Congrats on your upcoming wedding!

So it's probably overwhelming seeing all the options out there for Save the Dates, Invitations and Day of Details (Programs, Place cards, Menus, etc). Even when you type in invitations on Pinterest, the options are endless! Here are a couple of tips on how to create your look to get that dream invitation that really reflects your style and wedding vision.

FIRST – CREATE A COLOR PALETTE

CREATE CONTRAST. Make sure the tones and depths of your colors vary to make highs and lows. This will keep your look interesting and dynamic.

MAKE IT PERSONAL. Is there a color you love or everyone knows you for? Make sure to include anything that's totally "you"- this is your wedding after all. Just keep the other colors relevant to your theme, location or season.

THROW YOUR RULEBOOK OUT! It's no longer passé to mix reds with pinks, blacks with browns, neutrals with brights... as long as you mix in a contrasting or neutral color, this mix will keep your palette looking fresh and modern.

STILL STUCK? Stick with the classics. There will always be something timeless and elegant about blacks and whites or silvers and golds. Bonus points for sneaking in you're favorite pop color ☺

SECOND – KEEP A "LOOK BOOK"

We suggest you put together a LOOK BOOK to start building your vision. Pile in images with the colors and flowers you love, any fun elements that define you and your fiancé (you are unique and your invitations should be too!), photos of your venue, dresses you love, etc. Bring this book or board with you when you meet with your vendors. Even if it's hard for you to pin down a style or theme, your vendors will be able to visualize your look based on this book and build your dream wedding around that. Once your "look" is established, any creative items like invitations, will be easy to visualize so the endless options out there turn into manageable inspiration!  

Good luck!

The first thing you want to do is start with a trial. Book an appointment about three months in advance. Plan your hair trial for same day as makeup & dress fitting so you can get a look at the entire image with all of the elements together. During your trial, use the time effectively. Use pictures to help you communicate with your stylist to show details that you like. Test out several styles because the result may surprise you. Everything looks different once it is designed around you. It is more important to see the general look of several styles (up, down, curly, loose, side-do, etc.), rather than one completed design that you still remain unsure about. When in doubt, make another appointment. It is important that you are comfortable with both your stylist and your look.

You may find it difficult to choose a hairstyle for your big day. Keep in mind that you still want to look like you. Go with a style that matches your overall personality and a formal version of your everyday style. Don’t be afraid to try something new to feel special. However, if simplicity fits your theme, tone it down for understated elegance.

For your trial appointment, remember to bring all of the accessories you want to incorporate on the day of your wedding. When it comes to accessories, keep in mind the old adage: Less is more. Consider your veil, a decorative hair comb, crystal pins, a flower and baby’s breath, a braid, and curls….all are beautiful, but not all at once! Select the accessories that best convey the look of your dress. Be mindful that the hairstyle can support the weight of your accessories. Discuss the options with your hairdresser.

Color change could be beneficial to enhance the look you already have. Subtle highlights help bring dimension and detail to any look; but don’t make any drastic changes that might confuse you. Keep it simple and stay within two shades of your current color. As for cutting, let your hair grow out until you are set on a particular style. Focus on keeping it healthy. Extensions are also a great solution for additional fullness and length.

Most importantly, try to look like you. Do not get so caught up in a look that you forget to use hair and makeup to simply enhance your already natural beauty. You want your groom to recognize that beautiful face he first fell in love with!

As soon as the excitement of getting engaged sets in, nerves surrounding actually planning a wedding can also set in, leaving most brides thinking, “Where do I start?” DO start with your budget and DON’T just blindly start booking a venue and vendors that you love or have had your eye on. Too many brides who blindly book with no budget in mind end up later running out of money for important things such as their décor and details, the things that really make your wedding reflective of you.

Although the immediate stigma attached to the concept of hiring a planner is that it is an unnecessary expense, hiring a wedding planner can actually SAVE you money in the long run (not to mention save you from pulling your hair out during the planning process!) If you work with a planner upon the beginning stages of your engagement period, before your venue is even booked, you are ahead of the game because your planner can help you construct your overall budget, making sure you have an appropriate amount of money set aside for each category, and that you are spending your money in the most effective and appropriate way. 

At d’Luxe Events, provided the client comes to me for assistance early enough, I always start with constructing a pie chart budget, from venue to video to gratuities to even your bridal party gifts. Everything is included, and that way, with your guest count in mind, we can back you into a venue per person price range that is in conjunction to your overall dollars. From there, with that budget in mind, we would have extensive talks about style and how you envision your day so that I can make the proper recommendations for venue and vendor visits based on taste AND budget. As you book your vendors, the pie chart dollars will shift and move a bit, but I always hold tight to the overall number, saving you from aggravation, confusion and stress. The planning process then becomes organized and most of all FUN! Planning a wedding is one of the most wonderful times in your life, and it should be stress free and actually enjoyable! Being guided with an amazing rolodex, experience, and an eye for design can actually help you save money and spend the dollars you have in the best possible way to create an amazing day. d’Luxe Events offers day of coordination, full service planning and consulting packages to fit every budget!

