As the times change so do trends and traditions. I am all for growing and changing with the times, but when it comes to first looks I have to say I will always love the moment the doors open to the ceremony space and a bride enters and her groom see's her for the first time in her stunning gown. As she walks down the aisle, he can't look away, a tear forms, his heart is racing and she is walking slowly taking in the moment. With that said, First Looks have made their mark on the wedding industry, they are here to stay. The option of the bride and groom seeing each other before the ceremony has provided many positives for both wedding vendors and couples. For example, if your ceremony backs up to your reception, a first look enables you to get an unlimited amount of pictures without being rushed. It also enables you, as the couple to attend your cocktail hour and mingle with your guests prior to all the eating, dancing and most likely drinking. Photographers LOVE First Looks! So, with First Looks becoming a staple in the wedding world I have to suggest a new way of having the first look that helps to encompass both the lengthy walk down the aisle and the private moment before the ceremony, drum roll please...
Introducing the FIRST LOOK WALK. Yep-why not have your moment to walk, let your groom see you from a distance, let him anticipate the moment of seeing you up close and let you relish in the moment as you walk toward your groom. And most of all, let it naturally evolve; does he decide to walk towards you, do you pick up the pace so you can get into his arms quicker, does he pick you up, kiss you, will he cry or will his mouth drop open. The walk will open up endless possibilities, who knows you may trip and fall, but whatever happens it will be between you and your groom. So...who wants to walk????
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So you're planning your wedding and immediately you are transported back to your childhood of when you wore your mom's high heels, a long flowing veil and you married...you're brother. Or maybe not. Maybe you have no idea what "theme" or "color scheme" you want for your wedding. Either way, pulling your wedding together is a daunting task that can leave you feeling lost and confused. That's why you hire us...I mean, here are some tips that may help you figure this all out! #1. Reflect on yourselves to find a theme. What's in a theme? My favorite types of themes are those that represent the bride &/or groom. Are you an avid reader? Do you love a certain flower, perhaps a sunflower? Are you going for a BBQ theme and you have a secret family BBQ rub recipe you can share with your guests? Do you love beer, I mean do you live in an area that makes a certain type of beer and maybe you like drinking it too? Are you enamored with a foreign destination (that's for you Desiree) or maybe you are getting married in front of your coy pond and you are super talented and design your own invitations... I love them all!!!! #2. Stay focused, and try not to stray. This is one of the hardest parts of pulling your wedding together. And I'm going to go ahead and say what we're all thinking, Pinterest is making this very difficult. If you're like me, you would like 5 different weddings, so you can use five different themes, colors and even venues. Unfortunately, what we end up seeing is what we like to call, a Pinterest mosh posh, basically a mix of cool ideas, that don't have any relation. The key is to find your inspiration picture. Stay focused and continually keep going back to make sure it matches! #3. Less is more or maybe more is more. So you have your theme, it's simple and being simple is a complete representation of you as a couple. So, in that case keep it simple. However, if you're going to go with a theme, then go big! The details are what can bring a theme or color scheme to life. #4. Fall in love. With your theme that is. Make sure you love the colors you are using, make sure you love what your venue looks like and most of all make sure the man or woman you are marrying loves them too! When a couple can create a masterpiece of a wedding, they can usually create a masterpiece of a marriage. And let's face it, a wedding lasts a day, a marriage lasts a lifetime! #5. Invite your wedding pro's to work together. This is the key to maintaining a constant theme or color scheme for your wedding. When your wedding planner and your florist, your venue coordinator, caterer and your DJ are all on the same page, so is your wedding. If your DJ does not know your wedding theme of vintage and old world, he/she may in fact show up with a light show that doesn't work with the feel of your wedding. Or, when working with a fantastic catering company he/she will make your food, serving plates and display decor match that of your wedding. And your florist is key! Make sure he/she gets your theme, understands your vision and can make your vision come to life! In the end your wedding should be about you, your commitment and the bringing of two families together to celebrate the love between two beautiful people!
