In addition to winning the prizes, Vancouver brides will be featured on Vancity Bride, a Vancouver wedding blog that provides practical advice for brides and also gives insight on the Vancouver wedding industry.  If you’re planning a wedding, especially if you’re in Vancouver, you need to check out her site.

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Who know the first job in life someone would have you at a greeting .. Yes thats where I Asha Morris meet my fiance Christopher Lavergne for the first time. Very nervous October 2001 was a scary month for me as I started off at my new job. Working with chris was aweaome I felt like I knew him all my life no wendys burgers can take me away from his heart taking smiles … years & Two misscarriges later a little pink box was left on my purse …. March 24th 2011 brought that feeling back at wendys when we first meet. Back to Oct 2012 this time will be a wedding and he may kiss his bride As life is lived no one never knows what tomorrow holds if I may be blind to the sight of tomorrow may I have your heart to guide me thru forever and always as our tomorrow becomes yesterdays

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With all of the things that brides need to organize, it is easy to lose track of things, like budgets, schedules, and appointments. To get organized, many purchase a wedding planner, mainly in print format, so that, at any moment, every detail of the wedding plans will be at arms reach. With the increasing popularity of tablets, it is quite natural for wedding planners to move into digital format.

Going digital, of course, has it’s advantages. It’s much more portable, because paper planners tend to accumulate all kinds of papers in between, making carrying it around an exercise of keeping everything in it’s place. Information is also more quickly accessible, with the ability to categorize and search for things. Certainly, if you own a tablet, digital wedding planners are worth looking into.

The question is… which one? A quick look in the app store yields several options. The option I’ll present to you is 2Wedding’s Ultimate Wedding Planner, an iPad app that is currently free until January 31st, 2012.

The Ultimate Wedding Planner is divided into four main sections:

• 2Mag
  Information, inspiration, and advice on weddings presented in a magazine format. This section also provides help on how to use the app
• 2Worksheets
  The actual planner section of the app. This is the section that we’ll spend the rest of our time on.
• 2Day
  Information aggregated from a wedding blog; this section provides current events and inspiration as it is published
• Gown Search
  Provides a facility to browse wedding gowns and filter them by brand, body type, and budget

2Worksheets

This section is organized into several worksheet types to the left and the actual worksheet itself to the right. The interface is quite intuitive and responsive so exploring the interface is easy to do, something I recommend you do so that you familiarize yourself with what this app can do.

What struck me about this app is its simplicity. The workshop categories to the left are fixed and cannot be added to, changed, or modified. If you wanted to categorize something differently, that won’t be possible. For example, the ‘Photographer’ and ‘Videographer’ are separate worksheet categories but the worksheets themselves are identical; a case could be made for them to be unified under a ‘Media’ category. This sort of simplicity isn’t necessarily a drawback, however, because the categories are well thought out and will allow you to have focused discussions with key vendors for your day.

Another interesting feature is the send to email function, simply marked as a small button with a box in the top right corner.  This button takes the contents of any of the worksheets and places it in an email.  This should prove handy for sharing information with your fiance, wedding planner, wedding coordinator, or your bridal party.

Let’s take a quick tour around the categories…

Our wedding worksheet

This first worksheet allows you to enter the most basic information about your wedding, — who you are, when your wedding date is, the names of your people in your wedding party, your priorities, and a quick place to enter and categorize all those wonderful wedding ideas you have floating in your head.

Once you’ve entered your wedding date, it even has a handy counter that tells you how many days until your wedding!

This countdown is actually quite helpful, because it provides a visual reminder on how many days you have left to get everything done.  This leads us to the second worksheet category:

Wedding countdown

This section has a list of things to do categorized into the following timeframes:

• 12-18 months before the wedding
• 9-12 months before the wedding
• 6-9 months before the wedding
• 3-6 months before the wedding
• 2 months before the wedding
• 1 week before the wedding
• the Big Day!

Within each timeframe is a list of things that are suggested to be done.  Unfortunately, you can’t add/change/remove any things on the list, but you can check off the ones that are there so you can make sure you have at least those items covered off.

Budget Calculator

This section allows you to categorize your budget and give you a total by category and a grand total for the entire wedding.  Again, there is no way to make any changes to the categories or subcategories.  Of course, being a photographer, I had to see how we are categorized.  I was a little confused why there is an Engagement|Portrait category and a Services|Photographer category.  But that’s the reality of planning something as big as a wedding, there are many ways to organize things, and there really is no wrong way to do it.

