FCW Favorite Finds: Beauty Posts

In my opinion it is always best to go with professionals on your wedding day for hair & make up.  However, there are so many pre-wedding events (engagement party, engagement photo session, bridal shower, rehearsal dinner, etc.) that need extra styling, which could break your budget if you use a professional each time.  Luckily for brides, there are many resources online to help kick your game up a notch.  I've picked a few of my favorite recent beauty posts for brides to experiment with for the big days before the big day.  Enjoy!  

#1. Sweet halo braid.  This look has come a long way from Heidi references thanks to celebrities showing it off lately.  The Wedding Chicks give a great tutorial on how to halo your hair.

#2. False eyelashes.  Offbeat bride posted a great article on demystifying the technique of how to (correctly) apply false eyelashes.  This one gets me everytime and I'm very psyched to try this girl's advice.

Guest Post: Why SO Serious? The Photography Trend Of Not Smiling

A lot of my post ideas come from other blogs I read.  When I came across this OffBeat Bride article, "Whatever You Do, DON'T SMILE", it was so intriguing that I had to send it to some photographers who I really admire to see their opinion.  And here is what I discovered, both photogs made really good points for each side.  If you are a couple who is unsure what direction you want to go for your wedding day photos, these two professionals break down the trend so you can decide what is best for you. Enjoy!

Lindsay Hite, ReadyLuck: I've been noticing that myself on the blogs too recently.  I say if it reflects the couple's personality (maybe a deadpan, or dry sense of humor), why not?  I think a big part of creating beautiful images that the couple will enjoy long after their wedding day is all about playing off of their vibe, and what's important to them.  Recently, I've made a few portraits with serious expressions, and they've been successful because they work as individual images, and in the context.  If the couple is bursting at the seams smiling, why try to stifle that- go with it!  Sometimes, if people have their "photo face" on and I can see in their eyes that their mind is elsewhere, I remind them that it's ok to relax and try to bring them back into the moment.  Bottom line, trends are trends but the images that are true to the couple will last.



Annabelle Dando, Annabelle Dando Photography: I think, unfortunately, in the process of creating "fine art photography" (which in and of itself has become a trend nowadays) some photographers have forgotten that their clients aren't just models in nice dresses/outfits and cool settings. Instead of remembering that they have been hired to document all the joy and bliss and love (and sometimes tears) that go along with a wedding, they see it as a production, almost, in which they are directing a "shoot" trying to up the ante and create something epic. While I'm all for epic photography, and I think it can have its place in a wedding, I think some photographers have got to remember that the clients don't want to look like models- they want to look like themselves, captured brilliantly. Yeah, models often do look miserable and "super-serious" in their fashion shoots, but if you look at mock wedding shoots set up by magazines or designers, the pictures never have the amazing energy that exists with people who are happy or in love. Sure, grab one or two serious shots, just to mix it up if you'd like, but I don't think it should be done in overkill.  Getting real smiles (or any type of real emotion) is the best part of being a photographer with a documentary instinct. To tell people to do the opposite of what they're feeling is to shoot yourself in the foot, in my opinion.  I have taken pictures that I love compositionally, but I doubt my subject will love how they look- so it doesn't end up in the "keep" pile.



Balancing Your Wedding Planning In Our Digital World



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While I am completely for the technological evolution that allows people and ideas to be shared almost instantly, I wanted to take time out to advocate for stepping back from the keyboard during wedding planning.  Keeping bridesmaids updated on group emails, skyping dress fittings with out of town VIPs and of course subscribing to wedding blogs for inspiration are the key highlights to be connected online.  I've seen people on facebook sending out requests like "looking for a great caterer/DJ/photographer/site in this city. any referrals?" which is a really great use of getting real client reactions.  Yes, there are many advantages to the social media outlets we all use daily. 

My concern is that brides may be obligated to share every detail and photo on social media which can create many problems.  Here are three basic rules to keeping your sanity in this over-sharing social media world.

