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Things to Consider When Planning a Destination Wedding

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10 Things to Consider When Planning a Destination Wedding

Are you up for the challenge of planning a destination wedding? Wherever in the world you choose to get hitched, there are logistics to consider and difficult decisions to be made. Make planning a wedding away from home easier with these ten tips.

Consider The Weather

You can plan as meticulously as you like, but you can’t control the weather. For summer weddings, a wool three-piece suit and princess gown may not be the best options. You want to be as comfortable as possible on your big day so you definitely want take the temperature of your location into consideration.

For example, you can keep warm with a shawl in colder climates or stay cool with thin linen materials in hot climates. Another idea is getting matching leather jackets with your bridesmaids or matching fedora hats for your groomsmen. Keep in mind that the train of your dress may get dirty at an outdoor wedding so you may, or may not, want one. Also, consider your shoe choice for beach weddings versus grassy outdoor areas.

Book an All-inclusive Resort

Getting married at an all-inclusive resort will make your life a whole lot easier. After all the wedding planning you’ve done, having everything right at your doorstep will be just what you need.

Your guests will also appreciate the facilities they offer. Restaurants, bars, a swimming pool, airport transfers, and a tour desk right at your doorstep. It’s one less thing for you to worry about.

Find a Great Wedding Photographer

Wedding photographers showcase different styles of photography. You’ll have these photos for the rest of your life, so it’s important to choose one with your style preference.

Many wedding photographers will travel to shoot a wedding. You will be expected to cover their accommodation, flights, and transport on top of their editing fees. Be sure to allow room for this in your budget.

Send Invites in Advance

Give your guests sufficient notice so they can plan their trip and budget accordingly. Generally, 8-12 months is considered appropriate for a destination wedding.

Accept that attending a wedding overseas may not be possible for everyone. Consider setting up a live stream so those who cannot attend can still be a part of your day.

Choose Local Suppliers

Choosing locals suppliers will not only save you money, but they will also take away the stress of transporting your goods overseas.

For flowers, consider the destination and the season. While olive trees and bluebells suit Tuscan summer weddings, tropical islands are abundant in frangipani and hibiscus.

Hire a Wedding Planner

Wedding planners work wonders. Destination weddings call for a lot of planning and with that comes a lot of stress. They’ll lift the weight off your shoulders and scout out the best vendors for you.

Look for a wedding planner who specialises in destination weddings. They’ll know the tricks of the trade including overcoming a language barrier or planning location logistics.

Visit The Location in Advance

Always check out the location before you book. It’s difficult to visualize whether the space will work for you without having visited.

A general rule of thumb is to view the venue before booking, then again before the wedding. If this is not feasible, set up video calls with the venue and your vendors. Alternatively, you can arrive a week earlier to inspect the venue.

Meet With Potential Vendors

When you make a trip to visit the venue, you should also plan to meet potential vendors. Visit caterers, florists, officiants, and don’t forget to do some cake tasting!

Research Local Wedding Requirements

Legal wedding requirements differ from country to country. Research carefully and prepare your required documentation well in advance. A certificate of no impediment, expression of marriage intent in the newspaper, or a blood test may be necessary. You may also be required to reside in your destination country for a period leading up to the wedding.

Keep in mind a translator will be necessary for the ceremony if you do not speak the language of the country in which you choose to tie the knot.

Have a Plan B

Always have a ‘Plan B’. You’ll never regret good preparation! A wet weather alternative for an outdoor wedding is an absolute must.

Bring flat shoes, an umbrella, a first aid kit, and some tissues for any just-in-case moments. Have back-up contacts for a florist, tailor, taxi, photographer, officiant, and baker.

At the end of the it all, you want to make sure you cross your t’s and dot your i’s so that everything goes as smoothly as possible. You want to be able to look back on your destination wedding and say “Wow! That was the best day ever!”.

Thank you for reading!
If you have any questions please don’t hesitate to contact us!

