Kate's enthusiastic laugh and Brian's southern gentleman charm is what we will always remember most about this fun-loving couple. Kate runs the big city marathons...she's done Boston and Chicago multiple times. Brian is an equally enthusiastic athlete and his work involves extensive traveling, so he has also enjoyed running in cities around the world. We recently enjoyed photographing their destination wedding in Cooperstown, and we posted a sneak peak from their wedding day last week.
However, we never got around to posting their wonderful engagement session, so we want to feature that today, along with the Save The Date card we made featuring several favorites from their lifestyle engagement session. Kate and Brian's humorous personalities and shared interest in running is captured in this collection.
Wedding Creativo makes custom designed albums and photo displays as part of our full line of studio services for wedding couples and family lifestyle portraits. This work includes guiding couples through our wide selection of album covers and specialty frames, canvases and print types to help them carefully choose the best ways to display and preserve their photographs.
Today we begin a new series of features about decor and color inspirations for coordinating albums and display goods, without loosing sight of complimenting the wedding or portrait imagery being displayed.
This month, we feature an album we recently made for a destination wedding that took place in Africa. The wedding colors were primarily bright yellows and greens with red and orange highlights. While the vibrant colors were wonderful for their wedding day, the couple wanted something a little more subdued for their home environment, which is primarily rustic and wood decor with natural tones of browns, beige, and cream with hints of lime and yellow.
For a view of went into their album design, we are excited present our first inspiration feature of this kind for album and decor coordinates.
While everyone's eye is on the bride on her wedding day, we know moms should not be overlooked when it comes to wedding fashions. After all, stylish brides and grooms often learn from the best -- their moms!
We like these modern wedding styles for fashionista moms this summer:
It's summertime in the city, which means fun in the sun for the most part, but on a wedding day soaring temperatures can be miserable for folks in formals. For our featured photo this week we look back to Candice and Robert's wedding when the bridal party was lucky to run into an ice-cream vendor along the lakeshore. He offered some sweet relief to the near 100 degree heat and high humidity. Everyone in the bridal party got a cool treat.
As we head into summer wedding months, here are our top 5 tips for staying cool at hot summer weddings:
1. Stay hydrated: the top way for everyone to stay cool is to drink water. Especially for outdoor weddings it is important to have plenty of cold water for guests throughout the entire time. You could get creative by using old-fashioned picnic coolers placed around various areas with water bottles on ice. Be sure to have a recycling bin for those empty bottles!
2. Wear cool fabrics: consider light fabrics made of natural fibers for your formal wear. Looser fitting clothing will help. We love seersucker suits and dresses...we'll be saying more about that later this week!
3. Humans sweat: there is no way around this, unless you are my partner Giorgio. He is the only human I know that never sweats. For everyone else, guys can carry a handkerchief in their back pocket and gals can keep blotting tissue papers in their purses. Lower maintenance lighter makeup is best for the hottest days. It is also a good idea to bring a few travel size deodorant sticks for women and men in an all-purpose "wedding day survival" bag. Trying to fight what naturally happens during summer will always be a losing battle, so it is best to just plan for the inevitable.
4. Block the sun: wearing sunscreen is a must, especially if you'll be outdoors for long periods of time. A bad sunburn is not something anyone should experience on a wedding day. Parasol umbrellas can be a stylish way for the bridal party to keep cool and also fun for pictures. And, if we learned anything from William and Kate's royal wedding, hats can also be a fashionable way to keep the sun at bay.
5. Think of winter and go slow: if it is going to be extremely hot, over 90 degrees, we will generally recommend couples take it easy and avoid being out in the sun too long during portrait time. Extreme heat is just as bad as a thunderstorm when it comes to portraits. As much as the bridal party will try to be good sports, no one likes having their portrait taken when they are hot, sweaty and exhausted in the heat. For our couples with summer weddings we'll suggest cool - literally - indoor alternatives if the heat is going to be dangerously high during portrait time. When we are outside in higher temperatures, we try to keep it as painless as possible, and remind folks to keep thinking about frosty the snowman and how much we all love Chicago winters, and that in just a few months the ice and snow will return.
