Happy Anniversary | Reflections (and advice!) one year later...

We'd like to wish our June 2009 couples a very happy one-year anniversary, much happiness, love and excitement as they enter their second year of marriage! We hope this first year has been nothing short of amazing for them! At the end of the post, check out some Wedding Words of Wisdom from Christine & Brent, and see what they've been up to :)

Karen & Bernie ~ June 6th, 2009

Eric & Dara ~ June 7th, 2009

Ellen & Jon ~ June 13th, 2009

Loni & Britton ~ June 14th, 2009

Alison & Chad ~ June 20th, 2009

Laura & Jim ~ June 26th, 2009

Christine & Brent ~ June 27th, 2009 ~ Check out their advice below!

What are the photos from your wedding day that you wouldn't want to live without? All of them of course – it’s impossible to find any that I could live without! I love all of the wedding party and couple pictures – specifically the pictures by the red door and on the bridge. I also love all of the candid shots that capture the feeling of the day and the emotions of the person in the picture. One that is a personal favorite is the picture of Brent and I walking out of the church just after we were just married and we are smiling huge, genuine smiles at each other – it was right when we realized we were actually married! It was such a special moment and you captured it beautifully.

Were there any moments that you didn't get to experience, but were excited to see that we captured? Reactions as we were walking down the aisle, reactions of guests to the speeches during the reception. I also loved the dancing pictures from the reception – it all went by so fast it was awesome to see all of the guests having a great time.

What piece of advice would you give to couples looking for their wedding photographer? Look for a photographer that you will get along with - you spend all day together! Also pick someone that will listen to what you want but still use their own creativity to get those awesome shots! It’s also wonderful when there are two photographers – so many amazing moments are captured when the photographers can “divide and conquer.”

What were the best decisions you made regarding your wedding? Besides our photographer of course… :) Our DJ choice - he did an awesome job and kept the guests dancing and the party going until 1 AM!! Other good decisions were putting disposable cameras on the tables [in addition to professional coverage] -  some absolutely hilarious pictures were taken, buying flip-flops for all of the bridesmaids (and me too of course), and picking hardy flowers that looked amazing all night – and for the entire next week!

Knowing what you know now, what would you have done differently with your wedding? I would have given us a little more time for pictures between the wedding and reception. I also would have worried less in the week before the wedding – in the end everything worked out perfect and the little things that did go wrong… no one knew about because only I knew what was supposed to happen. It is such a fun time of your life and there’s no need to let your worries affect your ability to take it all in and enjoy every minute.

Happy anniversary! How will you be celebrating? We will be going to a nice dinner, seeing Cirque du Soleil in Minneapolis (!) and staying in a nice hotel downtown for a bit of an in-town vacation. We are also finally going to watch the video of our wedding – we decided to wait and watch it a year later as a way to relive the wonderful day.

Any exciting news from this last year or fun things happening around the corner? We have settled into our new house (finally!). Brent and I have both received promotions in our jobs which continue to keep us busy. We are hoping to do a decent amount of traveling in the next year – NYC, CA, Canada, FL and possibly even Europe! We want to really make a point to enjoy this special time together just the two of us before we add kids into the mix!

Any other fun facts, words of wisdom, etc. you'd like to share with us? You don't marry someone you can live with, you marry the person who you cannot live without. 

Thanks so much for the helpful advice, Christine & Brent! And congrats on all the big news this year! Happy travels :)
~Miranda & Adam

Whimsical Wedding Details ~ Whichgoose

This is the first time I've posted a vendor under our Wedding Words of Wisdom, but I just had to share this with you!

I randomly stumbled upon Whichgoose on Etsy and fell in love with Emily's work! We of course see a lot of wedding inspiration, themes, ideas, etc. but her pieces really stood out to me. They're wonderful signature items to give your day a little something extra. Here are a few of my favorites, including two of her "crowns," a boutonniere and shoes (you know me and my shoe fetish)!

 

 

Hope to see some of her beautiful adornments at our weddings this season!
~Miranda (& Adam)

Well Groom’d (by guest blogger David Jensen)

After reading my Words of Wisdom last week about looking fab in your weddings photos (tips for both the ladies and their gents), our awesome designer, writer and client friend David was inspired to write some words of wisdom just for the guys, since they're so often neglected by wedding articles and could probably use some good advice. Thanks, David! Without further ado, here are his biggest tips...

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When it comes to looking your best on your wedding day, you might think that in comparison to the bride, you’re off the hook. Actually, you might be right. After all, everyone will be watching her, not you. As they should. This, however, doesn’t mean you can shave in the morning and kick your feet up for the rest of the day. Turn off Madden 2010, gents. Some of you out there need to know how to present yourself for the nuptials so that your bride will actually want to come all the way down that aisle…

Let’s start from the top, shall we?

