Helpful Wedding Tips From a Wedding Photographer Part 1 | Maris Ehlers Photography

Now that he asked, you said yes, the ring fits, and the champagne has been drunk (or drank), the real work begins.  And don't be fooled.  Planning a wedding is REAL work, but somebody's gotta do it, right?  How exciting that it's you!

In the next series of blog posts, I'm going to walk my readers through some of the big steps in planning a wedding:  from my POV.  What does that mean, exactly?  Well, I'm not an expert wedding planner, nor do I claim to be one. There are a million and one planning resources available to brides and grooms and I'm not going to replace any one of them.  Actually, I don't want to.

What I do want is to be a valued resource for my bride and grooms.

What I am is a creative marketing professional and a photographer who documents the stories of weddings, and here's one thing I can say:  I've seen it all.  Or, at least I think I have.

The topics I'll be covering over the next few posts (i.e. the things that I have a strong opinion about), will be:

• Budgeting:  Forget the veil, sweetie.  Where's your accounting degree? 
• Timeline:  It's true. Time does march on, whether you are ready or not.  
• Location:  It really is everything, but in a good way. 
• Style:  I'm not your mother, but if I were... This is what I'd tell you.
• Stop the Press:  What you should know before printing ANYTHING
• What to Wear - Wedding style for everyone, from brides to babies.
• Details:  The devil can be in the details, but they are where the beauty is, too.
• Wedding Photography:  Who is the real boss on your wedding day?  The answer might surprise you.
• The Menu:  Serve a bad meal at a wedding, and you'll never live it down.  
• The "W" List:  What I would / would not do and what I would / would not spend my money on.

If you have any budgeting questions you'd like to ask, please post them here (or email me at:  maris@marisehlersphotography.com) before Saturday, March 19th, and I'll do my best to answer them!

I hope you'll enjoy the upcoming posts AND ask questions / provide comments.  Writing these articles will be the closest I'll ever get to both reliving my own wedding day and to forgiving myself for the fuschia and black velvet bridesmaid dresses with the HUGE bows across the backsides!  I'm lucky my friends still love me.

In the meantime, here is a list of my favorite online wedding resources and blogs to get you started. Enjoy!

Minnesota Bride Magazine 
Twin Cities Bridal Association
Style Me Pretty
Green Wedding Shoes
Wedding Window
Glamour and Grace
Wedding Gawker
Sparkle and Hay
Forget Me Not Weddings
The Budget Savvy Bride
The Knot