1. Limit the information you are sending out
Your betrothed, your families, your wedding party and your wedding planner are the people with whom you should spend the most time discussing wedding plans.  Constant oversharing is already rampant on facebook ("today I ate a turkey sandwich", "I hate when it rains", "I hate traffic, boooo!") much less oversharing of wedding plans.  Offbeat Bride even has a post "how to talk about your wedding on facebook without pissing people off".  How can this be a problem?  Do you have a huge friend/ acquaintance list that may include people who are not invited but assume they are invited since they receive all the updates?  Or are you not inviting everyone to the pre-wedding parties & feel awkward posting a status & photos online for everyone to see?  Posting photos of your linens, the bridemaids dresses or sharing too many details online not only leaves little to the imagination for guests, but it opens up a portal for every 'friend' to give his/her opinion.  There is a delicate balance to this, since I've also heard a lot of brides that complain their out of town relatives ask repeatedly for wedding updates on facebook so they can feel connected.  Each couple has a different comfort level with how much information they are putting online.  Make sure you speak with your beloved before posting wedding info to avoid any unnecessary stress.

2. Don't let social media turn you into a bridezilla
Whether it was on purpose or just an accidental effect, the wedding industry has created this overwhelming competition aspect to planning a wedding.  In addition to scouring wedding blogs, looking at your friends (and friends of friends' friends) wedding photos online can turn any calm, well intentioned bride into feeling like "I must out-do this wedding" or "my wedding is so lame compared to this one".  Every wedding is different because it is a personal reflection of your tastes, families, friends, cultures, religions, and overall couple style.  That is what makes wedding so fun to go to for guests, each one is a new experience.  Step away from the rat race and focus your energy on the aspects that will make your wedding special.

Guy's Corner: Guidelines to Choosing Your Wedding Band

Wedding rings are the universal sympbol of marriage but tend to be overlooked in the first few months of planning of wedding.  Typically the engagement ring is fitted with the wedding ring in mind so they compliment each other.  The jeweler will show the groom-to-be the options for wedding ring settings when he is buying the engagement ring and then the couple can return a few months before the wedding to choose their wedding bands.  While most women have thought about their wedding band and what they want, the guys are usually a bit intimidated by this process.  Most men don't wear a lot of jewelry so this is a big decision.  The basic questions to keep in mind are:

#1. Budget- Make sure that you both know your budget for each ring before you step into the jewelry store.
#2. Basic Aesthetics- Do you like gold or silver?  Silver has many options from the carat amount to platinum vs. regular silver.  But knowing the direction you want to go helps narrow down all the option from the beginning.
#3. Lifestyle- Do you work in manual labor and require a simple design as well as a durable metal? Do you want a sleeker ring that is more formal to compliment all your business suits? Think about the fact that you will wear this ring everyday in plain sight.
#4. Design- Do you want your rings to match, compliment, or neither?  Some mens bands do have diamonds embedded, is this a look that you want?  This is probably a question that doesn't occur to most guys but it is important that you both are happy with both wedding bands. 

Here are a few ideas for options.  There are a lot of articles out there about wedding bands, I really like OffBeat Bride's picks for starters.  Enjoy & happy purchasing!

Engagement ring and wedding band setting

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A New Light On Wedding Traditions

When most people think of weddings, they think of wedding traditions.  Whether it be cultural, religious, or family based, I am a huge fan of incorporating meaningful traditions into weddings, the key word being meaningful.  Some couples become so focused on tradition and pleasing everyone, that the couple loses sight of what they want on their big day.  It really is up to each couple to decide where they want to draw the line.  Because really, isn't the best wedding 'tradition' that of joyous, happy couples vowing to share their lives together? 

I recently went to friend's wedding as a guest and had a great time.  It was fairly nontraditional; an afternoon beach wedding in November (in Delaware), a short ceremony, no bridal party aside from the couple's dog, 30 guests, and a casual atmosphere.  At one point the bride asked me what my opinion was of her wedding as a wedding planner.  I told her that it was perfect because it was exactly what they wanted.  And that really is what I want for every couple; clients or friends.  If a tradition is important to you, keep it.  If it is not, toss it.  Brides in particular feel the need to incorporate every detail people throw at them.  Overall comfort (literally and metaphorically) is going to go a lot further than feeling forced into a tradition.  Example A: a lot of couples are opting for outdoor ceremonies which a decade or two ago was unheard of.  Breaking tradition could be as simple as not having a wedding cake or seeing each other before the ceremony (see my First Look post).