This week we look back to Chris and Melinda's 2007 wedding for our Wedding Photo of the Week. Their wedding was at Willow Harbor Vinyards in Three Oaks, Michigan. It was a beautiful location with acres of open green space, horse barn, vineyards and private lakeside spot for the ceremony. Southwest Michigan has many barns and vineyards available for weddings, but this was one of our favorites. They had lovely and curious flower girls for their bridal party, and also lots of young nieces and nephews in attendance. We love when kids are ate weddings because for us they are fun and always cute as can be! However, we understand some couples and parents, might be apprehensive about including kids. We think the barn, farm or vineyard wedding is the perfect solution. At Willow Harbor the kids all had a lot of fun running around and playing all day. We think regional locations like this are always great for weddings that have lots of children. Outdoor games and fun activities can be set up just for them, so they can go have fun (optimally with older teens or college adults supervising), and then adults can have fun too not hearing their kids complain about being "bored" at the wedding all day.
Today marks the one year anniversary of Lisa and Ben! Congratulations you two! This stylish couple incorporated a great sense of vintage 1940s fashions in their wedding.
Interestingly, the designs worn in the 1940s were primarily influenced by conservation rationing of materials and resources by the government during WWII. Fashions designers in America, as well as the major European style capitals in Paris and Italy, were affected by the limited materials they were allotted during the war. Also, the fragile economy during the 1940s affected the purchasing power of pocketbooks. In many ways, brides today might feel similar challenges in light of our current economic climate.
Women of the 1940s had to embrace the mindset of "make do and mend." Where the 1920s and 1930s fashions featured silk stockings and a wide variety of more luxurious fabrics, the sacrifices of WWII ushered in a time of more simple designs with often clever solutions for fashion dilemmas. Stockings came to be in short supply so women drew lines on the back of their legs to give the illusion of wearing stockings. Less material was available to make dresses and skirts, so consequently hemlines became shorter.
Hollywood 1940s fashion icons and Veronica Lake and Lauren Bacall.
Designers in the 1940s might have edited their fashions a bit more than they would have liked. It wasn't until 1947 that Christian Dior "outraged" critics by using "excessive" fabric for his dresses when materials were still being rationed. Dior put Paris back on the map with his "shocking" styles, but even before this designers certainly did not let the difficult limitations of the 1940s keep them from creating many wonderful classic looks that still greatly influence current trends.
If the recent 2012 spring wedding fashions shows are any indication, the short wedding dress trend is only gaining in popularity right now. One of our favorite vintage-inspired collections this spring is by designer Matthew Christopher. His dresses are currently found in the Chicago area at Wolsfelt's Bridal in Aurora and Volle's Bridal in Lake Zurich.
Oscar de la Renta Metallic-Embroidered Cocktail Dress
Milly Cap Sleeve Haley Dress
And let's not forget about the guys who also have the war rations of the 1940s to thank for making it okay to wear a suit without a vest. Generally, men's suits were more loose fitting in the 40s (with the extreme being the zoot suit), which makes this look a bit more hard to find among today's more tightly tailored suits. However, we thought these styles would work great for vintage-minded grooms who want to look like Humphrey Bogart walking down the aisle.
Ralph Lauren Drake Checked Wool Suit
Gucci Grey Pinstriped 3-Button Suit
Prada Black Wool 2-Button Suit
Finally, for the guests, a couple of ensembles with 1940s flair.
Congratulations to actress Sara Rue on her marriage. Details are emerging on People and other sources about her hummingbird and butterfly theme wedding, including her floral Amsale "Dahlia" gown and Swarovski crystal butterfly detailed Aruna Seth heels.
