Basic Tips for Planning a Wedding

Planning a wedding should be fun and exciting. However, if you don't do the proper research and stay within your budget things can go bad in a hurry. What you need is to keep things well organized and simple. Here are some tips to help make sure your weeding plans go smoothly.
 

1. The first thing you should decide is how big and complex you want your wedding to be. Do you want a small wedding? Or would you rather have a big wedding? You need to make sure both you and your partner are on the same page and agree on things. Prepare to make some compromises.
2. Decide on a good theme for your wedding. This includes how people will dress, food, location, and decorations.
3. How much can you really afford. There is no reason to go all out on a wedding if you cant afford it. This could lead to some really big problems with your families and you as a couple.
4. Do you want to hire a wedding planner? Wedding planners are certainly great and do a good job. But there not necessary either. Be sure if you do hire one that they don't get you spending allot more money then you originally planned.
5. Don't wait to long to get your plans in order. This is something that you must start taking care of. Start booking locations, getting invitations ready, and find your dress. Planning a wedding takes time and work. You need to set a date and get at it. If you don't you might find a year or two go by and your still not married.

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Living in LOVE : Remembering Why You Married

The kids are yelling, the dog is barking, and you just found out that your spouse forgot to do the one thing that you needed them to do today...again! This scenario may sound typical for your family, or your scenario could be worse. Maybe you and your spouse are arguing more and more, and connecting less and less? You may have even asked yourself, "Is this marriage a mistake?". Though you knew your life wouldn't be like the Brady Bunch, you may find yourself surprised at just how much work a marriage can be - and its twice as hard if only one person is working at it.

If this is your situation, ask yourself why you married your spouse? I know it sounds silly, but really...why did you marry them? "Because we were in love"- well, that's the easy answer-go deeper. See, life happens...kids are born, cars breakdown, jobs are lost, and through all of the ups and downs that are inevitable, its important that you remember why you married this person.

Reflect:

    Think of the first time you saw your spouse. What is one thing that stood out to you about them?
    Remember one time when you were sad, angry or disappointed and your spouse really came through for you. What happened? How did it make you feel?
    What is one thing funny thing you know about your spouse that no one else knows?
    Think back to your single life, before you met your spouse. What was it like? Now, really think - what is one small thing your spouse does to make you happy that you are here and not back there?
    Remember a time when your spouse did something out of the ordinary and surprised you. What did that moment feel like?
    Remember the first time you saw your spouse holding your child. How did that make you feel?

Remind:

    In a quiet time when both you and your spouse are sitting together, bring up your first date. Bring up your happiest memories of this day.
    Think of a funny story about when you first were married - good choices are dinners gone bad, ruined laundry, etc.
    Talk about when you first became parents. What were your fears and hopes. Mention something positive about their parenting, and their connecting to your children.

Renew

    If you eat dinner infront of the TV, stop. Gather together at the table with the TV's off, so you can actually connect to your family rather than 'veg out'.
    Be nice. Okay, sometimes that's easier said than done, but a little sweetness can go a long way. When you get up or go to another room, ask, "Can I get you anything?"
    Be forgetful. Don't remember every little thing your spouse has done that irritates you. Sometimes we hold on to the past because it feels familiar. Its not fair to hold the past against your spouse, and its not fair for them to do it to you. If they do, lead by example. Once they see you letting go of the past, they will also. As long as they know you are holding on to the past for future fight ammunition, they will do the same.
    Touch. Place your hand on your spouse's hand; lay your arm across their shoulders. An innocent touch can be just the softness and connection that your spouse is looking for.
    Overlook. There is nothing gained by pointing out all of your spouse's short comings, and when they have made a mistake don't use it as an opportunity to put them down. Surprise them by 'not noticing' their mistake. No one likes to have their mistakes pointed out to them. We are all adults, and its likely that they are already aware of what they've done.

The point is, take some time to remember why you are in this marriage, take some self control and control your end of the marriage, and take the gloves off. Your spouse is not your enemy, and remember though children are the products of marriage, they are not the glue that holds a marriage together...love is.

