Wedding Photography: Candid Shots of the Guests

Wedding photography is not complete, Mother of the Bride, without some great candid shots of the guests. All brides, grooms, and their families want to remember who joined their wedding day celebration. Asking the photographer to capture photos of the guests as they naturally interact with one another is the perfect way to do it.

The photo above is a super sweet shot of Rob and Kaden, our neice’s husband and son (now a recent high school graduate!), and the one below shows a loving moment between our nephew Aaron and his wife Monica. It’s one of my favorite candid shots from our daughter Kristin’s wedding. As Monica places her hand on the back of Aaron’s neck, he reaches out to touch her as well, wrapping his hand around the back of her leg. I love how the photographer spotted this moment of mutual love expressed and immortalized it for us.

So, MOB, in addition to all the standard photos the photographer will be taking, ask him or her to capture lots of candid shots of your guests as well. Hugs, laughter, surprise, and special moments of all kinds will abound that day. Try to make them a permanent part of your daughter’s wedding day story.

*You might also like to read Wedding Day: Sweet Family Moments in Store and Wedding Day Tip: A List For the Photographer .

*For info about my book Mother of the Bride check out my Books/My Work page.

*The current issue of Life Notes, my quarterly inspirational newsletter with a giveaway in every regularly scheduled issue, came out earlier this month. It’s not too late to receive it. Sign-up is FREE and to the right! (If you’re on a mobile device, scroll to the bottom of the screen and click View Full Site to find it.)

*Photos by Chris Humphrey Photographer

Wedding Centerpiece With a Rustic Flair

Mother of the Bride, is your sweet girl wanting to add a hint of rustic-yet-elegant to her wedding? It’s certainly possible to feature some rustic touches without going full-on rustic in every aspect of the wedding. It helps that many rustic wedding décor ideas lean closer to the feminine and elegant side than to the down-home country vibe that many couples really love.

One way to add a beautiful rustic touch is with a centerpiece that says rustic and romantic all at once. The centerpiece pictured above is a perfect example. Just look—you’ve got jars and burlap, but you’ve also got lace and delicate flowers. And what do you end up with? A centerpiece that exudes romance and beauty but also casual simplicity.

Also, consider the elements that make this centerpiece work so beautifully—the odd number (three jars) used, the various heights used as well as various shapes of the jars, the base that ties in to the theme, and the colors that work so well together. All of these things work together to make such a pretty centerpiece.

So MOB, why not show this centerpiece to your daughter and see if it (or something similar) would help her add that hint of rustic that she’d like to include in her Big Day festivities. She may love it—and you’d get to check one more thing off your list! Fingers crossed for you, MOB!

*You might also like to read Rustic Wedding ResourceRustic Wedding Ideas: Boot Bouquets, and Cake Idea for the Rustic Wedding.

*For info about my book Mother of the Bride check out my Books/My Work page.

*The new issue of Life Notes, my quarterly inspirational newsletter with a giveaway in every regularly scheduled issue, came out last week. It’s not too late to receive it. Sign-up is free and to the right! (If you’re on a mobile device, scroll to the bottom of the screen and click View Full Site to find it.)

*Photo by Stephtphotography

Winter Wedding Cake: Pinecones and Baby’s Breath!

Mother of the Bride, is your darling daughter planning a wedding this winter or next winter? If she’s getting married in the next two or three months and hasn’t decided on a cake design yet, today’s simple style might be the one she’ll love. And if she’s planning for next winter, add this idea to the list of design options she’ll consider in the coming months.

First she’ll need to decide if she wants to incorporate a winter theme in her cake design. She may not want to choose a cake that’s seasonal in design—and that’s fine. A wedding cake doesn’t have to be dictated by the season. But if she’d like her cake to feature a winter touch, be sure to share this post with her.

One classic and perfect option for a winter wedding cake is to adorn it with pinecones and baby’s breath. The baby’s breath tucked into and around the pinecones will give the appearance of snow and will be perfect set against the backdrop of a pure white cake. The cake shown above is a country chic style, but pinecones and baby’s breath will work with other styles of cakes as well.

So MOB, if your winter wedding bride wants to add a touch of winter’s snow to her cake, suggest this design. And then run out and collect a few pine cones!

