The Countdown Continues

Days to Go: 275

(Or 8 Months, 4 Weeks, 2 Days)

Things have not been going to plan.

I don’t want to complain about anything because things always work out for the best, but they haven’t been going to plan at the  moment.

H2b is very calm about the whole thing. If it gets closer to the time, I think he would begin to get more concerned but as we have over 250 days to worry about things, he is taking a laid back approach.

I did list all our woes to one of my bridesmaids, and she actually gave me some fantastic advice which I will definitely follow if things stay the same.

I’m sure that things are going to be fine! I think, as a bride, it is easy to blow things out of proportion. One of the things that are going a bit wrong is completely understandable and I totally sympathise… the other, not so much.

On a positive note, I have made all the inserts for the invitations: the list of hotels, the directions to our wedding website and menu choices. I have bought posh paper and new printer cartridges!

And, I’ve had a thought about the bridesmaid dresses! I have an option of two dresses, and I was thinking instead of just choosing one, they could choose the one they prefer and I’ll just get them in the same colour. What do you think of that idea?

Aisle Style

Your Veil

Your veil can enhance your look or draw attention away from it! Getting the right veil is important and below are some essential veil tips!

Try Try and Try Again!

Have fun trying on different veils with your dress. It’s essential to try the veil with your dress so that you know how it looks, however once you have chosen your veil length, feel free to visit different shops to buy the veil.

Pick the Position

Placing your veil higher up on your crown will make a wide face look longer.

Think about the hair style you’ve chosen, where could you wear your veil to flatter that hair style and show it off at it’s best? Consult with your hair stylist.

Any Bride Will Do

There are a lot of myths around veils, eg, only a blusher (or shoulder length) veil or birdcage (or fascinator) veil for civil ceremonies and only cathedral length veils for royalty, but you are the bride and if you want a twenty-five foot veil at your country church wedding then you have one!

Veils are the bride’s choice and which ever veil suits your wedding style and wedding dress is the one you should choose! You must feel comfortable in your veil.

Accessories

Think about which accessories will look best with your veil. A tiara looks great with a veil and can be easily attached to your veil with a few stitches or some tiny hooks.

On straight hair, a low sitting tiara looks best, but with very full curly hair, choose a tiara that sits a bit higher.

Handle With Care

Veils are delicate pieces of clothing. Try to remember not to catch it on doorways or any stylish topiary wedding decoration.

A few days before your wedding, hang your veil up to allow the creases to drop out of it. Do not iron your veil under any circumstances!

Choose the Right Hair Style

The comb of a veil will need to stick into your hair so up or half-up hair styles are the best for pinning a veil. However, your hair stylist will be able to work her magic if you would rather have a down hair style.

Remember to check out my Veils Explained post for more information about wedding veils, including their origins!

A Change of Name

What Will You Do?

Traditionally, the European/Christian bride will take the groom’s name once they are married because a dowry has been paid and she is joining his family.

In China, a bride keeps her own family name as, although she is married and a dowry has been paid, she is still part of her original family.

In Islamic weddings, brides keep their own names as many surnames aren’t family names but specially chosen names.

But what will you do?

In the 21st Century the choice is yours and there are many options available to the modern bride.

• Take his name
• Keep your own names
• The groom could take the brides name
• Double barrelled with a hyphen
• Double barrelled without the hyphen
• A combination of the two names
  (eg. Wong + Cuthbert = Wongbert)

Many brides keep their own names, but then you have the tough choice of who’s name do the children take?

As a teacher, it’s a lot less confusing for us if the entire family have the same name, but what if you’re a lady who likes her name? What if your groom likes his name?

My h2b is a traditional guy and there would be no option of him changing his name. We have toyed with the Wongbert idea, and even Cuthbert-Wong (although he thinks it should be Wong-Cuthbert!).

Double barrelled names are becoming more and more popular. When I was little, double barrelled names were only for the rich but more children in my classes through the years have double barrelled names.

A Whole New Name

A trend that is growing in popularity is making an entirely new name.

You could make it a combination of the two names, such as Smones or Joith or even put all the letters of the names in a bag and create an entirely new name by just picking out the letters.

Your Decision

In the end, names are just names and they don’t define who we are. If you and your groom both like your names, why go through the legal expense of changing them? Keeping your own surname doesn’t mean you love him any less than if you took his name. Do what makes you feel comfortable!

