Wedding Wednesday - Catering Your Own Wedding {Guest Post}

Today I'm happy to welcome another guest blogger to Wedding Wednesday! Saxon from Let's Drink Coffee, Darling writes the most adorable blog and has a huge resource of wedding related posts so all you brides-to-be, you've got to check it out! You'll love what she has to share with you today!

I'm so happy to be able to take over Catherine's blog for a day and share a little bit about our wedding with her lovely readers!  

My name is Saxon and I write over at Let's Drink Coffee, Darling! One unique aspect about our wedding is that we provided all the food and drinks (except the cake and cupcakes) ourselves. This is a huge task, so I thought I'd share with you about our experiences!

If you are in the middle of planning a wedding, chances are you've already thought about food, drinks and snacks.  Everyone has a different idea in mind: some ladies are set on hiring a catering company, others want to provide light snacks, and then there's the smaller category of us who want to provide a meal without the expense of the catering costs.

We went with the third route for our wedding.  I'll just say it - I'm pretty sure my family, friends, and future family thought I was crazy.  We had several people offer to help us pay for caterers or suggest we go that route because I'm pretty sure they thought the plans were really just a disaster waiting to happen.  

And a disaster very well could happen if you don't make good plans and have back up plans. 

If you're thinking about doing the food at your wedding yourself, you should consider these questions:

• Does your wedding venue even allow outside food or drinks? Many venues will not allow any outer sources to provide food or drinks as their business mechanism to keep your money with them. Read contracts closely and know what is allowed and what isn't.

• Does your wedding venue have adequate facilities to prepare food? A venue with a kitchen equipped with a refrigerator, sinks, the ability to cook in large quantities is essential.  

• Do you have someone who you can put in charge of the food on the day of your wedding? Remember, this cannot be anyone in your immediate family or wedding party, as this person will likely be busy with this job for the entire time. We opted to hire a few of my dad's friends and coworkers to be in charge of cooking. We did compensate them for their time and efforts.  I would suggest compensating anyone you ask to do a job this large.

• Are you okay with a buffet style meal? If you have your heart set on plates of food being delivered to your guests as they sit, and a server topping off their glass of wine then this route is most definitely not for you. Be prepared for a self serve buffet style meal where your guests are free to get up and refill their own drinks. And speaking of wine, another thing you might think about is whether or not you want to deal with serving alcohol. If you have some guests under 21, you'll need to make sure someone responsible is overseeing who partakes in any alcohol - precisely why we decided not to have it at all.

Okay, so you still think you want to go with the DIY food option?

Great, I'm glad you do!  

Although there is definitely an added stress factor to providing the food yourself, there are also many benefits. You don't have to pay for cooks or servers. You can purchase the food in bulk to cut down on costs. You can have your family and wedding party help you get some of the food ready the night before after the rehearsal. And one thing I thought was cool was we didn't have to deal with any people we didn't know the day of our wedding.  

Food

Providing food yourselves means you'll need to hound people about RSVPing. This is where I failed. We invited over 150 people to our wedding. Despite our best efforts to have everyone RSVP, a good 25 percent of our guests either did not RSVP or did not RSVP until the day before our wedding - not helpful when buying our own food. That being said, we over bought on food as we assumed those who did not respond to the RSVP would show up. In reality we know most of them would probably be no shows, but we would rather have too much food than not enough.

Some questions you need to ask yourself now is what style of food best matches your finances, your facilities' cooking capabilities, and your available workforce?

We had a springtime outdoor wedding at a lodge. We decided to go with a cookout style meal which included hamburgers, assorted bags of chips, and vegetable trays with dip (for the added "health" benefit). This fit our relaxed style wedding, we didn't have to use the ovens so that the lodge would remain cool inside, and most things could be prepared the night before. My grandma, mom, and matron-of-honor were able to get tomatoes, lettuce, and onions cut up and stored in the refrigerator the night before, as well as the vegetables for the veggie trays. Of course, you don't want to forget the condiments - most stores sell restaurant sized containers with pumps.

Guests in line for food - it was really windy that day!

