of role in situations where the differences between the families are cultural. Having a representative from each family work with the couple to plan the wedding will most likely result in a fair compromise for the wedding plans.

There will be some times when a couple is forced to make some very difficult decisions during the course of planning their wedding. In particular if the religion of one member of the couple has strict and specific rules about wedding ceremonies. In these cases the couples will have to decide whether or not they are willing to follow these rules. For example some religions may not allow non-members to witness the wedding. This would mean if the couple is married in a ceremony within a particular church only one side of the family would be able to attend. The couple will have to decide if this is acceptable to them or not. They may feel very strongly about being married in this church and be willing to make this sacrifice or they may feel as though excluding one side of the family is not acceptable.

Finally, when couples are dealing with significant differences in religion and culture they may consider having two different wedding ceremonies and receptions. This may sound excessive but if there is very little chance that the two families will be able to compromise and behave civilly, it is worthwhile to take this step. This way each side of the family will get exactly what they want. The bride to be and groom to be will also feel as though they do not have to make decisions which might upset friends or family members. It may be more work to plan two wedding ceremonies and receptions but in the long run it will save the couple a great deal of stress.

When Everyone Else Involved Is a Bridezilla

The term bridezilla was coined to describe brides who behave badly during the process of planning their wedding day as well as on the wedding day. This includes, but is certainly not limited to, brides who complain loudly and often about every detail in their wedding, brides who subject their bridesmaids to harsh treatments and allow little input into decisions regarding their attire, brides who make difficult demands of service providers and brides who generally have unrealistic expectations for the wedding. However, in many cases the bride may not be the problem at all. There may be others involved in the process of planning the wedding who take on this bridezilla role on behalf of the bride. This may include the groom, the parents of the bride or the groom, friends or family members or even an overzealous wedding planner. This article will discuss how brides can deal with situations where someone involved in the process of planning the wedding is acting like a bridezilla.

The easiest bridezilla situation to handle is one where it is the wedding planner who is out of control. Ideally the couple would have carefully screened potential wedding planners to ensure they selected someone who was not only highly recommended but also was a good match for the couple in terms of personality. However, even the most carefully couple may find themselves in a situation where they are faced with a problem of dealing with a wedding planner who is out of control. In this case the easiest and most logical solution is to fire the wedding planner. This may put the couple back a few steps but in the long run it will be the best decision for the couple and plans will go more smoothly with this person no longer involved. In most cases the contract signed will include language on how these issues will be resolved and there will not be disputes. Most wedding planners provide their own contracts for just this reason.

Unfortunately when the parents of the bride or the groom are the ones behaving badly it is not as easy of a situation to resolve. The mother of the bride is notorious for being the one who interferes the most in wedding plans but there are certainly cases where the mother of the groom is the troublemaker. Either of the fathers can also cause problems. Unfortunately in these cases, firing the offending family member is not possible. However, there may be tactful ways to divert the parent away from the planning process. For example the couple may sit down with the parent and thank them for all of the help but let them know they don’t want to continue to be a burden and will start handling more of the responsibility in the wedding planner. This gets the couple out of the difficult situation without mention of the bad behavior by the parent. How this type of situation is handled will depend on the type of relationship the couple has with the parents. Some couples may be able to point out the rude behavior and have the parent realize the mistake. Other couples who point out this type of behavior risk having the parent not attend the wedding because they are insulted.

Friends of the bride and groom can also sometimes be troublesome during the process of planning the wedding. They may interfere where their help is not needed or want, speak rudely to service providers or make decisions they are not authorized to make. Again, how these situations are handled will depend on the individual and the relationship with the couple. Some couples may be able to speak directly to the offending friend about the problems and work together to resolve the problem. Other couples can get around the problem by simply not including the friend in the planning and keeping discussions about the planning to a minimum. In most cases the friend will realize her help is not needed.

Most brides to be had no hesitation when their fiancé proposed. They may have knew this day was coming and responded with an enthusiastic yes before the fiancé even got the question out. Even if they were completely caught by surprise by the proposal, they likely responded quickly after a moment or two of stunned silence. However, when it comes to selecting a dress for the wedding day most brides to be have a lot more trouble making a decision. They may waffle between two dresses or even have trouble narrowing their choices down to less than ten options. This article will provide tips for brides to be who are struggling to select a wedding dress for their big day.

Most brides to be find that choosing a wedding date really helps to narrow down their choices right away. In fact many brides can cut the suitable options available in their local wedding gown shop by 50% by choosing a date. This is not true for all brides though. That is because most brides easily make this decision because they are not willing to wear a wedding gown which is meant for summer for a January wedding. Likewise they are not willing to wear a wintry type wedding gown for a June wedding. However, there are always some brides for whom the season does not matter and they want the perfect dress even if it is not appropriate for the current season.

We recommend beginning the process of wedding dress shopping right from your own home. Spend some time looking at online retailers and wedding magazines to get yourself started. Once you begin looking through pictures of wedding gowns you will begin to learn what you do like and what you don’t like. This will save you a great deal of time in the long run because you can look at hundreds of pictures online or in magazines in just a fraction of the amount of time it would take you to try on the same number of dresses. However, if you do your homework, you can walk into a bridal shop with a good idea about the types of dresses you want to try on. You should still go into the dress shopping experience with an open mind but won’t have to try on everything in the store to figure out what you like.

We also highly recommend limiting the number of people you take with you when you go dress shopping. This is critical because the more people you bring with you the more opinions you will hear about each dress and this will make choosing one much harder. You should also be careful about who you will invite to come dress shopping with you. You will want to bring along trusted friends or family members who will be honest with you about how a dress looks on you without being offensive. You don’t want someone who will be afraid to tell you that a dress does not look good on you but you also don’t want someone who will hurt your feelings during the process. Shopping for a wedding dress is supposed to be a fun experience so keep that in mind when you invite others to come along.

Sometimes one of the hardest decisions a couple will have to make in regards to their wedding is the date for the wedding. The bride to be may eagerly blurt out yes when the groom to be proposes marriage, the couple may be positive they want to have their wedding in a certain location and the bride may have known what type of dress she wanted since she was just a little girl but picking a date for the wedding usually does not go as smoothly. This article will discuss some of the problems which many couples encounter when it comes to setting a date for their wedding and will provide advice on how to choose a wedding date.

One of the problems many couple have in regard to selecting a wedding date is deciding on a season for the wedding. This decision can be difficult because the couple has difficulty deciding what type of wedding they want. Each season invokes a different type of wedding and deciding on the beauty of a spring wedding over the romance of a winter wedding can be a difficult decision. Couples should carefully consider the advantages and disadvantages of each season and make their decision based on which season would result in an ideal wedding for the couple.

