It’s Thanksgiving week, and we are taking a much needed blogiday! Enjoy the oldies but goodies that we have for you this week.  

Consider the Time

Great photography is a result of great light. Natural light is constantly changing throughout the day as the sun moves from the east to the west. There are certain times of the day when the sun is in the ideal location for that perfect, glowing portrait of a bride and groom in love. Those times are as close to sunrise as possible and about an hour before sunset. To get the most out of your wedding day photography, I highly recommend you consider the time throughout many elements of the big day.

Consider the Time of Day

By checking out the light around the time of your event before the big day, you give yourself the chance to make minor changes that could make a major difference in your photographs. If you are having an outdoor wedding, make sure you visit your venue at the exact time you plan to start your ceremony. Observe how the light falls around where you will be standing. Bring your fiance, and observe the light on his face. If he is squinting because the sun is in his eyes, then he will most likely be squinting in the ceremony photos, too. Knowing this information ahead of time should give you ample opportunity to make any necessary changes so that you will end up with the best possible photos during your ceremony.

Consider the Time of Year

If your dream wedding photos include rolling hills spotted with autumn colors, then you will probably want to have an autumn wedding. Or if you always dream of having your pictures taken in front of Monument Terrace in downtown Lynchburg, you could probably have your wedding any time of the year.  My point is, by knowing what kind of images you want you should also know the type of scenery you want. Consider the season in which you plan your wedding, and understand what your scenery options will be before the big day arrives. Plan according to what you want.

Also, considering the time change last weekend, you should definitely remember daylight savings time!

Consider your Day-of Timeline

You can know the best time of the day to take your portraits, but if you don’t execute a good day-of timeline then you won’t have time to have your portraits taken! When you sit down to plan the timeline for your wedding day, plan for everything to take longer than you might imagine. A thirty minute ceremony with a receiving line quickly becomes one hour. When time gets tight, the first thing to be cut short is often your time with your photographer. Also remember to generously calculate the amount of travel time between locations. Plan accordingly to maximize your time with your photographer.

Weddings are whirlwind days. Emotions, activities, to-do’s… your day will be full of excitement! Use these suggestions to assure your memories will be captured in the best possible way by the photographer you hire.

Thank you again, Liz! To check out Liz’s photography work, click here … the link will take you straight to her own blog.

First and foremost, from us to you, I hope that you all had a wonderful holiday season. Bliss and I enjoyed our first Christmas and New Years together and had a wonderful time with family and a few friends. Many of you reading this blog are still single (engaged) or are newly married, so what I am going to talk about today has either happened or it is going to happen.

Holidays seem to be a natural breeding ground for tension. Amidst the wonderful food, gifts and holiday cheer there can be secret seas of tension brewing that you may not even realize. Your husband’s parents would rather have had you for Christmas. Aunt Gemma doesn’t understand why you didn’t call her before Uncle Richard. Maybe your parents wanted you to visit them instead of staying at home by yourself. No matter what the issue may have been, there can be sore feelings if they are not dealt with early and if you and your husband do not prepare ahead of time. Thankfully, Bliss and I were able to avoid any major issues, and we did it with the help of three concepts:

1. First, clearly communicate well ahead of time (before October) where you will be spending the holidays and who with. We asked both our parents which holidays they would rather spend with us, and we did our best to keep everyone happy while still making time for our own traditions and time together.
2. Second, Bliss and I talked extensively about what our family’s traditions were. Whether we ate ham or hotdogs for Christmas Eve, what we put in our stockings… etc. This is a great way to introduce your significant other to your childhood as well as prepare them for some possibly different traditions than they are used to.
3. Finally, make the most of your holidays. Bliss and I worked really hard to not make mountains out of molehills. As we got to talking about the holidays and everything that went with them, we began to realize that if Lord willing, we are married for 50 years, that is only 50 Christmas seasons we have together. Only 50 Christmas seasons! That new perspective drove us to make the most of our holidays and the most of the time we had with the families. Were they perfect? Not at all, but we enjoyed being with one another and that is what made it perfect.