You'll be dealing with a lot of logistics, so it would be best if you are either good at math or have someone who is be able to help you! (My mother-in-law was super helpful on the logistics part)!  Also, choose foods that are easy to deal with as far as numbers go. If you bake 20 casseroles, it is hard to know how much one person will eat. But if you cook 20 hamburgers you know that feeds 20 people. Get my drift?

Drinks

While we kept our food options pretty simple, drinks are where we put a little more thought.

Keeping in mind that we had limited amounts of people to help keep the flow of drinks moving, we used three 5 gallon drink coolers for the majority of our drinks - which we kept outdoors with the food. We decided the only realistic way to provide drinks for this amount of people was to use instant mixes. We provided Country Time Lemonade and Instant Lipton Tea Mix, which worked out pretty well.

If you have reservations about using the mixes, you can always splurge on one special drink.

We took the idea of having a signature cocktail, but instead made PW's iced coffee (since we are both known for loving coffee) and chose to not serve alcohol. This took a little more prep work, but was still very very easy.

The night before the wedding I mixed one can of sweetened condensed milk per every two 12-cup pots of coffee and stored it in the refrigerator.  To make things easier, I bought several plastic pitchers from the Dollar Tree so the coffee could be made ahead of time and chill in the refrigerator until it was ready to be used.  I made this stuff keeping in mind that a lot of people don't drink coffee, but this stuff was really a hit!  (Meaning I should have prepared more than I did - we ran out!)

One last note about if you decide to provide your own food rather than hire catering is to check into both options.  Sometimes it may actually be more cost effective to hire catering, so it is worth looking into.  In our case we wanted to do it ourselves because we could provide more for a lower price - especially with our venue being in a remote location.  We decided splurged on our cake and cupcakes, which was SO worth it! 

If you have any specific questions, I'd love to hear from you at my blog or you can email me at letsdrinkcoffeedarling@gmail.com!

Thank you SO much, Saxon! That was so informative! We ended up having a caterer do our wedding but I definitely considered doing it ourselves to save money. Your wedding was beautiful! So glad to have you over here at Happily Ever Crafter!

What was your choice for food for your wedding? Or what will you be choosing and why?

Till next time,

Catherine

If you're a fellow blogger and are interested in guest posting for this series, shoot me an e-mail at CatherinePageWood@gmail.com! Or, even if you're not a blogger and would like to share your wedding story or advice, send me an e-mail! I would LOVE to share your stories!

If you liked this post, be sure to check out the other editions of Wedding Wednesday!

• Getting Started on Wedding Planning
• My Tips for Less Stressful Wedding Planning
• Choosing a Photographer
• How to Survive a Wedding Expo
• Mirror, Mirror - Why Big Mirrors Are a Must!
• Save the Dates - Yay or Nay? 
• Easily Overlooked Details

{Wedding Wednesday} Easily Overlooked Details

Wedding planning can be absolute insanity. You read a million books, get advice from all your friends, cover your bed with magazines and consult the experts. Yet even so, there are plenty of things that even the experts seem to forget to mention.

Here are a few things that are very easily overlooked during planning but are still very important details! This list is short but I'm sure I will need to add a Part II at some point.


Sunset

(via)

When you choose the time of your wedding, check the Farmer's Almanac for the sunset that day. If you want sunset pictures, plan around that. You'll want your ceremony to end about an hour before the sun is supposed to set. That will give you time for things to go long and for all the pictures to get done before the last few artsy ones as the sun goes down. If you don't want sunset pictures, no biggie, do what you want! 

Exit time

When you plan the length of the reception, plan a time for you and your new spouse to hit the road. It doesn't have to be an exact time but if you want a grand exit with balloons released or birdseed or sparklers, be sure to plan for it. For example, our wedding ceremony started at 4:30 and we planned the reception to "start" around 5:30 which gave us time for pictures and guests could snack on hors d'oeuvres. I planned the reception to go from about 5:30-10:00pm. That worked with the length of time I had the photographer and the venue. The way I planned it I figured we'd leave around 9:30 before too many people left so we could have our big exit with sparklers. Right around 9:15 I noticed people starting to say their goodbyes so I spoke quickly to our DJ and he announced the final song/dance (which was amazing, by the way) and the whole deal with the sparklers. We said our goodbyes to our family and close friends and then were sent on our way to a beautiful sea of sparklers held by our favorite people. It was perfect!


