Your table decorations can be as spectacular as you want. These are one of the most important things to get right at your reception, as the guests will notice the tables and decor, before anything else. There are many different types and styles of table decorations to choose from, including candles, flowers, balloons and chocolates. Disposable cameras are very popular to have on the centre of the tables, meaning the guests can capture every moment of the reception. They will be guaranteed to take some interesting pictures.

Candles can create a very romantic mood, with a display within a bowl of water and some delicate rose petals scattered around the edge it will add a pretty finish. Long tall candles are an elegant addition to the table and can be decorated with ribbons or flowers and are a timeless decoration to have. Flowers play a huge part in your day, and can be added to any element of the day to make it look fantastic, flowers in the church will make it look brighter and smell wonderful. For that extra special touch, rose petals scattered down the aisle is always a classic touch. Flowers in large vases are becoming more popular for the tables, but any design or style of flower display will always look good at your wedding, and can even be used alongside other ideas.

Ensuring the linen, tableware and chairs look as amazing as the rest of the decor is important, choose colors that compliment your theme or look. Chair covers are a simple and inexpensive way of making your reception look stunning. You can have them in various colors, but it is often advisable to have them in a neutral color like white or ivory. Then be bold with a chair bow in your chosen prominent color, this also works for table skirts, and swags for the top table. Having one color that works well is better than having a mixture of colors.

You may choose to theme your wedding, with one of the many themes available. Having personalized favors, mats and even chocolate bars to match your theme are always an amazing touch. Many brides choose a fairytale theme for their wedding day. This theme can include a horse and carriage, red carpet, fairytale favors and a princess wedding cake, the list can go on and on.  If you are going for a theme then ensure the theme runs throughout the day, and is noticeable with its quality.  There are many personalized items you can now purchase for your wedding day, and some brides choose to have every item personalized right down to the confetti. Remember whatever you choose for your finishing touches, the day should be all about you.
 

Related posts:

1. Easy Wedding Reception Planning
2. Wedding Venues For Your Ceremony and Reception
3. Negotiating Wedding Reception Costs

Use Professionals Sparingly

There is definitely a place for the professional photographer at your wedding event. However, most people spend way too much on this budget line-item because they don’t understand what the other options are. Professional photographers base their pricing around the time that they will spend at the venue, as well as how many photographs they have to sort through, edit and process. Because of this, ask the professional for a small amount of formal shots and maybe the most important parts, such as the actual ceremony. It may also be cheaper to have a smaller session at another time for bridal portraits. It is easier for the photographer to wrangle you and your spouse alone than with the hustle and bustle surrounding the wedding party. Try to keep the time that your photographer spends to about an hour. Finally ask about discounts that may be available. For example, doing both your engagement and wedding pictures with the same person may earn you access to lower price points.

Rely on Family and Friends

Amateur photography is a popular hobby; it’s likely that you know someone who likes to play around with this technology. If this is the case, ask them to take pictures in lieu of a more traditional gift. They can take more shots of the poses that the professional sets up, as well as being available during the parts of the event that aren’t being covered by anyone else.
You can also ask your guests to share their digital wedding photos on a communal photo-sharing website. Many of these are now available, which are often free, and photos can be uploaded with users having access to a password allowing them to download and share with you shots of your memorable day.

Casual Can Work

Many couples find that a casual approach to photography provides some really fun shots that they wouldn’t otherwise have access to. Using disposable cameras is inexpensive and your guests can get in on the action. Even kids can have fun with this. Once the event is over, the cameras are left on the table and you can process the photographs later. While you are unlikely to get the quality needed for display shots, these pictures are perfect for wedding albums. However, there are often surprises, which is part of the fun.

Photographs provide one of only lasting physical pieces of evidence to remind you of the joy of your newly married life. Time passes quickly and things will change on an ongoing basis. Having the memories that are captured by good wedding photos can bring comfort and focus as you build your life together. You probably won’t spend as much as you would think, especially if you implement these budget-saving solutions.
 

Related posts:

1. Organising your wedding budget
2. Low budget wedding planning
3. Ways To Trim Your Wedding Budget

If you have chosen a popular time to have the wedding like Valentine’s Day or in June, you will need to hire a photographer months in advance.  Start interviewing early, because this person will follow you around all day, recording your preparations, wedding, and reception, and it won’t be a good experience for you if you don’t like and trust him.

Inform him of everything you want done; who is in what group shot, whether you want a video of the ceremony, if you want candid shots throughout, and what kind of packages you expect to purchase.  Ask questions!  You need to know detailed costs of what is included.

You might want a DVD, a slide presentation, a collage of candid shots, your formal sitting album and a separate album of the unposed shots. How many hours is he willing to spend? Will he be working alone or have more than one camera covering the event?  Can he do a photo montage that follows the history of your relationship?  Learn the price of every single extra.

To cut costs you might want to follow the trendy method of placing disposable cameras on every table and collect your candid shots compliments of the guests!  If you hate the idea of those cameras marring the beauty of your table setting, set your bridesmaids to making little paper covers to slip them into!