My Decision

I have been looking forward to being Mrs Wong for the last few years! I’m a traditional gal and I would love to take his name!  However, I really believe that brides should make their own decisions about their names and should discuss it with their h2b’s.

Rain Rain Go Away

The Rain Doesn’t Have to Ruin Your Day

Most brides wish for sunshine on their special day and a forecast of rain can dampen a bride’s spirits. But it shouldn’t worry you!

Rule #1

Have a backup plan and love it! Of course, photos taken outside are the best, with all the scenery, but a good photographer will be able to take fantastic pictures inside your venue.

If you love your backup plan you’re be more likely to stay cheerful during the downpour. It’s important to stay positive and your guests will pick up on your happy vibe!

Rule #2

It very rarely rains for the entire day and you will be able to catch up with outside shots later on. If you find you’re faced with rain, be patient and it’ll soon dry up again.

Rule #3

Make your wishes known. Have a good relationship with your venue coordinator and your photographer, these are the people who will be organising your day and keeping their eye on the weather. Make sure they know what you want with regards to the weather.

Rule #4

If you have your heart set on an outside wedding but the rain dampens events, bring the outdoors inside. Incorporate ferns and small potted topiary to give your inside venue an outdoorsy feel. Use evergreen foliage in your table centres to bring that evergreen smell into your venue. Use pine cones for place settings.

Rule #5

Banish the bridezilla. Accept that in the rain, there are certain things that can’t be done, such as lawn games and fire lanterns. Other entertainment can be moved inside, be prepared to talk to your venue early about accommodating outside activities inside. 

Rule #6

A good photographer will have already scouted out good inside shots but be prepared to spot some elegant backdrops for photographs. You could even splurge on a post-wedding photo shoot later when the weather is better.

Rule #7

Invest in umbrellas! A prepared bride is a stunning bride! Your expensive dress, hair and makeup need to be preserved and the best umbrellas for saving your look are the giant golf umbrellas. White ones match your dress, or you could get some that match your wedding colour scheme.

Rule #8

Wedding insurance! In the worst case scenario, such as a snow storm or a flood, insurance can help with alternate travel costs or rescheduling costs. I’ve blogged before about wedding insurance, and there are a lot of different policies available. I would definitely recommend using an insurer that is well known and respected to ensure you have the most comprehensive cover.

Rule #9

Put it into perspective. You are marrying the man you love. The weather and the little problems don’t really matter because you are being joined either legally or in holy matrimony to the man you love, and that’s all that matters. (I have to keep telling myself that because I am praying for good weather!) The rain shouldn’t ruin your happiness and everyone will be showering you with all their best wishes, you probably won’t even notice!

Benefits of the Rain

• Clouds make wedding pictures look much more dramatic!
  I have even seen photographers Photoshopping clouds into photos! A clear blue sky isn’t as good a picture as one with sunshine breaking through the clouds, or one with fair weather clouds hovering in the background.
• Snow looks romantic in photos. It might be freezing and causing all sorts of problems, but it will make your wedding photos look really special.
• Umbrellas are quirky and fun in photos, wellies and rain dripped windows make photos look unique and interesting!

I’m a bride, and I’m hoping for sunshine, however it’s clear that even with the rain (lets face it, we live in the UK) a wedding can be special and spectacular!

Which Magazine to Feature In

Real Weddings

You’ve bought all the wedding magazines, you’ve read all the Real Wedding articles, and maybe you feel as if you’d like brides to read about your wedding!

The photos are spectacular, everyone looks so happy, the poses are well chosen, would your wedding fit in a magazine?

I would like my wedding to feature in a magazine, but which one?

Copyright

Before you even consider putting your wedding into a magazine, you will need to find out who owns the copyright to your wedding photographs.

Sometimes, photographers will let you have the copyright to your wedding photos. I met a photographer who would give us the copyright to our photos for £300, but some photographers retain the copyright.

All this means is that the photographers retain the right to publish your wedding photos in magazines themselves or in promotional materials.

This discussion is best had with your photographer as they will be able to explain exactly what it means for them.

And remember, Facebook retains the copyright to any photographs and videos uploaded to your Facebook albums.

The Magazines

The wedding magazines will only publish photos that either your photographer gives permission for, or photos which you own the copyright.

Perfect Wedding

A fantastic magazine filled with lots of interesting articles. However, the real wedding section of the magazine is actually quite small, compared to other magazines.

