New Hope Soap Blog

Resources that could make your wedding planning less stressful and more productive!

Ah, weddings!  Love and romance fills the air while dreams of a future together occupy the heart and mind.  The wedding plans themselves, however; can frustrate and sap the energy of even the most excited bride-to-be.  To keep you from biting your nails over the plethora of decisions that must be made, take a look at these wedding planning resources created for helping a bride plan her own wedding.

Staying within your budget is important

This should be the first thing to consider.  From choosing the venue to bridesmaid’s gifts, before you know it, you’ve over-spent your wedding allowance.  See Bridal Guide, The Simple Dollar, and The Knot, for budget-friendly advice.

Organizee your ideas

To keep your ideas together, especially if you are playing around with more than one theme idea, a wedding journal comes in handy.  Zazzle offers an array of notebooks just for the occasion that range in price from $5 to $50 with a variety of subject and design options.  Of course, if you’re a super-organizer, any pad of paper will do.  For the computer savvy, there are web sites that offer online planning software to organize your thoughts and ideas.  The Knot offers iPhone apps such as a planning checklist, wedding budgeter, and guest list manager, as well as personalized wedding websites to help organize details and showcase your ideas to family and friends.

By Linda Hilliard - Author of the Book
E-mail Your Weight Away - Diet Dialoges for Women

When my eldest daughter got married a few years ago, I had it easy. She planned every detail of her wedding. I just had to show up as the beaming mother-of-the-bride. For my younger daughter: Well, not so much. I was assigned the role of finding the wedding photographer.

I learned several obvious, but basic facts about wedding photographers: Some are good/some awful; they can cost a fortune; and you have to shop around. Oh, and I also learned: DO NOT use your cousin’s son who took a photo class in high school and swears he’ll do a “good job.”

Post by
Kevin Bryan
KJBryan Photography

So you want to capture great memories of your wedding...here are five things to keep in mind in selecting and working with your photographer!

1.  Don't let a beginner practice with YOUR wedding.
   
   Friends don't let friends take their wedding photos, and there is good reason for this. If the bride and/or groom are disappointed with the results, or if something should go seriously wrong, this could put a lasting strain on the friendship. Professionals take pains to make sure there are no problems, or at least none that can't be remedied. Extra cameras, multiple copies of the digital images, and other precautions make sure that these once-in-a-lifetime photos are captured secured. Should a friend make a mistake or have an accident, not only will your photos suffer, you may also damage a valued relationship.
   
   In terms of quality, an experienced professional will have more than just a few impressive images to show you. You will see a wide variety of work, and consistent success at capturing all the phases of a wedding day.