Green Wedding Details from Martha Stewart

I found this green color palette inspiration from Martha Stewart Weddings. So modern, simple and beautiful. The ribbons on the table make an excellent, inexpensive DIY decoration!

(All Photos: Martha Stewart)

Good old-fashioned white wedding cake.

Some good old-fashioned wedding cakes - with a modern twist!

Classic White Cakes

(Photos courtesy of The Knot)

Richmond Resources: Photographers

Richmond is fortunately an artsy town, so good photographers aren't hard to come by. Here's a list of the ones that I considered when I was looking for mine:

1. Don Mears Photography

While there are a lot of awesome photographers in and around Richmond, I want to first put in a plug for my favorite one (and the one we have hired for our wedding next June) - Don Mears. He and his wife Lindsay are a team and I absolutely fell in love with his work. I'm very excited to have them photograph our big day!

Don Mears Photography

2. Cynthia Newmark

Cynthia Newmark Photography

3. CB Photography

CB Photography

4. DM Foto

DM Photo

Questions to Ask your Photographer

Here's a list I found helpful when I was trying to select a photographer. It felt a little like I was performing a job interview, but in reality, that's essentially what I was doing! These questions were all important in helping me compare Photographer A to Photographer B, but when it comes down to it, one of the most important things in selecting a photographer is finding one with whom you are comfortable. Otherwise, all of your photos will negatively reflect your discomfort.

1. How long have you been a wedding photographer? Are weddings your specialty? Are you a full-time wedding photographer?
2. Are you the one(s) who will actually be taking our photos? Will you have an assistant (and can we meet them)?
3. How many other events will you also photograph on the day of our event?
4. How much time do you allot to our event? If the event goes over, will you stay, and what is the fee?
5. What is your primary style? (It's good to hear in their own words!)
6. Film or digital? (Very few are still film...)
7. What kind of input can we have on the shots? Can we give you a shot list to work from for formal photos?
8. How many photos do you expect to shoot?
9. What kind of camera / equipment do you use? Will anything be intrusive that we need to be aware of beforehand?
10. Have you shot at our location(s) before? Are than any caveats we need to know about?
11. Will we own the digital negatives? Will we have the right to make copies and prints? If not, how much does it cost for ownership?
12. What kind of improvements / edits will you make to the images?
13. How long after the wedding will the proofs be ready?
14. Will our photos be available online for our guests to view?
15. What kind of album options do we have?
16. What types of packages do you have? What do they include? (Engagement session? Bridal portrait?)
17. Do you belong to any industry associations?
18. Do you have insurance? Do you have backup equipment just in case?
19. What happens if you / your assistant is ill?
20. Can I see some sample albums of complete weddings?
21. Can I read through your contract?
22. What are you payment options?
23. How far in advance do we need to book your services? How much of a deposit do you require?
24. What is your cancellation policy? Is there a "return" policy if we are not satisified?
25. Do you have a list of references with contact information?

Running of the Brides!

Two years ago when my sister got engaged we "Ran with the Brides" at Filene's Basement at Washington D.C.'s Mazza Gallerie. We braved the madness and came out victorious - she found a beautiful Amsale gown at a teeny tiny fraction of the cost. Well this past week, it was my turn. My team of lovely ladies joined me on the D.C. streets starting at 9:00 p.m. on Thursday where we spent the night on the pavement or curled up in camping chairs for the sake of finding that perfect dress. We were fifth in line, and when the doors opened at 8:00 a.m. on Friday morning, we stormed Filene's and managed to get our hands on a gazillion dresses.

Sadly, I have to report that I was unable to find the right dress which seems nearly impossible when you consider the sheer quantity and unbelievable prices, but Filene's didn't hold the same luck for me as it did my sister. While we did come back empty handed, all was not lost, because I got to spend a seriously fun bonding night with my girls that mean the world to me, and who I so rarely get to see!

Here are a few of the pictures from our whirlwind dress hunt...

Running of the Brides