The Five Biggest Wedding Preparation and Planning Mistakes
August 4, 2009 by Wedding Ideas and Planning Tips
Filed under About Weddings
Just as with any big show, your wedding day will not be perfect – but that’s okay. While you cannot plan ahead for every little detail or problematic situation that may arise, you can arm yourself with some helpful advice to be prepared at all times for any potential wedding mistakes. But before you begin planning your special day, consider these five biggest wedding preparation and planning mistakes that amateur ‘wedding planners’ often make.
1. Not Budgeting Costs
It’s hard to believe, but true – many couples do not create a budget when it comes to wedding preparation and end up in a deep hole of debt. The very first thing you should do to avoid disastrous (and bankrupting) wedding mistakes is devise an itemized budget, allowing for the necessary requirements, such as a venue for both the ceremony and reception, food and drinks, flowers, favors, decorations, etc. If anything is left over, either use this money for your honeymoon or spend it on something a little more frivolous, like a horse drawn carriage for your departure from the reception.
Budgeting ahead of time also involves your acknowledging the fact that you may surpass the total by at least 10%. Surprises do happen, so cutting back on other needless things will ensure that you don’t go over budget too much. In these initial wedding preparation stages, you and your fiancé need to discuss who will be paying for what. It used to be that the bride’s parents paid for everything, but this ideal is slowly fading away. If you’re still coming up short on funds, there are literally hundreds of ways to cut costs for your wedding day, including having fewer guests, choosing an off-season date, selecting flowers that are in season, and having friends and family play a bigger part by making the wedding cake or trying their hand at photography.
2. Not Giving Yourself Enough Time
The image of the harried bride has been engrained into the psyche through a number of television shows that hype up the combination of little to no time and a ‘my way or the highway’ attitude. This is why giving yourself ample wedding preparation time is necessary to ensuring that your wedding flows seamlessly. If you want a large, extravagant wedding, you need to begin planning at least a year and a half in advance; for a smaller, more intimate wedding of about 50 guests, eight months to a year is fine. You need to take into account what your plans are for your wedding and adjust your schedule accordingly to prevent costly wedding mistakes from occurring.
Giving yourself more wedding preparation time allows you to order your cake, dress, wedding favors, flowers, decorations, etc. well in advance so that you don’t come up empty-handed from last minute rushing. Allotting enough time also applies to your wedding ceremony and reception. Don’t keep your guests waiting at the reception venue while you and your wedding party are taking hundreds of photos – consider taking a majority of the pictures before the ceremony and the all-important couple, wedding party, and family pictures after the vows have been exchanged.
3. Not Delegating Responsibilities
Delegating responsibilities, wedding preparation tasks, and roles is vital – you cannot do everything! For brides, their bridesmaids are there to help them with the important duties of the wedding day, so creating a short list of responsibilities for each friend is not unexpected. Mothers, family members, and friends are also glad to help run a few errands or make calls for you if you ask. Just make sure you ask someone you know will get the job done on time.
Part of the wedding experience also relies on a number of people who require detailed wedding preparation directives from you, such as the caterer, photographer, florist, transportation and/or drivers, and DJ. Discussing your ideas with them ensures that you can work together on the same wavelength and avoid embarrassing wedding mistakes during the actual reception. You should also arrange for the wedding party to meet at the church or the wedding ceremony location at a specified time. Corralling so many people at the same time is what leads many couples to pick up the wedding party members at their homes. Late arriving wedding party members is one of the most frequent and sometimes uncontrollable wedding mistakes a bride and groom have to deal with.
4. Not Hiring a Wedding Planner or Someone You Trust
Many brides swear by their wedding planners, and yes, it’s true that they take care of just about everything involved in wedding preparation and planning, preventing a number of the more common wedding mistakes brides make. It’s kind of like you and your fiancé are the stars, while the wedding planner works behind the scenes for your big performance, seeing everything from start to finish. Wedding planners know all the ins and outs of great wedding preparation and planning and can help the couple find reliable caterers, bridal attire and supply stores, transportation, and DJs at lower prices. Before signing any contracts, however, talk with the wedding planner to see if it’s a situation you’re happy with.
