While shooting my past two engagement sessions both brides commented to me how they are tired and slightly overwhelmed by everything they have been reading on the wedding blogs the frequent.

One bride mentioned that she can’t wait for “a stamp to just be a stamp again.”  (Rather than something she has to pick out, plan colors for, order hundreds of, and stick on envelopes.)  The other said she can’t wait for her wedding to be over so she does not have to keep checking them. :)

I have never planned a big wedding and I’m sure these sites contain a wealth of knowledge.  There really are so many little things that go into a wedding that it’s nice to get advice from those who have been there before.  Having said that, let me give you one tip.

Stop reading wedding blogs.

Even this one.

Seriously.  Take a step back.  Just be engaged.  It’s supposed to be fun.

There is a season and time for everything.  There is a time to plan and a time to enjoy.  I know that planning can be enjoyable, but if you find yourself getting frustrated of overwhelmed by what you “should” be doing then maybe it’s time to take a little break.  Try this.  Take a week off.  For one whole week don’t visit a wedding related site for any reason.  If and only if the world continues to spin, feel free to check back in after 7 days. :)

Happy planning and I’ll see you tomorrow. :)

One of the things that couples planning a wedding tend to forget is that they might want to plan for their marriage. :)

Today’s post touches on that a bit.  Who better to teach us about marriage than The Huxtables. (Danielle & I LOVE us some Cosby Show.  We have all of them on our AppleTV and have mini dates once or twice a week where we fix a desert and watch an episode once the kids have gone to bed.)  Take a look at this clip. (The sound does not work for the 1st few seconds.  Stick with it.)

A big part of marriage is planning for situations BEFORE they happen.  Knowing how much money you are going to spend on a vacation.  Your method of buying a car.  How you plan on splitting up family time during the holidays.  These are just a few things that sneak up on a couple and can turn into huge issues.  When we were first married Danielle and I had talked through some of these but other things caught us off guard.  Over the years we have learned to not commit to anything without checking in with each other and it has saved us from many “discussions”.  Take some time to plan for these things now so that when they come up you are both on the same page.

Castle on the Lake is one of my favorite venues in the area and it’s located just outside of Jacksonville, Tx.  I love when brides choose to get married at wedding venues because they are well… wedding venues.  They are built and put together to help your day go smoothly and their on site staff help take care of so many things you did not plan for or expect.  Here are a few shots of it as well as a new promo video Vanessa McKellar just put together for them.

One of the coolest things about Castle is their HUGE bridal suite.  This thing just blows away every other location.  If you have ever been a bridesmaid you know just how crowded these “prep” rooms can get.  Not the case with castle.  I shot a wedding with 10 bridesmaids getting ready in this room and there was still plenty of room for moms, aunts, and grandparents to come in and visit.  It’s awesome.

They have a couple of options for your ceremony.  One is a big a big tree.

The second is a cool rock wall they just built.

Finally, here is a video that Vanessa McKellar just shot.  Brittan is the bride you’ll see.  (La Tee Da Flowers did the flowers.)She’s also the owner and runs this place day in and day out.  She is super nice and will totally become your BFF as she helps you put together your wedding day.  Give her a call and get this placed booked! 903.721.3593.

Castle on the Lake
http://www.jacksonvillecastle.com/
903.721.3593.

A few months ago I did a post titled How To Get Married With Only 10 People Watching. (You should read it.)  It talked about trimming your guest list and really making your wedding what you want it to be.  I got the inspiration from Erika & Phil’s wedding.  Here is a shot of their wedding dinner with all the guests they had.

Yesterday was Erika & Phil’s 1 year anniversary.  (Happy Anniversary Guys)

I wanted to feature a couple who took their idea a few steps further.  Take a look at this video.

I can’t embed the video on my site so you’ll have to click here to watch it.

Crazy huh?  Leave a comment below telling me what you think about it.

One of the questions I often get asked is “What should we wear?”  Rather than continue to answer it over and over I figured I’d throw out a little post on the topic.  Let’s start with what you should NOT wear. :)

Here is a shot I took back in 2006 when I was starting out.

I’m the one who told them to wear blue jeans and black.  That’s what I thought you were “supposed” to wear if you were engaged and being photographed.  The official uniform of engaged people.

Last year I took a family photo of them and we tweaked the outfit a bit. :)

Obviously the adorably cute baby helps, but having them dress in “normal people clothes” also makes the photo look more genuine.

My standard advice is wear what you would typically wear if you wanted to look good.  Don’t go overboard, but at the same time don’t show up for your session in the clothes you rolled out of bed in.  Try stuff that looks good together, but avoid matchy-matchy outfits at all costs.  I once refused to shoot a couple who showed up in white and khaki.  OK I’m kidding with that last sentence but I wish I could. :)

Here are a few examples of people that look great together in swanky clothes.