My advice is to go online and search through wedding blogs.  I guarantee that you will find some awesome inspiration from brides who did exactly what they wanted.  The website OffBeat Bride in particular is always featuring real weddings that have a whole lot of personality.  Here are a few real weddings that I've found that I hope will give you inspiration to plan your wedding the way you want it.  Enjoy!

 

 Beautiful butterfly bridal dress (say that 5 times fast). Source

Beach wedding in November. Source

Who says all the bridesmaids have to match? Source

Origami: Not Just For ADHD Kids

My younger brother has always had an incredible artistic talent. Also having ADHD, my parents were wise to have him keep busy with intricate puzzles and virtually anything to keep his hands busy as a kid. At some point he came across origami and now i can't imagine him NOT doing it. In Japanese, the word "oru" means "to fold", and "kami" means "paper". Hence "origami" means “to fold paper”. "The goal of this art is to create a representation of an object using geometric folds and crease patterns. Origami is made preferably without gluing or cutting the paper, and is best using only one piece of paper. Origami only uses a small number of different folds, but they can be combined in a variety of ways to make intricate designs. So intricate, that this art form is qualified to have its own field of mathematical study."(Source)

So, years ago my mom got him a book and he instantly mastered the art of origami. Well, maybe not all in a day, but at the time I was busy living the chaotic life a high school student and to me, my brother mastered it much like the equivalent of reading "War and Peace" in a few hours. He started out with the typical cranes. Then, he started to use dozens of baby cranes in lieu of wrapping paper with every present that he gave. I still have a bunch of them in a bag from a few Christmases ago, they were way too cool to throw away. He started working on different shapes at school and was even asked to do a special project for a teacher. The teacher gave him 100 $1 bills and asked him to fold each one into a different shape (star, crane, etc) for her to hang on a mini Christmas tree as a present for her husband. My brother welcomed the challenge and continued to try more intense origami. It was something cool he did for himself but never really used otherwise. Since I did not have the foresight to take pictures of any my brother's creations, here a few samples of simple to crazy awesome origami art I found online:

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Ok, so that was the background information on origami and how I thought it was used- by my brother in lieu of wrapping paper and to show off something different & unique that he created. So imagine my surprise when I saw origami flowers being used for a wedding!! (I made an immediate mental note that will be my brother's gift to me for when I get married.) Having done weddings for 4 years now, I have seen the crazy prices for flowers- some brides will spend an entire reception budget on flowers. And that is their choice. But, as a wedding planner, it is my job and moreover my personal curiosity to find alternative decor and how to make the most out of a bride's budget. So, this paper flowers concept was blowing my mind. I am posting a link to the whole wedding post, but to give some basic info, the couple are self proclaimed "comic nerds and geeks". They got married on National Pi Day and even created wedding comic programs. The groom is an amazing origami artist and created his wife's bouquet. I know. Amazing. Not only is that perfectly personalized to his skills, is such a loving gesture for his bride, and gave the groom a tangible way to feel connected to his wedding day, but it is wayyy cost effective. Here are some pictures and of course the full article on the Pi day wedding. All of the following photos are from the Offbeat Bride blog. It is an incredible blog following real weddings and trends that encompass more than just traditional wedding ideas. The blog has a section called "wedding porn", which is pretty much exactly what the whole website is- amazing pictures of things you never imagined.

*How realistic do all the bouquets look?!

I had to put the last two in for giggles. The portrait has no flowers, but is a lovely hometown shout out shot- I'm from Bmore and love love love the city skyline in photos so this picture HAD to be included. The periodic table for the seating chart was hilarious and the only periodic table I've ever seen that I understood, haha.

So, I know this is not for every couple. It totally works for couples who do not have floral as a priority, plus you get to keep your bouquets! And for the brides who are not digging this, maybe you can get some inspiration from these pictures as to how to personalize your wedding in a different way. The idea is to be creative and use your skills to make the day truly yours.

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*LOVE this last bouquet. Definitely my favorite next to the original purple bouquet