In any case, the goal of this tab is to provide you with a quick reference on how much you’ve budgeted for every aspect of your wedding, and this section does this quite well.

Wedding Day Schedule

This section allows you to schedule your day from the time you leave home all the way to the reception (to the minute, if desired.)

The next few sections…

These sections (Flowers, Photography, Videography, Transportation) all deal  with your key vendors.  For the photography section, in particular, I like that they have two important items in the worksheet: Appointments, and Wedding party liaison, because it’s important to keep your photographer in the loop, especially on how your wedding day schedule is shaping up so that he or she can ensure that you have adequate coverage for the day and the wedding party liaison will be able to keep things moving by making sure everyone who needs to be in a photo will be close at hand.

Seating Planner

This section is self-explanatory…  This will allow you to plan who sits where, and with whom.  You have the ability to plan for up to fifty tables; there is no function to add more tables. Still, fifty tables should be sufficient for most people.

Honeymoon Packing Checklist

A checklist of everything you may need for your honeymoon.  The list is fairly comprehensive — and good thing too, because you can’t add to the categories.  You can in the Notes category, though, so that may be a decent workaround.

Overall, Ultimate Wedding Planner is an easy to use app that will help get busy brides organized.  At $4.99, it’s worth the money to keep you organized if you already have an iPad.  At free, it’s a no brainer.  Get it.  Click the button below to go to the iTunes link:

Get the app

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In October of 2009, Stephen and Vinnie met through mutual friends. Stephen knew it was a set-up, Vinnie did not (until a year later!).

On a Tuesday night in November of 2009, Stephen drove Vinnie to Iona Beach at 9pm, where they first hung out alone. They were to go on their very first official date later that same week, but Stephen said to her that night, “I knew I couldn’t wait until Friday to see you again.”

In July of 2010, they drove back there to discuss their futures and to make a very important decision – whether or not Vinnie was to move to Toronto to attend Ryerson for graduate school. She decided to stay in Vancouver and attend UBC, just as he chose to stay in Vancouver with her a few months prior, when he had a job offer in Winnipeg.

On Christmas Eve of 2011, Stephen proposed at the same spot at Iona Beach at sunset. She said yes!

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Josh spent 2 months in Kissimmee, FL with his Aunt Terri and Uncle Steve (Dalton, Paiton, Carter) interning at the City of Kissimmee Parks and Recreation Department. I was busy at home working at 2 restaurants and planned a trip to to Kissimmee to see Josh over the 4th of July weekend. Josh had planned the whole weekend and I was so excited to see him. We planned on going to Disney World on Friday, the beach Saturday and Sunday, shopping till we dropped on Monday, it was going to be perfect. Instead, we spent some of Friday at Disney World, Saturday and Sunday in the hospital, Monday on the couch, and Some light shopping on Tuesday before I left to go back to Holland. Here is the story…..

Friday we woke up and went to Disney with Steve, Terri, Dalton, Paiton, and Carter. After spending the morning on rides, Josh, Steve, and Dalton went on Space Mountain one last time. This time was not so fun though and Steve lost his Oakley sunglasses. While Steve and Terri spent some time looking for the glasses, Josh, myself, and the kids went and looked around various shops. While in the Space Mountain shop, unknowingly to me, Josh made a Mickey Mouse necklace (this will come into play later).

We went for lunch and Josh was starting to not feel too well, he didn’t eat but after sitting for a while felt good enough to get up and walk again. We made our way to another part of the park and on our way we passed by Cinderella’s Castle. I was walking ahead of Josh and I felt something around my neck. I turned around to see what was going on and noticed a Mickey Mouse head on a necklace. I flipped the necklace around and read what was inscribed on the back, it said

 Marry Me July 1, 2011

I turned around to look at Josh and he was down on one knee, with a little blue velvet box holding the most perfect diamond ring! All I remember is throwing my hands up over my mouth and gasping for air. There I stood in front of Cinderella’s Castle with my best friend down on one knee! How perfect is that?! To make it even more perfect, there was no one within 20 ft of us in both directions. It’s like the crowd parted and made a spotlight for the most perfect moment of my life. I don’t even remember what he said, I just remember him putting the ring on my finger and him hugging me! It was perfect! We were engaged and not less than a minute later, it started to rain. This rain was a foreshadowing of the next couple of days! I was the happiest person in the whole park but little did I know, Josh was feeling sicker and sicker. We spent the next couple of hours moseying around the park before Josh had to stop and sit down. He was in so much pain and we eventually had to leave the park earlier then we were planning on. Once we got home Josh immediately went to sleep and by 7am he was in so much pain we had to go to the ER. Josh was admitted from the ER and needed and appendectomy. I spent the next 10 hours in the waiting room as Josh waited in pre-op for 8 hours. He spent the night in the hospital where I stayed and slept in the chair next to him. The rest of the vacation was spent in the recovery room and then recovering on the couch. We did not end up going to the beach or shopping as much as I had hoped, I didn’t get to lay out and embrace the Florida sun but this mini-vacation was the best of my life!