If you are saving the wedding gown, it should be dry cleaned professionally as soon as possible after the wedding, so that any stains can be safely removed.  Vacuum sealing the dress in plastic has been found to harm delicate fabrics.  It is better to fold it loosely, wrap it in acid free tissue paper, and then pack it away in an archival box. The veil can be stored in the same box, but wrap it separately.

Several methods can be used on the bridal bouquet, depending on how long you wish to preserve it, how you want to store it, and how much effort and money you want to invest in the process.  Easiest for you is to have a service coat the flower arrangement in its original form and then store it in an air-tight shadowbox.  This must be done within a day of the wedding before it wilts.

You can dry the bouquet by hanging it upside down in a dark place. This will not last forever. Sometimes it is enough to simply press a few flowers from your bouquet between wax paper and a couple of large books.  Then they can be arranged in a scrapbook…another good thing to keep to preserve special memories of your wedding day. Keep all those important reminders of your day in a scrap book – order of service, the invitation, perhaps a copy of the speeches or a piece of material from the bridesmaids dress.

By taking a little time to preserve these moments, you’ll ensure that memories of your special day will last a lifetime.
 

Related posts:

1. How To Care For Your Wedding Dress After The Big Day
2. Winter Weddings: Part I

Capturing the perfect wedding day video takes more than just luck. There are a number of factors involved that should be considered when you’re planning your wedding video whether you’re the one behind or in front of the camera.

1. Experience

Make sure the videographer has considerable experience, has just about seen it all and can anticipate what is about to happen in order to capture events as they unfold. Take note of any recommendations from people you know or testimonials to this regard.

2. Communication

The videographer must be prepared to liaise with other people who have key roles in your day, from the photographer to the hotel manager, in order to be alerted to upcoming highlights such as cutting the cake and the speeches as well as ensuring s/he is updated of any changes to the schedule.

3. Post Editing

The video service should be able to provide additional interesting extras, such as background music and slow motion shots, which will give your finished video a professional and polished touch, distinguishing it from a regular home movie.

4. Expertise

The wedding video should be a professional piece of work, make sure that as well as having top quality equipment, the videographer also advocates technical knowledge such as an understanding of white balance, manual focus and shutter speeds. Ask to see examples of their work to judge the picture quality for yourself.

5. Lighting

When discussing locations for the wedding day, ensure that the videographer has lighting equipment suitable for indoor filming and will be able to transport it to each venue, to ensure each picture is evenly lit and exposed.

6. Sound

Ask if it is possible for the groom to wear a tie-clip microphone in order to pick up both sets of vows being made. Even the most confident of couples can be softly spoken when exchanging vows and this is the most important moment in your marriage ceremony that will want to be relived. This inconspicuous device will record voices onto the video, which may otherwise be lost.

7. Discretion

The ideal videographer will be unobtrusive and record the day without becoming a feature of it. Choose someone who understands the sensitivity needed to get all the shots whilst remaining invisible. Look for comments highlighting this ability when checking recommendations.

About the author: Rob Whibley’s runs Action Wedding Videos Wirral, Chester and Liverpool.

Related posts:

1. Shopping For The Perfect Wedding Dress
2. Six Steps in Planning the Perfect Wedding Hairstyle
3. Choosing the perfect wedding caterer.

The wedding photographer is going to be your employee in many ways, so you will need to be absolutely sure that this is a person that you can trust with your wedding pictures. Treat him or her like a job applicant and see how you interact with each other.

Making a list

You can find a list of wedding photographers in your local phone book, but it’s much easier to get onto a wedding website and see who local people recommend. This list is much shorter and can lead you to higher quality people without having to call everyone from A to Z.

Once you have a list of photographers, start to call them to set up appointments. Try not to schedule them too close to each other so that you can spend as much time as you need with each one. If you’re rushed, you may forget to ask particular questions and you may also forget which photographer said what.

Make a list of questions that you want to ask. You can ask about pricing, hourly fees, added costs, location costs, various developing techniques, and more. Try to think of every question that you and your soon-to-be spouse can, even if you think they sound silly. No question is too silly, and if the photographer has been around long enough, then they will have heard them all.

Your interview style

One of the things that works best in talking with photographers is to try to make sure that you are leading the conversation. You want to make sure that you are getting your opinion into the talks, rather than being told what other couples are doing and saying about them and how much their fees are.

If you feel like you’re being sold a product, rather than an opportunity to have some great pictures, then you can cut the appointment off and leave. You have no obligation to choose anyone until you’re completely satisfied with your choice.

Look at the samples carefully and make sure that you’re looking at ones that are recent. Sometimes photographers will try to show you older photos, but if that’s not your style, then it’s really not applicable. Study the quality of the pictures and look for poses that you like.

Your pictures will serve as a reminder of the happiness and joy of your wedding day. You need to find someone who will create masterpieces of your photos. Take your time in finding someone, but do it early–if you live in a smaller town, these professionals can book up early.

About the author: Amy Spade is an expert on planning weddings, and she has written an amazing totally free minicourse on how to make sure that you have the day of your dreams and avoid wedding day disaster! Get the free course now by clicking Your Special Day from Start

How to interview a Wedding Photographer reprinted with permission.

Related posts:

1. How to Create Fantastic Wedding Photos on a Budget
2. Wedding Photography
3. Top 10 tips to save on your wedding