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Top Secrets For a Fun Wedding Reception

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Wedding cake

Top Secrets For a Fun Wedding Reception

The best way to make your wedding reception stand out is to personalise every aspect of the night event with thrilling moments that keep your guests entertained and wanting more – think of it like a concert, or any other entertainment event – it’s not justb a trip to a restaurant!

For a start, you can take out some of your time to ponder (with your spouse) what both of you represent. Shared interests, travel experiences, and childhood memories are also great sources of inspiration when planning out fun-filled wedding reception.

As much as your wedding is all about celebrating your union with your spouse, it’s also vital that you put your guest’s enjoyment to heart. Here are a few top secrets that will create that spark of excitement during your wedding reception.

NB: If you’re short on time and still want to cop some amazing reception ideas, below are a few areas to put into consideration.

  • Where you both met
  • Your first dinner
  • Mutual interest
  • Your favorite sport
  • Your first travel or holiday trip
Ivybrook Farm wedding first dance

Top 8 Secrets To a Fun Wedding Reception

This list of fun wedding reception secrets is in no defined order as every suggestion is unique in its way to bring some spark of fun to your event.

1.   Strategic Seating Arrangement

As obvious as this idea may sound for a wedding reception, do not make the mistake of discounting the Importance of having a rock-solid seating arrangement. Ensure you strategically place your guests right beside people that you’re sure will easily get along with. This might appear like a matchmaking idea, but you intend to create a more engaging night for your guests.

To make it a little more interesting, you should make your college mates seat beside each other or force your guests to seat with strangers. This will lead to sharing interesting discussions and ultimately an amazing dance party.

Guests cheers

2.   Hire a DJ to Spruce Up The Place

Alright, this appears to be the norm at every wedding reception but there’s the need to make mention of it. This is primarily because music happens to be a crucial part of any enjoyable event. Talk to your DJ about songs that should be played as you don’t want to witness an empty dance floor when an obscure song is being played.

Serafino wines wedding dancefloor

3.   Request For a Song

Do you want your guests to enjoy every moment of your wedding reception? Then proceed to get a request for their favorite song. You can ask all of your invitees to write down what song they would like you to perform on their RSVP card. Another way to go about this is to allow your guests to send their song requests to your email.

If you have a wonderful voice, you can surprise them by performing alongside a live band or take it up a notch by making a duo performance with your spouse. If on the other hand, your voice is not that great, compile the list of song requests and hand it over to your DJ for an entertaining jam all through the event.

Guests having fun on the dance floor

4.   A Short and Sweet Toast Will Do

What other way can you lighten up the atmosphere of a wedding reception other than to make an exciting toast with your guests? When you’re in to give everyone a treat, never undermine the power of a timely toast. Take note of the time when the party enjoyment is building up and pause to make a quick toast that climaxes the reception fun. You can toast to memorable moments shared with friends and family, to carry everyone along with the event

Groom Speech under awning

5.   Step onto The Dance Floor

The perfect opportunity you get to wow your guests is to show them what great dance moves you’ve got. Hit the dance floor with your spouse and start with a slow dance before carefully transitioning into something more energetic like a Latin not break dance song from Bruno Mars.

To leave an indelible mark on the heart of your guests, you can have a few of them join you on the dance floor or challenge a random invitee to a dance battle.

Dancing guest jumping

6.   Prepare The Kid’s Quarter

Remember to keep the kids entertained while their parents have fun on the dance floor. Prepare a designated area for the kids, in a different room and make proper arrangements for a babysitter that will oversee their affairs like organizing crafts, games, and kid-centric parties. A fun wedding reception should be fun for everyone – especially the kids as it keeps them out of the way!

children dancing

7.   Go Neon

There’s no doubt about the charming look of an elegant mirror or wooden sign at your wedding reception. The problem however with these is that everyone makes use of them at their reception. To host your guests in an outstanding way that sends shivers down their spine, opt for a creative sign that communicates your theme. Having a love-centric neon sign as the backdrop of your photo booth will turn the event around for the best.