Photos: Dan Lecca/Amsale.com, ArunaSeth.com
Rue's bridesmaids also carried on the hummingbird theme with hairpins and broaches. We imagine they might have looked something like these hummingbird jewelry styles:
For the last few years peacock themes have been quite popular for weddings, and we loved how our couples have incorporated this beautiful bird into their details:
However, we've noticed 2011 fashion designers are adding a variety of bird plumage to dresses and accessories. Here are a few favorites we've noticed in recent collections:
Designer: Marika Brose, MAX ostrich feather dress (left), and JAMES rooster feather dress
Today we are highlighting a detail from Chris and Kelly's wedding who were married one year ago this weekend. We were inspired by their vibrant yellow, violet and lime colors and liked how they incorporated one of our favorite ideas at wedding receptions - - alternating height centerpieces. Not only do they make a stunning statement, but when done well, will not obstruct your guests vision across the table or across the room. The creative folks at Flora Chicago did a fantastic job alternating placement of the centerpieces throughout the dining hall.
Belted wedding dresses are always wonderful, but today we would like to highlight the stunning black-belt look.
When dress designer Vera Wang's Fall 2010 line came out last year and featured many dresses with a black sash, we knew it would not be long before we started seeing brides sporting black belt dresses down the aisle.
Last November our bride Kallie actually had two belts, one for daytime and one for evening to go with her lovely Sassi Holford "Chloe" dress:
We love the black belt look and hope we see more of this trend this year.
The Preakness horse race yesterday had me thinking about the lucky horseshoe. It has universally been considered a good luck charm for centuries, but the British have been wise enough to incorporate them in their wedding traditions. Then, we realized that it was one year ago today that Catherine and Nick were married in Chicago, and the groom's English mother gave the bride a horseshoe as a gift to carry with her bouquet down the aisle. Congratulations to the happy couple on their first anniversary! We were lucky to have been included in their celebration at Grand Piazza with the ceremony on the rooftop of the National Italian American Sports Hall of Fame.
We've received several inquires about where to find beautiful ornamental wedding horseshoes since we originally featured this wedding. Here are a couple that we recently spotted, as well as some other fashionable ways to include a little luck into your wedding day.
Horseshoe pattern Italian silk tie, and Good Luck garters, and vintage blue horseshoes pin:
Gift bag of luck charms and horseshoe wine rack:
Various lucky horseshoe jewelry and getting ready tank top:
Today is the 5th wedding anniversary of Kristian and Claudia! Congratulations you two! Their wedding reception is still memorable to us as one of the most fun parties we've ever experienced. The bride and groom were a "rockin'" couple and incorporated the awesomeness that is Live Band Karaoke to be the highlight of their reception. After all of the usual traditions of toasts, cake cutting and first dance, all of the sudden their reception transformed into a local live music dive bar vibe. After the Live Band Karaoke musicians warmly encouraged the first few brave souls to the stage (Kristian of course opened the show!), soon enough EVERYONE was taking multiple turns singing, with all of the "fans" dancing and screaming with excitement at the stage. No one was embarrassed because all of the guests treated each other as if they were the Beatles or Rolling Stones. It was so much fun that we didn't want to leave when our time was up late that night! This was one of our all-time favorite receptions and we wish more couples would consider this idea for their reception. Thanks Kristian and Claudia for single-handedly changing our opinion about karaoke from that day forward!
Father's day is coming up soon! June 19, 2011 to be exact. For a sweet gift idea, might we suggest framing a loving moment from your wedding day?
For our current active galleries, you can order directly online from your wedding gallery. If your wedding was a while ago and the gallery has expired, just contact us for help.
Please note our deadlines for Father's Day orders:
Framed prints - June 3
Loose prints - June 8
We're thinking your dad probably has enough ties. ;-)
If you learned anything playing 7 minutes in heaven at any teenage parties, we think you should apply that experience on your wedding day....except this time you don't have to go in a closet.
