Archive for November, 2008

Choosing bridesmaids’ dresses isn’t always easy, especially when you have girlfriends who come in all shapes or sizes.

Do your girls a favour – choose a fabric and a colour and then let them choose their own dresses. If that sounds too risky, specify a designer or a retailer, and set some ground rules. You might ask your attendants to buy their dresses from the shop, but leave the cut and style up to them. You can also specify “no strapless” or “floor length” without taking away too many choices.

Why do this? When your girls feel comfortable, they’ll look especially beautiful!

Written by Smart Wedding Planning

You’ve booked the wedding venue, invited the guests, prayed for nice weather, planning every last detail.

The big day arrives, everything is perfect, exactly as you imagined. The best man has managed to get your groom to the alter on time, and looking both smart and sober.

The best man has one more formal duty to achieve, simply pass the wedding rings………….

If you’re in the planning stages of your wedding, one of the most important decisions your faced with is choosing your ideal wedding photographer. Unlike some of the other wedding services you’ll book for your big day, you’ll be displaying the wedding photographer’s work in your home for many years to come, so we thought we’d try and help you with the options you’re faced.

This week we caught up with professional wedding photographer Stacey England and posed a few questions that most brides and grooms consider when they’re planning their wedding. Based in Essex, Stacey is a professional photographer with a wealth of experience working throughout the UK.

With so many guests bringing digital cameras to the wedding, and some of them taking up to 100 snaps, what are the best reasons for a couple to hire a professional wedding photographer ?
One word professional !
A professional photographer is experienced & Qualified.
There is a big difference between Uncle Bob and his digital camera and a professional who takes photographs everyday as a living, with the latest technology & years of experience in posing and editing your wedding photographs, and guarentees they will come out and can offer you a top quality album to display your photographs in so that you’ll have your biggest day of your life treasured forever.

What advice would you offer couples when they are trying to choose between one photographer and another for their wedding ?
I can only imagine how couples get confused and lost with which photographer to pick to shoot the most important day in their lives.
Things to consider when looking at photographers are:
1 – Is that photographer qualified? and to what standard!
2 – What professional organisation backs that photographer for example MPA The Master of Photographers Association.
3- Does the photographer have insurance?
4- Does the photographer have a backup photographer?
5 – What is the quality of albums/photographic paper and finish of the display albums?
6- Do you like the photographer? It is very important that you get on with your photographer! If you do not get on then you will not be happy or enjoy your day, and you will not get the photographs you wanted.
7- Male / female? Who would you feel more comfortable with on your day?  I find that alot of women feel more at ease with a female.
8- Is the person you meet, actually the person who is going to be photographing your wedding?  Some companies are known to get you to meet a sales person. This is very important.And is the photographer you want available?
9-Prices – The old saying! You only get what you pay for! applies I’m afraid! Cheap is not always best when you come to such an important part of your day!  And expensive is not always meaning you are getting more for your money!  I believe you need to budget around £950 to get a good photographer who does not charge the earth.
10- Recommendations! Does this photographer have reviews/recommendations?

There are several different styles of wedding photography, do you have a favourite style ?
I personally specialise in a very natural, relaxed, reportage & Fun Style!  A good photographer should be able to lend themselves to the style that their couple are after, they should be able to listen to the couple’s requirements and fulfill these.
I have alot of couples who say to me Stacey we have never done this before can you help us! My answer yes of course i know what most couples have in the way of groups shoots and poses i can suggest these and show examples and together work to what style the couple wants.
After all its your day no one elses!

There are some beautiful wedding venues in Essex. Do you have a particular favourite wedding venue that you especially like taking photographs at ?
I think you need to look at as many venues as possible.
It really depends on venue you are after and what budget you have!
I do not want to favour any venues but a few to consider are: Mulberry House Ongar, Lords Golf & Country Club Rayleigh, Great Sir Hughes Barn Great Baddow & Hylands House chelmsford to just name a few.

