Produce a Professional Portfolio With Photo Books

There are many ways to present a professional portfolio, especially if you are fashion designer, artist or filmmaker. Photo books provide a high quality platform for presenting work, and often are the way works of great artistic individuals get their fabulous creations on coffee tables around the world. Simply by enlisting the talents of a photographer and creating a stunning photographic portfolio, we show you how any artist can make a major impact with photo books to boost a move from amateur to professional arenas.

The term 'starving artist' came about because creative industries were renowned for being a low paid profession. Although today it is possible to make a living from creative endeavors, the competition is tough, and as such, many artists, musicians and the like find that they work for next to nothing waiting for a breakthrough. To beat the competition and get to the top of the ladder in any creative industry, a person needs to promote themselves professionally to get noticed.

Photo books are the latest way to present a portfolio to a prospective client, employer or gallery. The professionally bound book gives and aesthetic representation of what the artist thinks of their work. To this end, the production and layout should be tailored to reflect the nature of the contents and the industry it is aimed at. Design should be kept classic and clean, avoiding certain fonts and templates that are associated with holiday albums for example.

Ideally, there should be one image per page unless there are a series of images that need to be viewed together. It is also worth considering producing a page of thumbnails that acts as a contents or index page. This will make certain works easier to find and will give an overall reflection of the complete body of work. You may want to consider putting in a page of text that reflects on the motivation, inspiration and direction of the work, or a brief artist statement to give an overall package that encapsulates every aspect of your practice.

Make sure that all the images included are of a high quality, and well lit. It may be worth enlisting the talents of a design professional who can grade all the images so that the balance and tone is equal throughout the photo book. Ultimately, it is the amount of effort that is put into the production that will reflect your sincerity and passion about your personal projects.

Making a Wedding Scrapbook

Before you get started you need to decide what you want to put in your wedding scrapbook. You will probably want just about anything that fits, but you don't want to make it too crowded. Try to pick the most important items from your wedding experience. You have to make the decision to include your entire wedding, such as the ceremony itself, engagement party and honeymoon. Or maybe just choose a few items from each event.

If you want to include everything from each event in your wedding scrapbook, you could make a separate book for each event. Now that's a good idea if you have the time to devote to the project.

Once you decide on what content you want to use in your scrapbook, you need to gather your photos, memorabilia, and any items that represents each event. This will help you determine how many pages you will need.

The theme for your wedding scrapbook should be simple. It's best to use the colors from your wedding theme in your scrapbook. Be consistent with the same color choices throughout your book in a uniform manner.

Next choose the size of your scrapbook. You would probably benefit from a large size giving the amount of content from a wedding event. There are a couple of standard sizes you can choose from, 8 1/2 x 11 or 12 x 12.

Now it's time to get your materials ready, such as color paper, decorations, adhesive, pens and pencils, scissors, lace and ribbons anything you need to make your wedding scrapbook complete. You can get these items from your local arts and craft store or you may have a lot of these items around the house.

Next, sort your photos according to events, for example: engagement party, wedding, bachelor or bachelorette parties, honeymoon, etc. (If you choose to add these events) Gather embellishments to add beauty to your scrapbook. Use your imagination and creativity and create a nice album.

Other things you may add to your book are:

• Invitations


• Programs


• Party Favors


• Personalized napkin


• Anything you feel important

Whatever you decide to add, place them as if they are telling a story. Don't just paste them anywhere. After all this is your webbing scrapbook and it should be memorable and put together tastefully. Add dates of each event or when photos were taken.

Once you have created each page, you can now assemble them accordingly chronologically or by event. Go back and make sure you don't leave anything out. Put your final touches on your scrapbook and you should have a beautiful wedding scrapbook to share with friends and family.

Essential Tips for Ordering Wedding Cakes

Made from scratch with high quality, fresh ingredients and decorated by a skilled cake designer, custom wedding cakes are remembered by guests for years. Ordering a wedding cake is often the first opportunity for a bride to order a custom cake. The following tips will make the process easier.

Steps for Ordering Wedding Cakes

To avoid disappointment, start planning your event and cake design right away. Gather information about local cake designers. Browse through magazines, books, and internet sites to get ideas for cake designs and decorations. There is a lot of work to do, but these tips will help you stay on track.

Plan Well in Advance

Plan all details of the marriage well in advance. Custom shops and wedding venues often need from 6 to 12 months notice. If you are planning a wedding in the peak season, 12 months notice may be needed from the day a cake order is placed to the date of your event. Before the order is finalized there are many other decisions to be made.

Choose Cake Style to Match Wedding Plans

Wedding cake style is connected to all other elements of your special occasion. What type of wedding are you having? How many guests will be invited? Will the event be outdoors or inside? Will the clothing, decor and overall tone be contemporary, formal, informal, or traditional? Collect samples of colors, fabrics, themes, and motifs. All of this information will be helpful for discussions with the bakery.

Some brides choose wedding cake decorations that reflect a theme such as the honeymoon destination. For example, the wedding cake topper might include a palm tree or mountain reflecting some aspect of the honeymoon getaway. There could be a period theme such as Art Deco, a musical theme such as Rock and Roll, Hawaii motifs, or even a Halloween theme.

Some people strive for artistic elegance and beauty, while others choose whimsical, humorous touches. Others choose wedding cake toppers and other decorations that reflect aspects of what brings the couple together. Often both the bride and groom want to be involved in the cake decisions as well as other important aspects of the wedding plans.

How to Serve a Large Crowd within Budget

Beyond style, there are practical considerations to consider. For smaller weddings, single tier wedding cakes are sufficient. For larger weddings, having a small three-tier with one or more non-tiered cakes is a convenient alternative to having a large multi-tier cake. The stacked cake provides a centerpiece for the cutting ceremony; and the individual cakes are easy to cut and serve.

Cupcake wedding cakes are a popular inexpensive alternative for weddings, large and small. Displayed on a cupcake stand or as part of a tableau, cupcakes can be offered in multiple flavors with a variety of decorations. They offer guests a selection and fit into a self-serve format.

Wedding cake prices include more than the cake. For budgeting purposes consider the cost per serving, multiplied by the number of guests, plus additional charges for items such as a special topper, display stand rental, delivery, and set-up. Some items will be included and others charged separately. Prices per serving range from $2.00 to $15.00.

Look at Wedding Cake Pictures

Researching wedding cake ideas helps couples to come up with the best choice. Save pictures that show features that you may want to incorporate. Browse magazines and books at libraries and bookstores, and look at photo galleries on the internet. As you investigate you may be excited by the different colors, flavors, and formats that are part of the contemporary scene.

Research Local Baking Talent

Choose a baker within a reasonable distance from your wedding venue. On the big day the fresh baked creation will have to be transported and set up, so it cannot come from miles away. If you are fortunate, word of mouth leads will come from friends and family. Checking out references supplied by the baker is another way to ensure quality service.

How to Make a Final Decision

Don't be afraid to book a few consultations with different bakers before making the final choice. Take your ideas to the consultation interview, browse catalogues, look at mock-ups and sample fresh cake. Liking a designer's work is crucial, but it is equally important to know that your preferences and requests will be heard. With an experienced consultant, choosing a wedding cake will be exciting.

How to Organize a Special Silver Wedding Anniversary Party

In planning to give a meaningful gift to a couple celebrating their 25th wedding anniversary, you need to plan and use some of your creative juice. Plan ahead and work out your plan taking into consideration important factors in the lives of the celebrants over the past 25 years. Figure out a lavish budget your pocket can afford and within such figure, list down possible best gifts in your assumed order of priorities based on how the couple will react. Visualize what they will comment for each gift. Will they cherish and remember it for a long time?

The traditional theme of a 25th wedding anniversary is silver and with that in mind, whatever appropriate gifts you will list down must have something silver attached to it literally or symbolically. How creative or imaginative can you get when you think of a present focused on the silver theme? Whether the couple is your parent, relatives or friends, your gift should reflect just how much you show your care and affection. Much more if you are the celebrant and your gift is for your spouse of 25 years.

This silver anniversary is classified as a momentous occasion or a milestone in the life of this wonderful couple. It is a proof of true love, respect and honor to one's commitment to the marriage vows to go through life's trials, failures and successes, tribulations or triumphs together.

What touching and loving gift can you come up with? How about organizing a silver anniversary party celebration to be mutually funded by immediate family members, close relatives, friends, members of the wedding entourage, wedding sponsors and special guests. If the celebrants are fond of dancing, book a ball room in a classy hotel. The wedding anniversary cake should have a silver topper and 25 candles adorned with silver ribbons. In as much as Iris is the flower symbol for the silver celebration, a bouquet of iris and red roses painted in silver will be presented to the wife and a bottle of Dom Perignon champagne to the husband.

During the scripted program, a video presentation highlighting videos, photos of the couple when they were children, teenagers, adults, as married couple, children, grandchildren, friends, homes, trips, including some greetings from friends and family members. Pre-planned gifts to be presented to the couple can be concert tickets enclosed in a silver envelope, engraved silver platter loaded with fruits, cheeses, Belgian chocolates and nutritional supplements. Some guests may choose to give a silver framed family portrait, a CD with popular songs from the 25 years of marriage, a quilt with family photos, a poem written in silver ink and framed in silver.

Others who wish to honor the couple can present a silver painted wish tree attached with gift certificates to an Italian or Thai restaurant, traveler's checks, weekend get away, spa and massage therapy certificates, gym or dance exercise membership's certificates. Special gifts from family members can be personalized silverwares, silver jewelry rings, necklaces, pendants, bracelets, earrings, watches for the couple.

