Halloween Wedding Ideas

Few couples would
want to pursue the
ghoulish side of the
Halloween theme at
their wedding.
However, a wedding
at Halloween is an
opportunity to create
a very special ambiance
reflecting the season
and some of the elegant
aspects of the Halloween
tradition.

Halloween has adopted the Victorian Count Dracula story,
which has inspired a formality in some Halloween party
costumes. The Count is usually portrayed in a tuxedo,
and ladies following this Vampire theme often wear long
gowns with high collars or wings. The popular Adams Family
television series built up this aspect of the Halloween
tradition, and developed a style close to the Gothic theme
popular during Victorian times. The Gothic style also has
an appeal through the music and lifestyle tastes of many
modern couples. A Halloween wedding can take advantage of
the formality and elegance of the Victorian era, while
having a modern lifestyle appeal.

The Victorian era also made use of dark colors, such as
reds and burgundies and dark stained woods, and could
influence the choice of venue for a Halloween wedding.
Victorian furnishings, chandeliers and wood paneling
would certainly add to the Halloween atmosphere.

Cherubs and angels were popular decor items during the
Victorian Gothic era, and could be featured as table
decoration, candle holders and for holding place names.
Another slightly bolder and macabre play on the Halloween
theme would be to make named tombstones as place name
holders.

Your Bridal Shower

The bridal shower is a traditional
celebration which allows friends
and family to show their affection
and “shower” the couple with gifts.
The shower occurs from two months
to two weeks before the wedding and
can be anything from an informal
luncheon at the office to a buffet
dinner in an elegant restaurant.

Bridal showers or couples showers are usually given
by members of the wedding party, cousins, or friends
of the families. Two or three friends can act as
co-hostesses or hosts. No one should be invited to the
shower who has not been invited to the wedding or who
does not know the couple. One of the bride’s
responsibilities as far as her shower goes is to provide
the hostess with a guest list and to make sure that she
hasn’t created a financial burden on anyone by inviting
her to more than one or two showers. She should also send
a written note of thanks to her guests for any presents
received, as well as to the hostess(es) for their
hospitality.

Shower themes can be fun and useful. Unique shower ideas
are: A “round the clock” shower where guests are assigned
an hour of day on their invitations and bring the
appropriate gifts (for example, a “7:00 a.m. guest” might
bring a toaster). A home repair shower for the bride and
groom. A lingerie shower. A recipe shower where each guest
receives a recipe card and fills in a favorite dish.
A “wishing well” shower, where in addition to the gift, the
guest brings a tiny present (a wooden spoon, a kitchen
sponge etc.). The hostess makes a cardboard replica of a well,
and the gifts, wrapped and tied with ribbons, are tossed in.
There are no cards attached, though sometimes the guests write
a poem, and attach it to their gifts. The bride pulls out the
gifts with the ribbons and reads the poems aloud.

Your Wedding Photographs

Don’t err on the side
of politeness… or economy… when
friends or relatives volunteer
to take your wedding photographs.

Get a professional, one who thoroughly
understands lighting techniques and who
is skilled at creatively capturing the
tender, joyous and humorous moments of
your wedding and reception on film.

Interview photographers early, at least six to twelve
months in advance. Visit their studios, review their
portfolios, and talk about the pictures you envision
of your wedding. Be sure to inquire about special
effect photography and decide if you want it included
in your wedding portfolio.


Determine your photography budget clearly at this meeting.
Don’t forget to allow for additional prints you might want
to give as gifts later. Agree on a firm figure for both
the deposit and the final payments; pay both promptly.

Discuss with your photographer the type of wedding you’re
planning. Include the location and time of both the ceremony
and reception. Be sure the photographer reviews considerations
regarding the lighting. Some churches do not allow extraneous
lighting during the ceremony.

You will come up against one photographic dilemma. When should
the formal portraits be taken? After the ceremony is the
traditional time, but many photographers feel that there is not
enough time between ceremony and reception to allow for all group
pictures plus the beautiful, romantic shots which you will surely
wish to have. Besides, this is the time you want to spend with
your guests. Taking all formal groupings before the ceremony
seems to be a better choice when a large, formal wedding party is
involved. This allows time after the ceremony for more relaxed
photos with family and friends in attendance. Discuss this question
thoroughly with your fiancé and your photographer to understand
everyone’s preferences. Considering your wedding day schedule and
the size of the wedding party, the three of you will reach the
right decision about the best time for this important photographic
session.

If your wedding party is large, or you have large families, you may
want to appoint a photographic assistant. They should know everyone
in your family by sight and be able to assist the photographer by
making sure all essential family groupings are taken. Don’t forget
to inform your photographer of any sensitive situations in your
respective families, such as recently deceased grandparents,
divorced parents, stepparents, etc.