Another problems some couples experience, especially couples with large families, is selecting a date which interferes with another family event or a holiday. Very large families seem to always have at least one family member who is having a birthday, anniversary or other significant event. Thoughtful couples will want to avoid allowing their wedding to overshadow another important event in the family but if this is not possible they should make every effort to minimize the impact on the other event.

Still another problem couples may face when selecting a wedding date is pressure from friends or family members to select a particular date or time of year for the wedding. This is most often likely to occur in situations where there is someone else involved in the process of paying for the wedding. This is because those who are involved financially may feel as though they have the right to influence these important decisions. In this situation the couple will have to decide if they should pay for the wedding themselves so the other people do not feel this way. However, there may also be situations where the other person attempting to influence the date of the wedding is not paying for the wedding and is not otherwise involved in the planning. The couple should consider the reason for the other person wanting this date but should not give into this wish if they have valid reasons for selecting a different date.

Finally, one of the most obvious reasons couples have trouble setting a date for the wedding is one or more of them is having cold feet. This can be a difficult decision to deal with because neither of them may realize this is the problem so they may continue to struggle to select a date. In this case the easiest way to deal with the problem is to allow it to take its course. The couple will likely realize the wedding is not meant to be eventually and decide on how to handle the situation as well as the relationship. They may decide to postpone the wedding plans indefinitely until the relationship is more secure or they may decide it is best to end the relationship. This is a very personal decision for the couple.

Planning Your Wedding Online…

What did brides do before the Internet? It is difficult to even imagine the amount of running around brides must have done to coordinate and plan their weddings before the Internet. Nowadays it is so easy to sit at your computer and comparison shop for items and then have them shipped directly to your do. Just a few years ago this was not possible. Every single detail related to the wedding had to be finalized either in person or over the phone. No wonder so many brides became overwhelmed and transformed into the Bridezillas that are so common today. However, with the popularity of the Internet planning your wedding online is so incredibly easy. This article will discuss the subject of planning your wedding online and provide practical tips for how the Internet can be used to make wedding planning much easier.

Most brides and grooms begin the process of planning their wedding by searching for locations for the wedding ceremony and the wedding reception. Before the Internet became so widely popular this was typically accomplished by spending a day, or several days, driving around to different reception halls and banquet facilities to select a suitable location. The happy couple would have to remember details about each location to make the best possible decision after seeing several options. However, with the Internet couples can visit websites for all of the reception halls in their city in a matter of minutes. Most of these locations have detailed websites with pictures and floor plans available. Most even have calendars showing availability. Couples can narrow their choices down to just a few local options they want to visit before making a final decision. They can even use the Internet to begin planning a destination wedding. They may not see the venue before the wedding arrangements are made but through photographs and videos they can be sure they are selecting the right location.

Once a date has been set and a location chosen, most brides immediately move onto dress shopping. Here is where planning your wedding online really comes in handy. Whether you have only one store nearby selling wedding attire or you have too many stores to visit using the Internet to shop for your dream wedding dress is idea. Those who live in areas where there are limited options for finding the perfect wedding dress will love the options available to them when they shop online. Those who have live in areas where there are many stores selling bridal attire will also prefer shopping online because they can narrow their options down to a more manageable number before they even leave their home. This can be a huge relief because remembering details on dresses can be incredibly difficult especially for brides who try on a number of similar dresses. After several stores the different dresses may start to blend into each other in the bride’s mind and she may find herself getting confused. However, if she starts shopping online she can just keep several windows open at a time to easily compare dresses. Sure the bride will still want to try on dresses but it will be much less overwhelming if she has allowed decided on just a few options.

Selecting a theme for a wedding can also be done online. Not only can couples find a variety of different options available to them but they can begin piecing together different items that will really help to define the theme. For example they may find wedding invitations at one location and dishware for rent from another location. When the couple begins to put these different items together online the theme really starts to take shape. The favors given at the wedding usually reflect the theme so once the couple decides on a theme and finds enough items to pull it together they can begin shopping online for favors. This is so much easier than traipsing around to many different stores where stock may be limited. When shopping online for favors, the couple can search all over the world for the perfect favors for their guests in a matter of minutes.

Planning Your Wedding…

If you are like most women, you have been planning your wedding since you were just a little girl. As you grew up you probably went through hundreds or maybe even thousands of scenarios for your wedding. From the style of your dress to the theme of your wedding, these may have changed as you grew older and your sense of style developed. Or perhaps you have had one wedding fantasy that has stayed with you from a very young age. Regardless of whether the wedding plans taking place in your imagination have changed from day to day or year to year or whether they have remained the same, chances are this will all change when you start planning for real. From the moment the special man in your life proposes, you begin planning your wedding all over again. Only this time it is for real. This article will discuss some of the highlights for planning a wedding.

The process of planning a wedding starts with choosing a date. Once you have this set you can proceed with everything else but a great deal rests on the date. It may dictate factors such as your style of dress, the theme of the wedding, the design of your invitations and the colors you choose. Consider the date carefully. You may want to impulsively pick a date just weeks away but this won’t give you much time to plan properly. Consider selecting a date at least six months away. Work with your fiancé to choose a few dates and then begin contacting banquet halls and churches to ensure you can reserve a place for the wedding ceremony and the reception on the date you choose. You may want to avoid days that coincide with other significant family events such as birthdays and anniversaries but in some cases this may be unavoidable.

Once you set a date for a wedding, it is time to make your guest list and inform everyone on the guest list of the date you have chosen. If the wedding is only a few months away, you can go ahead and send out invitations as soon as you can get them designed and printed. However, if the wedding date you have selected is more than a few months away consider sending out save the date cards approximately 6-8 months before the wedding. This lets others know when the wedding can take place so they can mark it on their calendars but does not require them to make a commitment just yet.

Creating your guest list can be a challenging part of planning your wedding. One important factor to consider is the maximum number of guests allowed in the banquet facility you have booked. Ideally you would have a general idea of the number of guests to expect before you starting looking for a facility for your reception so you can choose a suitably sized location. You will also have to consider the rate charged for each guest at the reception. This is especially important if there is a tight budget.

Once you get through the logistics of choosing a date and location and inviting guests the fun part of the planning process starts. If you are like most brides your next step will be to start dress shopping. This is actually a good idea because finding the perfect dress can take time. Also, once you find this dress it will take awhile for the dress to be made and you will then have a number of fittings to ensure the dress fits you perfectly.

After you have decided on a dress other planning considerations may become much easier. For example if you were unsure of a theme, you may feel more confident once your dress is selected. The types of flowers you choose, colors and styles for bridesmaid dresses and favors for the wedding will also become easier decisions once you have selected a dress because you will want to make decisions that will compliment the dress perfectly.

