Wedding Tips and Advice Archives – Page 2 of 8

Getting Ready on your Wedding Day

April 12, 2012 By katrina Leave a Comment

I am a big fan of ritual on a wedding day. I feel that taking your time to get ready will help time with your friends become more memorable and help prolong the day a bit. The wedding day goes by in such a blur, this is one occasion where you can really reflect and enjoy.

For the bride, mimosas or some other brunch drink is always nice. It really helps calm the nerves. Of course, saying hydrated and keeping your blood sugar balanced is also important so you don’t wilt halfway through the day, so make sure to have your favorite foods handy. Keep things bite sized and non staining for extra precaution.

Getting ready with all the bridesmaids at a salon or on location is a fabulous way to spend the morning. You are with your best girlfriends, and their stories and antics will help the morning go by without getting too nervous. I have noticed that the most stressful time for a bride is the half hour before walking down the aisle. All the anxiety and pressure becomes very VERY real. And the same can happen if you get ready alone or without distraction. Your mind can wander to the to-do list or other stresses and it can give the start of your day a negative vibe. So try to stay ahead of the stress and plan the morning to be light and happy and carefree.

Pre-plan the morning (who is riding with whom, how are the stylists getting paid, how are programs getting to the church, etc) a couple days ahead of time so there is nothing to think about besides seeing your fiance on your wedding day. Having a personal attendant and wedding planner help with this SO much! It is amazing how freeing it is to brides to hand over the responsibilities to a third party and have no worries.

Create a wedding day soundtrack on your Ipod and bring portable speakers to your getting ready location, music helps a ton! And then have a party mix ready for the limo ride, it is always a buzz kill with the wedding party is saying a toast and ready to party and a commercial comes on the radio. Be sure to pamper yourself the morning of your wedding, and splurge a little bit, this is the one time you get to do this!

Now on to the guys. I am a huge fan of Heimie’s Haberdashery. Think about sitting around drinking a cognac and getting a warm towel shave. It is a great bonding experience and helps the brain prepare for the importance of the day. Quite a few times we have seen the groom get out of bed, put on his tux and say, “that’s it?” and then spend the rest of the morning lounging around. It kind of has an anti climatic feel, and not the way to start the day.

Have an early round of golf with your buddies, or go for a run…some activity that makes you feel great. Just make sure to give yourself enough time to get ready without rushing. Taking a spare moment or two to write a note to your fiance is a great way to go to the top of the Most Awesome Groom list and will make her day. Something I encourage our grooms to do is to spend a special moment with their mom. Whether it is having breakfast, or having her tie your tie, your mom will cherish that time with you forever.

The whole purpose of this blog post is to encourage you to preplan the morning of your wedding day so there is some meaningful ritual to it. This will help prepare you, get your game face on, so to speak. It will help you reflect and to remember to breath throughout the wedding day. It will put you in a positive mood and make that first sight all the more exciting. Happy Planning!

Wedding Etiquette – What to wear?

March 1, 2012 By katrina Leave a Comment

Number 1 Rule…unless it is specifically stated in the invitation, DO NOT WEAR WHITE. I think wearing white pants with a dark shirt is ok, but a white top or, god forbid, a white dress is verboten. Got it? Stop doing it. Even if the dress is off white, it still should not be worn. Give the bride her day, let her stand out. When you wear white, it looks like you’re trying to steal the spotlight.

Ok, whew! Now that is off my chest, lets go on to the others.

When you’re dressing for a wedding, you want to keep in mind the style and location of the wedding. If you will be spending the day in a non air conditioned barn in August, you might want to stick with a cute cotton sun dress and flats. Showing up in your New Years best metallic mini with 4″ heels will make you uncomfortable the entire time. Guys, you don’t HAVE to wear a suit, just make sure what you’re wearing is appropriate for the formality of the wedding. A nice print button down with a solid color sweater is great. Or rock a bow tie and show some style. But don’t feel like you have to be confined to a jacket and tie for every wedding.

I think a lot of the dressing don’ts is aimed more at the women. Guys tend to dress more neutral (heck if they dress with flair we all swoon…so keep it up and wear that jaunty pocket square!). But ladies, be aware of your flair (yes, I went there). If you’re dress is so short you can’t sit down without feeling the texture of your chair…don’t wear it to a wedding. This isn’t a fashion show of the latest from Forever21. Wear something cute, with personality, and that fits the style of the wedding and you’ll be fine. And even if the bride is the most mellow bride in the world, don’t upstage her. Just look at what happened to Princess Beatrice and her now famous pink hat.

Why worry about what you’re wearing to a wedding? Because your friend or family member has probably put in a year worth of planning this day. They are spending their hard earned money to feed you and entertain you, so it might seem ungrateful if you show up in a t shirt. A couple wants to see their friends having fun at their wedding, and if you’re in a corner icing your feet because you chose to wear 4″ heels, you’re not having fun. You will also probably drink at a wedding, and tottering around tipsy in leopard heels might result in some unflattering video footage down the road. If you really want to wear sky high heels, consider bringing flats to the reception so you don’t have to worry about dancing barefoot.

