Liz and Fide at Texas Old Town, Stone Hall

This wedding was all about family and gosh Liz has a big one! Each family member wore purple in some form or fashion – what a great idea.  The ceremony was lovely and the couple included traditions to honor their Hispanic heritage. The groom hands his bride gold coins as a symbol of his unquestionable trust and confidence. A rope lasso was placed around them by special guests symbolic of their love which will bind them together every day as they share responsibility of their marriage and union. The reception started with a mariachi band while guests dined on traditional Texas fare – yummy barbeque. Toasts, cake, dancing and more pictures than we have ever taken in live photo booth. We have to give a special shout out to the guest who entered the booth with a sign that said – the person taking this picture is awesome. We think she was pretty great, also. We see lots out couples share cake and Liz and Fide were the most natural couple at this ever! Great wedding and fun celebration. Congrats to this awesome couple who both work for Cfan. I will think of them every time I fly. They make the jet engine fan blades that power the GE engines for Boeing.

 

Leigh Ann and Matt at Angel Springs, Georgetown

What a simply gorgeous wedding day! It has rained the entire week leading up to this wedding, but the day was cool and just slightly overcast. Leigh Ann and Matt decided to celebrate Matt’s heritage and incorporate many Scottish traditions. Matt wore a kilt. Mark said he thought wedding dresses could be complex to assemble but nothing compared to the kilt. The ceremony also had Scottish touches. They had cool bag pipes for the music and a hand-fasting ceremony. You might remember this was part of the Kate Middleton and Prince William marriage ceremony. The best man and maid of honor assisted in joining Leigh Ann and Matts hands with a plaid sash.  It was such a nice touch. At the end, Matt brought Leigh Ann into the clan by putting a sash of his clan’s tartan over her dress.   The reception was fun filled. Guests enjoyed a very tasty BBQ meal and a wonderful cake. Of course, a busy dance floor thanks to Mike Krites with Pro DJ Services and the night ended with sparklers and a surprise limo ride to a hotel compliments of the bridal party. We must give a huge shout out to Deidre Browne with Detailed Weddings. She was a wedding coordinator extraordinaire!

10 Ways To Ensure You Have Fun At Your Wedding Reception

As photographers, we see it all. Recently, we have photographed some really fun weddings. It got me thinking, what was different? So, I decided to write a blog on obervations. Here are some simple things you can do to have fun at your wedding reception.

1. Get a good night's sleep the night before. With the excitement it is hard to do, but don't complicate things by staying up to late after your rehearsal dinner.

2. Limit alcohol consumption before the wedding. A champagne toast before the ceremony is nice; drinking the bottle will just put you to sleep! Be sure to eat something, too.

3. Wear or bring comfortable shoes. The bride and bridal party often wear wonderfully beautiful shoes that they can only tolerate for an hour or so. So remember, bringing a second pair of shoes that make your feet happy is a necissity!

 

4. Plan an exit strategy. Ask responsible friends and family members to help you by assigning them end-of-the-night duties, such as removing decorations, taking gifts to a pre-determined destination and settling up with the hall. Don't worry about the clean up.

5. Where you "are"; "is" where your guests will be. (I am not sure my English teacher would like that sentence structure - smile) If you are sitting, so will your guests. If you are dancing, so will your guests. Stay together as a couple.

6. Relax. Don't sweat the small stuff. I think that I mention this in every blog that I write. Keep your sense of humor on your wedding day.

7. Trust your DJ. A good DJ knows how to handle a reluctant crowd and build momentum with the music.

8. Weddings can have themes and that is fun. Backyard BBQ, Oscar night, oldies music, allow your reception to take on its own identity. Want pie instead of cake? Go for it.

9. Laugh in the FREE - J. Mark Photography Photo booth. We bring the props, you bring the guests. It is a blast!

 
 
 

10. Dance. Above all, have a great time at your party. Eat, socialize and meet
your spouse on the dance floor. Your fun mood is contagious, and guests will follow your lead.