There’s nothing worse than terrible shots or no shots of one of the most momentous events in a person’s life. A wedding may be made in heaven but disaster is in the details. Skip some important points and you can wish you were in the trashcan with the rubber chicken and leathery lettuce.

Here are some tips to help you negotiate this photographic minefield.

Hire a professional.
No? Don’t want to do that? You think Uncle George can do it fine on the cheap? Save a few bucks and spread the joy around? Then read on, reckless fool…

Be prepared.
Emotionally, spiritually, intellectually and photographically. You will need more than just a strong heart and nerves of steel. You’ll need extra memory sticks, extra batteries, a flash outfit, a tripod and a zoom/wide-angle lens. You’ll also need decent image editing software to produce the finished product in an acceptable form.

Have an assistant or a helper.
You should have lots of stuff to carry around, and you need someone who will watch your gear when you’re busy. Get someone to help you out. It’s also good to have someone relatively sane to talk to.

ALWAYS shoot for the bride.
Men don’t really care about photos of themselves. Well, that’s a generality. 99.9% of men don’t care. Usually the only time a man looks at a wedding photo under his own volition is just after the divorce with a drink in the other hand.

Get a list of wanted shots.
Don’t go into this blind. Find out what shots the happy couple expect and try to oblige. Weddings have about 4 phases: getting dressed, the ceremony, after the ceremony (relaxed shots with the new couple), the reception including the cake and groups of guests. Take your lead from the bride not the juiced up guests at the reception.

Shoot a lot.
This is good advice for any photography. At a wedding you’re dealing with human nature at its most confused. Who can really tell what shots will be the big sellers? Just cover everything (even the speeches) and shoot everything three times and be safe.

Get the groups.
Groups are important but watch out here because semi-inebriated guests will want to be photographed with pot-plants, the foxy waitress, each other, maybe the bride and groom, and towards the end of the evening fascinating cloud formations. Get from the bride who should be in what group. Stay with her.

Get the proofs to the bride as fast as possible.
Forget this just being good service, it’s also smart business. Happiness and the vows of matrimony can be fleeting. Get your wedding photography bill in before the first fight if possible. Definitely before the divorce.

Be a professional. Weddings can be scary things.
They’re all about love, sex, eating and drinking. Passions and confusions can be rampant. Get your shots first and party later if anyone is left to party with. If you find yourself at the end alone with your camera, at least you can console yourself that you completed your mission.

Do your own quality control before you submit the proofs.
Your reputation can be destroyed by a handful of misaimed shots of the bride or her friends. People often remember that one shot where the matron of honor looked as if she was zonked when it was just an untimely blink. If it sucks delete it. Better safe than sorry.

Edible wedding favors are bound to please almost everyone at a wedding reception. Although it isn’t important if your wedding favors are savory, most people would probably prefer a sweet option. One of the most popular is a simple chocolate bar with a personalized wrapper. Chocolate candy bars come in so many varieties it can be difficult to choose something you can guarantee everyone one will appreciate. Many people may eat the chocolate at the wedding but will probably keep any packaging that it comes in, as a souvenir.

Tip: Do you live in Belgium or The Netherlands? Then go here to find the perfect trouwjurken

It is not unusual to see a picture of the happy couple on this sort of wrapper or even a presentation box. Candy inside tins is also a popular option for a couple getting married and has proved to be a popular edible wedding favor. Once again, it is easy to have the tin given the personal touch with the bride and grooms details on it. Tins are always useful so once the candy has been eaten, it can be used to store many small items that might be lost otherwise. Even people that don’t often eat candy will tuck in when it is an edible wedding favor because they get drawn into the occasion.

One unique way to give out candy as wedding favors is to use large glass bowls as the centerpieces for the tables and fill the bowls with the bride and grooms’ favorite types of candy. You can also leave a small presentation box with details of the wedding, and one that can even match the wedding theme if there is one. You can guarantee it won’t take long before the guests start filling their boxes with the candy. Cookies are other options for brides and grooms who want to give out edible wedding favors and there are a number of different options in this case. Undecorated cookies are best because they are supposed to go inside a decorated box which can have the wedding day details printed on it.

Plain cookies are also easier to use if you decide to have your images inserted onto them. There are many bakeries that can make these cookies for you in a variety of sizes and shapes; you just simply need to select a design and give the bakery a photo to use in the design process. Cocoas, teas and coffees are still another option for couples who want to give out edible wedding favors. Tea, coffee and cocoa are very popular with many people and there a huge range to choose from these days so you would not have just stick with the most popular available. Often the contents are in tins which can be personalized with the bride and grooms details and makes the box or tin more collectable. Perhaps these suggestions will help you decide what favors you will give to your guests.

Even though you may be planning your wedding on a strict budget, that doesn’t mean you have to miss out on having the reception you’ve always dreamed of. Here are a few tips and ideas to remember when it’s time to begin thinking of budget-friendly wedding reception ideas.

Book as early as possible to get the best rates, and be sure to bargain shop for prices before settling on a location for the wedding reception. Inquire about their down payment and refund policies, and make certain you know all of the extra, or additional costs well ahead of time.

Choose an off time of year, such as in the winter, usually during January or March, to find the best prices on everything from caterers, reception venues, and honeymoon costs. Likewise, getting married on a day of the week such as Monday or Friday will be considerably cheaper than the usual Saturday or Sunday affairs.