Good luck planning!!!! The movie Maid of Honor came out in 2008 and I thought, for certain, that there would be a surge of brides having their brothers, male friends, etc. be their BridesMEN (as we like to call them). We hadn’t seen it until our last two weddings. In our first wedding the “Bridesmen” were close friends of the bride who have been by her side for years. Our second bride had her three brothers stand up next to her, one was even her actual Maid of Honor who dutifully held her bouquet during the ceremony (literally the closest, sweetest family…EVER). We so often mention how weddings are becoming less and less traditional in each couples own way. Having Bridesmen is definitely one of the least traditional and most unique elements to a wedding we have seen so far. In the past, if a bride had a really close brother or guy friend the couple would have him stand on the groom’s side to be a part of the wedding. We say, if you have a brother or friend who you want by your side on YOUR special day…do it!! And no, they don’t have to wear a dress! Would you have your best guys stand up as your Bridesmen? photo by Kevin York Photography
Anytime my Mom, Kristin and I get together our conversation inevitably turns to the topic of my wedding. I got married 16 months ago and with all the weddings Kristin and I have had the great pleasure of planning since then, we have found so many more great and unique ideas that make us say, “Dang, this is so cool! I wish we would have thought of this for “our” wedding!”. Yes, Kristin always referred to my wedding as “our” wedding,…a little back roots!? The thing that has had me in awe the most is seeing our brides have both their father and mother walk them down the aisle (my biggest, “Dang, this is so cool!”). Don’t get me wrong; I love Dads, but what about Moms on her daughter’s special day?? The Dads get all the glory with walking their girls down the aisle and the father/daughter dance. Within all of the tradition, Mom gets nothin’! Moms are typically the ones who help plan the wedding. They are there for picking out the dress, the venue, and helping with making decision on décor. But once the day is here, it’s as if Moms are no longer important. Thanks for all the hard work Mom, but Dad’s getting all the glory. So Kristin and I started to think. What are some fun ways to incorporate Mothers into their daughters Big Day? My favorite by far that we have seen is both the Mother and Father walking their daughter down the aisle. Duh! Why wouldn’t you?? Both Mom and Dad helped raise you, both should give you away! In so many ceremonies we see tradition becoming the exception, not the rule (our most recent couple walked INTO the wedding together...SO COOL!!!). photo by Kevin York Photography More and more frequently we have seen where the Mothers are honored with a flower during the ceremony, which is a great gesture and turns the attention to the mothers. A lot of times when brides are getting dressed and putting on their jewelry it is the maid of honor and bridesmaids who help her get dressed. We love the idea of instead of the bridesmaids, having the Mother of the Bride be the one to share in those simple, but extremely important moments (and the great pictures!). We had a bride who had all of her bridesmaids and her mother in her room getting ready and she took a moment to say a toast to her mother. Simple moments shared on a really big day.
At my wedding I had my father daughter dance that was solely a duet. My husband on the other hand, asked for other couples to join he and his mother on the dance floor (not one for too much attention). I grabbed the first family friend I could see. Looking back, I wish I had grabbed my mom. We love seeing more and more ways for mothers to be incorporated on their daughter’s special day. We look forward to seeing many more! How would or did you include your Mother on your special day? One thing about Meghan and I, we like unique! Traditional is great, it's worked for many years, and if your wedding is traditional, then by all means place folded cardstock with your guests names written on it, and place it on a table! Done. But, that's just not our style. The escort cards needed to serve two purposes, seat people and add to the decor of the wedding. After searching the internet for countless hours we found the perfect idea; A large poster of Philadelphia, cut into rectangles, mounted onto foam board with each persons name written under the poster. We found the idea on theknot.com. The poster served as a piece of art! Before dinner they would pull off their piece of the poster and on the back was their table name. It worked perfectly! photo by The Studio B Photography
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