Undergarments

This is where your bridal consultant at the dress shop will be your best friend. Once you've said yes to the dress, figure out what type of undergarments would work best with it. The shop may have options to buy but chances are they'll be expensive. Check around stores like Victoria's Secret for sale items that fit your needs or nearby department stores.

And I'll just be totally honest. Wear something PRACTICAL under your dress! When you get back to your home, hotel or honeymoon suite, you can change into special attire. Comfort is KEY during your wedding day!


Wedding Day Emergency Bag

(via)

I'll go into more details during another post but please make or buy a wedding day emergency kit! This is the one day you don't want to be stuck without something like extra deodorant or a bobby pin. Mini sewing kits are very handy as well. You can buy one like the one pictured above or you can collect items from around the house and buy certain other items and toss them in a tote bag to have on hand. Making a kit yourself will probably be cheaper. It's also a great bridal shower gift idea for a friend who is getting married!


Day of Payments/Gifts

A lot of your vendors will require full or final payment the day of the wedding. This job falls to the Best Man or one of the fathers. The week before the wedding, write checks to all the vendors who need to be paid on the wedding day and seal them in security envelopes with a thank you note included. Clearly mark the outside who that envelope goes to. Example: John Smith - Officiant or Jane Doe - Caterer. Also, small tokens of appreciation are a nice touch if a friend or family member is doing you a wedding favor at no charge. For example, a friend who is performing the ceremony music or running the sound board. These can also be given to your Best Man for delivery. If you're giving gifts to your bridal party, a good time to give them is while you're getting ready for the ceremony. You could also give the gifts at the rehearsal or dinner.


Guest Dietary Restrictions

Have good food options for all of your guests. You don't need to plan the entire meal around one or two people but be considerate of them. I had multiple vegans/vegetarians at my wedding so I made sure they'd have more to eat than just a veggie tray. I had the idea to do a salad bar (which my caterer said he had never had a request for) with all the fixin's. I also had a pasta bar with multiple toppings along with chicken and other items. Everyone could find something they liked! 

If you have a couple of gluten-free guests, just be sure they have gluten-free options so they don't go hungry during the reception. Just keep these things in mind when planning your menu. 

If all goes well, you'll be THIS excited to eat at your wedding! Ha...couldn't resist sharing a picture of my goofy self digging in to the pasta bar! Oh yeah, and be sure YOU and YOUR NEW SPOUSE are the FIRST ones to eat! No exceptions! You have to eat! 

P.S. Loving that veil? I know I'm still in love with it! I got it from Virginia Geiger Jewelry on Etsy! Check out her Etsy page. Her products are all ah-mazing! 

What are some things you feel like were "easily overlooked" when you were planning your wedding? Are there any details you worry about overlooking?

Till next time,
Catherine


If you're a fellow blogger and are interested in guest posting for this series, shoot me an e-mail at CatherinePageWood@gmail.com! Or, even if you're not a blogger and would like to share your wedding story or advice, send me an e-mail! I would LOVE to share your stories!

If you liked this post, be sure to check out the other editions of Wedding Wednesday!

• Getting Started on Wedding Planning
• My Tips for Less Stressful Wedding Planning
• Choosing a Photographer
• How to Survive a Wedding Expo
• Mirror, Mirror - Why Big Mirrors Are a Must!
• Save the Dates - Yay or Nay? 

{Wedding Wednesday} Save the Dates - Guest Post

Today for Wedding Wednesday, I'm proud to announce another guest blogger!  Chloe from How We Flourish (formerly Healthy People, Healthy Planet) is going to tell us all about save the date cards! She has some awesome tips that I couldn't agree more on! I chose not to do save the dates in order to save money, time, stress and the fact that we didn't have that many out of town guests.

Take it away, Chloe!

Whether you have a lot of out of town wedding guests or you just want everyone to be able to plan ahead for your wedding, save-the-dates have become another expected part of wedding planning. But do you really need to spend a dollar a piece PLUS postage for a hundred cards with your face on them? I don't think so!

Do I even need save-the-dates?

