Here are some ideas for fun and 
different bridesmaid gifts:

Play This is Your Life at a bridesmaid luncheon
 or party: A fun way to accomplish this is to 
create a game show atmosphere at the bridesmaid
 luncheon, a "this is your life" type of format
 in which the bride creates personalized biographies
 of each of her bridal attendants and then purchases
 unique bridesmaids gifts that match each attendant.
 The fun is in the "awarding" of each bridesmaid's
 gift as she is introduced and the personal biography
 read by the bride. Fun things to include in this
 game are childhood stories that are appropriate 
to share with other members of the bridal party;

At a summer garden party or traditional tea-party
 with the bridesmaids and attendants, place homemade
 or pre-bought flower containers as centerpieces,
 then give one to everyone as a gift.

If you are planning a destination wedding: As you
 shop for the groomsmen and bridesmaids gifts for
 your wedding party, take time to purchase gifts
 that are not only sentimental but also 
representational of the fun and exciting 
location that you have chosen for your 
destination wedding.

Wouldn't it be fun to have a sleepover? Almost
 every girl's childhood includes girlfriend 
sleepovers complete with movies, munchies, lots
 of gossip and laughter. If your bridal attendants
 are childhood friends, why not revisit the "good
 old days" with a bridesmaid sleepover and movie 
night? Hosting a Bridal Party sleepover is not 
only reminiscent of childhood fun but a great 
way to relax and unwind together.

What IS a bridesmaid luncheon? The bridesmaids' 
luncheon is a special event, hosted by the bride, 
that is held approximately one month prior to the 
wedding. The purpose of the bridesmaid luncheon is
 to allow the bride an opportunity to show each of
 the bridesmaids how much she appreciates all that
 they are doing or have done to assist with the 
planning, strategizing and all other necessary 
preparations for the upcoming wedding.

A creative bridesmaid gift that is very popular 
is the charm bracelet. Why not try creating a unique
 bridesmaid gift for each member of your bridal party
 by shopping for specialty charms for each of your 
attendants. The charm bracelet has long been a 
unique way to express personal hobbies, accomplishments
 and friendships that are held dear to the wearer.
 
		

		
I have been doing this at Turtle Bay Resort 
for 2 years.  Now I have been on my own for 
2 1/2 years.  
I currently go to school at Grosbonnet for 
patisserie classes. I have been very happy
and excited to bring to Hawaii my designs
and style.  
I look forward to having you visit my
website: 
http://www.cakesbyjem.com/cuswed.htm
Mahalo for your time!
 
		

		
Need tips for choosing professionals in the wedding industry?   Here is one of our favorites!  

Tips for Choosing a Wedding Photographer

Experience Level - Has this person 
photographed other weddings?  Does 
he/she do this for a living or for fun?
 In this industry, photographers come
 and go daily.   Many people who own 
a digital camera believe that they 
can easily deliver a wedding.  Experience
 counts here on a one time, one chance 
event such as this.   A brand new 
photographer may be fairly talented and
 everyone has to start somewhere, but do
 you want to trust your once in a 
lifetime event to a newcomer?  Their 
experience should show in their work 
and in the way they work with people. 

Presentation matters!  If a professional 
photographer can not present numerous
 and full wedding albums of weddings 
from start to end, telling the wedding
 day story, you may want to strongly 
reconsider using his/her services.  
Anyone can photograph a few good photos
 and highlight them from a few dozen 
weddings, but can they photograph an 
entire wedding with the same quality
and style?  Finally, you can always 
check with the Better Business Bureau
 for complaints and ask for referrals
 of their most recent weddings and ask 
them about their experiences. 
 
Photographic Style - Are the images 
that you are shown, what you would like 
to see? Can you picture yourself 
photographed the same way? Is there a
 satisfactory mix in different styles? 
There are "buzz" words flying about 
everywhere about photojournalism, formal,
 classic, contemporary, candid, illustrative 
and so on. All colorful adjectives aside,
 do you like what you see?  Does the work 
of the photographer suit your desired style? 
Truth in Advertising – Read the package 
contents and understand it, ask questions.
Know what items are included, time 
allotted, overtime charge costs, costs for
proofs or negatives (digital files)
 and ?????  Also, is this the photographer 
that will be photographing your wedding or
 will they send in who ever is available? 
Don't be shocked, this happens more often
 than you can imagine.  Many studios have 
numerous photographers.  Be sure to ask 
and be certain that you know which 
photographer is going to be there and
 see HIS/HER work and meet them.  Don't 
let a salesman sell you anyone but the 
actual photographer of the work you are viewing!
 