*You might also want to read Winter Wedding Cake Idea: Snowflakes!, Blogging Break Plus Favor Help for Winter Weddings, and Winter Wedding Favor: Dancing Socks! 

*Have you subscribed yet to Life Notes, my quarterly inspirational newsletter with a giveaway in every regularly scheduled issue? If not, sign-up is FREE and to the right! (If you’re on a mobile device, just scroll to the bottom of the screen and click View Full Site to find it.)

*Flickr photo by Graceful Cake Creations, Creative Commons License

Wedding Cake Roundup

the wedding cake by Emmaline

Mother of the Bride, if your darling daughter-turned-bride is ready to decide on what kind of wedding cake she’d like, then this post is for you. Counting today’s, I’ve featured twenty design ideas for wedding cakes here on my blog since I started it nearly four years ago so I thought it was high time to do a round-up post of all the various ideas.

But before I share the round-up list, allow me to point out the photo above featuring my daughter Kristin’s cake. The top was completely covered in fresh flowers while fresh flowers provided accents on the other layers as well. The fresh flower petals rimming the bottom layer and scattered on the tablecloth added the exquisite finishing touch to the overall floral look. It was absolutely beautiful and oh so tasty.

Now for the roundup—here are the links to the cake designs I’ve featured thus far:

Wedding Cake Idea: The Drape Effect

Scattered Pearls Wedding Cake

Wedding Cake Trend: Ruffles!

Wedding Cake Idea: Coconut Cloud

Wedding Cake Idea: Beautiful Brooch Accents!

A Berry Beautiful Wedding Cake

Traditional Wedding Cake Twist: The Naked Cake

Winter Wedding Cake Idea: Snowflakes!

Cake Idea for the Rustic Wedding

Unique Wedding Cake Idea: Word Search Cake!

Wedding Cake Design: Graduating Circles

Wedding Cake Idea: Swiss Dots

Wedding Cake Idea: The Textured Cake

Sash and Brooch Multilayer Wedding Cake

Wedding Cake Trend: Multiple Mini Cakes

Back from Break with a Monogrammed Wedding Cake!

Wedding Cake Idea: The Single Layer Cake!

New Wedding Cake Trend: The Ombre Cake

So there you have it, MOB—be sure to share with your daughter! She might just find a design idea that she wants to use or at least incorporate into her final choice. What a fun part of wedding planning, huh? Enjoy yourselves when it comes time to taste-test!

The next issue of Life Notes, my quarterly inspirational newsletter, comes out in early May. One lucky subscriber (new or current) will receive a gift valued at $20 (shipping included) from Beigetone Soaps and a signed copy of my book to use personally, give as a gift, or donate to a library. Sign-up is free and to the right!

*Photo by Chris Humphrey Photography

Groom’s Cake for the Pool Shark

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Mother of the Bride, cake decisions are among the most fun that await your daughter and her beloved as they plan their wedding. And the groom’s cake decisions are especially fun since the groom gets to let loose and let his personality shine if he so chooses. He may know exactly what he wants or he might ask for ideas. Be prepared for either, MOB.

One way to go is to feature one of the hobbies or special skills of your soon-to-be son-in-law. This can be anything from his favorite sports team to his favorite recreational activity to his career expertise. All ideas are fair game—with the bride’s approval, of course :)

The idea I’m featuring today is for the groom who likes to play pool. He and your sweet girl may not have room for a pool table in their first home together, but he can sure have a pool table groom’s cake if he wants. To make it even more fun, part of his bachelor party could include shooting some pool. Just mention it to the best man or one of the groomsmen and they might surprise the man of the hour with a pool tournament the night before the big day.

This is just one option, MOB. Share it with your sweet couple and let their ideas take off from there!

*You might also like to read Groom’s Cake Idea for the Wrestling Fan, Groom’s Cake Idea: A Chessboard!, Groom’s Cake Idea: Law Books (or any other books!), and Groom’s Cake Idea for the Military Man.

*The new issue of Life Notes, my quarterly inspirational newsletter, comes out in early February. One lucky subscriber (new or current) will receive a Starbucks gift card and a signed copy of my book to use personally, give as a gift, or donate to a library. Sign-up is free and to the right!

*Flickr photo by mandotts, Creative Commons License