Tips and Advice from Danielle
Nobody wants anything to go wrong on their wedding day, and there are certain things that can be avoided if you pay attention to my tips and advice below. Consider it trustworthy advice from a seasoned wedding pic snatcher!
The Pre-shoot
This is a huge time saver – have a photo session straight after getting ready, before your walk down the aisle. By getting some of the family and bridesmaid shots out of the way, they won't have to be done after the ceremony, when you have less time to spare.Being Late
Do I really need to speak to you about this?! Being late for your man is not the best start to a marriage. A pre-arranged “lateness” is fine. For example, you decide together that you will be 15 minutes late walking down the aisle to allow late guests to take their seats. That's fine, but being 2.5 hours late (oh yes, I have experienced this) is the proverbial worm in the starter salad – less than tasteful behaviour towards your husband-to-be, your guests and well, it will mess up your photos, because it throws off schedule which is a problem with available light left for photos. May I speak my mind, really? Not only is it really quite rude to leave your husband-to-be and guests very hot and thirsty and the minister fumbling embarrassedly with the sermon in his hand that will talk about you being a supportive team player to your hubby and well, I’ve seen guests get fed up - some even leave early - and your relatives will be highly embarrassed. Don’t do it, please.Guests in the aisle/ Guests in the way
No one has control over their guests at their wedding and the fact that they sometimes want to stand in the aisle to take a picture on their cell phone whilst you are walking down the aisle while I’m desperately trying to get a clear shot of that amazing moment. BUT fortunately there are preventative measures you can take. Hire an MC. Your MC can advise guests politely, to refrain from photography until AFTER the ceremony.Walking down the aisle
When you walk down the aisle, take your time. If there’s ever a moment to linger longer and to allow yourself to be on display and blissfully self-centred, your aisle walk is it. Don't run! As a rule, do not let anyone walk directly in front of one another. If your bridesmaids are walking in first, wait until they have lined up until you enter.Do things slowly
Whether it is putting on the rings, or your first kiss (that one’s easy), do it slowly, to guarantee it being captured!Dark Chapel
A lot of lovely chapels are dark, which is a shame. Bear in mind that your videographer /photographer may need to set up studio lights, which can also look a bit intrusive.Open-side Chapel/Many windows
If you choose to get married in on open sided chapel, although the scenery may be beautiful, it is likely to get lost in the photos/video. The photographer sets the camera’s exposure to either allow for focus on you (up close) OR the background (distance focus), so remember that what the eye sees, the lens does not necessarily capture.General
Make a note of these and practice in the mirror. Hold your bouquet low. Don't bunch your shoulders. Remember good posture. Your dress will get dirty, stop trying to prevent it because it will show in your face and make you uptight. Don't use glitter as it ends up on your man's face and doesn't look very flattering.Weather
We all hope that it doesn't rain on your wedding day. Prepare in advance for such eventualities by having a shawl, a pretty umbrella etc. Choose a venue with arches or a lapa to use in such cases.Speeches
When your family member decides to make a speech, a word of advice would be to tell them that they are at your WEDDING and not your funeral! The speech that talks about you from birth 'til the age of twenty-two or more and takes 30 minutes will bore everyone. Guests get hungry, bored, and inevitably will leave early, spoiling your party atmosphere. Never say “I am paying for this wedding so I will take as long as I want”. Try not to look moody or bored during the speeches, I’m still capturing shots at the reception most likely.Your reception lighting
Receptions are usually very dark places. This sets the atmosphere; but is not a camera's best friend. To best capture your first dance, it is better to increase the lights so that your movements flow on video and are perfect in photos.Garden wedding ideas
Weather is always an important factor to consider when planning your wedding ceremony outside. Many South Africans get married in the morning to avoid the afternoon summer rains. Although this is a great idea to ensure good weather, it is not an optimal time for photos. At noon the sun is harsh, causing everyone squint, and it is unbearably hot for the guys in their suits. Try to provide shade for you and your guests as don’t want to faint or have sunburnt grumpy guests! Before settling on a garden wedding, ask your marriage officer or religious leader if it is permissible to marry outside, or if they will only conduct your ceremony under a roof or in a particular place of worship. Ask the venue owners not to water the grass a couple of days before your wedding as your shoes may sink into the soft grass. This is also something to consider in summer with the summer rains. The safest idea is to wear flat shoes. If your ceremony is under a tree, the branches above will create unattractive shadows across your face in your photographs. Rather take your photographer to the venue to get an idea of the best place to position yourselves.