Living in love with your spouse can sometimes be challenging, and that's okay- that's why the vows read for better, or for worse. With a little bit of effort on your part, and a partner that really loves you it is absolutely possible to live in love, and that is not only a great gift to yourself and your spouse. Living in love is a wonderful gift to your children.

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Planning Your Wedding - How To Get Organized

You have purchased the latest bridal magazines from your local grocery store and there are pages and pages of photos of beautiful wedding gowns, rings and articles on weddings. Some give you a brief idea of what you need to do to plan your wedding, but you're still not sure how to begin the process.

The key is to start organizing and planning earlier than later.
You first need to create a system to keep all the details in one place. You may choose to use a binder with a tab for each category you will be using. Examples of categories are: Bakery, Ceremony, Catering, Florist, Music, Reception, Photography, Transportation. An accordion file is another choice, using the same category tabs. You will be able to see each category at a glance.
Whichever system you choose, use it to keep track of all receipts, pictures, brochures, business cards etc. that is related to each category.
Once you have your system in place, you can then do some research. There are many wedding planning books out in the market, even online websites (like this one). Visit your local bookstore or library to pick up a book to help your with the entire planning process.
Find a "wedding timetable" layout. This timetable will include a list of to-do's for the entire months/year before the big day. Some of the first things on this timeline may be: Consulting with fiancé and parents to decide budget and financial support. Another may be deciding the number of guests to invite to your big day (always dependent on budget $$ available), deciding what type of wedding - formal or informal or even interviewing wedding coordinators. This timetable is a basic guideline. You can recreate on your computer to fit your wedding and time line.
Once you have an idea of all the details involved in planning a wedding and all the dedicated time you will have to spend, you can start recruiting help from family and friends. Delegate tasks to help you check off all the to-do's on your list and by the time you know it, it's wedding day.

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Wedding Photography: Preserving the Memories

A person's wedding can be one of the most important times in their life. They will have memories that they want to treasure forever and then pass on to their children. Wedding photography helps them do this. Having pictures taken at the wedding and then at the reception can capture those precious memories in freeze-frame and help you keep them forever.
Pictures are important so you want to be sure you get good photos, high quality photos that you can enjoy forever.

Most people will have a wedding book designed out of the collection of the best wedding photos. Usually the photographer will do this for you. You will then have a beautiful scrapbook from your wedding to hold your memories.
Choosing a photographer is a very important step in your wedding pictures. You want someone experienced that will do an excellent job for you. It's possible that you may be on a budget and price may be a factor as well.

How Do You Choose a Wedding Photographer?
There are several things you are going to want to look for with the most important being the quality of the work. It would be great if you could find a photographer that you had seen in action, perhaps at a family member or friend's wedding. The hardest part of choosing a wedding photographer is that you sign a contract and agree to pay before you have ever seen the photos. That's how it works in the world of wedding photography; you must make your decision based of faith in the photographer. So how do you make a decision like this?
Referrals
First, you are going to want to look at referrals. Ask your friends or family members who did their weddings and start compiling a list. You will also need to verify that these people are still photographing. Ask everyone you can about their wedding and their wedding pictures. Most people will even let you see their wedding photos and you can check out the photographer's work.
Experience & Samples
Aside from samples from people you know, you can ask the photographer himself about samples. You can call the photographers on your list and do an interview over the phone or make an appointment to meet in person. This is your chance to ask the photographer any questions you may have such as their experience, what training they have and what different types of photography they have studied. If you are doing an in-person interview, the photographer can show you portfolios of samples of their work. If doing a phone interview, that ends well, you may want to go in person and see a portfolio.
Schedule and Appointment
When you have chose the photographer you think you want to use, you will have to schedule several appointments. The bride and groom, the bride's parents and anyone else who may be taking part in paying for the wedding should be present at these meetings regarding the wedding photography.
At these meetings, you will discuss price, payment schedule and possible deposits. Next you will discuss the plan for taking the photos. Many people also get video and digital photographs now. Do you want these? Will your photographer be able to provide these? Will there be extra fees?
Many people have specific plans as to what they want pictures of (e.g. bride and father coming down the aisle, bride and groom, rings exchanging, the kiss, the bridesmaids, etc.) This is your chance to get all this written down so that the photographer is sure to get all the shots you want. Other people give their photographers a little more freedom to decide what pictures will be good to take.
Be sure to ask any questions you have about this important event. Your wedding photography is important to you so don't hesitate to be clear about what you want.

