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.

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!

Say cheese!

Who you pick to photograph your wedding is important. You'll be showing off that wedding album for years to come (Facebook, new friends, kids, grandkids). So we have some tips on how to pick the right photographer as well as making sure the photos turn out beautiful!

1. When you're meeting with potential photographers ask to see photos from 5 or 6 weddings, including photos from the last wedding they did. Photographers typically only show off their best work.

2. The rule is typically 1 photographer per 100 guests. If you're going with just 1 see if they have an assistant (different from a second photographer) who can help set up shots and handle equipment.

3. Picking out the right wedding package can be overwhelming. Try to pick out the one that has the most of what you want (do you really want 100 wallet-sized photos?). You can always order more. Most photographers these days give you a CD so if you want to order more from Walmart you can.

4. Things to include in your contract:

• Everyone's contact information
• Dates, times, and addresses of all wedding locations
• Name of and contact information for a backup photographer
• Package details
• Date the proofs will be available
• Photographer's copyright policy (do they care if you take the CD to Walmart for more prints?)
• When and how you will receive your album, prints, or CDs
• Total cost (itemized)
• Reordering prices
• Deposit amount
• Payment due dates
• Cancellation and refund policy

5. Prior to the wedding show your photographer both flattering and unflattering pictures of you and your fiancé. With their professional eye they'll be able to tell which angles flatter you both. When you're posing try putting your weight on your back leg, stretch out your other leg in front of you, and face the camera. Victoria Beckham is infamous for this striking slimming pose. Ask a friend who isn't in your bridal party to hang around close by with powder and lip gloss for touch ups between pics (this will also make you feel more glamorous).

6. Weddings can be chaotic and 50 things are going on at the same time. The photographer might miss an amazing moment you and your friends had. If it's important to you to catch that moment on film, ask everyone involved to recreate it so the photographer can catch it.

7. Think about renting a photobooth. The picture quality is good, and this will keep your guests entertained as well as giving them something memorable to take home. You can still have a photographer for the wedding and for capturing special moments like cutting the cake and dancing with your dad.

8. You can definitely ask your photographer to dress appropriately for your wedding, but be aware that they need to be comfortable so no tuxedos or ballgowns. Most wear either all black or black pants with a white shirt so they don't stand out.