Wedding Slideshow

Wednesday, February 24, 2010

My Wedding Workbook - Check it out!

Our friend Jeff Kear over at My Wedding Workbook sent us some helpful info to pass on to our brides. While I haven't had a chance to check out their software, I can say that they are serious about what they do and the software is designed by people who went through the wedding experience first hand and wanted to do it easier and better. Check it out!

Here's the latest press release for My Wedding Workbook:

Brides seek value, personal chemistry from wedding planners

Today's brides are more inclined to hire wedding planners who are value-driven, more willing to collaborate and who provide day-of-wedding packages, according to a survey conducted by My Wedding Workbook Pro - http://www.myweddingworkbookpro.com/ - the wedding planning software for bridal consultants.
When brides were asked about the top factors they would consider when hiring a wedding planner, 71.9% named cost as the leading factor. In addition, of the respondents who did not hire a consultant, 74.7% stated that they decided against hiring a planner because it was simply "too expensive."
"Most newly engaged brides assume that hiring a wedding planner will dramatically drive up the price of their wedding," said Jeff Kear, co-owner of My Wedding Workbook Pro and My Wedding Workbook - http://www.myweddingworkbook.com/ - the online wedding planner software for brides. "But consultants can actually reduce vendor costs in lots of ways and make sure couples get what they pay for. So consultants who can demonstrate the value they deliver - especially during a recession - can really put themselves at an advantage."
The current recession also has influenced what types of services brides want from consultants, with more than 90% of brides responding that they would only consider hiring a planner for day-of-wedding services. Another big expectation that brides have of planners is the ability to negotiate very favorable rates with vendors, with 55.6% of respondents listing this as a critical attribute.
Once you get beyond concerns of cost, what brides really want from their wedding planner is great personal chemistry and a collaborative relationship. Indeed, 56.9% of brides listed this as a top factor in choosing a consultant, and another 32.3% want a partner who can help relieve the stress of managing every detail.
"What we discovered is that a bride doesn't necessarily want someone who just comes in and takes over," said Kear. "She wants a partner who will listen to her, work with her and share her vision. She wants someone who will give her great advice and who will assume the responsibilities that she doesn't have the time or desire to shoulder. Any consultant who brings this kind of flexibility and sensitivity to the table is positioned for success."
However, there are still many brides who, regardless of the cost of hiring a planner, would prefer planning their wedding themselves. Of the brides surveyed, 44% listed themselves as being a "do-it-yourself type person," 33.1% did not anticipate needing much help and 25.2% said they were not comfortable handing over wedding planning responsibilities.
"When you get right down to it, hiring a wedding consultant is a very personal decision. Some brides have looked forward to planning their wedding for so long that for them it would be unconscionable to ask someone else to do it," said Kear. "Others place their main priority on getting married but would rather leave all the details up to someone else. And then there's a ton of brides who are somewhere in between. The wedding consultants who can serve all those in-betweeners are the ones who will have very busy practices."
For additional interesting data on brides’ attitudes and opinions, visit our blog at http://www.myweddingworkbookpro.com/blog/index.cfm.

About My Wedding Workbook
http://www.myweddingworkbook.com/
My Wedding Workbook is comprehensive wedding software for do-it-yourself brides who want to stay organized throughout the entire wedding planning process. My Wedding Workbook’s user-friendly design is straightforward, simple to navigate and allows you to easily print information from any page. Its plethora of integrated tools allows for easy planning of every event from the engagement party to they honeymoon. A great alternative to the messy paper planner, My Wedding Workbook is web-based, secure and accessible from anywhere there’s an Internet connection.
About My Wedding Workbook Pro
http://www.myweddingworkbookpro.com/
My Wedding Workbook Pro is the premier professional wedding planner software for consultants. It’s the “smart” way to manage your business with integrated tools to organize each client’s event details and the ability to collaborate with clients by providing them with access to designated areas of the software. My Wedding Workbook Pro is built to expand and change with your business and, best of all, its comprehensive Web-based software enables professionals to easily manage your business from anywhere you can access the Internet.

