Unique Engagement Photo Ideas

One way of documenting your love's journey is to have your engagement pictures taken. There are many unique ideas for engagement photo shoot, and here are some that you can use.

First dates. Your first dates play a most special part in your relationship. It is when you've tested waters, decided to give your relationship a try, and most importantly, get to know each other. These moments are exclusive to the two of you. Think of one special moment were you both have a good laugh on your first date and find a symbol that you can remember together. For example, if your first date was on a heavy rainy day, you can make your engagement theme photography using umbrellas and boots and a little splash in the mud.

The sacred place. This place may be an exclusive place for the two of you. No, not the bedroom! It could be that special place that you go together often. It may be a park or a little hill with a special tree where carved your initials together. This will tell a lot about your personalities and special emotions that reflect your love. You can also have a picnic for two; sit on the swing or cuddle under the tree and star gaze under the bright night sky.

Where you got engaged or a trip destination. This is also a cool place to have your engagement photos taken with. You can both relive the special moment when you got surprised and he popped out the question. There's also probably one place where you both wanted to go or have already gone to. If you went to the Himalayas or to an Asian beach paradise, you can contact a photographer to take your picture there again. Not only will it be memorable but the scene and background will be perfect. Consider a photo shoot amidst the yellow field of flowers, cool skyline or a shimmering street light at night. Don't forget to add personal, relaxed feel during the photo shoot so that the photo will turn out perfect.

Hobbies. There are things you both enjoy together. These may be hobbies or recreational activities that are good for your relationship. Having a hobby together will help you grow in your relationship. For an engagement photo shoot idea, consider a sport like basketball or cake baking or playing music together. What's really important is that the hobbies that you portray in your photos are also the hobbies that reflect your personalities.

Anywhere beautiful and unusual is perfect. If you can't think of any place, try choosing somewhere you have both have a soft spot on the place. You can have a photo session with your dog or cat and play around with the theme you've chosen. The beach or the mountain may be a good place to choose from. The nature and the wild are also some great places. Oceanside photo shoot are also fun where you can play with the water and just be yourselves.

Whether you want it whimsical, retro, action-packed, or colorful engagement photo shoot, the most important thing is to find a theme that fits you both as a couple. Candid shots always give nice touches where you can also goof off, make faces, laugh and play with each other. Remember, you are in love, ignore the photographer, and just enjoy the photo shoot!

Point and Shoot Wedding Photography

At some point in time everyone attends a wedding. Interestingly enough, many modern couples count on friends and family to take interesting or memorable photographs just as much as they are relying upon the professional photographer who is paid to document the day. In fact, it is becoming quite standard to see a disposable camera at each of the guest tables which is to be used by those seated to take candid images.

So, are there any good tips for a guest at a wedding using a standard digital point and shoot camera? The first thing to do is keep away from the "canned" images. No bride or groom needs fifteen different angles of the cake cutting, bouquet tossing or other traditional part of the day. Instead, seek out the "characters" in attendance - your pal, the groom, always talks about an Uncle he really loves or who is a great joker - go ahead and get a few good candid photographs of this guy cracking up the people at his table. These are the moments that people treasure just as equally as the "I dos".

The next thing to do is forget about deleting duds while all of the action is occurring. Even a standard point and shoot has ample memory for such an event and you can miss some great shots while "reviewing" things. It is also important to try to get in close to the action...sitting across a table or standing within easy range will allow you to use the optical zoom, which prevents a great deal of blur or camera shake from ruining images. If holding the camera steady for indoor shots without flash is too difficult, why not get a small tabletop tripod? Yes, as just stated above, it is best to forgo the flash while indoors at a wedding reception or party. It creates harsh shadows, red eyes and flattens the scene. This does not make a memorable image.

Try to use ambient lighting from windows, candles and doorways to best advantage, such as standing with it at your back, or to the side of the subject. Also, increasing the ISO can help, and the "noise" or graininess that results might give the images a bit of character or "age". The higher ISO will allow for short or faster shutter speeds which will eliminate blur.

Additionally, you can open up the f/stop or aperture on the camera as well, though this makes for a shorter depth of field, so you'll need to stay within easy distance of the subject. Remember that the idea of taking casual photographs at a wedding is to ensure that more intimate images are recorded. This requires a bit of effort, but can make a great wedding day gift for a bride and groom.

Bridal Portraits - Classic to Contemporary

When you are planning your wedding photography, you will surely think to hire someone to take photos of the ceremony and reception. Many brides, however, will forget about the timeless tradition of having bridal portraits taken in the weeks preceding the wedding. This is what you need to know about bridal portraiture, from the very traditional to the more contemporary.

