How to manage stress on and before your Wedding Day

February 13, 2010

Managing stress around your Wedding Day

Stress is a normal and essential part of the Wedding planning experience. The key to stress is knowing how to manage it. I come across so many brides and grooms who get so worked up that on their Wedding day they are a mess. What you need is to manage your stress way before the Wedding day.

A very important part of the amount of stress in your Wedding day is the vendors that you choose. Speak with people who have used the vendors you want to select and ask them about stress on their day and how the vendor dealt in the situation. I like to think that I don’t add any stress to a Wedding and help sooth the stresses of my clients, family, and friends. A smile goes a long way in helping to relieve stress.

You may want to consider a master/mistress of ceremony if you don’t hire a Wedding Planner. This person will oversee the Wedding and will handle any problems or stresses before they grow. I find that having a relative who knows everyone is a good choice for this position. A lot of times the Wedding Planner doesn’t know the people involved in the day and the relatives so this extra person(s) will be essential to managing stress and problems.

I personally speak with my brides and grooms the week of their Wedding and we walk through the Wedding day. I do this to be on the same page as my clients but to also let the bride and groom get some of the feelings that they will feel on the Wedding day. This also gives me a chance to gauge the degree of nervousness and help sooth some nerves before they increase.

The Wedding day morning brides and grooms typically do some sort of activity with the ladies and guys. I would suggest getting an appointment at the spa to have a massage and spend some time in a hot tub relaxing. Let your mind clear out and focus on something other than your Wedding.

As the Ceremony draws near make sure that the bride and groom have friends that can joke with them and get their mind off of coming moments. A lot of people are nervous about being the center of attention and stress ensues. Telling old stories, laughing, drinking lots of fluids, stretching, getting fresh air, and keeping moving air are all good suggestions.

When the Ceremony starts just remind yourself to breathe and take everything in during the day. Your Wedding day will go by so quickly. When the bride walks down the isle make sure that both the bride and the groom are breathing. The groom should have a bit of bent knees so that they don’t faint too. If the bride and groom have managed their stress prior to the Wedding day they should remember their day as the best ever.

I can visually see the relaxation after the Wedding Ceremony. It progresses more as the day goes along and the reception runs its course. The goal is to try to start the day with little stress so that the images are emotional and personality-filled all day long. As a Wedding Photographer, I love the events where the bride and groom are not reserved and stressed out when I first meet them. With the right Wedding plan you can be one of those brides and grooms.

Hope this helps you visualize your stress-free Wedding Day. Please visit my Wedding Photography website at Paul Retherford Wedding Photography

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How my day was yesterday ~ blue Weimaraner got into a porcupine

February 12, 2010

Dog with Porcupine quills

Yesterday I took my blue Weimaraner and Vizsla for a run on a seasonal road. There was a few inches of soft snow on top so I decided not to wear my snowshoes. It was a tough walk in but not too bad. The dogs were having fun running down the road and exploring into the woods a small amount. They live for this!

I was capturing some images of them in their crazy fun mode and then I heard Asta, the Vizsla, barking. Not a good sign. She typically won’t bark unless she is alerting Sampson to something or wants to play. I ran as fast as I could the 100 or so yards up to find Sampson digging and pawing at something under an uprooted tree. I called him and he would’t come. Then he looked and his face was covered with quills.

We were a good mile or more from the car and I knew that he would let me start pulling the quills so I turned and ran, and ran, and ran. All the time calling to Sampson to get to the car and load up. He would stop and pull quills out along the way. I am sure he was in pain but never whined or anything. He just tried to get them out of his mouth, nose, and lips.

We arrived at the car and I got Asta la Vizsla in the car and she immediately went to the front car floor and wouldn’t look at Sampson. Sam jumped in the back seat and I took off fast. I called the vet and I was about 20 minutes away they said. I really wasn’t sure how many quills he had in his throat so I was a bit worried.

On the way I was able to take a few images. These are a bit graphic so be prepared, no blood.

The Sault Animal Hospital took good care of Sampson and they were able to get some of his shots done too and clip his nails all while he was taking a time out. It took about 1.5 hours to get Sampson through the extractions.

He is doing great today and finding time to relax. He doesn’t seem like he has any swelling or soreness in the face. In fact, he is playing with his toys inside and out.

Lesson, hopefully, learned by the 6.5 year old guy. This was his first encounter.

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Should I have a Dollar Dance at my Wedding?

February 12, 2010

Dollar Dance at Wedding?

Couples have a hard time deciding if they should have a Dollar Dance at their Wedding. Some Wedding couples like to do a ‘dash for cash” or a “first dance auction” or a “kiss matching donation.”

Personally, I do not voice my opinion in this matter. I do have my own opinions on the matter but I am at the Wedding to capture the day and not disrupt the flow. The extra dances allow for more creative images for me to capture during the night that may never happen. In a way it is almost image staging with some of your guests.

The Dollar Dance is a dance that any guest can dance with the bride and/or groom for at least one dollar. Usually the best man and maid of honor collect the money donated by the guests and give the money to the bride and groom for their honeymoon following the finish of the dancing. Typically it is at least two full songs and many times lots more depending on the activity. Sometimes the bride and groom have a competition and there is a wager or bet attached to the money earned. For example, one couple had a competition and if the groom lost he had to do dishes for 1 month after the Wedding and if the bride lost she had to wash the grooms car each week for a month. Sometimes the bride and groom can add a bit of their flair or personality to this dance with a bit of creativity.

“Dash for Cash” is just how it sounds. Usually the bride and groom have some form of wager on the amount of money earned. They have a hat or something for guest to input money. The DJ will announce the event and hype it up and then there is a set amount of time the bride and groom have to colllect as much money as they can throughout the reception. All money is given to bride and groom for honeymoon.

“First Dance Auction” is an auction that the DJ announces and guests bid on a first dance with the bride and groom. Sometimes this is the only dance the bride and groom do with guests and people can really get into this. The funds are given to the bride and groom.

“Kiss matching donation” is another way of creating funds and I learned this from one particular DJ down in Southwest Michigan. I was amazed that this DJ collected $750 for the bride and groom during the evening! This is how it works. The DJ announces that anyone can come up to the DJ station and put in a donation to the bride and groom and then suggest a couple, table, friends, or whomever to kiss. The DJ will announce that he has a donation for X and they people can either kiss, match the donation and not kiss, or increase the donation and make someone else or the original donater kiss. I have seen this go in circles for some time before someone kissed and the game was over until the next donation.

Some DJs want to work this into your Wedding Receptions and others try to move away from the idea. I have heard reasons for having and not having any of these events. I have also seen DJs who take a portion of the money earned, usually a percentage for their time and efforts in getting the crowd in the mood to donate. This does take extra effort but isn’t that why the DJ is at the reception?

Either way you will have a beautiful Wedding Reception and guests are happy to just be there and see you in your fabulous Wedding gown and the groom looking like a stud. Most people are honored to be a part of your day and know that it is your day and you have it how you want it.

Check out my Michigan Wedding Photography and Destination Wedding Photography throughout the World | Paul Retherford Wedding Photography

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