Answer: It depends. Technically, no, you don't. There is nothing in wedding etiquette law that says you must send out save-the-dates. If you are having a small or local wedding and everyone already knows your date, feel free to skip! However, depending on your guests, you may want to. Formal invitations typically go out 6-8 weeks before the wedding, so your guests may appreciate a heads up. Save-the-dates can be used not only to inform guests of the date, but also to direct them to a wedding website, where you can post travel and lodging information. This may be extremely useful for out of town guests who need to plan ahead for your wedding. An important point to keep in mind is that if you send someone a save-the-date, you have to send them an invitation. No going back. For this reason, many couples choose to only send save-the-dates to out of town guests and VIPs. Certainly only send them to people you are 100% positive you will want at your wedding. Cutting back on quantity in this way is one way to save money.

Electronic save-the-dates

Okay, so you have decided you should send save-the-dates because your family is scattered across the country, or whatever your reason may be. But maybe you still don't want to print off a hundred cards and mail them out. This is fair: it costs money and there is the environmental burden of printing and shipping to consider. Therefore, if you are not concerned about the formality your save-the-dates are conveying, feel free to let people know via the internet! A simple email may do, or you can make up a design to email out (more on designing later). Keep in mind, however, whether everyone on your list has an email address they check regularly. If your grandparents or great aunt Peggy would have trouble with an electronic save-the-date, consider giving them a call or mailing one to them.

Budget Friendly Printing

For a more formal and accessible save-the-date, you may still want to go with standard paper save-the-dates. With smart shopping and designing, these do not have to cost an arm and a leg! Go with postcards. You may think magnets or hand carved wood slices are cute, and I'm sure they are. However, not only do these products cost more, but you must also pay for envelops and postage. Furthermore, anything weighing more than an ounce or that is rigid will be charged more than standard postage. Postcards, however, are cheap and postage is only 33 cents to send within the United States (at time of posting; max size 6" x 4.25"). Even simple card stock or 80 lb glossy postcards will hold up fine in the mail. Don't buy save-the-dates. This may sound like confusing advice, but hear me out.

Buying save-the-dates from a typical invitation retailer will end up being more expensive than it ought to be. After all, if you put the word "wedding" in front of something, retailers get to jack up the price, right? So instead of shopping for save-the-dates, shop for postcards that allow you to add your own text or upload your own images. A quick search for "postcards" will yield many websites that will sell 100 custom postcards for under $20. Once you find a company you like (many will send you free samples), sign up for their mailing list to keep an eye out for sales and coupons. Don't feel limited by designs. Even if you've found a good price, you may feel stuck choosing a certain design you aren't crazy about. Luckily, many postcard sites let you upload your own picture. No design experience? No problem! Sites like PicMonkey make it easy to edit photos, add text, make collages, and then turn them into a postcard, like the one below:

Me: "Why did you take the picture on the patio table?" Fiance: "It's artistic!"

Heck, if you have the creativity and time, you can even make your postcards and print them at home! Keep your eye on the prize Above all, remember that all of this planning is about you marrying the love of your life. Don't worry if your save the dates aren't absolutely perfect. Do what you can and work within your budget. There are always options if you are willing to look for them.

Enjoy your planning, thanks for reading, and a big thank you to Catherine for inviting me to post!

Chloe
How We Flourish


Thanks again to the lovely Chloe!! 

Till next time,
Catherine

If you're a fellow blogger and are interested in guest posting for this series, shoot me an e-mail at CatherinePageWood@gmail.com! Or, even if you're not a blogger and would like to share your wedding story or advice, send me an e-mail! I would LOVE to share your stories!

If you liked this post, be sure to check out the other editions of Wedding Wednesday!

• Getting Started on Wedding Planning
• My Tips for Less Stressful Wedding Planning
• Choosing a Photographer
• How to Survive a Wedding Expo
• Mirror, Mirror - Why Big Mirrors Are a Must!

{Wedding Wednesday} Mirror, Mirror - Guest Post

This week for Wedding Wednesday, I'm pleased as punch to have Heather from Spunky Real Deals guest posting for me! Heather is the founder of The Virginia Bloggers Club which is how we got connected. If you're a fellow blogger in the fantastic four-season state of Virginia, don't hesitate to contact Heather to get involved. The Virginia Bloggers Club is a lovely group of bloggers who are all about helping one another grow! While you're at it, check out her blog! She's always got great giveaways going on (alliteration much?). 

