Memorable Pre-Wedding Photography

In the rush to get everything ready for your wedding, it can be easy to forget to slow down and take the time to simply enjoy your engagement. Many couples do not even think about having professional pictures taken until they are already married and hear about someone else’s engagement pictures. That’s when you say, “Darn! I wish I had thought of that sooner!”. The last thing that you want to feel later is regret over a missed opportunity, so be sure to find time in your busy schedule for some pre-wedding photographs.

It used to be that engagement photos were very formal. The traditional pictures were generally composed as a close-up shot of the engaged couples from about the waist up. The bride would usually wear a pretty dress, and maybe a piece of her wedding jewelry if she already had it. The groom typically wore either a suit or a nice sweater or golf shirt. As people have gotten away from formal or stiff wedding photography, this style of engagement portrait has fallen from favor. One exception would be the couple who is planning to have an engagement announcement in the newspaper, in which case, this may be exactly the type of picture that is needed.

Just because posed wedding portraiture has gone out of style does not mean that you should skip the engagement photos altogether. The new trend in pre-wedding pictures is to have images taken that are fresh, playful, and creative. These photos are intended to capture the spirit and personalities of the bride and groom-to-be. To make this happen, engagement photos are now being taken in interesting locations, with festive attire, and with whimsical props.

Golf courses, carnivals and fairs, museums, and parks are all wonderful sites for your engagement photo shoot. As it is a special event, you will want to choose a lovely outfit, even if the locale is low-key. Imagine a picture of the two of you drifting around the carousel at the fair; the bride can wear a pretty sundress accented with her wedding jewelry, and the groom can wear a nice button down shirt. The final result will be pictures that are playful, memorable, and that capture some of the spark of young love.

Boots and Black Tie Weddings

If you are a Texan, you probably know just what I mean by a boots and black tie wedding. The literal meaning of a boots and black tie wedding or event is that the gentlemen wear black tie attire, but instead of the traditional shoes, they wear a great pair of cowboy boots (your dressy black cowboy boots, please, not the scuffed up ones that you wear working on the ranch!). At this type of party, the ladies will also wear very elegant attire, most often long dresses, but they are also free to add some character to their outfits, as well. Western inspired details are the most common choice, and some of the ladies may also decide to wear a very fancy pair of boots as well under a long full skirt.

The spirit of a boots and black tie wedding is one of relaxed elegance. In other words, it is black tie, which is formal, and yet, festive, fun, and above all, never stuffy. The bride can wear any gown that strikes her fancy, although with the men in black tie, it needs to be fairly dressy. An all-over lace gown can be the perfect answer, and if the skirt is full enough, the bride can even wear her own pair of boots under it (this is cute under a full skirt, because the boots will only peek out once in a while). To bring the look back down to earth, unique handcrafted bridal jewelry is great, as is a loose hairstyle.

Part of the spirit of relaxed elegance will be achieved by the music at the wedding. You definitely want a great band for dancing to really get the good times rolling. If you are a true daughter of Texas, you might go with a hot country band. Brides who are not country music fans could consider another style of music with a folksy edge that will get the toes tapping, such as zydeco or Irish folk music. What to avoid? Anything too stuffy like classical music.

Food is always a big part of the festivities at a wedding.  Choose a whimsical cake topper to perch atop your dessert, such as a little bride and groom dressed in formal attire with cowboy boots (this is the type of thing that you can custom order from a website like etsy).

A boots and black tie wedding is a fun twist on the traditional formal black tie wedding. It is one of the rare occasions in life where you can have your cake and eat it, too; an elegant and stylish wedding that is also festive and fun. Whether you are a native son or daughter of the Lone Star State, or are just looking for inspiration for a great wedding theme, a boots and black tie wedding might be just what you have been looking for.

Wedding Etiquette for Divorced Parents

It is extremely common these days that either the bride, the groom, or both will have divorced parents. While hopefully, the families can put their differences aside for one day, there can be some sticky issues that arise. Etiquette to the rescue! With this guide to wedding etiquette for divorced parents in hand, it should make it easier to get through the wedding day in peace.

Beginning with the wedding invitation, when the bride’s parents are divorced, it is customary to list the name of each parent on a separate line, with any new spouses included. There is no point in trying to maintain the fiction that the bride’s parents are still a couple, nor is it acceptable to omit the name of a step-parent, even if the bride wishes that her parents were still married.  Regardless of financial contributions, the bride’s mother’s name is listed above her father’s name, in the spirit of “ladies first”.

