Make sure you get all the right photos…..

We all know photographs make the wedding last forever, so make sure you get all the right shots in. While most experienced wedding photographers should have this down, it can’t hurt to be equipped with the knowledge of which shots are standard and which to have fun with. So I made a list of needs and wants to help you ensure all the right shots have been taken:

NEEDS: The Bride 1. With flowers 2. Close-up 3. Full-length shot 4. Back of dress The Groom 1. Close-up 2. Full-length shot The Bride and her family 1. Bride & Mom 2. Bride & Dad 3. Bride & siblings 4. Family portrait The Groom and his family 1. Groom & Mom 2. Groom & Dad 3. Groom & siblings 4. Family portrait The Wedding Party (Be sure to get some fun shots in) 1. Maid of Honor (by herself & with the bride) 2. Best Man (by himself & with the groom) 3. Bridesmaids (as a group & with the bride) 4. Groomsmen (as a group & with the groom) 5. Flower girl(s) & Ring bearer(s) – themselves and with the couple The Newlyweds 1. Full-length shot (I prefer outdoor shots, but don’t be afraid to be creative) 2. Waist-up shot (with and without flowers) 3. The couple with the priest or minister 4. The couples’ hands wearing their wedding rings (just hands and/or looking at your hands….give your best soap opera face) Grandparents

WANTS: The Church/Ceremony Venue – the exterior and an overall view of the interior when all the guests have arrived. If you can take this from a balcony, those are really nice pictures. Arrival – if the bride arrives by limo, take a picture of her getting out.Anticipation – if you are able to, go behind the scenes and take pictures of the bride and groom (or anyone) as they are waiting for the ceremony to begin. Musicians – if someone special is singing or playing an instrument, you will want to document that. Lectors – if someone special is doing the readings or prayers, you will want to document that, too. Procession – the bridesmaids & groomsmen walking in, etc. Bride & Dad – walking in & lifting her veil. Vows – the couple holding hands looking at each other. Rings – the exchange of rings. The First Kiss Man & Wife – Oh have fun with this one, feel free to run towards the camera, come bursting out of the door of the ceremony venue, Bubbles – Hey why not? Limousine – Getting into and out of the getaway car Reception Hall – Photograph the interior and the exterior, including any signs that indicate the location. If your names are on any signs, it’ll make for a great photo. Table Settings & Centerpieces Receiving Line The Toast – Of course Gift Table – Ask your reception venue to provide an elegant looking gift table if this is something you’ll want. The Cake – Make sure this shot is taken before you eat it….tends to make a difference. Father-Daughter Dance – This is traditionally the first dance. Daddy dances with his daughter and then her groom cuts in at the end of the song which leads to… First Dance – as husband and wife. General Dance Floor – Try to get as many embarrassing shots of guests as possible, but also shots of you two having fun with the group. Garter/Bouquet Toss – From him pulling off the garter with his teeth to the moment the single women start fighting over the bouquet, keep that camera loaded and ready. Departure – The goodbye and so long shot, or at least that what I like to call it.

 

Need some design inspiration?

It happens, I know. You’ve looked through magazines and photos of design ideas and you’re still not sold on anything. Well maybe this site can help. Elizabeth Allis and Company has lots of great ideas for stationary, ring pillows, guestbooks, favors and more. They have an online design studio to break down certain elements to help pick and choose what you want your designs to look like. Check out this site, it just may keep you sane…..at least for another week or two.

Elizabeth Allis and Company

 

Outfits for a daytime wedding

 

Daytime weddings usually call for dress that’s a little less formal, but you should always go with the recommendation on the invitation. Some people have formal daytime weddings, so you should be prepared to rent a tux or find an elegant dress if your friends are having a fancy wedding in the middle of the day.

Formality is largely based on length, and daytime dresses tend to be shorter, whereas evening gowns are always floor length. One of the prettiest looks for a daytime wedding gown is the ballerina-length tea gown. These dresses usually have a belled skirt: in the summer they tend to be sleeveless, and the whole look is slightly retro and very charming. Guests will also wear shorter dresses, but probably not as fluffy. Look for a sheath that ends around the knee: this may be an ideal occasion for your favorite Little Black Dress and a pair of medium-heeled pumps.

Jewelry is toned down in the daytime, and gloves may be worn, but they will probably be wrist-length. Tiara-type hair ornaments are definitely out, unless you’re the bride, and lots of sequins or beads, which may look classy in starlight, can look tacky in the bright light of day. Go simpler, and let the fabrics do the talking. Skip satin in favor of silk, which has less shine but more luster. If the weather is nice, a linen dress can be the epitome of understated elegance.
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How about your very own wedding song?

We all know there are plenty of wedding songs to choose from and chances are you have a close friend who used a song that you had ear-marked to be your wedding song. So while to tussle with the idea of copying your friend, other people are making their own wedding song. Enter TailoredMusic.com. Here is a company that lets you customize the lyrics of a song and they’ll record it for you. It’s an interesting concept for creating your own wedding day song that no one else will have. If you know what you want to say, great. If you need their help, they’ll work with you. They let you take mainstream songs and “Tailor” the lyrics to you and your special someone.

 

Wedding cakes limited only by imagination

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When it comes to custom-designed wedding cakes, simple doesn’t mean plain, and over-the-top doesn’t mean gaudy. When a bride sits down with a cake designer and says she wants something with clean lines, she still may want delicately designed sugar flowers, edible pearl trim or lacework that matches her grandmother’s antique veil. In the world of designer cakes, it all makes sense.