Planning a Destination Wedding…

Destination weddings are becoming increasingly popular. These weddings typically occur in a location that is not home to either the bride or the groom. Asking others to travel to a specific location may sound like it is not an ideal situation but for a couple who do not live near their families this would not be any different than planning a wedding in their hometown if the families are spread out throughout the country. The location of a destination wedding may be an exotic location or it may be somewhere that is convenient for the majority of friends and relatives. For example a couple who lives on the West Coast but has family on the East Coast may choose a location that is centrally located. This article will discuss some of the unique concerns when planning a destination wedding.

Planning a destination wedding may be a little more difficult than planning a local wedding for a number of reasons. The most obvious reason is it is not possible to just hop in your car to check out reception halls, churches or other ceremony locations. However, thanks to the Internet it is not impossible to research a specific area. Most reception halls have websites with pictures, floor plans or even virtual tours which can give the couple a good idea of how the place looks. Couples can also read reviews of locations. This can be really helpful because the websites will likely only show the best features of the location. However, couples who have had their wedding may be able to provide insight into problems they experienced.

The couple may wish to take a trip or two to the location of their destination wedding but most of the planning can be done remotely. The easiest way to do this is to employ the assistance of a local wedding planner. A local wedding planner will obviously be skilled at handling and coordinating all of the details involved in planning a wedding but as an additional advantage she will also be familiar with the area. She can provide recommendations for ceremony and reception locations, recommend local service providers such as photographers, DJs and bands. She can also act as a liaison between the couple and the locals to facilitate the planning of the wedding.

When planning a destination wedding it is also important to consider how the location of the wedding will impact the guest list. If the couple lives near friends and family members and the wedding is being planned in a different location this can adversely impact the number of guests who will attend. If the wedding was planned locally and guests just had to drive to the ceremony and the reception it is likely more friends and family members would be able to attend. However, if the wedding takes place far away guests will likely be required to purchase plan tickets and make hotel reservations. This makes the attending the wedding significantly more expensive for the guests and may result in fewer friends and family members attending.

Destination weddings that take place in a foreign country can also have a negative impact on the guest list. This is because the travel costs will likely be higher. Also guest will be required to obtain passports if they do not already have these documents. For these reasons couples who are considering a destination wedding should carefully consider whether or not they will be disappointed if fewer guests attend the ceremony and reception because of the location.

Finally, there is one unique advantage to having a destination wedding. This is that the couple may opt to have their honeymoon in the same location. They will not only likely receive discounted room rates if they have their wedding reception at the hotel but they will also be able to begin their honeymoon immediately after the wedding instead of having to travel to another location. They can also have friends and family members stay for a few days before or after the ceremony for an extended celebration.

Last Minute Details for Your Wedding…

Couples may spend a year or more planning and preparing for their wedding but nothing can prepare them for the last minute details involved in orchestrating a wedding. Most couples, okay especially brides, immediately rush out the second they get engaged and purchase a book or planner for the purpose of organizing their wedding plans. When thumbing through the books or planners they will undoubtedly see timelines listing when they should be accomplishing certain tasks. Upon first glance these timelines may be long but they don’t appear to be too daunting. The couple will see there usually only a handful of tasks which need to be accomplished during each time frame. For example the couple may be tasked with setting a date and booking a location for the reception approximately 12-15 months before the wedding date. That doesn’t sound bad at all. Then they take a look at the list of items to be completed in the week before the wedding and realize planning a wedding is filled with last minute details. This article will discuss some of the last minute details involved in planning a wedding.

Starting about two weeks before the date of the wedding, the couple will begin to take care of a number of last minute details. Two of these details are related to the guest list. Although the couple likely asked the guests to RSVP by a certain date there will always be some guests who do not do this. Now is the time for the bride and groom to call these guests to see if they will be attending or not so they can give a final headcount to the caterer. Most caterers require this information approximately two weeks in advance. The couple will also want to meet with the DJ or band at this time to provide a song list. This will include song selections for the entrance and special dances as well as songs the couple would like to see included during the wedding. Two weeks before the wedding the couple will also want to complete seating arrangements and call service providers such as florists, limousine drivers and cake decorators to confirm all plans and deliveries.

One week before the wedding the couple will still be hurrying around taking care of last minute details. The bride, in particular, will be particular busy. The bride and her bridesmaids should have their final fittings by this time and the gowns should be picked up. The couples should pack for their honeymoon and organize travel documents at this time. The week before the wedding is also the time to confirm the details for the rehearsal dinner and pay the balance on the reception hall.

The day before the wedding is a very busy one but the couple should have some time to relax. The bride should get a manicure and pedicure and assemble her gown, shoes and accessories for the next day. The groom should also assemble his attire and may want to get his hair trimmed as well, if necessary. Both the bride and the groom should try to get a good night sleep in preparation for the big day ahead.

One the day of the wedding there is still a number of things to be done but most of this should be delegated to a trusted friend or family member. In addition to dressing for the wedding the bride will also have her hair and makeup done. There will also be a need to have someone check the reception hall to make sure everything is set up properly, someone should meet the florist and assure she has access to the reception hall to set up the floral arrangements.

Knowing How To Delegate When Planning A Wedding…

Planning a wedding is definitely not an easy task. It is certainly possible for one person to completely plan a wedding all by themselves but it is definitely not easy. There are so many small details that go into planning a wedding that it can be difficult to keep track of all of them. Also, the process can be very time consuming and stressful. However, there is one way to make the process of planning a wedding a whole lot easier. Delegating some of the responsibilities involved in planning the wedding is the one trick that can really save a couple a great deal of time and stress. This article will discuss how a couple can delegate some wedding planning responsibilities without feeling as though the plans are completely out of their control.

One huge mistake many couples, in particular brides to be, make is not delegating any of the wedding planning to anyone else. Brides to be often get so caught up in the planning of the wedding that they may even leave the groom to be out of the planning process. This almost always winds up in the couple feeling overly stressed out about the wedding process and possibly even overlooking some important details. Delegating some wedding planning responsibilities alleviates this problem but it can be difficult to start delegating. This is because the couple may be concerned things will not be done right if they don’t handle the details themselves. That is why the first step in learning to delegate is to decide which responsibilities the couple is willing to delegate. For example most brides will not want to delegate the responsibility of selecting a wedding dress to anyone else but they may be willing to allow a bridesmaid to schedule appointments at bridal shops and schedule fittings after a dress is chosen. Likewise the couple is not likely to ask anyone else to select the wedding cake but they ask a trusted and responsible friend or family member to pick up the cake on the day of the wedding. In general most brides and grooms to be are not too concerned with allowing friends and family members to handle simple tasks which are not incredibly important to the wedding.

