I love when brides have a vision of what they want and trust their photographers to execute it to perfection. I’m still trying to figure out how they got a piano in the middle of the woods, but hey, it doesn’t matter. It worked out perfectly.

I’m officially in love with this vintage inspired shoot.

To check out more of Red Photo Co.’s work make sure to visit their blog and website!

I love this super cute couple who are complete opposites. Buffy Goodman took advantage of some beautiful light for Angelica and Bret’s engagement session.

Can’t wait to see if Angelica (who is a dog person) can convince Bret (who is a cat person) to have their dog be the ring bearer in their wedding. Guess we’ll all have to wait to find out.

You can view more of Buffy Goodman’s work by visiting her website and blog.

Wedding favors… the small detail that can go a long way. Some people will say to shy away from them because people will not take them home at the end of the evening. And. Its true. How many little tins of candy do you really need? I always recommend wedding favors,  but, you should do something that your guests will love. Something you know they will take home with them.

You can give the favors a personal touch (something that’s meaningful to you) or something to go along with the theme of your wedding. Whatever you choose to do, here are a few of my favorites, and I know your guests will take home.

The Knot Wedding Shop offers a wide variety of wedding favors for your day. One thing you want to make sure you have if you are doing a outdoor wedding is water. Make sure you personalize them with your names and the date.

They also have edible favors. One of my favorites are cookies. These will be very popular with your guests, especially if you have kids attending your wedding.

AmericanBridal.com has great options for practical wedding favors. If you are a foodie give them something they can use at home like these red pepper and Parmesan cheese shakers.

If you are a golfer this is a MUST do. Everyone will be fighting over these personalized golf balls.

Beau-coup offers these cute gourmet tea tins that are available in 8 classic blends. Tea is perfect for anyone.

This shaker is great to pair with your signature wedding drink. Its size is perfect for one drink and your guests will love it.

Don’t forgot about the gift that keeps on giving. Donating to your favorite charity will be a conversation starter at any wedding. Make sure that your guests know that you thought about them when picking your wedding favor and how much you appreciate them sharing in your special day.

Photos courtesy of our sponsors The Knot Wedding Shop, AmericanBridal.com, Beau-coup and brides.com

Now days wedding websites are a great tool to keep your family, friends, and wedding guests informed about the upcoming celebration. Some people may say that event websites are for the next generation and that parents and grandparents of our generation may not be computer savvy. But, I believe they are a great tool. There are a few things to keep in mind when looking into wedding websites.

Wedding websites are fun! Make sure you find the perfect one for you. Nearlyweds Wedding Websites (one of our sponsors) offers easy to use affordable websites. They have partnered with some of today’s trendiest wedding stationary designers and have built wedding websites to match stationary and event themes. Wedding Paper Divas (another fabulous sponsor) is one of those designers. You can choose your design, color, and order the same design for your stationary.

Make sure that you include all the details, maps, locations, and activities for your guests. Include pictures of the wedding party and make an album of you and your fiance. What I love about wedding websites is when couples include the story of how they met and their engagement. If you make your wedding website easy to navigate, your friends and family will keep going back for updates.

With Nearlyweds they have an easy drag and drop editing feature. You can always keep the website going after the wedding and share the photographers photos from your day. Don’t forget to blog about the planning too. You don’t have to do it everyday, but let’s be honest… everyone LOVES to hear about who you picked for your vendors.

Happy Planning!

Photo courtesy of Furious Photographers.

Welcome parties are the perfect way to get everyone together and celebrate right before the wedding. Its a great way for you and your fiance to mingle with your guests in a more laid back atmosphere and get reacquainted with old friends. Sarah and Andrew chose to have a Western themed welcome party at Lazy J Ranch right outside of Vail, Colorado. Dylan list member Cloud 9 Weddings and Paper helped Sarah and Andrew plan the perfect party to kick off their wedding weekend celebration.

The style and decor can easily be carried over into your wedding. Although Sarah and Andrew’s wedding wasn’t a western theme, they did include hues of green, yellow, and white from their welcome party.

Not only was there a shooting range set up for guests, they also had horseshoes, a mechanical bull, and horses for their guests to ride.

Coordination: Cloud 9 Weddings and Papers (Dylan List Member)

Photography: Jenna Walker Photographers

Venue: Lazy J Ranch

Flowers: Botanica & A Design Resource

Linens: Linens Unlimited

Entertainment: Peter Fontanese

If your planning a photo booth this summer for your wedding make sure you make it fun. Photo booths can get a little crazy. Bringing in props can make the photos even funnier.

If your photographer is providing the photo booth ask if they include props with their services. If your going through a photo booth company they may charge you a small fee to add in the props.

You can also check out Etsy.com for fun photo booth props!

Hello Batman! Using signs can also be fun depending on what they say.

You can also use the props during your bridal party portraits.

The fun doesn’t stop with mustaches or signs. You can use balloons, hats, wigs, or crazy glasses. They possibilities are endless. Make sure you think outside the box.

Photos courtesy of  MaroDesigns on Etsy, Whiskerworks on Etsy, Lepapierstudio on Etsy and Lucida Photography.