How did you get into wedding photography, and what advice can you offer an aspiring photographer ?
Photography is a very competitive field and with wedding photograhy it is not something you can afford get wrong as its someones special day, to become a wedding photographer takes years of photography experience, its good to start on other fields of photography to gain experince with your equipment and technical knowledge. But firstly it is important to have the eye for framing photographs, then go to university or college for a qualifications, and  then get recognised but a professional body by submitting examples of your work.

Finally, have you ever had a bad experience when photographing a wedding ?
No! I remain professional & organised at all times!
You must bear in the mind the season you are choosing when selecting your wedding date in regards to the weather, and you can have beautiful days in spring and autumn and you can’t guarentee sunshine on a summers day.  No one can control the weather so bear this in  mind when selecting your venue and discuss this with your photographer.

Stacey England LMPA
Master Photographer
www.seweddingphotography.co.uk

Thanks to Stacey for her time, if you’d like more info, please visit our Essex Wedding Photographers page or visit her personal website S E Wedding Photography.

The Groom’s guide to self grooming

These days men are spending more and more money on styling products and beauty treatment for themselves, so on the most important day of you life you’ll want to show your bride that you can look a million dollars when needed !
So what do you need to ensure is groomed when it comes to your wedding day ? Simple, just your face and hair ! And if you are one of the unfortunate grooms to have no hair, then that just leaves your face to think about.
It’s so much easier for the guys isn’t it.

The bride & groom’s mornings will be very different when it comes to the wedding day.
The guys will wake up, sit around discussing the night before, read the sport pages, maybe check their wedding speech, have some breakfast, shower then throw on their suits, quick check in the mirror then bundle in the car for the wedding venue.

The bride will wake up in a panic, her bridesmaids will arrive and fluster her a notch or two more with their excitement. Then it’ll be off to a salon to have her hair done (2 hours), nails (1 hour) and make-up (1 hour). Perhaps even squeeze in a massage if possible. This of course happens after several trial runs, and tests, dress fittings, various waxing, all long before the big day.
Regardless of how long it all takes, she’ll look utterly fantastic.

This post is for the Groom though, so here’s our tips for your wedding grooming :

Your Hair
Your regular barber does “ok” – but today you don’t want “ok” you want the best. Try and find a couple of different salons at least a few months before your wedding. Get a rough idea of a style you’re looking for and make sure the salon has experience in getting a groom ready for the day of the wedding.
Let them know your plans, tell them the wedding date and explain that you don’t just want a simple short back and sides – you’re looking for a professional cut to look great on your wedding day.
Have your haircut around two weeks before the wedding, that’ll give it good time to grow back a little and look fresh, but not too trimmed.
Guys, you can always return to your favourite barber when the wedding has passed !

Your Face
Why not go all out and spend some time a week or so before the wedding having a facial to ensure you don’t break out in spots with the rushing around during the lead up to the wedding. Don’t leave it until a day or so before, you won’t want a red face.
Our top recommendation on the morning of your wedding is to book in a professional shave. If you’ve never tried this before then you have no idea how good your face will feel after the event.
Not only will you have a fresh looking, soft face you’re bride to be will love you even more for it.

So come on guys, the wedding is your big day also, don’t let the ladies be the only ones putting in all the effort when it comes to looking great on your wedding day.

Top 10 worst wedding favours

We’ve all been to weddings where you get the wedding favours sitting there waiting for all the guests on the tables, sometimes there are different ones for the gents and ladies, sometimes they’re great, sometimes not.
We’ve written a few posts on wedding favour ideas and how many different possibilities there are, but today we thought we’d write with a different edge when talking about wedding favours – we’re talking about the worst we’ve heard of.
Not that we’re ungrateful or anything, we love the idea of “thanks for coming to our wedding, here’s a net of sugared almonds to remember the day by” – don’t you …….?

Our Top 10:

1. Sugared almonds – Had to be top didn’t they. For us it stinks of “last minute thought”. Traditional wedding favour maybe, boring, definitely. Surely there are millions of tastier items of confectionery out there.