Favors are another aspect of the wedding planning process most couples are willing to delegate. Some couples may be willing to allow a trusted friend or family member to shop around for favors and select appropriate favors for the wedding. Still other couples may be comfortable asking a friend or family member to shop around for favors but not to make a decision. The couple may wish to make the give the final approval for the favors that are chosen. Still other couples may not want to allow others to shop around or decide on favors but would be willing to delegate the task of wrapping the favors.

The tasks the couples are willing to delegate will vary considerably from one couple to another. Some have complete trust in friends and family members and are able to delegate fairly large tasks while others are more apprehensive to delegate even the simplest responsibilities for fear that the tasks will not be completed on time or the tasks will not be completed well. However, the more comfortable the couple is delegating the easier the process of planning the wedding will be.

Finally, any couple who decides to delegate any tasks should be sure they are delegating to responsible friends and family members. The couple may have a group of really great friends and family members but if these people are not responsible the tasks may not be completed. It is also important that any friend or family member asked to complete detailed tasks which will have a significant impact on the wedding should have tastes that are similar to the couple. This will help to ensure decisions that are made represent the couple accurately.

Keeping the Peace without Giving Up or Giving In…

In many cases the process of planning a wedding is a lot like a marriage itself. This is because the key to a truly successful wedding is compromise. Sure there are some lucky couples who are able to pull off a wedding with very few problem and no conflicts with friends or family members. However, most couples experience at least a small degree of grief stemming from the involvement of friends or family members during the process of planning their wedding. These types of problems and disagreements usually occur when there are too many people trying to make decisions. This article will discuss a few situations when wedding planning can get complicated and will provide a few strategies the couple can use to deal with these tricky situations.

One of the most common problems when planning a wedding occurs when the parents of the couple are planning the wedding. Traditionally, the bride’s family bears the financial burden of a wedding but in these modern times the families of grooms are beginning to share this financial responsibility. While this change has certainly made wedding planning easier from a financial standpoint, logistically it has made wedding planning much more difficult. This is because with the more traditional scenario, the bride and her family, especially the mother, would shoulder the responsibility of making most of the decisions during the process of planning the wedding. However, with the family of the groom contributing financially as well his family often feels as though they should have some input into the decision making process as well. Right away this complicates things because now there are more opinions to deal with.

The easiest way couples can avoid this problem altogether is to pay for their own wedding so no one has the right to feel as though they should be included in all decisions. This is not always ideal though because many parents want to help pay for the wedding and would be insulted if they were not allowed to do so. In the case where it is not possible to exclude the parents financially it is important to make them feel as though their input is welcomed without allowing them to dominate the decision making process. Making compromises will also be key to keeping everyone happy.

Close friends who are not involved in the wedding at all financially may sometimes also create problems. This often occurs when they assume their opinions are wanted and attempt to influence the couple in making important decisions. Close friends may make this assumption because they may have previously played a role like this in the bride or grooms life. The friend may become hurt if her suggestions are not taken and incorporated into the wedding plans. Again, prevention is the best strategy and couples would be wise to talk to close friends and family members before the wedding planning starts in earnest about the type of input they expect from them. This sets clear boundaries before things get out of control. In situations where this preventive step was not taken and a close friend has assumed her input will be appreciated the couple will need to make some decisions. Since this is a close friend the couple will obviously not want to exclude the individual completely but they will want to steer the friend towards decisions which are not major. For example a bride may ask her best friend to assist in making decisions such as choosing a nail color or the wrapping paper for the favor. This will help the friend to feel included in the plans but the decisions made on these issues do not significantly impact the overall appearance of the wedding.

Wedding planners are hired to make life easier for the couple but in some cases they can wind up making things more difficult. In particular if the wedding planner is overly pushy and does not truly listen to the couple important decisions can be made in a way that does not please the couple. Instead of allowing the wedding planner to continue making inappropriate decisions the couple should meet with her to discuss these issues, make changes to decisions that have already been made and plan to avoid similar problems with future decisions. If problems continue to occur after this type of frank discussion it is time to find a new wedding planner who will be accommodating to the couple.

One big mistake many engaged couples make is allowing others to be too involved in the process of planning their wedding. This becomes a problem when the others who are involved have strong opinions which do not accurately reflect the couple. The opinions of the others may begin to influence the plans for the wedding and will likely result in a wedding which is not indicative of the tastes of the engaged couple. This article will discuss a few ideas for how a couple can handle situations where friends or family members are trying to control the wedding plans.

Perhaps one of the most difficult wedding planning situations occurs when there is someone other than the engaged couple who is paying for the wedding. The reason why problems tend to occur in this type of situation is the friends or family members paying for the wedding, or contributing to the cost of the wedding, expect to have a say in the planning process. While it is certainly true that those paying for the wedding should have some say in matters that affect the budget, they should not expect to intrude on other aspects of the wedding planning. For example given the size of the guest list, the people paying for the wedding may rule out certain locations for the wedding because they will be too expensive. However, where two locations are priced equally, the couple should be able to decide between the locations based on their own personal preference.

Unfortunately there are also many situations where the couple is paying for the wedding themselves but friends or family members are still intruding on the wedding planning process and trying to influence decisions. While it is easier in these cases to tell the friend or family member their opinions are not wanted than it is to do the same when the friend or family member is contributing financially it can still create problems. The friend or family member’s feelings may be hurt and it can cause a serious rift in the relationship. The best way to avoid this situation is to be clear from the start about the level of involvement you wish the individual to have in the process of planning the wedding. If this is not done and the pushiness of the friend or family member becomes a problem it is best to deal with the problem immediately rather than harboring resentment as the problem escalates.

Still another situation in which an engaged couple may feel as though the plans for their wedding are out of their control occurs when the couple hires a wedding planner who is presumptuous and makes decisions without consulting the couple. This type of situation may also occur if the couple hires a wedding planner but does not speak up about their needs, wants and expectations. This may be because the couple has a hard time speaking up, the wedding planner is overly pushy or a combination of the two. Regardless of the cause of the problem, this is one of the easiest situations to handle. This is because the couple can fire the wedding planner if things are not working out. However, sitting down with the wedding planner and discussing the issues first is idea. This way the wedding planner has the opportunity to learn what the problem is and attempt to correct the problem.

Finally, a couple should always be willing to do whatever is necessary to maintain ownership for the wedding plans if they choose to do so. This may mean making some difficult decisions but it can also greatly improve the outcome of the wedding for the engaged couple. In a case where one set of parents or both parents are contributing to the cost of the wedding and being overly pushy about decisions it may be worthwhile for the engaged couple to consider paying for the wedding themselves. The couple may not be able to have as elaborate as a wedding but in the end they will be happier with the results if they are free to make all of the decisions during the planning process than they would be if they are being influenced by others.