Did you like this blog post? Keep an eye out every week for new tips and tricks about how to make your wedding planning fun and fabulous!

Author Credit: Harper loves destination weddings – from the thrill of visiting a new place to the opportunity to gather with close family and friends to celebrate a beautiful union. Get to know more about Harper through her personal blog, Harper Reid.

Photography Credit: This blog’s photography has been brought to you by the staff at KS Studios Photography. This photography company services the Greater Toronto Area & GTA, York Region, Durham Region, and Malton Region. They also offer destination and travel services. For more details, check out their website:
https://www.ksstudios.ca

How To Help Your Photographer On Your Wedding Day

Things You Can Do to Help Your Photographer on Your Wedding Day

Planning a wedding can be stressful, especially if you are doing most of the work yourself! Your day of vendors are often just as stressed about your big day, trying to make sure that everything goes according to plan. For one vendor in particular, there are a lot of things that fall on his/her shoulders, such as, keeping track of time, organizing people, making sure things happen on time, and so much more. As we’re sure you probably already know, this vendor is your photographer. Here are some tips that you can do in advance to make your day go as smooth as possible for yourself, your families, and your photographer.

Have a schedule for your wedding day:

Do you have multiple locations for your wedding day? Do you have different ceremonies or cultural events happening at different times? Maybe you’re doing a first glance before the ceremony? Whatever the case might be, it is extremely important that you communicate with your photographers, before the wedding, what you would like your day to look like. This gives your photographer the opportunity to plan accordingly in terms of travel and time management. Sending the confirmed locations and addresses, along with a rough day-of timeline, is one of the best things you can do for your photographer. Typically, your photographer will use this information as a reference when going from one place to the next. Your photographer might even make some helpful suggestions before the wedding day to help avoid stressful time constraints or confusion. You should also provide your photographer with your contact information and/or the contact information of someone responsible in your bridal party. This ensures that your photographer can keep in touch in case something changes over the course of the day.

PortRaiture:

Many important people will be coming to your wedding day and most likely, you will want to take photographs with these people so that everyone can remember your special day forever. Making a list with specific names for your family/friends group photos will help make your family portrait time fly by! Providing your photographer with a list of family photos, allows your photographer to call out specific people, organize them, and capture each shot you want without missing anyone. This list is extremely handy!

Likewise, ask your photographer if it is ok to provide them a list of specific bridal part and bride and groom shots you would like to have. For instance, have you seen some really cool shots on Pinterest that you would like to recreate? If your photographer is open to seeing some of these ideas, save those photos and share them with him/her in advance so that they can keep them as reference while shooting. While your photographer may or may not replicate the shot exactly, he/she might create a photograph that is similar or even better!

Theme music:

Are you thinking of having a same day edit played at your reception? Make sure to provide you photographer with a list of music before the wedding day. This way, your photographer can have it downloaded and ready to be included the day of. Photographers often like to spending their time editing your same day edit instead of scrambling to download the correct version of your song or trying connect to the venue wifi to find the music. While your thinking about music, if you have any other slideshows, highlight reels, or videos, find out from your photographer/videographer if you need to provide them with any other music. Typically, if you have multiple types of edits, you will be asked to provide up to 10 or more song selections for their editing team to choose from. Get it done before the wedding and you won’t have to worry about it after!

Communication:

ALWAYS try to respond to/confirm with your photographer in a timely manner. Photographers understand that things happen and they are often times good with working on their feet, however, photographers are always under a lot of pressure to get the right shots and to keep things in time – believe it or not, they get stressed about your big day too! Before the wedding day, if your photographer sends you an email to confirm some details for the day, don’t ignore the email. Respond to your photographer as soon as you can. On the day of, if there is a dance or a cake cutting that needs to be moved up ahead of schedule, let your photographer know as soon as you realize it needs to be moved. This ensures that your photographer will be ready for it when it happens rather than being caught completely off guard.

