Engagement pics

There is at least one friend who posted their engagement pictures on Facebook, and you were in shock over how gorgeous they turned out. Now it's your turn to start thinking about your own engagement pictures, and you're ransacking your closet (and his) to find something perfect so you too can be the envy of girls on Facebook.

Here are a few tips we've gathered from looking at our own friends' pictures and separating what worked from what didn't:

1. Pick out colors that go well together. Your outfits don't have to be matchy-matchy (two black shirts with jeans and black Converse...snooze), but if they look well together in person then they'll look well together in photos. (Still worried? Ask your fashion major friend or ask your artistic cousin to come over and help coordinate.)

2. Don't be afraid of bold, bright colors. Black is slimming and safe, but it tends to be drab in photos. If you want something safer think about a pink top and have him neutrals (gray or tan). I have also seen a few where couples have worn white (she's in a white dress and he's in a white shirt with jeans or khakis), but white can be just as drab as black so be careful.

3. If you're having someone do your makeup on your wedding day, have this day set up as a practice session. You'll want extra makeup on anyway, and makeup artists are trained to understand good lighting and help bring out your natural beauty for photos.

4. Have a cute dress but it's covered in tiny sailboats? Why not wear it and have your photo shoot down by the lake? Print can be just as fun as the bold colors, but make sure it's the right kind of print for your body shape. To balance out the patteren have your man in something solid.

5. Going with the sailboat dress and having it by the lake is called having a "theme." It's cute and will help your photos looked planned and well-thought out; last thing you want is for friends to look at your photos and "disaster" is the first word that pops to mind.

6. Options! What girl doesn't like a few options? Bring at least one other outfit, if not two or three, to show your photographer and get his/her opinion on set before changing.

7. Have fun with accessories. Pick ultra-feminine options to soften a casual look, and again, try out bright colors. I have seen couples get away with minimalistic shoots, wearing white and no jewelry, but, again, that can be a risk.

8. Try out some layers. Put a cardigan or a blazer over that dress. Have him wear a button-up under a sweater.

9. Above all, wear something you like! Don't try to be someone you're not and don't try to stick your fiancé in a suit if he prefers jeans and t-shirts. People viewing your photos will be able to tell you're uncomfortable, and you'll have these around forever so you want them to look good and reflect who the two of you really are.

Packing for the Honeymoon

If you're planning on leaving for your honeymoon soon after the wedding, packing might be the last thing on your mind. So there you are the morning of your flight, throwing as many clothes, shoes, and necessities will fit in your suitcase, leaving you stressed and struggling to pull the zipper shut. Because we hate the thought of you stressing out more than is necessary (stress-free is our motto!), here are some great tips to make packing for your trip easier.

• Pack three tops for every bottom. It's easier to wear skirts and pants more than once, and when you change your shirt no one will really notice.
• Stick to a certain color scheme so everything can easily be mixed and matched. Have a few neutral shades and then throw in some fun darker shades. Darker colors hide stains (you might not have time to go back to the hotel to change after spilling BBQ on your shirt) and can easily be worn from day to night.
• As for shoes--don't grimace; it's not as bad you think!--you should pack three pairs: sneakers (for random hikes, all-day sightseeing, etc.), flats or sandals (are you going to Colorado or Hawaii?), and heels or wedges (wedges are more versatile and comfortable, but heels are more formal). Again, stick with neutral colors and black; they'll go with everything!
• Try to avoid bulky clothes; (obviously) they take up more room. If you're going somewhere chilly or with tempermental weather, bring clothes you can layer: tanks, tees, cardigans, thin sweaters.
• Bring versatile items. Tanks that look well with jeans and skirts so they can be worn all day (or multiple days).
• Adding fun accessories will also help change up your outfit (for those of you worried about being "outfit repeaters"). They'll draw everyone's attention away from your clothes and will make your outfit look fresh.
• Think about how each clothing item will hold up. Is this blouse going to come out of the suitcase crinkled after a five hour flight? Just in case you can always bring a travel-size Downy wrinkle-release spray.

