A few of the weird favor highlights include the following:

• A can of sardines
• A gray plastic rock with a little Celtic symbol on it.
• A mini bar of soap. (The recipient said “My uncle thought it was white chocolate and took a bite”)

There is a right way to include favors though and below are a few of our favorite ideas:

Honey & Granola

Candy (any colorful kind) in a jar with a cute ribbon or twine (jam/jelly also works nicely)

Caramel or Candy Apples

Potted bulbs or succulents

****

Can you tell us a bit about yourself and your business?

My name is Bryan and I am a wedding photographer. I started my business by accident while I was working in the Surf and Skate industry in Orange County. A friend asked me to photograph his wedding and 3 years later I’m now a full time photographer and I have the single most rewarding job in the world.

What is your average day like?

How I wish this were an exciting answer like editing images while sipping drinks from the deck of my clients yacht. Or photographing from helicopters…alas, I wake up, have a bowl of cereal and start editing images from the weekend’s wedding. 3-4 hours later I’m starting to blog or pulling together a Sweet Tooth Sunday photo shoot. I often have meetings at my studio in Bird Rock and will close down the day with a nice walk on the beach before sunset.

Nice and peaceful.

What do you love most about your job?

The people are the best part of my work. As wedding professionals we’re being invited to a celebration of two families coming together and I will never take that for granted.

What are some of the challenges you encounter with a wedding or event?

The wedding day is a blur and it goes by extremely fast. I tell my couples to take a look around them every hour or so and soak it in…I need to start taking my own advice more often!

Can you share an event/wedding with us that you have done recently that really stands out for you? M&M!!!

What is your greatest accomplishment you have had with your business?

I started my business from scratch…no portfolio, a lot of hard work and a lot of support by those around me. I’m so grateful to those who have supported me and shared my work. When my brides show their friends their photographs and albums and send across my contact information, it’s the most flattering thing in the world. The fact that people spread the word about who I am and my photography is the single greatest accomplishment I can think of!

Anything else you want our Eventity Blog followers to know about you?

My girlfriend and I have an unparalleled sweet tooth and have started a weekly segment on my blog about the sweet things we nosh on.  It’s called Sweet Tooth Sundays. We love to share what we love and we hope you’ll enjoy it, too! If you have a chance, give it a read and let us know what you think.

To learn more about Bryan or to inquiry for more information about his availability for your wedding, visit his website.

One particular aspect that appeals to me is the signing of the Ketubah.  The Ketubah is a traditional Jewish marriage contract between the couple and God.  The Ketubah itself is truly a piece of art that many couples hang in their homes thus serving as a constant reminder of their love for one another. Below is an example of a Ketubah.

Honestly, why wouldn’t couples want to have beautiful artwork that is signed by family and friends, and avows their love for one another?   Frankly, how many framed marriage licenses have you seen?  They’re pretty boring and surely not appealing to look at, if you ask me.  :)

Are any of you thinking about including a religious belief (outside of your own practices) into your wedding?

xo,

Monica

We checked in with the lovely couple to see how their first year of marriage has been and you won’t believe the adventure (literally) they have been on.  Keep reading to find out more.

****

What was the best wedding gift that you received and recommend others put on their registries?

Aside from having so many of our friends and family in one place (no small feat as several flew in from numerous other states/countries) to share in our bliss, I’d have to say the BEST thing we did was set up a Honeyfund registry (www.honeyfund.com). We were both in our 30’s so we already had all the items people typically register for so having a registry tailor made so people could support us in our amazing honeymoon was great!

How was the honeymoon? Where did you go? What did you do?

The honeymoon was wonderful. We had to delay it 3 months until Paul transferred off sea duty, but it was worth the wait. We flew to San Juan, Puerto Rico and took a 7 day cruise of the Southern Caribbean islands. 6 islands in 7 days was a lot to tackle, but it offered some great photo ops and even some nice relaxation time! We snorkeled with sea turtles and over a shipwreck, took a Catamaran booze cruise, ate at a mountain restaurant overlooking the Pitons, and naturally, sunbathed on some gorgeous beaches with fruity umbrella drinks!

Has marriage changed you?

Paul’s answer to this was, “I don’t go out drinking as much…and I sold my motorcycle.” Truthfully, I think this has more to do with becoming a father than becoming a husband! As for me, when we moved, we decided I would stay home and focus on family so we’ve put my career on hold for awhile. This has allowed me to take on more volunteer duties with local non-profits so I’m happy about that.