Monday, February 22, 2010

Twin Liquors: Inexpensive, Local, Friendly!

So my favorite thing to look for when I enter a Twin Liquors is "Twin Deals" (http://www.twinliquors.com/specials). Basically, when you buy one kind of liquor, then you get a discounted 2nd bottle of the same liquor.
For example, this week at Twin Liquor's you can get a great deal on Dripping Springs Vodka - just $25/bottle when you purchase two. That may not seem like a huge savings, but when you're purchasing spirits for a big event like a wedding, the savings can really add up. Plus you are supporting a local Austin business!

Did you know.... that the Jabour Family started a mercantile store in Austin in the 1800s, which later gave birth to the now famous Twin Liquor chain?! The Jabour Family credits their stores with promoting some of the 1st live music in Downtown Austin (one of the locations of the original stores), which is pretty neat when you think how important live music has become to Austin.

Source: http://www.twinliquors.com/about

Visit a Twin Liquor today and experience the difference that local expertise makes! They can help you plan just about any event. If you visit the Twin Liquor store at 500 Canyon Ridge (HEB shopping center) near Parmer/IH-35, ask for Theron - he is more than helpful and very knowledgeable.

Tan It All!


Something many people don't consider prior to their wedding is tanning. If you would like to be a little darker for your wedding then it's the way to go, especially if it's February in most parts of North America and tanning outdoors is not an option. Recently, my wife and I decided to give the tanning option a try and we're really happy with the pricing and results. Tan It All currently has specials running on their website (http://www.tanitall.com/specialoffer.html) 1 month FREE or $50 in your account. After pricing the competitors we found this to be the best deal. Staff are friendly and we're already much darker after just a few days. We'll be ready for the trip to Costa Rica in no time with no concern of getting burned - either physically or fiscally!

Things you may need:
-Tanning Lotion (for indoor tanning)
-Sun Block (for tattoos)
-Goggles (to block UV)
-Towel

Friday, February 19, 2010

Villa Antonia Wedding

I just wanted to take a moment to share some wonderful photos from a recent Villa Antonia wedding we photographed. Villa Antonia is a beautiful, Italian-style villa which is a great venue for weddings. It's located in north west Austin (Jonestown), in the Texas Hill Country. I'm told that it is named for one of it's owners, Antonia. There are many wonderful photo opportunities at a place like this. Just make sure you drive up to visit first; the google map I printed got me lost. Enjoy!






Monday, February 15, 2010

What Does A Wedding Photographer Do To Prepare For A Wedding?

Answer: Honestly, we all do it differently, but I'll share what I do and what I think works.

Years ago I had the opportunity to work with and study a local Austin photographer who was well established and successful in the wedding photography business. One of the things that sticks in my mind that he told me was this directive: an hour or two prior to your event go out and buy a greasy hamburger meal from your local burger chain, eat it and wash it all down with a big, sugary, caffeinated cola. The logic: we work better when our stomachs are full and caffeine is running through our veins.

While I don't follow this suggestion (for heath reasons), I've developed my own routine that I think meets the guidelines set forth by my wiser and more experienced teacher. Here's how my schedule starts out, right up until I drive to the wedding:

Days Prior to Wedding - Send final invoice, confirm wedding day photo schedule, answer any last minute questions from bride/groom/family, visit wedding location if necessary.
Day Before Wedding - Gas up car, start charging batteries, clear memory cards, print wedding photo schedule, review special requests of bride/groom, send reminder emails to necessary participants/assistants/2nd shooters.
Morning of Wedding - Charge batteries, pack all equipment, pack extra clothing, food & water. Eat a meal, brew some fresh green tea for the drive to the wedding, shave, shower, etc.

I have a wedding checklist posted next to my office door which I double check before I depart for the wedding. My friends have made fun of me for this, but I'd feel much more embarrassed if I forgot something vital for the wedding.