Speaking of “ladies first”, at the wedding ceremony, it is generally going to be the bride or groom’s mother who occupies the place of honor in the first row or pew for the service. When the parents are divorced, the father will sit in the second row. Each parent can have their immediate family sit with them, and then the rest of the extended family can just be seated in the first available seats by the ushers, just like the rest of the guests.

One of the most difficult situations faced by brides with divorced parents involves the step-parents. Your wedding is one time when it is important to rise above petty differences and be as gracious as possible, which means being sweet and respectful to your step-mother, even if it is done through gritted teeth. For example, if the bride and groom are giving gifts of wedding jewelry to their mothers, it is also necessary to give any step-mothers similar wedding jewelry gifts. To not do so would definitely be a slight.

There are also cases where the bride has been primarily raised by her step-father, but is concerned about hurting her natural father’s feelings by diminishing his role in the wedding. Where this really comes into play is in deciding who should escort the bride down the aisle. The best advice that I can offer is to ask the man who you view as your “real father” to walk you down the aisle, and to let the other parent down as gently as possible. When the bride is truly torn, she will usually enlist her birth father for this special honor over a step-father.

Juggling divorced parents while planning a wedding is never easy, but in most cases, it can be managed well. As long as you try to be thoughtful of all parties involved, you will get through it just fine. And certainly knowing the proper wedding etiquette when questions do arise will help to make your job a bit easier.

Romantic Wedding Hair

A romantic hairstyle should always look soft and touchable (even if it is actually lacquered with hairspray). The first step towards achieving this effect is to evaluate your haircolor. It should look pretty and natural, never harsh or artificial. The most likely stumbling blocks are shades of blond that are too light, yellow, or brassy, or burgundy red haircolors never found in nature. Now it may take a number of hours in the salon to end up with your ideal “natural” look, but it should look as though you were just lucky enough to be born with such a pretty haircolor full of natural highlights.

When I envision romantic hair, the first image that comes to mind is the long flowing curls of a pre-Raphaelite beauty. The women in the pre-Raphaelite paintings embodied an innocent sensuality that is a lovely look for a bride. They wore their hair long and loose in soft waves or curls, which is a great hairstyle for a bride with long enough hair. Pull back little twists on each side of your head. This will get the hair out of your face, and will give you a place to anchor your veil and bridal hair jewelry. Keep your accessories simple; a few pearl hairpins or a dainty wreath look lovely with this hairdo.

Another romantic wedding hairstyle is a soft chignon or a loose bun. These styles look even more romantic if the hair is curled first and then loosely secured. It should look as though you could release a bobby pin and your whole beautiful mane would cascade down your shoulders. (Remember that this is only the look that you are going for; it may take dozens of bobby pins to actually pull it off.) A few soft and wispy tendrils can be left loose around the hairline and the nape of the neck, as long as it looks natural. Avoid at all costs the contrived spiral curled tendrils that will make you look like you are headed to the junior prom.

Less often seen, but no less pretty, is a well-executed braid. Once again, this will look the most romantic if the hair is made wavy before the braid is woven (kudos to you if your hair is naturally wavy). The braid should not be pulled too tightly or look too perfect. The most modern take on a braided wedding hairstyle is to have a few tiny braids on each side of the head that are then woven into the main braid. For your bridal hair jewelry, consider weaving a small strand of crystals into the braid to catch the light. It is a look that is both timeless and fresh, making it an ideal wedding hairstyle.

Fun Public Wedding Venues

There is a trend in weddings these days to get away from the expected and the traditional and instead to have more fun and be creative. A great way to achieve this is by having your wedding at a unique and fun venue, rather than the usual ballroom, club, or hall. These are some great ideas on the festive public places that you can consider for your wedding venue.

When you are having your wedding at a fun and unique place, you should definitely embrace the spirit of your site. For instance, there is no point trying to have a formal reception at a carnival or fair. Instead, get into the swing of it, by offering your guests cotton candy, candy apples, funnel cake, blooming onions, and other fair favorites. You can use your invitations to give your lucky guests a preview of your wedding. Design them to look like the admission ticket for a carnival by substituting your wedding details for the fair information, and blowing them up to a standard invitation size.

The wedding party attire should also fit in with the special venue. The bride can certainly still wear a white wedding gown (expect a massive dry cleaning bill afterwards!), but it should be lighthearted and whimsical, not serious or very traditional. Handcrafted bridal jewelry in pretty colors would make a nice alternative to the classic strand of pearls. You can have your bridal jewelry handcrafted to match the color of your bridesmaid dresses, or even go for a fun tutti-fruity mixture of colored crystals, would which suit a carnival or fair perfectly.