If some guests would like something unique, they can give a series of gifts to trace the quarter of a century of spending life together. The sponsors will pool their funds together and come up with some contemporary or traditional gifts representing some historical facets about the couple from their first wedding anniversary down to the 25th wedding anniversary. These 25 different gifts will again be presented during the program in another video powered presentation.

Rest assured that if you and your inner circle were able to organize the silver anniversary party and hold it successfully with the actual delivery of the couple's 25th wedding anniversary gifts, they will be overwhelmingly touched and will forever cherish this gesture of love and best wishes from all of you.

Wedding Advice From an Interior Design Professional - Scrimping Without Skimping

Though I haven't yet had a wedding for one of my daughters, I do know from friends that half of the fun of getting married is planning the wedding. On that special day, just about every couple would love a grand affair with every imaginable embellishment. And for many, this is possible - for money is no object. What if, however, money is an object?

From a decorating perspective, there are answers if you follow the three F's: Fabric, Flowers and Fun.

1. Use lots of fabrics and use them in uniquely creative ways. Swag them from fishing lines to cover up old, unattractive walls; place them on the ends of pews or cut them into strips and hang them from trees to create movement for an outdoor wedding or reception. Another idea: Cover an arch or an arbor with fabrics in your favorite colors.

To inexpensively dress up the event, put big bows on chair backs or cover the chairs in a sheer fabric for an outdoor setting (e.g., atop grass in the park, in the sand of a beach or within a ranch corral on groomed dirt).

2. Furnish with flowers... everywhere. They need not be expensive flowers or in fancy containers. You can wrap buckets with fabric or paint tin trash cans the wedding colors. Then fill them with ivy, Ficus trees, daisy bushes or rose plants. Finishing touch: Consider covering an arbor in flowers.

3. Think fun! Make your own centerpieces. You can use three-tiered baskets and fill the layers with flowers, candy or the theme of your wedding (examples: shells for a beach wedding, pinecones for a mountain wedding, perhaps rose petals for a romantic wedding). Consider choices that reflect your wedding colors.

I love photo stations. A creative alternative is to showcase photos of the bride and groom within a centerpiece - perhaps individually clipped onto a small potted rose bush.

Place candles everywhere... atop tables, in the centerpieces, along the aisle where the bride will walk... everywhere.

A bride should always put her personal touch on any space. It's as simple as decorating around a birdcage housing her chirping pet canary or bringing in a portable fountain for the soothing sound of running water if she loves the ocean.

Don't forget to decorate the wedding entry - plants, flowers, runners, arches, a great table for the guest book, even a champagne bar near the entrance for early mingling.

With respect to all of the above, don't forget that when on a bridal budget it is important to shop for discount fabrics, frequent $1 stores, visit Craigslist for old buckets and the like and scour flea markets for such items as old chairs to paint for an outdoor wedding or reception.

Consider these suggestions with an open mind and I promise that you will come up with great ideas for a great buy. Wonderful weddings do not have to be expensive. From my experience, being creative is always more fun!

The Best Wedding Gifts for Newlyweds

This is one of the many occasions that you will have for you to think about a gift for the newlyweds. But what are some of the many viable wedding gifts that you can purchase? Because of the internet, it's now possible for you to purchase something for a newlywed couple that ultimately doesn't end up inside their cabinet.

Photo and album books are something that's able to stand the test of time. Look for ones that have black borders, that way you can ensure that it will match the d矇cor of the couple's home. According to many expects the colour black is capable of coordinating with the d矇cor of virtually all homes.

The best size for these books is 8 by 10. You can find a number of shops online that will allow you to customise it. Actually, giving the newlyweds frames as a gift is quite popular nowadays, it may be simple, but it's also memorable. Signature frames are also ideal gifts because it will enable you to have others participate in your gift.

Another excellent method of making the gift that you choose unique, is by having it customised, like robes, towels and so on. You should consider looking for flutes, glasses and candle holders that you can engrave. If the couple enjoy a drink of coffee, then you could consider giving them a pair of customised mugs. You should also consider purchasing items that you feel are not purchased regularly by people in general.

A weekend vacation is also another viable gift. Even a night at a big hotel would make an excellent gift.

With An Excellent Brag Book Design You Would Definitely Get The Job You Want

Seeking for employment is quite difficult, most especially in today's very competitive job market. To shine over the other job hopefuls is actually a very tough act to obtain, but you should not lose hope instantly. Know that with the right brag book, you can accomplish this aim.

For individuals who are not really familiar about a brag book, this is a portfolio that contains a selection of documents that would surely bring more weight to your list of outstanding accomplishments as well as qualifications. In order for you to make your very own brag book, you must gather all your essential files that showcase all your excellent skills as well as capabilities; this may include awards and recognitions, letter or testimonials of recommendations, samples or tear sheets of your best works, your resume and brief biography, membership to relevant associations, and of course, your certificates. All of these documents must be put together in an organized and cohesive way to effectively convey your story in the most compelling manner.

Once you are in the interview, do not forget to show your brag book from time to time. Also, leave your book or a copy of it with the interviewer to serve as a reminder of your application.

Basically, your objective is to create a well-designed scrapbook, and make your future employer as your target audience. Remember to make it as stunning and interesting as you possibly can, so that the selection panel would definitely allot time to read through it soon after the interview. Note that for many HR managers, brag books further supplement the statements made by the candidate, and also, show their initiative, drive as well as commitment. If you carry your brag book with you during the application period, you will most likely increase your chances of being singled out as one of the most outstanding applicant for the job position.

Keep in mind that it is very imperative to have your brag book well-designed and assembled, so that the presentation as well as template match the industry's standards. Therefore, get the services of a firm that specializes in tailor-made books as this would guarantee that the materials and binding are of excellent quality. These companies also offer similar products like prom books, wedding books and other keepsake-type portfolios for personal use and special occasions, as well as event and photo books for corporate use. Ensure also that your essential activities, accomplishments and events are all well recorded and archived for the purposes they might serve.

Find The Perfect Outdoor Wedding Venue In Marlborough

New Zealand is one of the top spots for tourists because of its variety and beautiful landscapes. There are so many different experiences to be had - you can find everything from the sand between your toes and the hot sun beating down on you at the beach to the snows and the cold on the slopes of the Southern Alps during ski season, all without even having to catch a plane. If you're looking for a perfect outdoor wedding venue to serve as the backdrop for your special day, don't look at an expensive trip overseas when an ideal location is right around the corner!

Marlborough

Known for its wine and the idyllic nature of the Sounds, Marlborough is the South Island's most breathtaking region. The calm vistas of the drowned valleys in the Sounds are absolutely incredible to behold - there's a reason why enough people find their way to Marlborough every year to make it one of the country's most popular tourist destinations.

A number of privately owned and public gardens are perfect venue choices for a wedding ceremony in Marlborough Sounds and, with 5-star accommodation options operating to satiate the demands of international tourists, you'll have all the help you need organising guests and the reception for your wedding with a local hotel or resort.

Check out of a few of these gardens that would make perfect venues and consider Marlborough for your special day.

Upton Oaks

An English-inspired garden grown around a 1911 Victorian villa, restorations began on the then-rundown Upton Oaks in 1987. Making the pages of numerous magazines and as the feature of a number of television broadcasts, the garden has been awarded the rating 'Garden of National Significance' by the New Zealand Garden Trust. Make an enquiry into their wedding services and visit Upton Oaks on Hammerichs Road in Blenheim.

Allan Scott Wines and Estates

An exceptional winery on Jackson's Road near Renwick, Allan Scott Wines and Estates boasts a gorgeous courtyard with surrounding gardens and views out over the vineyards where their grapes are grown. Allan Scott Wines and Estates is a great place for the ceremony and for lunch or the reception.

Hortensia House

Situated beside Spring Creek, just twenty minutes out of Picton, Hortensia House boasts a serene and peaceful garden. Blue and yellow are prominent colours in the garden and it is incredible just how calm the small pathways and green lawns make the area seem.

Choose somewhere unique and special for your wedding in New Zealand. With beautiful views and access to one of the best regions in the country, Marlborough's gardens are a great option to serve as the backdrop for your ceremony.

Finding a Perfect Wedding Videographer

A wedding is one of the most special moments in one's life. Now you can capture the moments and keep them alive for years with a wedding video. In order to make the best video of a wedding, the most important thing is the selection of a wedding videographer. With large numbers of videographers in the market, it might be a bit confusing in selecting the best one. Here, you will come across some useful suggestions which will help you choose the best videographer for your special day.

As you used the internet while searching for the wedding dresses, utilize it for finding a perfect videographer too. Through the internet you will not only find an ideal lead, but will also come to know about the different styles of wedding photography. Consulting with family members and friends who got married recently will also be able to give you some recommendations. An important thing to remember is if you build up a good rapport with your photographer, you will end up with beautiful images. So, it is better to meet them beforehand and discuss your requirements.

Visiting wedding fairs is one of the best ways for meeting different wedding videographers and their pricing structures. Prices vary as it mainly depends on the kind of photography package you choose. Be sure about the things inclined in the cost. Today, as most of the things are accomplished through the internet, you can have all your photographs on a copyright free disc or ask the videographer to make a traditional album. Before you make a disc or an album select the images that you want to include in it.

You will find varieties of options to choose from including mini photo books, collage style prints and canvas wraps. Before selecting any videographer for your wedding have a look at his or her earlier works. Try to find out whether the videographer offers DVD wedding videos or not.

With the advancement in technology, DVD is nowadays the standard form of a video. Therefore, while choosing a videographer, make sure he is able to offer a DVD copy. Although the bride and groom are the center of attraction on wedding day, a video photographer should focus on the guests also. So, ensure that your wedding videographer is able to capture them without disturbing them. Never forget to keep these things in mind while choosing a wedding videographer.

