Before the Wedding Photo Ideas That Don't Spoil the Surprise

The big reveal. The first time the groom sees his bride on the wedding day. This may be one of the most magical parts of the whole day. The anticipation, the excitement and the overwhelming flood of emotions. Whether you are traditional, superstitious or maybe just a fan of surprises, you want your hubby-to-be to wait until you walk down the aisle to see you for the first time on the wedding day.

It is becoming more and more common for couples to take most of their wedding pictures before the ceremony itself. This saves time and doesn't keep your guests waiting in between the ceremony and reception. Brides and grooms can even have a "first look". This intimate moment where the bride and groom first see each other takes place before the wedding and is captured by the photographer. Some of the most heart-felt, emotional photos may be taken at this time. While these pre-wedding pictures might be perfect for some brides, there are still a bunch of us out there that might still prefer to save the big reveal, for the moment the bride walks down the aisle to her groom. If you prefer to wait for this moment make sure that you have two photographers present, one to photograph the bride walking down the aisle and one to capture the groom's reaction.

If you are waiting to take your main wedding photos after the ceremony, there are still a few great shots that you can get in pre-wedding that won't spoil the big reveal! Once the bride and groom have gotten dressed and made up on the wedding day and shortly before the ceremony, take a few pictures of them together but without seeing each other. This can easily be accomplished by having the bride and groom stand on opposite sides of a door, room or wall. They can hold hands, pray together or blow imaginary kisses, but no peeking!

Another beautiful photo opportunity is to photograph the bride and groom before the wedding reading a love letter/ special note from the other. The photo can be taken separately of the bride and groom or together.

Whenever and however you choose to take your wedding photos they are sure to be magical and lasting memories of your special day. 

So brides, are you having any pre-wedding photos taken? When are you having your big reveal?

Bride and Groom Main Image, Bride and Groom behind door series by Brandon Werth Photogrpahy, Bride and Groom love letter by Dianne Personette Photography

Exquisite Ideas for Engagement Photographs – A Collection of Inspiration Boards

Now that you and your man are engaged, you will have the wonderfully exciting task of planning a wedding.  One of the first things you will want to consider is having engagement photos taken, which is where these ideas for exciting engagement photographs come in.  Your engagement photos will give you a chance to show off your love for your fiancé, and of course your ring.  You will likely want to look back on your photos someday and see a reflection of your life as a couple.

You will probably want to have several different themes and concepts in mind when heading to your photography session.  Some of our favorite engagement photos show the couple simply having fun together.  Consider bringing funny props that represent things that one or both of you enjoy.  Using a ball from your favorite sport, a bicycle, or even bubble gum can bring joy to both you and your photographs.

Another type of photographs that is sure to impress is a simple shot of you and your soon-to-be husband sharing a quiet moment together.  Share a sweet story or simply say something touching to your fiancé to bring out a loving gesture to be captured by your photographer.  Your genuine love for each other will shine through into your pictures and will be a priceless keepsake for the rest of your lives together.

Great locations also help your photographer to capture great photos.  Think about places near your home where the landscapes are breathtaking.  The combination of the view, and you and your future hubby looking incredible together will make for a gorgeous photograph.  It may take some creative thinking, but it will be worth the stunning photographs you will be left with!

Remember to express your personalities and have as much fun as possible with your engagement session!  For more helpful ideas, tips and tricks, check out Amanda's article on engagement photography here.

Image Credits: Sitting on Barn Floor, Tender Moment, Snowy Night, Porch Swing, Fly a Kite, Bubble Fight, Blowing Bubbles, Riding a Bike, Soccer, At the Ocean, Bright Sun, Castle and a Stormy Sky, Lighthouse

12 Days of Weddings - 10 Lords A Leaping Inspiration Board

Welcome to the 10th edition in our 12 Days of Weddings blog series. So far we have given you 9 image collages full of wedding inspiration for your holiday wedding. For our 10th inspiration board, we've decided to honor the infamous 10 lords of leaping by paying homage to the fascinating action photography trend that captures grooms and their groomsmen mid-jump - or mid-leap for our purposes. We chose 10 of our favorite "jump shots" to show you. Hopefully this collection of images will inspire both you and your wedding photographer. If not, at least you will get a kick out of seeing some character capturing photographs, mid air poses, and other acts of randomness.

