Who pays for what? Reaction from Ask Amy

I was reading a Ask Amy (a guilty pleasure of mine) post the other week with a disgruntled bridesmaid asking for advice on whether or not to purchase a gift for the bride. Being out of state for the wedding she encountered lots of expenses that coming with being a bridesmaid: the travel, the dress, makeup, and even the rehearsal dinner. 

Writing my own response to this bridesmaid. I totally understand where she is coming from; she spent a lot of time and money to be a part of her friends special day. As a previous bride and out of state bridesmaid myself, it's hard to look at that finally price that is left with you after a wedding trip.  But coming from a bride , I would advise to also get a gift for them. You have been friends for a long time, and I think even the smallest token and a card would be very appreciated.  With how crazy weddings are for a couple, it's nice to know through all the craziness your friends still show you a little loving. 

Some small gift suggestions : a memory from the wedding day, a small price of Wifey jewelry, or some cuse bridal underwear. The smallest of gestures can really go a long way by sharing the love. 

Here is the link to the post. 

Steps for Successful Family Formals

Family Formals are one of the many joys of your wedding day. Through weddings I have shot, I wanted to share ways that I have found to be a good recipe for successful family formals.

Prepare your family. Make sure everyone has access to the schedule and the time in which family photos will take place.

Bring your shot list. Having a list of groups with names for your photographer will make all the difference. It allows us to move everything along without leaving anyone out. Try giving it to a second shooter or a personal attendant who can call out all the names.

Leaving Family Formals for Immediate Family. Family is family, but you don't want to be waiting on your cousin that was twice removed that you only see at Christmas to finish the photos. Keep your your list to immediate family (grandparents, parents, siblings, etc.) and you will be looking at a quick time with family photos. The quicker the family formals are completed the more satisfied your family will leave. If other family members feel left out tell them to plan on fun shots at the reception.

These are a few things from my experience that I hope you will be able to help your day go smoothly!

Importance of a Wedding Day Timeline

Everyone's hope for a wedding day is that everything goes smoothly: all the flowers arrive on time, pictures turn out great, family / guest are happy, with the ultimate goal of marrying the love of your life and have a fantastic day while doing it!!
A simple timeline can achieve these goals. Every wedding I shoot in always make myself a day time line by the hour. This helps me keep track of how we are doing and stay as close to a plan as we can.

One of the biggest things about completing a timeline before hand is it helps keep people staying on the same page.  It can be handed out to all the vendors, family, and wedding party.
Instead of everyone bothering the bride asking what's next, they will be able to refer to that timeline throughout the day with no surprises as where they are supposed be. As everyone is already having their phones and selfie sticks at the ready, they can check the schedule at anytime and see if they have more time for group selfies or need to be outside for formal photos.

Having a reference point for everybody on the wedding day makes it so you can in joy your day to the fullest, without all the confusion of not knowing what's next!

Next week I will be talking on making a successful timeline to help by breaking it down step by step for the Wedding day. Happy Monday! Next week I will be talking on making a successful timeline to help by breaking it down step by step for the Wedding day. Happy Monday!