Bride and groom kiss under neon wedding signs

8.   Map Out a Food Station

Nothing else makes for an exciting celebration other than good food. However, offering great dishes that each guest can customize to their taste makes it even better. Here’s where having an interactive food station comes into play. By considering a sushi rolling setup as well as a mac-and-cheese bar where guests can have suitable bites, you will leave an impression on their hearts that makes them anticipate more fun.

Food platter on display

Here you have it! The 8 top-secrets that promise to crack open the shell of excitement at any fun wedding reception. Although there are a dozen ways to achieve the goal of entertaining your guests, our list has been carefully curated to meet the basic needs of any reception theme.

Have Some Fun!

Enjoy every aspect of your wedding reception to the fullest. Dance with the love of your life and save yourself from worries. Make sure that you keep yourself in a good mood throughout the day. Once you’ve assigned the various aspects to the planners, your job is to show up looking great. Ditch the formalities and make the most of the time to have a fun wedding reception!

5 Tips For Taking The Perfect Wedding Photo

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Taking The Perfect Wedding Photo

Do you want to take some good-looking wedding photos? Well, of course you do! Weddings are one of the most precious days for all couples, and if you’re a wedding photographer, it’s your job to capture all the best moments on that day. Thus, it’ll be your responsibility to create an album that couples will love and cherish for the rest of their lives!  

And in this article, you can read the best tips for taking the perfect wedding photo.

5 Tips For Taking The Perfect Wedding Photo

  • Research The Venue

From the time the couple has called you to become their official wedding photographer, you should start doing your work by researching the venue. Check out the location and see how you can utilize it to take some stunning shots.  

You should visit the venue at least once before the big day to see if the outdoor space of the venue can be used for capturing some post-wedding shots. It also allows you to scout the venue and list the different shooting scenarios that might need to deal with. Also, don’t forget to check how the lighting conditions change in the venue day and night.  

Drone shot of Glanville Hall

 

  • Get To Know The Couple

You should spend time getting to know your clients during your initial meetings. Ask them a couple of questions like how they met or how long they’ve been together. You can use their answers as inspiration for covering their wedding.   

If possible, ask them to hire you as their prenup photographer as well. It can provide an opportunity for the couple to be comfortable with you and vice versa, which is crucial as the big day comes. Additionally, it also allows you to figure out their best angles for taking pictures that are photo frame-worthy.  

You might also want to use this opportunity to give them some insights and information on how they should preserve their wedding photos by putting them on picture frames. Give them recommendations and ask them to use this link to get high-quality and good-looking picture frames.

Laughing bride and groom amongst ivy

 

  • Test Your Gear In Advance

It’s also important that you test your gear in advance to ensure that they are in good working condition before you go to the venue and take great wedding photos.  

Don’t forget to pack all the gear you need for the task, such as a tripod, several camera lenses, external flashes, spare batteries, memory cards, etc. If the photo is taken indoors, you might want to bring some lighting equipment.  I personally just take everything I have to every wedding! I even have a submersable drone if anyone ever wants to go swimming?

And if you’ve done your research and scouted the venue beforehand, you can be better prepared to deal with different shooting scenarios you might encounter throughout the day. For that reason, it’s always a good idea to bring all the necessary equipment you’ll need for the job.  

Waterfall wedding photography Hobart

 

  • Consider Bringing An Assistant With You

Depending on the wedding. capturing every detail of a wedding might be impossible if you don’t have someone to assist you. You may be covering a wedding with lots of dancing, movement, and excitement, so you’ll also need another professional photographer to help you with managing the lights and capturing other wedding scenes that you’d miss if you’re alone.  

It’s a good idea to get an assistant photographer with you. You can either have them carry around your gear or ask him to capture other parts of the wedding while you focus on the main events.  Or you can do what I do and ask them to focus on creating video.

Darwin’s Pride rock

  • Create A Shot List

Couples these days prefer hiring professional photographers who can document their entire wedding. Every couple wishes to look back at their wedding photos after a couple of years and be reminded of how everything was perfect on that day.  