Anniversary Traditions To Make Your Next Anniversary One To Remember!

Your anniversary is going to arrive each year so you may find that it is fun to use that date as an excuse for a yearly traditions. Start at your first anniversary and it will give you something to look forward to for the rest of the year.

Taking some time away with each other is a great tradition for your anniversary. Whether you jet set for a year or a long weekend, it will be a chance for you both to unwind and leave the everyday stresses behind. You may go to the same location each year as part of your tradition or decide to try a new place each year. Taking the time to get away and relish in your love is a great way to spend any anniversary.

It is always fun to reminisce. Open up a bottle of wine and flip through your wedding album or watch the video. Talk about what you remember most of the special day. You may even want to try on your wedding gown or wear your veil as part of your stroll down memory lane. You may decide as you hit these early milestones that it is time to talk about the future of your family. Will it just be the two of you forever, or do you want to start a family? With each passing year, it is a great time to reflect and plan for the coming year.

Simple gift exchange on your anniversary may be just the thing for you. There are traditional and modern gifts to give, which make for a nice guideline if you don't know what to get the spouse who seemingly has everything. Giving the traditional gift is sentimental and will give your spouse a timeline of your anniversaries. Or make your own traditions. Maybe you really do have everything! Just taking the time to recount the events of the day one, five, ten years ago, will be a special way to remember your wedding.

10th Wedding Anniversary Ideas

A tenth wedding anniversary is a special milestone for all couples. Traditionally, a tenth anniversary is considered the anniversary of "tin or aluminum," as these are the gifts that are given traditionally. Nevertheless, a decade of marriage calls for a celebration. Some couples prefer parties, whereas other enjoy a romantic evening alone. It doesn't really matter how you go about your celebration, as long as you have a good time.

If you decide to spend your tenth anniversary alone together, make the evening memorable. Do something fun together. If you've hung onto cards, letters, and preserved flowers, make a scrapbook together. Laugh over a glass of wine. Discuss pictures, memories, and things to come. After a cozy candlelit dinner for two, exchange gifts with one another as the sun sets.

However, if you decide to go out for your anniversary, do it with style. Choose a fancy restaurant which hold a special memory. Perhaps you can revisit the location of your first date, or the place you proposed ten years ago! It'll warm any woman's heart. Revisiting the past can bring up sentimental feelings you haven't felt for a long time. Even if you're relationship is perfectly healthy, an anniversary is a wonderful time to rekindle your love.

Perhaps you'll throw a party, or book a vacation for two somewhere exotic. You can't go wrong there! These occasion only come once in a lifetime. If you choose to have a party for your tenth anniversary, make a list of everyone you want to invite! Call everyone before hand and confirm their addresses. Youdon't want your invitations to get returned, do you? Once you have an updated list of addresses, you can purchase invitations for your guests.

The type of invitations you choose shouldn't be very difficult. You can purchase invitations at a gift shop, or you can order them from a printer. Many couples order their invitations from a printer, as they're completely customized with a RSVP return card. Nevertheless, if you choose store bought invitations, you should always put RSVP information on your invites.

Many couples choose to open a gift registry for their anniversary party. If you decide to do this, mail that information with your invitation. Don't worry, it's not really presumptuous. It'll actually give your guests a better idea of what you may like to receive as a gift. It saves them a worrisome hassle and it keeps you from receiving duplicate gifts.

It's a good idea to purchase photo frame and decorations. Use the photo frames for pictures of you and your spouse throughout the years. Your guests will get tickled by the cute images. In addition, you'll want to make the atmosphere seem like a "party place." Hang streamers and banners from the ceiling. Put floral centerpieces and confetti on the tables. It'll really liven your evening up. Don't forget music! Hire a DJ or a band to entertain your guests.

A Very Unique Wedding Scrapbook

We have all been to weddings where the bride and groom have placed a pretty signature book somewhere near the entrance. A pretty pen or pens usually accompany this pretty signature book.

While these books are lovely, they almost never are looked at again. I know when I looked back at my own wedding guest book there were actually a couple of names I couldn't read.

With some planning, you can create a guestbook that will be created as the guests arrive. You'll need to choose a scrapbook prior to the wedding. You'll also need to hire someone who can take and print digital photos on the spot. Next, find a local scrapbook consultant who will put together the album as the photos are being taken, so that by the end of the evening, you'll have a scrapbook-guestbook that everyone can enjoy.

As your guests arrive, you'll have someone at the entrance taking their photos. I am not a fan of Polaroid photos. This is why I recommend digital photos. With a laptop and photo printer, the photos can be printed out as they are taken. There are electrical outlets in almost every lobby I've seen.

You'll also want to have available precut acid free paper and pens that your guests can write a personal message to you on. After their photo is taken or while they wait to have their photo taken, they can both write you a personal message and sign their names.

If you have someone there who can create the pages as the photos are taken, you'll have a completed guest book by the end of the evening. Embellishments and enhancements can be added by the bride and groom after the wedding, if they want to add these items.

This is a very unique way to create your guestbook and have a lasting memory of your very special day that you and others will look at over and over again.

Wedding Hairstyles And Wedding Haircuts

Getting married is one thing that every woman looks in his life. It is the day she will remember for the rest of his life. For any marriage, everything must be perfect, as the dress, the cake, food, the place where you are, to get married, music at the reception, tuxedos, and to cap it all for hairdressing for the great day. There are thousands of ways to dispose of your hairstyle for the big day, but choosing one is the tricky part.

Wedding hairstyles are any formal hairstyles to the princess, and many others. You have to decide what wedding hairstyles you will choose. It will also depend on how long your hair is thick and how it is. It will also depend on whether your hair is curly or straight, too. Picking your hairdo is a big decision since it is the biggest day of your life and you want to look as beautiful as ever. Many brides choose to put flowers in the hair, such as baby's-breath or simple flowers that are small. There are a few hairstyles up or down, this woman wear a tiara. This makes it look more like a fairytale hair style. You can add clips that have a type of fancy jewel on it or something to give your hair look classier.

You can have your hair where it hangs, but with a touch of beautiful curls. The People so that the wives to wear their hair where they have it up, but with loops hang framing their faces. This is a very sexy. As already stated, it will depend on what kind of hair you have. Therefore, when you go to the beauty shop, they will have marriage books you can go to get a better look at what you want. You can also go online and find photos and even instructions on wedding coiffure. That way, if you wish, you can have someone in your hair in your own home.

Otherwise, you can go to your beauty salon and get things done your hair. Not only the wife and get her hair done, but also the girl of honor and the bridesmaids also get their hair done. Now, the bride's maid and maid of honor mainly to a place, but if they have short hair, there are also many ways to make their hair as well. You can use braids, curls, or if it is long enough, put in place a part of it and leave the rest down. There are so many ways to do fancy hairstyles marriage that the list is endless.

Hiring a Photo Booth for Your Wedding

Party Photo Booths in the UK

What about a Party Photo Booth for your wedding?

As you go through your planning list, there are some essentials that appear on almost all; rings, dress, venue, flowers, photographer etc., more and more though, budgets include some form of activities or entertainment for your guests, over and above the traditional DJ.

Trying to provide appropriate entertainment, often when the diversity of the guest list has several generations, can prove a daunting task! Fortunately, this is something that the internet has helped change and at the click of a page, thousands of ideas and service providers spring onto the screen, with many willing and able to travel throughout the country especially for you!

One of the most recent additions to this list is are Party Photo Booths, which is usually hired for a fixed period of time. Having gained a degree of popularity in the south they are now proliferating throughout England, Scotland & Wales and indeed one or two now available in Ireland available for hire in Northern Ireland. There isn't a single national operator, currently most vendors are in the event management or wedding photography business, and this is an additional service.

"So why would you hire a Photo Booth"? Distinctly a Photo Booth is neither a photographer nor a substitute for one, indeed the two couldn't be further apart. True, when booking one, you should always ensure they are both using high-resolution, quality digital cameras but the key difference is one provides a service and the other fun entertainment!

Photo Booths themselves come in a variety of guises and sizes, the traditional or retro, which resemble the passport booths found in supermarket foyers, or alternatively a softer booth enclosed by curtains. Some may have a more contemporary appearance; others still a theme or design element. Unlike in the high street these aren't coin operated, instead it's free for your guests with the push of a button. Ultimately they all do the same thing, take a series of images behind an enclosed curtain and produce them as an instant print!

Additionally the vendors will also supply a myriad of accessories and extras either as part of the booth hire package or as additional options.

"Does the type of booth change what it does"? No, is the short answer, but it may have an impact on the images! You can't, for example, get many people in some of the smaller traditional solid booths.

As a standard with any hire, you should expect unlimited photos throughout the duration of the hire period and an optional prop box full of silly hats, glasses, wigs etc intended to add to the entertainment.

To help you and your guests get the most from the hire, generally the Party Photo Booths will come with an attendant or two. In most instances though the booth operation will be controlled by the guests themselves, who when ready, simply press a button to start the sequence. There may even be print options such as colour, black & white or sepia?

The next thing to consider is the prints themselves, modern software allows for these to be changed relatively simply. Most providers will have a range of designs likely to include standard, double strip passport-sized images together with a range of other options. In addition, almost without exception, they will offer some kind of personalisation of the final print such as your names, date etc. These are likely to be displayed on the vendors website, and will need to be ordered well in advance of the event. If you want something specific, it's worth asking and if your not sure ask for some samples electronically or by post!

Many companies provide an array of options perhaps the most popular being a 'guest book'! A brilliant keepsake.

Another popular option are online galleries. If you want privacy, check that the vendor can offer this password-protected, you may prefer however, to have your images available via a social networking site such as Facebook and or on CD or DVD.

