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Making YOUR journey from “I Will” to “I Do” as simple as possible.
Drop me a line. I’m here for YOU! Lori ♥
Wedding Photography – 101 Must Have Wedding Photos
There are many classic wedding photographs that appear in most couple’s wedding albums and they have been listed in order of appearance – that is – as a typical wedding day unfolds.
Involve your families at this point as well and ask them to list the family shots they would like to have. This may be the only time that certain family members have been together in a long time.
As much as I have listed these particular photos, I encourage you to put your own unique spin on how you would like to have them shot. I trust that you have chosen your photographer based on his or her particular style, so discuss your options when you meet with them prior to your wedding day.
Discuss the style of photo you would like; the location of those photos and the details that are important to you.
Here’s a good list to trigger your imagination.
Prep Shots Bride’s Room
- Bride Having Hair Done
- Bride Having Makeup Applied
- The Dress Hanging or Draped
- Shoes and Accessories
- Back Shot of Wedding Gown Being Done Up
- Bouquets
Bride Photos
- The North Window Shot – Bride facing out northern most window
- Bride walking down stairs
- Bride looking out (window or door)
- Mother and Daughter Shot
- Father’s First Glimpse
- Bride Reading Letter from Groom
Prep Shots Groom’s Room
- Groom Fixing Hair
- Groom Tying Tie in Mirror
- Groom and His Father
- Groom and His Best Man
- Groom Checking the Time
- Groom Reading Letter from Bride
Groom’s Photos
- Groom with Groomsmen & Fathers
- Bride with Bridesmaids & Mothers
- Bride with Mother & Father (also grandparents)
- Groom with Mother & Father (also grandparents)
- Exterior Photo
- Church Wide Shot (with & without guests)
- Décor Detail (pew florals, altar, etc)
- Groom Arrival (with and without groomsmen)
- Attaching Boutonnière to Groom’s Lapel
- Groom Waiting at the Altar
Ceremony
- Bride Arrival
- Bride – Exiting Limo (Bride being helped out)
- Bride walking down aisle ( Side Profile & Front )
- Groom Reaction (First Look)
- Father Giving Away Bride
- Groom over the shoulder shot of bride ( & Vis Versa)
- Holding hands – Bride and Groom
- Unity Candles
- Bride & Groom Kiss
- Recessional Shot
Family Photos at Ceremony Venue
- Receiving Line (if having one)
- Bride with Parents
- Bride with Grandparents
- Groom with Parents
- Groom with Grandparents
- Generational Family Shots – Bride
- Generational Family Shots – Groom
- Parental Sibling Shots
- Parental Family Shots (generational – both bride and groom sides)
Couple Departure
- Bride & Groom Leaving Church ( Receiving Line)
- Rice Toss/ Balloon Release Shots
- Bride & Groom – Inside Limo Shot
Wedding Party / Bride and Groom
- Full Wedding Party
- Bride and Maid of Honour
- Bride with Maids Individually
- Bride with All Maids
- Groom and Best Man
- Groom with Groomsmen Individually
- Groom with All Men
- Bride and Groom Portraits
- Bride and Groom Ring Portraits
- Groom Holding Wedding Bouquet
Décor Shots
- Venue Exterior
- Venue Entrance
- Guest Book Table
- Guestbook Signatures
- Seating Plan or Escort Cards
- Room Shot
- Centerpiece Details
- Place Setting Details
- Head Table
- Head Table Details
- Chair Details
- Wedding Favors
- Food and Beverage Details
Bride and Groom Sneak Peek
- Room Décor
- Cake Details
- Table Setting Details
- Printed Details (Seating chart, guest book, etc)
Cocktail Reception
- Room Décor
- Guest Shots
- Photo Booth
Bride and Groom Arrival
- Wedding Party Introductions
- Bride and Groom Arrival and Introduction
Dinner Shots
- Shot of each table full of guests
- Head Table Photos
Toasts and Speeches
- Best Man Speech
- Maid of Honor Speech
- Welcome to the Family Speeches
- Bride & Groom Toast or Thank You
Classic Shots
- Wedding Cake and Details (flowers, topper, etc)
- Cake Cutting
- Bride and Groom Feeding each other
- Bouquet Toss
- Garter Belt Toss
Dance Shots
- First Dance
- Bride & Father Dance
- Groom & Mother Dance
- Small Children Dancing with Bride & Groom
- Bride & Groom’s Parents Dancing (Plus Grandparents)
Midnight Hour Shots
- Venetian Hour Photos (Coffee, Ice Cream, Etc)
- Lounge Area / Cigar Bar / Scotch Bar
- Trash the Dress Shot
Getting Organized for Planning. Your Wedding Binder!
What does it take to be super organized during the wedding planning process?
Before you run to the nearest bookstore to buy one of the many gorgeous “Wedding Planners” on the market, consider this: most professional wedding planners use simple 2”-3” binders to stay on track for each and every wedding they plan. The primary reason for this is that a binder can be customized to suit every wedding while keeping everything you need at your fingertips. Sometimes thicker binders or multiple binders are required, but binders do the trick every single time.
