So, after talking with Justin about our wedding and all the planning, I left the convo with a sore belly from laughing so hard.  Since Justin plans parties for a living you would THINK he would be a little more opinionated about details, turns out he wasn’t! I thought it would be an entertaining blog post if anything.  Here is our wedding planning through Justin’s eyes. If you’re a “Groom To Be” reading this, you’re in good company. If you’re a “Bride To Be” reading this, feel free to share with your man… let him know he’s not alone xo – AprilK

Hey everyone! Quick intro – my name is Justin and I recently (last Saturday, 1/28) married the most amazing, beautiful, and talented woman on the planet aka April K. Over the past 3 months we’ve been planning our wedding, there were many interesting things that I learned and I’ve been asked to share my newly acquired knowledge with you all.

Before I get into the details of what I’ve learned and observed, I will have you know that many other guys I’ve spoken too, also going through their wedding planning process agree with me on these points and shared similar stories. Guys, I welcome you to chime in.

1) Do you really want my opinion?

This was the first thing I began asking myself during the planning process. April would ask me a question about certain details about the wedding.

April: Do you think we should have up lighting throughout the venue?
Justin: Sure, I think up lighting would be great for the venue. It might add a nice touch people will appreciate.
April: Hmm…ok…no, I think we’ll go without the up-lighting.

I think you could substitute anything for the word “up-lighting” in this example to apply to your own situation. Your fiancé really doesn’t care what you think. Chances are that she already made up her mind and is simply pretending you have a say in the matter.

2) It’s all about the little details – just go with it.

Trust me on this. Your life will be much better if you simply go along with every little detail your fiancé brings up.

Your future wife: I think we’re going to get lilies instead of daisies.
Your response should be: Sounds fantastic, honey! Good call.

Your future wife: I know we were thinking of booking this DJ, but for some reason I really like this other DJ.
Your response should be: (assuming both DJ’s are great) Sounds fantastic, honey! Good call!

Your future wife: I want the groomsmen wearing red ties instead of black ties.
Your response: (You should know this by now…) Red sounds good to me!

It’s not the time to make a big deal over flowers or an equally good DJ. Pick and choose your battles wisely. (Ie. If you fiancés says, “Honey, I think we’re going to get a polka band for our wedding.” This (unless you both LOVE polka) may be the time to pick your battle and fight the good fight against polka and compromise by getting a great DJ who can play one polka song.

3) If you’re asked to help out with anything, try to get a deadline that you need to complete said task by.

I’m a guy. I also tend to prioritize my tasks. (Some call this procrastination.) I asked April for a few things to do because I wanted to help out. Because we didn’t set deadlines for my tasks I was suddenly met with, “Have you done that yet?” I had no idea that I was supposed to book the tickets to the honeymoon right away that day! I’m passing this lesson along to you. IF YOU’RE HELPING – set clear expectations of what you need to get done and when you need to get it done by.

Overall, I was really glad that April took the reigns on the planning process. It was because April is so detail oriented and plans well in advance that we had an absolutely incredible wedding with some of the best wedding vendors around. She got everything right down to the little tiny details I never would’ve even thought about. That brings me to my last point.

4) Trust.

Trust each other in the planning process. There will be points where you’ll have to go along with one of your viewpoints. Don’t worry so much. Trust your fiancé and it most likely will be fine.

Now that I’m an experienced Bride (wink wink) I want to share with you all of the things about my wedding day that made me say “thank god I did that”. The “First Look” was definitely at the top of that list.

Tradition would have it that the Bride & Groom do not see each other until the Bride makes her way down the aisle to her man. The First Look is for (badass) couples who don’t care about meaningless tradition! I know I know, that is a bit harsh, but in reality, quite true. After talking with fellow First Look’er, friend and kickass photog, JP Elario, he adds a great point

Lets face it. We’re living in modern times here! Most couples already live together and have a house before they walk down the aisle. They probably even sleep in the same bed! At that point the jig is up and you can throw that old wedding superstition out the window.

Amen brother.

I think if people were more educated on having a “first look” then they would understand why it’s very necessary to enjoying your day to the fullest.

So, what is a First Look?!

- It’s when the B&G get to share an intimate moment together before the chaos and commotion of your day begins.