Hello Happily Ever Crafter readers! My name is Heather Paulding. I am the author and blogger of Spunky Real Deals. I am also the founder of the Virginia Blogger's Club. When I heard about Catherine's Wedding Wednesdays I knew I had to put something special together for all of you!

Mirror, mirror on the wall who's the fairest of them all? You, of course! I am convinced that every wedding must-have large mirrors. The proof is in the photography.

AFTERWORD:}|

A Good Idea: Give your bridesmaids your single wear wedding shoes to doodle on and they turn into a precious keepsake.


Thanks, Heather! Mirrors look so cool! Wish I had one at my wedding! I'll keep it in mind if my husband and I ever do anniversary pictures (in our wedding attire) one day! And what a great idea to do something special with your wedding shoes. Mine were ivory glitter TOMS and I still wear them :)

Do you like the large mirror idea for wedding photographs? What kind of shoes did you or will you wear at your wedding?

Till next time,
Catherine

If you're a fellow blogger and are interested in guest posting for this series, shoot me an e-mail at CatherinePageWood@gmail.com! Or, even if you're not a blogger and would like to share your wedding story or advice, send me an e-mail! I would LOVE to share your stories!

If you liked this post, be sure to check out the other editions of Wedding Wednesday!

• Getting Started on Wedding Planning
• My Tips for Less Stressful Wedding Planning
• Choosing a Photographer
• How to Survive a Wedding Expo
• Mirror, Mirror - Why Big Mirrors Are a Must!

{Wedding Wednesday} How to Survive a Wedding Expo

Welcome to another Wedding Wednesday! It's quickly become my favorite day of the week! I absolutely LOVE going back through my wedding planning materials and reliving it all!

Today I want to go over my advice for surviving a wedding expo. Bridal show, wedding showcase, bridal expo, wedding expo, whatever it's called, it can be extremely overwhelming. Depending on the size of the show, you could be faced with anywhere from 20 to 200 vendors! And all of them want your business. 

So without further ado, here's my advice for how to make the most of your bridal show experience!

Go to several and go early!

I went to 3 different bridal shows way before my wedding date. You want to go pretty much as early as you can. Even if you're on the verge of engaged and there's a show coming up, go to it! I went to the 2nd Forever Yours Dream Wedding Showcase on February 21, 2010, the Richmond Bridal Showcase on January 9, 2011 and the Richmond Wedding Expo on June 26, 2011. We didn't get married until March 24, 2012! Each time it was just my mom and I that went. Bringing more than 1-2 other people can just get crazy. Bringing your fiance is not required and he will probably thank you for not dragging him along. If he wants to be involved, by all means, he can come! But honestly, it's more of a bride/girl thing and chances are he won't have much fun. 

Also, "go early" means to get to the show early. If it's on from 12pn-4pm, don't wait until 2pm! You want to get there early so you have enough time to go through the booths at least once, preferably twice. It's a lot to take in, a lot to see, do and there are tons of vendors to talk to. Plus, many expos will have exhibitions going on throughout the day. It could be a runway show of bridal party attire, wedding dresses, photographer slideshows or even a DJ or band performing. Check the schedule on the expo's website ahead of time to get an idea of who and what you want to be sure to see! 

If you like a vendor then take their info!

Don't assume you'll remember the company name or website. Even if they're out of business cards, write. it. down. Even if it's a service you're not sure you'll use (like a limo company or a wedding planner), err on the side of caution and take the info. Later on you can filter through and decide what you'll need and what you won't.


Take your time

Like I said before, give yourself plenty of time to visit every booth. You don't want to miss anything. Go early and plan to stay for a few hours. It can be exhausting but you want to be thorough. Plus, if the door prizes are must-be-present-to-win, you don't want to miss out!



Be prepared

Bring your planner, a pen or pencil, a tote bag and a water bottle. Sometimes vendors or the show will have these things for attendants but don't count on it. Be ready to write your name, fiance's name, phone number and e-mail address about a hundred times. Oh and don't eat a big meal before going, but do eat something. Very often, caterers and bakers will have samples available to try so you don't want to be too full to try them! And don't stress about your "wedding diet," just eat the tiny square of cake and be happy.