The "wedding kiss" is one of the most iconic moments of any wedding day, and sometimes that moment goes all too fast. We love to see couples take a few seconds to gaze deeply into each others eyes while their marriage is officially being pronounced. Then, when they hear those words "you may kiss the bride," it is always wonderful when that kiss is anything more than a nanosecond peck. Optimally, you'll be so filled with joy and love for your new spouse that you'll naturally have a long passionate kiss. However, if you are going to be conscious about the kiss, it is a good idea to remember to hold it for at least a few seconds.
From our perspective as photographers, we can also have a more solid opportunity to capture this all important moment if you give us a nice long kiss to photograph. I think our recent couple Cat and Matt may have set a record. When I checked the time coded on the image files, apparently their kiss lasted a whopping 12 seconds! We were able capture 16 sweet shots of the moment. That's love, I tell ya!
...1 Mississippi, 2 Mississippi, 3 Mississippi....or count the fireworks going off in your head
Best of all, this is likely something the two of you would enjoy practicing before the wedding day. Also, there is no reason why married couples still can't play the kissing game! Grab your sweetheart and go in the closet for seven minutes of heaven today!
Why should groomsmen have all the fun when it comes to wearing comfy and cool Converse Chuck Taylor All Star sneakers at casual summer weddings? Bridesmaids could also wear them as a funky alternative to flip-flops or just bare feet when it comes time to give their feet relief from heels at the reception or maybe even wear all day! Either way your feet would be so happy.
Even our BRIDE Amie slipped into a pair of Chucks on the way to her reception!
Granted, this idea may not fly for all types of weddings, but certainly could be considered for more casual outdoor, beach or cocktail party style weddings. We've put together this inspiration board with some fun summer dresses combined with a few of the cutest Chuck styles.
Here is an idea for brides to consider for when you are getting ready on your wedding day. Essentially, you will need to wear something during preparations that you can easily slip off and not disturb your awesome hair and make-up in the process. Some brides wear comfy button-down pajama shirts or cute "bride" tank tops, which are always fun. However, we really love when brides wear beautiful robes made of silk or other fancy fabric. They are a luxurious and romantic treat and add another element of style and beauty that you can have to set the tone for your wedding day. Not to mention, they look great in pictures.
We spotted some lovely robes on Etsy.com and other shops:
Dogs and cats (or other pets) are often great fun at weddings, and can really up the "awwwww!" factor! Just be sure to take into consideration care and safety for your pet and others involved. There should be someone designated to be responsible to watch/care for them the entire time (don't forget to have a bowl of water and food out), and bring your dog home after a short while if possible. For wedding day and engagement portraits, it only really works well if your pet has at least mastered some basic vocal commands. If all they do is jump around and don't know how to obey yet, that is difficult for everyone and nearly impossible to get really good portraits to have on display. If you're dog is totally out of control, it is best to do your session outside or at your home, and not bring them into a studio and risk injury to your pet or damage to big studio lights and equipment. So, if you want a few with your enthusiastic (but uncontrollable) puppy that is great, but make sure an extra person is around to take Fido for a walk so you can focus on doing great portraits.
Last year we tried to feature a "photo of the day" and that was kind of overly ambitious to keep up. So, this year we're going to try a new feature. Introducing - - - Wedding Photo of the Week! It could be from one of our recent weddings, or from anytime in the last two decades, but it wil always be one shot that makes our creative hearts smile.
This week's photo is from Cat and Matt's wedding from a couple weeks ago. We love them under this majestic weeping willow tree at Cantigny Gardens.
Just one dilemma facing modern couples today is their internal debate whether to embrace or reject traditional notions of weddings, and marriage for that matter. While there really is no right or wrong answer in this decision, many couples ultimately approach planning their weddings as a way to share their styles, personalities and beliefs with their families and friends. But, that can sometimes be easier said than done.
Couples can look at their wedding as an opportunity to give everyone a deeper insight into who they are now as adults starting married life together. It is likely that there may be some relatives and possibly friends that have not been seen since childhood or school years, and perhaps don't know much about who you are now and what interests, goals and beliefs brought you together as a couple. When else are you going to have the undivided attention of so many people in one place? So put some personality into those wedding plans.