- It’s a tender & quiet piece of the day traditionally shared with your entire guest list, but is now only between just the 2 of you.

- It’s a time before the ceremony for the photographer & videographer to capture each of your individual reactions, which would not be the same reaction you would have standing up at the altar seeing your bride/groom for the first time. He now has a chance to lay one on you, twirl you around and bask in the glory of how HOT his new wife is! Hey girl, you’ve been working on perfecting this look, let yourself soak it all in and shine!

Check out my first look captured by the very talented Wedding Stories RI

What are the benefits of a First Look?

OMG, where do I start?

1. Your wedding party will THANK YOU! My wedding party was all primped and looking fresh to death for all of the photos. They weren’t sweaty and their hair and make up was still on point. Let’s face it, all they want to do is party, when they’re dragged away from cocktail hour they’ll do it, but they aren’t thrilled. They (and I) were also thankful that after pictures there was just the Ceremony and partying left to do!

2. Your guests will Appreciate it! Justin and I got to join in on our cocktail hour. This was clutch for me, I’ve seen so many weddings go down and I decided long ago that a First Look was for me because of this very reason. I got to mingle and chit chat with every single person who travelled near and far to share this day with us.  Your guests really really appreciate it, I even received a message from a cousin saying:

Normally, a wedding is about the bride and sometimes the groom. You managed to make EVERY guest feel special and appreciated. From gift bags @ our hotel, to the best bathroom basket ever, to the time you spent with each person. I cannot understand how you did it, but after your wedding I want to do mine over again! The little things really mean the world.

3. Your Husband to be will Thank You! Oh yes he will, he’s going to be a nervous nelly waiting for you to walk down that aisle. The fact that he gets to see you before hand puts him at ease (start your marriage off on a good note).

Justin had this to say about our First Look:

It made getting married less nerve-racking. Seeing you before the ceremony made me feel calm and great about everything. It was a really nice and fun experience… the anticipation of not being able to look at you until they let me turn around drove me crazy but I loved it. Even though it was un-traditional it was really fun and worth doing. Highly recommend, guys!

JP Elario also adds from his experience:

I was a groom once and I was nervous. All that buildup to seeing your bride walk down the aisle and ceremony nerves are gone! I’ve had so many grooms tell me they were nervous up until the time they saw their bride at the first look then it all settled. By the time the ceremony begins you’re totally relaxed because you’ve spent the whole afternoon together taking beautiful photos!

4. Your Photog (me!) will Love it! My final thought and reason is Lighting… This is probably the last thing you are going to think about as a Bride so let me drop a little photog knowledge. We had a 3:00pm Ceremony start time on a January day, the sun would have set by the time the ceremony was over and our pictures would have had to be held indoors with flash. That’s not the end of the world but it’s not what I wanted (ask yourself what kind of photos you want). I wanted all of those beautiful outdoor shots with the sun shining down. Even if you get a rainy day, outdoor pictures are still awesome (think umbrellas, rain boots and splashing!). With more and more weddings happening in late spring and early fall you come against the same situation if you have a ceremony later in the day. JP adds:

It’s October 19th, its a Friday which means late ceremony. The sun sets at 6:00pm but its a 6:00pm ceremony and when the bride and groom walk out of that church or ceremony location its pitch black outside. What does that mean? Well, for us photogs we can’t take those pretty outdoor couples photos you see because its too dark out!

It’s so true. These are things to think about, let these thoughts marinate, talk it over with your Fiance. I am not pushing anyone to do this who doesn’t want to, but simply sharing my experience and why I (and others who’ve had the experience) think it’s the best way to enjoy your day to the fullest.

Take some time to think about how you want your wedding photos to look. Do your homework and share that knowledge with your photographer so they can get you exactly what you want!

Peace, Love & GETTING MARRIED ROCKS!

April K

Well hello there! I know I’ve been mute lately but don’t worry, I haven’t forgotten about you. I’ve been working around the clock finishing up 2011 orders, booking lots of amazing couples for 2012 AND not to mention planning my own wedding. Woo, I’ve been a busy bride, but alas, I am here to share with you some of the details we’ve been working on to make our wedding unique. I thought I’d share after one of my 2012 brides (Stephanie D) asked me this very question:

“WHAT DETAILS ARE YOU PUTTING INTO YOUR WEDDING?”