My favorite part of all the getting ready on wedding day is enjoying my warm cup of green tea on the way to the wedding while listening to my favorite CD. I find it helpful to listen to calming music beforehand as well. The odd thing that people expect from a wedding photographer is calm (and I should mention control) - 2 things that when balanced work great together. Your wedding photo subjects at a wedding expect you to be the "eye of the storm", so to speak - calm, in control and working smoothly toward your goal: getting great photos quickly and in an organized fashion. My experience has been that when people know you are doing a great job they feel more at ease and calm.

Sunday, February 14, 2010

Who Pays For What At Our Wedding?

In the American or western tradition of marriage there are some assumptions about who pays for what that you can keep in mind. Obviously these are not firm rules but simply a guideline based on social convention of the past. As you can imagine, how things at a wedding get paid for can vary from wedding to wedding and from culture to culture. Here's some basics I discovered from perusing the PASH Free Wedding Planner (something I started blogging about recently).

Bride:
Groom's wedding ring/gift
Gift for bridal attendants
Bridal attire/accessories
Wedding Consultant
Bridal Luncheon

Groom:
Bride's ring(s)
Bride's wedding gift
Groomsmen's gifts
Marriage License
Officiant's Fee
Grooms Attire
Boutonnieres for Groom's Attendants
Honeymoon Expenses

Bride's Family:
Wedding Invitations/Announcements
Transportation
Wedding Reception
Most Florals
Photography/Videography
Musical Entertainment/DJ


Groom's Family:
Rehearsal Dinner
Boutonnieres and corsages for immediate family members


Attendants:
Rental/purchase of wedding attire
Travel expense to/from wedding city
Wedding Gift for Couple
Bridal Shower
Bachelor/ette Party

As I said before, this list is based on tradition of some families and should be considered only a guide, not the "gospel". Many couples these days struggle to pay for the entire wedding themselves because times have changed and families don't feel as obligated as they once did to provide financial support.

Friday, February 12, 2010

10 Valentine’s Day Gift Ideas

10 Gift ideas that will keep you out of trouble.

Every year I don’t take Valentine’s Day very seriously. And every year I manage to get myself into hot water with my wife. I usually tell myself, hey, it’s just a holiday created by corporations to make money – which, of course it is! It’s not fair, with the constant bombardment of TV, radio and other ads telling us all to go out and buy, buy, buy! But that most definitely doesn’t preclude me from participating, especially if I know what’s good for me! J

Don’t know what to get your significant other? Here are some ideas…

  1. Dinner Out. Take your significant other out for a romantic dinner at a nice restaurant.
  2. Flowers/Gift Basket. Have a special bouquet or gift personally delivered to his/her work or at home.
  3. Perfume/Cologne. Pick out his/her favorite scent and wrap it up as a special present you’ll both enjoy.
  4. Night On The Town. Take your significant other out for a night on the town with some drinking, dancing and fun.
  5. A Homemade Card. Spend some time creating a very special card that is just from you and the kids to your spouse.
  6. Jewelry. Surprise your significant other with a hand-picked bracelet, ring or necklace.
  7. Dinner In. Make him or her a special candle-lit, romantic dinner or make it a surprise with breakfast in bed!
  8. Spa Treatment. Give the gift of therapeutic massage, facials, manicure, pedicure, etc.
  9. Romantic Getaway. Book a mini vacation for 2 somewhere special or just hit the road for a weekend getaway at your favorite bed & breakfast.
  10. Personalized Gift. Get even more creative by making something for your significant other like “TLC coupons” or sultry photographs.

