Your Wedding Day Emergency Bag

After having photographed many a wedding, I am finally creating a list of all those little items you really need to have at your finger tips; because, you just never know!

Most of the items below can be found at a dollar store. Call me crazy, or an overly zealous Girl Guide ("Be Prepared"!), here goes:

Taken from http://www.weddingbells.ca/articles/article/bridal-emergency-kit/

Hem Tape and a Mini-sewing Kit

Be prepared for last minute snags, pulls or rips. Pins and hem tape can lift and disguise any bustle or out-of-place gown problems; and a mini-sewing kit can stitch up any last minute holes or loose seams.

White Chalk
Oh, how clumsy we become in white. For those little marks that seem to appear out of nowhere, a little white chalk will make them disappear.

Shout Wipes or Tide-to-Go
Even the smallest drop of wine or splash of sauce can show up on a white gown. Keep a stain-remover nearby to avoid a dress disaster.

Eye Drops
They may be tears of happiness, but they’ll leave you with a bit of red-eye. A few eye drops will help keep your eyes bright throughout the emotion of the night. (GOOD FOR PICTURES: A BRIGHT, WHITE EYE IS STUNNING FOR PICTURES!!)

Antacids and Tylenol
Nerves can wreak havoc on your well-being. Minor ailments like headaches or butterflies can be stopped in their tracks with a quick pop of an over-the-counter pill.

Oral B Brush-ups and Breath mints
You’re going to be greeting, hugging and laughing with lots of people on your wedding day, so keep bad breath at bay with a quick brush-up after the hors d’oeuvres are served, and pop a mint before you hit the dance-floor.

Static Guard
Next to a stain, nothing can ruin the look of your dress more than static cling in all the wrong places. A quick spritz and you’ll be static free. (Nothing like bridesmaids walking up the aisle with bunched up/clingy dresses! The bouquet can only be held so low! LOL)

Meal Replacement Shake (with extra drinking straws)
With so much to do and so many people to see, it’s easy to forget to eat. Have a tasty meal-replacement shake nearby to keep your sugar levels up. Sip your drink through a straw so you aren’t re-applying your favorite shade every five minutes.

Deodorant or Anti-perspirant
It’s a known fact that when you’re nervous, you sweat. But sweating is also the last thing you want to be doing in your wedding gown. Stock a travel-sized deodorant stick in your clutch and reapply when you start to feel a little damp.

OTHER: Taken from: http://www.weddingsgalore.com/bridekit.html

Bandaids
prescription medications
feminine hygiene products

baby powder

bobby pins
brush/comb
hairspray (good for runs in hose too)
hand lotion
handy-wipes
kleenex
lint remover (someone said it even takes makeup off of tuxes!)
makeup
makeup remover for face and for clothes
mirror
nail polish & remover
nail file
toothbrush and toothpaste
water spray bottle
clear nail polish for runs in hose
earring backings (extras)
pantyhose (extras)
cooler with juice/soda (include club soda for stain removal)
duct/masking/sewing tape (for falling hems, broken bouquet handles, wobbly unity candles)
straws (so you don't mess up your lipstick when you drink)

Katie's Suggestions:

cash

sunscreen

safety pins

easy to eat snacks (Kashi bars, apples, grapes, small crackers)

facial oil-remover sheets

cold wet cloth kept in a container with ice cubes (refreshing!)

small scissors

Tide pen

packing tape

umbrella

hand held fan?

Another way to incorporate the above list:

At my sister's ceremony and dinner rehearsal last August, she presented her maids with a beautiful, and durable, lunch tote from Chapters (14.99 - patterns vary). The tote (which I use for now as a toiletry travel bag), was filled with fun items. Many could be used on the wedding day (like the granola bars, bottle of water, hand lotion, gum), and some were meant to enjoy later (scented bath salts). There were more, I just can't remember them all. (We were also presented with a more sentimental gift too.)

This is a great, practical gift: a grown up version of receiving a 'treat bag' at a birthday party. Haha. Bridesmaids appreciate being remembered!

Rebecca and Paul's Engagement Session

Matt and Lauren photographed Rebecca and Paul's engagement session about a month ago at Chaffey's Locks: the Locks has sentimental value as Paul used to work there. Rebecca and Paul will be getting married in October of this year.

One of the Coolest Invitations Ever!

ailing Steven and I, or Matt and Lauren, a wedding invitation is not mandatory, just so you know, or even necessary. (We do like to receive an invite if the wedding is out of town - it is always good to a have a hard copy to take with us in these situations.)

This year, it does seem that we have received many from our 2010 clients, and we are always appreciative of this inclusive gesture. I love opening mail: it is a tangible and old-fashioned reminder that someone is thinking of you. :) And it makes us feel that we are more than just a vendor providing a service at your wedding.... but again, this is not necessary.

We have received many beautiful invites: classy invites with ribbon and transparent overlays; bi-fold and tri-fold variations; invites with embossed script and floral designs. So much fun, and we thank you for including in us in your mailing list.

When we received Elizabeth and Justin's invite my jaw dropped and I couldn't wait to show Steve when he got home from work. (Like a little kid showing off a picture they painted in school, haha.)