While incredibly helpful, wedding planners can also be pricey, unfortunate for the bride who is trying to cut costs. This scenario goes back to delegating responsibilities – ask someone you trust to help you make wedding preparation arrangements and appointments with each wedding supply store and/or vendor. You can even scale back operations and have a simplistic wedding that you plan or DIY completely to save money.
5. Not Fully Considering the Reception Venue and Details
Sending your guests on a wild goose chase to find the reception venue is something that happens more often than you’d think and is one of the biggest wedding mistakes couples overlook. For out-of-town guests, this is confusing; for in-town guests, it’s an annoyance. Choosing a reception venue that’s close to the wedding site is a must, unless you provide the transportation to and from the reception. More than 15 – 20 minutes away is a hassle, and some guests may not even bother going if it’s farther than that.
Otherwise, if your reception venue is outside (or exposed to the elements), rain and windy conditions may appear so you should always have a back up in cases of inclement weather. A rained out wedding reception is one of the more common wedding mistakes brides have neglected to plan for. Part of the wedding preparation necessities should also include your requesting the venue’s landscaper to spray for bugs so your guests aren’t being bitten by mosquitoes and gnats.
Learn to Laugh Off Those Wedding Mistakes
Pre-wedding preparation, while helpful, will inevitably miss some little detail of your big day. These wedding mistakes (or, more likely, minor ‘blips’) are to be expected and may even provide a funny moment for you and your fiancé to laugh about in the future. Wedding mistakes do and will happen, but you shouldn’t be bothered by them. Simply go on with the show and smile – no one will know the difference!
Thanks to Cherie Johnson for contributing this article to our Weddings blog:
1. Not Budgeting Costs
It’s hard to believe, but true – many couples do not create a budget when it comes to wedding preparation and end up in a deep hole of debt. The very first thing you should do to avoid disastrous (and bankrupting) wedding mistakes is devise an itemized budget, allowing for the necessary requirements, such as a venue for both the ceremony and reception, food and drinks, flowers, favors, decorations, etc. If anything is left over, either use this money for your honeymoon or spend it on something a little more frivolous, like a horse drawn carriage for your departure from the reception.
Budgeting ahead of time also involves your acknowledging the fact that you may surpass the total by at least 10%. Surprises do happen, so cutting back on other needless things will ensure that you don’t go over budget too much. In these initial wedding preparation stages, you and your fiancé need to discuss who will be paying for what. It used to be that the bride’s parents paid for everything, but this ideal is slowly fading away. If you’re still coming up short on funds, there are literally hundreds of ways to cut costs for your wedding day, including having fewer guests, choosing an off-season date, selecting flowers that are in season, and having friends and family play a bigger part by making the wedding cake or trying their hand at photography.
2. Not Giving Yourself Enough Time
The image of the harried bride has been engrained into the psyche through a number of television shows that hype up the combination of little to no time and a ‘my way or the highway’ attitude. This is why giving yourself ample wedding preparation time is necessary to ensuring that your wedding flows seamlessly. If you want a large, extravagant wedding, you need to begin planning at least a year and a half in advance; for a smaller, more intimate wedding of about 50 guests, eight months to a year is fine. You need to take into account what your plans are for your wedding and adjust your schedule accordingly to prevent costly wedding mistakes from occurring.
Giving yourself more wedding preparation time allows you to order your cake, dress, wedding favors, flowers, decorations, etc. well in advance so that you don’t come up empty-handed from last minute rushing. Allotting enough time also applies to your wedding ceremony and reception. Don’t keep your guests waiting at the reception venue while you and your wedding party are taking hundreds of photos – consider taking a majority of the pictures before the ceremony and the all-important couple, wedding party, and family pictures after the vows have been exchanged.