I don’t really have a wedding style…but If i did it would be a mix of being raised on a farm and on antiques, my love for the Adirondacks and all thing rustic, white sparkly and glimmering…

1. HANGER – Your dress is the main component of your wedding style, right? right. Obviously after shooting over 100 weddings I know the drill… hang the gown while I’m finishing up getting ready and let the photographer have at it. Perfect. I wasn’t about to have my gown photographed on a plastic hanger I hang my everyday clothes on.

2. SLIPPERS – Since we’re having our wedding in the winter (BTW, this was the best/smartest decision I’ve ever made) I received a pair of fuzzy white slippers from my girl Gaby… so I wouldn’t get “cold feet” on my big day, haha. I thought it was a great idea and perfect for keeping my tootsies warm while I was getting glam’d up.

3. PERSONALIZED RING PILLOW – My BFF Jenny gave me this as a shower present and I loved the idea! It’s tiny enough for little hands and can transform into a Christmas Ornament for your tree!

4. CAKE…SPOONS? Yes, we don’t have cake forks, but we have cake spoons! What’s the difference really when it comes to dessert? Let me tell you the story… When Justin and I first started dating we were down on the Cape walking around and he said to me “why do people use the word ‘pumpkin’ as a term of endearment?” my answer was “well people used to really like pumpkins, I guess” he said “well, you’re my ice cream because ice cream is my favorite thing in the whole world” So when I saw these wedding spoons I had to have them for our day!

5. SIGN MY SKIIS, PLEASE – Instead of a conventional guestbook we went for something that had meaning to us. I know, I know… as a wedding photographer I should conventionally be pushing the photograph guest book filled with engagement photos, which I absolutely LOVE… But 1. we didn’t have time to get our engagement pictures done (fortunately for us we have lots of experience in front of the camera + lot’s of high quality professional pictures of the both of us together) 2. I’m not conventional… I love antiques and I’ve always wanted antique skis to hang in my living room…this was my chance, man!

6. WEDDING BOOTS – I can rattle off 10 good reasons to get married in the winter and this is def. a top 3….Winter = boots… and that’s just what I wore! So comfy and warm, these $hit kickers helped me float through my day comfortably. Also, since all of my girls wore them too, we had a few country song stomp sessions in the barn! (for you city kids we were banging our heels on the floor of the barn to the beat of the song)

7. Since the girls and I wore all different Cowgirl Boots, the guys needed a little something to snazzy up their outfits too. Initially Justin and I agreed upon the plain jane “claret” colored ties for the guys because we couldn’t find 7 of the same ties we liked. Well, 4 days before the wedding I decided plain ties were too boring and I wasn’t very excited about them. I made a trip to the mall and between 2 different stores I found 7 similar ties in the same “claret” color family. I was so much more excited about them, they set off the girls boots and went with the “eclectic” theme!

8. BEER CRATE CARD BOX – Growing up on a farm and around antiques my whole life this was only fitting. This old beer crate has been in my family for generations and my mom suggested we use it to put the cards in. She, being the farm girl that she is, fashioned a lid made of chicken wire.

9. SOMETHING BLUE – Well, I was searching high and low for something blue and I came up with this idea. Originally these boots had leather laces in the back so I replaced them with this sharp blue ribbon!

Not pictured:

10. LIFE SIZE SEATING TREE’S – I put my in-laws in charge of the seating “branches” and I’m so glad I did. Tradition would have it that seating cards are to be placed on a table. Well tradition doesn’t really bode well with Justin & I and it seems the creative bone in Justin’s parents really broke out. They did a phenomenal job coming up with 3 waist size hand blown red glass vases, each equipped with a tree branch (picked from outside and spray painted white) to hang the nifty place card on.

11. SOMETHING OLD & BORROWED – I wore my sisters and my mom’s wedding bands on my right ring finger for something old & borrowed. It was very special to me since they all have very successful and loving marriages!

I hope this post can give you inspiration to take the things that make you happy and incorporate them into your wedding day!

Many of my brides have been asking me who I’m using as my wedding vendors and I’m here to share! First of all, let me clarify that I will not put up with bad customer service (there is just no reason for it) so all of my recommendations are HIGHLY recommended.

