Boudoir Photography

If you're getting married, you may have already seen this specialized photography service being offered by your wedding photographer. As a wedding planner, I get a lot of questions about this "mysterious" photography service that everyone is talking about; therefore, I wanted to share a new website that explains it all...Wink Boudoir by Leeann Marie Photography. Leeann is a Pittsburgh-based wedding photographer who you may have already seen on our blog before. Leeann has been offering boudoir photography for quite awhile now, but recently started a new site dedicated solely for boudoir clients.  

So, what exactly is boudoir photography?! For starters, if you are unfamiliar with boudoir photography, click here and here first. Boudoir can make a great gift for your soon-to-be husband, or better yet, surprise your hubby with these photos after the honeymoon! 

Now that you have a better idea of what boudoir actually is, I'm curious to know your thoughts...will you be scheduling a boudoir session? Or, if you've already had a session, what was your experience like - would you recommend it to other brides-to-be?

After The Wedding Day :: Love, Milk & Honey

Today I wanted to feature one of my new favorite daily reads...Love, Milk & Honey. Love, Milk & Honey is not just a blog, it's an online community for couples beginning their journey together after the glitz and the glam of the wedding day is over.  

Lauren Kelly, who also happens to be a wedding planner is the author of Love, Milk & Honey. In her words, "This site was started because I frequently see those couples deep in the wedding planning of it all lose sight of what comes after the big day. Couples need to spend just as much time preparing for days 2 – the end, as they do for day 1. The whole point of a wedding is to celebrate a MARRIAGE. Are you preparing for it?"

Well said, Lauren! I wholeheartedly agree! I highly encourage all engaged couples, as well as newly married couples to check out Love, Milk & Honey. A wide variety of topics are discussed weekly...everything from health and fitness, work-life balance, communication, and my personal favorite, what makes a "we". All things that many newlywed couples struggle with in the beginning of their journey together.

So, what are you waiting for?! Head on over to Love, Milk & Honey and start reading! : ) 

Recipe for a Successful Marriage

I've seen the recipe sharing idea at bridal showers before, but I really like using this idea at wedding receptions as well. As an alternative to your guestbook, or even as an addition to, prepare recipe cards for your guests to fill in their favorite recipes on. What better way to begin your new life together than with a bunch of delicious recipes to try after your honeymoon?!

For personalized recipe cards and boxes, check out Etsy!

Photo courtesy of Martha Stewart Weddings.

Family Established Signs

One of my awesome fall '09 brides recently told me about this adorable family established sign that she ordered from Custom Doodles, and I immediately knew I had to blog about these! I mean, how perfect are these wooden signs for a newly married couple coming home from their honeymoon?! Choose from a variety of colors and fonts and hang your family established sign over your front door! Custom Doodles offers a wide range of products ranging from seasonal/holiday signs to picture frames. Check out their website to see all of the products that they offer.

Photo courtesy of Custom Doodles :: Sample 2 Family Est. Sign :: $25.00 + shipping

Thrifty Holiday Gift Ideas

Looking for unique AND affordable gifts for the holidays this year? Check out these three great gift ideas I found courtesy of Oprah:

1. Gratitude Boxes - Buy an inexpensive decorative box and fill it with messages from the heart (ex: "100 reasons why I love you", "Thank you for....", etc...). Check out this article for more tips on making your own gratitude boxes.

2. Treasure Boxes - Fill a wooden "treasure box" with mementos from the past and organize them in chronological order (ex: fill your box with your child's keepsakes or if your planning a wedding, fill your box with memories from the time you 1st met your fiance through your engagement). Check out this article for more ideas on how to fill your treasure box.

3. 12 Dates of Christmas - Here's something you and your fiance can do together this holiday - during the month of December, plan 12 fun and inexpensive date nights together (ex: ice skating, a walk in the park, staying in for a movie night, etc...). Check out this article for more ideas for your date night.

