Ask A Wedding Planner // 9 Ways to Be A Kick-Ass Wedding Guest

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Ask A Wedding Planner // 9 Ways to Be A Kick-Ass Wedding Guest

As a wedding planner, logistics are a huge part of my job: timing the guest transportation to and from the venue, timing the catering staff, ensuring there is enough time budgeted for the "shot list" the couple provided to the photographer, etc.

If you are between the ages of 20 and 40, you've probably been invited to a few weddings, and if you haven't recently planned your own fête, there can easily be rules of etiquette you are breaking without even realizing it.

Here are some helpful tips to be a kick-ass wedding guest. 

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Real Couples // A Modern and Lucky Wedding for Two Grooms: Sean + Ryan

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Real Couples // A Modern and Lucky Wedding for Two Grooms: Sean + Ryan

Three years prior to the day they wed, Sean and Ryan met. “Our meeting was pure luck, and not just because it was on St. Patrick's Day. Sean was on a scavenger hunt and needed the shamrock beads that Ryan was wearing. He won the hunt and scored Ryan’s number!” They’ve been together ever since.
 

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On LGBTQ Acceptance in the African American Community

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On LGBTQ Acceptance in the African American Community

As I was driving home, my head swirled with thoughts of "the Truth" and how "Christians" can sometimes be the least likely to draw people to Christ. I began to ponder why is it that the African American community (most of it) has not embraced and affirmed LGBTQ individuals? Truth be told, there are those family members that we always knew preferred the same sex, but it was never discussed. Not only was it not discussed, they just never seemed to bring anyone to the family dinners or get-togethers.

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Wedding Inspiration // Tattooed Brides, Vintage Motorcycle, + Studded Cake

/ MyMoon/
Wedding Inspiration // Tattooed Brides, Vintage Motorcycle, + Studded Cake

...a car drove by and its male driver slowed to honk his horn to harass us ... Thankfully, I had these two badass women in front of the camera. They coolly looked toward the car, and with the greatest of ease, extended their middle fingers as high as they could ... These two women were the perfect embodiment of what I wanted to represent. Be aggressively yourself.

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Woke Wednesday // Meet Cindy Savage of Aisle Less Traveled

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Woke Wednesday // Meet Cindy Savage of Aisle Less Traveled

Liz: Would you tell us a bit about what the coming out process was like for you?

Cindy: Yeah. It was horrible from one side and totally great from the other. So: good stuff first. During that first relationship, my best friend had come to visit and totally called me out on what was going on. So she was the first person who knew. And honestly, she knew before that, I'm sure, as I know we'd had some theoretical conversations about it, in which I'd said I could easily imagine being with a woman. I wasn't really worried about acceptance among her, or really any of my friends; it was more that I'd been keeping this secret at the behest of my ex, and now a year and a half in, it felt shitty to have waited so long to tell anyone. I told her, and two or three other people in our tiny theatre department also knew, since I'd needed an occasional confidant. But I started making a concerted effort (mostly via AIM, laughs) to tell my other friends, and every single one of them was instantly supportive. Which was awesome.

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Real Couples // A Fashionable Brick Lane Engagement: Chrissy + Sam

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Real Couples // A Fashionable Brick Lane Engagement: Chrissy + Sam

Chrissy and Sam initially met through friends in 2014, but at the start it was a slow burn. They had no further contact until four months later when Sam found Chrissy on Facebook. He was about to be a groomsman for his friend and the night before the wedding he stayed up chatting on the phone all night with Chrissy, such that he overslept and was late for duty the next day. Since then they have been inseparable.

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Wedding Inspiration // Afro Chic

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Wedding Inspiration // Afro Chic

This was an "Afro-Chic" styled wedding shoot, sponsored by the Queen Photographers of Georgia, an organization that supports women of color photographers. The inspiration behind this shoot was "Black Girl Magic." It took place in a beautiful natural light studio space, in Gainesville, Georgia. The color scheme was hues of maroon, pink, and lace. 

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Black BeauTEA Talk // 7 Myths About Black Beauty

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Black BeauTEA Talk // 7 Myths About Black Beauty

Myth #1: "Black Don't Crack"

I'm going to talk about skincare first because as a makeup artist, this is the most important part of beauty. So under my post asking to hear the biggest myths from my readers, the first commenter said “black don't crack.” This was a good one, and I'll be the first to say that this is TRUE and not a myth, and I'll tell you why it's true. Black women age slower than other races of women, and one main and very obvious reason for this is that melanin, baby! However, the danger in this saying is that it insinuates that as black women, we shouldn't do other things to take care of our skin.

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Real Couples // Motorcycle Fine Art Engagement: Waqas + Kari

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Real Couples // Motorcycle Fine Art Engagement: Waqas + Kari

Kari and Waqas went on a motorcycle camping trip and this session was a pilgrimage of sorts to return to a time they loved so dearly. As we walked around with a light breeze blowing Kari’s hat, they pointed out all the areas they remembered eating breakfast at, the places they stumbled around in the dark, the lake where they watched the sun set as the shadows creeped up the trees. The revs from Waqas’s motorcycle echoed through the forest, a curious baby black bear crossed the road behind us, peeking as he trotted along. We went our separate ways, the bear and us, and this is how their session went. 

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Real Couples // Bohemian Brunch Surprise Proposal: Brittany + Kate

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Real Couples // Bohemian Brunch Surprise Proposal: Brittany + Kate

Brittany hired me in May to do some photos for her small business in June. During our first consultation meeting, we got through all of the details, then she shared with me that she wanted to discuss a second June photography project. She had planned to propose to the love of her life, Kate, before moving to Salt Lake City, Utah, together in July. My reaction was excitement since I love shooting live engagements. But once Brittany described to me what she planned to do, I started tearing up. She was planning a bohemian brunch in a wooded area, and was going to ask Kate, "Is forever long enough?" Brittany proposed to Kate on Monday, June 26th, at noon, and I was incredibly honored to be part of their special day.