I always remind myself on V-day that there’s no better time to cultivate the friendship and love that you have for your partner, so why not give them something special. You’ll feel good about it and they will be thrilled that you thought of them…

Martin Whitton is a professional wedding photojournalist who lives and works in Austin, Texas. Email: martin@mwwphoto.com

Hot Wedding Ideas For 2010

Looking for what's hot and trendy in weddings for 2010? Look no further....
In my latest research for cutting edge information for brides I discovered a website called Your Wedding Company (http://www.yourweddingcompany.com). That's where you'll find some great guidelines for what's trendy for your wedding in 2010.
Your Wedding Company has some great tips and guides, like the color wheel above which shows you just how to safely coordinate colors - something that may or may not come natural for most folks. You can also find out about what's in style for 2010 for dresses, accessories, hair and more. One little feature that I thought was great on the website was the Fall/Spring wedding color trends guide which shows what's in for 2010.

There's additional information on topics like attire for wedding party, venues, wedding favors and much more. One other cool item worth mentioning is the link on Your Wedding Company's website to a color palette generating tool. What's different about this little gadget is that you can upload a photo and the software automatically creates a palette customized for your wedding! How fantastic is that?!

Obviously there are a million resources out there in cyber space that relate to weddings, but I thought this one was definitely worth sharing. Enjoy!

Wednesday, February 10, 2010

Master Cleanse Day 6 & 7

I had already decided that I wouldn't go the entire 10 days of the MC like I did the 1st time. These days my life
is much more hectic - filled with wedding photography, photo editing, business promotion and communicating with clients - and that's not when I'm not working and spending time with my family.

I knew that I could go longer. After you reach day 4 or 5 of the cleanse for the first time you realize that you've conquered the food demon inside of you. Not to say that food is the enemy, but we all eat too much anyway and it becomes a crutch to depend on food. If you have a bad day you go home and pig out on dinner and eat dessert afterward. Or perhaps you drink. We all do it from time to time, which is why we need the master cleanse to restart and reset our habits and usage of food. And when you realize that the desire for all the food is simply a habit that you can control, you feel as if you've accomplished something.

Oddly enough, on day 6 I started having minor headaches again, which Burroughs attributes to more toxins being mobilized in the body and which need to be removed with the salt water flush. Ultimately I decided to call it quits and start drinking fresh squeezed OJ on day 7, and did that all day. I felt good, my head was still very clear and I'm glad that I completed the MC again!

Just as a side note: When I finished the cleanse I weighed 180 lbs, which means I lost 6-7 lbs. Some people might say that this was water weight, but I beg to differ completely. Tonight (day 9 from start) I ate a full meal and weighed in at 181. I've been drinking water all day and I had a healthy lunch and breakfast. In order to get to the eating point I took these steps:

Drink fresh OJ (either squeezed by me or purchased freshly made at "Froots" or "Jamba Juice" for 36 hours straight.
Have homemade vegetable soup broth with just a few vegetables for lunch after 36 hours. Have more of the same soup for dinner. The next day (beginning day 3 after cleanse) I ate a small breakfast of fruit with a little organic whole grain cereal, then proceeded to a regular healthy diet. This may not work for everyone, but it worked for me!

Wedding At St. Ignatius Martyr Church - Austin, Texas

A few weeks ago I photographed my second wedding at Saint Ignatius Martyr Church in Austin. The church has a great vibe, with so many friendly people and because of it's location, nestled into the SoCo area of Austin. I even recently discovered that one of my wife's good friends attends church there.
 I was lucky enough to be able to photograph the wedding of my good friends Albert and Marisa. They both have huge families and it was amazing to see such a large family come together so closely. They are a wonderful couple and I feel blessed to have been involved in such a meaningful milestone in their lives.

Their wedding contained some of the elements traditional Mexican and Catholic weddings. For example, their families brought traditional gifts as they proceeded up the aisle, their Godparents (Padrinos) placed the laso around their necks and they were presented with coins - all traditional elements. Another beautiful touch to the wedding was having mariachis perform during the ceremony. This kind of traditional catholic ceremony is longer than the average wedding ceremony, but has more dimensions and depth.

And with more depth to a ceremony comes more meaning and emotion. Photographing weddings like this one make me love wedding photojournalism and the work that I do in the wedding business!