If you didn’t know, we decided to move our wedding date up 9 months to January 28th, 2012 (original date: September 29th, 2012). Why? you ask… Why not? I was sick of waiting and decided that since Justin and I met in the winter and got engaged the winter after meeting, that it’s only fitting to have a Winter Wonderland Wedding!

(Below: Our first picture together on the ski trip where we first met… yes… we didn’t know each other… or did we!? hehe)

When I was searching for invitations I wanted something that represented our personality as a couple, not just words. What did we like to do together? SKI & SNOWBOARD of course.

I checked out Wedding Paper Divas and the Paper Source for inspiration. I browsed the web everyday looking for the perfect invite and while I found some pretty neat invites, nothing spoke to me. I then began my search on Etsy and it wasn’t long before I found Loo Bird Press. I emailed the owner, Katy, expressing interest, but letting her know that invites had to go out ASAP because I just moved the date up. “Not a problem” Katy replied and worked to get me the finished product within a week. She was so easy to work with and provided a great end product that really shows our vibe.

Since the invites had to go out before our food tasting, we had to put the bare minimum food description!

I love stamps…and snowflakes!

What did I learn from the invitation process?

1. You should really hire a calligrapher or someone with exceptional handwriting. Since I was in a rush, my mother&sister-in-law helped me, and while we did an OK job with the tools we had, I would really recommend a professional or a printer!

2. Make sure you proof read your invites 10 times, at least! There is nothing worse than spelling your own last name wrong on your wedding invite!

3. I found it helpful to research different Typography to get a sense of what style appeals to you and what look you’re going for.

4. MAKE SURE YOU PUT POSTAGE ON THE RETURN ENVELOPE!!! Talk about embarrassing, Justin and I had a bit of miscommunication and our invites got mailed out with no return postage!!! Mortified, I emailed all of my friends and family letting them know I wasn’t being cheap and that we made a mistake. Luckily they’re the greatest people I know and everyone laughed and totally understood.

Learn from my mistakes

Unfortunately we were limited on the number of invites but if I could invite you all I would!

Peace, Love & Photography xo

Oh my beautiful brides, so many of you have asked and I now have your answer… Who would I recommend for hair and make up around Boston? Well, I’ll tell you who turned me into a glam rockstar in just under 2 hours… Sara Faella, Artist, Designer, Stylist! This little blonde bombshell knows her $h!t and knows how to use a make up brush like nobody’s business.

Let me tell you a little story… since changing my wedding date I went into a slight dismay, “who’s going to do my hair and make up now, Sara is all the way in Rhode Island and my wedding is now in Cohasset! It’s the dead of winter, what if there is a snow storm?” Ok, I talked to a few other hair and make up ladies and they sounded “eh” over the phone. You know me and know that I will not tolerate bad customer service so I was not sold at all. I thought to myself… Ok I’m going to call and just see what Sara says.

Ring Ring
Sara: Hello! Sara Faella Hair (whatever her opening phone line is)
Me: Hey Sara my name is April Krueger and I recently changed my wedding date from September 2012 to January 28th and was wondering, if you still did my hair, since you’re not local, if there is a snowstorm what would happen?
Sara: Oh no big deal, I’ve done hair and make up with no power, we have generators I can bring just in case and I have an SUV to get my Glam Squad and I to the Red Lion Inn with no problems, don’t worry about snow. Trust me, my brides do not go without and I will be there to make you look fabulous!!!
Me: Ok then, let’s schedule a trial!

(**please note I did not take the bottom and right hand picture so they’re a little blurry, no biggie, just a side note)

When I met with Sara today she was not only as cute as a button, the girl clearly has style and spunk. I’m sorry, but as a bride I do not want some haggardly hair dresser/make up stylist working on me on the biggest day of my life! I want someone who I respect and appreciate and Sara is certainly that person. As a savvy business woman and fellow creative entrepreneur, she’s started her own line of make-up and bridal hair accessories. I highly recommend her to any of my brides, talk about Vogue baby!

I know, I’ve been missing lately on the blog… I’m sorry, I will never leave you again!

As many of you know, Justin and I decided to switch our date for a 2nd time from September 24th to January 28th, go go gadget planner! See, I’m a girl who lives life with intent and it just didn’t make sense to me why I was waiting for a specific season or even sillier, a specific type of weather to show the world how much I love my man! {Thanks for the pep talk JTizz}.

