Reception Seating Options

I'm very much a fan of having assigned seating at a large wedding, as I'm sure most event planners are. It curtails a great deal of confusion and awkwardness felt by the guests. I've been a guest at a wedding that was sans assigned seating, and I saw tables that were half full and tables that people had pulled chairs up to. It was indeed uncomfortable and a mess.
So, to prevent confusion of the masses, we have escort cards, place cards, and seating chart displays.

Escort cards are usually found in the entrance area of the reception, with the guest's name and assigned table number (or table name). They can be displayed in a plethora of different and innovative ways.

*Via A Lucky Orchid Wedding, calligraphy by Laura Hooper

*TheKnot

*Table 6 Productions

*TheKnot

*TheKnot

*From TheKnot

*Via Black*Eiffel

Place cards are similar to escort cards, but they are set at the precise place the guest is assigned to. These are commonly used along with escort cards or a seating chart display. When there is a meal option, place cards play a very important role in helping the servers when they serve the meals.

*Smock Paper

*Oh So Beautiful Paper

*Via Country Living


*USA Pears

The seating chart display is my personal favorite. It plays the same role as escort cards, but there is not a tangible object for guests to carry with them. The only drawback is that guests must remember what table they are seated at. It is usually the best idea to display the seating charts right outside of the entrance to where the reception seating is. This option for seating is very economical but can be beautiful as well. Personally, I had a difficult time finding a designer to make my seating chart for me, so I ended up making it on my own. However, seating chart displays are new to the wedding scene, so I hope more designers will be adding them to their repertoire!

*Via Gourmet Invitations

*Via Gourmet Invitations


*Via author's personal collection

And I must confess, this seating chart was one of my absolute favorite elements of the wedding. I actually have it hanging on the wall in our study now, despite my husband's protests. I am in love with it.

(It actually matches perfectly with the window treatments in our study.)

For more information on seating options, Monica of The White Box of Wedding Design has a wonderful post describing all of the options in detail.

I hope these seating options were helpful! Personally, I think the most difficult part of the wedding was assigning seats, but it was also one of the most enjoyable things! Which seating option are you planning on using in your wedding?

Edible Wedding Favors

Going with the food theme from the previous post, I thought I would share some ideas for edible wedding favors. We all know that wedding favors are very often left at the venue, tossed away, or just never used. However, edible wedding favors will always be enjoyed and remembered!

Here are just a few ideas for edible wedding favors. Just about anything that you can think of can be a favor! Edible favors are great for personalizing as well-you can add your monogram, names, or any other design element that you're using throughout the wedding. And you can either have a company make them for you, or do them yourself (and enlist the help of friends and family). It can be a great way to save money too!

*Photo from Busy Brides Blog


*Photo from DIY Wedding

*Photo from Anna's Gourmet Goodies

*Photo from We Create Together

*Photo from Intimate Weddings

*Photo from author's personal collection

For our favors, we wanted something that was actually going to be used. We wanted it to reflect who we are as a couple. We absolutely love to cook. It only made sense to give our guests something that played into cooking. So we decided on gourmet Extra Virgin Olive Oil and Aged Balsamic Vinegar (see photo above). It helped that my (then future) father-in-law distributes these items, and we were able to get them at cost. We filled small bottles with the EVOO and vinegar and I made decorative labels for the bottles. The guests are still raving about their favors, and how much they enjoyed it! That was just the reaction we wanted.

When it comes to deciding on your wedding favor, just think about something that you and your fiance enjoy. It's the best way to share a part of your life with your guests!

New Wedding Trend: Cake Truffles

I'm about to attempt making cake truffles for the first time. Cake truffles are the new dessert fad in the wedding world. I had never even heard of them until a few weeks ago, when Kathy from KB's Kake Kreations was kind enough to bring samples to the wedding planner certification course I was attending. I was in heaven. I'm pretty sure I ate more of them than anyone else did. I haven't stopped daydreaming about them...so now I'm trying to make them for my husband's birthday treat.

Cake truffles are a great alternative to a wedding cake, or a wonderful addition to the wedding cake! They are also great as wedding favors.

{Update: They are a lot harder to make than I thought! I don't know how Kathy makes SO many and gets them looking so beautiful!}

Tips for Choosing Your Photographer: Part 2

Continued from yesterday's post, Part 1

I may not be a Photography Pro, but I went through the whole process of looking for a photographer, interviewing, comparing packages, and even experienced some photography heartbreak.