3. Not Delegating Responsibilities
Delegating responsibilities, wedding preparation tasks, and roles is vital – you cannot do everything! For brides, their bridesmaids are there to help them with the important duties of the wedding day, so creating a short list of responsibilities for each friend is not unexpected. Mothers, family members, and friends are also glad to help run a few errands or make calls for you if you ask. Just make sure you ask someone you know will get the job done on time.
Part of the wedding experience also relies on a number of people who require detailed wedding preparation directives from you, such as the caterer, photographer, florist, transportation and/or drivers, and DJ. Discussing your ideas with them ensures that you can work together on the same wavelength and avoid embarrassing wedding mistakes during the actual reception. You should also arrange for the wedding party to meet at the church or the wedding ceremony location at a specified time. Corralling so many people at the same time is what leads many couples to pick up the wedding party members at their homes. Late arriving wedding party members is one of the most frequent and sometimes uncontrollable wedding mistakes a bride and groom have to deal with.
4. Not Hiring a Wedding Planner or Someone You Trust
Many brides swear by their wedding planners, and yes, it’s true that they take care of just about everything involved in wedding preparation and planning, preventing a number of the more common wedding mistakes brides make. It’s kind of like you and your fiancé are the stars, while the wedding planner works behind the scenes for your big performance, seeing everything from start to finish. Wedding planners know all the ins and outs of great wedding preparation and planning and can help the couple find reliable caterers, bridal attire and supply stores, transportation, and DJs at lower prices. Before signing any contracts, however, talk with the wedding planner to see if it’s a situation you’re happy with.
While incredibly helpful, wedding planners can also be pricey, unfortunate for the bride who is trying to cut costs. This scenario goes back to delegating responsibilities – ask someone you trust to help you make wedding preparation arrangements and appointments with each wedding supply store and/or vendor. You can even scale back operations and have a simplistic wedding that you plan or DIY completely to save money.
5. Not Fully Considering the Reception Venue and Details
Sending your guests on a wild goose chase to find the reception venue is something that happens more often than you’d think and is one of the biggest wedding mistakes couples overlook. For out-of-town guests, this is confusing; for in-town guests, it’s an annoyance. Choosing a reception venue that’s close to the wedding site is a must, unless you provide the transportation to and from the reception. More than 15 – 20 minutes away is a hassle, and some guests may not even bother going if it’s farther than that.
Otherwise, if your reception venue is outside (or exposed to the elements), rain and windy conditions may appear so you should always have a back up in cases of inclement weather. A rained out wedding reception is one of the more common wedding mistakes brides have neglected to plan for. Part of the wedding preparation necessities should also include your requesting the venue’s landscaper to spray for bugs so your guests aren’t being bitten by mosquitoes and gnats.
Learn to Laugh Off Those Wedding Mistakes
Pre-wedding preparation, while helpful, will inevitably miss some little detail of your big day. These wedding mistakes (or, more likely, minor ‘blips’) are to be expected and may even provide a funny moment for you and your fiancé to laugh about in the future. Wedding mistakes do and will happen, but you shouldn’t be bothered by them. Simply go on with the show and smile – no one will know the difference!
Thanks to Cherie Johnson for contributing this article to our Weddings blog:
Cherie Johnson is the founder and owner of Creative Bride, a one-stop shop for a large selection of baby and bridal shower, graduation, quinceañera, anniversary, and wedding favors. Cherie’s articles have been published on numerous websites including Wed Alert, Wedding Lenox, and Wedding Museum. Since starting the Creative Bride in 2006, Cherie has helped countless couples and families make their big events a success. Prior to Creative Bride, she worked as a professional wedding photographer, capturing the most special moments of the bride and groom’s big day. To find favors and gifts for your upcoming event, please visit www.Creative-Bride.com.
Your Wedding Scrapbook
July 27, 2009 by Wedding Ideas and Planning Tips
Filed under About Weddings
Your wedding day goes by so quickly, it’s just obvious that you’ll do everything in your power to preserve your memories! I can’t think of a better way of doing this that with a Wedding Scrapbook.
