How cute are these save the dates for one of my October brides??  Love it!!

Let me just start by saying that I do not care one way or the other if brides and grooms see each other or not.  I really do not.  I want the wedding to be about you and your wants.  In fact, so many couples think that industry professional are all “pushing” them to see each other before the ceremony begins and as far as I am concerned that is not where this is coming from.  I am only here to tell you facts.  As a wedding planner I do not like when people come to me after that fact and say that they wish they did something differently.  It just breaks my heart.  And the top two things that people say to me, after the fact, are:

1.  I wish I would have hired a videographer.

and

2.  I wish I would have seen him/her before the ceremony.

There are a number of reasons that people say these two things.  For today’s purpose.  I am just going to focus on the seeing each other comment.  Again, let me be clear.  Not ALL brides and grooms come to me and wish they would have seen each other.  Some people love they way their day turns out not seeing each other.  But the people that regret it, regret it for these reasons.

One, they don’t have as many bride and groom photos as they would have liked.  Since the dawn of digital photography, brides and grooms have the choice of thousands of images from their wedding day.  So proportionally, the bride and groom photos tend to be small in comparison of getting ready shots, ceremony shots, and reception shots when couples do not see each other before hand.  It makes sense when you look at it from a timeline perspective.  There is typically one hour of shoot time (if there is no traveling involved) for couples to accomplish the following pictures.  Wedding Party, Extended Family, Immediate Family, and the Bride and Groom.  That means they have about 30 minutes to take pictures with just the two of them.  If family photos are run through quickly.  Contrast that with couples who see each other ahead of time.  I typically schedule about an hour of shoot time with the bride and groom, then wedding party together, and immediate family.  That allows couples to take extended family pictures after he ceremony, some more bride and groom photos and then off to the cocktail hour if there is time.    This allows for much more variety in the photos that brides and grooms get to choose from.

The second reason I hear from the bride and groom that they wish they saw each other ahead of time is nerves.  My grooms especially just want to see their brides.  It is so cute.  They know the minute they get to tell her that she is beautiful, kiss her and hug her, they will feel much better.  Brides too get an image in their head about what the walk down the aisle will feel like.  There are typically breathing hard while standing in line and sometimes get emotional just thinking about what is going to happen in the next few seconds.  Unfortunately, as soon as they hear the music, the wedding guests stand up and the view of the groom is impeded by them and the photographer.  So that “wow” is not always accomplished.

Again, I have plenty of brides and grooms who do not see each other before hand, love their pictures and feel like they wouldn’t have traded that special “walk” for anything.   I just felt like I should at least have something on the blog that tells people some facts I have gathered from my end.  I do not want anyone to feel regrets.  So, if you decide to see each other for the first time in a traditional walk down the aisle, try making your ceremony earlier in the day to give you plenty of time for pictures afterward.  And no matter what you do, just have a good plan in place for family pictures.  If that part goes fast, you will get more bride and groom photos which are really the most important.  Much love to all couples.  Seeing or not seeing each other!!

Here is a very cool thing you can do Tuesday, March 29th.  Damion Hamilton is organizing a pledge drive that will directly help victims of the Japan tsunami.  If you visit his blog on March 29th and comment, .10 will be donated directly to aid.  Here is a video that will explain more:

Comments For Cash from Damion Hamilton on Vimeo.

So Save the Date and visit his blog.  It is so simple to give sometimes.

This is a great deal. Anyone who knows me knows I love Tiny Prints and their sister company Wedding Paper Divas. Today only all their wedding party cards are 99 cents. And they are really cute. So if you haven’t asked those special people in your life to be a part of your special day. Wait! …until you get these in the mail that is.

This past January Phoenix hosted the annual Special Event show at the Phoenix Convention Center. The most exciting part of this conference, besides the many educational opportunities, is the The Wedding Lunch. Sasha Souza was the keynote speaker and I just loved that she opened my eyes to some really cool things for wedding planners. After lunch is over, guests are allowed to experience the galleries. These are over the top beautiful rooms decorated for a wedding ceremony, cocktail hour, or after dinner party. New to this year’s wedding lunch was a dress gallery. Imoni Events executed this part of the gallery experience and it was a huge hit. I actually overheard people gasp and ask, “Are they real?” It was so much fun to be part of the day, and I think the girls, and dresses rocked! A super HUGE thanks to Lisa at Destiny’s Bride for the bridal gowns, Jenni and Keri at Twirl for the bridesmaid dresses, jewelry and hair pieces from Designs by Claudia, clutches by Davie and Chiyo and styling by Diane Aiello and team at Glam Lounge Artists.

Thank you to Melissa Jill for such great photos!!

The following information is provided by our guest writer, Beth of food4fuel. She is so much fun to be around and she is very knowledgeable about getting rid of those pesky pounds. You should contact her for sure!  Look how nice she looks!

So, are you looking for help removing those extra inches before THE big kiss? And while practicing is fun, it doesn’t burn that many calories. You would like to be successful, but don’t know where to turn? They say you should always plan for alterations for your gown, but you would love for the seamstress to have to alter just a little bit more. Then you may want to enlist the help of a dietitian/exercise physiologist. She is not your fairy godmother and cannot click her heals together either, but through proper nutrition and exercise she can help you obtain a healthy weight within a 6-12 month time period, for you to feel fabulous on your big day and even keep it off after the honeymoon!

A few ‘Tricks of the Trade’:
2-4 weeks prior to your wedding day:
Stay away from salty foods or dishes that are high in sodium, this will help reduce bloating and decrease water weight
Drink only WATER, carbonation can increase bloating and most other drinks carry extra calories that aren’t needed
Stay away from unfamiliar foods; this will help prevent indigestion or food poisoning during all of your wedding weekend festivities

Remember: Create a plan, start early and stick to it! Small steps for weight loss work best, for example a goal of losing 1 pound per week or 2 pounds per month will be much more manageable than trying to lose 10 pounds the month before your wedding!

Contact Beth for help!
Beth@food4fuelaz.com
www.food4fuelaz.com

Beth also donated a great package to this year’s Brides Give Back event at the Ice House.  If you would like to bid on her services, you should come.  And get to meet Beth in person!

The answer is yes. Or at least, my answer is yes. Have you ever looked at a magazine and said, “I would have never put that together, but I love it?” Or I always say I wish I could just shop off of people I see walking around. You know, sit at the mall and watch people walk by. “I will take one of those. And I love that. And give me that purse please.” If this sounds anything like you, then you need an extra set of uber creative eyes. Those creative eyes belong to Alexandra of AVE Styles. She is so good at what she does! She mostly works in hourly rates, but can do anything from help you wedding dress shop to get you all pretty for those engagement shots. I can’t tell you how many times I get questions regarding what to wear for an engagement shoot. So call her! She will help you. And then you can bring her along to make you look amazing for the rest of your life. I have families who use her for their annual family photo shoot too. She is good people. And here’s the proof!

Like these looks, here’s some advice from the professional.  Alexandra says:

Always get your hair and makeup done for a photo shoot.
Always wear false eye lashes because your lashes won’t show up on camera.
Get your teeth whitened or use Crest white strips before the big day or a photo shoot.
Don’t wear matching outfits for engagement shoots.
Don’t wear white or black for an engagement shoots because photographers have to work extra hard to avoid over exposing or underexposing pictures. It’s also pretty boring.
DO NOT wear flip flops or graphic t-shirts for a photo shoot.

Contact her today!

www.avestyles.com

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