Maria Athanasopoulos from Zink: The Element of Hair, Plympton gives Brides the low-down on how to make sure that your hairstyle is one you'll love - not just on your wedding day, but years down the track as well.
Unbridely loves wedding photographers.
We appreciate the depth of their experience and love the raw emotion they capture in their photos; the art and their legacy. So it's made us sad to see quite a few wedding photographer horror stories hitting social media lately.
We feel that they cast a shadow over the amazing service, product and experience that the majority of professional wedding photographers provide to their couples.
But there is no escaping the sense of loss a newlywed couple feels when the wedding professional, they trusted their photographic memories and hard earned money with, fucks it up.
And not just in a 'people make mistakes' way. It's the 'I'm above society's norms/I don't subscribe to basic courtesy/what are you going to do about it anyway' kind of attitude that really gets us fired up.
So what can be done about it and how can you avoid hiring a dodgy photographer?
You want to be the bride that is leading the conga line of guests at 2am, right?
If you are getting married soon, there is a good chance that you are doing the lion share of the planning, organising, supplier meetings, family negotiating and general running around. And even for the healthiest and fittest of us, there is potential for your health to take a backseat.
But to be blunt, here at Unbridely, we think that this is where everything is a little backwards.
Our philosophy is that your wedding planning experience should be more like airplane crash procedure: you need to put on your OWN oxygen mask first before you help anyone else.
We want you to FEEL GOOD EVERYDAY.
It's like Sesame Street song goes; one of these things is not like the other.
See if you can pick it:
a) You're having a birthday and you want to celebrate it; so you throw a party.
b) It's Summer and you want to celebrate it; so you organise a BBQ.
c) You've received a promotion and you want to celebrate it; so you go out to dinner.
or
d) You've found the love of your life and you want to celebrate it; so you just plan a wedding..?
You're right; the wedding is the odd one out. No one in the history of weddings 'just planned a wedding' and did not experience the pressure of expectation, a little guilt or some kind of stress along the way. It is not a side of weddings that people like to talk about because it's not sexy or fun. "But why can't we just have a simple wedding?" many couples bemoan not long after starting to plan their big day.
Well, let's break it down..
Your parents have stuck by you through all your awkward phases.
Including your desperate pleas for a horse when you were 8 ("of course I will feed it every day, Dad!"),
your emo phase at 14 (black was the new black)
and your unhealthy obsession with a really dodgy local band when you were 21 (don't deny it, you know it's true).
And if your siblings are anything like mine, they would have mocked and teased you mercilessly through the aforementioned phases.
But here you are, planning your wedding and you really want to acknowledge and include them in your big day.
Sure, your dad can walk you down the aisle, but what other ways can you include your family in your wedding?
There are 3 core ways you can include them; practically, in a supportive function or by honouring them and the special relationship you share.
One of the most uplifting, and yet sometimes subconscious, first impressions a guest has of a wedding ceremony is conveyed via the music they're greeted with. The palpable sense of occasion and celebration that a live string quartet (duo/trio) creates can be both emotional and calming.
Enter Amicus Strings; a professional Adelaide-based string quartet founded in 1996 by Carolyn Lam. I've worked with the girls at several wedding ceremonies over the years and have always admired their professionalism and polished performances.
Carolyn and I sat down for a chat and pulled together the top 5 things you need to know before you book a string quartet for your wedding.
Last week in Part 1 we touched on how modern elopements, when you personalise the 'when and where' and embrace the wonderful and unique couple that you are, can be a freeing and fun alternative to a traditional wedding.
But it does bring up the stickier topic; how on earth do we go about it? The logistics of the ceremony itself are a piece of cake, next to the potential for hurt feelings, regret and guilt that can accompany the aftermath of an elopement.
For example, what are you going to tell your friends and family before you elope - are you going to lie to them? How are they going to feel about that? How do you plan to announce the news after you're married, so as not to alienate the people that you care about?
Part 1 - How to Get Started
Over the past few years, I've noticed a growing trend in the number of couples not interested in the big white wedding and everything that goes with it (including the cost, planning pressures and family expectations). There are also many brides and grooms who are simply less than thrilled about the idea of being the centre of attention on their special day. But what are the alternatives?
One of the trends that I have noticed and think is super cool, is the concept of giving back in the planning stages, the execution (there's got to be a better way to phrase that) and/or clean-up of a wedding. And the best part is that you don't need to be a paid-up member of Greenpeace, chain yourself to a heritage listed building or march in the streets to make a difference.
Here are some of the great new ways you can share the love of your special day with those less fortunate.
I feel very fortunate to work beside some of the most exceptional wedding photographers in (South) Australia on a weekly basis. I can't help but admire their dedication to the craft and how talented they are.
But the bonus for me, on top of their fun and friendly personalities, is their wealth of knowledge. They have shot hundreds of weddings in their time and know all the tips and tricks.
So here are 10 of the most talented photographers I know, imparting their little pearls of wisdom, their best-ever advice, on how to look AMAZING in your wedding photos.
Okay, so here’s the thing; civil wedding ceremonies (in Australia, at least) can be as wacky or subdued, formal or relaxed, modern or traditional as you and your fiancé want. All you need is an experienced and willing celebrant to guide and support you and the intent to make your marriage ceremony one that your guests won’t sleep through.