This is the type of wedding where hiring a really talented photographer is key, because you will have the opportunity to get some fantastic shots. Forget about posed group photos, and make your wedding album be all about capturing the enjoyable moments of your wedding reception. Take advantage of the special features of your reception site. For example, a Coney Island wedding would not be complete without some photos of the newlyweds on a wooden rollercoaster. The carnival offers many wonderful photographic backdrops, such as the ferris wheel, carousel, and even the strong man contest (maybe the groom can ring the bell and win a prize for his new bride!)

Your wedding is a time to have fun and celebrate. Choosing a unique and fun public place for your venue is one great idea to make your wedding a memorable and enjoyable time for your guests. As they say, let the good times roll!

Adults Only Wedding Receptions

Although children can be a lot of fun at a wedding, there are plenty of couples who decide to have adults only wedding receptions. There can be many reasons why you might choose to go this route, from financial to space to personal preference. These are some of the things to take into consideration when you are deciding whether or not to have kids at your wedding reception.

Generally, the main reason that a bride and groom opt for an adults only reception is not about cost, but about the type of event that they are hoping to have. Time of day is often a factor. For instance, perhaps your vision has always been a black tie wedding, so that the bride can really dress to the nines in a fancy wedding gown with custom bridal jewelry. Black tie wedding ceremonies always start at six in the evening or later, which would make for a very late reception. This is one of the strongest indicators that it is not an appropriate event for children. (Unless you don’t mind having some very grumpy overtired little ones at your reception.)

Sometimes it is less the time of day and more the flavor of the party that would call for an adults only reception. If you are planning to have a swanky cocktail party, maybe children running around under foot does not match up with your vision of a sophisticated and elegant reception. Perhaps you picture yourself hanging out in a cool custom lounge in your hip bridal gown and trendy jewelry; the pitter-patter of little feet might not really match up with this scenario.

Once the decision is made to have an adults only reception for your wedding, there will be a few things to keep in mind. The first one is how to make sure that it is perfectly clear to your guests that the wedding invitation does not extend to their offspring. The tricky part is to achieve this without offending anybody. You should also keep in mind that no matter how tactfully you handle the situation, there will be some guests who are offended anyway, and there may also be some families who will make the choice not to attend a wedding if they cannot bring their children. This is unfortunate, but there is really not much that the bride and groom can do about it, other than be as gracious as possible.

In certain instances, an adults only wedding reception is the perfect answer. This type of reception definitely lends itself to being more formal and more elegant. If that is your style, than an adults only reception may be right for you.

A Newlyweds’ Guide to Domestic Tranquility

Once the wedding and honeymoon are over, you will find yourself settling into your everyday life as a married couple. For some people, this is a smooth transition, but not all newlyweds find the early days of marriage to be quite as blissful as they had expected. To help avoid common problems, take a look at this newlyweds’ guide to domestic tranquility.

When you are used to living on your own, learning to share your space with another can be challenging. You and your new spouse likely have different habits around the house, and these differences can easily give rise to arguments. Many newlyweds find that it is the little pet peeves that are the most aggravating part of married life. The best way to keep small irritants from growing into big problems is to nip them in the bud. Frank communication tempered with a sense of humor is your best bet, whether it is his habit of leaving wet towels on the bed or her forgetting to replace the empty roll of toilet paper that is causing grumbling.

Something else that newlyweds need to work out early on is how much time they will devote to one another versus how much time each person wants to spend with his or her own friends. For instance, if the new husband has a standing Tuesday night poker game with his buddies, there is no reason that he should have to give that up just because he is now married. However, he might not be able to also keep up with the Thursday night bowling league, Friday night happy hour with the co-workers, and Sunday afternoon golfing expeditions. A reasonable compromise must be reached between giving up all pre-marriage activities versus spending no time at home with your new spouse.

Keeping the spark and romance alive is another key to a happy home life (not just for newlyweds, of course, but this is a good time to lay the foundation). Make time to do something special together. Many couples like to have a standing date night once a week or once a month, in which they go out for a romantic dinner. It is a fun opportunity to dress up and go someplace nice together; the new wife can even use date night as an excuse to break out her bridal jewelry to wear again. And a tip for the new husband: if you really want to keep the spark alive, it wouldn’t hurt to occasionally surprise your wife with a treat, such as a bouquet of her favorite flowers or a little trinket that matches her bridal jewelry set. With these tips in mind, you will be well on your way to having the happy household that you envisioned when you said, “I do”.

Wedding Engraving

A wedding is such a special occasion that it is only natural to want to find a way to create lasting memories of it. One great idea is to have pieces engraved; you can personalize everything from the wedding bands to the bridesmaid gifts to wedding presents. Here are some ideas on the things that you can have engraved for your wedding, as well as suggestions on what to write.