Enter any and all giveaways

Unless the prize is something you know you'd never use or couldn't give to a friend, enter them all! The show will most likely be hosting some giveaways/door prizes as well as many of the vendors. Vendors will also do their own giveaways. Some will have raffles, some will have spinner wheels and some will just be offering discounts for anyone who books with them at the show. Think carefully before signing up for those, though. You don't want to get stuck with a vendor you're not sure about.

Get Organized

When you get home from the show, kick back and take a breather. Then, get yourself organized. If you haven't already, get a 3 ring binder and sort all of your goodies. Creating a wedding organizer will be a whole separate post but it's something you should definitely do! Sort your brochures, pamphlets, business cards and price lists by category and make an initial "toss" pile. Again, there will probably be some info you take from vendors you really don't think you'll use so feel free to toss them. If there's a photographer you liked but is waaay out of your budget, toss it. There's no need to bum yourself out over something you can't have. 

Budget it

If you've already established a wedding budget, factor in the bridal shows. It counts. 

Enjoy it!

Last but not least, as always, enjoy it! Breathe, smile, eat, laugh. Meet other brides, meet vendors, don't stress. 

And there you have it, my advice for making the most of wedding expos! If you are in the Virginia/D.C./Maryland area, then keep an eye out for expos all the time. Richmond and D.C. have multiple shows each year and they are top notch! To find wedding expos near you, simply Google it. Don't exclude nearby large cities, that's probably where most will be held. 

Have you been to a wedding expo yet? If you have, what was your favorite part about it?

Till next time,

Catherine

If you're a fellow blogger and are interested in guest posting for this series, shoot me an e-mail at CatherinePageWood@gmail.com! Or, even if you're not a blogger and would like to share your wedding story or advice, send me an e-mail! I would LOVE to share your stories!

If you liked this post, be sure to check out the other editions of Wedding Wednesday!

• Getting Started on Wedding Planning
• My Tips for Less Stressful Wedding Planning
• Choosing a Photographer
• How to Survive a Wedding Expo
• Mirror, Mirror - Why Big Mirrors Are a Must!

{Wedding Wednesday} Choosing a Photographer

Choosing a photographer for your wedding can be extremely nerve wracking! I mean, who you choose will be documenting the most important day of your life and you definitely don't want to miss anything! I've already been through that mess so here are my tips so you have an easier time! 

These cherry blossoms had bloomed just in time for our wedding. Beautiful!

Be Picky!

Man oh man I can't stress this one enough. I wish I had been more picky because I definitely learned the hard way. I met countless photographers at bridal shows and looked through countless more online. We only ended up meeting with two of them but after we got our photos back, I regretted not being pickier. "Why?" you ask? For starters, and this is a doozy, there is not ONE posed formal or creative formal photo of Brian and I! Not one!! Sure there are pictures of us saying our vows and dancing but not one of just the two of us after the ceremony. It was something very obvious that should have been done but my photographer insisted on rushing the posed formals so we could get to the reception quickly. He also neglected to get any pictures of my family and I together. In the very beginning I wanted to do a "reveal" with Brian and I so we could do our posed/creative formals BEFORE the ceremony (we had more than enough time for it!) but our photographer basically told us no. 

Gracious...I need an entire post to rant about all this mess! 

Me getting my dress out!

Meet With Multiple Photographers

As I mentioned before, I wish we had met with more than just two. I thought that would be enough. I would recommend talking to (whether meeting in person, phone conversation or e-mail) as many photographers as you can. When you go to bridal shows (and go to several of those!) try and speak with every photographer and take business cards, price lists, and brochures. If you just plain don't like their style, then move on. If you meet with multiple photographers, you'll be able to see how well you get along with them and if your styles mesh together. This is important! You want to have a good working relationship with them.

I can tell you right now these pictures were my idea!

My traditional photographer would have never thought to highlight our TOMS! 