As many photos as will be taken of you on your wedding day, it is still possible to miss a few key shots. The traditional reason behind the bridal portrait is to capture images of the bride in her wedding gown, bridal jewelry, and veil from every angle. Often done in the photographer's studio, the pictures are focused on the details of the bridal ensemble, rather than capturing the action or emotion of the ceremony and reception. In this calm environment, your photographer will be able to take the time to highlight the special beauty of the bride and her attire. For a very traditional effect, consider black and white or sepia toned photographs.

Many a modern bride may think that a bridal portrait is old-fashioned or a relic of a bygone era, but don't be so quick to cast off the idea. After all, who wouldn't want a few really good images of herself in her gown and bridal jewelry? If the classic studio approach does not appeal to you, enlist the services of a photographer who specializes in more contemporary photography. You could have your portraits done in any number of interesting locations, such as the beach, a garden, your home, or even an offbeat setting like your favorite diner. Just be sure that the photos don't get so creative that the intended focus becomes lost. Also, since your pictures will be taken before the wedding day, take care to keep your gown in pristine condition. Lay a white cloth on the floor under you to keep the hem clean, if shooting in a place with a dirty floor.

The bridal portraits need to be done close to the wedding day, if for no other reason than because your gown must be fully altered. Inform your bridal salon of your portrait date when scheduling alterations, as they will need to have your wedding dress completed and pressed for the portrait date rather than the wedding date. It is a very smart idea to make plans to return your wedding dress to the bridal salon after the photo session so that it can be freshly pressed before the wedding. Expect to pay a fee for this additional service, and be sure to schedule it in advance.

Think of your portrait session as a chance to do a dry run before your wedding. Since you will need to have your hair and makeup styled for the pictures, it gives you the opportunity to perfect your bridal beauty before the big day. This is great, as you will be able to spend some time with the results to make sure that they last over the hours and that everything feels comfortable to you. The same goes for your gown. If you notice anything that is not quite right about the fit during your picture shoot, it gives you the chance for a quick adjustment before you wear your wedding gown for real.

A final tip about bridal portraiture is to look over any portraits you may have of your mother or grandmother in their wedding gowns and bridal jewelry. It is a wonderful tradition for a bride to have a couple of pictures done in a similar pose to her mother. The generations of bridal portraits will look absolutely beautiful when displayed together.

Wedding Gift Ideas For the Bride and Prospective Bride

The latent anxiety revolving around gift selection can bubble up in unexpected ways. You might feel at a complete loss as to what pick out for the bride or bride-to-be. Even though people discount how negative gift selection can make them feel, it's a problem that lingers until it's taken care of. Let's face it. It's more important than a birthday gift. It's well-wishing for an entire lifetime. You're giving your blessing, vis-à-vis a gift.

Expertise and common sense coalesce when wedding therapists recommend that invitees give gifts that stand the test of time, that can be nostalgically remembered, and that will give the bride and groom a lovely impression of you in retrospect. When the bride and groom think about your gift, it should make them feel happy that you're their friend. Think about all the free food you'll be getting at the reception, and you can certainly see the budgetary sense in getting a high-priced gift at the exchange rate of an expensive meal, pretty nifty.

One idea is to get hand-blown, hand-painted wine glasses. Glass-blowing is an art, and hand-painted glass is so much more special. It shows the bride that you spent the time in manufacturing and decorating the gift. You can even make it more useful with an old bottle of expensive wine in a basket with your glasses.

Vases are a great idea too. Vases are crystal-clear or colored, and they're perfect for showcasing art, flowers, and integrating with other items in the room. They add a lot of spice, flavor, and elegance to any house.

Get a really expensive picture frame that the couple will think is just extravagant, ornate, and visually stimulating. You must get one like this because the wedding invitations and wedding photos will need containers after the wedding, and you want your frame to be chosen for the best photographs. Everyone knows that looking at the frame is a quarter of the pleasure of looking at the photograph. Your frame could become a family treasure or a keepsake if a stunning photo is chosen for it.

Another idea is to get functional household items. However, with the turnover rate of functional household items, it's probably not a good idea. Cookware, cutlery, china, and crystal are a little more long-lasting and may be more appropriate.

Other small hand-held items the bride will really appreciate include a slim digital camera, Apple product, or other electronic gadget. A useful gadget goes a long way in wedding planning assistance. Keeping track of all the locations, items, and places the bride has visited is sometimes only possible by snapping photos or voice recording details during the planning process.

You can make a real difference to the bride with any one of the gifts listed on here.

