Let’s be honest. Weddings are usually events that are mostly run by and for women. It’s the bride’s day, and her careful planning runs the show, from choosing her lace-embossed ivory dress to selecting the peach peony bouquet. However, one matrimonial item is reserved for her male counterpart to envision and bring to fruition—groom’s cake. Groom’s cake is about two square feet of edible real estate—Southern tradition dictates that the men in the wedding party decorate the cake at the chosen wedding venue. The groom’s cake may reflect hobbies, interests, or obsessions of the groom; its theme is generally light-hearted (think red-velvet armadillo, á la Steel Magnolias). Let’s see just how creative grooms can be in using (and abusing) their slice of recognition: Read the rest of this entry »

Good news, Dior lovers: More pictures, and details, of the upcoming Dior mobile phone have emerged. We knew the fashion house was introducing a luxury handset after images of the phone appeared online, but the pictures didn’t really reveal anything about specifications, pricing and color.

Lucky for us, an article on the Wall Street Journal gives us a few more details regarding the designer phone, which will be initially available in Russia and China. The reason for this, according to Dior Chief Executive Sidney Toledano, is there’s a bigger demand for luxury goods there, and consumers living in these countries really pay attention to color and design when buying a phone.

But don’t be disheartened if you really want one, because this phone will work in most parts of the world, except Japan and Korea, where it isn’t compatible with local wireless networks. Specifications are still a bit sketchy, but we do know the features on the Dior phone include a touchscreen, a camera, and special ringtones.

What really makes the Dior handset stand out though is the accompanying clip-on mini-phone that comes with the model. This unusual attachment called “My Dior” is about the size of a USB key and connects to the main handset via Bluetooth to make it easy for the user to answer any incoming calls.

As you can see from the picture above, the phone will be available in pink, red, and white when it goes on sale later this year for $5,000. Read the rest of this entry »

With the availability and user-friendly nature of computers, art programs such as Photoshop, and photo-quality printers, making your own invitations for your wedding or wedding-related events is definitely possible. As long as you take care to preserve the dignity of the occasion, you can create beautiful, appropriate invitations with a personal touch.

Paper. Make sure you use paper that is commensurate with a professional invitation. Buy card stock, vellum, and fine cotton and linen papers at your local art store or stationer, and experiment to see what you like best.

Practice. Before you attempt to create your wedding invitations, start with a smaller project first, such as your bridesmaids luncheon invites. Once you have the knack of it, you can start designing your wedding invites. Read the rest of this entry »

Digital Wedding Photography is the process by which digital cameras are used to take pictures during weddings. This industry is comprised of photographers who work independently and companies which specialize in the field. In the past, most photographers would use standard cameras to take photos during wedding events, and because of the high cost of these film cameras, getting a wedding album could be very expensive. However, the introduction of digital cameras dramatically reduced the cost of taking photos, and many modern digital cameras have a level of quality that professional photographers can work with. Read the rest of this entry »

Reception cards include both escort cards and/or place cards. Escort cards are used to point your guests to a particular table at your reception. You can use a tent card, or a more formal card with an envelope. Once your guests find their table, they can seat themselves, or you can use individual place cards for each table setting.

If you wish to assign seating at your reception, add a place card to each table setting, bearing the name of the guest who should be seated there. Tent cards can be placed directly above the table settings at the 12:00 position, flat cards can be placed atop napkins or charger plates, or placed in frames that will serve as wedding favors.

There are many ways budget-conscious brides can save money on their invitations.

Assembly: Instead of having your stationer assemble your invitations, gather your bridesmaids to help you tie, stuff, and seal them at home. Try to use self-adhesive stamps and a sealer sponger or glue stick to seal the envelopes.

Calligraphy: Professional calligraphers will address your invitations, but the cost for this service quickly adds up. Instead, do them yourself or ask a friend with beautiful handwriting to help you out. Computer calligraphy is also an economical choice at $.75 to $1.25 an envelope.

Extra Envelopes: You should order 25 extra envelopes in the event there is an error while addressing so you don’t have to rush a small order to your door. Read the rest of this entry »

Save the dates provide guests advance notice of an upcoming wedding and are especially ideal for destination weddings. They can range from hip and trendy to more traditional and classic looking.

E-mails: Create a personalized e-mail or e-card to announce your wedding plans to your guests. These inexpensive save the dates are fun, easy, and can save a lot of time while allowing you to be creative.

Magnets: A fun and useful way to remind your guests of your wedding day is with a save-the-date magnet. You can make it comical, post your picture on it, or keep it simple with just the important information.

Cards: Save-the-date cards are a classic way to inform guests of your upcoming nuptials. You can choose from designs that suit your style or theme, or cards that complement your wedding-day colors. They can range from informal to formal, but are usually the size of a standard invitation or postcard.

Unique: You can also have scratch-off cards that reveal your wedding-day info, a calendar that marks off the days till your “I dos,” or just about any wedding theme or hobby that reminds your guests which date to save.

Documentary Wedding Photography is a style which is closely related to Photojournalistic photography. In the past, most photographers and their clients opted for a style that is known as classic or traditional photography. With this style, a great emphasis would be placed on poses, and the photographer would generally not photograph anything that wasn’t specifically planned. While this style was popular for a long period of time, it left a lot to be desired by many clients. Some people want a photograhic approach that placed a higher emphasis on all the moments that took place during the wedding, rather than specific poses. Read the rest of this entry »

When you hire a photographer for your wedding, virtually all of them will expect you to sign a contract. The reasons for this should be obvious. By having you sign a contract, they will have a document which shows you agreed to have them work for you in exchange for a given amount of money. The wedding photography contract is designed to protect both you and the photographer. It protects the photographer from not being paid for work they’ve done, and it protects you from having a photographer not fully complete the job. The typical wedding contract will have a number of things you’re expected to feel out. Read the rest of this entry »

While the cost you pay for general photography services may be relatively low, photographers typically charge large amounts of money for weddings. Because these events are so special to those who host them, they want the best possible photographs they can afford. The photographer will spend hours at the wedding, and they will also spend hours developing the photos. The market rate for a decent sized wedding package will cost about $3,000. A photographer who charges this much should be willing to spend at least 7 hours at the event, and they should act as both an assistant and a photographer. This photographer should also offer you more than 40 pages worth of photographs. Read the rest of this entry »