Now we need to figure out how we're folding all this stuff. The rolling concept is awesome if you're trying to fit everything into a carry-on bag ($50 to check a bag?! That's dinner for two!).

Tops:

• lay the shirt facedown and flat
• fold each sleeve across the front so arms make an X and the shirt is now a rectangle
• fold the shirt vertically (hot dog-style, anyone?) and smooth out the wrinkles
• roll tightly from the hem to the collar

Pants:

• fold in half lengthwise so pockets are on the outside
• roll from the hem to the waistband

Skirt/dress:

• if the dress has sleeves, fold them across the front (like a shirt)
• fold garment in half lengthwise
• roll from the bottom hem up

Winter jacket:

• zip it
• roll it like a top, squeezing out all the air
• put a rubber band around it so it won't come undone while you're packing the rest
• bonus: put it in a pillow case and it makes a nice headrest on the plane

Try zipping that suitcase now. Much better!

Packing checklist you can print at home!

Inspiration

Inspiration can come from many places. A trip you took to Hawaii as a kid may have left you loving coconuts and hibiscus and wanting to incorporate those into your reception. A piece of fabric at Hobby Lobby or your grandmother's china pattern. Anything and everything can be inspiration. One of our couples this month met at a Starbucks, though neither of them are big coffee fans, and that inspired many things incorporated into their reception.

Since meeting at Starbucks had left both of them changed forever, Bill planned a surprise proposal for Tosha at the same Starbucks. Starbucks gave him special permission to lead Tosha to their special table with a trail of rose petals. As she sat in the chair where she had sat on their first meeting he got down on one knee and asked her to marry him. Another customer in the shop caught the whole thing on video! For the reception they wanted coffee beans in all the vases, at the base of the flowers and encompassing pillar candles. The groom's cake was even a giant Starbucks cup!

Let your life inspire you.

Slideshow or Slide-snooze?

A timeless trend for wedding receptions is the slideshow presentation. Family and friends love reminiscing over old family photos and good times had on vacations. This also allows your guests to view your journey from singlehood to meeting your mate. Start with baby pictures then work up to the time you two met and took pictures together. You can even add some of your engagement photos and bridal portraits, if you choose. Most venues have some way of playing your DVD (though it may cost extra). At The Hamilton Event Center we have a BluRay DVD player (don't worry, it plays regular DVD's too) that is hooked up to our 2 flat scren TV's so your guests can easily see the pictures. We can also hook the TV's up to your laptop.

Steps for making a slideshow:

• Download photos from camera onto computer
• Import photos into PowerPoint or Keynote
• Save and burn to disc

Easy peasy, right? Sure, but what if you could make your slideshow even cooler with just as much effort as it took to make that boring, same-old same-old slideshow? Don't resort to using the "slide in from right" and "checkboard fade out" options. Animoto features some really cool options to make your slideshow cutting edge without giving your viewers whiplash.

You first choose the style of slideshow you want (their free site has lots of options to match your style, but you can always upgrade to their paid site for even more options and features). Then you're going to choose which images from your computer you want in the slideshow. Next it's going to ask you to choose some background music for your slideshow. Lots of different genres and options here as well. The only catch is your slideshow needs to be as long as your song; if it isn't then some of your pictures may not show up in the final product. (Read further to find out how you can work your way around this.) Now you can preview your slideshow, have it emailed to yourself, and also share on Facebook, Twitter, etc.

A fun twist to any slideshow (made in PowerPoint or Animoto) is to make slides featuring trivia about you and your groom. If you have a picture of the two of you on a date eating ice cream tell the guests your favorite flavors on the next slide. If he's afraid of roller coasters, let us know! Your guests will enjoy learning new things about you guys. (You can save the trivia slides as pictures and upload them to Animoto as such.)

Back to looping those songs...this may take some Googling and calling your tech-savvy friends, but if you have a Mac you can use Garage Band to merge two songs together or to make the same song play twice.

Don't make this too hard so it becomes you spend hours stressing over! If you have a friend who is really good with computers and technology ask if they wouldn't mind helping out in this area. Don't be afraid to delegate!