Key rings, USB memory wristbands, duplicate prints, enlargements, projected images, montages and mosaics feature as standard options with many providers, several others strive to find more unique options.

Prices across the country vary from vendor to vendor and depending on your venue, in relation to them, some travel costs may form part of the equation. As for the cost of hire, expect to pay at least 500 to 800 for a package from a reputable company, dependent on location. Remembering that like the photographer, this uniquely offers a permanent keepsake to you and your guests long after the event.

Wedding Quotes - Ideas For Finding Just the Right Wording For Your Wedding

If you're planning a wedding, there's a good chance you're also looking for a great quote or two to include in your program, on personalized favors, or even in your vows. Here are six ideas for choosing the perfect quotation or saying to help you put your love into words.

1. Size matters. In what way will you be using the quote? If you're incorporating it into your vows, you can get away with reading a long poem or quotation. But if you're trying to add a saying to photo bookmarks or mint tins to give away at your reception, you'll have less room. In that case, it's best to go with something short, but meaningful. Here are some examples of sayings that would easily fit on invitations or wedding favors:

* This day I will marry my friend, the one I laugh with, live for, dream with, love.
* There is no remedy for love but to love more. - Henry David Thoreau
* Two hearts once joined in friendship, united now with love.
* To have and to hold, to love and to cherish, from this day forward...

2. Check the classics. You may be a very modern couple, but that doesn't mean you can't find inspiration from some quotes written a long time ago. Old quotation and poetry books, as well as websites can provide you with plenty of choices. Here are some samples:

* I love thee to the depth and breadth and height my soul can reach. - Elizabeth Barrett Browning
* For you see, each day I love you more - Today more than yesterday and less than tomorrow. - Rosemonde Gerard
* My love as deep; the more I give to thee, The more I have, both are infinite. - William Shakespeare
* Love does not consist of gazing at each other, but in looking together in the same direction. - Antoine de Saint-Exupery
* There is nothing nobler or more admirable than when two people who see eye to eye keep house as man and wife, confounding their enemies and delighting their friends. - Homer

3. They're playing our song. You might have one particular love song that you view as being particularly meaningful to your relationship. If so, why not borrow a line or two from the lyrics? You could also use the words from the song you have chosen for your first dance at the reception. By the same token, you could also take a line from your favorite movie, TV show or novel.

4. Have a look at the good Book. You can find some great quotes about love that are appropriate for a wedding in the Bible. Here are some verses to consider:

* Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails. -1 Corinthians 13:4-8

* Many waters cannot quench love, neither can floods drown it. - Song of Solomon 8:7
* There are three things that last: faith, hope and love, and the greatest of these is love. - I Corinthians 13:13
* I found the one my heart loves. -Song of Solomon 3:4
* And the two shall become one. - Mark 10:8

5. Light may be right. You don't have to take a serious approach to choosing the best wedding quote for you. Check out some funny, cute or amusing sayings and see if you find what you like. Here are a few possibilities:

* Love - a wildly misunderstood although highly desirable malfunction of the heart which weakens the brain, causes eyes to sparkle, cheeks to glow, blood pressure to rise and the lips to pucker.
* Love is what you've been through with somebody. - James Thurber
* We may not have it all together, but together we have it all.

6. Try your own words. Don't rule out writing your own wording. You can even borrow some of the ideas or phrases from quotations, but then rewrite them to make them more personal. You can also create a little saying that expresses your thanks to your guests. For instance, you might personalize wedding favors with, "thank you for sharing in the celebration of our love and commitment on our wedding day".

There are so many great wedding quotes available. Just decide how long or short the wording should be, then check the internet, quotation books, Scripture, songs, or even borrow a line from your favorite movie. With all these choices, you're sure to find just the right one for you.

Top 10 Romantic Anniversary Ideas

It can be hard to think up new romantic anniversary ideas. But believe me, its worth making the change from the usual "dinner and a movie" routine..

An anniversary is the best opportunity of the year to show your partner how much they mean to you.

Here are some great romantic anniversary ideas to keep you from getting stuck in a romance rut. Or maybe even help rekindle an old flame.

1. Take them out for a romantic nighttime picnic. Find a spot that overlooks an amazing view, like a natural lake or cityscape, or the top of a tall hill. Create a beautiful backdrop with the view you choose.

Pack your picnic full of goodies that you know your partner loves. Like wine, chocolate covered strawberries, hot chocolate, cookies, a salad or some homemade sandwiches.

2. Make them a home cooked candlelight dinner. Try these tips to make it extra special:

* Enhance the mood by playing romantic songs in the background

* Dim the lights and have candles create a romantic glow

* Fill the room with their favorite type of flowers

* Scatter rose petals on the dinner table

3. Bring back fond memories by taking your partner back to the place that you had your first date. Recreate it. Make everything that you do the exact same as that special night. Recreate all of the tiniest little details, such as music you listened to, places you went, the car you drove, etc.

Pay close attention to all the small details. The more thought your partner will know you put into it.

4. Secretly take your partner on a surprise romantic weekend getaway.
To make it a surprise, make it seem like you're taking them on a usual day trip that's not very exciting. Then take them to the airport and surprise them with the tickets to the romantic destination of their dreams.
To make it all run smooth, you can pre-pack their things, and arrange for them to have time off at work.

5. Gather up all of the old pictures ever taken of the two of you and make a romantic photo album or scrapbook. This gift is very thoughtful, and can be done by you alone, or you can spend an evening making it together. When you're done, the album should be full of special memories the two of you can cherish forever.

6. Take your partner to the neighborhood that they grew up in. Let them see their old home, where they went to school, and any other places they have mentioned over the years. This should bring back a flood of precious memories for them that they can share with you.

7. Show up at their work with an oversized box of chocolates and flowers. Do it right in front of everyone so they will all see. But only do it if they will like the special attention. Don't do it if they are the type of person that will get embarrassed.

8. Create a romantic bedroom makeover. Its probably something your partner will never expect.

Use soft and silky fabrics, rose petals, scented candles, romantic music, and top it all off with an intimate sensual massage.

9. Go for a romantic photo shoot together. This will give you sensual and romantic photos that will last a lifetime! (A common favorite are black and white photos).
You can make them as sexy, or romantic as you like.

There are lots of photographers to choose from. So search around until you find one that suites what you're looking for.

10. Print some free romantic love coupons to give to your partner. They're fun and flirty, and you can find them for free (see the website below). Or you can purchase them at any love store. Not only are they thoughtful, but you can customize them and choose to print off whichever romantic gestures you like.

I hope these romantic anniversary ideas have helped you find the best way for you to show your love. No matter what you choose to do, or how you do it. If you do it for them you can't go wrong!

Wedding Photography Tips for Amateur Photographers, Article 1

So - you love photography and have been asked by a friend to take pictures at their wedding. Why is it that it seems like every professional photographer will recommend you don't do it? Are they a bit biased? Maybe they don't want to be blamed for encouraging you to take the photos if you make mistakes and ruin the wedding photos...

I'm a wedding photographer that realizes every professional started out by photographing a "first wedding" at some point. While I will still recommend you give the couple a monetary gift so they can hire a professional photographer, if you are going to go ahead and do the photography yourself, I want to help you do the best job possible!

I remember spending more than a hundred hours working HARD to prepare for my first wedding. Learning as much as I could online. Buying wedding photography books. Taking practice photos (indoors and outdoors). Visiting the church and reception site. Taking more practice photos. Begging people (family members, relatives, friends) to pose for me so I could practice arranging...

IT IS possible for an amateur to successfully photograph a wedding - but you have to be willing to work really, really hard. And be willing to dedicate a lot of time to preparing for the wedding! And make sure the couple knows it is your first wedding so that they have low expectations. Then you can blow them away with your good results!

LEARN ABOUT LIGHTING

Do you know how to take well-lit photos in a variety of settings? Can you take nicely-lit photos that primarily use natural light while indoors? Or do you use "blast-flash" on all your subjects?

There are three basic settings on the camera that control exposure. Do you know what those three are? If you are a student of photography you should immediately know the three I am referring and should know how they interact!

#1 - Do you know what ISO refers to and what settings work best for various lighting conditions? If you stepped outside for some photos at a wedding, what would you move your ISO to? If you are indoors, what ISO setting will give you a good mixture of quality and light capture? At what ISO setting does your camera begin to take grainy photos? On my Nikon D300 I will shoot indoors at ISO 400 all day and end up with beautiful, grain-free results. If needed, I can go up to ISO 800. I try to avoid going higher than ISO 800 - but will do it if needed (there are tons of Photoshop plug-ins, free and paid, that can be used to lessen the grain).

#2 - Do you know what shutter speed you can comfortably shoot at without taking blurred photos? Four bits of advice relating to this one:

The first bit of advice is to hold the camera as still as possible while taking photos. Sound simple, but it's important! Don't jam the button down, press it gently.

Second bit of advice is to use a tripod whenever possible. I almost always use a tripod during wedding ceremonies that are indoors. Most of the time it is the only way I am able to get natural-lit shots of the wedding ceremony (due to the slow shutter speeds and dim lighting).

Third bit of advice is that, if you can't use a tripod, try to brace yourself on whatever is handy. Lean against a wall. Set the camera on the back of a pew as a stabilizer.

The fourth bit of advice is the industry-wide rule of thumb regarding shutter speeds: you generally shouldn't shoot at a shutter speed "faster" than the zoom of your lens. If you have a 50mm lens (don't forget about digital magnification factors) you would want to shoot at 1/50th or faster. A 200mm zoom would be best shot with 1/200th of a second or faster. But this is why PRACTICE is so important: over the years I have found I can shoot with a slower shutter speed if I am using flash (to find out about my flash lighting techniques, visit my web site which I link to below). I've successfully taken non-blurred images while indoors with extremely dim lighting using ISO 520, f2.8, 1/30th of a second exposure with a 70mm lens and some bounce flash.