Children can be a wonderful addition to any wedding party. Flower girls and ring bearers are the traditional roles help by children in a wedding but youngsters can fill a number of other roles in the wedding. The inclusion of children in a wedding can certainly add a great deal of delight to the wedding but it is important to remember it can also add a great deal of uncertainty to the wedding as well. Older children can usually be counted on to perform tasks but there is no such guarantee with younger children. With that understanding couples who opt to include children in their weddings should make this decision with the understanding that there may be some surprises along the way and these surprises may not be pleasant. As long as the couple has a good attitude about having children in the wedding they will not allow these minor bumps in the road to become major problems that destroy the wedding. This article will discuss strategies for having the best possible results when including children in the wedding.

First and foremost couples who decide to include children in their wedding day festivities should always have a Plan B. This is especially true when the children involved are very young because young children cannot always be counted on to do what is expected of them. They may have not slept well the night before, they may be hungry, they may get stage fright or they may fall and skin their knee right before they walk down the aisle and any one of these events can cause a meltdown of epic proportions. The best way to deal with these uncertainties is to have the child’s mother or father standing by to assist. It is also important to be willing omit the child’s part in the wedding at the last minute if it looks as though he or she is not going to cooperate happily in the wedding procession.

It is also important to practice with the child beforehand instead of expecting the little one to know exactly what to do with just a few verbal instructions right before the start of the wedding. Practice will fully prepare the child for the day’s events and will give him or her a better understanding of the expectations for the day of the wedding. However, it is very important to remember there is such a thing as too much practice. There may be temptation to have the child repeat the action over and over again until it is perfect but this plan can backfire. Most children, especially young children, can get bored very easily. They are much more likely to perform their tasks during the wedding if it still novel to them. It is also very important to keep practice session short and fun. If practicing for the wedding is not fun for the child there is very little chance they will do what is expected of them on the day of the wedding.

Another good idea for couples who wish to include children in the wedding is to have a friend or family member who is responsible for entertaining the children who will be participating in the wedding ceremony. This will not only help to keep the children entertained and happy while they wait for their turn but it will eliminate the stress of worrying about the children from the bride and the groom. The person responsible for caring for and entertaining the children may be a parent of one or more of the children or a friend or relative who has experience caring for young children.

Finally, any wedding which includes children should be sure to have video cameras rolling at all times. The couple will undoubtedly already have a video camera operator on hand to capture the details of the wedding ceremony and reception but they should also be instructed to be aware of the children in the wedding party. An experienced wedding video camera operator will be skilled at capturing the children at their best which is also when they are most likely to say or do things which will be cherished memories for the couple.

Hiring a Wedding Photographer…

The photographs taken on your wedding day will serve as cherished mementos of your wedding day for years to come. Your wedding portrait will likely hang in a prominent location in your home. You will likely include a wedding photo with your thank you notes. Close family members may also display your wedding photo in their home. With so many people seeing these photos you want to be sure they are the very best. With so much riding on these photos it is a good idea for the couple to take this decision very seriously. This article will provide sage advice for how to select a wedding photographer.

First and foremost a couple should not even consider hiring a wedding photographer without seeing his portfolio. This is so important because the portfolio will give the couple the best indication of the quality of photographs the photographer is capable of taking. The couple should look for a number of things when viewing these photos. Obviously they should examine the pictures for clarity, lighting shadowing and other elements. The pictures should be clear, the lighting should appear natural and there should not be any shadows distracting from the subject of the picture.

The technical quality of the photos is not all the couple should look for. They should also examine the photos to see how natural the subjects of the photos look. This is important because they want themselves as well as their friends and family members to appear natural in the pictures and not overly posed. The couple should also note whether or not the photographer takes a wide range of photos in many different poses or whether he seems to have only a limited number of creative poses. The couple should also note if the photographer seems equally comfortable taking pictures in indoor settings and outdoor settings.

In addition to examining the portfolios of the wedding photographers it is also important to interview the photographer. This is important because the couple will be sharing the most important day of their lives with this person so they want to be sure it is someone they are comfortable with. The photographer will likely spend awhile with the bride in her home before the wedding where he takes a number of shots of her preparing for the wedding. He will also likely drop by the location of the ceremony to take similar shots of the groom with his groomsmen.

After the couple has had the opportunity to examine portfolios and interview the wedding photographers they should be almost ready to make a decision. The last factor they will have to consider is the price for the photographer’s services as well as the cost of the photographs. Some photographers will charge a flat rate for their services which includes an assortment of photographs. They may also have prices for additional prints. Other photographers may just charge a flat fee for their services and a set of proofs which the couple can use to order additional prints. Some couples prefer only paying for the proofs because they want to make decisions about the number and size of prints they order after they see the proofs. All of these details should be carefully detailed in the contract and the couple should be sure of these details before they make a commitment and sign the contract.

Hiring An Entertainer For Your Wedding…

After months, or maybe even more than a year, of planning most couples just want to have a good time at their wedding and not worry about anything. However, one of the planning aspects of the wedding planning which can help to make this possible is good planning by the couple. This is because hiring the right entertainer for their wedding can really make a difference in the amount of fun the couple has as well as the amount of fun the rest of the guests have at the wedding. This article will provide some practical advice for hiring an entertainer for your wedding.

The first step in hiring an entertainer for your wedding is deciding whether you want to have a DJ or a live band for your wedding. There are advantages and disadvantages to both options. The couple should consider these advantages and disadvantages as well as their personal preferences in making this important decision. The advantages to hiring a DJ are it typically less expensive than hiring a live band and the DJ will likely have a much larger song list than a band will have. The advantages of a live band are that they can be more dynamic than a DJ and they will produce a more powerful sound.

Once the couple has decided between a DJ and a band it is time to start seeking out recommendations from trusted sources. Consider asking trusted friends and family members for recommendations. This is the best option for finding great performers because your friends and family members are likely to give you unbiased opinions of these performers. The entertainers they recommend may include entertainers who performed at their own weddings or entertainers they have seen perform at other weddings. Based on these recommendations the couple can narrow down a large number of available performers to just a few entertainers. Once this is done the couple can interview these few entertainers. Most wedding entertainers will have demo videos the couple can view to get a feel for the entertainer’s style which makes it easy for the couple to choose the performer they feel will do the best job at the wedding.