Monday, February 8, 2010

Master Cleanse Day 5

Master Cleanse Day 5 was a little different. I was able to sleep in and relax a little more when doing the salt water flush in the morning, which is important. I stayed around the house most of the day just getting some small stuff done and watching my son. Something that happened this time around during the MC is my interface with food (which was non-existant) the 1st time. Several times I have found myself sitting at the kitchen table with my wife watching her eat while I sip on lemonade or water. I don't recommend this before day 3 or 4, or really at all. But I think if you set your mind to do something you can definitely do it. I just tell myself that although the food smells delicious, it's not for me. Besides, I think after the 1st few days of the cleanse there's no turning back. I mean, if I just grabbed up and ate some of the food my wife was enjoying I would immediately become sick.

I'm reminded of one of the scenes in Band Of Brothers, the HBO series about the US Army's Easy Company and their service during WWII. There's a scene toward the end of the series where Easy Co. encounters an Nazi concentration camp. The soldiers are mortified at what they see; starving, sick people wandering around inside a barbed wire enclosure. So the soldiers begin giving the starving prisoners food, only to see them all become sick immediately. It's a really sad scene that I don't take it lightly. But somehow I feel a small kinship to those prisoners by giving up food temporarily. Giving up food for 10-12 days seems like such a small sacrifice compared to the struggle of the persecuted. I can only imagine what they went through.

Master Cleanse: Day 4

On Friday, Day 4 of the MC I was feeling very normal for someone who hadn't eaten any food in 4 days. I had alot of energy and my presence of mind was great. My head was clear and I got lots of things done during the day. I guess day 4 was all about energy. I checked my weight on day 2 just to see if I was losing weight.

Another reason that I started the cleanse (aside from the benefits of detoxing the body and "restarting" how I look at healthy meals) was to initiate some weight loss. Our son was born about 10 months ago and we had both put on some weight - mine being "sympathy" weight I suppose. I recently saw a photo of myself from several months prior and I was a little shocked. Just before the holidays I was right at 200lbs, which is about 30 lbs above where I should be in tip-top shape. My wife and initiated some healthy eating habits just prior to the holidays and with a minor amount of exercise we were both on our way. When I weighed in on day 2 I was about 187lbs.

It's not all about the weight loss of course. I think as long as you pay attention to how your body feels then you know what's right for you. The hard part as we all know is avoiding all the good tasting bad stuff!

Sunday, February 7, 2010

Master Cleanse: Day 3

Day 3 of the MC was sort of non-eventful. I began to feel that I was kicking my caffeine habit (unfortunately only until I start again). One thing that I can't stress enough is to stick to the directions in Peter Glickman's book, "Lose Weight, Have More Energy & Be Happier in 10 days" if you can. Use spring water for every emulsion that goes into your body, use the cayenne pepper (even if only in small amounts), use organic lemons (this may be my rule) and drink the quart of salt water as directed every morning - which may be THE most important part of the master cleanse. Why? Because if you think about all the things you take into your body as a part of the MC (lemons, cayenne, water, senna tea)as agents that break down or mobilize the toxins in your body, then how do you get the toxins out of your body in large quantities? They must be "rinsed" or washed out with the salt water flush. Honestly, it's the part of the MC I hate most - other than missing some good meals. But it's necessary.

Oddly enough, it was around day 3 that I also started having some weird pains in my thigh, kind of like a tightening muscle. Ultimately the pain when away after a few days and wasn't terrible. But weird things like this happen on the MC.

Master Cleanse: Day 2

Day 2 of the MC was a little tougher (Wednesday). As my friends know, I'm a caffeine addict (strong coffee in the morning and tea in the afternoon). As a result I started some serious detox symptoms on Wednesday. I had a low grade headache in the morning which was worse by afternoon, combined with irritability and being tired. As soon as I came home from work I took a 2 hr nap and didn't really feel better. Now here's where I'd like to make an encouraging side note. Don't be afraid of the master cleanse. The hunger you feel is no worse than what you've felt before - you just have to keep drinking your lemonade when you feel that way. And the headaches I had could've probably been avoided if I'd reduced all the caffeine I was taking into my body prior to Day 1 of the Master Cleanse. At any rate, I couldn't wait for day 2 to be over with and for Day 3 to start!