Pick Your Style - Traditional vs Artistic vs Blend

Usually photographers are one or the other. There are several different styles but usually photographers tend to be traditional or artistic. Traditional style is very posed and formal. There's not a lot of room for creativity. It's more rigid and planned than anything else. A photographer that is more artistic will do cool angles, soft focus, creative poses and more. I must've thought that was too "yuppie" for me at the time or maybe I just wasn't paying attention. I wanted more of a blend but my photographer ended up being very traditional. We literally took three photos outside. Everything else was under the unforgiving sanctuary lights standing up straight and smiling pretty. There were actually three photographers shooting our wedding and I can always tell when one of the two younger, creative interns took the shot! Either that or it was something creative that I suggested. 

Check out this article for the other styles and their descriptions.

Brian, his groomsmen and our pastor who officiated.

Have Multiple Photographers

Like I said, I had three photographers shooting our wedding. My original plan was to have at least two. The third was no extra charge because she was an intern in training. The way I saw/see it is that one photographer won't be able to capture every moment. Case in point: When the bride walks down the isle, you want a picture of the groom's face as he sees his bride and the bride's face as she sees her groom. (Yet another thing my photographers didn't catch even though I specified wanting it.) 

Another example is that maybe a friend starts break dancing at the reception but the photographer is capturing you hugging your Great Aunt Edna. You want to capture every moment! Multiple photographers can be expensive though so keep that in mind. But don't nix the idea simply because of money. Keep your eye out for things like "free second photographer with 8 hours of shooting" or maybe a more novice photographer that will be willing to be a second shooter for free. It's best if they've worked together before though. That way they know how the other works and everything will go smoothly.

Oh and a male/female team works great too. The male photographer can shoot the men getting ready pre-ceremony and the female can shoot the ladies getting ready and no one feels awkward or embarrassed! It's easy to overlook something like that too.

The bridal party being goofy. This picture ALWAYS makes me smile!

Make a List

Make a list of the shots you want. Everything from creative to posed formals. If you really want a picture with Great Aunt Edna then write that down. And don't just wright "Bride and aunt," be sure to write down names and titles. Your photographer won't know that "Jenny" is your 5th bridesmaid. This is also another area where Pinterest comes in handy. Make a pinboard for poses and shots you like. Change the caption so that it's specific to you. You can give the url to your photographer ahead of time so they will have a good idea of what you want and don't want your wedding photos to look like. 

First dance - one of my favorites

Plan Plenty of Time

When you're making your wedding day timeline, estimate the time for pictures, then add 30 minutes. I promise it will take longer than you think. I know many people still want to stick with tradition and not have the bride and groom see each other until she walks down the isle but if you're OK with breaking tradition, do it! I so wish that we had. I wish we had planned a reveal before the ceremony. We ended up having so much extra time, it would have been perfect. I think it would have helped with jitters walking down the isle too. And it still would have been special! I don't think it would have taken away from seeing each other from down the isle at all. Plus, we would've had more beautiful pictures together! We could have also done all of our bridal photos together. The way we did it, we had us girls go into the sanctuary and take pictures and then swapped with the guys. So at least we had a good amount of formals done beforehand. If you want to stick with tradition, that's totally fine! Just be sure you plan extra time for posed formals after the ceremony and before the reception. You don't want to keep your guests waiting, bored, and hungry so keep that in mind as well. 

I'm so glad my photographer caught this moment! I didn't even know it happened until I looked through the pictures!

And remember: The photographer runs the ceremony...the DJ/band/MC runs the reception.

All in all, the wedding photographer that you choose will be very important but as I've said before and I will say again, it doesn't HAVE to be a stressful thing! Hopefully Wedding Wednesdays will help you plan your wedding with ease!

What's your favorite wedding photography style? What are some of your wedding photographer questions that need answers?

Till next time,

Catherine

If you're a fellow blogger and are interested in guest posting for this series, shoot me an e-mail at CatherinePageWood@gmail.com! Or, even if you're not a blogger and would like to share your wedding story or advice, send me an e-mail! I would LOVE to share your stories!

If you liked this post, be sure to check out the other editions of Wedding Wednesday!

• Getting Started on Wedding Planning
• My Tips for Less Stressful Wedding Planning
• Choosing a Photographer
• How to Survive a Wedding Expo
• Mirror, Mirror - Why Big Mirrors Are a Must!

{Wedding Wednesday} My Tips for Less Stressful Wedding Planning

First of all, today on 9/11 I want to pause for a moment for us all to think about that day, where we were, what it meant to our country and of all those beautiful lives lost. It was a tragic day that none of us will ever forget.