Creating a shot list can work against the whole natural flow of a wedding – but it can help ensure that you capture all the most important shots ou may forget, such as: 

  • The groom’s first look as her bride enters the venue
  • The emotions of the couple as the bride walks down the aisle
  • The couple’s first kiss as a newlywed
  • The emotional family moments
  • The wedding dance
  • The cake-cutting ceremony

Be sure to ask the couple, their family, friends, and guests for any specific shots they want and list them all down.  

 

A photographer who prepares in advance knows the best camera settings and has a creative mind to come up with unique wedding photoshoot ideas that can capture the best wedding photos that couples will surely cherish for their entire lives. We hope you can use these tips in taking the perfect wedding photos and help you with your next photography shoot.  

 

Important Wedding Photography Dos and Don’ts

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Wedding Photography Dos and Don’ts

All photographers view weddings as a major day. This is because the amount of responsibility on the shoulders of wedding photographers is gargantuan. After all, it’s one of the biggest days in the life of the couple involved. In that case, there is no question that nerves will always be part of the equation for each and every wedding that they cover.

The key to successfully executing wedding photography is to ensure that both the groom and bride are comfortable in front of the camera’s lenses. A pre-wedding photoshoot is a great way to manage the nerves on both sides and establish better rapport between the photographer and the couple as well – but it’s not a requirement.

I feel as though being a successful wedding photographer is really all about putting the trust in oneself and your experience in order to be confident in capturing the day no matter what is thrown your way. Being flexible is very important.

bride in the Watershed Wedding reception area

There are also some wedding photography dos and don’ts that really need to be heeded at every wedding. While these guidelines are primarily for your wedding photographer, knowing these will help you be more mindful of photography details during your big day.

Some simple Wedding Photography Dos and Don’ts

  • DO focus on even the smallest details

Weddings are planned months in advance, and often, even years. It’s safe to assume that even the most minute detail was well-thought-out and has some sort of significance. Aside from candid couple photos, and even some sneaky shots of guests with their guard down, the photographer should look at the setting and small details the bridal couple has put effort into.

Your photographer should ensure there’s a photo of the entertainment at the reception, especially if it’s your favourite performer. Shots of buffet or plated meals are a must, too. If an heirloom has been passed down to either bride or groom, a captured snap of that should not be missed as well. 

This is something you should communicate to your photographer – as even the best wedding photographers may sometimes miss a ‘must have’ shot that you expect to have. Despite it being best to let your photographer have freedom to do their thing – pointing out small details would always be appreciated.

Guest gift

  • DON’T stand out so much or call attention to yourself

Weddings and the receptions that follow are incredible training grounds for photographers to be ninjas. It’s important that people are able to feel unobstructed by cameras suddenly in their face, or by constantly being asked if they’d like a photo. While there may be an idea for a great group shot, the photographer shouldn’t start pulling people from different corners together just for a shot unless it feels absolutely necessary.

OMG an engagement ring

  • DO use natural light where possible

Authenticity comes through in a photo well when natural light is involved. There’s a lot of family and friends at these events, which leads to emotions running high. These are some of the best moments in the life of both the groom and the bride, so it’s best to make sure the day is captured accordingly and reflects as much. Even if you have a flash kit, only use it when absolutely necessary; nothing beats the magic of natural sunlight.

bride looking out window as she gets ready

  • DON’T get caught up in capturing everything

Aside from the key shots, there’s a lot of room for candid wedding photos. If the photographer finds themselves missing a moment by a few seconds, don’t dwell on it. There should be another candid moment worth capturing after all. The photographer shouldn’t attempt staging the shot either. It’s natural to miss some things, since it’s practically impossible to photograph every minute or instance during a wedding and reception.

If a bride asks for a specific photo though – it’s certainly best practice to go grab it! haha

Laughing and playing

Weddings are undoubtedly special for the couple getting married, which is one main reason why wedding photographers feel immense pressure. A good way to start a good working relationship between you and the photographer is a pre-wedding shoot. There are several wedding photography dos and don’ts, and it’s vital you choose a photographer where these comes naturally.