Any plans to grow your family?

We had planned to start our family in August (3 months after our wedding) and just before our honeymoon at the end of August, we found out we were pregnant with a little girl we’ve decided to name Emma Renee.

What do you have planned for the actual one-year anniversary day?

Since we’ll have a newborn on our actual Anniversary date, I think we’ll probably enjoy a low-key evening at home. The last year has flown by and has been chalk full of changes. We wed in May, got pregnant in August, moved to Washington State in September and closed on our first home. We’ve basically just been settling in here and preparing for Emma’s arrival since. We definitely don’t have the go-go-go lifestyle we had before but both really enjoy preparing for our next phase of life: parenthood. We’re sure that will bring it’s own challenges and joys!

Congrats to Vanessa and Paul on their newest addition, Emma Renee.  We are so incredibly happy for you both!

Marigold & Grey

Chocolate & Green

Purple & Pink

Orange & Yellow

Red, White & Blue

Bride & Groom Prepping with Wedding Party: This is one of our favorites because these photos often contain smiles and laughter and some, even show nervous anticipation.  A great photographer captures the emotion in each of the photos.

The First Look: Whether this is before the ceremony or just as she’s walking down the aisle, this moment has to be captured because it shows true emotion in it’s most beautiful and raw form.

Time Alone: The couple together and alone – without all the wedding hoopla.  Just the two of them relaxing and adjusting to their married life together.Whatever your political belief, we love this photo of alone time between Barack and Michelle Obama.

The Father-Daughter Dance: During our weddings, this is the exact moment that you can find Monica and Jenn tucked in a corner wiping away tears.  What can we say?  It always gets to us



According to a 2011 Mens Health Magazine poll 17% of men would wear an engagement ring if given to them by their partner.  We think seventeen percent is a big number but we kind of like the concept.  The down side is that it could get expensive however, on the plus side it’s a very clear sign to the world that he’s spoken for.

Is this just a ploy for the wedding industry to make money?  Is it a protective measure for the relationship?  Is it something men really want?

Speak up and let us hear your thoughts on this topic.

• If we want an intimate affair, what should I cap my guest list amount at?
• When should the invitations go out?
• What type of verbiage is standard for the invite?
• And, our favorite, Do I have to give all of my single friends a ‘plus-one’?

This has been a topic of discussion for as long as we’ve been doing weddings and we suspect it will be this way for many years to come.  More often than not, the question usually stems from budget or space restrictions.  Weddings are expensive and sometimes space is tight so, we say a plus-one is not always necessary.

We all have friends that have a new flavor of the month each week (right?) And, we all have those friends that are in long-term relationships with dedicated partners and are practically married themselves.  So, the way we see it is, if it’s a true relationship and not just a fling, extend a plus-one.  If it’s clearly temporary, there’s no point in paying for that individual’s very pricey meal, if he/she will be replaced in the near future.  Instead, we recommend setting up a singles table.

Let your single friends mix and mingle in their own ‘couples-free’ space.

Above all else, be honest (as much as possible) but tactful in your approach.

The colors are beeswax (yellow/gold) and lavender.

Photo Credit: The Perfect Palette

And there are so many cute ideas you can decorate with, all these ideas can be found on Etsy. Oh that wonderful online world.

Etsy Shop: Be Something New

Etsy Shop: The Jersey Maid

Etsy Shop: Michelle Edgemont

Etsy Shop: Beane and Company

By definition, a house party is a group of women who are close to the bride but were not included in the bridal party.  By incorporating a house party, it allows these important women to still remain heavily involved (and ultimately, included.)

House Party members can help in a variety of ways some of which are included below:

• Bridal Shower Preparation
• Bachelorette Party Planning
• Ceremony/Reception Décor
• Any last minute tasks like welcome bag assembly and distribution

During the wedding planning process though, the House Party is treated with a similar respect and appreciation as the ‘real’ bridal party members.  They are even encouraged to wear wedding colors for the day-of and are often announced during the grand entrance (or throughout the evening).  In addition, if the bridal party receives a ‘thank you’ gift, then the House Party members should also receive a small token of appreciation.

Come on Eventity blog followers, let’s make this a new San Diego trend.