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Why Hire A Wedding Designer?

As couples begin thinking about their wedding, they are often confused over how much to spend, where to obtain specialized services, and how to choose vendors. These worries often mount as quickly as the cost of the wedding. After the euphoria wears off and the reality settles in, it's shocking to discover how much preparation is involved. Couples are faced with decisions about everything from invitation wording to planning their honeymoon. Couples often find they want experienced professional help.

Not long ago, a wedding designer was thought of as a luxury, only used by the wealthy. Now a designer is an essential element of a well-planned affair. It is no longer "trendy" to engage someone to handle the details. Being experienced in negotiating contracts with caterers, florists, photographers, and other suppliers, the wedding designer saves you valuable time and money. The designer can take advantage of discounts not available to private parties and avoid costly mistakes, while turning your dreams into reality.

The average wedding can take more than two hundred and fifty hours to plan. With today's hectic lifestyles, you may not have time to compare all the options, making sure you get the best deal, and making sure all the details are in place.

Designers are not here to make decisions for you, but to guide and assist you in making informed decisions. Our training, knowledge, and experience will turn your dreams and expectations into reality. We want you to host a beautiful and distinctive event with no worries. Remember you should enjoy your wedding and remember it always as one of the greatest events of your life.

©2004, All Rights Reserved, Sasha Souza Events, Do not reproduce without permission from author.

Sasha Souza Events was first established in 1995 and specializes in full service wedding and event design. Today, Sasha Souza Events is an Master Bridal Consultant, distinguished member of the Association of Bridal Consultants (ABC).

In 2004, Sasha Souza was honored by Modern Bride Magazine as one of the top 25 trendsetters in the wedding industry... being included with top industry pros such as Colin Cowie Lifestyle, Preston Bailey Event Design, Ron Ben-Israel Cakes & Jane Packard Flowers. She was also asked by Antonia van der Meer, the editor of Modern Bride Magazine, to take on a role in the prestigious Modern Bride Advisory Panel. Being considered among the top event design & coordination companies in the nation is a great honor and Sasha Souza always strives to create unique, fun and interesting events for the guests to experience.

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Summer Wedding Photography Ideas

Brides getting married this week are probably clapping their hands and jumping up and down with glee at the glorious sunshine we are having at the moment. Their wedding photographers are probably wringing their hands instead! Brilliant sunshine of the sort we are having at the moment, makes for challenging photography but a good photographer should have plenty of ideas for using the venue to its best while still getting some beautiful outside pictures.

So what is so difficult about taking photographs in bright sunlight? Firstly it's the lighting. Photographers like to be able to control the lighting, but when the sun is blazing down out of a clear blue sky, there is an awful lot of bright light coming from almost directly above. While the sun may be the light source, the whole sky acts like a reflector. If possible, arranging to have at least some of your photos taken early in the day, or just before sunset, would make for some beautiful shots, but that can be difficult if you want to include your guests. Otherwise, any way you can make the light slightly less direct would help. For example, if you the bridal party stands just in the shade of a building, or a tree, and the photographer stands in the sunshine, the light on the bridal party is softened slightly. Some stunning couple shots can be taken through open archways or doorways; either with the photographer standing outside in the sun, so the shot is more gently lit, or a silhouette style shot with the photographer further in the shade looking out at the sun through the couple. Reflectors can also help bounce the sunlight in the right direction.

One of the other problems with bright light is the reflections it causes. Whether it's windows reflecting the light, or one of your guests' glasses, it can spoil the light in the picture, and even if it doesn't, it is much better if you can see your guests eyes! In the case of windows it may just be a case of changing the angle slightly so the light doesn't bounce directly towards the camera. And your guest can always take their glasses off briefly!

