Not everyone loves weddings.

Real quick update. So the segment I was talking about in the last post actually aired on the show Portland NOW over the weekend. I'm waiting to get a clip to post so you watch it.

On another note, I was recently made aware of an interesting article written on the Willamette Weekly website. The author, Samantha Herman writes from her perspective about the upcoming Art of Weddings Event. She writes in a very sarcastic tone about how "its comforting to know that people are still forking over money for ritzy events and expensive receptions." What's odd is how easily she trash talks the wedding industry yet never contacted any actual professionals to learn more about it. I never received a call or email with interview questions about the event or wedding industry. I would have been happy to sit down and chat about why I created it and what it's about or why choosing an actual wedding photographer instead of any local artist is a better idea. Reading past posts on this blog would have answered those questions as well. 

This blog is about giving you as much local information and ideas as possible. It's a starting point, a resource from folks who have been to a lot of weddings. The final choices are up to you and since you don't get a trial run with your wedding it's a good idea to gather as much information as possible to make sure it runs smoothly. By going to events and having blogs to read, you get to discover what is the most important to you for your day and how to divide your budget within that. Because no matter how expensive or inexpensive your event is, you need a game plan. 

With that out of the way, it's almost a new year. I love this time of the year. A time to reflect and make changes. Take a moment to recall all the positive goals you reached in 2008. Be thankful for them and then dream how you can be a better person in the upcoming year. Will you open more doors for strangers? Will you donate blood? Will you spend more time with your family? What ever you do remember to share the love. Happy New Year! See you in 2009...

Weddings Portland Style Today!

Tune in today, at noon to the CW (channel 3 on cable) to watch Weddings Portland Style! Ericka and I will be talking about the upcoming Art of Weddings Event. We had a lot of fun taping with Eric of Hybrid Moon Video at my studio.

I didn't think I was going to be nervous but I was! The lights were hot and bright, everyone was watching me and the room went silent. My brain locked up and the words I wanted to say didn't seem to form! I think I was experiencing some stage fright. Once I didn't have to talk I felt better. Taking pictures of the model was much easier and natural for me. Either way, it was a fun experience.

Grab a cup of coffee or tea, sit back and watch the episode today at noon. You can laugh at me if you want...I'll be doing the same thing!

Looks like we were given the wrong date for the show! I'll find out when we are going to air and let you all know!

Happy Holidays!

Are you loving the snow? I bet you did the first couple of days and now you want out of the house! Either way we are having a white Christmas, which really makes it feel like the holidays. Being from the midwest this is how winter looks for four months or longer.
Enjoy it, it will be gone soon and we'll be back to good 'ol Portland weather.

We have one more pair of tickets to give away for the Art of Weddings. The contest questions are listed down a few posts. Thanks to everyone who has entered so far!

Merry Christmas!

New & Blue.

I recently was in the Pearl District and saw the sign for the New & Blue Wedding Boutique and decided to check it out. It's cute and girly with lovely blue walls. They have a wide assortment of invitations and cute gift ideas. I met Kristen while I was there and we chatted a bit, I asked her what one of the newest trends was for couples.

She said that Save the Date magnets are very popular. This is a great idea. Let's be honest, your guests can be a bit flaky at times by not rsvping or forgetting to mark your date on their calender. That's why giving them a magnet with your names, date and a web-site link is a great concept. They can put it on their fridge and have it as a daily reminder. Here a few of the designs from their website that I liked.



Kristen said it's really easy to order them. Simply visit their website: www.savethedatemagnet.com and you can quickly find the design you'd like to use and order it from the comfort of your home. Be sure to click on preview before placing your order to make sure you have spelled everything correctly. Then decide if you want matching envelopes and click go!

I also liked that they have designs where you can include a photo from your engagement session to really personalize it. Below are two examples.

Once you visit their site you'll see they have so much more. From fun t-shirts that say "bride" to monogram cake toppers, you'll find ideas to scratch some of the details for your wedding day off your list.

Win tickets to Art of Weddings!

Yup, you read that correctly. The crew at Simply Chic wants to hook you up with some free tickets to the upcoming Art of Weddings event. We'll be giving away ten pairs of tickets!

Here's how you can win a pair of tickets for you & a guest!