So instead of ignoring my little Bloggies while I plan my own wedding, I’ve decided to invite you along my crazy speed wedding planning journey!

…Sit back, put your feet up and make yourself cozy…

It all started on a beautiful afternoon, bright, sunny, perfect temps (50 degrees) and my love by my side.

We stormed down Boylston street with Starbucks in hand, waltzed through the doors of Crate & Barrel and Bam, before you know it we were the real life Supermarket Sweep!

Ok, now obviously this is the first time I’ve ever registered but my goodness, talk about having choices. We found ourselves debating over what shape wine carafe is best… what? To any brides who haven’t registered yet, I would suggest doing some research about how many place settings to get and what essentials you need. Also, take inventory on what you already have before you go, no one likes clutter. Even if you don’t get it all in one visit to the store you can easily go to the online store and add whatever you missed. It’s so simple and quick.

Make an afternoon out of it, enjoy the journey and just know that while you’re walking around with your scanner, it’s perfectly OK to express a little PDA. There’s nothing worse than a couple who is registering and look miserable together, this world could use a little more love!

Also, it’s perfectly OK to lounge and relax in the furniture section… that’s what it’s there for! hehe

Peace, Love & Photography

He asked, you said YES!!! Now what? {I hear you sister}… So much planning goes into your big day whether you’re having a big swaray or exchanging vows in your parents backyard. Large or small, you’re still planning possibly the biggest event you’ll ever throw for yourself. Well, where do you start and what really makes a good wedding, AWESOME?! I think for every bride it’s different so I’ll just give you my opinion as a bride to be planning her “bash of a lifetime”.

{Sweet Like Honey} What makes a wedding great, in my opinion, is you and your honey! I think this is something that is very easy to lose site of when you first start the planning process. Keep your feet on the ground while your head’s in the clouds. Know that whatever you chose will be perfect as long as you’re both radiating happiness on your big day!

{Venue-rific} Admittedly this is where I’m currently hung up… What the heck kind of venue do you go with?! Indoor, outdoor, beach, mountains, vineyard, barn… they all look great to me! So how do you chose? Call me old fashion but I’m all about great customer service. If I call a venue to find out information and someone is rude or short with me I say “NEXT”. I’m going to look at a few different venues tomorrow and to talk to a travel agent about destination locations as well! Stay tuned…

{Gathering of The Vibes} This is where it’s at! Any bride whether it’s a friend, relative or stranger always agree upon one thing and usually one thing only… it’s all about the people! Take a good long hard look at your guest list, are those the loved ones you’ve longed to spend your special day with? If you’re going for romance then less is more. The more intimate you can make this occasion the more romantic the vibe will be. If you’re going for blow out of the century then by all means, invite everyone you know! Just be cognizant that the people will create the vibe. I’ve been to so many spunky weddings with lots of people young at heart, singing and gettin’ their groove on and the vibe of the wedding was off the wall. The energy illuminating from the celebration was monumental {and the pictures were crazy good to prove it, I got right in on that dance party}.

{Details, Details, Details} Yes folks, this is the puddin’ pie! In addition to the “Vibe”, details are how you make a wedding your own. This is taking your plain white T and bedazzling it with sparkles, puffy paint and ribbons {Ok maybe not so tacky but you catch my drift?}. Success is in the details BECAUSE the details are what is going to show your character. Some people you invite aren’t going to you know you and your honey as intimately as others and the details are a way to subtly show people what you’re all about. See those red shoes up there in that picture? Those are from my dear friend Jenny’s wedding this past May. Now, of all the weddings I’ve been in she is the only bride to wear bright red shoes!!! This was an extraordinary move on her part because those shoes illuminate just what kind of character she is… She loves everything glamourous and fashionable. I am starting to see this in the past few years, brides getting brave and wearing one bold piece whether it’s bright shoes or a dazzling necklace. In my opinion a piece that POPS looks stunning in pictures and creates a sense of ‘high fashion’. Perhaps one way of going about planning is how you would decorate a room in your house. Pick a few details that you can’t live without and build up from there! Don’t be afraid to color outside the lines and get crazy with details! Someone once told me that wedding details are the most fun to plan and just about the only thing {besides honey of course} that keeps you happy and interested while planning!