Personality - Is the photographer that 
you meet someone that you can get along 
with? Is the "chemistry" there? People 
have walked away from hairstylists and 
tailors for less. This is a person that
 you are going to spend most of the day
 with.  Could you handle it?  Does he 
or she seem service oriented and a 
people person?  Will they be smiling
 with you..........all day?  Will they
 draw out the emotions desired and 
deliver them in your images? 

Appearance - Ask the photographer how
 he/she intends to dress. The last 
thing that you want is a conflict at 
the wedding about the photographer 
wearing a sweatshirt and jeans with 
sneakers at your favorite country club.
 Is this person well groomed? It is 
after all, your wedding! 

Price Range - Although, the last thing 
you want to do is shop by price, is 
this person within your budget? If not,
 is he or she worth the difference? A lot
 of times we tend to surpass our budget
 constraints to get what we really want.
 If you see and like it, you'll find a way.
 In any case, make sure you understand what
 everything costs, including your album! 

Delivery - How long does it take to get
 your proofs back, your finished album, 
your bridal portrait, etc.? Go ahead and 
ask. Some photographers take months to
 deliver your proofs. Be sure of how 
long things take to turn around. Also, 
how are they delivered to you?  Prints? 
 DVD?  Online?  All of the above? 

Offering - Whether it's a la Carte 
or packages, do you understand what 
you get in your contract? Is there any
 room for changes and will it cost to
 do so? Sometimes the packages are fixed,
 sometimes they can be customized, 
in any case, ask. How much time will
 he/she spend? What if you need more 
time? Are the images edited? What if 
you want them in Black and White as 
well as color?  Make sure that you know 
what's coming and what your limitations are. 
 For example, some photographers offer you
 a DVD of your images, but you can not 
legally print from this DVD, only view 
the images.  You may have thought that
 you were getting the images with 
copyright release to you to print on 
your own.  If the photographer is offering
 credits towards certain items such as
 an album, do you understand what the 
credits are worth?  Will the credits
 cover the entire cost of what you
 believe you are getting? 
 
Contract - Do you understand the contract? 
Is it fair? Is everything spelled out? 
When it comes down going to court, only 
what is WRITTEN really counts, not what
 was promised. Make sure that you have
 no doubts before signing. Read it ALL. 
 What about deposits and payments? 

References - A personal reference is 
always the best and people love to talk.
    Get a list of references from the 
photographer and check them out personally. 
   A photographer who doesn't have 
references or is afraid to give them to 
you may not be the person that you need 
to hire.  Most should be willing to offer
 these and make them recent weddings, not
 just one here and there spread out over
 a multiple year period.  One last place
 to find an excellent photographer is to
 ask other long time vendors that you may 
already be working with. 

Need tips for choosing a Disc Jockey, 
Caterer or Baker or other vender?  Email
 us for more information.   Let us assist
 you in choosing the vendors that best 
suit your needs and desires by giving
 you the tools to ask the right questions. 
  Contact Sterling at sterlingwardphotography.com     
We look forward to hearing from you!
Sterling Ward has been in the wedding
 and entertainment industry for over 
23 years.  As both a wedding photographer
 and a wedding Disc Jockey, he has 
experienced the wedding day from start
 to end hundreds of times.   The wedding 
industry is his professional passion.   
See his work at 2brides2grooms.com and sterlingwardphotography.com     

Phone him with questions or comments
 at 360-701-8469.
 
		

		
The Seattle Wedding Expo is coming up Aug. 22nd and 23rd. We decided to give you a head start. 
We will be offering a special on all our packages!
$350 off Any wedding photography package for dates Oct. 1st-April 30th. 

$250 off Any wedding photography package for dates May 1st-Sept. 30th.
It gets better, you can take advantage of this special right now! That's right beat the rush and 
secure your date before the show! 