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Operation Sequin // How I Proposed to My Boyfriend

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Operation Sequin // How I Proposed to My Boyfriend

My name is Nelle, and this is the story of how I came to propose to my beau Matt via a surprise, bedazzled, bikerideflashmob engagement party with 150 of our closest friends and family from around the world.  

Let’s start at the beginning. I’ve never wanted a traditional wedding: the expenses, the material waste, the long odds of success, the celebrations of heteronormativity and wealth, conveying women as property, etc.

I’m bi, and like most people, have a tenuous relationship with monogamy. I have always planned to queer my marriage. When I was six, I told my mom I would like to marry Ellen Degeneres, and I asked her to make the introduction. For most of my life, I assumed I would partner with some dreamy person and that we’d pack up our Subaru and elope.

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Real Couples // Columbia, South Carolina Jamaican Takeover: Brandan + Nordica

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Real Couples // Columbia, South Carolina Jamaican Takeover: Brandan + Nordica

I knew I was in love with Brandan when a few month into us dating I got extremely sick, and he was right there with me. He didn’t leave my side, and the way he looked at me didn’t change. He sat and ate all the pureed foods with me. I knew in that moment he would be there with me through sickness and in health, and I fell hard!

He planned a surprise trip for us to visit the Biltmore in Asheville, which is one of my favorite places to visit, but he kept telling me that we were going to different places. When he finally told me that we were going to the Biltmore, I was excited but expected nothing more than the tour. As we walked around the rose garden, I took pictures just taking it all in, totally unaware of what was happening. My back was turned to him, he called my name, and I turned around to see him on one knee!

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Tulle & Fury // The Joy of the Oppressed is Political

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Tulle & Fury // The Joy of the Oppressed is Political

I often felt like I wasn’t fighting hard enough. I wasn’t doing enough to combat the trauma and distress of racism and institutionalized hate. I felt like I was hiding. But then I sat down and looked at the work that I do. It’s beyond the details. The core of the work is facilitating joy. As I heard David Tutera describe it, the burden of wedding professionals is to create a “bubble” moment that envelopes everyone and allows them to escape.

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Real Couples // Beauty & Bounty in St. Louis: Lindy + Jordan

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Real Couples // Beauty & Bounty in St. Louis: Lindy + Jordan

I wouldn’t say it was love at first sight but more of a “when you know, you know” type of love. Jordan and I met in summer of 2014 when a mutual friend introduced us with the intention of us dating. Knowing that was her intention made both of us a bit hesitant and probably nervous. We spent that summer going to endless Cardinal’s baseball games and eating as many tacos as we could at our favorite spot, Mission Taco. It really only took a couple months for us to both realize we enjoyed each other’s company, made each other laugh, and wanted to be together forever. We both knew we wanted to get married, and it was a conversation that we’d had several times. 2016 turned out to be an exciting year as Jordan turned 30 in July, he proposed in early December, and I graduated with a Child Psychology degree a couple weeks after. We always say that we are a “fall and winter couple” because we don’t like the heat and humidity in St. Louis, and we like the cozy aspect of fall/winter. We are getting married this December, and while we don’t want weather to hinder anyone coming to the wedding or ruining the day, we are praying for some snow!

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Real Couples // London Jewel Tone Wedding on a Chilly Day: Megan + Sarah

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Real Couples // London Jewel Tone Wedding on a Chilly Day: Megan + Sarah

We met in Vegas! (Although not as sensationally as one’s imagination could paint.) We both work for the same company and met at a project Christmas Party nearly five years ago. Needless to say, we hit it off immediately. Unfortunately, it would be another two years before we found ourselves working together again, and our friendship and eventual relationship blossomed from there.

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Real Families // Drag Pop Art Baby Shower

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Real Families // Drag Pop Art Baby Shower

Color was obviously our biggest theme with every piece of decor in a different shade of a primary color. Dots and circles also became a big theme, serving as a repeating pattern on the party favors, cake, and of course the macaroon desserts. Plus we used honeycombs and balloons to decorate the tablescapes and food tables. One of my favorite decor details of the party were the black and white oversized photo booth props in shapes like ice cream cones, pretzels, and donuts. Everyone had a great time posing with them in front of the colorful heart backdrop.

I also can't talk about this shower without mentioning the entertainment! We wanted to do something as colorful and unique as the decor for Gina, so we hired the amazing drag queen Lauren Ordair to perform baby-themed songs for the party. It was so much more fun than playing another silly baby game. And it was so awesome to see Gina's surprise when she came in singing in that fantastic pink dress!

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Ask A Wedding Photographer // Props, and Why You Don't Need Them

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Ask A Wedding Photographer // Props, and Why You Don't Need Them

We're about to get into a discussion about engagement photography, but first I’d like to get something out of the way. I don’t necessarily have anything against props, I just don’t think you need them to come away with images you will love. And I’m going to tell you why. And I’m also going to tell you that this is purely my opinion.

This post isn’t meant to diss people who are really into props and styling and have a whole story planned out in their head. This post is for people who think they’re supposed to have props because that’s what other people are doing and could use a little reassurance that they are not missing out.

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Woke Wednesday // Meet Colorado Photographer Cassie Rosch

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Woke Wednesday // Meet Colorado Photographer Cassie Rosch

For Woke Wednesday, we spoke with Cassie Rosch, a destination photographer based in Colorado, about her journey from small town USA to coming out as queer and traveling the world to photograph love.

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