For the second edition of Wedding Wednesday, I want to run through my personal tips on wedding planning with less stress. It can get very overwhelming very quickly so from the get go I want you to remember these things! It doesn't have to be stressful! These are all tips that I *tried* to remember and stick with throughout planning my own wedding.


Breathe!

First you need to remember to breathe. Wedding planning CAN be stressful but it doesn't HAVE to be. When things get a little rocky, just remember to breathe and think logically about the situation.

Be Organized

Whether you are an organized person or not, you must be organized during wedding planning. If you're not it will stress you out and can even cost you money. Being organized will keep everything in the same place and you won't be stressing out looking for receipts, invoices, business cards and more. I used a 2" 3-ring binder with tab dividers. It was a lifesaver! Be sure to use Pinterest to your advantage as well but stay realistic. Don't pin everything you see. Pin with purpose!

Don't Procrastinate

Start planning pretty much right away. You don't want to take too much time then end up not getting your venue or photographer because they were already booked. Don't waste any time at all especially if you want your wedding on a Saturday in a peak month (May-September and near holidays) because companies will book FAST during those times.

It's One Day

I know you've probably heard this a hundred times but seriously, once it's all over it was just one day of your lives together. Granted it is one of the biggest days of your life but it is still one day. It's not worth fighting over or freaking out over. If you are married at the end of the day, that is truly what matters. 

Determine a Budget and Stick With It!

This one is extremely important! Now if you are fortunate enough to have no budget, go ahead and skip this part. But for most of us, a budget is important. Talk with your fiance, your family and his family and decide who is willing/able to pay for what. I know money talk is no fun but it's best to hash it out in the beginning. You don't want to guess at these numbers later. Check out this website for a good list of who traditionally pays for what. 

Don't Sweat the Small Stuff

I've told this to so many of my friends during their wedding planning. If you can't find napkins that match the flowers then don't freak out! If they're not the same exact color, guess what...no one but you will notice. I can almost guarantee you that no one will notice. Or if at your wedding if something is there that shouldn't be or isn't that should be, no one's going to know but you. 

See that beautiful centerpiece picture? That's from my wedding. After discussing it multiple times, my florist didn't get it right. The vases were supposed to be filled with water, the lilies being completely submerged and there should be a floating candle on top. But, you know what? It's not that big of a deal. Yes I was frustrated but I let it go because it was my wedding reception and it wasn't worth being upset over. I was finally married to the love of my life! Some water and candles was not going to get me down! My mom and I were the only ones who knew the centerpieces weren't right. My guests had nothing but lovely things to say about them! If something similar (or even worse) happens at your wedding, your guests won't even notice, they will only see how happy and beautiful you and your spouse are!

Don't Be a Bridezilla

This one should be pretty self explanatory. If you're questioning how to not be a bridezilla, reference the three points above titled "Breathe," "It's One Day," and "Don't Sweat the Small Stuff." Your wedding is an extremely important day in your life but don't let it turn you into someone you're not. It's not worth it!

Have Fun! Enjoy It! 

And finally, remember to enjoy it! Wedding planning can also be so much fun. You'll get more congratulations and smiles than you know what to do with. You'll get lots of freebies and hugs, it's fantastic! Also keep in mind companies often charge more for anything labeled "wedding," but that's another topic entirely!

But enjoy this time! Savor your final moments as a bachelor/ette. Spend time with friends and family and enjoy yourself. Don't forget to go on a date night now and then with your honey and make it  a point to not talk about wedding stuff. 

Do you get stressed easily or are you cool as a cucumber? What was/is the most stressful part of wedding planning for you?

Till next time,
Catherine


If you're a fellow blogger and are interested in guest posting for this series, shoot me an e-mail at CatherinePageWood@gmail.com! Or, even if you're not a blogger and would like to share your wedding story or advice, send me an e-mail! I would LOVE to share your stories!

If you liked this post, be sure to check out the other editions of Wedding Wednesday!

• Getting Started on Wedding Planning
• My Tips for Less Stressful Wedding Planning
• Choosing a Photographer
• How to Survive a Wedding Expo
• Mirror, Mirror - Why Big Mirrors Are a Must!