Once an entertainer is selected for the wedding it is very important to begin contract negotiations with the entertainer. Ideally the couple will have started the process of selecting the entertainer well before the wedding date. It is recommended that this process start around 5-7 months before the wedding date because great entertainers are often booked well in advance. Searching for an entertainer early will help to ensure the performers are not already booked but the first stage of contract negotiations should be to define the date and time of the wedding. This will ensure the entertainer will not book another wedding for this date and time. The contract for the performer should also include the fees for the services of the entertainer and the services he is expected to provide. Most experienced wedding entertainers will have an existing contract but the couples should carefully review this contract before signing it to ensure all of the items they want included in the contract are covered. Most entertainers are happy to make small amendments to the contract as long as the couple’s requests are within reason.

Finally, once the entertainer is booked for the wedding the process is not completely over. The couple will still be in contact with the entertainer before the wedding date. Approximately two weeks before the wedding the couple should contact the entertainer to confirm the details of the wedding including the date, time and location. During this time they should also provide a song list.

Did we just say red? Sure why not? Who says the bride always has to wear white. The point is this is your wedding and you should do things your way. If you want to waltz down the aisle in a scarlet red gown, go for it. If you are not quite that daring but want to wear a pair of red high heals with your white gown or accent your gown with red, go for it. Never be afraid to make decisions about your wedding just because you think they clash with tradition. This is the most important day of your life and if you are not true to yourself you will regret your decisions to conform for the rest of your life. This article will discuss some ways a couple can deviate from tradition when planning their wedding.

Most wedding receptions take place in elegant dining halls but this is not the only option for a wedding reception. Some couples opt to select a location that is important to them instead. For example a couple who had a first date in a chain restaurant may want to remember this earlier time by holding their reception in the same location. This may mean the cuisine is not exactly fine dining but sometimes allowing the guests to share a special memory with the couple is more important than feeding them the most elegant fare.

The inclusion of a maid of honor and best man is another aspect of planning a wedding where the couple may wish to deviate from tradition. Traditionally the groom will select a best man and the bride will select a bridesmaid. However, it is not always the case that the closest friend or relative to the groom is a man and the closest friend or relative to the bride is a woman. If the groom has a close female relative or friend and the bride has a close male relative or friend they wish to honor with a special position in the wedding this is perfectly acceptable.

The choice of music the couple selects for the wedding ceremony also does not have to follow tradition. Most brides look forward to entering the wedding ceremony to the dramatic wedding march but if there is another song the couple would prefer there is no reason why they should feel as though they cannot use less traditional music. In particular if the bride to be or groom to be is a musician they may wish to showcase their own music during the ceremony and this can be a welcomed addition.

A traditional wedding has the bride preceded by a flower girl leaving flower petals as she walks down the aisle. However, just because this is tradition, the flower girl does not have to leave a trail of flower petals. There are a number of different options available that the couple may want to investigate. A trail of glitter will leave a glittering walkway for the bride as she enters. A trail of jelly beans will be extremely colorful although there is the risk that the bride will slip on one of the jelly beans. Basically the couple can have the flower girl drop anything they wish down the aisle. Even popcorn can be used to line the aisle.

Firing Your Wedding Planner…

Let’s face it; hiring a wedding planner can be very helpful. It can help to make the whole process of planning a wedding much easier and can alleviate a great deal of the stress normally associated with planning a wedding. However, if the couple is not careful to select the right wedding planner it can also sometimes cause more trouble than it is worth. This is especially true in cases where the wedding planner is either not listening to the couple and making decisions they do not approve of and in cases where the wedding planner is neglecting important tasks.

According to the adage, an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. Keeping with this thought it is always a good idea for couples to carefully screen potentially wedding planners before selecting one of them to assist them in the planning of one of the most important days of their lives. It can be way too easy to get swept up in the excitement and simply hire the first wedding planner that comes along. However, this is not a good idea. It may work out alright in some cases but if things do not work out the plans for the wedding can be ruined. To avoid these types of problems, seek out experienced wedding planners who come highly recommended by trusted sources. Then interview these highly qualified candidates to select the one who is the best match in terms of price, style and personality.

Even a couple who does all the right things in selecting a wedding planner may decide at some point that they have made a mistake. They may realize the wedding planner they selected is not qualified or is just not a good match in terms of style and personality. Regardless of the reason for the problems it is best to fire the wedding planner as soon as possible if things are not working out. This will help to ensure the couple has as much time as possible to either hire another wedding planner or plan the rest of the wedding themselves. It is worthwhile to attempt to resolve problems before firing the wedding planner but if these attempts do not work, the couple should not feel bad about making the decision to let the wedding planner go.

Hopefully, when the wedding planner was hired there was some type of contract signed. This contract should not only detail the expected duties of the wedding planner and the fees for her services but should also address the issue of terminating the contract. The contract should also spell out the terms associated with ending the contract early. A well written contract will ensure an amicable separation. However, if a contract is not signed and the agreement between the wedding planner and the couple is a verbal one, the issue of terminating the contract can be more difficult. In some cases it may even require the intervention of a mediator or judge. This can really add stress to the wedding planner process especially if the couple is behind in planning because of the problems with the wedding planner.

Finally, couples who fire their wedding planners should follow a few basic guidelines. First they should keep all communications with the wedding planner on a professional level and should avoid becoming overly emotional. This is important because burning bridges is never a good idea. Also, the couple should take care to have a plan of action for finishing the planning of the wedding when they fire their wedding planner. This may involve hiring another wedding planner or taking care of arrangements by themselves.

Favors for Your Wedding…

Giving out wedding favors is an excellent way for couples to show their appreciation to the guests who attended their wedding. These small gifts should be selected to be meaningful and meant to be a cherished memento of the wedding day for the guests. However, many couples have a great deal of trouble selecting favors for their wedding. This article will provide some tips on selecting wedding favors.

First couples should carefully consider the theme for their wedding. This is important because selecting a wedding favor that coordinates with the theme can help to tie the theme together. Additionally, a wedding favor which relates to the theme of the wedding will help wedding guests to remember details of the wedding more accurately because the favors will serve as a visual cue to the memories of the wedding day.

Next they should consider the budget they have set for purchasing favors for their guests. In general the cost of favors is not very expensive. However, when you consider you must purchase one for each guests, or couple, attending the wedding the cost can quickly add up. Even if the cost of the favors is only $3 per favor a wedding with three hundred guests would need a budget of $900 to accommodate these favors. However, couples who have a shorter guest list may be able to purchase more expensive favors for their guests.

When selecting favors it is important to carefully consider how the favor will be received by the guests. This is important because the couple wants to give a gift which will be well received. The favor they select should have some value to the guests. This may mean the favor is something useful or the favor is something which will be cherished by the guest in some other way.

Finally, couples will have to consider whether or not the favors they select come wrapped or whether the couple will have to wrap these favors themselves. This is an important consideration because wrapping hundreds of favors just weeks or even days before the wedding can be very time consuming, tedious and stressful. For some couples the decision between one favor and another is sometimes made based on whether or not the favors come pre-wrapped just because the couple realizes this is not a task they will want to take on right before the wedding day.

