Wedding Trends That Take The Cake

Your wedding photographs will last a lifetime–and there are no “do-overs.” Use these tips to help you find a wedding photographer who will capture your big day right–the first time!

Availability
First things first. Make sure that the photographer you are looking at has your wedding date open before you schedule a meeting to hammer out the specifics.

Experience
You’ll want an experienced photographer–preferably one who has photographed a wedding before. He/she must know how to work under pressure from the sun, heat, cold, sand and water. Ask family, friends and recent newlyweds for recommendations, and set up interviews. Request to see a complete coverage of each photographer’s work. Ask for a picture portfolio of an entire wedding for which he or she was hired.

Tips:

Style
Are you into modern, contemporary or photojournalism? Or a combination of everything? Look through the wedding photographer’s wedding gallery, and choose an overall style that suits you.
 
Personality
Consider your photographer’s personality. Decide if you will get along well. After all, you’ll be spending a lot of time with him/her before and during the event.

Price/Packages
Ensure that the wedding photographer you have in mind also doesn’t break the bank, but look for quality and value–not just the cheapest price tag. Compare prices of packages offered and number of prints included. Consider, also, engagement sessions, prints, wedding albums, online galleries and enhanced photos when comparing prices. Last, consider how much time or “coverage” is included in the price. A higher fee might actually turn out to be cheaper–or a better value–in the long run.

References
Ask a wedding photographer for a list of names and numbers for references–and actually contact them!

Website
The best wedding photographers have an attractive website showcasing their photographic skills. In this case, you’ll want to judge a book by its cover–so to speak.

Financing
Carefully read the photographer’s contract before you sign it! It should describe how you will be paying for the photographer’s services, the photographer’s refund policy and what would happen if you had to cancel.

Need help finding a photographer? Check out One Wed for photographers across the country.

Lisa Bakewell

Wedding planning is generally associated with stress and anxiety. The good news…these Top 10 Wedding Planning titles can help turn you into “Blissed-Out Bride” instead of Bridezilla. Click on the links to order your own copies from Amazon.com.

1. The One Stop Wedding Kit by Jessica Howe
The author says: “The bride’s guide to a stress-free ride. Packed with tips, ideas and expert advice, this is the comprehensive guide to wedding planning. It’s written in a fun, up-beat style and is small enough to fit in your handbag so you can carry it to appointments with wedding vendors.” $15.99

2. The Best of Martha Stewart Living: Weddings by Martha Stewart Living Magazine
Contains great visual inspiration for the bride including boquets, wedding cakes, reception decorations, table settings, wedding favors and more. $34.65

3. Wedding Bouquets: Over 300 Designs for Every Bride by Wedding Magazine
This book shows you over 300 lavish wedding bouquets with close-up shots of details, descriptions and even price indicators. Great ideas for your florist! $10.15

4. Creative Wedding Showers: Homemade Invitations, Decorations, Games, Planning Tips, Menu Ideas and More!
by Laurie Dewberry
This book offers great ideas and DIY projects for creating your own very personalized wedding shower. There are step-by-step instructions for each project as well.

5. The Complete Book of Wedding Toasts by John William McCluskey
For speeches, this is a great resource. There are sample toasts for every member of your wedding party. $10.20

6. The Clueless Groom’s Guide : More Than Any Man Should Ever Know About Getting Married by Peter van Dijk
Here’s a light-hearted look at weddings from the guy’s point of view. $11.01

7. The Perfect Wedding Reception: Stylish Ideas For Every Season by Maria McBride-Mellinger
This is a great idea book for brides who are planning a wedding that’s themed around a season. $30.40

8. Our Wedding Scrapbook by Darcy Miller
Set up like a baby book–but for weddings instead–this is the perfect place to store your keepsakes pertaining to your wedding planning and the big day. $19.75

9. The Perfect Wedding Cake by Kate Manchester
Great idea book for choosing your wedding cake. Lots of styles and great photos. There are recipes, too, to show you what the cakes contain. $16.88

10. A Bride’s Book of Wedding Traditions by Arlene Stewart
Learn the stories behind many of the well-known and loved wedding traditions.

Lisa Bakewell

Even if you’ve planned EVERY STINKING DETAIL of your wedding, you may end up having some sort of wedding disaster anyway. Now, though you won’t be able to stop everything that might go wrong, use these suggestions to tip the scale in your favor.

Know your seasons. Even though you can get discounted travel in the off-season, there’s a reason tourists travel IN season. Bad weather! (Think hurricanes, snow storms, etc.) Keep in mind that though cheap prices may appeal to your budget, they could spell potential wedding disaster!
 
Insure yourself.  The likelihood of disaster on your wedding day is small, but insurance could be what saves you big bucks when and if it occurs. If you’re planning a destination wedding, you’ll have a higher chance of something going wrong. If it does– AND IF YOU’RE INSURED– at least you’ll be reimbursed some of the cost. 

Know your vendors–or at least their contracts.  Read and understand your vendors’ contracts. In most cases, an Act of God relinquishes your vendors from their obligations. At least, try to negotiate a contract that gets you a reimbursement of  a percentage of the fee in case of disaster.

Have a music back-up plan. Don’t assume that, because you’ve hired a band or a DJ, they’ll show up.  Accidents do happen.  Before the wedding, ask your bridal party to bring their iPods or laptop and speakers–just in case.

Create a venue back-up plan, as well.  If, for some reason, you can’t hold your reception at the designated venue, it’s a good idea to have another place in mind where you can hold the party and avoid disaster.

Don’t let them slip.  Someone from your bridal party (or your wedding planner) should check out the floors of the venue before your guests arrive. If there’s grease or water on the floor, have them make sure that it’s cleaned up. This way you can prevent accidents. Be aware, too, of anything that one of your guests might trip on.

Stop that thief! It would be a shame if your wedding gifts were stolen. Prevent this disaster by hiring security or designating one person from your wedding party to keep an eye on them. Have your gifts removed from the venue once the reception gets underway.

Plan for a medical emergency. Talk with your wedding planner or venue personnel about a medical emergency plan. Someone on the premises should know first aid and CPR in case of an emergency.

Prevent fires. Most weddings and receptiongs include candles. Pay close attention to their proximity to other items like tulle, fabric, paper and any other flammable item.

Go for it. So you weren’t able to avoid the wedding disaster? Don’t let it stop you from getting married! Years from now you’ll look back and laugh. Really!

Lisa Bakewell

Photo Credit: aus_chick

Why do traditional brides wear white? Why do father’s typically “give away” their daughters? And why do brides and grooms save part of their wedding cake? These questions and several others are smartly answered in an article for mental_floss magazine written by Jenn Thompson, titled Bizarre origins of wedding traditions.

Photo Credit: Ashley Palmero

A few of our favs from the article:

If you find these tidbits interesting, be sure to read the article. You’ll love Jenn Thompson’s tongue-in-cheek historical look at wedding traditions!

Also, don’t forget to take a look at all of the traditional wedding invitations,  favors and accessories  from Best Little Wedding Shop.

Lisa Bakewell