Talk to you soon! ~Shelby

*Photo by: Lindsay.Dee.Bunny*

Well, it’s almost Christmastime … the season where we all do last minute shopping, go on Christmas light hunting rides and enjoy time with family and friends. I hope you enjoy these Christmas “blogiday” postings as I review some oldies but goodies from the vault.

“He is #1”

“Your ring is stunning!” “Have you picked out your dress?” “How did he propose?” These are a few of the things you are probably hearing from your friends and family right now. This is an exciting time in your life, and your loved ones want to share in that. But after the wedding, the “ooh”s and “aah”s fade, and you will be faced with a new challenge: prioritizing your husband.

Up until this time in your life, your friends and family comprised your most important relationships. While they are still essential, your new #1 priority is your husband. Although your girlfriends and family love you, they may have a challenging time adjusting to this. Let’s look at some ways we can respond to this predicament:

1.      Rebel: When I first got engaged, some of my close friends did not understand what I was going through and why I couldn’t spend as much time with them as I used to. Frustrated, I pulled away from those friendships, telling myself I did not need them. I knew my friends were hurt, and my life lacked the fulfillment that can be found in meaningful friendships with the opposite sex.

2.      Resign: This issue recently arose in my life, but instead of rebelling, I resigned and gave in. I spent most of my time with my friends, heavily investing in them and leaving little for my husband. My husband is not complaining, and they are, so I’ll just choose the path of least resistance, I thought. However, I became resentful towards my husband because I did not feel close to him. When I brought it up, he expressed that he, too, felt resentful because I was not prioritizing him. Yet he had not said anything because he knew how important my friendships were and did not want to be a hindrance.

3.      Remain/Remind: The third and healthiest option is to remain strong in your decision to prioritize your husband and remind your friends and family that you still love them and are there for them, but the dynamics of your relationships have changed. Try to be patient with them, but make it clear that you need quality time with your husband. Even if he isn’t vocal about it, he wants to be close to you, and you need a deep friendship with him if you want your marriage to be strong. Author Bob Barnes affirms this: “Our spouses are more important than our friends, and our actions need to reflect that fact even if old friends don’t understand (‘What Makes a Man Feel Loved?’).”

While this challenge presents a tricky balancing act, it can be done, and your family and true friends will understand and adapt. Remember, at the end of the day, you are not married to your girlfriends, you do not share a bed with them, and you will not raise kids with them. Look for ways to show your fiancé that he is #1 today and watch your relationship flourish!

Well, it’s almost Christmastime … the season where we all do last minute shopping, go on Christmas light hunting rides and enjoy time with family and friends. I hope you enjoy these Christmas “blogiday” postings as I review some oldies but goodies from the vault.

I’m Dreaming of a Lite Christmas

Whatever holiday you are celebrating this month, there is one common thread among them all that can derail any bride. The food. This time of year, food is about family, traditions and celebrating. Let’s be honest, it’s hard to say no, especially if you are celebrating with new family – your future family. Can you really say no to Aunt Betty’s famous artichoke dip or Granny’s chocolate sauce or the pecan pie that is specially ordered every year? Traditions among families are meant to be honored, appreciated, and carried on, but that does not mean that you have to eat it ALL for the sake of family relations.

Planning ahead is the key to getting through the holidays without letting go of your vision of yourself on your wedding day – particularly if you have already bought the dress! Take a good look at your schedule for the upcoming holidays. You will likely have weekends or even days where you have multiple events and will need to juggle these logistically and nutritionally. When you have a holiday event and you are trying to stay on a diet or at least prevent weight gain, one of the best ways to do this is to eat a small, healthy meal before you go.

Choose foods that are high in protein and complex carbohydrates and low in sugar to keep your blood sugar balanced. The last thing you want to do is down a bowl of sugary cereal or a bag of chips that will in no short time leave you low on energy and hungry again – this will make you more vulnerable to making the wrong choices. Instead, try a cup of cottage cheese with whole grain crackers or a half of a turkey sandwich on whole wheat bread. This will help ensure that you will not be famished when you arrive at the event.