Shopping for wedding favors can seem tedious at times. Whether the couple visits traditional stores or shops online they will likely see many options for wedding favors and after awhile it can be very difficult to remember which favors they really liked or didn’t like. It can also be difficult to remember per unit prices, wrapping options and details associated with the wedding favors. For this reason we recommend taking notes on each favor the couple is seriously considering and even taking snapshots or printing pictures, if shopping online, to make comparisons much easier. Then once the couple has a chance to compile the information they need to make a decision, they should wait a day or two before making the final decision. Taking this break between the time the couple comparison shops and the time when they make the actual decision will give them the chance to consider everything involved and make the best possible decision. It is far too easy to rush to make a decision and wind up regretting the decision

For most brides the dress is considered to be one of the most important decisions the bride will make during the process of planning her wedding. Most brides also agree that selecting a cake designer and designing the perfect wedding cakes it the second most important decision the bride will make. These two items are considered to be so important because they are two symbols of the wedding which are most likely to be remembered by the guests at the wedding. Wedding guests are likely to talk about the wedding for days or even weeks after the wedding and the two things they are most likely to talk about are the dress and the cake. For this reason most brides feel a great deal of pressure about choosing these items. This article will provide some advice on designing your wedding cake.

First and foremost a couple should choose an experienced and reputable cake designer to assist them in designing their wedding cake. We are all for giving others a chance to break into an industry but be honest with your self about whether or not you would really want to take a chance on a cake designer with little or no experience on the most important day of your life. By all means do your good deed by hiring an inexperienced cake designer looking to break into the business for your birthday or anniversary but go with someone who has the experience you can trust for your wedding cake. Seek out recommendations from trusted sources such as friends or family members and ask for references – and check these references carefully- from cake designers who do not come personally recommended to you.

Once you begin meeting with cake designers always ask to see samples of their previous work. This is incredibly important because you will likely notice the cake designer has a particular style. The cakes may all be different but you will likely notice there are some style elements which are common to many, or all, of the cakes she has designed. If there is anything about this you do not like it might be time to eliminate this cake designer because you will not likely be 100% satisfied with your wedding cake.

It is also very important to consider the overall attitude of the cake designer. Ideally you want to select a cake designer who listens to your expectations but is realistic about whether or not these expectations can be met. This is important because the last thing you want is a cake designer who promises you they are capable of designing an outrageous cake only to have the cake crumble during your wedding. Likewise you don’t want to deal with a cake designer who is not willing to take some risks and insists you have a traditional cake when this is not what you want.

Once you have selected a cake designer to design, bake and assemble your wedding cake you should work closely with the cake designer during the design process to ensure the cake you receive is perfect for your wedding. During the design process the cake designer should be able to provide you with sketches to give you an idea of what the cake will look like. Now is the time to speak up. If the cake is round and you want a square cake don’t be afraid to voice your opinions. If the cake uses a lot of colored icing and you want to stick to white, speak up. Most professional cake designers will not be offended and will be happy to make changes.

Deciding On A Wedding Theme…

Without a doubt one of the most fun decisions a couple will make during the process of planning a wedding is choosing a theme for the wedding. It is not necessary to choose a theme for your wedding but it can certainly help to give the wedding a more defined personality. Also, having a particular theme for the wedding can make it much more fun for the guests. This article will provide some information on how a couple can integrate a theme into all aspects of their wedding and will also provide some advice on choosing a theme.

Couples who wish to incorporate a particular theme into their wedding plans should make a decision fairly early on in the wedding planning process about the type of theme they want to have. It is important to make this decision early because most couples start shopping around for invitations, thank you cards and personal stationary approximately five to seven months before the wedding date. This will give the couple plenty of time to select these items, order them and have them delivered in time to send the invitations out at least three months before the wedding date. Selecting wedding invitations that coordinate with the theme of the wedding will give guests a sneak preview of what to expect at the wedding.

If the wedding invitations can be used to give guests a sneak preview of the theme for the wedding the favors can be used to send guests home with a memento of the wedding which will always remind them of the theme. Incorporating the theme of the wedding into the favor for the guests is a good idea because it helps to create a memory for the guests. When favors are chosen without a great deal of thought or consideration they are often discarded shortly after the wedding. However, when the favors are chosen carefully to be tasteful reminders of the wedding the guests are much more likely to hold onto these items.

From the invitations to the favors there are many opportunities for the couple to tie the different elements together to coordinate with the theme. The bride’s gown, the groom’s attire, the cake, the place settings, the music, the food and the floral arrangements can all be tailored to really match the theme of the wedding and create a sense of cohesion. The couple will have to decide how many of these elements they want to incorporate into the theme. It is possible to allow the theme to extend to all elements of the wedding without appearing cheesy but is also easy to overdue the theme. For this reason the couple should be careful to avoid making tacky decisions.

Finally, while finding ways to incorporate a theme into every aspect of the wedding may not be difficult many couples find selecting a theme to be a considerably more difficult decision. The best advice we can offer is for the couple to select a theme that is truly meaningful to them. This is important because as much as the couple wants the guests to have a good time the wedding is for the couple and they will regret their decision if they are not true to themselves. We also recommend selecting a theme which will be fairly easy to incorporate into a number of different elements of the wedding. This is important because an obscure theme may sound like a great idea but if the couple is not able to find more than a few coordinating design elements the guests may not even be able to determine whether or not there was a theme to the wedding.

Deciding on the menu can be a challenging issue for many couples. This is because there are not only a wide range of options available but there may be a number of dietary restrictions the couple is also considering. This article will discuss some of the issues involved in selecting a menu for a wedding and provide strategies for helping a couple to deal with this process.

The very first decision a couple will have to make in regards to the menu for the wedding is the type of food they plan to offer. This may include options such as a sit down dinner with multiple courses, a buffet featuring one or more entrée items, hot or cold appetizers. The menu may be professionally catered or prepared by a friend or family member who is skilled in the kitchen. Also, there are a number of options to consider in regard to drinks. There may be an open bar, cash bar, non-alcoholic beverages only or the inclusion of a champagne toast. The budget for the wedding will figure prominently into the process of making these decisions. Sit down dinners where the guests have a choice between two or more entrees will be more expensive than a buffet featuring one or more entrees. Likewise the buffet options will typically be more expensive than receptions featuring appetizers and dessert only. Once the couple determines the type of menu they can afford, they should also consider which type of reception they would prefer. For example a multiple course sit down dinner will take longer than a buffet line so if the couple has other activities planned they may want the dinner portion of the evening to be kept short.

