Wedding Fashion Inspiration: Fruit Colors for Summer Bridesmaids Dresses

We're focusing on bridesmaids this week, and when it comes to dresses and fashion colors, inspiration from fruits can bring a great splash of color to any summer wedding.  Here are some examples of the vibrant hues we have been seeing recently.

Awesomeness Giveaway: Bridesmaid Invitation Cards

We recently spotted these cute "Will you be my Bridesmaid?" cards and they got us thinking.  The first thing we thought was that these cards are adorable. They are from a creative husband and wife, Anna and Nathan, along with their team of talented folks who make hand-pained illustrations and whimsical designs for stationery at Rifle Paper Co.  The peachy-pink ranunculus flowers illustrated on these cards should be a sure-fire way to get any friend or relative excited about being included in your bridal party.

Then, we though about the process each couple goes though when choosing their bridal party, and that sometimes the decision may be complicated.

We would love to hear what you think about when selecting your bridal party members. We are also excited about giving away a pack (8-count) of these beautiful cards, courtesy of Rifle Paper Co., to two lucky (and random) winners. 

To enter in our Awesomeness Giveaway drawing for this week, please fill out this form by midnight, Thursday August 4th.  We'll announce the winners on Friday.

UPDATE: THE WINNERS HAVE BEEN SELECTED FOR THIS GIVEAWAY, THE ENTRY FORM IS NOW CLOSED. THANKS!

Wedding Photo of the Week: Taking it Easy

We always try and keep the portrait portions of the wedding day as painless and stress-free as possible. But some days, especially hot summer days, it can be a challenge for bridal parties to muster up the energy and enthusiasm during the portrait time.

It is never a good idea to be overly ambitious in the limited time frame we have for portraits on any wedding day, but especially not when when temperatures are soaring and bridal party patience can be limited.  With a good and realistic game plan in place, we are able to do plenty of creative as well as traditional portraits at a relaxed pace and also keep stress levels down.  We work with each couple well in advance of the wedding to come up with specific ideas, but also tips specific to the time of the year.  For example, for summer weddings, it is also a good idea to have plenty of water and a few salty snacks available on the trolley (or other transportation) to help replenish folks after the portraits are finished.  The best transportation companies always provide water and other drinks, but it doesn't hurt to grab a few extra bottles, some salty nuts or other snacks, and even a roll of paper towels to throw in for good measure.

Creative Spotlight: Zuzu's Petals

Every time a bell rings a bride is happy with her bouquet and flowers by event florists Natalie Willett and Dan Mitchell at Zuzu's Petals.  We have enjoyed their work for quite a while and wanted to spotlight the lovely job they recently did for a wedding we photographed in June for bride and groom Megan and Luke.  We love peonies, so we especially enjoyed the Zuzu's Petals floral work for this wedding. We'll have a full feature about this beautiful day coming soon.

© Wedding Creativo Photography

Wedding Photo of the Week: This ain't on the shot list

Finding unique and creative perspectives is what Wedding Creativo Photography is all about. Moments like this aren't going to be on any "shot list" that magazines suggest brides send to their photographers.

The thing about "shot lists" is that they originated during a time when digital photography didn't exist.  Back in the day, when photographers only shot with traditional film, there was a very limited number of exposures available to cover the entire day. Generally about 250-350 pictures used to be the norm.  Shot lists were requested by the photographer so s/he would know the couple's preferences and priorities, but not because photographers didn't know the specific moments to anticipate throughout the wedding day. 

Today some wedding magazines and blogs still have articles that seem to imply that if brides don't provide photographers with a shot list that they will be clueless and miss all of your important moments.  Thinking this through, especially when couples hire more experienced photographers, it seems a bit silly.  We don't go to the dentist with a list of which teeth we would like to have routine cleaning, and for the most part, the shot lists that the magazines and blogs write about are usually the most routine parts of a wedding day that any photographer, with even a few years of experience, will have captured dozens or even hundreds of times.

What is helpful is to just communicate with your photographer about general and specific ideas and preferences that you have. While the logistics of most wedding days are pretty similar from one to the next, what is different is how each couple prefers to have the day covered.  You might not even know yet if you want a more stylized approach or less-intrusive approach, how much time to dedicate to portraits, or when and where you would like to have them take place.  In one way, couples may find it helpful to review a traditional shot list while planning to have a better idea of what photographrers generally look for thorouhout the day, but experienced photographers will also help guide couples along the way with any specifics. 

Each photographer has their own way to work with couples. Here at Wedding Creativo, we even have a special detailed questionnaire that we use to help with the communication process.  But even just discussing creative ideas and preferences during the planning phase will be a lot more beneficial to do with your photographer rather than giving him/her a check list of typical wedding day moments like "the kiss" or "the cake cutting."  For the more creative moments, you can rely on the skills and creative talents of your photographer, who is ideally someone you should feel comfortable exchanging ideas with.  Overall, as with all aspects of wedding planning, communication is key.

Wedding Photo of the Week: Here's to Alcohol

Today's featured photo is from a wedding after-party at the bride and groom's neighborhood bar.  It makes us think of the great wisdom of Homer Simpson: "here's to alcohol, the cause of and solution to all of life's problems."

© Wedding Creativo Photography

So how do you stock a great wedding bar?  Here are five questions to ask yourself to help you get started:

1. What style of wedding you are planning?  The libations should be appropriate for the event.  A black tie affair deserves campaign toasts.  A casual summer beach party will thrive with your favorite beer brews.  You get the idea.

2. Who is attending your wedding?  You know your family and friends best, and while you won't be able to please the tates of everyone, a general focus on having options that will appeal to the majority of age groups and general tone that you want to set at your reception can be carried with your alcohol selections.

3. Who is driving home? Keep in mind that there will be guests that will be designated drivers, or simply don't consume alcohol, so be sure to have plenty non-alcoholic options too.  Soft drinks, flavored sparkling waters, cranberry and other fruit juices are standard beverages to have on hand.

4. Do you want to keep to essentials or have a wide range of options for guests?  Sticking to beer, wine and soft drinks can reduce costs, but for some couples that may be too limited for their preferences.  You could add one signature drink to add personality and a little more variety, or go with a basic full bar to have more selections, but still keep choices within reason for a wedding reception. 

5. Is the bar an area where you want to splurge or keep costs down?  Either way we think hiring a professional bar tender is a good idea if you don't already have one provided by your catering company, and is really the best way to plan and stick to the wedding bar budget no matter how you decide to stock it.

Why?

A.) pros will make consistently great drinks, and quickly, because it is second-nature to them.

B.) if you really want to save money, a professional will be able to advise on the right amounts to stock up on for the number of guests you are having, so you can avoid buying too much or too little of any supplies.  You don't want to run out of anything significant in the middle of your reception. 

C.) during the reception a pro will know how to handle portion control to correctly pace your supplies throughout the evening, and can also be careful with over-serving any guests.

We think hiring a professional bartender is one of those areas that really pays for itself, and goes a long way in making beverage service all that more enjoyable for you and your guests.

Bright Idea: Wedding Anniversary Cards

We love this bright idea for wedding receptions: have your guests write messages on cards for you to open on each anniversary.  What a great way to look back on your wedding day and look forward to your anniversary each year!

Basically, you just need a bunch of lovely blank note cards and envelopes.  Numbering the envelopes for each anniversary year would be a reasonably manageable DIY project.  It could even be delegated to someone with nice penmanship or who has patience to sit down for a couple of hours to neatly place pretty stickers like these pink glitter numbers found on the online craft supply store A Cherry on Top:

Creative Spotlight: Great Wedding Cakes Summer 2011

We are always in awe of the elaborate and unique details of wedding cakes.  Today we would like to highlight some great cakes and the creative folks behind these edible works of art.  These selections also show some general trends we've noticed in wedding cakes, other sweets, and cake toppers (or lack thereof) in the last year. 

By far, the biggest trend we've seen with wedding cakes in the past year has been elegant "clean" designs, usually with fresh cut floral embellishments, such as this cake above by Oak Mill Bakery.  The Polish are internationally known for their amazing sweet treats, and owner Bogna Iwanowska-Solak definitely brought that wonderful baking heritage with her to Chicago when she opened her family's first bakery here in 1986.  Today they operate six stores in Chicago, Niles, Harwood Heights and Arlington Heights.

Amy Beck is known for her elegant custom cake designs, often using floral elements, whether they are created with sugar or real flowers.  She used cascading violet and yellow orchids for this fantastic wedding cake.  Earlier this year we were excited to see that Amy opened up a new store on Racine street, just a few blocks from our studio.  Welcome to the neighborhood Amy!

Bride Krys added a single pink peony to top her wedding cake to go along with her peony-theme wedding.  Central Continental Bakery, a north-west suburban bakery that has been making wonderful wedding cakes since 1922, detailed the design with words such as "family," "friendship," and "love" to express the things in life that the bride and groom most cherish.

Mary Winslow's small bakeshop, Take the Cake, specializes in intricately detailed custom designs and cake flavors, always with a look of timeless elegance. This white petal wedding cake perfectly complimented the petal details on the bride's wedding dress, as well as her all-white reception decor.  We can only imagine the patience and focus it took to make those delicate frosting rose petals.

Couples that hold their weddings at venues renowned for their cuisine may also find the cake included in their package.  As part of Chicago's fantastic foodie group of Levy Restaurants, Fulton's on the River offers their compelling Reid Murdoch Wedding Package, which includes a custom designed wedding cake.  This one above incorporated the couple's pink and green wedding colors and their last name inital for the silver and diamond cake topper.

Maggie Roeder Cakes is a boutique that places equal importance on the taste of the cake as the design.  For this reception, the bride and groom built an experience for their guests around gourmet cuisine and a cake made with top quality ingredients.  Overall, their reception decor was minimalist, which was well complimented with the clean monogram design topping this cake.

For their vintage-style barn wedding, this bride and groom went with several small "old-fashioned" cakes.  This was for a destination wedding in northern Michigan, with cakes made by Robin Smith from that area.

Wedding cupcakes have become very popular in recent years, but for this "ice-cream" theme reception the couple added a unique twist.  Along with their ice-cream sundae bar, they also had cupcakes made by Luscious Layers Bakery, which were designed with typical sundae toppings, such as sprinkles and cherries.

Cake wasn't going to satisfy the sweet tooth for this bride and groom, so instead they got a double-decker banana cream pie, as well as several assorted "home-style pies" from Hoosier Mama Pie Company.  The bride Elaine (who earned her Master of Fine Arts degree while planning her wedding!!!) made the bride and groom toppers using clothes-pins and her awesome crafting talents.

We haven't been seeing as many traditional cake toppers lately.  While we totally appreciate couples wanting to do something different, we're kind of starting to miss seeing cake toppers.  Perhaps folks could consider bringing them back, but in new and unique ways.  We went on Etsy.com to create this collection of various items, with most of them not intended for use on cakes, but perhaps they will inspire couples to think outside of the box for little works of art or personality pieces to top their cakes and sweets.

Summer Wedding Fashion Trends: Seersucker Suits

Happy July!  As we get ready to head into one of the hottest weekends of the year and lots of Independence Day fun, we would like to salute the leading fabric of coolness . . . seersucker.

Earlier this week we gave some tips on keeping cool at summer weddings, and with seersucker fabrics you can accomplish that both literally and figuratively.  Seersucker suits and dresses don't seem to ever go out of style, but we've seen them increasingly more at weddings over the last few seasons.

While many of us might associate this fabric with good old fashioned American summers, as much as baseball and southern gentlemen with great fashion sense, we actually have our friends to the east to thank for these cool threads.

The word seersucker derives from the Persian word "shir o shekar," which means "milk and sugar."   It was a common material used in the British colonial period among their warmer weather colonies.  With the British having a keen eye for fashionable fabrics, it is no wonder it eventually caught on among the British in the west.  Eventually during the world wars, seersucker was introduced in America, initially as an inexpensive fabric primarily used by working class families.  However, in the 1920s college students began wearing seersucker outfits, and ever since then it seems to have always been a summertime favorite among fashionable folks.

It is always wonderful for us to see seersucker suits and dresses at our couples' summer weddings:

For men, seersucker suits are always cool and stylish. 

Ties at Barneys New York
Flats by Sperry

For women, we love the relaxed and retro feeling. And really, who says suits are only for men? We love these summer seersucker women's suits for wedding guests, and maybe even bridesmaids!

Suits by Nine West
Sandals by Sperry

And, seersucker outfits for kids are possibly the cutest things on earth!

Girls' Dresses by Lilly Pulitzer
Infant Girls' Accessories by Janie and Jack

Infant Boys' Pants at Nordstrom
Boys' Pants by J.Crew

Chicago Engagement Portraits: The Great Race

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 Photography

Wedding Album and Display Coordinates: June 2011

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.

© Wedding Creativo

Wedding Photo of the Week: Staying Cool at Summer Weddings

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.

© Wedding Creativo Photography

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.

Happy summer!

New Law for Civil Unions in Illinois

Today is an important day for many same-sex couples seeking equality under Illinois law.  The "Illinois Religious Freedom Protection and Civil Union Act," which grants official civil unions for same-sex and opposite-sex couples in this state, goes into effect today June 1, 2011. 

This new state law will recognize civil unions in Illinois, however, it should be noted that it is still a separate distinction from "marriage" in this state.  Illinois will also now automatically recognize same-sex marriages and civil unions that are legally joined in other states.

Starting today in Illinois, spouses joined in a civil union will now be afforded many of the same benefits and protections as traditionally married couples.  Some of the main protections include:

·        Spousal recognition in regard to property, inheritance, estate other financial matters

·        Medical and healthcare rights including access to information, decision-making, hospital visitation

·        Ability for joint filing of ILLINOIS STATE income taxes

·        Access to spousal employment benefits for state public employees

·        Health insurance coverage for partners and children

·        State benefits with regard to death or disability of a spouse

 

While this is a big step forward, there are several important areas where the new law will fall short for civil union spouses.  For better insight into difficulties couples may still face, Wedding Creativo interviewed Catherine D. Battista, an attorney with the Argento Law Group, P.C., a firm providing legal services for marriage contracts and estate financial planning. 

Catherine D. Battista, Argento Law Group

Battista said couples entering into civil unions should be informed about legal limitations of the new Illinois law.  She pointed out several key areas where civil union spouses will not have the same benefits and protections as traditional married spouses, largely due to differences between Illinois state and federal laws, as well as other individual state laws.  Currently, Illinois civil unions will not be recognized by the federal government, which only recognizes traditional marriage as defined by the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA).  Some of the main areas of concern pointed out by Battista include:

·        Federal income taxes cannot be filed jointly by IL civil union spouses.  Federal filings will need to still be done separately with individuals designated as "single."

·        Social security benefits are federal, so they are unavailable for those in civil unions.

·        Federal employee benefits and pensions will not be available to partners, even if the spouse is employed at a federal agency in Illinois.

·        With regard to property, if someone owns property in another state that does not recognize civil unions, difficulties may arise for same-sex spouses unless they have made special legal arrangements.

·        With regard to parental rights and child guardianship there are some areas where couples may be covered under Illinois law, but Battista stated that there are far greater areas for potential problematic concerns.  She advises all couples to seek legal advice when entering into a marriage or civil union, but stresses this is especially important when children are involved.

When it comes to actually planning a civil union in Illinois, there is now a legal process for couples. For Chicago area residents, basic information is available on the Cook County civil unions website page. The website for Equality Illinois also has comprehensive information on their Civil Unions page.   For the event celebration, there are many vendors in Chicago and across Illinois who welcome business from same-sex couples, including Wedding Creativo.  Good online wedding planning resources for civil union celebrations include EngaygedWeddings.com, GayWeddings.com and RainbowWeddingNetwork.com. 

It is worthwhile to mention that there may be certain businesses that may not be interested in providing services for civil unions.  When we asked Battista about potential concerns regarding access to professional event services, she pointed out that while religious organizations are not bound to anti-discrimination laws (the law specific to sexual orientation anti-discrimination went into effect January 1, 2006 in Illinois), for the most part consumers should be protected by existing state laws.  However, since the majority of wedding vendors are small business owners, the laws may be regarded as unduly burdensome in specific cases.  So, it is advised to seek out companies that welcome same-sex civil unions.

Because same-sex marriage is still a controversial issue for some citizens in Illinois, it is possible that future legislation in opposition of the new law may arise, so it is important for same-sex couples to stay informed about their rights.

Also, while attention around the new law is being focused on same-sex couples, it is also available to opposite sex couples.  Battista said that a civil union may actually be more beneficial for certain opposite-sex couples than a traditional marriage, especially in the case of widowers who are now entering into a new committed relationship. 

For more legal information about traditional marriage and civil union planning, couples may contact Catherine Battista directly at (847) 628-8305 or email cat@argentolaw.com.  The Argento Law Group office is located in Elgin, IL.

Tomorrow, June 2, many couples are expected to take part in the City of Chicago's civil union ceremony celebration in Millennium Park at 10:00 a.m.

Article written by and © Sarah Toulouse, Wedding Creativo

Wedding Photo of the Week: Alternating Height Centerpieces

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.

© Wedding Creativo Photography

Getting Ready Robes for Brides

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:

Robes by Natori
Robes by Agent Provocateur

Ankle-length silk kimono style robe by Plum Pretty Sugar

photo: plumprettysugar

Koto kimono style robe by Underwrapz

photo: Underwrapz

Vintage light blue and yellow silk brocade robe from Inheritance Vintage

photo: InheritanceVintage

Fun With Dogs and Pets in Weddings and Portraits

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.

© Wedding Creativo Photography

 

Make Your Own New Wedding Traditions

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.

Article by Sarah Toulouse Wedding Creativo Photography.

Alternative Wedding Registries for Modern Newlyweds

Many couples already have their domestic essentials, but still need the support of family and friends after the wedding.  Here are several suggestions for alternative registries and gift ideas for modern newlyweds that don't need another toaster or crock pot.

Cultural / Entertainment:

Chicago Art Institute of Chicago Gift Membership

Steppenwolf Theater Gift Certificate

Chicago Theater / Broadway in Chicago Gift Certificate

AMC Movie Theater Gift Cards

iTunes gift certificates

 

Food and Drink:

Chicago's own Foodie Registry

Mr. Beer Brewing Kit

Wine Enthusiast Gift Registry

Honeymoon: 

Honeyfund Registry

Honeymoon Wishes Registry

Charitable Giving:

I Do Foundation

Changing the Present

Green / Environmental / Sustainable / Free Trade Registries:

Alternative Gift Registry

Living Green Wedding Registry

Green Feet

Uncommon Goods Gift Registry

   

The Other Green -- Cash:

Deposit A Gift 

Our Wishing Well

Real Estate:

Down Payment Dreams Registry

Feather Our Nest

 

Wellness / Health / Sports:

REI Registry

Time To Spa Gift Card

Gaiam.com Gift Certificate

Home Improvement / Gadgets:

Organize.com Registry

Home Depot Gift Card

Sharper Image Gift Certificate

 Books:

       

Sweet Ways to Say Thank You

Guests often appreciate a special treat waiting for them on reception dinner tables. There are many kinds of favors that can be given to guests, but here are a few sweet ideas to also say "thank you" with your guest gifts. 

These chocolate chip cookies have golden thanks across the bottom side layer of chocolate.  If you prefer something a little more formal, the message can be in the form of a chocolate greeting card.

A personalized message is always a nice touch, and here are a couple ways to incorporate your thank you message, along with your names and wedding date with fortune cookies, personalized M&Ms or other chocolate candies.

Five trend predictions for 2011 weddings

While we always encourage couples to follow their hearts over trends when it comes to making wedding planning decisions, it doesn't hurt to see if some of the popular trends offer something to compliment your own great ideas.

Here is the buzz on five trends we think will be spotted at weddings in 2011.

1. Hot pink hues in honeysuckle, hibiscus, and fuchsia will keep fashions and themes flushed with bold and bright color.

2. Along with the fashion colors, it is likely that actual honeysuckle, hibiscus and peony flowers will also be prevalent in bouquets and decor.

 

3. Large flowers are making more appearances as single-flower "bouquets."   Big blooms such as a stargazer lily or sunflower can take the starring role as a single flower, but also crafty artisans have been making single-flower fabric inspirations for brides to carry, such as this one on the right from Petal and Print.

 

4. Grays have been making a strong appearance in bridesmaid dresses, shoes, grooms suits and wedding decor for about two years now, and since it works great as a base to make other more subtle colors stand out like lavender, pale yellow and light pink, we're sure to continue to see hues of pewter, slate and smoky grays in 2011.

 

5. With the entire last century as inspiration, it is no wonder that vintage wedding styles have been so strong over the last few years.  With the popularity of the hit TV show Boardwalk Empire, it seems the roaring 1920s and 1930s of the Prohibition era may have a turn at bringing vintage weddings under the influence in 2011. Look for fellas with Fedora hats, jewlery with Art Deco flair, and possibly even separate vice lounges at receptions where some guests may partake in poker games, cigar smoking, glasses of whiskey and other decadent indulgences. Hopefully guests won't forget that the bride and groom's parents will be in the next room.