Its important to decide what your goal is before you enthusiastically approach your first page. Would this book only tell your wedding day tale or do you want it to include everything from the engagement to the honeymoon? Decide on a look and feel (romantic, vintage, clean) as well as on the colour scheme before you start this exciting project.
The most popular way is to go with your wedding colours, but it might be interesting to add a bit of extra colour, for example if your wedding colours were white and lilac, you can add silver and a deep purple to this, even a slight touch of pink. As long as the colours don’t overpower your photos – the extras should be subtle in order to make your photos the primary focus (the majority of the memorabilia can be stored in a nice memento box). You wouln’t want to look at this in 15 years and shreak, therefore its better to keep it simplistic, which will definitely guarantee a timeless and elegant look.
It would be wise to do your planning before you hit the shops. This would include how many pages your album would be, what photos and memorabilia you’d like to use etc. To create a personal, intimate feel, use the more spontaneous photos for scrap booking, the more posed photos can be framed or sent to family members, the remainder of the photos can be stored in a separate album. It’s a good idea to print a duplicate set to work with – this would give you peace as you’re working, knowing that your originals are safe.
Memorabilia you might want to include:
- Wedding and bridal shower invites
- Fabric from your dress (as well as any other fabric samples)
- Receipts
- Bridal registry
- Napkins
- Any form of printed material (menu, song-list etc, congrats and thank-you cards)
- Honeymoon tickets and extras
- Congrats and thank you cards
The foundation of a scrapbook is the journaling, sit down somewhere where you won’t be disturbed and go back to that special day – What did you feel when preparing for this big day, when the minister declared you husband and wife, sitting at the reception looking at your guests? When writing, be real and be yourself. We so often forget these very special moments, this way your memories will be preserved as long as you both shall live.
Bring in some of your friends or family’s thoughts – ask a few people you are close to, to write down a sentence or two on what it was that stood out for them on this day (supply them with nice paper or a colourful pen). Start the book with a dedication page – why you are creating this book, why your wedding day was such a special day etc. Some other pages you can add is “what I remember” or “what I was grateful for” or even “what didn’t matter at this stage” – as women we often plan this day and want it to be absolutely perfect, but when we are in the moment, we realize that that’s so not the point of this day.
As you create your book, be real and true – don’t only choose the perfect pictures – being real when choosing your photos and writing your love story will show throughout your book. And most of all, enjoy making this book and enjoy this season!
For info on wedding photographers in South Africa go to SA Wedding Photographers
Thanks to SA Wedding Photographers for contributing this article to our Weddings blog:
Its important to decide what your goal is before you enthusiastically approach your first page. Would this book only tell your wedding day tale or do you want it to include everything from the engagement to the honeymoon? Decide on a look and feel (romantic, vintage, clean) as well as on the colour scheme before you start this exciting project.
The most popular way is to go with your wedding colours, but it might be interesting to add a bit of extra colour, for example if your wedding colours were white and lilac, you can add silver and a deep purple to this, even a slight touch of pink. As long as the colours don’t overpower your photos – the extras should be subtle in order to make your photos the primary focus (the majority of the memorabilia can be stored in a nice memento box). You wouln’t want to look at this in 15 years and shreak, therefore its better to keep it simplistic, which will definitely guarantee a timeless and elegant look.
It would be wise to do your planning before you hit the shops. This would include how many pages your album would be, what photos and memorabilia you’d like to use etc. To create a personal, intimate feel, use the more spontaneous photos for scrap booking, the more posed photos can be framed or sent to family members, the remainder of the photos can be stored in a separate album. It’s a good idea to print a duplicate set to work with – this would give you peace as you’re working, knowing that your originals are safe.
Memorabilia you might want to include:
- Wedding and bridal shower invites
- Fabric from your dress (as well as any other fabric samples)
- Receipts
- Bridal registry
- Napkins
- Any form of printed material (menu, song-list etc, congrats and thank-you cards)
- Honeymoon tickets and extras
- Congrats and thank you cards
The foundation of a scrapbook is the journaling, sit down somewhere where you won’t be disturbed and go back to that special day – What did you feel when preparing for this big day, when the minister declared you husband and wife, sitting at the reception looking at your guests? When writing, be real and be yourself. We so often forget these very special moments, this way your memories will be preserved as long as you both shall live.