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To all my clients, I especially want to thank you to all for your business this year!  I sincerely enjoyed the opportunities and am honored that you chose Te Amo Photography.

For additional reading:
I have also posted a Christmas article on my personal blog titled:  Blessed beyond all measure.   I hope you enjoy it!

While that process can adequately measure how well a photographer’s style and packages matches the couple’s tastes and budget, I believe that coffee table meetings don’t sufficiently measure a key factor that should be considered in selecting a wedding photographer: chemistry.

Coffee table meetings don’t sufficiently measure a key factor that should be considered in selecting a wedding photographer: chemistry

Chemistry is a big factor to getting great photos.  I believe so strongly in the importance of chemistry between couples and their photographer that I wrote an article about how it can help you look good in front of the camera.

To help you make a more complete evaluation of your prospective photographer, I offer something called a “Glass Slipper Session,” where you can ‘try on’ Te Amo Photography with a mini engagement session, enjoy some free coffee, and have a nice chat about your wedding.  There are no obligations, just a chance to see how I work, get some samples of my work, and get answers to your questions.

See Te Amo Photography.  Experience Te Amo Photography.  Book a Glass Slipper Session.

Fortunately, for the rest of us, looking great in front of a camera isn’t all about genetics.  There are many practical things you can do, both on and off the camera, to make you look good.

As a photographer I am completely aware that, for many people, getting in front of a camera can be a little awkward.  And, to be honest, I much prefer at the back of the camera than in front of it!  Having said that, because I spend a lot of time behind the lens, I want to share some advice that will help you look great in front of the camera!

study the pros

Ever wonder what models do all day?  If you’re like me, you probably have scenes from Zoolander in your head: **blue steel**.  The scene, as silly as it is, has some truth to it.

Models, like most business people, are constantly finding ways to make their product more appealing.  In their case, their body is their product.  They spend time figuring out what colors look great on them.  They spend time figuring out which is their best side.  They spend time figuring out  how to stand/sit/lean so that they always present their good side to the camera.  They pour all this effort so that when it comes time for their photo shoot, they will have the key to be really really ridiculously good looking: confidence.  Once they have that, they will look ahmaaaaaazing, daaaaahling.

Have a look at some magazines and notice how they stand, how they look, where they look, what they wear and imagine yourself walking down the street, rocking out your fashion collection from your closet.  Mimic their poses, practice them, and tell yourself: I am beautiful!

practice on your mirror

Your mirror is your most honest and kindest friend when it comes to looking great in front of a camera.  It tells you exactly how you look without being judgmental, so you can spend some time looking at it and trying out different looks.  Here’s a quote from a famous (fictional) male model:

If I have a day off I’ll spend four to nine hours in front of the mirror, trying just a tilt of the head or a furrow of my eyelash. I mean my body, my face are my tools.  — Derek Zoolander

Okay, you probably really don’t need “four to nine hours” on your day off in front of a mirror, but I believe if you spend some time in front of the mirror, you’re a step further in looking amazing for your photos!

Really important side note: once you discover something that works for you, because a mirror is a reflection of you, you’ll need to flip it! So, if you parted your hair to the left, part it to the right.

get some rest

This is the advice you hear most often on this topic — and for good reason!  It’s cheap, it’s easy, and it really does work!  Being rested helps:

• your eyes to look better
  those dark bags under your eyes either won’t be there, or at least, they won’t be as visible
• your skin to look better
  by allowing your skin to be rejuvenated and less prone to blemishes, like acne!
• your entire body to look better
  because you’ll have the energy you need to support your body properly, and you’ll be in a better mood overall

A well-rested person, is a good looking person!

love your photographer

This, of course, is my favorite piece of advice!  When selecting a wedding photographer, I advise brides to choose wisely, and choose someone you connect with, because I strongly believe that there needs to be chemistry between you and your photographer.  He needs to be someone who can put you at ease and someone that you can have fun with.  A good photographer is one that helps you forget that there’s even a camera around.

Your photographer is the first person to ever see the photos from your shoot.  He is the one who visualizes them, composes them, and positions you.  Trust his creativity and his style and complement it with your personality.