The people that have the hardest time deciding what to wear are the mothers of the couple. The two mothers don’t want to upstage each other and they don’t want to upstage the bride. If the two mothers get along, it can be fun to do a shopping outing together with the bride and a couple friends to find a dress. Locally, Opitz in St Louis Park or Dugo in Edina are great places to find dresses that are age appropriate AND unique and flattering. Going to the Mall of America and some of the bigger department stores can also work well, as they have formal gowns year round. What the mothers don’t want to do is match the bridesmaids, or wear something that should be in the juniors section. I think the mothers look best in something in a dark color that is form fitting but a little more modest and something that they’ll wear again…if they aren’t comfortable, it will show in pictures.

So the most important take home from this blog entry? DON’T wear white. And DO wear something comfortable and nice.

Destination Weddings

February 19, 2012 By katrina 1 Comment

Wedding trends go in cycles just like everything else in life. It is fairly easy to look back into the history of architecture, fashion or commerce and see hills and valleys of repetition. In my personal opinion, I think we are starting to go back to a hippie way of life…many friends in my circle are sick of commercialism and our food being full of junk and we crave a simpler time. To me it seems like we’re back in the mentality of the Arts and Crafts movement. Where after the industrial revolution, people were sick of mass produced items and started to invest again in handmade heirloom pieces.

The current wedding trends seem to be heading back to a simpler time as well. Couples are saying no to the wedding parties of 20 people that was typical a few years ago and are going smaller. The size of the guest list is going down as well, as couples realize they can have more flexibility with budget if there are less people at the wedding. Foodie and farm weddings are so in vogue right now, along with using boutique studios and hand made details. Couples are appreciating having a personal relationship with their vendors and are eager to personalize their wedding down to the last detail.

Along with this trend, comes more acceptance for eloping or having a destination wedding.

Destination weddings rock. We have done quite a few, both as a photographer that travels to a location and as a local photographer that works with an out of town couple. We have been able to go to California quite a few times, the east coast a couple times, Chicago, Ohio, and Mexico. This November, we’re shooting in the Bahamas, and we have a few other destination weddings that are in the planning stages right now.

The reason we love destination weddings isn’t because we like to travel…that is a big perk, though! We love them because it allows the couple to truly personalize their wedding, and I think it gives them so much more freedom. Do you want your wedding to be just the two of you, getting married on a cliff in Scotland? Or maybe a small group of your closest family and friends traveling to Bora Bora. Maybe you want to have a camping trip in Yosemite or a romantic weekend in New Orleans…a destination wedding is a perfect way to explore a new place, or share a favorite with the people you love.

A destination wedding can relieve a lot of stress about hurting feelings with a guest list, and it can stretch the wedding celebration out over a couple days rather than trying to cram everything into one. You get to spend more time with your guests if you choose, and you can avoid a lot of the little stresses that come from everyone wanting to “help” you plan your wedding.

This doesn’t mean that destination weddings have no stress at all. It requires a lot more organization, and the ability to roll with the punches. Hiring a planner is highly recommended to make sure all the legal aspects and details involving travel are well thought out. Destination weddings aren’t necessarily the cheap way to go, but if you’re going to spend $25,000 in a ballroom with 200 guests or $25,000 on an intimate vineyard wedding under the stars with your nearest and dearest…it can be a more pleasurable way to use your budget. And here is some food for thought…eloping and taking a honeymoon and then coming back and throwing a killer party for your family and friends is another fabulous option. And if you play your cards right, can actually save you money (and get to wear your wedding dress twice!).

Destination weddings aren’t for everyone, that is for sure. But don’t rule them out. Don’t just think of the typical wedding as you’re planning your own. Know that there are a million options out there!

Embrace the Moment

February 14, 2012 By katrina 2 Comments

I had a fantastic groom this year (well, all of you are wonderful, but he really stood out) that taught me an important lesson…embrace the moment. Now, Lucien was not a “typical” groom. He was very involved in the wedding (oh, how I wish that this was what a “typical groom” was!) and organized. He is a man of spread sheets, but also one that enjoys life. For their engagement session we chatted over the champagne of beers, baby! This guy is a blast!

For how much time both he and his fiance put into the wedding, I was preparing myself for the fact I may have to deal with one or both of them stressing out. How incredibly wrong I was. Even though the wedding day included two ceremonies and a large reception complete with food stations and dragon dancers, Lucien was all smiles, and cool as a cucumber. I was intrigued. I had seen weddings that were much simpler still get a breakdown or two from someone…not this wedding, everyone was happy, joyous, smiling…and then I saw it.

I saw Lucien, in a room full of people celebrating, hugging, laughing…and he is standing in the corner all alone, just observing. At first, I thought something was wrong, so I went over to see if he needed something. “No,” he said, “I’m just remembering this moment” Throughout the day, I noticed him doing this. Taking his time to share a drink with his closest friends, saying meaningful toasts, watching his gorgeous wife hug her sister, goofing off with the flower girls, and taking brief pauses throughout the day to just embrace the moment.