Looking for wedding photography services? Contact SvenStudios today! Allow us to craft the precious memories of your wedding day in a fun and relaxed way.

 

Bomboniere ideas for your wedding

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Bomboniere gifts, or ‘favours’ to your guests on a wedding day have become quite common place over the years, however it’s usually a bit of a task to find bomboniere ideas that really speak about who you are as a couple and that your guests might actually want. As a wedding photographer I’m in a great position to get to experience weddings of all sorts, of couples of all different personalities, so I get to see a whole heap of different bomboniere ideas. I thought it might be helpful if I gave you a bit of a list of the more unique, or practical I’ve seen.

bomboniere ideas

But first, a bit of history behind the idea of bomboniere gifts. The practice of giving bomboniere dates right back to 14th century Italy, when the families of engaged couples swapped small packages filled with sweets as a sign of good fortune. Over time, those horrible sugar-coated almonds became the preferred choice of sweets and are pretty much now the staple of Australian bomboniere gifts… unfortunately. Hopefully this list will give you other ideas! 🙂

Bomboniere ideas

Lolly Bar

This idea I’ve seen a few times at weddings I’ve covered. The idea is that your guests are given a small bag or basket of some description in order to fill up themselves with a selection of sweets. It’s also there to augment your menu during the reception of course 🙂

bomboniere bar

Bridal party deck of cards

This one can be fun, how about printing off a deck of cards featuring an image of the bride and groom, along with their entourage as King, queen, Jack, etc? Doing this is surprisingly cost effective when done on the scale needed for wedding favours, and you can literally personalise it with yourself!

Home made sauce or Jam

I often mention this to new wedding photography clients as an idea to get the older members of your family involved in your wedding day. It’s common to have members of the family who might want to be involved with your wedding, but cant for whatever reason. Why not let them sort out your bomboniere gifts with their cooking skills? This is right up there with the lolly bar in terms of how often I see this at weddings.

Home made jam

A scratchy lottery ticket

While perhaps not the most personal of bomboniere ideas, an instant win lottery ticket would be very cost effective (or expensive, depending on how much you want to spend) and can create a sense of excitement and even delirious joy in the off chance someone strikes it lucky! Could even double as a last minute gift for your guests to give back to you via your wishing well.

A picture frame

If you happen to have a photo booth at your wedding reception, and if it’s like the SvenStudios photo booth, that prints proper sizes prints for your guests to keep, why not keep them in style with their own photo frame?

photo frame

Polaroids

As a bit of a segway from the photo frames, perhaps have a few polaroid instant cameras floating about your reception? your guests can pick one up and create their own little keepsake from your wedding.

Individual caricatures

Or how about even having a cartoon artist wandering about drawing everyone? This bomboniere ideas as it always makes people smile and how awesome is having a piece of art to take home from your wedding?

Lego minifigs or small toys

For the child in all of us, a recent wedding I was a photographer at had little bags of toys for every guest, and included were lego minifigs. Both young and old had a blast opening their little lego man and spending time building them while waiting for their entrée to arrive. By the end of the night, every table had a small army of little men running about. It was pretty awesome… Because everything is awesome.

Lego

10 Honeymoon Tips For An Amazing Trip

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Holding hands in front of celebrant

10 Honeymoon Tips For An Amazing Trip

You deserve an eventful trip to beautiful places for your honeymoon. Planning a great wedding is crucial, but you also need a perfect honeymoon to complete your experience. Your wedding requires you to be conscious of your guests, friends, and family as you make memories. However, your honeymoon is the real introduction to married life where you and your spouse would get to know each other intimately. This is why you must take note of some essential honeymoon tips to guide you through your trip.

