A Visual Guide for the Online Bride

Some More Real Wedding Ideas

admin — Wed, 02 Jul 2008 19:32:14 +0000

I Love This~ How Cute~

Top 10 Questions to Ask a Wedding DJ

admin — Wed, 02 Jul 2008 18:46:39 +0000

Deciding which DJ you want to hire for your wedding may seem like a relatively simple decision among the myriad of ones you will make while planning your wedding. After all, don’t they all do the same thing – play music? Although that may seem true, the reality is much different. DJs hold a crucial role in your wedding. In fact, studies show that guests remember the entertainment after a wedding more than any other element. Hiring a bad DJ can make an otherwise wonderful celebration a disaster! Thus, it is imperative that when hiring a DJ you do your homework. In addition to researching reviews, there are several questions you should ask a DJ. The following is a list of the Top 10 Questions I suggest asking a DJ:

10. Do you offer a written contract? As with all wedding vendors, it is essential that the DJ provide a detailed contract.

9. Will you be the DJ at the wedding? If not, will we be able to meet the DJ will be at our wedding? There are several large entertainment agencies that employ dozens of DJs, all of whose skills and personalities vary greatly. As the couple getting married, you must be able to meet with the actual DJ performing at your wedding prior to signing a contract.

8. How long have you been a DJ and how many weddings have you performed? Again, it is imperative that you hire someone with experience.

7. Will you be available to meet again before the wedding? A great deal of planning goes into having a great wedding. Your DJ should be just as committed to making your special day wonderful and be willing to meet with you at least one additional time prior to your wedding. As a side note, the DJ should be available to discuss necessary details by telephone and email throughout the entire planning process.

6. Have you performed at our venue before? If not, how will you prepare for it? Venues vary greatly and often require DJs to set up their equipment in certain ways. Moreover, the structure of the venue may have an effect on the sound, which DJs need to take in to account. If your DJ has never performed at your venue, ask if he/she is willing to tour ahead of time.

5. What is included in the cost of my event? It is very important that you know exactly what you are paying for. For instance, are there overtime charges?

4. What is your style? All DJs have their own distinct style. Some like to be the center of attention while others stay low key. You should never hire a DJ who has a different style than you desire.

3. Do you have references? Always speak to at least one other couple who has had the DJ perform at their wedding! Ask them what they thought was best as well as what they would’ve liked to be different.

2. Can we submit a “Do Not Play List?” Many couples have certain songs they simply do not want to hear. A good DJ will respect the couple’s wishes no matter what!

1. What will you do if there is an emergency and you are unable to perform? Unfortunately, emergencies happen. However, a good DJ will have a well-established back-up plan in place.

About the Author:

This is the second of a yearlong series written by Robyn Powell, founder of Robyn Plans. Each article will provide advice for couples on how to survive planning a wedding and will include many practical tips. Robyn Powell, founder of Robyn Plans, did not take the “typical” approach to forming an event planning firm. She began her career as a social worker. She later attended law school and then practiced at a Boston firm. However, after helping others plan countless weddings, parties, and fundraisers, and constantly hearing “you should really consider being an event planner,” Robyn could no longer deny her passion for event planning. Thus, with her strong attention to detail, love for planning, and creativity, Robyn Plans was born. As a member of the Association of Bridal Consultants, Robyn keeps up-to-date with the latest industry trends through their monthly newsletters and continuing education seminars. Robyn Plans currently serves all of New England, offering services to meet all couples’ needs. For more information, visit Robyn Plans at www.robynplans.com or email Robyn at robyn@robynplans.com.

Take some time out of your day, an absolute must see!

admin — Sat, 07 Jun 2008 04:48:06 +0000

Here is a photographers blog that is a must see! Especially right now, this slideshow is so stunning! I think the images are permantly burned in my mind for inspiration!

aperturaphoto blog

The Hardest Decision

admin — Wed, 04 Jun 2008 21:01:19 +0000

While visiting with an old friend of mine, Michelle, she was showing me her friends fantastic wedding pictures, and their wedding blog
She was telling me about how they decided on a wedding photographer. They had also written a very interesting article on how they arrived at their decision, which I have decided to share.