~ If you’re planning on getting a haircut for the wedding and don’t have a reliable, stand-by shop around, get online and look for the appropriate barbershop for you. Look for ratings, reviews and if these places have websites – they might have a photo gallery for you to see their work. Price should not be an issue. This is, after all, your wedding day and the difference between a $7.00 haircut and a $40.00 haircut will be apparent. Schedule a mop-chop a couple weeks ahead of time so that you won’t look like you just got drafted (unless that’s what you’re going for) and that you have enough time to figure out how to comfortably style your new do. If you have stylishly longer hair, at least have a barber trim up those split ends.

~ A clean neck is a neck worth a woman’s touch during a slow dance. Every barber will give you a neck trim during your cut, but a barber worth his or her salt will shave your neck, most likely with a straight razor. If you want things done right, this is the way to go. The back of your neck should look like a Cadillac, not the floor of your frat’s bathroom.

~ Keep the spiders out of your nose. Invest in a nose hair trimmer or at least take a pair of scissors to those legs creeping out of your beak. If you don’t think this is a big deal, think again. Women notice these things, so get a mirror, get some clippers and turn on the bright lights to see what you might be missing. The same goes for ears. You may not be 900 years old, but in the wrong light, your ears could end up looking like Yoda’s. No, that isn’t “awesome.”

~ To beard or not to beard? Good question. As a furry-faced man myself, I have a few opinions on the matter. First and foremost, what does your to-be wife think? Her opinion matters most. Second, think about how often you have facial hair versus how often you’ve got a clean look. If you’re usually baby-faced, give yourself a shave (don’t forget the after shave) in the morning and you’ll be fine. If on the other hand you resemble that of a lumberjack more often than not, feel free to keep that flavor-saver, just clean it up. This means cheekbones, under the beard and around the neck and Adam’s apple. Above all, think about your future. If you fancy yourself someone to consistently carry a luxurious face-mane through out life, it might look strange if your chin is bald in your wedding pictures, and vice versa.

~ Tie the knot. Correctly. There’s no more of an obvious giveaway that you don’t dress up often than a poorly tied tie. Hopefully you guys out there know by now that there are certain knots for certain ties. A wider tie and spread-collar shirt calls for a wider knot, so on and so forth. Your tie should also look appropriate with the rest of your ensemble. If you’ve got a skinny suit or tux with narrow lapels, you should have more of a closed-collared shirt with a narrower tie (about 1”-2.5” inches wide.) Don’t forget that a tie isn’t tied until you’ve got that perfect dimple under the knot and that the bottom of the tie reaches down to the middle of your belt buckle.

~ In spite of it all, your tux or suit is the key factor here. It’s what your bride, her parents and the entirety of the attendees see first when they look at you. If you look like you’re wearing your eighth grade graduation suit or attempting to pay tribute to Charlie Chaplin, people will notice. Stick to these easy rules for the jacket portion and you’ll be fine. Shoulder seems should fall exactly where their namesake states: the shoulders. The sleeves on the jacket should allow the sleeves of your shirt to peek out about a quarter of an inch, half an inch for French-cuffed shirts. Armholes should be cut high.

~ Finally, when it comes to actually wearing this thing, do not, I repeat, DO NOT button every button. It isn’t an overcoat; it’s a suit/tux jacket. Never, ever button the bottom button. Keep the middle button on a 3-button closed, or keep the top button on a 2-button closed when you’re standing, walking, dancing. When you sit down, open it up and breathe for a while.

~ Baring torrential downpours on your wedding, there likely won’t be a flood. Unless you’re hip enough to pull off short pants resembling those sometimes seen in British fashion mags, get a pair of pants that are hemmed properly and are minimal on what industry professionals and other fashion snobs call “shelving”, which is when your pants bunch up like accordions on top of your shoes. And speaking of accordions, stay as far away from pleats as possible. It’s flat fronts or nothing, people, and if your tux shop doesn’t offer any, it’s probably time to move on.

If you’re feeling overwhelmed, you should be. There’s a lot that goes into a wedding and if you’re not accustomed to sweating the small stuff, welcome to boot camp. But think of it this way: it’s one of the most remarkable days of your life and when you look back at your (quality, stylishly Reminisce-shot) photos, you can feel confident that you took the necessary steps to try to look good enough for the love of your life. You can thank me later.