10 Honeymoon Tips For An Amazing Trip

1.   Plan it Together

Marriage is a partnership. You can start living the reality of that fact even while planning for your honeymoon. Make sure that you and your spouse are actively involved in the planning process to ensure that it is not one-sided. Consider your partner’s interests when choosing the right destination, the duration, and the convenient time to travel. Considering these factors would require a lot of compromises and selfless thinking so you can meet each other’s needs.

Santorini Couple Shoot

2.   Plan Early

Planning a wedding is tiring; however, combining it with plans for your honeymoon can be nerve-wracking. This is why you must ensure that everything goes smoothly. Check out for events you both might want to attend and see if you could schedule your honeymoon around that period. Also, take the necessary breaks off work to ensure you can enjoy your honeymoon to the fullest. You can book your flight tickets ahead of time to cut down on costs and even get hotels that offer special services to new couples.

3.   Set A Realistic Budget

To enjoy an eventful trip, you need a reasonable budget that can cater to both of your needs. There’s nothing cheap about a memorable trip for your honeymoon, and it’s best if you set money aside to cater for it. You need to consider the cost of flight tickets, accommodation, food, and other experiences you would love to have during the trip. If you want a worry-free experience, you should settle the financial aspect.

4.   Create The Perfect Itinerary

It’s normal for you to get excited about your honeymoon. However, you can plan hectic activities, touring, and sightseeing that will wear you out easily. Avoid the temptation to do many things within a short time; it would only leave you to steal the perfect moment from yourself. Create a plan with lazy walks across the beach or intimate talks on the balcony. These activities would help you regain energy and make you spend quality time with your spouse. Take out time to relax your nerves; you can even schedule a spa session that would help you achieve that.

couples photography small

5.   Get Some Help

You can always find ways to lessen the workload when planning an eventful trip. Instead of handling it, you can get a travel agent to book a package for you both. Choose the one that covers hotel bookings, tours, and feeding. Also, some agencies offer discounts for new couples that can help them save costs while having the best time of their lives. Perform thorough research to find the best agencies that provide premium service for new couples.

6.   Choose The Right Timing

Most couples assume they have to leave for their honeymoon immediately after getting married. However, that’s only a myth that happens in fairy tales. Planning your wedding can be exhausting and it’s only fair that you get some rest before you go on a trip.

One of the great Honeymoon tips I can give you is take some time to blow off steam from the heavy dancing and singing you’ve done at your wedding reception. Afterwards, you can go on your honeymoon, that way; you’d be refreshed to enjoy the pleasant experience. Timing is key which is why you must carefully consider it when planning your honeymoon to avoid unexpected situations.

7.   Plan Surprises

Since you would be spending the rest of your life with someone you love deeply, it’s only proper for you to make them feel special during the honeymoon. You can spice up the entire trip by paying for an event that you both didn’t plan for initially. Make sure you choose something that would delight your spouse; if your husband loves games, you can find the nearest game centre to get him excited. On the other hand, you can take your wife shopping for new clothing items. Whatever you decide, make sure it suits their needs.

8.   Capture Your Moments

Although you would go on multiple trips as a couple, your honeymoon only happens once. This is why you need to capture every moment to help you remember this lovely event even after you’ve gone home. Imagine showing your children cute pictures from your honeymoon after decades of marriage. You can take a camera along or use a smartphone that captures vivid images. Don’t forget to make videos also because they always have a way of putting a smile on your face when things get difficult.

What would be even better though would be to enlist the help of a local professional photographer for a bit of a photoshoot – similar to an engagement shoot!

Belair National Park engagement photo

9.   Pack Smart

If you plan to visit multiple destinations, it can be burdensome to pack too much stuff. New brides, don’t try to take all of your new shoes and clothes. It’s good that you’re excited but you need to reduce what you pack. Try to study the weather of your destination to determine the perfect clothes to take along. Also, take out materials that would take too much room in your bag.

10.  Try Out New Meals

What’s an amazing trip with great food? One fun part you must explore during your honeymoon trip is the food, especially the ones specific to the culture of the people. This way, you can spice up your adventure and include something new in your archives. No need to stick with boring meals when you can explore new ones.

Santorini Food