Today, brides are limited only by their imaginations and the designer’s talent.

The most popular wedding cakes are those with intricate designs, lace and scrollwork and cascades of sugar flowers. Brides also can choose from flavorful icings, luscious fillings, exotic flavors and even all-natural, organic or vegan ingredients. And, if you can’t narrow your choice down to one cake, no problem. How about a bridal shower cake, a groom’s cake or even cupcakes to complement the wedding cake? Colors also are hot on the wedding cake circuit.

“Nobody wants a stark white cake anymore,” said Mona Sokhi of Mona’s Confections in Melville. “They might want ivory, or pale pink or even pale blue, but not white.”

Vibrant accent colors in the sugar work also are popular, Sokhi said.

When the budget allows, a second custom-designed cake for the bridal shower gets the nod. Sokhi said these aren’t as formal as the wedding cake and usually are more colorful, often matching the bride’s wedding colors. Cupcakes are another way the bride can put an edible signature on the festivities — either as part of a dessert plate or as a take-home favor.

Grooms’ cakes also are popular, says Corey Messina, co-owner of La Bonne Boulangerie, which has locations in Port Jefferson, East Norwich and Levittown. The groom’s cake is a secondary, usually more whimsical cake, often themed around the groom’s interests, he adds. In the South, it traditionally was chocolate or red velvet, cake designers say. In the movie “Steel Magnolias,” the red velvet groom’s cake was shaped like an armadillo.

Jay Ellis, owner of Cakes by Jay in Glen Cove, said he is seeing more sugar detailing and fresh flowers topping wedding cakes. Brides also are shelling out $300 to $400 for porcelain figures that sit next to the cake instead of on top of it, he says.

Cakes, which usually are priced per slice, range from an inexpensive $4 a slice to the average, $7 to $10 a slice, Ellis says. Details, such as cascading sugar florals and hand-molded and hand-painted decorations, can add from $1,000 to $5,000 to the price, he says. And, top-name designers easily charge $10,000 or more for an elaborately decorated cake.

Just as brides have likes and dislikes, Ellis and Sokhi have strong feelings about what works and what doesn’t.

“I’m so glad the basket-weave cake is out,” Ellis says. “It was so ’90s. Any sort of plastic topper is out. Shortening in the icing is out. Cakes that look like they’re falling over are out. The tiered cakes where you see through the layers are out, out, out!”

Sokhi, who makes all of her fillings, dislikes plastic columns that go between layers. “They’re ugly; they make the cake unstable,” she says, adding that some cake makers use them to make the cake appear bigger, so they can charge more for it.

Wedding cakes should taste delicious, says Messina. But sometimes they don’t, because cake designers skimp on the quality of their ingredients, apply too much fondant or take several days to create the cake, he says.

“Make sure everything is fresh to order,” says Messina, “and that the cake is made that day.”

By SYLVIA KING-COHEN, Newsday

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LOOKING FOR CREATIVE WEDDING CAKE IDEAS? Check out Wildflower’s Wedding Cakes for cool photos.

 

Picking A Photographer Straight From the Horses Mouth

Finding unbiased answers today is not easy to do, especially when someone has a vested interest. However, I can across this site for picking wedding photographers by wedding photographers and I must say it’s good information. There is a fairly complete set of FAQ’s and even sample contracts; information that is great to have when starting out in your search for a photographer.

Here is the link to the site. Check it out and leave comments about what you think back here!

http://www.wedfog.com

 

Green Moves into the Wedding Scene

Green is becoming the new white — at least when it comes to weddings.

As people continue to seek “greener” alternatives in everything from their food to transportation, more engaged couples are taking the plunge into conservation efforts for their wedding day, too.

Tim Reese, a farm supervisor for the Three Rivers Park District in……

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Wedding Planning Stress Sydrome

Getting married soon? Nervous about the big day? Having jitters already? Learn how to beat the pre-wedding and wedding jitters. Overcome Wedding Planning Stress Syndrome, a term coined by former bride and wedding photographer assistant Victoria Carrington so that you will look and feel your best on your big day!

I was once a bride and I am now the assistant to Sam Carrington, my husband, owner of Sam Carrington Photography specializing in wedding photography. I have combined my experience with my continuing observation of brides and brides-to-be to coin the term Wedding Planning Stress Syndrome. Every bride knows that there is nothing more nerve-wracking than planning a huge event, especially one that will change your life forever (hopefully). How can you be aware of and……

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Wedding Favors Trend Report: 2007

Eco-friendly Wedding Favors: Also known as “green” favors or eco-favors, favors that are made from biodegradable material or recyclable material. Mini pots of plants, flower seeds, or trees, for example. Packaging material such as recycled paper. Give a gift that gives back!

above top to bottom: Flower Seeds, Plantable Magic Bean in Handpainted Mini-Pot , and Braided Paper Cosmetic Pouches

I just stumbled on this – Check out Portovert! A new magazine for those who want to give back to the Earth on their wedding day.

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Wedding Favor or Centerpiece Idea: Boxed Martini Candles

Boxed Martini CandleProduct Description:Planning a party or wedding these Boxed Scented Martini Candles in Silver Plated Cup are the perfect candle accessory. A silver plated martini cup is filled with exotic petal scented ivory wax to create this beautifully candle. Sold individually and boxed as shown.Isn’t it cute? I’d either use it as a wedding…..

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