Bring in some of your friends or family’s thoughts – ask a few people you are close to, to write down a sentence or two on what it was that stood out for them on this day (supply them with nice paper or a colourful pen). Start the book with a dedication page – why you are creating this book, why your wedding day was such a special day etc. Some other pages you can add is “what I remember” or “what I was grateful for” or even “what didn’t matter at this stage” – as women we often plan this day and want it to be absolutely perfect, but when we are in the moment, we realize that that’s so not the point of this day.
As you create your book, be real and true – don’t only choose the perfect pictures – being real when choosing your photos and writing your love story will show throughout your book. And most of all, enjoy making this book and enjoy this season!
For info on wedding photographers in South Africa go to SA Wedding Photographers
Thanks to SA Wedding Photographers for contributing this article to our Weddings blog:
SA Wedding Photographers Online Directory of Wedding Photographers in South Africa which includes wedding photography articles for both the bride and the photographer, weekly newsfeeds, advice from our photographers and much more.
Wedding Veil Styles for Your Wedding Day
July 18, 2009 by Wedding Ideas and Planning Tips
Filed under About Weddings
With so many different styles of wedding veils to choose from, how do you know which type is right for you? One way to effectively choose a wedding veil style for your wedding day is to look through the plethora of styles that fill the pages of the bridal magazines. Also, consider looks that you love the most. Before you head to the store or start your research, here are some of the basics of wedding veil styles that you will need to know.
What Length Should Your Veil Be?
Wedding veils, just like wedding gowns, come in a variety of lengths. There are three main categories of wedding veil length that brides can choose from, though it is important to remember that a bride may have her wedding veil tailored to meet her specifications and personal style.
Cathedral Length
A cathedral length wedding veil is a floor length veil. This style veil is usually reserved for very formal weddings, usually set in a church. The cathedral veil will usually extend about 6 inches (or more) beyond the train of the wedding dress allowing for a very dramatic look. This wedding veil style works best with semi-cathedral or cathedral length wedding gowns.
Fingertip Length
Measuring in at about thirty-six inches long, the fingertip length wedding veil is a great addition to any full length wedding gown, though it will not work as well with a gown that has a train. The veil will fall right to the bride’s fingertips and is a very elegant look. The fingertip length wedding veil is a popular choice for formal and semi-formal weddings.
Elbow Length
The elbow length wedding veil is about thirty inches long and is the most popular length today. The elbow length veil works very well with wedding gowns without a train and will fall to the bride’s waist. The veil will accentuate and enhance any detailing at the waist and will also compliment a full skirt. Formal and semi-formal weddings are usually where you would find an elbow length veil.
When choosing a wedding veil length, it is important to think about the detailing and style of your wedding gown. The wedding veil should never take away any attention from the dress. A wedding veil is meant to compliment the overall style. It is also a good idea to think about your body’s proportions when choosing a style of wedding veil.
How Many Tiers Should Your Veil Be?
This question may come as a surprise to many brides, but believe it or not, some veils come in multiple tiers. A tiered wedding veil is one that has more than a single layer of fabric. The categories range from one-tiered wedding veils to four-tiered wedding veils. One- and two-tiered wedding veils are the most popular and are usually all a bride really needs.
One-Tier
A one-tier wedding veil is for the bride who believes in the mantra, “less is more.” A one-tier veil allows the bride to achieve a minimal, simple, chic, less formal look with subtle elegance. The one-tier veil will never have a blusher, which is a shoulder-length layer of veil material that is worn over the face as the bride walks down the aisle. The one-tier wedding veil is an ideal choice for the bride who prefers to wear the veil on the back of the head and showcase her up-do hairstyle.