Change of Name 101

Does the daunting task of changing your name after your wedding have you stressed out? If you are like many brides, it may be difficult to know where to even begin in this process. As a wedding planner, I am constantly getting asked by my brides for advice on this area and as a recent bride myself, I wanted to share a few tips with our readers.

First, let's go over the first two documents that MUST be changed in order to get anywhere in the name changing process. These are your driver's license and social security card. Once you have received your marriage license (keep in mind that you must bring a certified copy of the marriage license - a generic photo copy will not suffice), take this along with your old driver's license to the DMV to have a 'duplicate' driver's license issued. Often times, the DMV will tell you that all you need is an update card with your new last name to carry along with your current driver's license; however, many agencies (especially Social Security) do not like this and ask that you have a current photo ID with your new last name printed. The 'update card' is a free service and the fee to obtain a new driver's license is $10. My personal opinion is to suck it up - pay the fee and get a new driver's license - it's a lot easier in the long run!

Ok, so you have your new driver's license in hand...now what? Head to the local Social Security office with BOTH your new driver's license and your old driver's license (yes, they will give this back to you, but with a hole punch stamp indicating that it is no longer valid), along with your marriage license. The Social Security Administration will process your application (free of charge) and issue you a new social security card in your new last name. Your new card will arrive in the mail within 7-10 business days.

Once the above items have been completed, it's time to change your name on the rest of your documents. The following is a list of items to help you remember:

• Credit Cards
• Bank accounts, personal loans, student loans, mortgage documents
• Passport
• Voters Registration (this should be taken care of at the time you change your name at the DMV)
• Insurance policies (Auto, Home/Renters, Health, Life, etc...)
• Taxes
• Property titles
• Medical Records
• Employer (this is important for paychecks and federal/state taxes)
• Investment and retirement accounts
• Utility bills
• Any other important documents or bills that pertain to you

The Marriage Experience

As Summer approaches more and more couples will be glistening with excitement as their wedding day draws near here in the Pittsburgh area...all of the hours you've spent planning your wedding have finally paid off and you'll be able to get some much needed (and deserved) rest! Congrats, your wedding day is almost here! But with all of the excitement surrounding your wedding, its often difficult for couples to actually grow and strengthen their relationship during this time. Premarital counseling is a very controversial topic these days and I can certainly understand why. Many couples are strongly aware of who they are as a person and as a couple, and are confident that premarital counseling is not for them; however, on the other end of the spectrum, other couples feel that premarital counseling is an absolute necessity before marriage. As a wedding planner and just as an individual in general, I feel that while premarital counseling should never be pushed on to any couple, I certainly see a benefit in it. I'm a big advocate for reducing the divorce rate (how could I not be?!). My parents are coming up on their 26th wedding anniversary and even more impressive are my grandparents coming up on their 67th wedding anniversary (and they are just as cute as ever as they age into their mid 90's now!)

Many premarital programs aren't exactly fun...or let's just say they are less than thrilling! However, The Marriage Experience, a unique seminar for engaged and newlywed couples is coming to the Philadelphia area (sadly, no date for Pittsburgh as of yet) on Saturday June 7th. This seminar takes the idea of premarital counseling and turns into it a fun and creative weekend where couples can really get to learn about each other. The seminar takes place at the Valley Forge Convention Center in King of Prussia, PA. A variety of topics will be discussed from various relationship and marriage experts, including merging lives, gaining insight to and understanding your partner's needs, and why conflict is good for you. Couples can choose to stay just for the day, or the entire weekend. Following the conclusion of the seminar, couples will enjoy a "date night" with a dueling piano and comedy show. The cost to attend the seminar for the day is $189 per couple if you register early and $209 per couple for the regular registration. Weekend retreat costs are as follows: $1,349 per couple for early bird registration & $1,499 per couple for regular registration. For more information or to register for the seminar check out their website directly: The Marriage Experience.