Your personality, of course, is the most important aspect of your photos.  Without it, you have simply have people in a frame.  With it, you have a captured moment, a locked-in emotion.  Love your photographer, and gush with personality, and you will have amazing photos.

Great-looking people aren’t born, they’re made with a little work, a little rest, and a lot of love!  Now, repeat after me: “I am beautiful.”  Good.  Now do something about it!

Although you’ll know within seconds of hanging out with Amanda that she’s a great person to be around, I found proof in her living room: she has a Dwight Schrute bobblehead!  How awesome is that, right?!

Amanda and Matt’s wedding day started their day off with a first look — something I recommend everyone should do!  As we were preparing, Matt admitted to me that for the first time, he was nervous.  You couldn’t tell from his face at all!  I did remind him that he looks great, his bride-to-be looks amazing, and the wedding will be wonderful, and I’m sure he agreed…

and now for the big reveal…  Words really couldn’t express how tender this moment was, and I’m so thankful for the privilege to be able to capture it.  He was speechless… she was speechless… and as I write this, I’m speechless.  Really. Sweet. Moment.

After a few moments together, they were whisked away to begin the ceremony!

A quick bite to eat with some absolutely delicious cupcakes by The Flourbag Princess.

The day was a scorcher, so we stopped for some ice cream to cool off!

Thanks again for such a fun day, and congratulations, Amanda & Matt!

Hello, and welcome back! In the past few sections, we’ve covered a few aspects on how to help improve your wedding planning stress. In particular, we’ve been focusing each aspect of the triple constraint and, so far, we’ve covered scope and time. In this section, we’ll be covering the third aspect of the triple constraint: budget. If you’ve followed along since the beginning, welcome back, and thank you for following along!

Let’s face it, weddings cost a lot of money. Money is one of the biggest topics of fights for many relationships. Couple that with the fact that for most couples, the effects of budget decisions will be remembered by your pocketbook long after the wedding. Unfortunately, those memories aren’t always pleasant. Consequently, setting a good budget, and keeping a close eye on it will help your wedding and your marriage!

You can’t have a great relationship until you can communicate and agree about money. – Dave Ramsey

There are a couple of approaches you can take in setting up your budget, and regardless of which approach you take, it is important that you do do this activity with your future spouse. Dave Ramsey, financial intelligence educator and author of Financial Peace said, “You can’t have a great relationship until you can communicate and agree about money.” I couldn’t agree more.

As you undertake this task, here are a few tips to set you on the right track:

Set expectations

The first expectation you set must be your own. As you look at what’s available to you for your wedding, you will be presented with a lot of options — and they all cost money. It is important to ensure that your expectations are aligned to what your budget can allow. It is possible to have a beautiful wedding on a tight budget. It means favoring creativity over cost, but maybe that’s not such a bad thing, right?

The second expectation that you must set is the one of your future spouse. As you begin working on the budget:

• agree on how much both of you can spend on your wedding
• how you will finance your wedding
• who will be paying for each item
• what happens if you have to go over your budgeted item

Set limits

Once you’ve determined how much you will spend, you need to figure out how to divide those against each thing you have identified for your wedding. There are a couple of approaches to this:

• percentage allocation
  This method provides a quick way of dividing up the costs. Because everything has to add up to 100%, it is easy to see that decisions made in one area will affect some other area.
• absolute allocation
  This method works best when you already know how much you would like to spend on one or more areas. For example, you may already know how much your dream dress is, or how much that photographer will be. With this method, you begin by entering the values that you know and divide up the remaining amounts with what’s left.

Set reviews

Setting a budget is only a part of managing this constraint. Tracking and managing the actual spend is the most important part because this actually tells you how well you’re doing with your budget, and will warn you if you may be in trouble in the future. Set up regular reviews with your future spouse to make sure that both of you are on the same page. Some of the things to talk about are:

• How closely is our actual spend matching our budget?
  If the discrepancies are generally pretty large, you may have to reevaluate if your estimates are low, or that you’re having difficulty staying on budget.
• How many “just a little over-budget” purchasing decisions were made?
  A few of these decisions may be tolerable, but if both of you are doing this, then those little differences are doubled, and if not discovered early enough, it may be too late to do anything about it

With these tools, you are now better equipped to managing your wedding budget. In the next segment, we’ll put all these concepts together!

Stay tuned for the final installment of the series, The Path From “Yes” to “I Do” where each element will be described in further detail:

Part one: Getting Started

Part two: Scope

Part three: Time

Part four: Budget

Part five: Putting it all together