Saying I Do to the Perfect Wedding Dress

Shopping for a wedding dress can be both exciting and frustrating; however, there are a few tips you can use when it comes to what you might look for and what you should avoid so finding the perfect dress will be that much easier. While it’s never easy to find a dress that’s both unique and suits your own individual style, following these tips will help your shopping experience be hassle-free, and the faster you can find your dress, the more time you have to focus on other details of your wedding.

Whether you’re having a destination wedding in Florida and need to find everything from a Tampa wedding photographer to an experienced wedding planner or getting married in a small ceremony in your hometown, one of the most intimidating, fun, emotional, confusing, and even downright exhausting experiences you might go through is shopping for a wedding dress for your big day. Whether you’ve already begun to look for dress ideas online or visited a few bridal shops, the experience can be a daunting one. However, there are a few tips you can use when it comes to what you might look for and what you should avoid so finding the perfect dress will be that much easier. While it’s never easy to find a dress that’s both unique and suits your own individual style, following these tips will help your shopping experience be hassle-free, and the faster you can find your dress, the more time you have to focus on other details of your wedding.

 

Don’t Settle on Mediocre Service

When you go into shops to look at wedding dresses, do insist that you get great service because your wedding dress is an investment and its cost will no doubt be a large chunk of your wedding budget. Because of this, you should be treated fairly and with courtesy, and to expect anything else would be unreasonable. If you go to a bridal store or salon and the staff makes you feel uncomfortable or as if they haven’t got time for you, then you shouldn’t feel obligated to shop there. Why choose a store that doesn’t pay attention to your needs before they’ve even picked you up as a customer, even if they have the latest wedding dress styles or a trendy reputation? You’ll be spending a great deal of time and money at any store you choose, so you should insist on excellent service wherever you shop. 

Don’t Shop Alone

Whether you’re looking for a Tampa wedding photographer for a beach wedding in Florida or a caterer that matches your vision for that perfect wedding buffet, it’s important to have a second opinion, and the same should be said when it comes to shopping for a wedding dress. When you shop, bring someone along who you can trust to give you their honest opinion about a boutique’s service, and selection, such as your mother, a favorite aunt, or your closest female friend. Sometimes the excitement over shopping for a wedding dress can cloud your judgment, so it’s important to have someone on hand who can cast an objective and critical eye on the service you might receive. This isn’t to say that you shouldn’t have the final say—after all, it is your dress, and you will be the one wearing it, but it’s never a bad idea to have other viewpoints. 

Plan Ahead

It’s always a good idea to browse online for ideas before you visit a bridal shop or boutique instead of showing up at one unannounced. Not only will this help you get some idea of what kind of dress you’re looking for, many bridal salons only accept appointments and even if you do get attention as a walk-in client, you might have to wait until everyone else who has an appointment is taken care of. Shopping early will also give you plenty of time to find a dress, as you should keep in mind that wedding dresses take weeks to order, and then even if you do find one early on, it might need tailoring and multiple fittings to get it looking just right. Shopping for wedding dresses can be daunting, but if you shop early, insist on excellent service from your bridal shop, and look to those you trust for their advice and opinions, your experience will be a fun and adventurous one.

Three Personality Traits to Look for in Your Wedding Photographer

While you might think browsing a wedding photographer’s portfolio is the best way to choose a photographer, it is just as important to consider their overall personality and whether it gels with yours. After all, you will be spending a great deal of time with this person, so it’s important that you understand and feel comfortable with each other. As you meet with photographers, there are several traits you should look for to ensure that he or she will be an asset, not a liability, to your wedding plans.

Whether you’re having an outdoor wedding in Boise and need Boise wedding photography services or you’re getting married in Florida for a destination wedding, choosing the right wedding photographer can mean the difference between photos that you’ll want to share with everyone for years to come and those that you’ll end up hiding away in a drawer out of embarrassment. While you might think browsing a wedding photographer’s portfolio is the best way to choose a photographer, it is just as important to consider their overall personality and whether it gels with yours. After all, you will be spending a great deal of time with this person, so it’s important that you understand and feel comfortable with each other. As you meet with photographers, there are several traits you should look for to ensure that he or she will be an asset, not a liability, to your wedding plans. 

Patience

This is one of the most desirable traits in any wedding photographer, as they may be dealing with delays, weather changes, and uncooperative relatives. The last thing you need to be facing on your wedding day is a photographer who’s throwing a tantrum because the ceremony started a bit late or one who gets into a screaming match with your new mother-in-law over which poses your wedding party should be doing. No matter what happens during the day, your wedding photographer should remain poised and professional and always have a backup plan in case of equipment failures, weather snafus, and changes in the wedding schedules. 