Finally, squinting is a big problem with sunlight. The other issues can more easily be resolved by wedding photographers without causing an issue for yourself or your guests, or afterwards with judicious use of photo editing software, but you can't edit out a squint! Choosing the right angle so the light isn't irritating people's eyes can help, but often you will just need to take lots of shots and hopefully there will be a few without anyone squinting at the camera!

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Wedding Flower Bouquets, A Bride's Dream!

It's a bride's dream that her wedding should be a very special one. Well, keeping that under consideration many of the bride's maids usually try to keep everything intact and according to her wish. Usually wedding flower bouquets are a complex problem that stuck between the arrangements of the wedding. While under the role of bride, she is unable to decide a particular color and nature of flowers. Here swinging mood sometimes cancels huge orders placed to the florist. Selecting a right flower bouquet is thus considered to be as a major matter at a wedding.

A wedding flower bouquet found in the hands of a bride while walking on the aisle is always a specially made one. The finest of the flowers are handpicked for this job. Wedding flower bouquet that bride holds got brightest, beautiful and gloomiest flowers. A wedding designer is sometimes hired for keeping everything as in the wish of the bride. Each and every thing for her wedding is selected along with the colors of sheets on tables, color of chairs, carpets and flowers etc are selected accordingly after consulting the bride.

Florists sometimes also arrange a visit to their flower beds for the bride to select and chose particular flowers form a massive selection. Florists also recommend a few amazing flowers for bouquet that could look beautiful in her hands along with the beautiful wedding dress. Matching flowers are sometimes chosen by the bride and sometimes same colored are selected. Fresh and breezy flowers are delivered to the arrangement organizer for the wedding soon enough before the wedding so that the flowers do not lose their shape and gesture.

A perfect wedding is what a woman always wants. Wedding flower bouquets are one of the things that complete it. This bouquet could be arranged in big sized ones that are to be grabbed with both hands, or the one with small size that could fit in only one hand. Usually brides chose single handed bouquets as they are easy for them to handle while walking the aisle, also that she have to empty her one hand for her father. Grooms also sometimes could help the bride select a wedding flower bouquet.

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The Art Of Preserving Wedding Bouquets

Wedding bouquets are a very special part of any wedding. They symbolize the wedding and the love of the bride and groom and hold special memories especially for the bride. Many brides wish that they can preserve their wedding flowers for life as a way of remembering their beautiful day. Today you will get to learn how you can preserve them easily for decades that are to come. The preservation method that you will adopt for your these flowers will largely be determined by the type of look you want to have and the type of flower bouquet that you own.

You can either choose to preserve your bouquet of flowers yourself or you can hire a professional to do this for you. There are a lot of professionals these days that are offering great services for the preservation of flower bouquets and can help you do the task for you. It is important that you decide on this well in advance before the actual wedding date because your wedding bouquet will need immediately attention right after your wedding. That is another reason why most people prefer to give their flowers to professionals for preservation because they usually don't have time after their wedding as they will most likely leave for their honeymoon.

You should also keep in mind that the preservation methods of your flowers at home usually require weeks to complete. It is best to have your bouquets freeze - dried by a professional for a great look. In your preservation methods you will have to take apart each flower, press it down for freezing, and then rearrange it back the way it originally was. Drying agents like borax, silica gel, or sand. The professional who is handling your bouquet will tell you how to transport your frozen flowers with care to avoid any damage.

You should bear in mind that the cost for preservation of such flowers is easily up to $100 these days. This price will vary based on the size and type of bouquet you have. Special glass enclosures and frames are mostly used for careful transport of the bouquet. These substances will be used to help draw out all the moisture. If you do not want to hire anyone, all you can do is take the flowers apart yourself and hang them out until they dry out. Then you can easily resemble the flowers back into the bouquet arrangement they had.