Your photographer will be one of the few vendors who spends the larger part of the entire day with you. Make sure that you communicate him/er, no matter how big or how small the change or information may be. At the end of the day, your photographer needs to get those special shots and create those day of productions. If your photographer knows where to be and when, it will ensure that every special moment and memory is captured for you to enjoy for the rest of your lives!

Thank you for reading!
If you have any questions please don’t hesitate to contact us!

Did you like this blog post? Keep an eye out every week for new tips and tricks about how to make your wedding planning fun and fabulous!

Author & Photography Credit: This blog post and all its photography has been brought to you by the staff at KS Studios Photography. This photography company services the Greater Toronto Area & GTA, York Region, Durham Region, and Malton Region. They also offer destination and travel services. For more details, check out their website:
https://www.ksstudios.ca

KS Studios: 5 Things You Can do to Help Your Wedding Photographer Capture Your Wedding in an Amazing Way!

KS Studios

5 Things You Can do to Help Your Wedding Photographer Capture Your Wedding in an Amazing Way!

KS Studios

At KS Studios, we know that the excitement of your wedding day will be over before you know it. Fortunately, your wedding album will serve as a lasting reminder of the beautiful moments of this special day. A professional photographer understands how special this day is, and will be able to capture it beautifully in his/her pictures. Nevertheless, there are few things that you can do too, to help your photographer do an even-better job.

Best for Bride, Canada’s premier bridal destination, has the following tips for prospective brides and grooms to ensure their wedding photographs are as good as they can possibly be.

1. Discuss your must-haves in advance.
You may have certain expectations for how your photos should look or what it should include. Don’t assume that your photographer will naturally know this. Discuss all relevant details in advance and he/she can make sure he/she captures it. You can make a shoot list of must-haves, so nothing important is overlooked.

Fun and Creative Wedding Photography Ideas

 2. Tell him/her about the special little-things.
Your album will appeal more to you, when it includes the special little things that you are fond of. This could be details like a special feature on your wedding dress, an heirloom that you wear on the day or special moments like your parents’ expression when they see you in your wedding dress. Tell your photographer what you are particularly fond of, so he/she can capture these personal things.

Just Say Yes to Our Wedding Photography Services

 3. Assign a bridesmaid or groomsman to assist with group shots.
Although you can give your photographer a list of who should be in which pictures, gathering them may not be an easy task for him/her unless he/she knows who they are. Choose a bridesmaid or groomsman who is familiar with the guests at your wedding, to help him/her with this. They can help him/her identify who is who, and gather the right people for each photograph, so the sessions progress smoothly.

Wedding Photography Services in Toronto and GTA

4. Plan a relaxed schedule for your photos
Your wedding day will be a frenzy of activity. Nevertheless, plan it well so you have enough time for your photos. You should be able to relax and enjoy each photo session, so it turns out well. Discuss with your photographer and come up with a realistic plan for the number of shot locations and how much time will be required for each set of pictures. Plan your day accordingly.

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5. Prepare in advance
Prepare for your wedding day photography by practicing your poses in front of a mirror. Although many of your pictures will not be posed, you can plan for ones that will be. Practice smiling, so it looks natural in front of the camera. Identify your best poses and practice them, so you can automatically default to position during your photo shoot. Booking an engagement photo session can also really help with preparing for those intimate and candid moments on the big day!

Ideas for Wedding Photoshoot

Author Bio: This post was brought to you by Best for Bride, Canada’s one-stop bridal dress destination. This bridal chain operates from four locations in Canada and offers an online shopping experience for wedding dresses, accessories, dress for the entire bridal party and essential wedding day services. For more details, check out their website: http://www.bestforbride.com

Photography Credit: All of the photography has been brought to you by KS Studios Photography. This photography company services the Greater Toronto Area & GTA, York Region, Durham Region, and Malton Region. They also offer destination and travel services. For more details, check out their website:
https://www.ksstudios.ca