Wedding Photo Booth Guide

You've seen them in movies, at Vegas Casinos, Disneyland, anywhere there is fun happening! Now, on the most fun day of your life, you too can have your own photo booth. Yes, photo booths are a hot item at finer weddings today. This trend is growing as brides look for ways to make their wedding reception special and fun for all.

Part 1 - WHY A PHOTO BOOTH?

For over 100 years the traditional four-shot photo strip has captured and preserved unique memories like no other photographic product. In addition to capturing memories, its real value is as a form of entertainment.

Not everyone likes to dance at a wedding reception; goofing off in a photo booth provides just enough privacy to allow people to loosen up and play without feeling self-conscious. What's more, its appeal is cross generational; everyone enjoys it! If the booth has a gimmick like props, green screen or the booth speaks to them, visitors are much more likely to let their guard down. This makes for more spontaneous pictures. There is just something about getting shoulder-to-shoulder behind a curtain which creates a sense of camaraderie and fun, where people feel they can let go a little and enjoy a shared experience.

As the photo strip prints out, everyone loves seeing themselves. Most companies include the name and date of the couple at the top of each photo strip so each goes home with a keepsake of the wedding. In many ways this replaces the need for cameras on the tables and usually provides much better and more interesting pictures. The Bride and Groom typically get a collection of all photos taken by way of a photos disc, photo book or through online access. Not only does this offer them a look at how much fun their guests were having, but it captures those rare moments when family and friends, who are not often together, intermingle through the fun of the photo booth.

Part 2 - HOW TO SHOP FOR A PHOTO BOOTH?

First understand that not all booths are created equal. There is a large range in pricing, which is usually (but not always), an indicator of quality. A select few are full-time businesses, but for most this is a side business. While this means that there is a photo booth for every budget, to avoid being disappointed it is important that you define which features YOU feel are most valuable and that you compare several companies and ask plenty of questions. Here are some differences to ask about:

• APPEARANCE - There are booths, boxes, tents, pipe & drapes, kiosks and even a "pod"! Some photographers will set up a photo station where they take portraits and call it a photo booth. Be sure you see what the booth will look like; if none is featured on the website, there is probably a good reason. While the rate might be better for your budget, be aware of what is going to show up at your reception first! What you don't want is a surprise. Most brides spend months creating their perfect reception and don't want it spoiled by an unsightly product.


• FUNCTION - Each company will have their own special features to make their booth stand out. Find out what's available and decide which features you like best. Ask what special features come with the booth; Props, Green Screen, Speaking Booth, Video, Scrapbooking, Etc. Also ask how many photos it takes, whether it prints single or duplicate, are props sanitized (there are health concerns with reused props) and ask how the photos are delivered (DVD or online). Be sure and see examples of photos taken in the booth.


• PACKAGES & PRICE - There will be many similarities from company-to-company but each will include different extras for the price. Some will up-sell from a menu of options, some are all-inclusive. In my opinion, best practice is that there should be no extra charge to receive the digital photos from the event. A key feature of renting a photo booth should be that the photos are included. At the very least, know ahead of time what you will be getting. The prices range anywhere from $700 to $2000, but a quality 4-hour booth rental usually begins around $1200. When choosing, factor in booth design, special features and number of hours included. Don't assume it's the same number of hours for each company.

Part 3 - HOW TO USE A PHOTO BOOTH FOR A WEDDING?

Place the photo booth in an area of the reception where it will not interfere with other events like the cake cutting or dancing. It should be easily accessible, but out of the way of the action and service staff.

As is true with a wedding DJ, 4 hours of photo booth entertainment is usually just right. I recommend starting the booth during the cocktail hour. This gives people something fun to do and they become aware of the booth which will draw them back throughout the evening. Unlike the dance floor, the photo booth will attract guests throughout the dinner hour. After dinner there is usually a surge at the booth, so starting your 4 hours at cocktail hour gets the most out of your photo booth.

Generally in the last hour of a reception more interest in focused on the DJ and the dance floor. If traffic to the booth is slow, a simple announcement from the DJ will usually get things going. Not all booths look like a typical photo booth so guests might not be clear what it is. Once invited, it's usually a big hit!

SUMMARY

Photo booths are fun, they make people laugh and provide everyone with valuable memories! Informed shopping requires a little buyer knowledge and some comparison. If you are working with a planner, be sure and let her know your interest in a photo booth and get her opinion as to which companies she is comfortable recommending.

Rest assured that whether your focus is on quality of photos, appearance of the booth, entertaining features, price or a combination thereof, there is a solution out there which is just right for you. Be informed about what you are buying and be sure that you are comfortable with the professionals you've chosen to hire, and you'll have a great experience with your photo booth! For years to come, you and your guests will treasure your special day each time they run across their photo strips. Rent a photo booth today!