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Interesting Wedding Tiara Tidbits

Wedding tiaras can be found online or in wedding shops. They are made out of various materials including, but not limited to rhinestones, crystals, pearls, and gemstones. Wedding tiaras are a fun option for embellishing the bride's hair do. Wedding tiaras will create a classic look for any bride on her wedding day. What's more, tiara's can be custom made if planned for far enough in advance.

Tiaras are definitely a favorite for brides and little girls today. They can be found in lovely hues of blue, pink, lilac and white, which allow brides to bring in their look their wedding colors. Bridal tiaras always provide the classic look for a wedding. Wedding veils can be worn with tiaras during the ceremony. It can then be easily removed for the reception and the tiara can shine beautifully on its own. The bride's hair will keep the tiara stable especially if the bride has a secure ponytail.

Wedding tiaras may be all the rage these days, but they're definitely not newly invented. They actually date back as far as ancient Egypt, where they were used for decoration on the heads of mummies from royalty. Ancient Greeks and Romans also used tiaras as special rewards, and sometimes to show honor and/or rank.

A tiara is a hair accessory definitely worth taking into consideration when planning your wedding ensemble. Tiaras provide an essential aspect of any bride's look for her memorable wedding day. Wedding tiaras are favored due in large part to the way it makes a woman feel (like a princess) on her wedding day. They are arguably one of the most important accessories brides can easily wear on her wedding day. They can be both eye-catching and sparkling as the bride walks down the aisle to meet her groom, as they are made to look brilliant and dazzling from every direction and angle.

Every bride wants to capture a show stopping look that encompasses her total presentation, which includes her dress, makeup, shoes, veil, hair do, jewelry, manicure, pedicure, floral bouquet, and tiara and more. Be cognizant of the fact that tiaras can be a show-stopper of any event, so be careful that the tiara does not outshine the bride. The tiara must enhance the bride's overall look and not become the focus of her look.

Brides today may receive their wedding tiaras as a gift from either their mother or grandmother. Many brides plan to gift their tiara in the future to their children for their wedding day, creating a wonderful heirloom that can be passed on to future generations. Jewelry has been one of the greatest treasures we can keep aside from education, family, and experiences. A wedding tiara will make a fabulous treasure for any family!

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iPhone Wedding Photography - The Next Big Thing

I don't know what it's like in your group of friends, but in mine, almost all of us have iPhones. Half of us have iPads too. We all have digital cameras that we used to use to take photographs of our lives or our children, but these days almost all our photos are taken with our mobile devices. And surprisingly, the photos we take with our phones are almost always as good as those we can take with our digital cameras (and not all of our friends are wedding photographers!). These days, the digital photo technology installed on our mobile phones is often as good as some digital cameras, so obviously some people have decided on iPhone wedding photography to record their big day.

A quick Google will show you that there are wedding photographers out there who will offer this service as a secondary photographer rather than the lead photographer. Primarily in America for now, but once the iPhone 5 comes out, it is bound to gain popularity over here too. And given the popularity of the phones, it is always something you could ask a friend to do to give you another viewpoint of your special day.

So what do you need to consider when planning a spot of iPhone wedding photography for your wedding day? As anyone who has one will know, battery life is a concern, but you can get special battery packs that you charge up beforehand then attach when your phone is getting low on charge. Another potential issue is that the current models don't cope well with low lighting, so if your wedding is likely to not have great lighting, a mini-light reflector is a sound investment. A mini tripod designed just for iPhones is also a useful tool to have in your camera bag!

Just as with a digital camera, you will want to take as many different shots as possible as not all of them will come out the way you want them to. Once you have narrowed the images down to those that are good quality, you can start to have some fun with them, just like you would with your digital camera. Except with your iPhone, the application (a.k.a app) is right there on the device. There are a variety of apps you can use, so play around until you find one you like. Once you have edited each image so that it looks the way you want it to, you can print off your images as usual, and finish off your experiment as an iPhone wedding photographer by creating a little wedding album - the perfect wedding gift if you were there as a guest as you will be able to get it to the happy couple well before the lead photographer can!

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