#3 - Do you know what aperture setting is best for indoor photos? For outdoor photos? For achieving a blurred-background effect (shooting "wide open", which means a low-numbered aperture, for example f2.8 - with a zoom lens is all that is needed)? For having as much of the photo in focus as possible (a high-numbered aperture, for example f11 or f16)?

Photo Gifts Are Perfect for Personal or Business Special Occasions

Birthdays, anniversaries, graduations, holidays, weddings... All of these special occasions make people search for the perfect gift. This is easier said than done as many people don't know what to buy for their friends and family at gift giving time. They also usually don't like standing in long lines at department stores. There are some photo imaging companies that can solve most every gift giving problem with personalized, unique photo gifts. What's more these gifts can be created online and don't involve any time-consuming standing in line at the store.

A good photo imaging company can be an invaluable resource when it comes to selecting personalized gift items. For example, one could select a leather wedding album photo book. These books can be purchased with a variety of real leather and animal-friendly leather substitute covers to meet most every style and taste. Perhaps one would like to commemorate a special moment like a honeymoon or anniversary trip. Photo imaging companies can transfer photos of special moments onto metal to provide a nearly immersive feeling to the print. These unique metal prints can become family heirlooms.

Photo gifts can be more casual, too. Sharing photos has been a pastime for decades before people started doing it digitally on Facebook. Kids like seeing themselves in photos, and small photo books with shots of them at play, at a school event or on a family outing are great for kids to share with friends. These photo books are usually inexpensive and fun for kids of all ages.

Imaging companies also usually offer complete lines of specialty photo gift items. These can range from wall calendars, to photo coasters, to ornaments, bookmarks and stickers. Little kids love stickers so these photo items might make a fun stocking stuffer gift. Grandparents may appreciate a wall calendar where each month features a different family photo. Pet lovers may like wall calendars featuring family pets. Another fun gift idea is a photo puzzle. Kids can have fun putting these together and try to see if they can remember the event where the picture was taken.

All of the above photo gift ideas can be created online using downloadable imaging software. Many imaging companies offer this software to help people easily create unique photo gifts. If customers need help, the staff at the imaging companies is usually more than happy to assist people with their orders. Another good resource to check is the imaging companies' blogs, which often provide advice on how to create photo gifts. Imaging companies are also a good place for businesses to shop for unique photo imprinted items. Photo imprinted DVDs, business cards, boutique packaging, tickets, pocket calendars and even iPhone cases can be created. All of these items would make eye-catching giveaway items for tradeshows. Whether one is looking for personal gifts or business themed photo imprinted items, shopping online with a professional imaging company can result in top quality products that are right for every occasion.

Step by Step Guide to Getting Married at San Francisco City Hall

San Francisco City Hall is an amazingly beautiful place to have your wedding ceremony. It's convenient, inexpensive and available year-round. You won't need to spend nearly as much time planning a City Hall wedding as you would a traditional wedding, but there are still some things that need to be done in advance. I have been photographing weddings at City Hall for years and decided it would be helpful to provide engaged couples an easy to follow guide to getting married at this fantastic venue. Follow these steps and you can't go wrong!

1. Make reservations. You are going to have to make 2 reservations. The first one is to book a time to get your marriage license at City Hall. While you are there, you might as well book your wedding date. It is highly recommended that you obtain your license before the day of the actual ceremony. We have photographed a few weddings where the happy couple tried to do it all in one day. We almost missed the ceremony in at least 1 of these cases and it always adds an element of stress that isn't needed. You can book your ceremony date 90 days in advance. The County Clerk's office is open from 10am to 3:30 pm Monday through Friday and is located on the 1st floor.

2. Choose your location. There are a number of excellent locations to get married within City Hall. The Rotunda is located at the top of the large staircase and is the most common location for couples to have their ceremony. At the time of this writing, the fees were $73 for this location or a private room. The 4th floor balcony and the Mayor's balcony are some of our favorite locations, but you have to pay extra and reserve them if you want to be sure to secure them. Judges will often take you to these locations if you request them, but only if they have the time. If it's a crowded day, it probably wont happen so you will need to pay the extra fee. Currently the Mayor's Balcony costs $1,000 and you can invite extra guests and they will even provide seating. However, I have photographed weddings in these locations dozens of times and the couple didn't pay an extra dime. It's certainly a risk so if you have a large number of guests, pay the money!

3. Hire a professional wedding photographer. Yes, this is step 3! Why? Well because if you are going to get married at this beautiful venue you NEED to have great photos taken. If you think you are going to accomplish this with Uncle Jim who is "really great with a camera", think again! Any type of wedding photography is difficult, but City Hall can be a challenge with its changing light and tough angles. It is strongly recommended that you hire someone who has experience shooting weddings at City Hall. There are quite a few good ones out there, just search on Google or Yelp. Try to find a photographer that specializes in weddings and has done at least 3 weddings at City Hall.

4. Put together your guest list. This is the hard part. San Francisco City Hall only allows 6 guests for a standard wedding. In order to have more, you have to pay. Is this enforced? No. But should you show up with 20 people? No! The room is limited and if you bring this many people you will disrupt others who are having their ceremony around the same time as yours. Keep it under 10 people and you should be safe. Ask your guests to try to stay away from other couples having their pictures taken. It's the courteous thing to do! If you want to bring a large crowd, arrange it with the Clerk's office and pay the additional fee. You will be happy you did.

5. What to do on your big day. Most important... Bring your ID's and the marriage license! You will also need a witness. If you don't have anyone, your photographer can be your witness. The state only requires one. Check in for your ceremony is 10 minutes before the actual time. You should really plan on arriving at City Hall at least 30 minutes prior the this time to give you a moment to settle in and find possible locations for the ceremony. When you check in, be sure and ask your judge if you can choose your location. Depending on the crowds that day you may be allowed to choose your spot. Often times it will be dictated by what is available, but don't worry every location is fantastic. If you didn't choose a Friday or other special date, chances are you will be able to go wherever you want. Just be sure to ask.

6. Your married! What's next? If you hired a professional photographer, they will most likely take you on a tour of the building to photograph you in some of the best spots. Have fun with this and enjoy the beauty of San Francisco City Hall.

Custom Photo Holiday Gift Ideas That Won't Break Your Budget

Creating personalized photo presents for the Christmas holiday is an affordable means of offering distinctive gifts to your loved ones. The ideal Christmas presents are typically the kinds you create rather than buy ready-made. This collection of custom photo holiday gift ideas is intended to ignite your creative thinking. There are numerous amazing and useful items you may make using your digital images and the online software and stylish themes offered by web based photo companies will make it a snap. These are a few of my personal favorite customized picture gift suggestions for the holiday season:

Photo Books

My all-time favorite picture gift is a photo book. You could create a photo book for nearly every occasion and it's a particularly popular gift idea at the holiday season. Year-in-Review books are usually fitting. But do not attempt to incorporate every photo taken in the past year, or you will likely drive yourself nuts. Select a few key events, for instance the beginning of school, a birthday celebration, a family trip, a holiday event, family reunion, and so on. Cookbooks featuring beloved family dishes can also be a welcome idea. Photo books are particularly useful presents for the more mature members of your family who are more challenging to purchase for. You might incorporate snap shots of all the grand kids, for instance.

Photo Calendars

Personalized photo calendars are also terrific keepsake ideas. In my household tailor-made calendars have turn into a Christmas custom. If you have the time, tailor every calendar for each person using pics relevant to them and include birthdays and anniversaries. Photo calendars typically cost about $20, so they are special and reasonably priced gift ideas.

Customized Stationery Gifts

You can create appealing stationery items including individualized notepads and diaries. Personal note cards are also nice presents. Put a colorful picture on the front cover of thank-you notes or blank note cards. A scenic photo from your vacation or a picture of your children might be ideas.

Personalized iPhone Covers

What about designing a one-of-a-kind present for your tech-geek buddies and give them a slick iPhone cover custom-designed with pictures and even text? It's unique, keeps the phone protected and no one will ever mix up their iPhone with another. Kodak Gallery offers various cool-looking covers for the 4G, 4S and 3G iPhones.

Custom Canvas Prints

Canvas art featuring a stunning digital image is an excellent means of transforming a favorite picture into a lovely art piece. It's a stylish method to showcase vacation or panoramic pictures, family pictures or special event pics such as infants or wedding ceremony photographs. You can get customized canvas images in a range of dimensions and in styles such as framed canvas, easel, mounted luster prints and collages.

Custom holiday photo gift ideas abound. Other ideas include throws and blankets, clothing, mouse pads, decks of cards, puzzles, tote bags and handbags and so much more. If you have an idea of what kind of item you want to put a photo on, there is a personalized holiday gift out there for you.

Make Mother's Day Special With A Photo Book

Sending greeting cards is about much more than just marking a particular date in the calendar. Whilst it's now incredibly quick and easy to send a message to a friend or loved one via testing, tweeting, Facebook update or many other media, there is still nothing which gets across the message of how much you care more than actually choosing and sending a particular card. Taking the time and trouble to actually select a card which you think will directly appeal to the person in question is the best way to underline just how much you feel for them, and this is especially true on Mother's day. After all, it's really too easy to take your Mum for granted, if only because she's always been there for you and you know for a fact that she always will be - more than friends or any other members of your family, your Mother is the one who you can turn to in times of need or stress.