Master Cleanse: Day 1

Day 1 of the Master Cleanse (Tuesday) was not too bad. I think since this is my third time completing the cleanse that I'm used to the feeling of emptiness in my stomach. It takes time to break away from the habit and ritual of eating 2-4 times per day, plus all the snacking that we westerners love to do, but it can be done. All in all the day was fine, although I felt really groggy during the day and was a little tired by end of day.

Saturday, February 6, 2010

The Master Cleanse And Why I Like It

 
I don't usually make posts about non-wedding subjects, but this one is taking up my entire week so I feel the need to share. I'm currently completing the "Master Cleanse"  (aka, lemonade diet) right now for the 3rd time in my life, and I feel pretty good. The Master Cleanse is a body and mind cleansing ritual developed by Stanley Borroughs. Essentially the program is 10 days of fasting whereby you drink lemonade only to cleanse your body of toxins. I don't think this kind of thing is for everyone, mostly because it's difficult to go without food and most people don't miss more than a meal a day - much less going 10 days with no food.  But I personally think it's a great program and I always feel better towards the end and afterward. Why? Because I have the physical desire to eat more healthy, my mind is clearer and I feel that I have more energy.
Anyway, in the next few days I'll probably be blogging more about my experience. Enjoy your weekend!
Oh and if you decide to take the plunge I recommend both of the above books (which are short, but packed with great information).
IMAGES COURTESY OF:
psychofweightloss.com
therawfoodsite.com


Friday, February 5, 2010

Free Wedding Planner (downloadable)

So you're going the "do-it-yourself" route and planning your wedding! Well check out the Pash FREE wedding planner guide:


http://www.pashweddings.com/library/free-wedding-planner.php

I personally went through this entire guide and found it to be very helpful. There are some sections that aren't really necessary, but there are some great core parts of the planner that I found very helpful and perhaps you will too! I'll be blogging in the future about a few parts of it I really liked. If you find something you think is better for wedding planning, feel free to email me at martin@mwwphoto.com. I'm always looking for something fresh to pass on to my brides.

Thursday, February 4, 2010

Poladroid - How to make your digital images like Polaroids






So I just discovered this great site, http://www.poladroid.net/, which converts your regular old digital images to polaroid looking pictures. It's really easy to download and is fun to use. Not only does the finished photo look like a polaroid image, but it even sounds like a Polaroid camera when the image is being processed (which occurrs in a matter of seconds, but you have to wait - just like a Polaroid).



The program downloads in a matter of minutes and is available for Mac and PC. If you are feeling like a good samaritan you can also donate to their fund to keep the site up and running, which is FREE! Go check it out and "shake it like a polaroid"!

Tuesday, February 2, 2010

Engagement Session in Round Rock, Texas

There's an old hidden gem in Round Rock that I just discovered. It's a park, not far from Interstate 35, near downtown, that has some wonderful scenery for engagement photos. I can't believe I didn't find this place sooner.

How did I find it? This weekend I was scheduled to photograph a couple for their engagement session in Western Round Rock and arrived to find the gates of the venue locked, and no one to let us in. So we did what any couple and their photographer would do in a pinch - we improvised. I remembered that I had photographed a couple at a small park in Round Rock last year, and I hoped that I could remember the directions in order to get there. 

Did I mention that our enagement portrait shoot was scheduled on a day where the outside temperature never went above 36 degrees F? I asked my bride and groom if they wanted to cancel and they insisted that they get the photos done and that they love the "cool" weather (I found out later that they are both from northern states, which explains the tolerance of the cold weather).

We later completed our photo session successfully and with everyone in good spirits. We captured some great photos too!