Wedding Photography on a Budget

Wedding photography prices vary depending on what you need from your photographer, their experience and skill level. There are other factors that need to be considered, and before you choose to skimp on your wedding photographer rather than , say the flowers or the food, consider how important it is for you to  have top quality wedding photos. Where is it on your priority list?

There are two basic styles of wedding photography. There is photojournalistic wedding photography, which will be a little more creative and likely cost a little more. The photographer will be an expert at capturing important moments without requiring you to pose every few minutes.

Classic wedding photography will include primarily posed shots and will not capture too much of the action on your wedding day. You photos will have more traditional pictures of all the main parts of your wedding, like the cutting of the cake, first dance and perhaps table shots of your guests.

You can manage great quality wedding photography on a budget. The key thing is to shop around for a photographer. You want to like (or even love) their work when you flip through their portfolio. Ask if their rates are flexible when it comes time for you to order your prints. Will you receive all of the shots on CD after you have paid in full?

When your big day is over, you will want to have a beautiful collections of photos to look at for years to come. Make sure you don’t sacrifice quality for savings.

The following video has tips for finding the right photographer for your big day and some thoughts on why you may not want to skimp on the photography.

Engagement Party Planning

Let the celebrations begin! He just popped the question and you can’t wait to start planning.  Are you ready to plan a fabulous engagement party, even on a tight  budget? Follow the tips below for planning your engagement party on a budget and you won’t be dissappointed.

Saving on the invitations:

• Compare invitations. Store bought invitations may save you money, if you choose simple standard sized cards and envelopes.
• If you are ordering custom printed invitations, a simple design will save you money.
• Create your own invitations by printing them on your home printer.

Save on your engagement party:

• Have the party at home instead of at a reception hall or restaurant. The comfortable warm atmosphere is perfect for any level of formality.
• Plan a cocktail party in the evening so you won’t be expected to serve a large meal. This will cut your expenses down significantly.
• Buy your food and supplies for the party in bulk by shopping at Sam’s Club or Costco. They also offer great prices on trays of appetizers, breads and desserts.
• Choose to keep the alcohol to a minimum. Serve only beer and wine, or simply have a champagne toast.
• Take your own pictures or ask a friend (or several bridesmaids) to take picture throughout the event.
• It isn’t necessary to give out party favors at your engagement party, but inexpensive chocolates or a trinket of some kind is a nice gesture to thank your guests for attending.
• Consider simple or homemade decorations for the engagement party. Homemade decorations can have a special, personal touch!

Do you hae any tips for saving money on your engagement party? Please leave them in the comments section!

Dress Shopping with the iBridalGown iPhone App

Finding the perfect bridal gown just got a whole lot easier.

If you are struggling to keep an organized, detailed record of countless  dresses you’ve tried on, you are probably  frustrated and wishing there was an easier way to keep track of everything.

The iBridalGown application for your iPhone or iPod Touch was created by a bridal salon owner who understands how complex it can be to keep the gowns you like best straight in your mind and recorded on paper. This app was designed to take away that frustration and help you enjoy shopp0ing for your wedding gown.

iBridalGown for your iPhone allows you to do exactly what you need to do. You need to be able to carry all of your information about every dress you are considering with you. You need to be able  to show your friend pictures of you in these gowns, compare prices, quality and style all in one place.

Or you could just pick a dress in a single afternoon shopping outing, but we know that isn’t likely!

If you can pick a dress that easily, the you don’t need this app for your iPhone! Save your money for another wedding expense.

If you are the type of bride who needs to try on every wedding dress in the city – and perhaps the surrounding cities, you need this. It will be well worth the minimal investment to have a record of everything in the palm of your hand.  Even if you fall somewhere in between in your needs, this can still help simplify your dress shopping experience.

From their site:

“You can even use the iPhone’s camera to take one or more pictures of the gown and save it along with the rest of the information. Your favorite dresses are stored in an easy-to-navigate list, from which you can view the details, pictures, and even get directions to the bridal salon!”

Are there other choices  for wedding gown shopping applications in the app store? Of course, but this app has the top ratings and offers the most (in my opinion) that brides can actually use effectively to take some of the pain out of choosing a dress.