Image Credits (In order from top to bottom, left to right): 1. Southern Aisle, 2. Delightfully Engaged, 3. Polkadot Bride, 4. Unknown, 5. Bellafotografica, 6. Deroughe Mont Manor, 7. The Romantics Ad Campaign via Art8Amby , 8. Tom and Lorenzo, 9. True Photography Weddings, 10. Bridal Snob

The Fate of Your Wedding Gown - To Trash the Dress or Not to Trash the Dress



 As if there aren't enough decisions to make, modern brides are being asked to decide the fate of their wedding gown. It was once considered an obvious choice - preserve the gown as wedding memorabilia or for future generations.  Brides now have a few other options that are becoming increasingly popular.

Many brides are giving their precious gowns away to charity. These gowns will either be given to brides who cannot afford the princess wedding of their dreams, or sold with the purpose of donating the money to a good cause. Brides Against Breast Cancer is one such charity that offers new and gently used donated gowns at slashed prices to raise money for the cure. This option is for the bleeding hearts who won't miss their dress hanging in the back of their closet because they will know their donation has helped another woman in need.

Another option that is growing in popularity defies all of the above traditions. The is the infamous Trash The Dress photo shoot. If you haven't heard of this phenomenon, it is where the Bride puts on her wedding attire and gets all dressed up for a professional photo shoot after the wedding. Sometimes the Groom even joins gets a few photos snapped. The catch? The location is chosen because of its contrast to the formal wear - this means beaches, painting studios, muddy fields, swampy rivers, and anywhere a bride would avoid like the plague while wearing her dress before the big day. The results are fun, un-posed, often stunning and artistic photos... and a completely trashed dress. Of course a little dirt doesn't necessarily mean the dress will be ruined forever. A good dry cleaning would probably return your dress to savable condition - unless you opt to cut, burn, or paint it during your photo shoot. The idea is that the bride has made a forever commitment and has no need of a wedding dress anymore. It is also a way to get great photographs. While Trashing the Dress isn't for everyone, it does provide some intriguing images. This is for the trendy bride, who is perfectly happy treasuring her wedding gown forever via amazing photographs like the ones shown below.



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What ever you decide, enjoy your day and enjoy that fabulous dress!

~ Jenna

Additional photo credit: Hanging Wedding Dress, Bride in Muddy Boots

Photo Booth Fun

Who doesn't love the look of black and white photo strips? There is just something about that curtained off compartment that brings out the fun side in anyone. If you are planning a wedding or event, I'm sure you have come across the Photo Booth Trend that is sweeping across the special event scene. It is just too adorable not to discuss, just on the off chance someone has yet to view some of the wacky photos produced by giddy guests and crazy props. 

There are a couple ways to pull this off. If you have the money, but little manpower, the easiest thing to do is to rent a photo booth. Places like  http://www.rentphotobooths.com/ can bring the booth to you. All you have to do is provide the guests... and possibly the alcohol. These photo booths can produce the vintage looking photo strips we all love or the more modern photo collages we have come to expect when we come across a photo booth at a mall or amusement park.

(image courtesy of greenweddingshoes.com)

If you have more imagination, but less of a budget, you can set up your own photo booth. It can either be manned by a friend and a good digital camera on a tripod, or by your fabulous wedding photographer. Backdrops can be as simple as a brick or solid painted wall. You can also provide a few different backdrops in the form of patterned sheets (crisply pressed, of course).

A great way to encourage guests to take a fun photo is to provide a prop box and hand out favor bags with an assortment of props inside. Some of the most popular props are  mustaches and lips on sticks in the style of traditional masquerade masks. These props can be found at numerous places, including MaroDesigns on Etsy.com. They can also be easily made by the more crafty brides and party planners. Other fun props are oversized frames, huge sunglasses, and wigs. This would be a good time to head to a local consignment shop or ask friends to donate their old halloween costumes for the night. Chalkboards and dry erase boards allow guests to write funny or heart felt messages to you in their photo.

These photos will be your favorites of the day. They will capture your friends and family as you know, love, and tolerate them. If you keep the digital file of the photos you can also have them printed and sent to guests as Thank You's for as little as $0.30 a print at local photo centers.

Happy Memory Making!

Jenna