2. Music on a CDR – We sort of get this idea, you want to share the music from the day with the wedding guests, you’re thinking “they’ll love it, play it in their car, listen to it at home”, they’re thinking “If I want love songs I’ll listen to the radio”. Plus, isn’t it illegal to distribute recorded music ? Who cares.

3. Spoons with chocolate. Yes, exactly….what? Who wants these ? Surely not your wedding guests.

4. Bubbles – Blowing bubbles is for West Ham fans, not wedding guests. Kids love them at the wedding, they’ll blow them all over your food, in your wine glass, spill them, and then get upset when they run out.

5. Seeds and plants – The Essex Wedding Services team where a little divided over this one. Some of us really like the idea of planting some seeds to see them grow and remember the wedding day by it. The rest of us just think they’re for green fingered people only.

6. Framed pictures of the bride and groom – Vanity, surely they’re going to take pictures of your wedding anyway, if they decide they want to put it in a frame and display it in their house, let them do it themselves. Otherwise, do it for fun, then visit your wedding guests’ homes to see who really enjoyed the framed photo as a wedding favour !?!

7. Scented candles – Again, we’re divided over this wedding favor, the girls love the idea of a scented candle – even with the bride and groom’s initials on them. The guys didn’t really appreciate the idea, not sure why….?

8. Bath salts / bath bombs / handmade soaps – You’re suggesting your wedding guests stink ? Just think, you occasionally get these for Christmas presents don’t you. You normally wrap them up and pass them onto someone else the following year don’t you. So will your wedding guests.

9. Lottery tickets – No one ever wins, it suggests you stopped off at a petrol station on your way to the wedding and thought “yikes, forgot the wedding favours”. Oh, and no one ever wins…. or did we say that already?

10. Edibles of poor quality – We all love edible wedding favours, they are the best. But please, do not buy edible wedding favours just because they look nice – at least taste them first. There are some great favour ideas that are shaped and molded just for weddings, but if the product inside tastes awful, that’s what they’ll be remembered by.

Rant over…………………..

Comments below if you think of any worse

Great sketch on how not to buy your wedding cake.

If you have any young children near your PC – then better turn the sound down a notch or two, the gent throws in one or two mild swear words unsuitable for children.

Once the wedding is over, the honeymoon has been enjoyed, and the memories are being relived through your newly printed wedding photographs and DVD – there is just one last wedding task left for you to manage – the thank you cards.

Unless you’ve specified to your wedding guests not to bring a gift along to the wedding, chances are that you’ll be set to receive plenty of presents.
Perhaps you politely asked for cash donations, or vouchers instead, either way it’s the height of rudeness not to send a thank-you for your wedding gift.

Some brides and grooms like to keep the same theme running through all of their wedding stationery, which is effective and attractive. However, if you’re not entirely fussed about that, or maybe looking for unique or different ideas for your thank you cards, then we think we’ve got a solution.

Why not have one of your favourite wedding photos digitally printed up on postcards ? There are plenty of online photo printing websites that offer this service at a fraction of the cost of some stationery designers.
You could even upload 3 or 4 different photos, have them printed and sent to you to decide which you prefer the look of.

Once you’ve chosen your favourite wedding photo, and had the new postcards printed all you need to do is write your thank you message on the back and drop it in the post box.
As we’ve mentioned in previous posts, a personally hand written note is always well received, where as a standard printed thank you shows let effort and hints less interest.

When writing your thank you on the postcard, try and mention the gift they gave you, again this shows that you’ve appreciated it and spent the time to show this.
End the thank you with something like “We hope you enjoyed our wedding as much as we did” and you’ve got yourself a bright, attractive and personalise wedding thank you card.

Had a better idea for thank-you cards for your wedding guests ? Let us know – leave your comments below.

Happy Wedding Planning !

