At the suggestion of Etsy!

I was contacted today by Etsy admin, Vanessa, who is doing a feature on weddings in the Storque tomorrow. Given that wedding season is about to hit us full force, why not?! Well, she was looking for photographers on Etsy that also shoot weddings to feature in this article and is planning on using one of my photos. She also asked me if I'd be willing to set up a wedding photography package in my Etsy store. A completely unique and different idea, but who am I to argue when given permission by admin! So, here it is...my Etsy listing for a wedding photography package by yours truly. =)

One Year Ago Today

It's crazy to think that one year ago today was my wedding day. I'm wondering how the time passed so quickly and thinking of all the things we've done in the last 12 months - most importantly buying our first home.We banished my parents, who are visiting from England for the holidays, to my brother's house so that we can have the day to ourselves. This evening we're going out to dinner at the restaurant where we had our reception for out of town family (best filet ever!) We'll be enjoying some live jazz and a bottle (or two) of wine - normally wouldn't be drinking on a Monday night, but special occasions don't count.

He's been trying to guess what his gift is for the last week since I snuck it in the house, wrapped it and shoved it in the downstairs storage closet. Seeing as first anniversary is traditionally a paper gift, I keep telling him that I wrapped a 24 pack of toilet paper for him. I don't think he believes me though. On the other side, he got me something "shiny", which I'm pretty sure is jewelry. Pictures of my new "shiny" gift to follow!

Absence makes the heart grow fonder...

It's just been a crazy beginning of the year. Between editing my wedding photos and planning the reception for our families, I've been pretty tied up and definitely haven't had enough time for crafting! The good news is that pictures are now done, invitations are out, gifts have been arriving and we got our wedding photo book and calendar from shutterfly.com this week. (When I bought my dress at David's Bridal, they were kind enough to give me coupons for both items at shutterfly, so my total cost was $16 for shipping!)

The biggest thing that I have to be concerned with right now are center pieces. I'm not inclined toward, nor do we have the budget for, gigantic floral pieces, plus I'm all about creating something myself. My husband and I both like a theme similar to this one with a sprinkling of flowers at the base. The biggest question right now is where to find them for a reasonable price! I'll keep you updated on my quest.

Happy New Year from me!

2008 finally arrived and I haven't had a chance to pop onto my blog between my parents being in town and taking care of wedding related things. However, I'm back!

I am happy to say that I am now officially a "Mrs" and settling into married life has been a joy! It's amazing how much still needs to be done though - most specifically filtering through about 1500 wedding photos. The family member that took the photographs did a wonderful job but the post-production is my responsibility. It's amazing how tough it is to look through that many images, pick the ones that you like, made adjustments to lighting and exposure, crop, edit out any problems that are in the background etc. It's a labor of love though and now that I've done about 220 photos, I'm feeling like I'm definitely getting somewhere with it. I give it another couple of weeks before I'm 100% happy with everything though!

For now, here's a preview. =)

How to plan a wedding in 10 days...

My soon to be dear hubby and I will be getting married a week from tomorrow. We've been together for almost 10 years and were just wee children when we started dating (freshman year of college). A couple of weeks ago, the stars aligned and we decided to get married! All the important people in our lives were going to be in town at the same time and we figured, why wait? After all, we've been together for so long it's not like anybody is surprised. In fact, "it's about time" has been the most common response received.

Of course, planning a wedding in such a short time frame is a completely different thing from having a standard year or so to figure everything out. Personally, I've been loving the fact that I don't have time to stress over the details that drive many brides nuts in the months leading up to the big day. While my wedding planning is coming to a close, I had to share the things that I've learned.


Here's 10 tips on how to plan a wedding in 10 days!!

1) Decide where you want the ceremony and reception to take place and how big you want the guest list to be. It's probably easier to keep it small and restrict it to close friends and family. This also increases your venue options as you can perhaps have it at someone's house, in a park (check permit restrictions), or a multitude of other places that mean something special to the two of you. If you are deciding to have a reception after the ceremony, check out whether the venue that you are choosing for the ceremony has a reception space or if you would need to move to a different location. Keeping the guest list small also means you won't offend anybody who isn't invited.

2) Make an appointment to go dress shopping straight away. Dresses usually take 6-8 weeks to order in, so keep in mind that you will probably have to buy something off the rack. Places like David's Bridal do alterations and cleaning on site, so that can be very valuable when you're short on time. Also, check for bridal sections at stores - such as Nordstrom, JC Penney, and even Target! Don't forget to bring your girlfriends with you for opinions, and if the store will let you take pics, do so (most bridal boutiques won't, but the bigger chain stores generally don't have a problem with this.

3) Start researching rings. If you're deciding to get married on the spur of the moment, he may not have had time to get you an engagement ring. Firstly, decide what your budget is, then call around friends and family to see if somebody has a jeweler that they trust - they will often be able to give you a bigger and better diamond for the same price or less than mall jewelers. Read up on your 4 Cs of diamonds and you'll need the information in your head when talking to a diamond jeweler!

4) Figure out who you want to have officiate the ceremony. Approach the minister or rabbi as soon as possible to make sure they are available. If you had your eye on a specific church or temple but the date isn't available, check to see if the minister or rabbi would be available to do the ceremony at a different location. If you are planning on having a friend marry you, who was ordained online, call the county clerk's office to make sure that they will consider that person a legal officiant.