To gauge a photographer’s patience threshold, pay attention to their tone during your initial interview. Do they rush through it, or do they take the time to answer all your questions? Do they complain a great deal about past gigs, or do they focus on your event? How do they speak to their assistants or other clients? If the photographer seems constantly in a hurry, snaps impatiently at people, and rushes you through an interview, you may want to take this as a red flag and look elsewhere. 

A Sense of Humor

While you don’t want your wedding photographer to be a complete clown, it’s important that they have a sense of humor about themselves and that they don’t take themselves too seriously. A photographer that’s overly serious will communicate that attitude during the photo shoot and as a result, your photos will lack that sense of joy and fun that make them something special. In addition, a photographer who believes that every photo he or she takes is a singular work of art won’t be able to take suggestions or criticism. This implies a huge ego, which isn’t something you want to deal with on your wedding day. 

As you chat with a photographer during your interview and you look through his or her portfolio, listen carefully when it comes to how he or she talks about her work. Does she regard every photo as flawless, or does the photographer admit flaws and see humor in them? If you believe that having a sense of humor is vital when it comes to planning a wedding, then hiring a photographer who has one is probably a good choice. 

The Ability to Work with Different People

Your wedding photographer isn’t going to be much use to anyone if she clashes with your bridesmaids, your fiancée, your pastor, your new in-laws, so choosing a photographer who knows how to get along with even the most difficult people is important. While this can be a difficult trait to gauge during an interview, one way to do so is to listen how she talks about others. Does she want to spend a lot of time gossiping about former clients? Does she have a negative outlook overall? If so, she may not be the photographer for you. Whether you choose a Boise wedding photography service or a freelance photographer to shoot your wedding photos, having a professional, lighthearted, and people-friendly individual at your side will reduce stress and make your wedding day the joyous event it should be.

Three Steps for Choosing a Destination Wedding Florist

Destination weddings are becoming more popular than ever as people discover tropical venues right in the U.S. that fit their budgets. While destination weddings can be a challenge to plan, there are a few steps you can take when it comes to finding local vendors, such as a wedding florist. Finding the right florist is an important step to planning a destination wedding, as flowers are a vital component to your wedding’s décor, the bridal bouquet, and the bridal party photos that will become part of a shared history with the family for years to come. While you might think that finding a Sarasota wedding photographer and caterer rank high on your list of things to do, finding the right florist is just as important, as the flowers you choose will affect the overall look of your once-in-a-lifetime destination wedding.

Begin Your Search Online

While choosing a florist in another state may seem like a challenge, narrowing down your search online can help make the task a bit simpler. Begin by looking up florists in the destination area so that you can compare availability, arrangement styles, and prices. You can strike out the ones that don’t match your tastes right away so that you can compare prices for the ones that remain and find one that’s a good match for your budget. Once you have narrowed the choice down to two or three florists, check out local reviews for the company to see if those who used the vendor had any issues that were never resolved. For example, was the florist late delivering the flowers? Were all the arrangements accounted for? Were the flowers fresh looking, or were they wilted? While one or two complaints shouldn’t be a deal breaker, especially if the vendor is within your budget, a florist company that has a number of bad reviews attached to it should probably be avoided.

Ask Other Local Vendors for Recommendations

Wedding vendors often have connections with each other, so one way to find a good florist is to ask your other vendors for a recommendation. For example, if you’re getting married at Lido Beach or the Powel Crosley Estate in Sarasota, Florida, then your Sarasota wedding photographer may be able to recommend a florist that he or she has worked with at these venues. In fact, it is common for wedding vendors to create a network where they recommend each other’s businesses because it profits each company. Of course, it’s important to do your own homework as well and do a bit of research into the companies another vendor recommends, as even though they may come highly recommended, they may not be within your price range or suit your personal tastes.

Consider All the Angles

Choosing a florist for your destination wedding will entail more than simply choosing what kind of flowers you want to use for your centerpiece and other décor. Flower colors, styles, and even their scent will have to factor in to what you choose. Seasonal issues will also come into play, as not all flowers are available year round, so if you have your heart set on flowers for your winter wedding that are only available during warmer weather, this is something you will have to consider. Before you visit a recommended florist, make a list of what types of flowers you will need and for what, (bridal bouquet, table centerpieces, hair pieces, bouquets for the bridesmaids,) so that you don’t forget any important details. If you have guests that have certain allergies, you may want to choose flowers for their table that don’t have a powerful scent to keep them from being overcome during the reception. Choosing flowers for your destination wedding doesn’t have to be an impossible task, especially if you plan ahead, ask advice of local vendors, and realize the importance of their presence.