Wedding Traditions

Real Simple has a fun article about getting creative with wedding traditions:

Something Old

• A locket containing a picture of your great-grandparents
• A family Rosary for the ceremony
• Antique combs, pins, or barrettes
• A baby bracelet from a family member used around the base of your bouquet
  

Something New

• A key to your new home, if you're moving in together for the first time, hidden in your bouquet wrap
• A lucky penny minted in the year of your wedding
• Everything else!
  

Something Borrowed

• A flower from a loved one's garden, "borrowed" for your bouquet
• Dad's handkerchief, tucked under your bodice
• A fur stole, for a winter wedding
• Any jewelry you've been eyeing on a friend or a family member
  

Something Blue

• The sash on your dress
• A bouquet of blue blooms
• A blue garter or undergarment
• Sapphire jewelry
• A blue pen, for signing the marriage certificate

Gina and Charlie

I loved their reading:

Faults

They came to tell your faults to me,
They named them over one by one;
I laughed aloud when they were done,
I knew them all so well before, --
Oh, they were blind, too blind to see
Your faults had made me love you more.

By Sara Teasdale

Perky Polka Dot Sunscreen Favor

Sunblock is the perfect favor for your outdoor wedding! It's one of those "most needed, often forgotten" things. Now, no burning regrets later!

Perky Polka Dot Sunscreen Favor

Summer Bridal Show

Happy June! This is such a great month- school is done, the weather is warm, weddings are plentiful!

If you are planning a wedding, the Wedding Planner & Guide has a fabulous bridal show this Wednesday, June 9th. They will have a fashion show, prizes and hors d'oeuvres. It's at the Marriott Madison West from 4pm to 9pm. Click here for more info.

Sign up for your chance to win a wonderful wedding- we are including an engagement session in the prize package!

Please come stop by our booth, we are near the door- we would love to say "hi"!

A Verse By Any Other Name....

Saturday's ceremony readings were delightfully fresh to my ears and brought tears to my eyes.

I love when couples take the wedding day and personalize it to make it their own unique event. And the ceremony is a beautiful place to do just that. It is wonderful to get a glimpse into their love by seeing how they express it in front of their family and friends. Bible verses are lovely and traditional, but passages from favorite poems, plays or stories show you the personality of the couple. Peek here for some inspiration. I had never thought about using "The Velveteen Rabbit," by Margery Williams, though I adored the story as a child!

"What is REAL?" asked the Rabbit one day, when they were lying side by side near the nursery fender, before Nana came to tidy the room. "Does it mean having things that buzz inside you and a stick-out handle?"

"Real isn't how you are made," said the Skin Horse. "It's a thing that happens to you. When a child loves you for a long, long time, not just to play with, but REALLY loves you, then you become Real."

"Does it hurt?" asked the Rabbit.

"Sometimes," said the Skin Horse, for he was always truthful. "When you are Real you don't mind being hurt."

"Does it happen all at once, like being wound up," he asked, "or bit by bit?"

"It doesn't happen all at once," said the Skin Horse. "You become. It takes a long time. That's why it doesn't happen often to people who break easily, or have sharp edges, or who have to be carefully kept. Generally, by the time you are Real, most of your hair has been loved off, and your eyes drop out and you get loose in the joints and very shabby. But these things don't matter at all, because once you are Real you can't be ugly, except to people who don't understand."

I am looking forward to next week's wedding- their reading is coming from a favorite children's book- I can't wait to find out what it is!

"Not So Plain" Jane Fundraiser Event

Janis Makwinja, The Pampered Chef consultant, is hosting a special fundraiser event at our studio, in honor of her sister, Jane, who died of breast cancer in 2003.

The month of May is Help Whip Cancer month with The Pampered Chef, as they join forces with the American Cancer Society to raise funds for breast cancer awareness and early detection programs.

Come to the 1st Annual
"Not So Plain" Jane Fundraiser Event

Wednesday, May 26th at 6pm
Door Prizes! Cooking Class!
$25 Gift Card to Appleby Photography for every attendee

Socialize with your friends, enjoy light refreshments and food,
and Help Whip Cancer!
Feel free to come to the class or just stop in
between 6-8pm if you only need to place an order!
Up to 25% of total sales will be going to the American Cancer Society, as well as $1 for every Exclusive Pink Product purchased.

The Pampered Chef also has a Wedding Registry!
Janis can show you how easy it is to get all the necessities you need!

This event is being hosted at
Appleby Photography Studio
402 E. Wilson Street, Madison
Free parking available in the Wilson Lot, located at E. Wilson & S. Hancock

Please RSVP by May 24 to Janis at 608.824.9995 or janismakwinja@gmail.com
(Orders can be placed until May 28th, www.pamperedchef.biz/janisjane)

Wedding Day Tips, part 3

7. Wear comfortable shoes! Make sure you wear your wedding day shoes around the house to break them in, and don't forget to put scuff the bottom of your shoes so that you don't slip and fall down the aisle. Some brides opt to bring a second pair of shoes (or slippers, flip flops, etc) to the reception so that they can change their shoes after the grand entrance into the reception, which I think is a great idea!

8. Have someone carry your garter for you. Most of the garters that we've seen are really tight and totally uncomfortable. Put it on your leg for a photo during the getting ready process and then give it to a trusted friend (or put it in your purse/touch-up kit) to carry with you throughout the day, and then put it on right before the garter toss at the reception. That way you aren't uncomfortable all day long.

9. Hire a full-time professional photographer. Everyone is looking for ways to save money on their wedding nowadays, especially in our current economic climate, but fabulous photography is absolutely priceless. A professional photographer will guide you through the entire wedding process with ease, know what to expect on the wedding day, have back-up equipment on them, be able to handle all kinds of lighting situations, and know how to pose you to make you look your absolute best. Did you know that by turning your body at an angle and shifting your weight to your back foot while pointing your other foot forward, you can instantly lose 10-20 pounds through the camera? Yep, it's true. A seasoned pro should be able to tell you these kinds of tricks and secrets so that you look AMAZING in your photos.

10. Smile and have a good time! Laugh and let loose in front of the camera; just be yourself and show off that wonderful love that you have for each other. The happiness and affection will show through in the photos that you'll treasure for a lifetime!