5) Once you have figured out the where and when, find a caterer as soon as possible. It's generally easier to find a caterer at short notice when you're getting married "off season" but again, try local restaurants and such to see if they offer a catering service - you don't need to rely on traditional wedding caterers for your event! Also, caterers often offer the option to rent table linens etc., so don't forget to ask if they can make those available to you.

6) Investigate the requirements for a marriage license where you need to go to file for one. For example: in Los Angeles, the application for a marriage license can be submitted online. You then have to go with your partner to the county clerk's office, who will print your marriage license (valid for 90 days) and give you the information you need for marriage certificate filing. I suggest going early morning when the office first opens as you'll be there and out before long lines build up!

7) Think about your ceremony and vows. Web sites, such as http://theknot.com are excellent resources for vows from different religions, including non-denominational or mixed religion ceremonies. Once you've figured out the basic structure of your ceremony, you can then look for readings that are special to you as a couple, as well as finding hundreds of beautiful love quotes and poems online. You may want to ask a couple of guests to do these readings during the ceremony to give it a personal touch. Also, pick a couple of songs that mean a lot to both of you for the aisle processional and recessional. Whether it be religious, classical or contemporary music, it is the perfect way to set the mood.

8) Think about decorations. You will probably want to keep it simple and decide on some basic but effective accents to decorate your ceremony and reception. Flowers and candles make a simple but beautiful statement, and can also be done quite inexpensively. Check out your local farmer's market for flowers that you can put together yourself. Votives and tea lights are also inexpensive at many chain stores. Places like Michaels and other craft stores have tons of wedding items should you decide to do place settings, favors, or get vases/bowls for center pieces.

9) Instead of going for a huge tiered cake, see if a local bakery can do a decorated sheet cake for you. Also, find out what notice they need to make it. I'm lucky that my favorite local bakery can do a decorated cake in the flavors of my choice (white cake and fresh strawberries) for me with 4 days notice for $50. It's quite the steal and I'd never have eaten a frozen top tier of a wedding cake anyway!

10) Invitations are a wonderful keepsake, and even if you end up just calling everybody to give them the news and tell them when to show up, they may want an invitation to put on their fridge anyway! Office Depot carries a whole line of printable wedding invitations, which come in a pack with RSVP cards, pretty seals, and matching envelopes. As you probably don't have the time to get your invitations professionally printed, take some time to design them on your computer - pick the fonts and wording that you like, then make sure you print the test sheet before you start on the real ones!

Love is in the air!

Not sure if it's in the water right now, or if it's just that time of year (or perhaps even a pleasant mixture of both) but my year seems filled with knuptual planning with two of my closest friends who are taking the plunge and pledging "I DO!" Until the bridal shower and bachelorette party dates draw nearer, I'm pretty much off the hook with my bridesmaid duties and can enjoy the pressure free fun of wedding dress shopping with the blushing brides. I am occasionally overwhelmed by the realization that I might end up like Bridget Jones - referring to my girlfriends as the old marrieds when we're planning to meet up for dinner - but then she got to marry Colin Firth, so things could be worse.

Where I am not off the hook is with the wedding photography, which is really the purpose of this particular rambling. These days, seeing as everybody owns a digital camera, it's quite normal for everybody to be snapping away at weddings. I've been both the hired photographer and these tips will help both you and the photographer the couple hired optimize the photographic opportunities. It's one day and you don't get a do-over!

- Do be respectful of the pro-photographer. The couple is paying them to capture the event and it's a huge task. You want to help the pro get the best shots they possibly can as that's the job they were hired to do.

- Do be mindful of the photography rules in places of worship. If the pro isn't shooting, they have probably be asked not to and you should follow their lead.

- Do take lots of pictures of those at your table or surrounding tables having fun. Often, the pro can't concentrate on these pictures and they'll be a pleasant surprise for the couple later on.

- Do take pictures of decoration accents or location that can be fun and perhaps even "artsy"!

- Do capture "reaction" shots of the guests for certain moments - such as the cake cutting. The pro will be concentrating on the couple and this is an opportunity for you to take a completely different kind of shot.

- Do encourage people to get into groups for photographs. If you're taking pics of a group at your table, have some people move around so they are standing behind others that are seated. That way you eliminate the half-eaten food and someone's head being blocked by the center piece.

- Do take candids. The couple is usually busy during the reception and won't see a lot of what their guests get up to, but they'll definitely enjoy that you captured a good candid moment later on!

- Don't put your arm up above people's heads or stand to take pictures during the ceremony as it's unfair to those around you. (This happens a lot more than you might expect). You'll probably remember the beauty of the ceremony better if you're not concentrating on the photography aspect - leave that to the pro. Instead, choose an aisle seat where you can capture pics of the couple and bridal party as they walk the aisle. [See inset. I was a guest at this wedding.]
- Don't stand right behind the pro-photographer and duplicate their shots. This may mess with their lighting and can also be distracting. The shot that the pro is taking is likely to be the better shot anyway, given they set it up, and is the one the couple will use in the end.

- Don't stand opposite the pro while they are taking their shots. (I took wedding pictures on a beach at sunset. A family member was taking pictures on the other side of the couple and I had to spend a lot of time adjusting my position to not capture them in my shots, all while the light was rapidly fading). Your pictures will also come out better as the pro probably has a way to keep you out of their shot, but they're probably in yours.

- DON'T FORGET TO HAVE FUN!! After all, it's a celebration.