Unique Packaging Ideas for Wedding Invites

The wedding invitation is the vanguard of your bridal experience. It introduces your guests to the theme and formality of your wedding and it gives them a peek into the flavor and personality of your relationship with your future spouse. It is the first chance you will have to make an impression as a couple on many of your guests. Innovative invitations are myriad, but if you want to make a real impression on your guests you may want to consider unique wedding invitation packaging.

Thai silk boxes couch your invitation in elegance. They look a little like they could house jewels or fancy watches. The basic style has a washed silk exterior that opens with a little clasp. Inside rests your invitation. There are many variations on this theme. You can order or design silk pouches with jeweled clasps, book and pocket folios that fold out into two or three segments, and boxes embellished with ribbons and jewels of your choosing. This is a truly royal presentation for your wedding invitation. It would be fitting for a black tie, celebrity, or ultra-formal wedding.

On the other end of the spectrum are electronic invitations. Websites such as evite.com offer still and animated invitations set to music. You can choose from humorous, religious, emotional, and other themes to imbue your invitation with life and personality. These invitations would be useful for a budget wedding where it is important to keep costs low, as many options on evite.com are free of cost. Electronic invitations would also be appropriate for a casual wedding or a wedding for a couple who share a love of computer technology or the internet.

DVD wedding invitations are a kind of hybrid between paper and electronic invitations. They come with a traditional paper wedding invitation insert, but also include a video or photo montage of the wedding couple inviting guests to attend the wedding. This could be a video the couple has made themselves, introducing guests to the couple for the first time, or it could simply be a nice keepsake for the guests: a video/photo favor before the wedding.

Traditional invitations can be layered and embellished to create unique and personalized wedding invitations. Paper invites can be embellished with anything from collage to glitter, creating invitations with personality and flair. Some ideas for embellishments are photographs of the bridal couple, dried or pressed flowers, and tiny crystals or jewels. Invitations can also be decoupaged to create an interesting effect, or they can be layered with interesting backgrounds, calligraphied invitations, and inset or cut-out decorations. The layered treatment creates a stand-out effect that can look eclectic, stylized, or minimalist depending on the desired result.

Playing with wedding invitation packaging is a fun way to show yourselves as a couple to your guests. It is the perfect opportunity to introduce a wedding theme, and it sets the tone for the ceremony and reception. Truly original wedding invitations are works of art worthy of framing and can make touching heirlooms to pass on to the next generation. Let your imagination run, and use original invitation packaging to create wedding invitations that are as unique and full of life as you are.

Photo Key Chains As Custom Wedding Favors

A wedding is always an occasion that is meant to be remembered for a life-time. Though many people attend various weddings throughout their lifetime, in some way or another, each of them is memorable in their own special way. In efforts to make a wedding even more memorable and unique, often times the bride and groom will decide upon a wedding favor that is given to each guest that attends the special event. Often times these wedding favors are personalized to showcase the date of the wedding as well as the couple's names. Though there is an endless amount of items that can be used as wedding favors, photo keepsakes have become a very popular custom wedding favor that can be used by brides and grooms of all types. Photo key rings are truly timeless.

A great benefit to using photo keepsakes as custom wedding favors is that they are very unique and are able to provide a visual memory of the wedding day and the couple. Often times the bride and groom may choose to use a picture of themselves together to have printed on each key ring. There is no limit as to what can be put on a photo key chain or what type of picture is most suitable. Instead the marrying couple has the option to choose what they want the photo keepsakes to look like.

Photo Keepsakes - The Benefits

If you've ever compared your key chains to a friend's or family members', it's likely that each of you have very different key chains. For wedding couples, this means that finding a photo key chain that is unique and different from the rest will be quite simple. Since photo key ring can often times be personalized, there are several different small details that can be added to them to make them especially unique. This means that the couple can choose to add their wedding date, their names, and possibly even a thank you message on each of the key rings.

Another benefit of photo keepsakes is that they can fit any budget that the wedding couple may have. Since photo key chains are available in a variety of shapes, sizes, colors, and even different materials, they often have a wide range of prices. This means that a couple looking to spend frugally on wedding favors can still afford to buy key chains for each of their guests. For example, plastic key rings are often a lot cheaper when compared to metal key chains.

Buying photo key rings is often done online through companies that offer bulk personalization and purchases. This way the bride and groom can design a key chain that they like and can afford and they can then have them made and shipped all by one company. In the end, the process for buying photo key chains is relatively easy and quick!

Using key chains as custom wedding favors is a unique idea, especially since the normal wedding favors usually involve wine glasses, candles, or candy. Photo key rings are sure to stand out from any other wedding favors and guests are sure to love them.