Mother of the Bride Dresses

Designers are more aware then ever before that the mother of the bride wants to look downright gorgeous on her daughter’s big day.

Here are a few examples of smashing, stunning and breathtaking mother of the bride dresses that any mom at any age, would love love love to wear!

The following video has lots of great tips for choosing the  right dress, as well as a few charming designs for mother of the bride /mother of the groom dresses.

The mother of the bride can be a graceful and stylish hostess at your wedding in these beautiful designs. Give your mom premission to shine on this special day for both of you!

Vintage Wedding Cake Toppers

If classic vintage style is what your wedding theme is all about, you will love the detailed vintage wedding cake toppers available.

Topper styles range from 1920’s  to the 1960’s,  folk, ethnic and contemporary, French and American. Vintage cake toppers add a little – okay – a whole lot- of interest to a simple, elegant or even elaborate wedding cake. These little figurines can tell a story of the bride and grooms personality, tastes and even sense of humor.

Whether you are looking for a classic look of a bride and groom cake topper or aiming to get a giggle from your guests, you are sure to find the perfect match for your personality and taste!

Here are a few examples of adorable, classic and whimsical vintage wedding cake toppers:

All of the above wedding cake toppers (and quite a few more) are available at Fancy Flours.

What’s your favorite look? Which vintage wedding cake topper will be gracing your cake?

Engagement Announcements 101

He asked…you said YES!

Congrats! You’re engaged! Now you want to go scream it from the hilltops. You want to share your happy news with the whole world – or at least your whole world. Take just a little time to organize your engagement announcement plan.

To get started, think about the following questions. Your answers will help you decide what to do first.

• Do you want to submit your announcement to the local newspapers?
• If yes, which ones?
• Would you like to include a photo with your announcements?
• Would you like to send printed announcements to family and friends, or will a simple phone cal be sufficient?
• If you will be sending custom printed announcements, will you need to collect an address list from your parents and your future in-laws?

Use these questions to help you make an engagement announcements to do list. Here is a possible list, if you answered yes to all of the above:

• Make another list of newspapers that you would like to have print your announcement.
• Schedule a photography session for your engagement photo.
• Collect a list from mom/dad and future in-laws. Ask for an approximate number from each first so you can order the announcements.
• Research, write, rewrite your announcement for the newspaper. Keep in mind that many will charge by the word, so you may want to keep it short if you are on a budget.
• Order the announcements to be sent to friends and family.

If you are on a tight budget, consider printing your engagement announcements yourself at home.  Postcard style announcements will save you even more on postage.

Remember to keep the address list that your family gave you in a safe place. You will need them soon enough to begin building your guest list for the engagement party (if you choose to have one) and for the wedding.

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Eco Chic Couture Wedding Gowns

I’ve been browsing around  looking for beautiful, truly green, eco-wedding gowns.  It wasn’t that long ago that being an eco-friendly bride meant dressing rather plain, perhaps not the most stylish bride around, though for a true “greenie” it didn’t matter.

Luckily, green brides no longer have to sacrifice style, quality or beauty when it comes to their gown. They do, however, need to know where to look. All eco-wedding gowns are not created equally green! Although many mainstream designers are now jumping on the green trend and offering their version of  eco wedding gowns, that may only mean they have used a little hemp, organic cotton or bamboo somewhere within their design. It doesn’t make their gown truly green!

Eco Chic Couture is green to the core. They have  been creating beautiful, authentic. eco-friendly bridal gowns in a socially responsible manner, for years. Styles range from casual beach wedding styles to cathedral trains and exquisitely detailed beading.

“Just being made in natural fiber does not make it organic. My fabrics for our gowns are made clean and organic from seed through textile finishing.”  Gwendolyn Gleason

The following video shows off a few lovely examples of her beautiful eco-wedding gowns:

Designer Gwendolyn Gleason is known as the “green” Vera Wang and gowns can be custom made to your specifications. The following video features a personal interview with the designer.