Two-Tier
The two-tier wedding veil is a good choice for almost any dress, but is especially beautiful with formal or semi-formal wedding gowns because they do have a blusher. A two-tier wedding veil frames the face softly and allows for a full appearance. With a two-tier wedding veil, almost any hairstyle will work. This wedding veil style is ideal for the bride who wants to make a dramatic entrance or maintain a traditional wedding.
What Color Should My Wedding Veil Be?
You may have thought that wedding veils come in only white or ivory, but that is simply not true. There are four main color categories – white, diamond white, ivory, and champagne. If your wedding gown is white or ivory, then the veil chosen should be called the same color as the dress. Diamond white is more of an “off white” that works well with silk gowns and antique white gowns. Champagne veils are often suited for dark ivory wedding gowns.
Daring brides who break the mold with colorful gowns may also have a wedding veil custom-made in just about any color. One rule of thumb to remember is, if your wedding gown and veil are not exact color matches, always make sure the veil is at least a shade lighter than the dress. It is usually a good idea to choose your wedding veil at the same bridal salon where you have purchased your dress.
Thanks to Lisa Parker for contributing this article to our Weddings blog:
What Length Should Your Veil Be?
Wedding veils, just like wedding gowns, come in a variety of lengths. There are three main categories of wedding veil length that brides can choose from, though it is important to remember that a bride may have her wedding veil tailored to meet her specifications and personal style.
Cathedral Length
A cathedral length wedding veil is a floor length veil. This style veil is usually reserved for very formal weddings, usually set in a church. The cathedral veil will usually extend about 6 inches (or more) beyond the train of the wedding dress allowing for a very dramatic look. This wedding veil style works best with semi-cathedral or cathedral length wedding gowns.
Fingertip Length
Measuring in at about thirty-six inches long, the fingertip length wedding veil is a great addition to any full length wedding gown, though it will not work as well with a gown that has a train. The veil will fall right to the bride’s fingertips and is a very elegant look. The fingertip length wedding veil is a popular choice for formal and semi-formal weddings.
Elbow Length
The elbow length wedding veil is about thirty inches long and is the most popular length today. The elbow length veil works very well with wedding gowns without a train and will fall to the bride’s waist. The veil will accentuate and enhance any detailing at the waist and will also compliment a full skirt. Formal and semi-formal weddings are usually where you would find an elbow length veil.
When choosing a wedding veil length, it is important to think about the detailing and style of your wedding gown. The wedding veil should never take away any attention from the dress. A wedding veil is meant to compliment the overall style. It is also a good idea to think about your body’s proportions when choosing a style of wedding veil.
How Many Tiers Should Your Veil Be?
This question may come as a surprise to many brides, but believe it or not, some veils come in multiple tiers. A tiered wedding veil is one that has more than a single layer of fabric. The categories range from one-tiered wedding veils to four-tiered wedding veils. One- and two-tiered wedding veils are the most popular and are usually all a bride really needs.
One-Tier
A one-tier wedding veil is for the bride who believes in the mantra, “less is more.” A one-tier veil allows the bride to achieve a minimal, simple, chic, less formal look with subtle elegance. The one-tier veil will never have a blusher, which is a shoulder-length layer of veil material that is worn over the face as the bride walks down the aisle. The one-tier wedding veil is an ideal choice for the bride who prefers to wear the veil on the back of the head and showcase her up-do hairstyle.
Two-Tier
The two-tier wedding veil is a good choice for almost any dress, but is especially beautiful with formal or semi-formal wedding gowns because they do have a blusher. A two-tier wedding veil frames the face softly and allows for a full appearance. With a two-tier wedding veil, almost any hairstyle will work. This wedding veil style is ideal for the bride who wants to make a dramatic entrance or maintain a traditional wedding.
What Color Should My Wedding Veil Be?
You may have thought that wedding veils come in only white or ivory, but that is simply not true. There are four main color categories – white, diamond white, ivory, and champagne. If your wedding gown is white or ivory, then the veil chosen should be called the same color as the dress. Diamond white is more of an “off white” that works well with silk gowns and antique white gowns. Champagne veils are often suited for dark ivory wedding gowns.