Wedding Words of Wisdom: Looking Fab in your Wedding Photos

Looking fab in your wedding photos (or any special occasions, for that matter): Tips from Miranda & Adam at Reminisce Photography & Design

~ Be yourself! If you normally don't wear a lot of makeup, don't be out of your element on your wedding day by wearing heavy makeup, as you might appear unconfident in your photos. They also won't showcase who you truly are. Same goes for dress-hunting. Trends are great for inspiring, but be sure  that if you choose a dress trend, it captures your personality (as opposed to overpowering it).

~ Reserve looking orange for the Oompa Loompas :) Tanning is your own personal preference, but be careful not to over-do it. What kind of skin-tone did you have when you fell in love with your dress? Colors (even different shades of white) that look good on us compliment our skin tone. If you change your skin tone drastically, your dress will look drastically different on you... just something to chew on.

~ If you aren't fabulous at makeup, get it professionally done.

~ And speaking of professional makeup, guys can have it too. Just a bit to even out skin-tone, cover blemishes, etc. If professionally done, NO ONE will be able to tell he’s wearing makeup and his skin will look flawless.

~ Bare Minerals makeup photographs beautifully. Some concealers / foundations photograph strangely by reflecting / absorbing light differently than your skin. Best to consult with a makeup artist to be sure that your makeup will photograph awesomely.

 ~ Steer clear of glitter lotion. Your amazing dress should make you feel like a princess... no need to overdue it with glitter.

 ~ Try your dress on sitting down, too, and not just standing. Your dress should be flattering standing and sitting. If not, some alterations are in order.

 ~ If you're getting married in hot weather, side swept bangs aren't the best option, as they get sweaty.

 ~ Get your teeth whitened... but not so much that they’re black-light sensitive :)

~ Hire an amazing photographer. You can look red-carpet-worthy, but if you don’t have a photographer who can capture the beauty, emotion and fun of your wedding day, you’ll walk away with lackluster photos. Your photographer should be an Artist and a Professional who can not only anticipate moments before they happen, but through a trained and instinctive eye, know how to interpret and capture them creatively. Your photographs are how you’ll remember your wedding, and they should be just as wonderful as your Big Day.

~ As you can see, not over-doing it is the underlying message in most of our tips. Be yourself, and you’ll look great! Hire a photographer who can tap into your personalities and capture them in photos... you’re all set!

Have a great week :)
~Miranda & Adam

Happy Anniversary | Reflections (and advice!) one year later...

We'd like to wish our recent one-year-anniversary couples much happiness, love and excitement as they enter their second year of marriage! We hope this first year has been nothing short of amazing for them! At the end of the post, check out some Wedding Words of Wisdom from Kara & Ben, and see what they've been up to :)

Kim & Mark ~ April 18th, 2009 ~ Welcomed their First Born, Samantha

Lisa & Greg ~ May 17th, 2009 ~ Moved to California, where they're both Doctors

Kara & Ben ~ May 30th, 2009 ~ Take a peek below!

What are the photos from your wedding day that you wouldn't want to live without?
That is a tough one- so many good pictures to choose from. We love the photos by the fountain, the adirondack chairs, and on the golf course. The pictures of the entire wedding party are also a lot of fun.

Were there any moments that you didn't get to experience, but were excited to see that we captured?
The shots before and after the ceremony are priceless. Especially the photos of Ben having moments with friends and family before the ceremony. The photos of the reception are also great to see how much fun everyone had.

What piece of advice would you give to couples looking for their wedding photographer?
Two pieces of advice- 1- don’t skimp on photography and 2- have two photographers

What were the best decisions you made regarding your wedding?
Location- Our location was amazing and beautiful
Photographers- Having two photographers that are super fun and creative
DJ- Best DJ in Wisconsin

Knowing what you know now, what would you have done differently with your wedding?
The one thing that I would have done differently is to have someone other than my parents coordinate the flowers. We did our own flowers but did not plan the delivery and distribution of them very well. Secondly, I would have planned more time for photography of us in between the ceremony and reception.

Happy anniversary! How will you be celebrating?
We are staying a couple of days at Grand Geneva where we were married. Spending some time golfing, going to the spa, eating good food, and enjoying some time away.
Any exciting news from this last year or fun things happening around the corner?
Ben and I both finished school this May. Ben finished his Engineering degree, and I have completed my dual master’s degree. We now have free time to spend together hiking with the dogs, biking, and hanging out with our friends. Looking forward to where life leads us.

Any other fun facts, words of wisdom, etc. you'd like to share with us?
Words of wisdom- Have fun, laugh a lot, and enjoy life!


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Happy Anniversary! And thank you for your great advice, Kara & Ben!


Hugs!
~Miranda & Adam