For more information about Eco Chic Couture wedding gowns, visit GwendolynGleason.com

7 Tips for Planning a Green Wedding

Your wedding day is a perfect time to express your love and commitment to the planet  while you are celebrating  the beginning of your new life together as a couple.

Are you searching for way to have a eco-friendly, greener wedding day? Reducing the carbon footprint of a major event is not as difficult as you might think. There are many little things that you can do to make your wedding greener without sacrificing style, busting up your budget or disappointing your guests.

Here are 7 little things you can do to have a green wedding:

1. Shorten your guest list. This one step will save you money and reduce the carbon footprint of your wedding on every level. You will reduce travel and consumption on everything from food to centerpieces.
2. Buy locally grown food and  flowers. Buy in season flowers that don’t need to be shipped from afar. The very greenest option is to eliminate or reduce the use of flowers in your decorations. (I know, that’s a tough one!)
3. Pass on the paper plates, cups and disposable cutlery. If you don’t have enough Reusable dishes and cutlery are the greenest choice, but if your need to supplement, try compostable dishes  and utensils made from potato starch.
4. Look for a caterer who specializes in organic, sustainable food choices.
5. Consider sending e-invites instead of paper. Request that your  guests  reply by email. If paper is a necessity, opt for hemp or recycled invitations.
6. Register for gifts with care. Select only items you truly need and will use in the long term. Offer an option for your guests to make a donation to your favorite environmental charity instead of, or in addition to a gift.
7. Hold your ceremony and reception all in one place. This will cut back on the transportation for all of your guests and save you money transporting the bridal party!

As you plan your green wedding, consider how each and every decision you make will effect the planet. It is amazing how helpful it is to make a few simple changes to your plans. You will be so glad that you did!

Find Your Bridal Style

Planning a wedding that both bride and groom will be thrilled with takes time, effort and a clear idea of what both people like and love about their lives. Where do you begin? Are you confused about where to start your wedding planning?

Not sure whether an outdoor casual wedding is more your style then a formal evening affair? Roses or wildflowers for the bouquets?  Traditional vows or your own words?

Co-authors Casey Cooper and Sharon Naylor have figured it all out for you. In their book What’s Your Bridal Style they offer advice, tips and a lengthy questionnaire to help you determine which direction to head in with your planning. By determining your unique style – individually and as a couple – you can make choices for your wedding that will make you both happy !

Best part about it? You can to work together as a couple to answer the questions. It will help you get to know each other even better, and hopefully add a  little bit of fun to the often stressful wedding planning schedule!

Take a look at the video below to understand how the ideas in  What’s Your Bridal Style? can be put in to action:

Take a little time to shut out all of the outside influences and really discover what you want your wedding day to be like.  You may have to make a few compromises along the way, but having a vision and a plan is essential to making your wedding dreams a reality.

And really now, it should be fun!

3 Ways to Organize your Guest List

After much discussion and consideration, you have finally completed your guest list. You’ve taken the time to figure out how many guests you would like at your wedding and how many you can afford to have attend.  You are ready to order your invitations.

Are you organized?

Do you have all of your guests full names, addresses and phone numbers in one easily accessible place for future reference?

How do you plan to keep track of your guest list – which you will need to refer back to throughout the planning process?

Here are a few tips to help organize your guest list:

1. Use a template or design your own spreadsheet. Ensure you have potential guests’ full name and address entered.  If you are missing information, ask your mom or a bridesmaid to help you make the calls to fill in the blanks.
2. In your spreadsheet setup columns to keep track of who has responded to the invitations, a column for meal choice, and a column to check off when you have sent your thank you note after the wedding.
3. Keep your list up to date. As you approach the big day this information will be essential for finalizing plans with the caterers, setting up the seating plan and ordering wedding favors. Keeping your list updated will prevent you from making any costly mistakes.

If you are considering setting up a personal wedding website, you may want to select a site that provides you with custom guest list organization.  Some sites will even allow your guests to RSVP and it will automatically do the updates for you. This is a great time saver that is worth looking in to!

Watch for a post here at Best Wedding Days about choosing the best personal wedding website including reviews of both free and premium sites – coming soon!

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