What caught my eye first, was the very creative and contemporary lay out of the invite. A very methodical design, indeed! The three colours used are the three colours they are incorporating into the wedding day: red, blue, and a lime (light) green. Each coloured card had a purpose: the red one is the main invite, the green one is labeled 'Ceremony', and the blue one is labeled 'Reception'. On the back of each card there is an incredible map - which also blew me away - and other FYI's.

The picture on the front of the couple holding hands? That's them! It is one of our 'walking away' pictures we took during their engagement session. How smart is that?!

The three inserts came with a simple white ribbon around them to hold them together.

I called Elizabeth that evening because a) I am really nosy and needed to 'know', and b) to ask if the creator of this lovely invite would like some advertising.

As it turns out, a good friend of theirs designed the invitation, and would like to remain anonymous because they are not looking for extra work - sorry!

Yet, I share this with you all, just in case you haven't thought about your invitation yet, and there is still time to get creative and ponder your options.

Colour and Culture - Looking forward to Saturday!!

This Saturday (tomorrow!) will prove to a day full of colour and culture for both of Unveiled's photography teams!

Matt and Lauren will be photographing Sangita and Peter's wedding.

The ceremony will take place outdoors at Little Cataraqui Conservation area. Sangita will be in a wedding sari, and the officiants will include both Indian and Jewish customs and traditions throughout the ceremony. The reception will take place at the Loyalist Golf and Country Club.

Steven and I are spending all day Saturday with Chris and Ziny and their families.

Wedding highlights include the ceremony taking place at the Greek Orthodox Church downtown Kingston with a tea ceremony at the Renaissance to follow after pictures.

We are also looking forward to plate breaking and belly dancing -FYI, not us! :) - at the reception.

Claire Bouvier: Local Violinist

Holy Cross English teacher by weekday, event musician by weekend, Claire Bouvier is a musically gifted young woman in Kingston. We had the privilege of listening to her play her violin at a wedding ceremony last October. Following the ceremony, Claire also graced cocktail hour at the Senior Officer's Mess at RMC.

I was finally in touch with Claire a week ago, and she has given me the go-ahead to offer to our clients her contact info:

bouvier.insideout@gmail.com

We are looking forward to taking her portrait in a field somewhere - just Claire and her violin - some weeknight in June.

The Classy Carnival Wedding - it is possible!

Striking a perfect balance with the unconventional and tradition, Andy and Taryn's carnival themed wedding was a success!

Held at the Days Inn on Saturday, April 17th, 2010, Andy and Taryn were very intentional about the atmosphere they wanted to create for their guests.

First, I LOVED the wedding program: on one side of a large card (about 5x7) with carnival-like font was the evening's program, and on the other side? A mini-putt score sheet, no less!

And second, appetizers included carnival food like mini pogo sticks!

How memorable it was for their friends and family to enjoy familiar carnival games like Crown and Anchor, Waffle Ball, and Ring Toss, and to be treated to high-end poutine, braised pulled pork or beef sandwiches, make-your-own nachos, pop corn, and delightful little cups of salad.

Guests were also encouraged to dress up in costume for pictures in front of a carnival mural (painted by the bride's sister), or just roam about with stick-on fuzzy eyebrows and a crazy wig or hat.

The kids LOVED it! (And the parents even more as their children were entertained for the evening!)

The menu was made complete with a cotton candy station and candied apples.

Decor included simple, colourful homemade material pennants strung at each activity center, large lollipops stuck in a plastic popcorn vase filled with tulips, and brushed-silver candle holders.

Guests were also able to 'win' their games, receive tickets, and claim fun items (like fuzzy dice) at the prize table.

In the midst of all the activity, family and friends also enjoyed groovin' on the dance floor!

The staff at the Days Inn were attentive, and manned the activity centers with a professional and fun attitude - no doubt they had not seen the likes of such a wedding!

There are some criteria that must be incorporated into a wedding day: ceremony timing and flow, first dances, speeches, etc. However, Andy and Taryn proved that a whimsical theme, when done right, can be successful in the heart of spring time.

Here is a sneak peek at Andy and Taryn's wedding:

Just Married!

Table centerpieces

Colourful pennants adorning the bar

First dance

Love this photo!

Trying to win at Ring Toss

Signs taped to some sort of tall stick and fixed in buckets

with stones marked game stations

Friendly competition

Go Grandma!

Carnival attire

Bridesmaids in colourful dresses

Days Inn staff dishing out carnival favourites

Prize Table

FUN!

YUM!

9-Hole mini-putt was also set up

A carnival is not complete without

your neighbourhood fortune-teller

These ladies were at Crown & Anchor almost all night! ;)

New Album Design!

I had so much designing Jenn and John Paul's wedding album! I incorporated their wedding colours and new graphics into the page designs, although I didn't get carried away with the colours and graphics to give it a clean layout. Their album is a (60) page premium 10x10 complete with dust jacket (the flaps are the two vertical pictures on either side of the first image below, which is the back and front). The second image is the first 10x10 page, and the following thumbnails are the two-page spreads. Not all pages are posted.