Wardrobe Change

In the last couple of years we have seen the return of the “going away dress.” What girl doesn’t want an excuse to buy another dress? For those of you who need a little justification for another white dress purchase, stay tuned.

According to Ms. Emily Post, part of the maid of honor’s duties are to help the bride into her going-away outfit and to take care of her dress and accessories until she returns from her honeymoon. For those of you who do not want to worry about leaving your wedding dress at the hotel’s front desk until your maid of honor or parents retrieve it, a going-away outfit is a great option! Not only does it save you the anxiety of leaving your wedding gown with a complete stranger, but it saves everyone else a trip to the meeting place or hotel.

Your going-away outfit is just another way to add a personal touch to your wedding day. Many brides opt for a short, flirty white dress that they will be much more comfortable in leaving the reception. Pick a comfortable dress that you will be thrilled to put on after hours of wearing a heavy wedding gown. Not only does this save you the hassle of arranging pickup for your wedding gown, but also by wearing a going-away outfit you have another piece to add to your honeymoon trousseau.

Photography by Rick Dean Photography, LLC. 

The Benefits of Photo Wedding Favors

Current technology allows today's brides a wide array of options for fun photo favors. While traditional wedding favors are less costly, like small mints, personalized favors are a strong and sentimental way to say thank you to all of your guests. When your guests RSVP and you have a total of how many favors you have, that is a good time to decide.
Customizing each wedding favor to fit your relationship with that person could talk too much time, and it is sometimes expensive. Though the perfect way to show you care, if you have many guests it can be far too stressful.

Edible Favors

Some couples will give mints, candy, and even personalized cookies as a favor. While you can get these from a local bakery or candy shop, it might be better to use that part of your budget on tangible wedding favors. Your guests will be full of food, spirits, and cake, all the while dancing; chances are they wouldn't even eat the favors for a few days.

Photo Frames

Luckily, there are a few ways to show your guests that you appreciate their support without having to personalize each individual favor. Consider placing frames on the tables; your guests will love frames that contain photographs of the newlyweds. You can employ various frame styles and poses to create a variety from which your guests can select.

Charitable Favors

Instead of favors, if you and your new spouse feel strongly about a cause, you could make a donation. However, if you do this, tactfully explain about your gift to an organization by placing a decorative card on each table. Though this is a common practice, just remember, you're not giving your guests a keepsake from your special day.

Other Unique Ideas for Wedding Favors

Engagement Party Wedding Photos

From engagement to marriage, there are certain photographs that your wedding album needs. Staged or candid, you want to have the option of visually recalling your wedding, from the very beginning; the time he asked. 

So, what are some of the shots you want? Ideally, a candid photo of the real proposal is amazing. When executed perfectly, you will have a professional photo of the bride's reaction. However, this will not work for every relationship. You are dealing with the element of surprise, so remember, she prepared for a date- not her wedding photo shoot. Some people, regardless of age or gender, prefer to prepare before appearing in everlasting photos. Yet, most of the time, the bride is just so excited that the natural beauty of her happy smile shines above anything else.

Typically, wedding albums do not include engagement photos, as that is a separate entity. However, most collections include a session for these particular photos. If it suits your relationship, try scheduling your wedding photographer for your engagement party. Having a professional capture the excitement of your engagement party, is something you can never duplicate. Moreover, you can meet with your photographer and feel the dynamic of working together- making sure that the wedding photography goes smoothly and comfortably.

You can use the engagement photos for various favors, fliers, and even scrapbooking supplies. The photos make phenomenal gifts and tangibles over the years. Imagine twenty years into the future, your husband gifts you the old photo for an anniversary gift. Happy tears ensue. 

View some heart-warming photos from an engagement party. You can see how beautiful and happy everyone looks, even the four-legged guests!

Photos That Capture The Timeline of Your Wedding

We all know the classic wedding shots that you just have to have. The Bride getting dressed, the bouquet toss, and the cutting of the wedding cake always show up in photo albums because they are key pieces in most cases. Ideally, you'd have photos of every minute of your wedding, but realistically- your big day is much too busy for such a thing. There are a few scenes you must capture in addition to any other photo plans you may have. Taking these photos will ensure you remember the timeline of your wedding night, from beginning to end.

What you can do, is plan a photo for each milestone of the wedding process. Including certain effects will make for beautiful photos in chronological order, allowing you to relive the night with those viewing your album.

Start with the dress- everything starts with the dress! Take a photo of the dress on display, as a symbol of the official start of your wedding day. This is a great introduction or cover photo for scrapbooks as well. 

Dress Photos

Include the guys getting ready as well! Ensure that your photographer catches the mood of the room while they prepare. Even catching something as sweet as groom's mother helping with his tie is enough to pull on the heartstrings.

The Guys Getting Ready

Sneak in to get photos before the reception starts, you'll want to remember everything from the music to the aesthetics of the room. A calm photo of the undisturbed scene will bring back the excitement from before the event.

Reception Display

For your final photos, ensure that you have an exit photo, like the “Just Married” sign heading off into the sunset, or the new bride and groom heading into their new home. Whatever works best for you, end your album with that and use it for follow up “Thank You” cards for your guests.