I truly believe that choosing a wedding photographer should be on top of a bride and groom’s “importance” list, because your wedding photos (and video) are the only tangible thing(s) you will have to remember your special day by once it has passed. I always tell my clients to choose a photographer that has a photographic style and a personality that they can relate to. Those two things are very important, because you spend a lot of time with your photographer on your wedding day, and if you do not feel 100% comfortable with that person, it can reflect in your photos. Additionally, make sure you are meeting with the actual photographer that will be photographing your wedding, and not just a sales person at the companies’ studio.

Taking engagement photos is a great “warm up” to the big day. Not many couples are 100% comfortable in front of the camera, and this helps to ease their nerves a little bit, and they will know what to expect on their wedding day. It also helps the photographer to get an idea as to what angles and poses the bride and groom look best in. I personally like to get to know my couple a little better before photographing them on their wedding day, and doing an engagement session is a great way to do so.

Once the big day is here, I always ask my couples to try to be on time. It is very important to stay on time, because it makes the day go stress free for everyone. For example: when a bride is late to the ceremony, it cuts into picture taking time, which eventually cuts into cocktail hour. It becomes a snowball effect, and it puts more pressure on the photographer and the bride and groom to get things done quickly and efficiently.  Your wedding day goes by so fast, so staying on time is very important for everyone.

Most importantly…. trust your photographer. You hired that person for a reason. There is no need to make a shot list for the photographer that says, “photos of bride with Mom,” “photos of bride with Dad,” “photos of bride with Mom and Dad.”  As a professional wedding photographer, we know to take these key photos. The more relaxed you are on your special day, the better you will look in your photos, so just relax, have fun, and take in every second of it!

As an artist, my main concern is making sure you feel beautiful [and comfortable] on your big day.  Much of my work is done before you even make it into my chair for a trail.

One of the first things I ask my brides is "is there anything you will not leave the house without it on?".  Some say "brows", others say "mascara".  This question usually guides me to what comfort level my bride is at with makeup.

I also always ask my brides to send me a picture of themselves in everyday makeup and "going out" makeup.  Be sure to guide your artist of your comfort level... this will help manage the level at which we create your look. 

Another big "no-no" for my brides is a spray tan on your face!  Spray tans mask your natural undertone and make it very difficult to color match foundation.

FUN FACT: Always check your daily moisturizer!  If there is SPF in it, be sure to skip ot the day of trial and wedding day.  SPF has zinc in it, which will always white wash on camera.

BRIDE CHECK: Whenever you're working with an artist, always ask what types of products they use.  You will get longevity and impact with luxury products.  I strive for my applications to last 14 hours.  Only high end primers, foundations, concealers and setting products give me that capability.

There are so many details to consider when planning your wedding; The dress, the shoes, the flowers, the jewelry, invitations just to name a few. While we see every Bride and Groom and wedding as unique there are few things that we have found work for every wedding.

Here are a few tips from David E. Starke Photography that should make choosing the right photographer for your special day a little easier. After all, you want to have great pictures and memories of all of the details and people that make your day so perfect.

Planning: We work very closely with the bride and groom to make your photo schedule fit into the day perfectly. Our goal is to help you plan a day that unfolds effortlessly and as stress free as possible. This is how we get those great candid moments, by letting you be you all day. It really is “all about you”. We know that and love that and help you plan a day that you can enjoy too.

Communication: Communication is key to your relationship with your vendors, especially your photographer. Communicate your likes and dislikes before your wedding day. Let them know the sentimental reasons you are wearing Grandma’s necklace or that the handkerchief has been passed down for three generations. Sharing those details helps us tell the special story of your day. Ultimately, your photographer is the one vendor you will spend your entire day with. You should be able to be honest with them and trust them fully.

Trust: After you have done your homework by looking at websites, blogs, Facebook, reading reviews and meeting with them, trust your photographer. We love it when a Bride says, “Do what you do. I trust you” That allows you to not think or worry about anything photo related. It allows us to do what we do best, capture your amazing day. We get that a lot because we spend the time needed to plan, communicate and meet with couples.

Owner and head photographer David E. Starke sums it up by saying, “Since we are a boutique photo studio, we can spend the time needed to make every wedding we are a part of special. Brides and grooms actually meet the photographer who they will be working with. We focus on quality over quantity and truly care about our work and those we work with”