Now, how did he do this? This part is just speculation because I’ve never asked, but I think it is pretty accurate. I think he is the perfect type A. He spent a lot of time before the wedding organizing, budgeting, hiring good vendors he could trust. He knew all his vendors by name, and we had a lot of communication and clarification to make sure we were all on the same page. He also gave his vendors freedom to do what they do best, the ultimate form of trust. He knew the colors and basic design his floral designer would use, but certainly not the specific elements (and oh my gosh did Zinnia Design Floral go above and beyond and create gorgeous pieces!) So he put in the time before hand, and then let go. Trusted. Had fun. Enjoyed his day. Savored every moment.

More of us need to do that on the wedding day. Hire vendors you trust completely, and then sit back and enjoy the day. If you are the father of the bride, take a moment and watch your daughter. Watch her smile, laugh, twirl in her dress. If you are the bride, take a minute to breath, remember what this day is all about, whisper something in your fiance’s ear, write him a note to be delivered as he is getting ready. Treat this day as the meaningful day it is. Don’t run around in tears because the centerpieces aren’t perfectly in the middle of the table, or your flower girl isn’t cooperating. Don’t let your wedding day be a blur in a negative way. Breath. Relax. Savor. Embrace the Moment.

The Perfect Wedding Kiss

February 9, 2012 By katrina 1 Comment

We, at Studio Laguna, aren’t big posers. We tend to like to capture the moments between a couple naturally and as they happen. However, more often than not, a couple doesn’t know HOW to stand and act with a camera pointed at them, and they want a bit of guidance. It can be very intimidating to have your pictures taken, especially when all the photographer does is point a camera at you and say, “just keep being yourselves”. Things can get awkward quickly.

So how do you find the happy balance? Be aware of your body language and practice before your wedding. Practicing your wedding poses sounds a bit type A, no?

Well, photographers can always tell when someone is comfortable in front of a camera and when they’ve practiced kissing and being at ease with each other.

I’m not saying you should be constantly camera aware and making sure your good side is always visible…that ruins the spontaneity and naturalness of the images…but if you practice and let things become more natural, then it makes being photographed so much easier.

Here are a couple tips for how to naturally pose yourself so you look your best.

The Kiss at the Altar – Usually, when an officiant announces the couple married, that is when the first kiss happens. Sometimes the couple is facing the officiant, and sometimes they’re facing the congregation. Rather than both of you facing each other and kissing, you can have just one person turn 90 degrees and the other just turn their head. I love having couples perpendicular to each other because it creates visual interest (see image at the top of this post). And remember to show emotion!!!! The first kiss doesn’t have to be slobbery and explicit, but who doesn’t want to have their spouse tenderly hold their face or shoulders and pull them into a kiss. Celebrate that you just got hitched!

Speaking of tenderly holding your face…I LOVE when couples hold each other. Seriously, show a little PDA! A hand gently brushing a strand of hair behind her ear is such a lovely image and can be even more romantic than a kiss. Holding hands, putting hands near the face or back of the neck, pulling each other in close, all show intimacy without getting too kissy kissy. Many times the most romantic images are an almost kiss, not a full on kiss.

General Romantic Pictures – The trick to most images with a couple is to have the girl lean her hips towards the guy, and the guy put his upstage (away from the camera) hand around her waist and pull her in close. So the girl doesn’t look squished, make sure to lean back at the waist a bit and turn your shoulders towards the camera. So, hips facing the groom, bend back a bit at the waist and twist a little so shoulders are angled towards the camera, with downstage (near the camera) shoulder angled down a bit. Also add a bit of bend to your elbow and keep your arm slightly away from your body so you aren’t pushing your forearm into your body. Subtlety is key with posing, don’t go all Hollywood red carpet and have exaggerated angles, just do little things. Like right now, I bet you’re hunching over as you read this…just straighten your back! The little moves like this is all it takes to flatter your body more in photographs.

Another good thing to remember, is that the objects closest to the camera are the largest. So if you’re sitting on a bench with your feet out towards the camera, they will look massive compared to your head.

Gazing Into Each Other’s Eyes – these can be cheesy, but also beautiful and romantic. The biggest trouble with these images is that it can create a double chin, especially when there are height differences. To deal with this, you hold your shoulders stiff and stretch your jaw towards the other person, it feels weird, but helps! And honestly, we mostly do the “get your faces really close and stare at each other” pictures because of the laughter that almost always happens, THOSE are the pictures we want!

To practice these techniques, simply start paying attention to your posture. Stop slouching! Start noticing how you interact with your fiance…how you hold hands, sit on the couch together, snuggle, walk down the street. Just noticing your natural body language will help you be more comfortable. An engagement session is also a fabulous way to get to know your photographer and become more comfortable in front of a camera. I can’t count how many times a client has said, “that was easy!” or “that was nothing like I thought it would be!”

Now, the take home lesson to all of this advice is to not look stiff. You have to be comfortable in these poses. If you feel like a robot, then maybe it is best to not worry about this sort of thing. The other trick? Hire a good professional photographer that can not only put you at ease while they’re photographing you, but know HOW to photograph someone of any size at their most flattering angles. When you work with a pro you can trust, then you relax and know your images will be lovely.