 
 
(Pssss.....The first 10 Brides will also receive a free engagement session.)
Chat with you soon!
Carrie Stark
Elegant Images Photography
www.e-iphoto.com
www.e-iphoto.blogspot.com
www.starknakedphoto.com
425.361.2488
 
		

		
1. "How To Win Friends and Influence People" by Dale Carnegie

This is a timeless piece of literature. Mr. Carnegie weaves stories, anecdotes, and wisdom 
from the ages on how to get along with people, business associates, clients, and family. 
This book introduces you to the importance of asking questions before rendering judgment.

2. "The Anatomy of Peace" by The Arbinger Institute

Jim Ferrell and his staff have written an incredible book on developing relationships. 
Arbinger has developed a language of their own and it's sweeping the nation. Learn 
what it means to get 'Out of the box' and how to stay there. Every husband, wife, mother, 
father, and in-law needs to have the tools found in this book.

This is a preview of Don't Say "I Do" until you Read These. Read the full post (252 words, 
estimated 1:00 mins reading time)
 
		

		
I have some good news and some bad news.

First the good news: if approached correctly, married life will be the most glorious, 
blessed, and rewarding time spent with another person. Words are inept at trying to 
explain the love, the trust, and the respect that are developed in a successful marriage. 
Happy marriages deepen and get better with time.

Now the bad news: if not approached correctly, you have a 50 percent chance of getting 
a divorce. That doesn't count marriages that don't end in divorce but are not happy.
So now what? Consider this question:

This is a preview of So You're Getting Married. Read the full post (313 words, estimated 
1:15 mins reading time)
 
		

		
The average engagement lasts 13 months.

The average wedding costs $18,874 with 186 guests.

The average second wedding costs $12,000, 
but the couples spend nearly double first 
time couples on their honeymoons.

In almost half of U.S. weddings either the 
bride or groom has been married previously.

The wedding ring has traditionally been 
worn on the third finger of the left 
hand because it was believed that a vein
in this finger ran directly to the heart.
The third finger of the left hand has 
become the customary wedding-ring finger
for all English-speaking cultures.

80% of brides plan formal weddings.

74% of all brides receive a diamond 
engagement ring. 60% of women are 
involved in picking out their engagement 
ring, while 3% actually pick it themselves.

In 2000, the average bride was 24 years old and the average groom was 28.

Only 4% of men asked for the parents' approval for their bride's hand in marriage.

20% of men proposed on one knee.

6% of men proposed to their girlfriends over the phone.

The most frequent number of bridesmaids in a wedding is 4 (including the maid of honor).

62% of weddings have a flower girl, while 56% have a ring bearer.
 
		

		
I recently came across this old poem that 
tells the fate of marriages  depending 
on the month you marry. I thought it was pretty interesting.

"Marriage when the year is new,
he'll be loving kind and true;

When February birds do mate,
you wed, nor dread your fate;

If you wed when March winds blow,
joy and sorrow both you'll know;

Marry in April when you can, 
joy for Maiden and for Man;

Marry in the month of May, 
and you'll surely rue the day;

Marry when June roses grow, 
over land and sea you will go;

Those who in July do wed,
must labor for their daily bread;

Whoever wed in August be, 
many a change is sure to see;

Marry in September's shrine, 
your living will be rich and fine;

If in October you do marry, 
love will come but riches tarry;

If you wed in bleak November, 
only joys will come, remember;

When December snows fall fast, 
marry and true love will last".
 
		

		
Hi!
Please make plans to join us at the Hawaii Bridal Expo 
July 24,25,26th
Daily Informal Fashion Show--All Day
150+ local vendors
Friday 5:30-10 (first 1/2 hour; lobby only)
Saturday 10:30-5
Sunday 10:30-4
Get your free edition of the Hawaii Bridal Expo magazine!
 
		

		
Outdoor weddings are a hit this summer-- 
on a farm, in a vineyard, or even in the
backyard -- and we'll continue to see 
a lot of them all of 2009. It's really 
no wonder: An outdoor setting makes 
for a fun, laid-back vibe and the 
decor options are limitless.
So what kinds of details are in store? 
Vintage vases filled with 
fresh-from-the-garden flowers, 
mismatched china in bright colors, 
and homemade wooden signs to 
direct guests. Even catering 
is in on the action with in-season
 ingredients paired with local wine.