Wedding Ideas

Just because you are on a budget doesn't mean you can't impress!

A lot has to do with the venue that you choose for your reception/ceremony. At a hotel or hall you are going to have to do a lot to put your personal stamp on it. Choose a unique venue that is beautiful in and of itself. Be that a beach, a tropical garden something with a view of it's own. That way you don't have to use special lighting, lots of flower arrangements and other things to make it look other than four walls.

You see the maid of honor standing next to the bride in all those wedding pictures. She can be seen holding the bride's bouquet and walking confidently down the aisle (usually arm in arm with the best man). But what else does the maid of honor do? Is she just an elevated bridesmaid or does she have more responsibilities? Here's what you need to know about this lovely bridal lady.

What are her primary responsibilities?

Anyone who has already chosen a wedding photographer and now has their wedding photography will tell you it was not easy choosing their photographer and making sense of the many, many similar packages and services offered. Unfortunately too many brides will tell you their wedding photography never matched their expectations after they made their choice. The following 10 Tips are offered by a professional wedding photographer (me, smile) who has done a lot of research on what is being offered in the GTA, seen what is offered at the wedding shows and has personally photographed 100+ weddings in the last 3 years.

My purpose is simple: to help you make a well informed decision and make sure you end up with excellent photography within your budget for your wedding day. To be completely upfront, I do want your business and I feel that if you care about the quality of your wedding photography and understand the differences in the levels of service and the details offered we will earn your business – especially if you see our work online or in person.

First, some context.  This was our week of helping out two brides who ordered their dresses from less-than reputable Internet retailers. One bride ended up with a dress eight inches too short. Not exactly a minor detail!  The other bride is not happy with her dress overall: essentially it does not match the picture provided on the Web site.

Here is some advice to follow BEFORE ordering from an Internet retailer so this does not happen to you:

The first look into your wedding style that most people get will either be your wedding website, or your save the date/wedding invitation.  There are lots of great looking traditional wedding invitations available, but there are also some great ways to be more creative.

Video sharing and social media have made it easier for creative couples to really express themselves with their wedding invitations.

Making up a guest list can often times be quite stressful.  Here are a few tips that may help to make that job easier.

Decide on a budget.  Knowing how much you can spend and how much the caterer will charge per person will determine the number of people that you're able to invite.  It is perfectly proper to invite some guests to the wedding without inviting them to the reception.  You'll need to order separate reception cards and include these cards only in the invitations of those who are invited to the reception.  Omit this card from those who are not invited to the reception.

We seem to find that most brides seem to fit fairly well into one of four categories. Which one are you?

1) The Minimalist

Things have changed a lot since your parents got hitched! Check out the new and improved ways modern couples are creating unique, thoroughly personal events.

Ready to start planning your dream day? Your first step: Toss out those notions you may have about how things "should" be done—you know, the traditional rules handed down from generations past that require you to invite all of your parents' friends and serve a fancy sit-down dinner in a hotel ballroom or at a banquet hall. While it's true that a wedding with those elements will never go out of style, it's okay to change the rules a little, or even a lot, to suit your style as a twenty-first-century couple. Check out the new set of guidelines brides and grooms are following today.

The location. The cake. The dress. The invitations. The honeymoon. The vows. The photographs. The food. The music. There’s so much to think about when getting married that most couples forget one of the most important elements of all: their wedding dance.

The wedding dance is your first step forward as man and wife. It is your opportunity to show everyone how beautifully you move together.

Couples are surprised to find there is no mandatory design for a wedding ceremony. Ceremonies can be traditional or as unique as each couple; it’s your day – you can have it your way.

Although there are a few standard lines an officiant needs to incorporate into your ceremony, for the most part it is all about your sonnet from one heart to another. If you want a ceremony created especially for you, make sure to choose an officiant who acts as guide and co-creator, rather than a director.