You will then be able to choose what you eat and drink using your brain and not your stomach. A taste of that “to-die-for” pecan pie will go a long way towards satisfying yourself and your family, while eating a whole slice could contribute to making you feel and look weighed down.

Offering to bring a dish is another way that you can plan ahead in order to stay on track. Most holiday parties are overrun with heavy dips, fattening hors d’oeuvres, creamy spreads, and sugar-laden desserts. To ensure that you have a healthy option at your holiday party, offer to bring a veggie platter or fruit tray so that you can snack without worry.

Another important tip is to choose your beverages wisely. These can be excessive sources of calories and alcohol. A good general rule is to stagger your alcoholic and/or high calorie beverages with a glass of water. This will help to decrease the number of calories consumed and slow the impact of alcohol. We know that alcohol impairs decision-making ability and this is no exception when it comes to food. After a couple of glasses of grandpa’s eggnog, it may be much easier to throw caution to the wind and eat that whole piece of pecan pie … and take a sugar cookie for the road.

Also, remember that there are many ways to bond with family other than eating and drinking. Jumping in on the annual touch football game or caroling through the neighborhood are great ways to bond and stay active during the holidays. It’s a special holiday season when you are the bride and it’s important that you enjoy it. Part of doing this means planning ahead and knowing how you want to look and feel on New Year’s Day as you prepare for your big day!

Thank you again, Katie! What a perfect time of year to learn about how to head off food issues before they happen. 

Well, it’s almost Christmastime … the season where we all do last minute shopping, go on Christmas light hunting rides and enjoy time with family and friends. I hope you enjoy these Christmas “blogiday” postings as I review some oldies but goodies from the vault.

One thing I love about blogging is the opportunity to not only provide you with great wedding ideas and beautiful photos, but I also enjoy having experts impart their knowledge to you by writing articles for Hill City Bride! I am thrilled for you to read the debut column by Liz Cook of Sincerely, Liz: Photography,  just click here to learn more about her. 

To kick off my column here at Hill City Bride, I knew my ultimate goal was to share advice with brides-to-be about their wedding photography. Let’s just say, if I could go back and do it all again, I would change more than just a few things about my own wedding photography experience. It wasn’t bad; it just wasn’t what I wanted. This month, I want to talk to you about what I believe should be your first step in getting the most of your wedding photography: knowing what you want.

In my search for a wedding photographer, it didn’t exactly occur to me that the person would be there to capture the memories of the day. I know, that’s kind of embarrassing to admit. The truth is, all I was thinking about were the beautiful portraits we would have after the day was over. While that was something that was important to me, I completely overlooked all the other memories of the day. I want to make sure you don’t make the same mistake.

So my first piece of advice to you is to sit down with a pencil and paper and brainstorm. Seriously think about what comes to mind when you imagine your wedding pictures. Make a list of the images you dream of, ask your married friends about their photography experiences, and think about the products you would like to have after all is said and done.

Do you dream of a beautiful storybook album that holds all the memories of your day?

Do you want to remember the look on your groom’s face as he catches his first glimpse of you coming down the aisle?

Write it down.

After you have made your list of what is important to you, keep it with you as you start your research of possible wedding photographers. While browsing through online portfolios, look first for the images on your list. When reading about what the photographer offers, keep in mind the products you want. If you come across a photographer whose portfolio shows images you dream of and products you want, make a note of the photographer’s name and contact information and continue your research.

The pictures will be one of the only things left when your wedding day is behind you. Know what you want before you choose your wedding photographer. Make sure he or she has a shooting style you enjoy, images in their portfolio that you are dreaming of, and offers the type of products you are interested in.

Wedding photography is a huge investment in your wedding day, you will want to do it right the first time!

Thank you, Liz, for your wise advice to our brides! Be sure to check out all of the quality photographers and vendors we have on the right hand side of the site … there is sure to be one that will meet your style needs. To view Liz’s site, just click here, and all of the photographs in this article were taken by Liz herself.