Thought we’d write about something less wedding and more Essex today, and try to help a good cause along the way. We were contacted by our friends at Essex’s newest radio station Southend Radio, who are looking for support from Essex residents with their fantastic Christmas charity appeal.

The Southend Radio Christmas Toy Appeal

This Christmas, you can help Southend Radio do something very special. They’re collecting presents for local children who are in need, in care, and in need of an extra smile at Christmas.

The Christmas Toy Appeal is underway, and they are asking you to pop an extra gift in your basket when you are our Christmas shopping, and drop it in at one of the following collection points.

Southend Radio next to Adventure Island
Asda in Shoeburyness
Morrisons in Hadleigh
The Royals Shopping Centre in Southend
The Castle Point Council Offices on Kiln Road, Thundersley

They do ask that you consider the following when donating your gift:

Please ensure all presents are brand new
Please leave all presents unwrapped, so that we can make sure it goes to an appropriate child.
Please avoid any food or drink
Southend Borough Council look after youngsters from babies to teenagers, and will inevitably get more presents for smaller children, so why not donate something for an older child, such as a gift token?

Donations are being taken until Saturday 13th December, at the Southend Radio’s Festive Family Fun Day in Southend Town Centre, where you can enjoy live entertainment on the Southend Radio Soundstage.

You can find more details on their website, www.southendradio.com, and a huge thank you in advance for your support.

The Southend Radio Christmas Toy Appeal, supported by Inchcape Volkswagen, Comet Way, Southend – wishing you a very merry Christmas!

Our good friends at Confetti are offering a little Christmas cheer for those in the wedding planning stages by offering 20% off EVERYTHING in their online shop. The offer runs until Christmas – so don’t delay.

All you need to do is CLICK HERE to visit the site and start shopping today.

Confetti’s Terms and conditions:
This voucher does not does not apply to products already on promotion.
This voucher does not apply to personalised stationery.
This excludes the usual restrictions which Confetti do not pay commission on (wedding insurance, wish list or gift vouchers) as these are not processed on the site.

Wedding videos from 10 to 20 years ago make you think of long tedious shots, with mumbled speech from darkened screens with blurry guests.

Today’s high quality wedding videographers produce DVD gift sets, and HD quality pictures with stereo sound.
However if you’re thinking of something a little different for your wedding video, we stumbled across a company in Lancashire (not Essex we know, but we’re waiting to find one here) who produce wedding videos which are more like pop videos.

Graham & Jane Fenton turn the bride and groom into something a little more Kyle and Jason then the traditional wedding video, using their wedding day pop videos.

The deal is that the bride and groom need to memorise all the lyrics of their favourite song, which is no easy task as they’ll need to be word perfect for their big day.
On the actual wedding day, the newlyweds must mime the words to the camera, and even copy their pop-stars dance moves to create their own memorable version of it.
Once the recording is done, back in the studio Graham and Jane edit in the artist’s original recording, making the new Mr & Mrs to next MTV stars.

Some of these wedding videos with a twist have even enrolled the help of the wedding guests and the choir & vicar even lent a hand to join in with the fun.

The obvious choice of song for the happy couple is a romantic ballad, allowing them to look loving into one an others eyes, however they have received many varied requests including Grease, and Kylie’s Love at first sight !

Rebecca and Howard Ward chose to remake a version of Enrique Iglesias’ Could I have this kiss forever. The couple from Mawdesley chose this wedding pop video following their ceremony in the Summer.
Howard explained “We went to a wedding… The first thing I saw when I walked into this room was a big screen, black and white and it was a guy doing Sex Bomb, the Tom Jones song. It just looked so good on the wedding video that I said to Rebecca, ‘we’ve got to do this.’”

We’re left wondering if this isn’t a unique idea, and whether there are any wedding videographers in Essex that are also producing such fun wedding videos, or even stranger ones ?
Have you heard about, or maybe starred in a unique wedding video – if so we want to hear from you, leave your comments below.
Or maybe you are a wedding videographer in Essex who produces fun requests from your customers, if so, we want to hear from you too.