Giving Mothers day gifts is a way of acknowledging this fact, letting her know that you appreciate everything she does for you and saying thank you for all the time and trouble she's devoted to you over the years. Unfortunately, many people fall back on the same tired old ideas when it comes to choosing a gift for their Mum. Whilst a box of chocolates, a bunch of flowers or some perfume may well be genuinely appreciated, they are still somewhat impersonal in nature, and give the impression that you've just grabbed hold of the first thing you thought of and handed it over.

Mother's day photo gifts, on the other hand, are items which are put together around your own digital images, meaning that each and every one of them is utterly unique and wholly individual. The gifts which are available range from inexpensive items such as fridge magnets and key rings, which are priced so as to be suitable for young children to save up for in their own right, all the way up to more expensive premium luxury items such as stunning canvas prints.

At this premium end of the spectrum lie bespoke photo books - custom made volumes which are put together using a selection of your own images and using techniques and materials which are more than a match for those which cost a great deal of money from high street book shops. The process of designing and ordering a book such as this has been made incredibly simple. All that you need to do is select the images you want to feature in the book and then upload them to the website. Since this particular gift is intended for a mother, what could be more apt than a selection of favorite and best loved images of your children? Whereas, once, these photographs would be merely stuck into a tin or taped onto the pages of photo albums, they will now be printed onto rich, glossy photographic paper and bound between hard covers using materials which will last in perfect condition for many years to come. The software used to lay out the pages, add text and design every facet of the book has been kept extremely simple, meaning that no experience whatsoever is required to produce a book which will combine excellence with personal impact.

The range of things which you can now do using your own digital photographs is incredibly broad, going all the way from simple greeting cards to high quality Mother's day gifts. The one thing that they all have in common is that they're totally personal and will mean much more to the recipient than something mass produced and purchased from a shop. Watch your Mums face light up when she lays eyes on her very own 'We Love You Mum' photo book and you'll know you've made the right choice.

Creative Bridal Shower Themes

The main reason for throwing a wedding shower in the first place is to help prepare the bride, and the groom, for the beginning of their new lives together. Wedding showers serve as the perfect event for friends and family to provide the happy couple with the appropriate accessories and items they will need in their home. However, the venue to which this will all take place can be enhanced with bridal shower themes and party tips to help make the wedding shower almost as memorable at the wedding itself.

Best Laid Plans

Some useful tips for throwing the most memorable bridal shower include the timing, hosting, venue, guest list and theme. It is important to consider the timing as it is considered normal to throw a shower about two months prior to the wedding as the bride may have several showers to attend. Most of the time, the bridesmaids all come together to plan the wedding shower, but mostly the maid of honor will plan the event and pay for the festivities.

When choosing the location of the shower it should cater to the personality of the bride. Such locations may include a formal event hall, a botanical garden, hotel suite or private home. The guest list could depend on who is throwing the shower, for example the bride's boss may throw a shower consisting of co-workers or a sorority sister may throw a party inviting all college friends. The bride may experience many different showers with many different people and themes.

Popular Bridal Shower Themes

Whatever the idea behind the festivities, it is important to consider the personalities of the bride and groom. Their hobbies and backgrounds should be used to cater to their needs. Some popular bridal shower themes include:

- Lingerie showers: One of the most popular bridal shower themes is the Lingerie Shower. Have guests come dressed in their pajamas, serve food that would resemble that of a slumber party and of course every guest brings lingerie as a gift.

- Honeymoon showers: If it is a honeymoon shower, have the theme of the party resemble the location of the honeymoon with food served in that particular area. For example, if the couple is going to Hawaii, create a luau and have guests bring gifts such as sun screen, sun glasses, beach towels and bathing suits. If the couple is going somewhere in Europe, have guests bring gifts such as travel journals, cameras, alarm clocks, translation booklets and serve food reflecting the culture of the country being visited.

- Making Memories showers: For a making memories shower, popular gift ideas include picture frames, photo albums and scrap books. Close friends of the bride and groom can bring framed pictures of the happy couple to help decorate their new home. The bride's and groom's favorite food can be served to enhance the personalized theme on behalf of the couple.

- Spa showers: The spa shower includes the bride and guests meeting at a local day spa or bringing a mobile spa to the shower venue to treat everyone to massages, manicures and facials. Gifts can include nail polish, at home manicure and pedicure sets, at home facial products, towels and flip flops. Food served can include chocolate covered strawberries and champagne.

- Kitchen Showers: Another one of the popular bridal shower themes is the kitchen shower. Guests bring kitchen and cookware items for the bride to stock her kitchen. For food purposes, this party is treated as a potluck as shower guests often bring over homemade dishes and recipes for the bride to use.

- Stock the Bar Showers: This type of event is also another great couples bridal shower theme. Guests can bring various types of beer, wine and liquor. Glassware, blenders and other bar equipment is also good. It goes without saying that the party will include various cocktails and spirits chosen among the bride's favorite drinking pleasures.

Use Printed Photo Books to Market Your Business

Who doesn't like a good photo? Better yet are great photos that show your business in a positive light. Chances are if you own your own business you are also eager to show off your business in the best way possible. One way to do this is to take pictures of an aspect of your business (or have a pro take them) and then use the pictures to create a professional looking photo book that you can use to successfully market your business.

The possibilities are endless and you can be really creative with your approach. Do you own a bakery? Take pictures of that wedding cake being created, from mixing the ingredients to decorating the cake. Don't stop there. Finish with a picture of the happy bride and groom cutting the cake and smiling into the camera. Add some text to the page to indicate cake sizes and price and you have something that tells a story and creates some emotion. The finished book is a professional looking marketing tool. This is so much better than looking at a picture of a generic wedding cake encased in a protective sleeve that you slide across your counter as a sales tool.

Are cupcakes your specialty? Take pictures of them being decorated in creative ways and ask to take pictures when they are handed out. It is always easy to use your own family in the photos. A pre school birthday party, a baby shower or a family member's office gathering provide a great opportunity for this project. Take pictures of the smiles and enjoyment and showcase these pictures in a small photo book that you can leave on display at your business. Let the event sell the product.

Are you fundraising? Have someone take pictures at your event and then you can make a small photo book that can be given to each of the sponsors as a thank you gift. The cost is minimal, the returns immense.

Printed photo books are a great way to tell your story and to get others to take notice of what you have to offer.

Some Photography Tricks for Wedding Brides

Wedding photographer is the most important person in the wedding! He clicks the most beautiful pictures, arranges them for you and makes you a lifetime of memories. Even though he does his best, you can also contribute a bit.

Planning: Arrange a photographer before the actual ceremony so that he can take pictures of different things before wedding. Decorations, bride getting ready and certain other things if noted can give you nice memories.

Lighting: Imagine the correct lightning effects. If the wedding is in evening try to schedule it with the kind of lighting you love to have. Ask the photographer to put in certain effects if the timing doesn't match.

Have an eye for detail: If you want to capture even the slightest detail, ask the photographers to do that for you. Order for bouquets or colors you wish to have in marriage. Never leave everything on others, take care and try to bring as much life as possible in your wedding. It's your wedding and you matter the most.

Make up: Get your make up done as you wish to. Ask the makeup man to give you a trial before and give him directions as you wish your make up to be. Ask the photographer to click your picture when you ready. He should take beauty shots of you as soon as possible and with friends. This will give a beautiful image and will be clutter free.

Ask suggestions from the photographer: If you have broad frame body, ask him to click the photographs accordingly. Ask him to make you look thin at least. Photographers are expert, ask them about how to stand and pose in front of people. This will help you and him both.

Once all the photographs are clicked, the photographer develops them and starts making a digital wedding album. It is instant and better than the older ones. You get to access the pictures from anywhere and any day.

Just take care of certain points such as the photographer is experienced or not. He should be well experienced with clicking wedding photographs. Do not forget to have a look at the testimonials or recent photographs clicked by the photographer. That will give you an idea of his work.

There are many websites online that provide information on digital wedding photo albums, go through some and decide. Make your wedding a celebration to remember by getting a digital album made!

Wedding Reception Advice - Tips For Your Wedding Guest Book

Being in the wedding business, I tend to notice guest sign-in faux pas at events I attend. Usually, they are nothing major. But even the little things (like where a guest book is placed) can result in little glitches (like a slow moving line). So, I've compiled some wedding guest sign in books tips. If even one of them makes your reception or wedding day run a little smoother, my mission is accomplished!

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  Make sure your wedding guest book is located somewhere where everyone who enters will see it and sign it. This seems obvious, but unfortunately, I've been to weddings where half the guests never saw the wedding sign-in book because it was placed in an "out of the way" location. The resulting lack of signatures was...well, depressing. I've found that having the guest book in plain site might not be enough either. It might be a good idea to catch your guests as soon as they enter. If the book is located somewhere away from the entrance, many guests might see it, and intend to sign it eventually, but end up forgetting. Another option is to have a member of the wedding party circulate the wedding guest sign in book around the tables during dinner or entertainment.
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  Remember, it will take people time to sign the guest book, so if it can be positioned so guests can sign-in while they wait in your line...all the better! If you don't have a line, make sure you place the guest book in a location that's easily visible from the entrance, but doesn't block the flow of traffic. (Traffic jams at weddings are so last season.:)
  
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  Choose the right kind of pen or marker for your wedding sign-in book. Make sure it will last. Choose a tip that will be legible. Choose a color that compliments your book, and is easy to see. Consider the type of paper your wedding guest book has (glossy, etc), and choose a pen that won't smear or leak through the pages. How the pen writes is more important than how it looks! (What good is a cute feathery pen if it ends up making all your guests' signatures look like smeary blobs?) I often suggest having a friend or family member sign the guest book in advance for a pen test run.
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  Think about your reason for having a wedding guest book. Is it to add a unique detail to your reception? Is it to preserve the names of guests in attendance? Is it to ask for advice or messages from guests? A combination? Make sure the guest sign-in option you choose fulfills your reason for having a guest book. Make sure it's quality and will last if that's important to you. Make sure it's something you'll want to display around your future house if storing it in a closet isn't what you have in mind. Make sure it's well-thought out and...YOU!
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  Make sure your wedding sign-in book has enough pages for everyone to have room to sign. Wedding experts typically say to plan on 50% of the guests you invite showing up, so make sure the book has enough room for that many people to sign.
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  Remember, your wedding guest book can play a key role in setting the tone for your guests. It will be their introduction to your wedding's colors, theme and personality. Let it tell your unique story!