The Hardest Decision
Of all the decisions that Ryan and I would have to make in planning this wedding, it turns out that the most difficult one was in choosing a photographer. This aspect of the wedding was particularly important to me. Well after we both say “I do,” after the cake has been cut and eaten, after the DJ announces the last dance, after all of our gifts are opened and the thank you cards are sent out, after the wedding is completely over and the wedding day is nothing more than a series of memories–we will always have the wedding pictures to look at. The same wedding pictures for the rest of our lives. Man, they better be perfect.
So choosing the person who is going to literally frame our day was not an easy task. My best man, Amy, was a huge help and kicked off the process by contacting a few local photographers to inquire whether they would be available on our date. Okay, so it turns out that not all of them were local. In fact, after I got very excited about one particular photographer, who was not only available, but within our budget, it turned out that he was based out of Austin, Texas.

I really liked his style, I just could not bring myself to paying $850 just to fly him and his wife out to Philadelphia just so they could take our picture. So, we did some more research.

We did not know much about photography, but we did know that we didn’t want our wedding pictures to look like wedding pictures. As I get older, most of the memories of this important day are going to be in some part shaped by how it is portrayed in the wedding pictures that we look at from time to time. I don’t want my memories of this day to wind up in anyway resembling the glossy images I have been looking at in every single wedding magazine I have been looking at for the last 6 months.

We were pretty sure we wanted the following things from a photographer:

He or she should shoot the wedding in a photojournalistic style. No portraits or possed shots. We want a record of what happened on that day. From the time we wake up, until we leave the reception with our tuxes all pulled apart after a night of dancing.
The photographer should have a distinct style. We can ask any of our friends to take pictures. But we want an artist to bring a vision to the photoshoot, and create something more than just a record of the event. The photgraphs should be able to stand on their own as a part of the wedding experience.
We want to own the pictures. We would prefer that the photographer shoot digitally, and then give us a copy of all the photographs as high resolution images on a cd or dvd. We are less concerned about purchasing fansy wedding albums. We can have those made later by our friends or ourselves. But we do want to own the images.
We want to have a good rapport with the photographer. This person is going to be a guest at our wedding. In fact, we will be feeding him or her. We want them to fit in, which will help them do their job, and be less intrusive to us and our guests. We also want to make sure that we share some similiar sensibilities. We are trusting them to interpret the events of the night and decide how to capture them as our memories. That is a lot of responsibility we are giving this person, and we want to be comfortable knowing that they will make decisions we would agree with.
They have to fit in our budget. This, was difficult. Many of you know that I have expensive taste, and looking for someone to fit that bill isn’t going to b inexpensive. But I was prepared to invest money on this aspect of the wedding. As I said before, we will be living with the consequences of this decision for the rest of our lives, so we should hire the right person. But we did put together a budget, and there is only so much we had to spend.
The whole process took us about two months. But the good news is, we have a wedding photographer. Check back shortly for my next blog post where i will talk more about the four different photographers that Ryan and I seriously considered, who we dicided to go with, and why we made that decision.

Real Wedding - Richelle and Doug

admin — Tue, 03 Jun 2008 05:12:45 +0000

Here are a few favorite images from Richelle and Doug’s wedding in Lakeville, MA. One of the best parts of the day was at the reception, at Lebaron Hills Country Club we went for a quick ride on a golfcart to the best part of the golf course to grab a few images. Here are just a few of my favorites from the slideshow

A few little notes
The getting ready pictures were at Holiday Inn Express, Middleboro MA
The Ceremony was in a Church right down the street
The Reception was at Lebaron Hills Country Club
I don’t know who did the hair, or where the dress came from, but both were beautiful!

Top 10 Reasons to Hire a Wedding Planner

admin — Wed, 28 May 2008 01:05:23 +0000

Top 10 Reasons to Hire a Wedding Planner

10. Saves time – Planning wedding takes enormous amount of time. In fact, the average couple spends well over 200 hours planning their special day. A good wedding planner will save you time and energy by researching vendors, taking care of the many, many details, and coming up with various creative ideas to make your wedding amazing!

9. Saves money – Weddings can be extremely expensive. However, by hiring a wedding planner, couples can save a great deal of money. Because wedding planners provide so much business to vendors, they are often able to negotiate discounts for their clients. Wedding planners are also well-versed at helping couples set budgets and sticking to them.

8. Saves relationships – Weddings are very stressful. This stress often results in many arguments for couples as well as with family members and friends. Wedding planners have been there time and time again and know how to avoid such problems before they begin as well as act as a buffer when there are conflicts. Wedding planners are also able to take on the responsibilities often assigned to loved ones so that everyone is able to enjoy the wedding. Remember, you still want a relationship with your mother well after your wedding!

7. Ensures dreams are made realities – Most have been dreaming of their wedding day their entire life. Wedding planners work for the couple and ensure that all desires are met (and often surpassed)!

