Dating and Relationship

Archive for the ‘Wedding’ Category

There is nothing quite as intimate as a backyard wedding. If your backyard happens to be a beach, a backyard wedding can be a beautiful, fun and dynamic experience.

While backyard beach weddings can be idyllic, there are several challenges to consider during the planning process.

Bad weather, bugs, and sandy clothing can all make a backyard beach wedding less than perfect. Fortunately there are several ways you can protect yourself from potential problems to make sure your wedding is the best day of your life.

Tent

Tents provide shelter from the sun and rain, and provide a nice blocked off area where guests can congregate. Tents are also great for sheltering tables and a dance floor.

If your backyard beach wedding takes place during the spring or fall, cooler weather may be a problem.

Many party planning companies offer tents with free-standing heaters to keep guests comfortable. Caterers can set up under the tent with a bar and buffet table as well.

Dress Ideas

There are no limits on the possibilities for beach wedding dresses. Just because you may be barefoot and standing on sand doesn’t mean you can’t be as glamorous as you want to be.

You could wear a simple linen frock or a couture designer gown. If your wedding is a casual affair, you could wear a delicate white sarong or sundress. You could even be truly distinctive with a mermaid-style wedding dress.

Decorations

Martha Stewart recommends beach-themed favors and centerpieces for backyard beach weddings. You can use mini pails filled with rock candy for favors, and metal beach buckets as flower pots for tables. She also recommends using shells with place cards as wedding keepsakes.

Food

Catering a backyard beach wedding is the same as catering any event, provided you have level surfaces and a tent to protect the food. You may want to invest in some insect netting for two sides of the tent to keep the flies away from the tables.

It is especially important to protect one of your larger investments: the wedding cake. Make sure it is on a sturdy table out of the sun. Catering companies are usually familiar with the challenges of outdoor weddings, and may be able to provide extra sturdy tables for cakes or clear plastic or glass cake domes. Read the rest of this entry »

Classiness is a timeless quality, evoking a mood of elegance, tastefulness and luxury mixed with subtlety. Classy wedding themes are versatile, and can be personalized to fit different budgets, venues, color schemes and personal tastes. The ideal classy wedding is sophisticated and memorable, from the decor to the bridal gown.

Wine theme

For couples who share a love of fine wine, wine-themed weddings are romantic and classy. Vineyards provide a lush natural setting, and the color scheme can include rich shades of burgundy, purple and green.

Classical music accompaniment is ideal. Crisp linens and subtle, simple flowers, such as lilies or cream-colored roses, balance the decadence of the setting. The reception can include a wine-tasting for guests, and complementary wine bottles inscribed with the couples’ monogrammed initials.

Diamond Theme

A diamond wedding reflects the romantic gemstone in a classy and eye-catching way. Diamond-shaped wedding invitations set the stage for the ceremony.

The venue should be decorated in cool, clean colors, such as pale blue, pure white or white with silver undertones. The bride can wear a wedding gown with simple lines, offset by a tasteful diamond tiara, earrings and other accessories. At the reception, ice sculptures and glittering diamond accents provide a luxurious feel.

Old Hollywood Theme

The Golden Age of Hollywood was characterized by romance. An Old Hollywood wedding is an ideal way for couples to have a classy theme without going over the top.

The dress code should be vintage, including gloves and glamorous jewelry. A venue such as a country club, hotel ballroom or historic mansion evokes a classy Hollywood feel when decorated with flowers and candlelight and accompanied by live jazz. Black, gold and red make an appropriate color scheme. Read the rest of this entry »

Most little girls have dreamed of finding their prince, just like in the fairy tales they read. The prince would give the princess a beautiful diamond, while asking her to be his wife. Now the day has come, and the diamond will be the main theme of your wedding celebration.

Not only are diamonds “a girl’s best friend,” but they can also make any wedding theme look elegant and classy. Best of all, a diamond wedding theme can be as simple or as elaborate as you desire, with many different diamond wedding themes to choose from or create yourself.

Set the Scene

You can find just about every accessory available with diamonds; even if you need to use fake diamonds. The classy and romantic appearance of a diamond will still be there, just at a fraction of the cost of genuine diamond accessories.

Some ideas of wedding accessories you can use include: diamond shaped napkin rings, diamond embedded unity candles, cake serving sets, and of course some diamonds on your wedding cake.

You can also set a romantic and classy looking table simply spreading a few clear, diamond shaped table jewels over your table cloths.

Another idea is to decorate your floral arrangements by adding strands of fake crystals or adhesive ones into each vase.

As for the centerpiece, you can either use diamond shaped candle holders, or try setting a flat mirror with a few gorgeous rocks on it to resemble diamonds in their natural form. Another centerpiece idea is to set a clear, glass bowl and fill it half-way with crushed ice with any big flower of your choice on top. The ice resembles diamonds, but even when the ice melts you will still have a nice floating flower arrangement.

Dress the Part

The theme will speak for itself, enough that you will not need to dress in too many diamonds for people to understand your theme.

A wedding dress with crystal embellishments will be more than enough, especially when some crystal or diamond accessories are added. Add a tiara that is also embedded with diamonds, and some diamond jewelry of course; earrings and a necklace will be plentiful. You may or may not want to go overboard and overwhelm people with too many diamonds.

Make your hair style elegant and classy by adding a few sparkly hair pins.

When it comes to the wedding attire, instead of having a floral bouquet, you could try a crystal one; either buy one or make one on your own. Read the rest of this entry »

Shooting photographs at a wedding is an undertaking worth serious planning. After all, this special day is something that the couple will want to preserve and if you blow it behind the lens, they won’t be pleased.

But there are techniques you can use to help ensure that the photos taken will please the bride and groom. Follow some basic photography guidelines even if you aren’t a professional wedding photographer to help you have a successful outing.

Two Camera Setup

Always use two cameras. Develop a shot list for groups and locations where you want to stage photos throughout the event, but also be prepared for candid, unplanned moments that might be preserved.

If you have a telephoto lens on your camera and the shot requires a wide-angle lens, then you might miss a moment before changing out the lenses. Having one camera assigned strictly for wide-angle or close-up shots and another with a good zoom lens is one strategy.

Close-ups

Capture close-up shots of details at the wedding. Perhaps you can shoot a close-up of the detail found in the bride’s dress or the wedding bands lying on the open pages of a Bible. A photo using a telephoto lens to capture the couple’s joined hands during the ceremony as the groom slides on the wedding band can be a nice touch. Think of creative ways to shoot close-ups that will reflect details of the day that might go unnoticed.

Diffusers

Soft lighting is key in producing photographs with a beautiful and elegant feel. One way to soften light, whether from a flash or available light, is by using a diffuser.

Light diffusers are a sheer material or white surface that light must pass through or bounce off of before reaching the subject of a photo. This removes harsh light edges to give photographs a softer quality. Using them frequently can avoid wedding photos that resemble paparazzi snapshots. Read the rest of this entry »