Traditional Wedding Anniversary Gifts

It's customary for married couples to celebrate their wedding anniversaries and tradition states that there are certain types of gifts that are appropriate to give for each anniversary. These gifts traditionally represent materials that symbolize a marriage built in strength. They appear to have evolved during medieval Europe, when women were presented with wreaths of silver for the twenty-fifth anniversaries and wreaths of gold for the fiftieth. If you've been invited to party for a couple celebrating a major wedding anniversary, use this following list of traditional gift materials coupled with updated gift ideas and you'll be certain to wow the celebrating couple.

First Anniversary.
The first wedding anniversary is associated with paper. You could give a card, of course, or you could push the envelope a little bit (quite literally, in fact) with a stationary set customized with the couple's initials. An inspiring book about love also makes a great paper gift.

Second Anniversary.
It is tradition to give a gift of cotton for a second anniversary. Clothing may be too personal of a gift to give, although, if you're close to the couple, a set of matching pajamas would make a charming gift. If that's too intimate, opt for a decorative pillow with some sort of inscription of love of heart on it.

Third Anniversary.
Leather is the custom for this one. Today it easy to find stylish, leather-adorned items for the home. Try a large picture frame or photo album. If you're going to album route, why don't you start it off for the happy couple and add a few picture of them to it before you wrap it up and present it.

Fourth Anniversary.
A fourth wedding anniversary calls for gifts of linen or flowers and fruit. Since it can be quite difficult to find a gift made of linen that's appropriate for a couple. Stick to fruit and flowers and send a nice big basket of fruit or an edible arrangement.

Fifth Anniversary.
After five years of marriage you're supposed to give something made of wood. You'll have a lot of options for this one, particularly when it comes of home d矇cor. Large wooden bowls make nice gifts as they are as functional as they are easy to look at.

Tenth Anniversary.
A decade of marriage is quite a milestone and, believe it or not, calls for a gift of tin or aluminum. So how do you make this special? It's easier than you think. Give the couple a selection of beautiful candles that come in tin containers. Or if they're, tea drinkers, a selection of tea tins. If you hit the antique stores for this one, you'll find a lot of neat collectable made of tin, as well.

Twentieth Anniversary.
After twenty years of marriage you're supposed to give a gift made of China. This one's an easy one. If you know you couple well, you'll be familiar with their current China collection, so get them a serving piece that complements that collection. If you'd prefer to steer clear of China, opt for a decorative sculpture or figurine.

Twenty-fifth Anniversary.
A twenty-fifth year wedding anniversary is known as the silver anniversary, so it makes sense that the gift you give should be on of silver. Since you're buying for a couple, you'll want to steer clear of jewelry and give them something they can both use together. As with most of the aforementioned gifts, items for the home work well. Choose a silver picture frame, a larger charger or a vase.

Thirtieth Anniversary.
The traditional gift for this anniversary is pearl. Aside from jewelry, items made of pearl can be difficult to find. Small pearls spoons make a nice gift. Since they're generally used for serving caviar, why not present them with a container of caviar for an extra special touch? You could also think outside of the box on this one and get the couple some pearl colored.

Fortieth Anniversary.
A fortieth anniversary is the ruby wedding anniversary. Gems, yikes! Don't fret. You don't need be quite so literal on this one (unless you've got the means too). Buy something that's ruby in color, such as a beautiful ruby-color vase or wine glasses. A luxurious ruby-colored throw would make a great gift the couple could share, as well.

Fiftieth Anniversary.
The traditional fiftieth wedding anniversary present is the gift of gold. Keep in mind that most couples who celebrate their fiftieth anniversaries pretty much have everything they need, so your gift doesn't need to be extravagant or made of real gold, just thoughtful. Gold candlesticks make nice presents. Make it special by offering to cook a candlelit dinner for them one night. A gold-plated frame with a sepia-toned copy of their wedding picture in it also makes a thoughtful gift. Again, it doesn't need to be expensive just special.

Choosing to give an anniversary gift based on the traditional materials is a fun way to commemorate the occasion. By using some of the ideas in this article you'll not only touch upon those traditions but also give them a present they will actually use. And remember, gifts are just a token of occasion. The most import detail is that you celebrate the couple and their years of love for one another.

Ideas For A Vintage Themed Wedding, One Of This Year's Hottest Trends

Out with the old, and in with the... old? That's what celebrities Annie Lennox, Anne Hathaway, Blake Lively, Natalie Portman, and Matthew McConoughy seemed to think at least. Celebrities and their wedding planners have their fingers on the pulse of trends in fashion, and weddings are no exception!

No wonder vintage themed weddings debuted as such a hit last year. This chic remake of the 1920's era is all about style and grace. From the decor to the attire, an antique look is the perfect choice for your wedding day.

Colors and Decor

The most popular and traditional-looking vintage wedding tones have been rose pinks and champagne beiges. It almost brings to mind the sepia-tones of an old photograph.

Damask, chandelier silhouettes, and love birds are great choices for prints and design to add some dimension.

Dress

Wedding gown designers are realizing the popularity of this trend in vintage styles and have created some stunning options for you. Lace is one of the main ingredients. Overlays of gently hanging delicate lace over satin are truly feminine and sweet.

Some designers are offering a variety of shades in champagne and rose tones. Or you can accent with a belt or sash of these antique tones to add a little splash of color.

This is also a great opportunity to wear gloves. Wrist length, elbow, or full length gloves can be the perfect touch depending on the style of your dress.

Hair

Long hair is swept up or back in a relaxed or loose style. Soft waves or hanging pieces can add texture. Chignons at the base of the neck are a great idea for the sophisticated look. For shorter hair, cropped bobs and bangs are the most authentic to the era.

Headpieces and Veils

Your choice of veil or headpiece can really set-off your entire look. From head bands with feathers and large decorative or jeweled pieces, to beaded caps, there are many ways to be sure to look the part of a vintage bride. These options are great for shorter hair.

For the traditional veil, long and sweeping yet soft looks are more true to the time period of the 1920's. Choose something that lays closer to the head without much height or layers that stand out too full.

For the groom and groomsmen, don't forget the choices in hats that help to pull their look into the overall theme as well. You can go old-time gangster style with white bands, or simple fedoras. For formal weddings, top hats and tails like something you'd see on the Titanic are a great choice.

Jewelry

Vintage wedding jewelry can actually be one of the most important details of the ensemble. What's even better is that you will want to wear it again because it's currently in style and can go with so many other outfits!

There are a lot to choose from but the most popular designs seen are usually pearls and larger pieces of off-center rhinestones. Because of the simplicity of the rest of the attire, you can get by with a more elaborate jewelry set. This can be a focal point to complement your dress and headpiece.

Shoes

You have to love an occasion to wear cute strappy shoes, or thick lower heals like traditional "pumps" with large bows, buckles, or jewels. Or how about wearing the still-stylish lace up "granny boots" for kicks under your vintage gown? You may have some trouble making up your mind with this one because there are TONS of cute shoe options to choose.

Accessories

Vintage lace style wedding accessories help you bring decor and function together. Guest books and pen sets, ring bearer pillows, even your garter can be found with this style.

Flowers

Flowers play an important role in the vintage wedding. Real wedding bouquets in the 1920's were HUGE! They were sometimes longer than the hemlines! But what a gorgeous tradition, and one you should consider keeping for a truly authentic and beautiful vintage wedding.

Be sure to include lots of roses, hydrangeas, and lilacs to match the heirloom tones of the style.

Favors and Gifts

Make sure to have plenty of vintage style favors to thank your guests for sharing your day.

And for your guys and dolls who stood up with you while you said your "I Do's", don't forget to present them with a great gift. For the groomsmen, pocket watches have been a traditional favorite and go with the overall theme. For the bridesmaids, maybe consider that dazzling vintage necklace set for the special day.

Photographer

You'll want to preserve the charm of the day with excellent photography. Make sure your photographer knows your theme ahead of time. They may have some creative ideas to help you record the moments. Vintage wedding photos look especially elegant in black and white so be sure to have some printed in a true old-fashioned way!

Getaway Car

Some couples have even gone so far as to rent vintage vehicles from the 20's or 30's to magically transport them as husband and wife. Imagine the great photo opportunities around this set of wheels!

After almost an entire century, we're still drawn to these styles. They're timeless and classy. Weddings are the perfect opportunity to bring them back for a day! With these essentials, you can be the best "ragtime bride" that's ever walked down the aisle!

Wedding Invitation Wording For Brides

Many brides have never been married before, and planning a wedding for them can be stressful and overwhelming. Especially when it comes to the pressures of writing their wedding invitations. Whether it's traditional wording or a more fun and modern feel, I have written a few examples brides can use to help them along the way.