Here are some things that I learned along the way:

• Know what photography style you like. There are several different styles that photographers have. There is the more traditional posed style, and then the photojournalism approach, with more candid shots. Know what you like ahead of time, and look through photographers' portfolios and blogs.
  
• Consider seeing each other before the ceremony. I know, it's one of the most nontraditional things to do, but it really is a lot more beneficial. I wish I had done it. I probably wouldn't have been crying while walking down the aisle, and we would've had the chance to have more photos of the two of us. It's becoming the norm to for the bride and groom to see each other before the ceremony. From all of the photos that I've seen, it actually seems more emotional and exciting, and the photographers are able to catch the amazing moment. Just look at the photo montage from yesterday's post!
  
• Know how long the photographer will be photographing. Some photographers won't put a time limit on their weddings, but some set a certain number of hours that they will photograph, and then they pack up and leave. If they do have a maximum amount of hours, see what it will cost to have them stay until the end of the wedding. Don't let this happen to you! Trust me, you want exit photos!
• If you have to have an amateur, help them out! Realistically, many brides can't afford to even THINK about having an experienced professional photographer. Therefore, if you are having a friend, family member, or new photographer shoot your wedding, find articles on wedding photography to help them out. Try to be sure that they have an idea about how lighting works, and what a wedding consists of. If you have a wedding planner, I'm sure they'll have some tips as well...maybe even books or magazines. Your photos are going to be the only thing you have left of your wedding- you want them to be amazing!

And now, the documentation of a little experiment by a journalist who has a nice camera. Cody Ellerd, with Seattle Bride Magazine, had his camera and skills put the test against a professional photography team, John & Joseph Photography. I think it's safe to say that an article wasn't even needed for this. The pictures tell the whole story.

(Photos on top are by Cody Ellerd, photos on bottom by John & Joseph)

“This was such a cute moment, totally unscripted,” Ellerd remembers. “They bumped fists and it was clear it was a little habit of theirs, one that conveyed their friendship. Joey was right there to catch it while I was fumbling with my focus ring.”

“This image is so painfully inferior,” says our rogue photographer Cody Ellerd about her image. “My angle is bland while Joey’s is creative. His is crisp and perfectly exposed, while mine is washed out and grainy. Joey knew exactly how to take advantage of the sense of motion created by this cool backdrop.”

“The couple was getting a little photo fatigued,” Ellerd says, “but Joey turned it into a beautiful and intimate shot. I thought there was enough light, but without using a flash and spoiling the cool light bouncing off the building behind them, I couldn’t get my hand quite steady enough.”

For this “exit shot,” the clarity and color of Joey’s shot versus Ellerd’s is evident. “Notice the white car in front of Chris and Vicky,” Ellerd says. “Joey magically made it disappear—I’m not even gonna try.”

The professional photographs are such a stark contrast to the writer's photographs. It's almost unbelievable what these professionals can do with a camera.

I hope these tips will be of some help to readers. Photographs are such a tremendous part of weddings. It just breaks my heart to hear about brides with poor photographs. Utilize these tips and find your perfect photographer!

If you need any help choosing a photographer, I am more than happy to help! I want you all to have the absolute best memories of your wedding!

Tips for Choosing Your Photographer: Part 1

How do you plan on remembering your wedding day? That short amount of time that you spend SO much time planning will pass by unbelievably fast. So many people and conversations, so many things to do. You'll have your memories, but after some time, even those will be vague. Maybe the memory that sticks with you will be how it rained all day or the guest who fell flat on their face on the dance floor. No one knows- but you can have vivid memories of your wedding with the help of a great photographer.

A wedding is not complete without a photographer. However, there are so many sad stories that go around the wedding industry having to do with photography- the photographer didn't back-up photos and they all got deleted; there weren't any photos of the bride with her family; taking 2 years to get the photos back, or never at all.

Most issues with wedding photography are the product of brides being misinformed when looking to hire their photographer. They are on a budget, so they just hire the most inexpensive photographer they can find, or they have Uncle Joe take the pictures with his snazzy new camera. I'll be honest- photography is expensive. When I started on my photographer hunt, I was in shock when I heard the package prices for some of the excellent photographers out there. But I kept looking, and I did a great deal of research. I found a decent photographer for a decent price. However, I still regret not sacrificing something else in the budget to hire the more expensive photographer.