Bouquet and flower arrangement ideas
Saving money on your wedding flowers is quite easy, but arranging them into beautiful bouquets can be somewhat trickier. A great idea to save money is to buy your flowers wholesale and your vases too. Rope in a friend or relative to help you arrange them. Some flowers have pollen that stains fabric so there is a lot to think about when arranging your own flowers, especially your bouquet. If you are a bit apprehensive or if you simply do not have time for all of this research, there are some amazing florists on this site that can sit down with you and give you great advice. They are willing to work within your budget and offer you something that you love. Contact them and see!
Wedding cake ideas
The traditional 3 tier fruit cake is a thing of the past. Although it can look quite pretty, if one is realistic, people rarely like eating this type of cake. Knowing someone that bakes well is wonderful, but make sure they do not try to tier a sponge cake! I’ve seen too many warm, collapsed cakes at weddings because they are too heavy to stack. If you want your sponge cake to tier, rather have a stand 3 levels high or cover 3 boxes of different heights with a pretty fabric and place each cake on a box. Then drape each box with flowers and ribbon. If you are really creative and want something a bit different, how about covering your cake stands with cupcakes, doughnuts or a pyramid of truffles, cookies or your favourite chocolate bar? Instead of cutting the cake, why not pour the chocolate sauce over the doughnuts together? Chocolate éclairs, love heart chocolates, mini cheesecakes and chocolate poitjie pots filled with mousse are just a few ideas. There are a variety of ideas out there and we know some amazing people who you can contact regarding the cake of your dreams. They are willing to help work within your budget and offer you something amazing. Contact them and see!
Wedding Menu ideas
Some caterers have a few set menus they can offer you as your wedding banquet. Assuming you have chosen a venue that accepts outside catering (look at Yellowwood Chapel , they offer self catering and seat up to 600 guests!), decide realistically what you can afford to pay per head. If you want a 3 course meal, perhaps make your wedding cake the desert so you only have to pay for 2 courses. On this site you will find caterers that can help you with small or large functions, catering for many different tastes and dietary requirements. Contact them and arrange a taste.
Wedding entertainment ideas
While you are away having your photographs taken, it is a lovely idea to have some sort of entertainment for your guests to enjoy. When you return, you can also enjoy the live band, saxophonist, Irish dancers, stand up comedian or whatever entertainment you have chosen for the evening. I once attended a dinner where a magician came around, wowing us with tricks right before our eyes. It was the closest I had ever come to seeing an illusion and it gave us all something to talk about over dinner. Most wedding receptions have a DJ. We have a fine selection for you to choose from and each of them promises to get guests of all ages up dancing and partying.
Wedding invitation ideas
You may want to design your own wedding invitations, or if you are not that creative, let someone design and make them for you. Once you have bought pretty cardboard, printed all the wording, attached ribbon etc, you may have spent as much money had you paid a professional do it for you! Besides wedding invitations, you will also need name place cards, menus and thank you cards. Contact one of our designers now to view some of their beautiful samples and have them create your dream wedding stationery. If you have a set budget in mind, perhaps see what they can design for you within this budget.
Tips on how to compile your wedding guest list
Are you torn about who to invite and who not to invite? I can only give you my advice and you can take it or leave it. Most importantly, decide how many people you can afford to have at your wedding. You will also need to consider the number of people your venue can hold. Invite people close to you and state clearly if this invite allows the person to bring a partner or not. I personally believe that inviting colleagues to a wedding is not a great idea. I do not know of a former colleague that I am still in contact with, so why invite them to my wedding? We wrote our list several times. We over-invited people by 10% as this is usually the amount of people that don’t make it, even though they said they were coming (sad but true). Every month leading up to the date when we would distribute the invites, we rechecked the list. Some people we felt obliged to invite hadn’t really been in our lives for the past 6 months. Some didn’t even know we were engaged. We then decided to remove these people from our list. If you are paying for your wedding and are feeling pressure from family members who expect an invitation, you can simply say that you are terribly sorry but space or budget does not allow everyone to attend.
Tips on bridal hairstyles
bridal hairstyles We all have different types of hair - thin, thick, long, short, curly, straight - and the big mistake we can make is to see a particular hairstyle in a magazine that will not work for us. The bride with long thick silky hair wants loose curls. She has loose curls in the morning but by the time she walks down the aisle, her hair looks like she hasn’t brushed it! Modern day styling is amazing. Hair extensions (or hair pieces) can be added to thin hair to give it body or flat irons can straighten hair to make it look silky. When I got married I wanted my hair straight. As the day went on, the ends started to curl because of the humidity. Whoops! Think carefully, take advice from the professionals and have a trial. Contact us for recommended hairstylists!