"Two lives, two hearts joined together in friendship united forever in love It is with joy that we invite you to share in a celebration of love as we exchange our marriage vows on:"

"Because you have shared in our lives by your friendship and love, we invite you to share the beginning of our new life together when we exchange marriage vows on:

You work, you play and then, one day... love just happens! We invite you to be a witness to one of life's loveliest surprises as we are joined together in matrimony on:"

"The pleasure of your company is requested at the marriage uniting Tabitha Newton and Nicolas Hamilton on:"

"It is with great honor that we invite you to share this joyous celebration of love with us as we exchange marriage vows on:"

"Please celebrate with us the freshness of new life and new love as we exchange wedding vows on:"

"Together with our parents, we request the honor of your presence at our marriage on:"

"We invite you to be with us as we begin our new life together on:"

"We joyfully invite you to share in our happiness as we unite in marriage on:"

"Something borrowed and something blue; some things are old, some things are new; someone to care and share your life; the dream of every husband and wife. Please join us as we unite in marriage on:"

"In the spirit of the season we have found the perfect reason to gather friends and family... We request the honor of your presence in our marriage on:"

"We request the honor of your presence in our marriage, as we begin a life of dreaming, loving and sharing together on:"

"We would be honored and happy if you would share in the joy of our union in marriage on:"

"We invite you to be with us as we celebrate our new life together by exchanging marriage vows on:"

"We invite you to share with us a celebration of our love as we exchange marriage vows on:"

"We would be honored and happy if you would share in the joy of our union in marriage as we exchange our vows on:"

"Please celebrate with us in the freshness of new life and new love as we exchange wedding vows on:"

"With joyful hearts we request your presence to celebrate in our exchange of marriage vows on:"

"We invite you to share in our marriage, celebration of love, devotion, and family as we exchange wedding vows on:"

"It is with great joy that we, together with our parents invite you to share in the joy as we exchange marriage vows to begin our new life together on:"

"We would be honored and happy for you to share in the joy of our union in marriage on:"

"Because you have shared in our lives your friendship and love, we invite you to celebrate with us as we exchange marriage vows on:"

These are only some of many examples that can be written. Of course fit your invitation to your personality and color theme of your wedding. to give guests an idea of what to expect when they arrive.

If you're having a destination wedding feel free to get a little more creative and non-traditional. such as sending guest boarding pass invitations or passport invitations, wording and info in these invitations is limitless so feel free to be creative.

More information and wording can be found on our website http://www.empireinvites.ca

How to Remember Your Wedding Day

You spend months planning it. You've talked about it to anyone who will listen for hours on end. But after the big event, how do you remember your wedding day? How do you treasure every intimate detail of the day which, more than any other day of your life, was so carefully prepared for?

The fact is, memories are powerful. When you say 'I do', you're making a lifetime commitment. It won't always be easy to keep those vows, but your memory is a powerful tool in helping you remember why it's worth it. Every memory you build with your spouse is another beautiful thread in the tapestry of your lives, weaving you closer together. The more threads, the harder it is to break them apart. Valuing memories together shows how much you value your relationship.

So how can you find ways of remembering your wedding day together, so that each year of your marriage celebrates your love and strengthens it?

1. Your wedding album. There's something so very special about a wedding album. I remember as a child, the thrill of excitement whenever my Mum pulled down a black box and brought out the off-white, silken album. I loved the patterned texture of the cover and the rustle of tissue paper, the sheen of the photographs and the thickness of the paper. They probably only had about twenty photos in there, but each one was a unique moment in time. A February wedding with unexpected snow; the garden photos revealed the white frosting on the lawn. The digital age means that most couples receive many more images of their day, and reportage style photo journalism means that even more of those one-off moments are captured forever. I think it's great that couples can have CD of pictures, but don't miss out on a professional album as well. In the future, when you want to look through photos together and be swept off to that romantic and beautiful day you shared together, being huddled over a screen or amidst the glare of Facebook isn't going to create the right atmosphere! Get an album, and don't cut corners. Make sure it's perfect.

2. Video the ceremony. Now, I have to admit I was sceptical about this. When we got married, there were much-loved relatives who couldn't be there and that was the sole reason we arranged for our service to be filmed. But we have watched our wedding DVD every year at least once - and we're coming up to our fifth anniversary this year. It's surprising how much you forget... and how much that recording helps you to remember!

3. Use a famous poem or reading. I'm all for a bit of Shakespeare ('Let me not to the marriage of true minds/ Admit impediments...') and the apostle Paul's description of love in 1 Corinthians 13 ('Love is patient, love is kind...It does not keep a record of wrongs') always challenges and inspires me. If you use something well known, you're likely to come across it again and again and again... and every time, it will remind you of your special day.

4. Write a diary entry on the first day of your honeymoon, recording absolutely every detail you can possibly remember from your wedding. It's great to both write your own account, but work together so that you make sure you remember as many details as possible. It may seem that your day was so wonderful it's impossible to forget, but the memories will fade unless you preserve them while they're still strong in your mind.

5. Renew your vows regularly. I'm not talking about hiring a church and having a second wedding (though this kind of formal occasion can work well for a milestone anniversary), but just you and your spouse, repeating your vows to each other and expressing verbally that you still love each other and you're still committed for better for worse, for richer for poorer, in sickness and in health. As time goes by, your vows take on new meanings with all that you've shared together. Repeating them is a great way to say 'I love you' in a deep, rich way, and also sparks a reminiscence of your day which you can delight in nostalgically.

Digital Photo Wedding Album

For a contemporary, unique and highly personal wedding album, have you considered a digital wedding album created by you with the help of your wedding guests? The result is a wonderful collection of intimate, personal pictures presented as a top quality album in the style of your choice.

The days when wedding albums were heavy leather-bound paper tomes, inevitably stuck in the back of a closet gathering dust are long gone. A digital photo album is a fantastic coffee table book that you will want to show off and look through again and again.

Obviously professionally taken photographs are fabulous, but you cannot underestimate the variety and spontaneity of photographs taken by your friends and family. So many couples spend their wedding day in a whirl of excitement, with little time to draw breath, and many admit that after the wedding, they felt as if they missed out on spending time with many of their guests, particularly if it is a large wedding. Imagine the joy of looking through your wedding photos, contributed by your guests, and seeing your wedding through their eyes. Wedding guests often capture moments that are missed by the official photographer, and using a collection of photographs from several different guests will increase your chances of having photographs of the majority of your guests.

If you know in advance of the wedding that this is the kind of album you want, you can let your guests know so that they can use their best photography skills on the big day! If you have a few guests who are keen amateur photographers, they will probably be snapping away all day anyway, but if they know what you are planning to do with the pictures, they can really make the most of their talent. Make sure you have all aspects of the day covered including of course the bride at home before leaving, guests arriving at the venue (e.g. church), the wedding party (bride and groom, bridesmaids, parents etc) after the ceremony, the meal and the reception.

You will undoubtedly find photos that you absolutely love, and you may decide to have these printed to be framed and displayed in your home.

The process is simple. Sign up for the service. Create your album by choosing what page size you'd like to have. A classic wedding album size is 12" x 12". Setup your album for sharing with your friends and family. Invite them in to upload their best photos and or just browse through the collection of digital photos. Begin creating your album's pages using the photos uploaded in to the gallery. Creating a page is as simple as selecting the page design, dragging photos on to the design and optionally adding text.

For a special touch, you could add other elements to the album by scanning and then uploading them to the gallery, such as the wedding invitation, the order of service and the menu.

Once you are done designing your album you then publish it making it ready for ordering. You can decide on what paper weight and finish you'd like (satin or glossy).

Because the album is created online, it is easy to try different layouts and experiment with alternative templates in a way that is not possible with a conventional bound album.

As well as being truly individual style of wedding album, a digital wedding album can be a cost-saving way of presenting your photographs. Once you have your first digital photo album, you may never go back to traditional albums! Digital albums are great not just for weddings but any special occasion; digital pictures of a newborn make a fantastic baby gift and a selection of party photos is a great way to remember birthdays and anniversaries.

High Volume Photography - How to Make Real Money in the Photography Industry

If you are trying to hunt down individual wedding customers when you are starting out you will starve. Building a good wedding business takes years if not decades. Even then you are still dependent on the next wedding. If you are really good, word of mouth will keep the business coming, but it is a much harder way to earn a living, especially starting out. If you really love photographing weddings that is great, but if you want to earn a living to support you while you build that business then I suggest high volume photography.

What is High Volume Photography?

High volume photography (referred to from here on as HVP) is simply photographing a high volume of customers at a single location or venue. Think about it, a really good wedding photographer might be able to get $3000 for a wedding, but not starting out. With HVP, you book one account and get 100 customers to come to you and spend $30 each. Both scenarios are worth $3000, but would you rather try and hunt down individual wedding customers and convince them to spend a $3000 with you or would you rather have multiple customers show up at your picture day and spend $30. To me the answer is easy. The most recognizable form of HVP is something everyone has experience with, school portraits. I do not recommend starting out in HVP as a school photographer. School photography is a VERY hard business to break into and it is not a good industry in which to cut your teeth.

Another form of HVP is youth sports photography. I started out as a youth sports photographer. Youth sports photographers can earn a really good living while still relatively new in the industry. Also, there are multiple different options to purchase a franchise or license the brand of a more experienced youth sports photographer such as Legends or MVP Studios. This also comes with their experience and knowledge on how to succeed when you are starting out. They have already made most of the mistakes for you, so learn from someone else. You wouldn't believe the amount of detail necessary to successfully run a single youth sports picture day, much less 10 in one day. It is well worth the money to get the knowledge and brand of a proven youth sports photographer.

The other main form of HVP is event photography. Event photographers also have the benefit of the paying customers coming to you. There are tons of different types of event photographers ranging from corporate event photographers, prom photographers or even Marine Corps Ball photographers. The common denominator being that you show up at a venue and the customers come to you. Now that is my kind of business!

In my next article we will discuss the pros and cons of outdoor and indoor picture days.