Wedding traditions have been around for decades that basically give couples a road map for planning. However, if you have issues with some traditional customs or are just looking for fresh ideas, the suggestions below might help. These ideas are inspired by some of the most memorable weddings we have experienced as photographers over the past decade.
Five traditional wedding customs and suggested alternatives:
Tradition 1: Matching formal attire with grand gowns and tuxedos
Modern Idea: Having bridesmaids wear unique dresses has become more common over the last couple of years, but perhaps consider taking this a step further so more people (groomsmen specifically) can get in on the fun. We loved the period-fashion theme weddings we've seen including: a Great Gatsby 1920s style flapper wedding, a 1940s style wedding with groomsmen wearing white tuxedo jackets, and a 1950s sweet summer casual wedding where the bride and bridesmaids wore short party dresses and the groomsmen wore cool seersucker suits with Chuck Taylor All-Stars sneakers.
Tradition 2: Formal reception dinner with typical wedding customs
Modern Idea: If you rather create a different vibe for your reception than just the traditional dinner, cake cutting, and dancing, you may want to try a an entirely different approach, or incorporating a different "party style" along with the basic reception traditions. Cocktail style receptions have been increasing in the last few years, with more of a mingling party atmosphere instead of a formal sit-down dinner. You could also incorporate festive party themes or activities such as Hawaiian Luau, live karaoke or talent show, a 1920s/30s vice room for poker or other parlor games, or any favorite recreation that you enjoy and that expresses your interests. One of our couples transformed their reception into a Venetian masquerade ball by hiding a variety of Venetian masks under guests' chairs and surprising them with an announcement by the groom when it was time to open the dance floor.
Tradition 3: Bouquet and garter toss
Modern Idea: Many couples don't feel comfortable including these traditions any more for various reasons. However, you can modify this and still keep your guests engaged without the groom having to climb under the bride's dress. You can still give away the bouquet, table centerpieces or other fun prizes with alternative fun activities. Many couples enjoy doing the anniversary dance where the longest married couple remaining on the dance floor wins the bouquet. We've also seen live auctions with prizes going to the highest bidder (this can also be a fun alternative to the dollar dance), and especially cool if you have a relative or friend who is a professional livestock or art auctioneer that can wow your guests. Instead of all pulling the single people on the dance floor, gather all of the kids for a stuffed animal toss. Finally, we think it would be fun to involve all of your guests in a big game of Bingo during dinner service.
Order your personalized version of this card on the Wedding Creativo Etsy Store!
Tradition 4: Following traditions only of your culture
Modern Idea: Many couples these days come from diverse backgrounds and faiths, so it is fairly common to see traditions from different cultures or religions being combined at weddings. However, some couples have liked what they have seen at a friend's wedding, and even if it is not part of their family background they have made other cultural ideas part of their own ceremony or reception. Eastern cultures including South Asian / Indian have unique three-day weddings and different rituals compared to Western weddings. Consider researching weddings from countries or cultures different from your own, and what meanings they have, and perhaps you can "borrow" an idea from another culture if it better expresses your personalities or beliefs.
Tradition 5: Not seeing each other before the ceremony
Modern Idea: Several of our couples have incorporated a special pre-ceremony "first-see" moment and outdoors tour for creative portraiture. By scheduling an hour or two with us before the ceremony, we have been able to capture some absolutely stunning moments with couples in settings from urban alleyways to floral parks, and everything in between. Couples that do this often feel more relaxed throughout the day and also realize they get to see each other "for the first time" twice: first a private moment together, and again at the ceremony with their guests.
Whether you decide to go traditional or not, your wedding will be best remembered by your unique personal expressions.
Confused about the differences between matted, flush mount and digital albums? We see a lot of questions out there about the different binding styles primarily used by wedding photographers, so we provided some discriptions on our albums and display site Creativo Couture.