Alcohol will usually drive the price of a wedding reception right through the roof, unless of course you either eliminate it altogether, have a “beer or wine only” affair, or provide all of your own liquor instead of being charged by the venue or caterers. Another option considered to be perfectly acceptable at hotels or banquet halls is having a cash bar instead of an open bar.

Forget the traditional banquet hall and instead find a church or recreation hall, or your local community center, many of which charge prices that are considerably lower than other venues.

Depending on the number of tables at the reception, it may be a bit expensive to have disposable cameras at each table. Instead, include small, decorative note cards on every other table, along with a few pens for friends and family to record their well wishes for the happy couple. Be sure to add a small sign at each table asking guests to please write their thoughts or words of wisdom for the newlyweds on the cards that will soon be paired with photos from the disposable cameras.

Decorations don’t have to cost an arm and a leg to be beautiful. Visit your local craft store, as well as the area dollar stores to find a dizzying array of decorative possibilities, including tulle, which can be used to decorate just about anything. Dollar stores have a variety of candles, mirrors, and small decorative items that will easily turn any location into one that’s fit for a day of love and enchantment.

If possible, include a “kids only” area for those guests under a certain age to play and have fun. This is one of the most helpful wedding reception ideas of all, especially if there are any parents in the wedding party. Recruit the help of a teenage friend or relative to keep the kids under control, and be sure to provide plenty of distractions, such as coloring books and crayons, puzzles, books, and a variety of games. If you’re lucky enough to have access to a separate room, splurge and bring along a television, some fun movies and cartoons, or a few video games to keep the little ones entertained throughout the evening.

To save money on food, choose an appetizer only reception, which is usually held between the hours of 4 and 7PM, or a tea reception, serving only finger sandwiches, cake, coffee, and tea between 2 and 5PM, or a brunch or breakfast reception which would follow a wedding held during the late morning hours.

You can read more about fun wedding reception ideas on TheBridesHeart.com.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Brenda_Jackson

It seems destination weddings are the trendy way to go nowadays. A destination wedding is a wedding held in a vacation location away from where you live. Some couples choose this type of wedding because it is adventurous and can save money in the process.

There are no set requirements for a destination wedding. It can involve just the happy couple and a few close friends and family or if can be a huge affair. The choice is up to you and your budget. There are a lot of resorts who are working at making destination weddings that are less stressful and easy for the bride and groom. Many resorts at top vacation spots offer package deals that include an onsite wedding consultant who will help with the wedding essentials, such as the marriage license, and the wedding cake.

You can invite just your closest friends and family members to join you in an intimate ceremony in a beautiful location. You don’t have the stress of planning a large wedding or figuring out who to invite and who not to invite. A smaller guest list mean spending more time with the ones you love at your destination wedding.

Another reason to plan a destination wedding is it will save you money by not having to have a formal affair with 200 guests. The etiquette for destination weddings says the bride and groom should pay for the guest’s accommodations and food. The guests are on their own for airfare. This amount will be less than it would cost for a huge reception.

You can also check into finding out how you can get discounted rates for booking multiple rooms. Group rates for airfate can also help in reducing costs. You can plan ahead and set up an itinerary of what you and your guests can do for activities such as, snorkeling, sightseeing or beach volleyball. These types of things can be planned ahead of time.

One thing to remember is that you will have to find out what the requirements are for obtaining a marriage license at the location you choose. Sometimes there are restrictions and you and the groom might have to plan to arrive a few days earlier to fill out the paperwork and establish residency.

By having a destination wedding you will be able to relax and enjoy yourself more. Since the wedding and the honeymoon are in the same place you don’t have to rush from place to place. You get to let someone else handle all the small details for you instead of having to run from place to place to get flowers and items for the reception.

Another plus to having a destination wedding is that you get to combine your wedding and honeymoon so you can afford to go to your dream honeymoon location, such as, Hawaii or the Caribbean. You will be able to have the wedding and honeymoon of your dreams.

Lawrence Reaves – This article is provided by DanforthDiamond.com a leading authority on wedding rings, engagement rings and fine jewelry. Danforth Diamond provides wisdom and advice to help you choose the right ring at the right price. Visit DanforthDiamond.com or call 877.404.RING

A marriage ceremony is really a once in a lifetime occasion. If you are a best man of this particular day, then it’s certainly a huge pleasure and privilege in your part. You will be given a special task for this day and that is to deliver a best man speech. If you think you are stuck when it comes to preparing your best man speech, you can always rely on the Internet for some great resources on how to write one.

It is a good thing that you can find useful information on the web when you want to get help in writing a best man speech. But it is essential that you insert your own personal touch on your speech. It is best that you not duplicate the whole best man speech sample that you find online. Add your own feelings and flair.

If you do not know where to start, you can also check online for some best man speech samples. This would simply explain how to write your own speech. You can also check out some questionnaires that might be valuable in creating your own best man speech. For example, you may be asked, “what are the special moments that you shared with the bride/ groom”, “what is your message for the happy couple?” There are various methods on how you can write a best man speech. You can make a humorous one or you can give something traditional. Either way, what is important is that you talk from the heart and say your own advice to the couple

An additional thing that can help you is to use some best man wedding quotes. You can find an assortment of these by searching the web also. You can pick something short and romantic and share it to the couple and the audience. You might also find funny wedding jokes that can help you create a lighter mood during the speech.

The moment you come upon a high-quality best man speech sample, the next step is to alter it so it comes out very special and something that’s really from your heart. Do not forget that these examples should only work as your guide. Read your speech again and again and reherse delivering it so that you are secure on the day of the wedding.