I like white binders with protective plastic covers and spines so I can add my own graphics specific to my clients’ vision. You can make this as fancy or simple as you like. You can opt for a binder with a zipper but most of what you need can be contained easily within a simple white binder.
Now there are some additional items that you will need to make this as effective as possible. They include:
- Plastic sheet protectors (to hold contracts, inspirational pages from magazines, brochures, receipts, etc)
- Binder tabs (I personally like the 10 tab system)
- Business card sleeve (to hold all of your business cards for possible venues, vendors – make sure you edit this once you have made your final selections)
- Coloured sticky tabs (to further subdivide categories – in particular your vendor and venue categories)
Accordion file for 3-dimensional inspiration pieces like fabric, paper, buttons, stickers (whatever it is that grabs your attention)
From there, I divide my binder as follows:
Business Card Sleeve
1) Contacts (the most often used section)
2) Activity Log (where I simply record by hand every piece of communication that has taken place during the wedding planning process)
3) Budget (most recent updated budget to keep you on track as you plan)
4) Master Timeline: Checklist, Timeline(s),
5) Venues: Contracts, Menus, Communication, Invoices, Receipts, etc
6) Vendors: Contracts, Invoices, Receipts, Communication, etc.
7) Design Details: Photos in plastic sleeves, Paint chips,
8) Guest List: includes RSVP’s, food choices, gifts, etc
9) Addtitional Category as you prefer
10) Addtitional Category as you prefer
When it comes to your vendor section, use your sticky tabs. Break these down further with your tabs to identify the individual vendors such as bakery, DJ, rental companies, florist, photographer, videographer and so on.
Hopefully this will help you get organized. Stay on top of this and file, file, file.
There is nothing worse than looking for something you can’t easily find – and nothing better than being able to put your hands on something you do need, in a matter of seconds!
Helping YOU plan your wedding from “I Will” to “I Do” !
Lori x.
How Much Will My Wedding Cost? Counting Pennies!
Knowing how much to budget for your wedding is a baffling question for almost every engaged couple out there and the first question that most wedding planners are asked. You might as well be asking “how long is a piece of string?”
The truth is that there are unlimited numbers of answers available. In fact, you could provide me with “must have”, “nice to have” and “could live without” lists and I could still come up with a multitude of budget options for you.
I’ve talked to couples who tell me that they don’t have an overall budget. Phooey! Unless you really do have unlimited funds, you have an idea of what you’d like to spend at least within a range of prices. So you might say, we have between $5,000 and $10,000 for our wedding. Perhaps it’s $20,000 – $30,000, or if you’re lucky it may fall between $75,000 and $100,000.
Treat your wedding as you would if you were going to buy a house and ask yourselves the following questions? How much am I willing to spend? How much can I afford to spend? These are two very different questions so answer accordingly.
Now that you have done this, there is a somewhat simple answer to this question. Are you ready? Here goes.
Depending upon the level of detail you want, you can expect to spend between $100 and $200 per guest.
Yes, it really can be that simple. FYI, this generally includes photography, food, DJ or band, alcohol, flowers, etc. It generally does not include the rings, dress, attire or honeymoon – so keep that in mind.
There are some additional things to remember when you use these numbers as a general guide. In order to keep the costs at $100 per guest, there has to be some concessions along the way, particularly in the level of detail or possibly the quality of vendor – ie a DJ vs. live band and the quality of the photographer you hire.
Some other important things to note: the smaller the wedding, the higher the overall price per guest cost. The more detailed the wedding, the higher the price per guest cost. The more hands-off you are, the higher the price per guest cost.
Now, when you break your budget down in this manner it is easy to see why the most critical piece of the puzzle when managing your wedding budget is – THE NUMBER OF GUESTS!
The next time you look at low budget weddings, check the number of guests first to see if this rule of thumb works. In almost every case it does!
The exceptions you find will be those weddings with the very low end cost per guest where the family did everything including the food, entertainment and/or photography OR the very high end where there were unlimited funds.
So, bottom line – use a figure of $100 to $200 per guest to build a wedding budget. If the overall number is more than you have OR want to spend, start by revisiting your guest list and edit, edit, edit!
Happy planning!
Lori ♥
Helping You Get From “I Will” to “I Do”.
p.s. This post forms part of “The Ultimate Wedding Checklist”. If you’d like to receive your FREE copy, click here
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Soar to Great Heights! Balloons at Weddings
It’s Monday and it FINALLY feels like spring here in the shadows of the Rocky Mountains, so I thought I’d have a little celebration!
I’ve noticed that large balloons are popping up all over wedding photography, engagement shoots and even mainstream advertising and I thought I’d share a few images with you. I hope you enjoy!
Imagery: 1.Couture Events 2. Piccolo & Poppi
Imagery: 1. Wedded Wonderland 2. One Fab Day 3. 100 Layer Cake
Imagery: 1.BHLDN 2. Inspired by This
Don’t you just love the heart shaped balloon from BHLDN?
How else would you incorporate balloons at your wedding? Let me know in the comment section below!
Lori ♥