I've compiled a list of tips from articles floating around the internet. Hopefully these tips will help brides choose the photographer that is best for them!


Tips from CedarHouse Photography:

• "Please, please hire a professional. I’ve heard too many horror stories of bottom-of-the-barrel photographers who leave lens caps on, have their thumbs in all the shots, yell at your guests, don’t back up their images… the list goes on. I talk to people who say something like, “Well, my Uncle Bob / friend from college / next door neighbor has a really nice camera, so…” Great. Does your Uncle Bob / friend from college / next door neighbor know how to work their really nice camera? Have they shot a wedding before? Do they have backup equipment in case their camera fails for some reason? Do they know about lighting, angles, the most flattering way to pose people? Will they interact with your guests well? What do they know about composition? What sort of finished product will you receive from your Uncle Bob / friend from college / next door neighbor – a CD of unfinished, unedited images, or a professional-quality album?"

• "Trust your photographer. Do an engagement session! You’ll get to know your photographer and feel more comfortable with them. Meet your photographer face-to-face. Email is all well and good, but if you’re serious about someone’s work, take the time to meet with them and get to know them. You will be spending ALL day on your wedding day with this person, so you better be sure you’re comfortable with them. Your photographer will be with you while you’re getting ready, while you’re interacting with all those in-laws you just met, while you’re dancing the night away… make sure you like your photographer as a person, too, because you’ll be hanging out hard core."

My new favorite reaction from the Groom, via Style Me Pretty

Tips from OnceWed:

• Get recommendations and referrals. If your photographer of choice is out of your price range, or booked, don’t be embarrassed to ask for recommendations of other photographers, either. It’s also a good idea to ask the photographer to give you one or two references from other brides and grooms. Take the time to talk to these people and get a sense of how happy they were or weren’t with the photographer and the final product.

• Ask to see a complete shoot, including outtakes. With the advent of digital photos, it’s pretty easy to make a picture, even a bad picture, look good online. Ask to see a complete job, including outtakes to get a good sense of the photographer.

• Understand your budget and the package. Depending on where you live, and what’s included a photographer can cost anywhere from $500 to $20,000. Now $500 may sound good, but what if you spend $500 to hire the photographer only to discover that you can’t afford to add any prints or an album? Make sure you consider the total cost of what you want when planning your budget. Don't forget to ask the photographer about things like travel and parking charges, and how many people will be working your wedding.

• Make a list of photographs you want. An experienced photographer will know to get pictures of family, close friends, the bridal party, and older people. But, think ahead of time about which formal portraits you want, and make sure to let those people know where they need to be when.

Be on the lookout for Part 2 of this post soon! Tips from my experience as a bride and an interesting comparison of a pro versus an amateur will be included.

If you have any questions, please don't hesitate ask! I'd love to hear thoughts and more tips on choosing a photographer!

Inspiration Board: Mason Jar Designs

For some reason, I was feeling very drawn to mason jars today. It could have been the posts on blogs today that included mason jars. But I have been thinking of them recently, since one of my brides is using them in her centerpieces in October. Plus, I absolutely love their versatility!

My love for mason jars probably started when my husband came home one day with a case of mason jars, because he had an intense urge to drink out of one. So then I had mason jars all around me, and it was then that I decided to use them to make my bridal shower favors- the good old "recipe in a jar" gift. I had always wanted to make the "recipe in a jar" gift, so I took my chance! Plus, I love to bake, so I used my own tried and true recipes.

Mason jars can be used for a plethora of wedding related items- from centerpieces, to lanterns, to glasses for signature drinks! They can be rustic and classy, country and fun, big or small. It all depends on how they are showcased and what they are used for.

*Row 1: Lantern; Drink Dispensers; Centerpiece; Centerpiece
*Row 2: Place Setting; Drink Station; Lantern; Votives
*Row 3: Mason Jar Drinks; Centerpiece; Cookie Mix; Drink Station

It looks like Mason Jars are becoming quite popular in weddings...are you planning on using them in your wedding?

Health and Fitness: No Crunch Ab Workouts

A Health and Fitness post to start your week off with some motivation!

Just wanted to share these ab exercises to try! I'm always getting bored with the same old ab routines- sometimes I just stop doing abs all together (which we know doesn't give the best results!).

Three of these do need a stability ball or a medicine ball, but one doesn't require any extra equipment. They can easily be done at a gym, or at home if you have the equipment.

Let me know how they work for you!


*Via Fat Burning Tips 4 Women