The each real wedding featured goes across two or three pages in the magazine and then they explain how other brides can achieve your style.

I really like that part of the real weddings, I think it’d be lovely if a bride sees something they like at your wedding and be able to copy it!

You and Your Wedding

This is one of the other magazines I like to get.

The real weddings part of Your and Your Wedding used your wedding with a lot of text.

Each real wedding starts with a stunning introduction page with a beautiful photo, and two pages all about the wedding.

It’s a very graceful way to display your wedding, each wedding is presented beautifully.

 Brides

Brides boasts being the UK’s best selling bridal magazine, and subsequently, the real wedding spread is a lavish, full size (I couldn’t find a handbag version when I went to WHSmiths) beautifully presented tribute to your wedding.

They write about how the ‘look’ was achieved in the ‘I Do’ Details. The photos look amazing and the details of the day are captured really well.

Wedding Ideas Magazine

As frequent blog visitors will know, Wedding Ideas is my favourite magazine. It’s a bright and cheerful magazine filled with lots of photo ideas.

The real weddings section is the most extensive of all the other wedding magazines stretching an amazing 75 pages! In the July edition, there were six different weddings featured, stretching across four or six pages.

They include top tips from brides and grooms, budget busting advice and details about how the couple met.

Would I Publish My Wedding?

I’m not sure. I think it would be a lovely memento to keep of your wedding in a magazine!

It would be nice to share my wedding with the public and share my money saving ideas, such as making a bunch of my own stationary and it would be nice to show other brides in the West Midlands my fantastic wedding venue.

Whatever you decide, look closely at the magazines and think about which one would present your wedding the day you’d like it to be remembered.

More Wedding Photos

More Must Have Shots!

In a previous post, I said that some of your must have shots are the following:

• Establishing shot, setting the scene and mood of the album
• The details of your wedding, which are usually things you’ve slaved over with a glue gun!
• The getting ready shots, wonderfully animated and full of excitement
• The lads! Remember, h2b is there too!
• Your family, a photo with your dad or whomever is giving you away

Well, here are some more shots that shouldn’t be forgotten!

The Grand Entrance

One of the moments the guests will be waiting for at a wedding is in the church or civil ceremony venue when the music begins to play, they all turn around and the bride walks down the aisle, arm in arm with her giver away-er, or even walking on her own. 

The excitement on your face, the bouquet, the dress! Everyone will want to remember this moment as you walk down the aisle to your h2b!

Hopefully your photographer will snap this picture without you even noticing! This shot should be natural and relaxed and full of all the emotions you’re feeling at that moment!

The Groom’s First Look

My personal favourite shot is of the groom turning around to look at his bride for the first time as she walks down the aisle.

I think the groom’s first look is the most romantic, touching photo. It’s a photograph filled with love and anticipation. If your photographer can quickly snap this photo while your groom isn’t look so that it looks natural and as relaxed as a man can while his bride is approaching, it’ll make a fantastic addition to your wedding album!

The Reception Room

Once everyone has settled in the room and moved things, the reception room will never look the same again. To get the best image of the reception room, ask your photographer to nip inside and snap a few untouched shots.

I like these shots as they show all the effort that went into dressing the reception room. Even if you have minimal decoration, the elegance and style of the room will be something you will want to remember in years to come. A fantastic addition to any wedding album.

The Cake!

With wedding cakes costing in excess of £400, asking your photographer to take a few snaps of the cake is essential!

Edible items of your wedding will either be eaten or perish, so having a few photos of these items to remember them are crucial wedding album shots.

Try to capture the details on the cake, the ribbon and the little details. If you have a cake topper, it would be nice to snap a few shots. You could try standing behind the cake toppers to show how they look like you!

 

The First Dance

The first dance is often the last photo in an album. It’s actually quite difficult to take a good photo of a first dance as you’re both looking in different directions and the lighting is low. However, it’s a very romantic shot and ideal for any wedding album.

The DJ’s choice of lighting can often add an interesting atmosphere to any first dance and if your photographer can capture the lighting it will look fantastic in your wedding album.

But the best first dance pictures are when the couple are relaxed and happy.

Top Tips

One of my top tips for wedding photos is to make a list of all the shots you want taken on the day. If you have some special friends or family members who you really want to have photos with, make sure you make a list to give your photographer so that no one is missed.

More photo blog posts coming soon!