What to wear: After the Ceremony

In my previous post Going away outfits-Have they gone away? I touched on reasons to consider changing after dinner into something stylish yet comfortable to enjoy the rest of your evening in. Here are 5 absolutely ADORABLE styles that I think would fit the bill to perfection-Enjoy!

"Good Camera", BAD Photos!

So I am about to get really passionate here, maybe almost "rant-like" but I'm going to be truthful about something that really resonates with me.
While those who are close to me, know how much I value skills, talent, education and experience, I also know how important it is to pay for what you get.

A quick show of hands here-how many people would hire a Lawyer whose office was a cardboard box?

Didn't think so.

Last week I had quite the conversation (almost lecture if you will) with a close friend who is newly engaged, over hiring a "friend with a really good camera" vs. hiring a professional photographer.
(Just to be clear here-I am not talking about hiring a friend that is in the biz-I am talking about the hobbyists who don't do photography for a career, have a good camera but no extensive background in photography.)

While I listened, points were made that this "friend" had a bit of experience, and that they have to stay within a budget, it seemed like the best option for them to go with.

When it was my turn to speak, I finally asked the golden question;
"Has he ever done a wedding before?"

Guess what the answer was?? {Insert not-so-shocked-face here.}

"No." was the dreaded (but expected) answer I received.

THANK YOU!! {Me with BIG smile :)}

Now here is my chance to drive it all home:
While I understand it may seem like a good option at the time, to ask a "good friend with a really good camera" here are the pitfalls:

• You are first and foremost adding undo pressure onto to your "really good friend". You are assuming that they would (or should) feel honoured to shoot your wedding, when the truth is, if they are such a good friend, then they would much rather be enjoying the night themselves rather than chasing you around and making sure he captures every second of your day.
• Speaking of your friendship, what happens if the pictures aren't what you expected? Will you still be friends? How will you handle it if you can't see your face during the ceremony, because your head was overshadowed by the giant willow tree you were standing under? Think about it-you can't have a "do-over" of your wedding photos!
• Did you know that there are also different types of photography? Believe it or not, there is a difference between shooting a wedding, and shooting say, a fashion model for a magazine cover, or a live sporting event, or even a shot of an animal in the wild. Professionals spend time, and money on courses, equipment and education not to mention years of experience developing their craft-and YES that includes on weddings too! There IS a reason that editors only choose certain photographers to produce their images.
• As for the budget, sure there are many "point and click" self-proclaimed photographers out there that can just simply turn around and download your images to a disk for you to go print elsewhere for just $500 or less (just look at how inundated Kijiji and Craigslist are with these type of adds) but a professional Photographer actually takes the time (HOURS actually) to do something called editing.
• This means that not only are they with you throughout your wedding day to provide the coverage important to you, they have the ability to retell the story of your wedding day, despite challenges someone else may not be able to anticipate or work through. Challenges such as poor lighting, backlighting, crowded ceremony rooms where every angle of view seems blocked, unexpected weather, photography rules instituted by the Officiant, capturing flattering images and angles of the bride or a groom who is disinterested in having his photo taken.
• In addition to capturing your wedding day, a professional photographer will often take the time to enhance an image to create a final product which the couple is excited and proud to hang on their wall. One of the other benefits to working with a professional wedding photographer is most offer a collection of wedding albums. Wedding albums have moved beyond slipping prints into matted sleeves. Today's wedding albums are press printed albums, featuring custom designed spreads and are produced by albums companies who work exclusively with photographers.

At the end of your wedding day, you want it to be as memorable and as beautiful as you experienced it and remember it.
Don't cut corners on saving money on the only tangible thing that you will have years later to remember it all by. There is only one way to capture the emotion and beauty of your wedding day. It does pay to do your research and find a great professional that suits your style. You will be thankful in the end that you spent the money wisely on hiring someone who is educated in photography, has spent time developing their craft, and genuinely cares about your day.

Just for fun-I thought I would post some pictures that show the difference MY OWN "really good camera", and the final images provided by the professional wedding photographer.


 
You can see the difference:

{My camera-can you even see the flowers on the table apart from the ones in the background? Not to mention the drab colour that the table linen looks in this photo.}

{Professional Photographer-One word: STUNNING!

Photo by Heidi Ram Photography}

{My Camera-can you see what colour the glassware is?}

{Professional Photographer-The glassware was actually this stunning amethyst colour}

Photo by Heidi Ram Photography

{My Camera}

{Professional Photographer-yes they even make flip flops in a basket look good!}

Photo by Dew Imagery

{My camera-do you like the hand-sewn flags on the bunting?}

{Professional Photographer-I bet you like the hand-sewn flags now ;) }

Photo by Dew Imagery

New Year Means New and Exciting Things!