The photography contract is a complex one. Be sure you understand
exactly the quantity and size of the prints you will be buying, when
proofs will be available, the type of proofs provided, when the
finished work will be ready, and how long the negatives will be
kept in the photographer’s filing system.

Once you’re satisfied that you have conveyed all your wishes to the
photographer, relax and let him/her fulfill those wishes. The result
will be an album that genuinely reflects the love and happiness you
and your families share on your wedding day.

For more information see Wedding Photographers

Image by Carissa Woo Photography

Wedding Thank You Gifts

Your wedding is the celebration
of a lifetime. The planning is
lengthy and the details are
numerous.

Don't forget, or get too busy
to thank those special people
who came through with help:
your parents, your sister, your
favorite aunt who addressed 200
invitations, your mother’s
best friend who hosted your
bridal shower.

For Mom and Dad, a night away at a bed
and breakfast could be a special thank
you gift. A gift basket delivered to
your sister would delight her.

Take Aunt Jenny for lunch after you return
from your honeymoon. And a bouquet hand
delivered to your mother’s best friend is
thoughtful.

Other special Thank You’s could include
wallet-sized wedding photos tucked into
your thank you notes or an extra copy of
your videotape to those in your wedding
as a special keepsake.

Be thoughtful and creative-just don't forget!

Pre-Wedding Family Group Portraits

This is one of the few
articles specifically
directed to the parents
of the bride and groom.
Once the wedding plans
are completed and you’re
only days away from the
big event, the entire family
will begin to gather from near
and far to join in the celebration…
one of the happiest occasions
experienced by your immediate family.

As busy as we know you’ll have been, we
strongly suggest you set aside one hour
with your family to create a cherished memory…
the family portrait you’ve talked about for years.

Weddings are one of the few celebrations we know
of that gathers families together from all over
the country and, in some instances, worldwide.
There won’t be an easier or more convenient
time to have a professional photographer take your
family group portrait. So plan a special family time,
a day or so ahead of the wedding to create your unique
Family Heirloom Portrait.

Here are Photographers for you to consider

Wedding Bridesmaids & Groomsmen

When you ask someone
to be in your wedding,
they will be expected
to spend a substantial
amount of time and
money on your wedding.
This will include buying
a dress and shoes or
tuxedo rental, fittings,
buying a gift for, and
attending your shower,
bachelor/bachelorette party,
and wedding day. Working with
your attendants will probably
be one of the most stressful
parts of planning your wedding,
simply because you are working
with a lot of different personalities, tastes,
and schedules. Try to keep this in mind when
you and your fiancé are choosing your wedding
party. You want this to be an enjoyable
experience for everyone.

The selecting of the tuxedos seems to be less
complicated than the dresses and accessories.
Of course this is true of the Bride’s dress and
Groom’s tuxedo as well. The bride and groom
usually pick out all of the tuxedos together.
The groom is generally the only man in a
different tuxedo. The best man will have a
different accessory such as tie, vest, etc.
The hardest part will be getting the groomsmen,
best man, and dads in for sizing, and deposits
to order their tuxedos. Always be sure they try
on the entire tuxedo when picking it up, to be
sure everything fits and is included.
When choosing bridesmaids dresses, it is best to
only take one or maybe two people shopping with you.
If you want to go with more, just have fun and don’t
try to make any decisions until later. Otherwise,
you will be frustrated because you will have several
people saying I want this dress, not that one, which
will not be fun for you. Very rarely can several women
all agree on the same dress as being their favorite.
Keep in mind the sizes, shapes and ages of all your
bridesmaids when shopping.

Once you have selected your bridesmaids dresses, each
girl will need to come into the bridal shop to be
sized, and put down a deposit which is usually half
of the total.
The shop will not place the order until everyone has
been in, so the dresses will all come from the same
dye lot. Otherwise, your dresses may be different
shades. The maid/matron of honor can have a similar,
but different dress or bouquet for her to stand out.

Once the dresses come in, each bridesmaid will need
to schedule a fitting for her dress. Some alterations
are usually necessary, and are not included in the
cost of the dress The most common alterations are side
seams for a tight fit, and a hem. At the time of the
fitting, it is necessary to have the under garments
and shoes that will be worn at the wedding. You will
probably want your bridesmaids to all be wearing the
same shoes, so it is best to order them at the same
bridal shop, especially if you will be having them
dyed to match the dresses. You will want to think
about the jewelry they will be wearing. The perfect
solution may be to buy each bridesmaid matching
necklaces and earrings. This way everyone looks great,
and you have your attendants gifts taken
care of as well!

Labor Day Weddings

On behalf of everyone
at The Wedding Guide,
we want to wish you
all a very happy and
safe Labor Day weekend.

We will be relaxing and
enjoying the last holiday
weekend of the summer with
our family, and hope you
will spend this vacation
time with your family too,
or maybe even at a Wedding!