How to Add the Magic of Water to Your Wedding Experience

In northeast Ohio, we are blessed with one of the Great Lakes, our own Lake Erie. There are also many inland lakes and even ponds and streams in the Metroparks that can be ideal backgrounds for engagement and wedding photography. Being married near a body of water adds an element of timelessness to a wedding. Lake Erie has looked like it does now for ten thousand years. That’s 400 generations of humans! Even with the long history of our lake, your engagement or wedding photos on Lake Erie will be unique. The sky and the sunset are different every hour of every day.

Sunset photography is almost always exquisite because you have the backdrop of the huge lake and the huge sky.  The palette of colors that Mother Nature creates on this background makes the most amazing photography especially when they surround a couple who are deeply in love. If you want a smaller, easier to access body of water, take some time to visit the parks and wooded areas, where they may be found. We also have many Location Spotlights in our list of blogs which with water features.

How to Have a Soul Satisfying Home Wedding 

There are reasons beyond budget to hold your wedding in your home or the home of a loved one or great friend. For many people, home really is where the heart is, as the old saying goes. A home wedding can be soul-satisfying because if done well, it can bring a deep feeling of satisfaction that you’ve started your new life with your beloved emphasizing the importance of home and family.

Here are some things to think about in deciding whether to wed at home or at a venue:

What rental items (chairs, tents, lighting, etc.) will you need for the size wedding you want? Will you end up spending more on your own rentals than you will for a professional venue that already has the items?

From the photographic point of view, are there places within the home or lawn that will make good backgrounds?  Gardens are great if they are weeded or if enough flowers are in bloom. Look at all the spaces in your home and yard that might be used for photography with a critical eye.

If the wedding or reception is to be held indoors, is there available natural light? Natural light is the secret to the most beautiful wedding photos.

Is there enough space so that the guests are not too close to the wedding couple during the ceremony? 

Remember also, that this is one day in your wedded life. There are hopefully years and years to come.  Don’t buy furniture or do renovations that are expensive for this one day, unless you and your betrothed love them.

How to Choose Wedding Attire for an Entire Day of Being the Star!

Brides-to-be pour-over glossy magazine pictures and internet sites featuring everything from glorious wedding dresses and shoes to jewelry, gloves, hairstyles, makeup, and the whole array of wedding paraphernalia. Dreaming is easy but just remember, you’ll want to be a vision of beauty for the whole day and evening too on your wedding day.

Comfort is an element of planning your wedding attire that brides seldom seriously consider, until the wedding day when it is too late. Your groom will most likely be wearing comfortable flat-heeled shoes while you totter on heels that show off your dress, but make walking and dancing a major feat to be accomplished. Even small weddings may mean a long day from the time you begin getting dressed until the last guest leaves. Changing clothes for the reception is an option, but many brides want to remain the star of the show until the last possible minute. Everyone wants photos on the dance floor in their dresses.

If you plan carefully, you can go all day without wilting or getting blisters. Well-planned, you’ll remember the day as being wonderful instead of hot, scratchy, and overwhelming. When you find the dress you love, use your imagination to see yourself wearing it through weather changes and all of the activities of your wedding day. Choose shoes that are wearable all day or have multiple pairs available. Break them in before the wedding. If you plan to kick them off on the dance floor, make sure you won’t trip over your dress!

Consider the weather and your comfort in makeup. We’ll have a future blog on applying makeup for optimal photography. The glossy magazine photos and Instagram shots that attract you are edited. Weddings are real-life events that require careful consideration. Years later when you look at your photos and see how comfortable and happy you were on that spectacular day, you will be glad you took the time.