WOW!! What a year 2011 was!!

Looking back on my goals, I must say, it is truly amazing what we can accomplish when we set out to do it!

While 2011 was a pivotal year, I can only begin to imagine what 2012 will bring (and we have some great things in the works!;)

I have done some amazing weddings and events this past year, and am truly grateful for all of my clients who allowed me into their lives to share in such monumental occasions with them.

I am also blessed to have such amazing and talented people to work with-they truly make the difference in producing outstanding results for my clients.

Wishing You and Yours a very Happy New Year for 2012!
The best is yet to come!
Cheers!
~Carol

Does Simple and Sentimental Trump Tradition?

Dear Carol,

My Grandmother is sending me her wedding ring, which is a simple halo band.

I love that it's simple and historical. Is it absolutely necessary to have an engagement ring and wedding ring, or can I use it for both?

My boyfriend think's it seems cheap, but I'm not a "bling" person and don't wear rings. I'm curious about your thoughts!
Thanks,
One halo is enough

**************

Dear one halo is enough,

Good question. It really depends on what you want. If you want it as only your wedding band, you could save it and not wear it until the big day. BUT then you might want to consider if it means something to you to have something on your finger while you are engaged (men don't usually wear engagement rings, it would be a personal choice if you want to wear one or not).
I'm sure he would respect your feelings if you let him know how important your Grandmother's ring means to you, how much you value your own relationship, and how wearing a "flashy" ring is really not your style.

That being said, while keeping your boyfriend's feelings in mind, he may have always dreamed of the one knee proposal with a diamond (some actually have the proposal all figured out-LOL!).
He might look at it as he is "getting the easy way out" by not getting you an actual ring, and also be afraid of how it may look to others. It could also be seen to him as a form of rejection-since you are not accepting "his ring". (This is of course purely speculation as I don't know him personally, I am just trying to sympathize with him on why he may think it is "cheap")


If you are not a "blingy" person, you might consider letting him add "something new" to your "something old" and get an simple chanel band or eternity band.
You could also try a celtic wedding band (with the heart) if you don't want a diamond, or you can add in a braided band, tricolour gold, OR I have seen a lot of ring combinations where they are both halo bands, but one is thick while the other is thin-looks very chic and modern ;)


Hope this helps!
~Carol

PhotoShoot: The Secret Amethyst Garden

***Featured on Wedluxe Magazine's Couture Chronicles***

Last month I had the extreme priviledge to be able to work with some of the most finest vendors that this industry has to offer and design this beautful photoshoot.
I cannot describe the camaraderie between all of us that day, but it is the stuff that makes magic happen ;)
I would like to take this opportunity to thank the following vendors who made this stunning work of art possible;

Photography: Heidi Ram Photography
Custom Wedding Gown: Lisa Van Hattem
Flowers: Sticks and Stems Floral Studio
Invitations & Menus: Jolie Papeterie Boutique
Chaivari Chairs: Pats Party Rentals
Mini Cakes: Jen Zimmerman The Lazy Cat
Make-up: Makeup By Kate Easterbrook
Hair: Magdalena Tarko
Model: Melissa Dyer
Venue: Royal Botannical Gardens in Burlington

Wedding Shower Games: Ad Libs

A word game that turns words into a silly story.


What you will need:

• paper
• pens
• a story outline

Rules: list words that fit the requirements and place them in the respective fields.

proper noun
noun
number
verb
noun
adjective
verb
verb
verb
noun
verb
noun
verb
noun
adverb
noun

Have your guests fill out the following list without them seeing the final story.


An ad lib I found online:


My name is ___________ and I am a guest of the _________ , which I have known for ________ years. I _______ all the way from ___________ to celebrate this day. I am so ____________ that (bride) and (groom) are tying the knot! My Best Advice: Don't forget to ________ before you _______ and ________ after the __________ . Stacey you should always _______ Tim's _________ and Tim, you should always _________ Stacey's ___________. I wish you a lifetime of health, happiness and __________.


This site allows you to create your own ad libs:
http://www.write-better-english.com/Create-a-silly-story.aspx

What games do you remember playing at wedding showers?

Tech meets tradition: Live streaming

Have family and friends from all corners of the world, but they are unable to travel?

Solution: Live stream your wedding.

Bring the world closer together, you can set up a laptop with a webcam and live stream the important parts of your day to family and friends all over the world. You can even have them give speeches or send well wishes live via live streaming.

Tips:

• Be sure that your venue has internet access.
• Make sure that your laptop has the appropriate audio and video cables to hook up to  large screen TV or even a projector.
• Make sure your friends and family joining you via live stream know what the time difference is, so that they don't miss out on the festivities.

It's your day!

Have it your way!

<3