Many couples get caught up in worrying over dietary constraints that close friends or family members may have. These may be medical induced constraints such as requiring a low sugar or low salt diet or requiring the omission of foods that trigger allergic reactions or they may be based on personal preference such as eating a vegetarian or vegan diet due to certain beliefs. There may be religious limitations on the type of food guests are able to eat. In general the couple should not allow these dietary constraints to dictate the menu decisions unless the majority of the guests share these dietary limitations. However, if there only a few guests who have special dietary needs the couple can plan a menu based on their personal preferences but request special meals for these few guests. Most caterers will provide a few special meals either at no extra cost or for a very small fee.

Finally, couples should realize this is their wedding day and should make decisions they will be happy with instead of worrying too much about making everyone else happy. It is very important for the couple to celebrate in the way that will be most meaningful to them because this is a day they will remember forever. There are certainly couples who will not be happy unless they have the most elegant menu possible while others will be happy with a much simpler menu. Whether that means filet mignon in the most elegant reception hall or cheeseburgers at a local restaurant doesn’t matter as long as the couples will enjoy and cherish the celebration.

Bridal Party Decisions…

One of the important parts of planning a wedding is making decisions about the bridal party. These decisions may seem to not be terribly important but they can actually cause a great deal of stress for some couples. In particular couples who have many siblings or close friends may have a great deal of trouble making these decisions. The most important decision associated with the bridal party is who will be included but this is not the only decision to be made. It is also important to consider the attire for the bridal party and the role they will play in the wedding. This article will discuss some of the important bridal party decisions a couple will have to make during the process of planning their wedding.

Obviously the first decision a couple has to make in regards to their bridal party is how large will the bridal party be and who will be included in the bridal party. These decisions cause a great deal of stress for couples who have a large number of siblings and close friends. There is a lot of pressure to include everyone in the wedding but it does not always seem practical to have a very large bridal party. The couple should work together to make these decisions and should carefully consider each member they are considering for the bridal party. Ideally there will be an equal number of bridesmaids and groomsmen but this is not always the case. Having equal number of bridesmaids and groomsmen in the bridal party certainly adds symmetry to wedding photos but it should not be the deciding factor. Couples should be willing to have unequal numbers in certain situations especially where there are people who are very important to the couple.

Once the couple has decided on the size of their bridal party and selected individuals to be in the bridal party it is time to think about which members would be ideal as the maid of honor or the best man. Ideally these special bridal party members will not only be the closest friend or family member to the bride and groom respectively but will also be capable of assisting the bride and the groom in the wedding preparation in whatever way they are needed. Some brides and grooms may rely heavily on the maid of honor and best man to assist in the wedding plans and preparations while other brides and grooms may just expect the maid of honor and best man to be there to talk to about the plans or even vent to when things are not going well. Regardless of the expectations it is important to discuss these issues with the maid of honor or best man beforehand so no one is disappointed.

Once the bridal party has been selected it is time to start thinking about the attire for these members of the wedding party. For the groomsmen this is usually a pretty simple decision. One trip to the tuxedo rental store for measurements and to order tuxedos is usually all that is necessary. Some grooms may have different requirements though and this can make the attire issue a little more tricky. However, this is usually nothing in comparison to the decisions the bride and her bridesmaids will have to make. Shopping for bridesmaids’ dresses is usually much more complicated. Some brides may opt to select a dress on their own but most will have all of the bridesmaids come with them to try on dresses. This will help to ensure the dress that is selected compliments all of the bridesmaids. It can be difficult to find a color and style that suits everyone. However, in most cases, it can be done.

Another important decision to be made in regard to the bridal party is the role they will play in the wedding. In most cases, the groomsmen will serve as ushers before the ceremony and escort the bridesmaids into the ceremony and reception. The bridesmaids will precede the bride in the ceremony and reception and will also likely assist the bride in the preparation on the morning of the wedding. This may include tasks such as assisting the bride in getting dressed and doing her hair and makeup and overseeing the last minute preparations in the reception room.

Before You Hire a Wedding Planner…

There is no denying the fact that planning a wedding can be incredibly stressful. There are so many details to coordinate and keep track of that it is so easy to let something slip through the tracks and get either overlooked or not given enough attention. Sure there are some brides, and grooms, who are such perfectionists that they will not delegate even a single task but for others who are willing to enlist the help of a professional a wedding planner can really make a huge difference. Not only can the wedding planner make life so much easier for the bride by handling and coordinating many of the details of the wedding but she can also help the bride find great deals through connections she may have in the industry and can make recommendations for experienced professionals that will help to make the wedding day perfect. This article will discuss some things to consider before hiring a wedding planner.

First and foremost a bride should carefully consider the type of role a wedding planner will play in the process of planning the wedding. Some brides may be confident handing over all of the planning details to a wedding planner, some brides may only allow a wedding planner to perform a few minor tasks and most brides will fall somewhere in the middle of this spectrum. The majority of brides who hire a wedding planner want to be involved in every step of the process but are intimidated by the prospect of planning the wedding so they rely on the wedding planner to keep track of details, make sure nothing is overlooked and deal with vendors.

Next a bride, along with anyone else involved in paying for the wedding, will have to consider the fees charged by the wedding planner. This is very important because depending on the amount of work required the cost of employing a wedding planner can add significantly to the budget for the wedding. Some wedding planners charge an hourly rate, some charge for each task handled by the wedding planner and some charge a flat fee for all of the services provided to assist in the wedding planning and preparations. It is important to understand these fees beforehand and to have a contract that carefully outlines all of the services which will be performed by the wedding planner and the fees that will be paid to the wedding planner. Without this type of contract there are likely to be disputes. However, with a contract in place the bride and the wedding planner can proceed with confidence that everyone involved knows what is expected of them during the process of planning the wedding.

When it is time to start narrowing down your options for wedding planners it is very important to seek out recommendations from trusted sources. Friends or family members who have used a wedding planner in the past will likely give you an honest opinion of whether or not a particular wedding planner is a worthwhile investment. Brides should also use the Internet to learn about wedding planners and search for reviews. There may be hundreds of wedding planners located in your city but if you start by only considering those who come highly recommended your search will be much easier.

Once you use personal recommendations and online reviews to narrow your field of wedding planners down to a few contenders it is time to schedule interviews .This is incredibly important for a number of reasons. First of all you want to select a wedding planner who is capable of planning a wedding that will meet your expectations and suit your style. Ask to see pictures from previous weddings and ask for details on the role played by the wedding planner. It is also important to get a good feel for the wedding planner’s personality during this interview. This is significant because you will be spending a great deal of time with the wedding planner over the course of the next few months. If you can’t get along with her it can not only be uncomfortable but may result in you not having your dream wedding.