Daring brides who break the mold with colorful gowns may also have a wedding veil custom-made in just about any color. One rule of thumb to remember is, if your wedding gown and veil are not exact color matches, always make sure the veil is at least a shade lighter than the dress. It is usually a good idea to choose your wedding veil at the same bridal salon where you have purchased your dress.
Thanks to Lisa Parker for contributing this article to our Weddings blog:
Lisa Parker is a freelance writer who writes about weddings, often focusing on a specific aspect of weddings such as awedding veil.
Preparing for Your Wedding Photo Shoot
July 12, 2009 by Wedding Ideas and Planning Tips
Filed under About Weddings
It’s always nice to know what you’re in for when you have your wedding photos done as this will prepare you mentally. Important questions to consider prior to your big day would be what style of photos you prefer as this can be either traditional, spontaneous, arty etc. Another question would be whether you’d prefer colour, sepia or black and white photos; with or without frames or a mix of everything. This all needs to be discussed with your wedding photographer before the wedding day – besides the fact that he/she needs to know what your preferences and requirements are, the photographer can give you some guidance and advice on must-have shots so that the photos you imagine can take on real life form.
Although there are so many hair styles to choose from, keep in mind that you’ll have to look at these photos for ever, so I would advise against anything very different or extreme (the kids will probably just tease you about this later!). If you want your wedding photos to be timeless, go for a classic, simplistic hair style that would be easy to manage throughout your photo shoot and day.
Its important to have a trial run with your make-up to avoid last minute disappointment. You know what you feel comfortable with, again, this needs to suit your personality. You want to mingle with your guests feeling comfortable and self assured. Your wedding make-up should compliment you, not change you – rather keep it natural and fresh.
Keep the main thing the main thing – firstly you need to feel comfortable and most importantly be yourself so that your unique personality would reflect on the photos. But a girl needs all the help she can get and if a few props will help you to relax and have fun – why not! Take some props with or ask the photographer to supply some interesting objects that you can use during your photo shoot, for example a hat, colourful sarong (that will double up to keep your dress clean in case you have to get down and dirty), a wedding invitation, your garter, a cigar for the groom etc . Give your photographer some healthy attitude and the right tools to be creative.
We so often invest our precious time in things that won’t last – yes, its important that you look absolutely breathtaking but besides looking beautiful, the photo shoot takes priority as this is what you would take with you long after the champagne has lost its bubble. You can either shy away and lose out on stunning memories or you can forget yourself, go beyond yourself and have fun!
Thanks to SA Wedding Photographers for contributing this article to our Weddings blog:
Although there are so many hair styles to choose from, keep in mind that you’ll have to look at these photos for ever, so I would advise against anything very different or extreme (the kids will probably just tease you about this later!). If you want your wedding photos to be timeless, go for a classic, simplistic hair style that would be easy to manage throughout your photo shoot and day.
Its important to have a trial run with your make-up to avoid last minute disappointment. You know what you feel comfortable with, again, this needs to suit your personality. You want to mingle with your guests feeling comfortable and self assured. Your wedding make-up should compliment you, not change you – rather keep it natural and fresh.
Keep the main thing the main thing – firstly you need to feel comfortable and most importantly be yourself so that your unique personality would reflect on the photos. But a girl needs all the help she can get and if a few props will help you to relax and have fun – why not! Take some props with or ask the photographer to supply some interesting objects that you can use during your photo shoot, for example a hat, colourful sarong (that will double up to keep your dress clean in case you have to get down and dirty), a wedding invitation, your garter, a cigar for the groom etc . Give your photographer some healthy attitude and the right tools to be creative.
We so often invest our precious time in things that won’t last – yes, its important that you look absolutely breathtaking but besides looking beautiful, the photo shoot takes priority as this is what you would take with you long after the champagne has lost its bubble. You can either shy away and lose out on stunning memories or you can forget yourself, go beyond yourself and have fun!
Thanks to SA Wedding Photographers for contributing this article to our Weddings blog:
