Did your wonderful husband-to-be recently ³pop the question² and now you are wondering what on earth you have gotten yourself into with trying to plan a wedding? Don¹t panic! I was there once and I remember the first few weeks of having no idea what to do or where to start. Our wedding date was only five months away and I was completely clueless as to what type of ceremony I wanted, what colors I liked, who would officiate, where the wedding would take place, and on and on the endless unknowns went. There seemed to be an enormous amount of details to figure out, and time was running out.

Before you do anything, make up a ³wedding planner.² This was literally the best thing I did and it saved me so much hassle and allowed me to have a beautiful, stress-free wedding day. There are all sorts of lovely pre-made wedding planners available, but I recommend you make your own. Get a 3-ring binder and notebook paper. Title a separate sheet of paper for each month until the wedding. For the last month, make a separate page for each week. For the last week, make a separate page for each day.

As you are thinking of the 1001 things which need to be done before the big day, instead of letting them overwhelm you, write it down in your wedding planner on the appropriate page when you would like to have that item figured out, done, or taken care of. Use these monthly, weekly, and daily lists to help keep you on track. As items are finished, cross them off your list. If something doesn't get done one month, move it to the next month.

In my wedding planner, I not only had a whole section with these lists, but I kept everything else needed for the big day. There was a section for receipts (I put some clear plastic pockets to hold these in), a section which listed everyone who was involved in the wedding (so no one would be overlooked on the program), and fabric swatches (so we could match the dresses, the flowers, and the decorations). Another section listed all the out-of-town guests, where they were staying, when they were coming in, and if they needed transportation. There was a section for wedding and shower gifts and thank you cards which still needed to be written. As we met with various individuals (florists, wedding coordinator, and so on), I took notes and kept these notes in my wedding planner for future reference. There was also a section which listed all the contact information for the key people/businesses involved in our wedding (from cake decorator to officiator).

Your wedding planner will be different than mine, because no two weddings are the same. Customize your planner to fit your exact needs for your special day.

As you plan your wedding, make sure and take time to enjoy preparing and looking forward to it. Don¹t get so caught up in all the details that you drive yourself and everyone around you crazy! In the end, everything will work out and it will be a beautiful day!

Crystal Paine is the owner of Covenant Wedding Source, LLC, an online retail bridal business specializing in custom-made gowns and other unique wedding products. She lives with her husband in Kansas. For more information on her business, visit her website: http://www.covenantweddingsource.com

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/

This is intended as a guide to help you plan the essential elements in the count down to the wedding day. Organise everything in advance and everything should go smoothly and seek help from family, close friends and professionals.

One year before your wedding

·First things first, set the special date and arrange a time with the priest, minister or registrar.

·Discuss in full detail your plans with the person who will be performing the ceremony.

·Decide on a budget and stick to it.

·Remember to suit the ceremony to your budget, and to both your personal tastes and wishes.

·Talk it all out now!

·Decide on the type of ceremony, type of reception and hoe many guests will attend.

·Choose your venue and arrange a meeting with the people in charge.

·This goes for hotels, caterers, musicians (for the ceremony, the reception) etc.

·Plan your wedding cake, cars, photographer and florist.

·Think about wedding clothes and costumes, particularly your bridal dress, colors, fabrics and accessories.

·Remember you will probably want a color scheme and a style that carries throughout the day so talk your plans through with the your dressmaker, florist and caterer.

·Both of you should book in for a pre-marriage course. Start thinking about your honeymoon.

Six months before the wedding

·Order wedding stationery, cake boxes, and favours.

·Discuss the order of the service with the person performing the ceremony and decide on service sheets for guests.

·Discuss your wedding menu with your caterers/hotelier. ·Decide on a wedding present list.

·Choose the rings.

·A doctor and dentist check up is a good idea.

·Plan inoculations for your honeymoon if necessary.

·Organise visas, passports etc.

·Think about your Œgoing away¹ attire and clothes for your honeymoon

Three months before the wedding

·Make sure you have all the appropriate pre-marriage documents and certificates.

·Finalise details of your color scheme, bouquets, buttonholes with the florist.

·Finalise the wedding guest list and have the invitations sent. ·Remember to keep a careful track of replies.

·Choose gifts for the best man, bridesmaids and attendants.

·Arrange accommodation for attendants and advise travelling guests of the rates for your hotel.

A month before the wedding

·Organise the final fittings for your dress and for the bridesmaids.

·On the day of your final fittings make sure all the bridesmaids are wearing the same shoes that they intend to wear on the big day.

·Finalise fittings for the groom and best man. ·Have a hair and make-up rehearsal.

·On the day of the hair and make-up rehearsal remember to bring the head-dress with you for the experts opinion.

·Finalise seating arrangements for the church and wedding reception.

·Plan the wedding rehearsal with the priest, minister or registrar.

·Eat properly for the next few weeks, you will need all your energy with all the running around you will be doing.

A fortnight to go

·Arrange your honeymoon and going away clothes, including passports, tickets and visas.

·Now is the time to arrange travellers¹ cheques, insurance, car hire and all other documentation.

·Give advice to the hotelier of the approximate number of quests for the reception.

·Plan the table setting, place cards and linen etc.

·Finalise details with the florist, photographer and caterers.

·Try all your wedding clothes on and make sure all fits correctly and all is comfortable.

A week to go

·Have the wedding rehearsal.

·Nominate someone to look after the wedding dress and the groom¹s outfit after the wedding.

·Wrap all the gifts for the bridesmaids, best man and attendants.

·Arrange all fees for the church or registrar, musicians (best man should do these).

·Do one last check on all documentation required including passports for the honeymoon.

·Give all documentation to the best man for safe keeping.

Two days before the wedding

·Confirm your final guest list to your hotelier.

·Make sure the wedding cake is fine and arrange all transport to and from your reception.

The day before

Have a manicure and pedicure, a long hot bath and an early night

The Big Day

·Relax.

·Have a good breakfast.

·Get your hair and make up done.

·Give yourself plenty of time to reach the church or registrar and always allow for the last minute hiccup.

Have a fantastic day to remember

About the Author
Declan Tobin is a successful freelance writer providing advice on purchasing a variety of Wedding Dresses which includes Wedding gowns, Designer wedding gowns, and more! His numerous articles provide a wonderfully researched resource of interesting and relevant information for all of your wedding interests.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/

Preparing for a wedding, large or small, is overwhelming! A way to combat that feeling is to break down the required tasks, divide the responsibilities and assign deadlines. Ok, all that is fine‹but what have you forgotten?

A wedding is a public affair, and it¹s everyone¹s fear that somewhere, somehow, despite all the planning, arrangements, expense, and hard work, something will happen to make one or more of the principles appear foolish in public.

Let¹s look at a scenario for a moment. It¹s a beautiful day and a beautiful wedding. Everything is in place. The site of the ceremony has been decorated appropriately and beautifully, all major participants are playing their roles correctly and are properly dressed, the groom and his best man have arrived and are in place, and the wedding party are about to begin the walk down the aisle.

The music starts, and the bridal attendants proceed down the aisle. They¹re nervous, and when nervous, people tend to both rush and ³herd.² The attendants are following that instinct, and they¹re so close together that no one can get a separate picture of each one! The organist is trying to keep up with the fact that the attendants are in place far too soon, so she/he speeds up the music. The bride then starts to proceed down the aisle before the music has changed; the organist quickly switches the music, which now has the tempo of a rock opera. No one has been able to get photographs of the bridesmaids. The bride is beautifully dressed, but she¹s so close to the maid/matron of the honor or flower girl that no one can see or photograph her properly either‹she¹s nervous too!

As the bride and her escort pass, you notice that her train, which is probably at least as beautiful as the rest of her gown if not more so, is twisted and to the side. Because in most ceremonies the bride and groom stand facing the officiant, you can see her twisted train all throughout the ceremony!

After the ceremony, the bride and groom proceed back down the aisle, followed by the attendants and the couple¹s parents. Because of the emotion of the moment, some of the members of the bridal party have cried during the service, and it now appears that most female members of the party, including the bride herself, has made themselves up to look like circus clowns because their mascara is running and their foundation is streaked! The guests are asking themselves if the bridal party looked that way at the start of the ceremony, because of course they couldn¹t see them very well‹they were too close together.

There's a sudden downpour outside in the middle of the ceremony, and it doesn't let up. When the time comes for the bride, groom and wedding party to be transported to the reception everyone gets wet and soggy and arrives at the reception looking unhappy, uncomfortable, wrinkled, soaked, and with their hairdos in disarray. It's all recorded on those expensive once-in-a-lifetime wedding photographs and videotapes too!

So how can all this be prevented? First, if you don't have a professional wedding planner, you need an assistant! It should be a close friend or relative who is not supposed to be sitting in the reserved seats at the front, and so is available to help you manage the last minute necessary details. You should prepare a kit in advance of the ceremony that contains things like a needle and thread in black, white and the wedding colors, toothpaste and chalk to deal with any stains that might appear on the wedding dress, asprin and an extra pair of stockings in a neutral shade, a small bottle of water, tissues or handkerchiefs, etc.

Your assistant's first task is to hand out the tissues or handkerchiefs--almost every bridal party forgets them. She should hand these out just before the mothers and then the bridal party proceed down the aisle. The bride and bridal party can hold them under their bouquets so that they are not seen. If you hand them out any time before that, you¹ll find that at least one person--and more often a few people--will forget to bring theirs‹and a wedding ceremony is no place to take chances! Tissues will serve the purpose, of course‹but do you really want the bridal party photographed during the ceremony with tissues‹perhaps shredded by a nervous owner? Men¹s handkerchiefs will do, and of course, pretty lace-trimmed handkerchiefs are even better‹just make sure they¹re sizeable! You may be able to find reasonably priced lace handkerchiefs locally or online, or you can always buy men's linen handkerchiefs and hand-sew lace on them--it doesn't take that long to do.

Your helper¹s second task is to space your attendants as they go down the aisle. When the organist (who has used unrolling the aisle runner and the placement of the groomsmen as a cue) begins the processional music, your helper should stand to the side of the lined-up bridesmaids, using the door as a shield so that she will not be seen by your guests. While proper spacing is a matter of judgment, a good guideline is that the next bridesmaid should not proceed down the aisle until the bridesmaid in front of her is AT LEAST 1/2 way up the aisle in a medium-sized church or hall. If the church is the size of a cathedral (as in The Sound of Music), it could be 1/3 of the way. Remember‹they can¹t start without you!

The maid/matron of honor should not start until the last bridesmaid is in place, and the flower girl and ring bearer should also not start down the aisle until the maid/matron of honor is in place, regardless of the size of the church. In other words, there should be a little more spacing between these two members of the bridal party.

The bride should wait until the first few bars of the music for the bride has been played. The organist is waiting for the placement or seating of the ring bearer and flower girl to switch music; do not rush her! Again remember: it won¹t start without you! Your helper is there to calm you and your escort down, wait for the music, make sure the bride is on the left,and slow you both down if necessary.

When the last bridal attendant or flower girl/ring bearer "step off" and are on their way down the aisle, your helper should slip behind the bride and her escort, again, taking care not to be seen. On the very first step that the bride and her escort take, the helper should pick up the train at least a foot but no more than two feet off the ground, and give it a ³flip.² This action is similar to smoothing out a sheet on a bed. The ³flip² will ensure that the train will ride on a curtain of air and stay spread correctly as long as the bride keeps walking.

Next, how to handle the sudden downpour. As part of your preparations, the bride should obtain enough umbrellas (three is plenty) for the bridal couple and the bridal party. Some limousine services also carry umbrellas, but if so, they usually only have one, and you need to consider at least your bridesmaids as well. If you find that you have too many, the parents and relatives of the couple would appreciate them, too! While any color umbrella will do, white umbrellas would be lovely. Consider getting a large golf size umbrella for the bride and groom and folding umbrellas do nicely for your wedding party and parents. Your helper should have the umbrellas at the back of the hall or church near the door and be ready to hand them out after the ceremony.

Arrange to give your assistant the umbrellas and your emergency kit a day or two before the wedding, and make sure that she knows what her role will be. A good friend is priceless! Remember that she is doing you a favor. It would be a nice gesture--and one that will be remembered--to present her personally with a special and thoughtful gift at the reception, as well as your thanks. You can put the gift in a parent's car, or possibly the best man's car, in advance of your wedding day.

Attention to these little but important details can help to assure memorable pictures and a worry-free wedding day!

Marilyn Woodman is the owner and webmaster of Thinkwedding.com, a wedding website that features wedding articles, books, ebooks, gifts and accessories for the bride, groom, and their wedding party, wedding ceremony supplies wedding parties, Save the Date magnets, keepsake marriage certificates, wedding and shower favors, custom candy wrappers, rolls, wine and water bottle labels, white umbrellas, blank wedding invitations, programs and other wedding stationery, wedding stationery templates, organza pouches and ribbons, and much more!

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/

He's popped the question. You've chosen a date. And now, you're swimming in a sea of euphoria with no horizons. Good thing, too, because there are literally a thousand things to arrange before the big day.

You do the research, buckle under and dive in. But you find your fiancé's ardor for the event itself seems to have cooled. It's not that he isn't mad about marrying you; after all, he is a great guy, even if he can't tell a Vera Wang from a Gunny Sack. It's that his preparation style is hands-off, to say the least. And planning a wedding isn't a job built for one.

So what to do? Here are ten ways to involve him without increasing both of your stress loads:

1) Delegate areas that have a prayer of interesting him.

The worst thing you can do is expect him to match your ten to twenty years of feminine wisdom on the relative merits of buttercream vs. fondant.

Here are some probable no areas when roping in a reluctant wedding planner:

- Selecting the cake frosting
- Choosing the favors or favor packaging
- Selecting the wedding colors or floral arrangements

Then there are the potential maybes, fraught with fewer hazards:

- Choosing the photographer
- Choosing the videographer
- Arranging the rehearsal dinner
- Arranging the all-inclusive honeymoon
- Renting big, tricky items like outdoor tents

These are probable yeses, well worth running by your guy:

- Selecting the DJ or the band
- Setting up and maintaining your wedding website
- Researching and selecting charities, if you choose to donate instead of giving out favors
- Setting up the carriage, limo or other transportation arrangements

2) If you ask him to help you choose vendors and styles, narrow down the choices first.

It's a jungle of options out there, enough to give the most natural-born party planner pause. So if you want his opinion on photographers, invites, flowers or cakes, narrow down the options to three or four. He's less likely to feel overwhelmed, and more likely to feel like an important part of the process.

At times, it'll feel so good to share the load that you'll be tempted to drag him into the buttercream debate despite your better instincts. At these times, take a deep breath, count to ten, and call your mother or your maid of honor.

3) Ask him directly for help.

Let him know how important his input is to you, and that you can't do it without him.

Guys like to be needed. Your frank request for help may be enough to pull him out of his comfort zone and onto your team.

4) Try the Art Director/Production Staff approach.

If you think your guy wants to help, but feels uncomfortable playing "art director," give him "production staff" tasks. Have him make the payments, pick up the food or decor, handle the rentals, do online comparison shopping, or reserve the hotels and reception halls. These are all jobs that will take a load off your shoulders, while freeing up time for the aesthetic stuff you probably enjoy and he doesn't.

5) Get a calendar and put all the planning in black and white.

Your fiancé probably doesn't have the first clue in what goes into a wedding.

Get your wedding planner, write it all down, and show him. Once he gets over the shock, you'll both probably be able to identify areas that interest him. Make lists of the things you've each agreed to do, and cross them off as they get done. At the very least, he'll be far more supportive when he sees what you're going through.

6) Weave his family heritage/ethnicity/traditions into the ceremony.

What did his parents do? He might be surprised at the question, but it could lead somewhere valuable. He might ask his parents about their wedding, and find your wedding consequently enriched. Look through their wedding album together. Are his ancestors German, Polish, Italian, Croatian, Asian? Incorporate some old-world traditions into your ceremony.

7) Don't bring him in too early.

Treat your fiance as a bit of a pinch hitter. Sure, you may be fully aware that you can shave 5K off your costs by starting your favor crafts and reservations 18 months ahead of time. But if he's like most guys, the wedding won't become real to him until it draws closer. Expect him to jump in about six months before the actual ceremony, and break into a (relative) frenzy of activity about one month in advance.

8) Talk about something besides the wedding.

Guys aren't the only ones who complain about brides-to-be talking of nothing but upcoming nuptials. Sometimes, even girlfriends get overwhelmed by all the wedding chatter.

Spend some time alone chatting about anything but the wedding. See a silly movie, split a hot fudge sundae, or watch a basketball game. Do something spontaneous that reminds you both of why you decided to marry in the first place.

9) Check your subtext for hidden meanings.

Tempting as it might be, make sure you're not using your fiance as a coin-toss tool (ever noticed how people flip coins to find out what they really want?). When you ask for his opinion, take it seriously. And when you give him ownership of a task, don't second-guess every step.

Imagine that your fiancé has told you he's going to draft a dream team in his fantasy football league, and it's going to cost him $20K to participate. Now imagine that he's told you your help is supremely important to him.

You'd be a little hesitant to give opinions, right? Some of your ideas might sound feeble, even to your own ears. Hopefully he'd welcome your thoughts, however odd it felt for you to venture them. Now imagine your fiancé feels kind of like that when it comes to the wedding.

10) Remember that men become wedding experts by having one.

Chances are, your sweetheart will open his eyes to the wonder of a wedding by the time the rose petals are tossed. Forever after, he'll be examining friend's receptions with a practiced eye, and anticipating the next excuse for a Really Big Shindig.

So keep him around, and count on throwing a first-rate anniversary celebration ten years down the road. In a way, that'll be the party that really matters, won't it?

Blake Kritzberg is editor at "FavorIdeas.com." Stop by for wedding favor ideas, Save-the-Date eCards, free wedding screensaver, free wedding templates and Bridezilla's weekly adventures at: http://www.favorideas.com

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/

You want the perfect wedding dress, so you have made it a major focus of your pre wedding planning. There are some things you need to find from the bridal shop, before you even look at your first gown. Do you need to make an appointment to visit the shop? Does the store carry dresses you can afford Can you browse the whole collection, or do you only get to see the dresses the sales person chooses for you? If this shop doesn¹t carry the dress you love, can it be ordered?

Once these questions have been answered and you find a dress or two that you like, there are still more questions you need to ask. Can a particular dress be ordered with different sleeves, or neckline? What alterations can be done and what will that cost? Can you get a written estimate on the alterations? If we order the bridesmaids dresses here, can we get a discount or free alterations? Do you have headpieces and or veils that will go with my dress? How much is the deposit and when is the balance due? What are the cancellation and refund policies? Can we get a Rush on this dress if necessary? These are the most important questions to ask, but you will probably have some of your own. Beware of any shop that won¹t give you straight answers or written estimates. When you think you have found just the right dress, ask if they can hold it for a day or two, then go home wait at least 34 hours and go back for another look. If you still love it, then go right ahead and buy it.

On the other hand, if your mother, maid of honor, sales clerk or friend thinks a dress is perfect and you are not sure, use the same strategy. Wait a day; go back for a second look before you reject it. If a dress just doesn¹t feel right or you just don¹t like it do not yield to pressure from the store staff, friends or even Mom. It is your dress, your day, you decide.

After you have chosen your wedding dress, the clerk or the shop¹s seamstress will take measurements of your bust, waist and hips, and determine if the dress needs to be taken up. Just about every wedding dress needs some alterations. You will also need to go in for fittings, usually at least three times. Make sure, if your alterations are not free, that you get a written estimate. Find out if you will be able to ³borrow² your dress for a portrait sitting, and return it for pressing afterwards. Pay with a credit card so that if anything goes wrong, you can dispute the payment.

You have another big decision to make. What about your headpiece and veil? The sales staff should be able to assist you in choosing a headpiece that goes with your dress. Veils come in several lengths and styles, and again the staff can help you decide which is best for you.

The veil you choose for your wedding depends on the dress you have chosen. If you are wearing a street length casual style dress you wouldn¹t choose a cathedral or chapel veil, both of which trail the floor. By the same token you wouldn¹t wear a flyaway veil, which barely brushes the shoulders, with a formal dress with a train.

Don¹t forget you need to get the right lingerie, shoes and jewelry, to go with your beautiful wedding dress.

Before we leave the bridal salon, there is one more detail to attend to, your bridesmaids dresses. When choosing these dresses, you need to take into consideration the ages, complexions, and body types of your attendants. Fortunately today¹s bridesmaid¹s gowns are no longer the cookie cutter dresses all in the same color, that nobody would ever wear again.

Some options for bridesmaid¹s dresses are to choose a color and fabric suitable for all of the women and let each of them pick a style that she is comfortable with. Or you can choose a simple a-line or empire waist dress that flatters all figures, and let the girls choose the from a color family, say purple, the options could be lilac, lavender, plum, mauve and orchid. If you do choose to have all attendants wear the same dress, they can personalize the look with small beaded purses, scarves, jewelry or shawls.

Also, be aware that the colors and your bridesmaid¹s wear have to complement The color scheme of your reception, you don¹t want a red plan for your reception in red if your maids are wearing green, unless you are going for a Christmas look.

The wedding is over, now you have to decide what to do with that beautiful, expensive dress. You can put it on a hangar in the back of your closet, where any stains will set and be very difficult to remove at a later time. You need to ask your bridal shop or wedding consultant in advance for the name of a gown preservationist. Many dry cleaners claim to clean wedding gowns, but most are not experts in preservation.

There are two cleaning methods used by preservationists. Some use the wet cleaning method, this entails washing the dress by hand with a mild cleanser, that removes visible and invisible stains (champagne and sugar) Other companies use the dry cleaning method, where stains are pre-treated and then put in a dry cleaning machine. Once the dress is cleaned, it is wrapped in white acid free tissue paper or unbleached muslin. Ordinary tissue paper has acids that can stain and eventually eat holes in your dress. Then the wrapped dress is in is placed in an acid free or paperboard box. Sometimes the box has a viewing window of acetate. Store the box in out of direct light to keep the dress from becoming yellow.

Having your gown cleaned and packaged by a reputable preservationist can cost between $200- $400 depending on where you live. Before sending your dress off to be done, ask if the work is done on site. Also find out if you have to sign a disclaimer and sometimes say that the company is not responsible for damage done during the preservation processes, You should seek out a preservationist who will guarantee her or his work.

To help preserve your dress never wrap it in plastic, don¹t hang it on an ordinary wood or wire hangar, because the dress could stretch and distort from its own weight. Don¹t try to clean stains, this could cause them to set.

If you are all tapped out after the wedding you can do things to prolong the life of the dress. Wrap the dress in unbleached muslin, or a white sheet, and store in a sturdy box under your bed. Then as soon as you possibly can take the gown to a professional preservationist. Some day your daughter may want to wear it on her wedding day.

About the Author
Martin Smith is a successful freelance writer providing advice for consumers on purchasing a variety of Wedding Dresses which includes Informal Wedding Dress, Discount Bridal Gowns, and more! His numerous articles provide a wonderfully researched resource of interesting and relevant information

A person¹s wedding can be one of the most important times in their life. They will have memories that they want to treasure forever and then pass on to their children. Wedding photography helps them do this. Having pictures taken at the wedding and then at the reception can capture those precious memories in freeze-frame and help you keep them forever.

Pictures are important so you want to be sure you get good photos, high quality photos that you can enjoy forever.

Most people will have a wedding book designed out of the collection of the best wedding photos. Usually the photographer will do this for you. You will then have a beautiful scrapbook from your wedding to hold your memories.

Choosing a photographer is a very important step in your wedding pictures. You want someone experienced that will do an excellent job for you. It¹s possible that you may be on a budget and price may be a factor as well.

How Do You Choose a Wedding Photographer?

There are several things you are going to want to look for with the most important being the quality of the work. It would be great if you could find a photographer that you had seen in action, perhaps at a family member or friend¹s wedding. The hardest part of choosing a wedding photographer is that you sign a contract and agree to pay before you have ever seen the photos. That¹s how it works in the world of wedding photography; you must make your decision based of faith in the photographer. So how do you make a decision like this?

Referrals

First, you are going to want to look at referrals. Ask your friends or family members who did their weddings and start compiling a list. You will also need to verify that these people are still photographing. Ask everyone you can about their wedding and their wedding pictures. Most people will even let you see their wedding photos and you can check out the photographer¹s work.

Experience & Samples

Aside from samples from people you know, you can ask the photographer himself about samples. You can call the photographers on your list and do an interview over the phone or make an appointment to meet in person. This is your chance to ask the photographer any questions you may have such as their experience, what training they have and what different types of photography they have studied. If you are doing an in-person interview, the photographer can show you portfolios of samples of their work. If doing a phone interview, that ends well, you may want to go in person and see a portfolio.

Schedule and Appointment

When you have chose the photographer you think you want to use, you will have to schedule several appointments. The bride and groom, the bride¹s parents and anyone else who may be taking part in paying for the wedding should be present at these meetings regarding the wedding photography.

At these meetings, you will discuss price, payment schedule and possible deposits. Next you will discuss the plan for taking the photos. Many people also get video and digital photographs now. Do you want these? Will your photographer be able to provide these? Will there be extra fees?

Many people have specific plans as to what they want pictures of (e.g. bride and father coming down the aisle, bride and groom, rings exchanging, the kiss, the bridesmaids, etc.) This is your chance to get all this written down so that the photographer is sure to get all the shots you want. Other people give their photographers a little more freedom to decide what pictures will be good to take.

Be sure to ask any questions you have about this important event. Your wedding photography is important to you so don¹t hesitate to be clear about what you want.

Looking for information about Photography? Go to: http://www.asaphotography.com, 'ASA Photography' is published by Colin Hartness - An excellent resource for Photography! Check out more Photography articles at: http://www.asaphotography.com/archive

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/

The following article can be copied but you must keep about the author section.

Common format of a wedding reception:

· Arrival of guests at hall
· Introduction of wedding party
· Introduction of bride and groom
· Blessing
· Meal
· Cake Cutting
· Toasts
· Bride & Groom¹s First Dance
· Father & Daughter¹s Dance
· Mother & Groom¹s Dance
· Special Dances
· Bouquet and Garter Toss
· Dancing and Fun

Arrival of guests at reception site
Typically, a wedding lasts about 15 minutes. However, some guests do arrive early to the reception. Therefore, be sure all reception to-dos are complete by the start time of the wedding. Also, all wedding vendors should be wearing proper attire for early arriving and late staying guests. All tables should be set-up including cake table, entertainment¹s table, sign-in table, food tables, and tables with chairs for all guests. If you have a seating arrangement, all seating lists should be at the reception with everyone¹s name with where they are sitting.

Introduction of wedding party
This step is not mandatory, but it is nice for everyone to know who the wedding party is as many have not met before your wedding. Create a ³Reception Planning Guide² and give this to your master of ceremonies prior to your wedding. This details, among other things, the order of entrance into the reception site with their names and titles. The order of entrance is as follows: parents of the bride, parents of the groom, ushers with bridesmaids, flower girl and ring bearer, special guests, best man, maid/matron of honor, bride and groom. In addition, review the pronunciations of the wedding party's names with the master of ceremonies.

Introduction of bride and groom
This is always the last of the introductions. Everyone should stand before the bride and groom enter. In addition, a special song can be arranged with the music entertainment and a special announcement made to punctuate a true grand entrance. Also, inform the master of ceremonies how you would like to be introduced: Mr. and Mrs. Smith or John and Jane Doe.

Blessing
This is another step that is not mandatory, but for the religious couples makes a nice setting. If you invite the person who performed the marriage ceremony to the reception, I would recommend having them conduct the blessing. If they are not able to attend, a parent or family friend is a good idea. Lastly, the master of ceremonies could give the meal blessing. Be sure to communicate with whomever is giving the blessing in advance so they are prepared to give a personal touch.

Meal
It's time to eat! Bride and Groom, be sure to stop and take a moment to eat. This may be your only chance in the day. In addition, it is customary for the bride and groom to start the food line. Most guests know to wait until the bride and groom start the food line. So don't be late!

Cake Cutting
This is the traditional bride and groom making the first cut on their wedding cake. Then, the bride feeds half of the piece of cake to the groom and the groom feeds the remaining half to the bride. The cutting of the cake is a ceremony intended to symbolize the caring and sharing for one another. Forks may be used as they make the image very attractive for the photographer. Forks may also minimize the possibility of someone being hurt with the more playful squashing that sometimes happens.

Toasts
The toast is when the bride and groom toast each other then interlock arms and drink. Immediately following, the best man and maid/matron of honor make toasts to the bridal couple. Be prepared for other family and friends to follow with their toasts too.

Bride & Groom¹s First Dance
The Bride & Groom¹s Dance is the first dance between a bride and groom as a married couple. The dance is also commonly known as the "First Dance". The timing of the bride groom dance can vary in the evening based on your preferences. The first dance can be done immediately following the grand entrance with the wedding party circling the dance.

Father & Daughter¹s Dance
The Father & Daughter¹s Dance or the Father Bride Dance is the dance between the father(s) of the bride and the bride. Brides, if you have more than one father in your life, one can tap the other on the shoulder in the middle of the dance so you can dance with both of them. If you do not have a father, a common substitute is a father figure or even your brother would make a very nice gesture.

Mother & Groom¹s Dance
The Mother & Groom¹s dance is the dance between the mother(s) of the groom and the groom. Grooms, if you have more than one mother in your life, one can tap the other on the shoulder in the middle of the dance so you can dance with both of them. If you do not have a mother, a common substitute is a mother figure or even your sister would make a very nice gesture.

Special Dances
There may be songs in your life that mean dear to your heart. You can ask the music entertainment to play these songs during the night or immediately following the formal dances. An example would be: If someone dear to you passed recently, you may ask the music entertainment to play Angels Among Us by Alabama.

Bouquet and Garter Toss
The traditional tossing of the bouquet is when the bride tosses the bridal bouquet to all single women in attendance. Immediately following the bouquet tossing, a chair is set in the middle of the dance floor. The chair is for the bride to sit and the groom to remove the bride's garter from her leg. The traditional tossing of the garter is when the groom tosses the bride's garter to all the single men in attendance. The people whom catch the garter and bouquet are said to be the next one to marry.

Dancing and Fun
This is what you pay the music entertainment to do...get people to dance and have a good time. Give the music entertainment music examples and limitations of what type of music you want but don¹t give them a list of 100 songs they need to play.

About The Author: ã Matt Campbell is the owner and webmaster for Weddingmuseum.com. Weddingmuseum.com is a place to plan, book and rate your wedding day. You can email him at matt@weddingmuseum.com or visit WeddingMuseum.com

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/