If you have only one thing engraved for your wedding, it should be the wedding rings. What you actually choose to put inside will depend on the size of the ring and your personal preferences, but you can generally expect to fit around 20 letters, spaces, and characters into a wedding band. If you are lucky, your jeweler may even throw in the engraving at no charge when you purchase the rings. The most traditional thing to put in a wedding band is the couple’s initials, with the wedding date in between them (you would put the bride’s initials first in the groom’s ring, and vice versa). Of course, feel free to be as expressive as you want with your mini-message. One of the funnier inscriptions that I have seen read, “Put this ring back on!”.

Gifts of bridesmaid jewelry are another wonderful thing to have personalized with an inscription. Sterling silver bracelets or necklaces with large flat charms make a thoughtful gift when engraved with the monogram of each bridesmaid. Classic gifts like engraved bridesmaid jewelry are the perfect way to express your gratitude to your attendants.

It is not only precious metals that can be engraved. Heavy glass and crystal can be inscribed as well, which leads to some great options for both wedding presents and groomsmen gifts. For the groomsmen, nice crystal or glass beer steins with their initials make handsome gifts. If you are a guest looking for a personalized wedding gift, think about something like a beautiful crystal bowl customized with the wedding date. There is nothing better than something that has been personalized with you in mind.

Family Style Wedding Receptions

One of the more popular ideas for a wedding reception is to serve the food family style. At this type of party, all of the food is placed on the table in large platters that are passed around, rather than having a waiter serve each guest an individual plate of food. Family style service can be less stuffy than traditional plated dinners, and yet more gracious than a buffet. Here are some ideas on how to arrange for a family style wedding reception that your guests will love.

Family style catering ties in with the trend favoring fewer long reception tables over many small round ones. The idea is that this type of set-up is more relaxed and convivial, allowing for a welcoming and intimate reception. It is almost like everyone just happened to stop by your house for an impromptu gathering over good food and great conversation. Sort of like what happens at the end of that show “Everyday Italian” on the Food Network, where all of Giada de Laurentiis’ friends and neighbors show up for a casual yet elegant feast in her backyard.

Certainly, there are some occasions when family style service might seem out of place. For instance, if you are planning a black tie wedding, with everyone in their most formal attire and special handmade wedding jewelry, the more traditional plated dinner service would be much more appropriate. Family style service also tends to limit your menu options more than a buffet or food stations, so that is another consideration.

The types of food that work best for family style service are generally the ones that most families like to eat together. Italian is a very popular choice. It is easy to get good Italian food, it is not particularly expensive, and almost everyone likes it. Italian cuisine is also a great idea if you will be having some vegetarians at your wedding. It is quite simple to have one platter with a meat-free pasta, and another with meatballs and sausages for those guests who enjoy meat. Comfort food is another fantastic option for a family style wedding reception. Your guests will be delighted to be served classics like homemade mac and cheese, slices of meatloaf, and bowls of yummy veggies. When you are looking for a way to unite your friends and families into one big happy group, you might just find that family style service at your reception is the perfect answer.

Beachy Wedding Favors

Beach weddings are as fun and lighthearted as summer itself. When you are choosing favors for your beach wedding, be sure that they capture that sunny spirit. These are some great ideas for beachy wedding favors.

Edible favors are always a hit at a wedding. There are a couple of great options for tasty favors with a seaside theme. Cookies can be made in the shape of sailboats and fish and presented in a glassine bag. To take it up a notch, put the bag of cookies in a mini canvas tote with a nautical motif like an anchor or a beach umbrella. If you grew up on the East Coast, then you probably know that one of summer’s sweetest treats is fresh saltwater taffy. This is the perfect sort of nostalgic thing that guests love to receive as favors.

It is always fantastic to combine your escort or place cards with your favors. After all, who doesn’t love to kill two birds with one stone? One beachy wedding favor that is sure to wow your guests is a small brass compass with their name inscribed on it. It has the perfect nautical feel and it also makes a really cool and unusual keepsake from your wedding.

Candles are popular favors, and there are some great ways to make your candles tie in with a beach theme. Specialty stores have beautiful little seashells with candles in them, which is a very elegant beachy favor. Crafty brides can also make their own beach theme candle favors. Small tin pails can be filled with candle wax and a wick to make an easy gift. Use a piece of raffia to tie a starfish to the handle of the pail. Another idea is to make your candles in medium sized clear glass containers and embed shells in the wax along the outside.

The right wedding favors will make the perfect send off for your guests. They are a great way to thank your guests for coming as well as to give them a parting gift that they can enjoy. When you are having a beach wedding, your favors can be just as much fun as the wedding itself, so have a good time selecting your personal favorites.