The first thing? Don’t panic! In some cases, you can call around and have a back up photographer fill in, if they are available. The best case? Have everyone participate in taking photographs!

Prepare for any mishaps. Photographers are human too, and they sometimes get hurt, sick, or worse, and cannot make a gig. Calling around to have another photographer fill in from another company can be very expensive. Instead, consider having your wedding guests be the photographer’s back up!

Before the wedding day, stock up on a lot of cheap, disposable cameras. They even have disposable digital cameras available now! Find a friend who is good with a camera or video camera and have them stand by. If the photographer does not show up, take the disposable cameras and have everyone use them! With a lot of disposable cameras around, you will have more pictures, at a lower cost, than you could get from one photographer!

Remember the friend who is in standby mode? Have them take the close ups and wedding ceremony party before and after the ceremony itself.

Finally, rest assured, if you never receive your wedding photos, or the photographer loses the photos, with all those cameras around, you will have plenty of pictures to choose from!

You can purchase cameras in three or even six packs at Walmart or other similar stores. Some are even designated as wedding cameras!

Many weddings for nobles were kept within their own family, and no outsiders were allowed to stand along the wedding couple. Today, this tradition no longer applies, so the Bride and Groom may choose their own.

Since I specialize in alternative weddings, the sky’s the limit. You can make your wedding in any tradition or non-traditional way. There are, however, many traditional wedding actions that can still come into play and not become boring. Here are a few examples:

The Walk Up the Aisle - This is probably the most used wedding march in tradition. Most walks entail step forward, pause, step, forward, pause, and so forth. Or, you can walk a steady, even pace. I have yet to see running or fast-paced walking, but it can be done.

Where to Stand? - Typically, the Groom is standing to the left of the minister, the Bride on the minister’s right. There is no one correct way to do this, however, in some cases, the couple will also be kneeling or will switch sides at a particular time in the ceremony. 

The Rings - The rings are obviously one of the most important aspects for a complete wedding. They symbolize the eternal circle of life and the bonds between the couple. Traditionally, the Best Man carries the Bride’s ring, while the BridesMaid carries the Groom’s. When the minister asks for the rings, he receives them from each.

Unity Candles - A very popular wedding tradition, yet not many know what they mean, traditionally. Consisting if three candles, the one in the middle being the largest or tallest, the outside candles represent the individual Bride and Groom. Each one is already lit, usually by the mother’s of the Bride and Groom. At the appropriate time, the minister will ask the couple to light the unity candle in the middle, from the flames on their own candles. After the middle candle is lit, they blow out their candles and replace them in the holders.

Candle colors vary, and can be white, colors representing each person, or matching colors of the wedding. Your choice.

Handfasting/Tying the Hands - Using a silk scarf or even soft cord, the wrists are tied together until the couple is married at which time they are removed. This symbolizes their connection and willingness to be united. In some myths, it is sometimes considered a tradition by which the couple were tied together so the Groom could not run away!

Jumping the Broom - There is some controversy when it comes to the origin of jumping the broom. Some have traced it as far back as 3000 years, as is jumping the log or jumping the sword. It has also been shown that jumping the broom is  a tradition utilized by the African-American slaves in the 1800’s. In either case, it is now used as a popular wedding tradition, usually by alternative ceremonies.

Giving Away the Bride - Traditionally, the Bride is “given” by her father. But in some cases, the favored or surviving male elder has also had this honor. Where no male elder is available, the Bride may be “given” by her brother or friend.

As you can see, these are just a few examples of traditions seen in many weddings that can fit nicely within your ceremony. For other questions on traditions or ideas, please contact me today!

Planning the reception decorations is all a part of the details of planning the wedding reception. Wedding receptions have six basic elements in their planning:

Location
Physical Comforts
Reception decorations
Catering
Music
Dancing

These elements come into play based on the reception location, especially if you are planning a wedding in a place where it’s a blank slate. Some locations already have their environmental décor that will play a part in the reception decorations and you need to take that into account with your planning. There are many ways to take care of your decorations including rentals. Renting some of the accessories can save you money.

The ambience of your reception decorations includes your:

Lighting
Place settings
Drapes
Flowers
Balloons

The lighting choices can be as simple as twinkle lights and votive candles. Your place settings can be simple or elaborate. The drapes can be made of tulle, gossamer or silk. Your flowers can match those at the wedding or be individual to the reception itself. Balloons offer a fanciful touch to the decorations.

There are so many options that you can explore with your reception decorations that the list could be endless. Decide on a venue, decide on a theme and then let that help you choose the overall look and feel you are going for with your reception decorations. You can add shallow bowls of water with candles floating in them. You can mix and match your wine goblets. You can transform candles with wrapped ribbons. Go crazy when you plan your reception decorations and create the perfect venue to celebrate your first few hours as newlyweds.