6. Offers advice – Wedding planners have planned countless weddings and know exactly what works and what doesn’t. They are also knowledgeable on wedding etiquette. Furthermore, wedding planners are able to recommend competent vendors, based on personal experience.

5. Acts as the “go to person” – The average wedding has at least 22 different vendors. Combine that with the entire wedding party and all of the guests and that is a lot of people with questions and concerns! By hiring a wedding planner, couples can simply tell others “talk to the wedding planner!”

4. Creates schedules – There are so many events leading up to the big day! Couple that with the many things that happen during the wedding and who can keep track? The wedding planner can! Wedding planners are well-versed at making detailed itineraries for all involved (including other vendors) and making sure that everything happens on time!

3. Handles crisis – Whether we like it or not, most big events involve crisis. Who really wants to deal on their wedding day with the bakery not delivering the cake on time or the flower girl throwing a tantrum? No one! Wedding planners know how to handle all unforeseen circumstances.

2. Orchestrates from rehearsal through the end of reception – Do you want to be responsible for organizing rehearsal or making sure the bridal party is properly lined up? How about making sure that the guest who had a little too much to drink departs safely? Wedding planners orchestrate from rehearsal through the end of the reception, ensuring everything goes off without a hitch!

1. Minimizes stress and maximizes fun! – Hiring a wedding planner ensures that you will have a worry-free and stress-free day, thus, allowing you to enjoy your day like your guests!

About the author:

This is the first of a yearlong series written by Robyn Powell, founder of Robyn Plans. Each article will provide advice for couples on how to survive planning a wedding and will include many practical tips. Robyn did not take the “typical” approach to forming an event planning firm. She began her career as a social worker. She later attended law school and became an attorney in Boston, where she continues to practice poverty law. However, after helping others plan countless weddings, parties, and fundraisers, and constantly hearing “you should really consider being an event planner,” Robyn could no longer deny her passion for event planning. Thus, with her strong attention to detail, love for planning, and creativity, Robyn Plans was born. Robyn Plans currently serves all of New England, offering services to meet all couples’ needs. For more information, visit Robyn Plans at www.robynplans.com or email Robyn at robyn@robynplans.com.

Some Real Wedding Ideas

admin — Mon, 26 May 2008 13:20:51 +0000

Now that wedding season is upon us, I should have lots of real wedding ideas. Here are a few to start with.

A Greek Wedding and a Christening

admin — Sun, 25 May 2008 16:33:15 +0000

I have no idea what the music is saying, but it sounds good. So if anyone wants to let me know what it means I would appreciate it. My husband speaks greek, but he is not all that helpful!

Cute Coach Purse

Pam — Fri, 16 May 2008 01:42:19 +0000

I love purses, I have somewhat of an obsession. I was just given this new coach purse and I think its really cute and pretty versatile too. I think its appropriate for casual or formal events in spring, summer or fall. I usually use a black bag during the winter, but this one is definitely my new favorite! I have the hobo size, which is the size I usually purchase from coach, its just enough to fit a wallet, keys and a phone. If I get any bigger than I throw all kinds of junk in it. But the bag is available in larger sizes as well as a navy blue style which is best for wear with jeans or at a casual event. My favorite part about it is the canvas texture.

Pretty Pets, Pristine Pooch

admin — Thu, 08 May 2008 05:30:04 +0000

With so many couples considering their pets their babies it is no surprise that brides are looking for ways to incorporate there pets in the wedding day celebrations!

My poor little dog was so badly needed some TLC, so we brough him to Pristine Pooch, 468 Main Street, Melrose Ma. They did such a fantastic job, and they had so many cute clothes and ideas. With Acupuncture, Spa Treaments, and Grooming Services, your pets will be just as happy and pretty as you on your big day! So while I was there I asked owner, Joe Tofalo, some questions about his new Dog Spa.

One of the best features of Pristine Pouch is vision that the grooming manager, Sam El Naggar, brings to the shop. Having previously groomed poodles in Paris and terriers in Boston, and drawing on his artistic abilities which also can be seen in his oil paintings http://www.elnaggarfineart.com, Sam believes that your pet should have the latest look. He says that people are not walking around with outdated hairstyles, why should there dogs! - I guess the behive is out for both people and pets!

Some wedding day glam for your dog!

You look cute, so should your dog!

More style for your pet! Beez Loise Collars are made locally http://www.beezlouise.com/ and they come in every color, shape, or size you can imagine. I even saw a cute holiday line!

Treats for the pups! Tofalo said, like everything else in his store, the cookies are all-natural, featuring chicken, vegetables, unbleached flour and other ingredients.

Pet Beauty Products!