As a wedding photographer I've seen my fair share of wedding day traditions. but I've also seen people who decided to be different, and it inspired me to write this blog! Traditions can be great, but let's face it, it gets boring. Here are a few ways to break up the monotony:)
First off let's talk locations. Well of course the first thing that comes to mind is a Church. and don't get me wrong, there are some AMAZING churches. and it also depends on the time of year, but with spring right around the corner it's going to be a great time to get outside and use the beauty of nature to your advantage! If you're on a tight budget not having to fork out big bucks on a lavish venue will save you loads, and free up cash for other things. and with the natural beauty of trees, flowers, green grass or even the ocean, you won't feel the need to spend as much on adding color to brighten up the space. and not much compares to fresh air and sunshine:)
Next up is the first dance. oh the first dance, well if you're like me and you have NO rhythm than it might be a little scary. and to make matters worse every eye in the room is on YOU! so you better get it right! well I say take some of the pressure off by making it fun. Instead of picking a dramatic love song, why not go with an upbeat pop song. I was lucky enough to see this one in action at Drew and Jessica's Dunaway Gardens Wedding in September 2009. check out this video! they had fun, and that's what it's all about!!
So now let's talk CAKE! of course you should have a unique wedding cake. I'm all about unique and cool wedding cakes! in fact, I'll probably be posting a blog on just wedding cakes in the very near future. but what I want to talk about it that silly tradition that makes you eat OLD cake. I actually had never heard of this until a few years ago when my friend Emily was talking about it on her first anniversary. You save the top tier of the cake and keep it in your freezer for a year, and then on your first anniversary you eat the cake together. ok I get that it would be a nice reminder of the big day, but just because you freeze it doesn't mean it will still taste good! I don't even want to imagine!! ha:) so instead why not eat it on the last day of your honeymoon when it will still taste fresh. you can talk about all of your favorite moments of the wedding while you eat cake that still tastes pretty good. and then buy a new cake that resembles your wedding cake to celebrate the first annivesary:)
and last but not least.........THE PHOTOS!!!
of course you knew I had to talk about the pictures:)
Forget all the wedding photos you've seen in frames around your parents and grandparents houses. "Posed" is OUT and REAL is IN!!!
Wedding photography these days is all about capturing the candid moments. and I don't think it's just a fad. People want to see themselves in the photos. Show your personality! and most of all have fun with it! It will make your day a whole lot less stressful and that alone will make for much better photos. No one looks good when they are stressing out!
The number one complaint I hear from my clients post wedding is that they wish they would have taken more time to get photos of just the bride and groom. most people get overwhelmed because they want to make sure they get a photo with every family member. why do that to yourself?? besides, you have every other day of your life to get photos taken with them. you only get one wedding day. but if you really want to have photos of your guest a great and stress-free way to do it is with a photobooth. You can rent one or you can talk to your wedding photographer because most of them have or can get a second shooter (which is another word for a back up photographer) to run a photobooth area at the reception. That way you can focus on enjoying the reception and spending time with your new hubby:) and the guest can go over to the photobooth at their convenience. One other trick to getting photos with the guest without taking a ton of time is just spending the first 30 minutes of the reception greeting the guest together.
and this new trend is one of my favorites. Everyone knows it's a poweful moment when the groom sees the bride in her dress for the first time. and the tradition is for the groom to see the bride for the first time as she walks down the aisle. but you can make the moment even more intimate by planning to meet somewhere quiet right before the ceremony. just you two and the photographer there to capture it all on film.
There are so many other ways to make your wedding day your own. Don't follow the rules, follow your heart. This is your day and it only comes once, so it should be exactly the way you want it!
Carrie
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