The first ten people to answer the trivia questions below correctly will receive a pair of tickets.

1. In the rhyme 'something old, something new, something borrowed, something blue', "blue" is symbolic of what?

2. What ancient culture believed that the reason for the engagement ring and wedding band to be worn on the fourth finger of the left hand was because they thought the "vein of love" ran from this finger directly to the heart?

3. The oldest bridal tradition, the veil dates back to ancient Rome when it was what color?

You know you are getting ready to google them now! Have fun-you have until Dec. 25th to win!
Email your answers to lxs@jasminephotography.com.

A new kind of registry.

A few weeks ago I was contacted by Lucas about a new website he created. I get a lot of emails during the week that are trying to sell me the latest and greatest program or product for my business. So, you can imagine I was a bit hesitant. I decided to visit the site and learn more.

What I found was a clean, easy to navigate website for engaged couples to register for personalized gifts. Sounds basic, right? Wrong! What makes his idea so great is that the registry isn't for toasters, towels or pots & pans. Instead it's for the things you really want and would love to have your family and friends help you out with. You can ask any of your vendors to sign up on the site and create a registry for you. For example, a couple of mine could register for different photography products such as a matted album, fine art canvas print or guest signature book.

Why is this idea so great? So many couples live together before they get married and already have all the essential day to day items that are traditional with a wedding registry. They don't need more of the same and rather have help creating the wedding day of their dreams. I've had many couples who have already bought a house together and rather receive a wedding video, fabulous flowers or a photo booth. The options are endless and opens up a whole new way of registering for your big day!

Visit their site for more information at Wedding Registry Direct.

Art of Weddings...time to get excited!

I recently attended the holiday Crave shopping event which was so much fun. I love the henna tattoo I received and picked up some cute clothes for gifts. I was excited to because I had the chance to see the Luxe Autohaus space in use. This is where the Art of Weddings is going to be held on Jan. 8th. Let me tell you, I'm excited. My brain was filling with layout ideas for the fashion show runway. The goal with this event to pump it up a notch. The fashion show is going to be great with local designers and some fun surprises.

New vendors are being added weekly. Some new additions are Hotel Lucia and Hotel DeLuxe-fun! Also just added are Ooh La La event coordination and Swanky Table Designs. When you buy your ticket online you'll be able to bring a guest with you. So grab your maid of honor, fiance or mom and get ready for a fun event!

More updates soon....

Wedding Favors.

I hope you had a nice, relaxing holiday with family and friends. Now it's back to work and back to planning for your big day! Since the holiday of gift giving is right around the corner, three weeks away to be exact, I thought it would be a good time to chat about wedding favors. What exactly are favors? As defined via an online dictionary they are: small gifts given as a gesture of appreciation or gratitude to your guests from the bride and groom during a wedding reception.

But where did this tradition come from? Let's dig deeper. The tradition of giving wedding favors is a very old one. It is believed that the first wedding favor, common amongst European aristocrats, was known as a bonbonniere. It was a small trinket box made of crystal, porcelain or precious stones. The contents were generally sugar cubes or delicate confections, which symbolize wealth and royalty. During this era, sugar was an expensive commodity and believed to have medical benefits. As the price of sugar dropped, the general populace were able to start this tradition as well. (thanks to encyclopedia.com for the info)

Over the last few years, I've noticed this tradition has started to fall to the wayside. Many couples are opting not to spend the extra dollars on the mini gifts. This is understandable, especially if you are inviting 200+ guests. Besides that, most favors out there are not that great anyway. If you look a bit though you can find some fun and interesting ways to say "thank you" to your guests. 

Why not think about the favors as part of the decoration for your event? I absolutely love these sandalwood fans that come packaged in their own box with your names and wedding date on it. Can't you see these at a backyard wedding or at a vineyard during summer when it's warm out? They are stylish and affordable at only $1.50 per fan with box. 




Let's continue with taking inspiration from the Asian cultures with these adorable customizable fortune cookies. Dipped in chocolate and then decorated with either a single heart or sprinkles, you get to choose the colors of both! The best part of these is the personalized fortune for the inside. Include your names, wedding date and a note to your guests.



Both of the above favors can be found online at Beau Coup.

Think outside of the standard box with a almonds inside when it comes to offering favors. You might be surprised with what you come up with.