I would love to hear from you – please contact me.

To see more of my work - www.innesphotography.com.

Remember that the younger the child, the more likely it will be that something unexpected might happen. Often the charming antics only endear the hearts of the guests to the flower girl and ring bearer, but be ready for a few surprises along the way. If you have very little ones you want to include in your wedding party you might want to consider having an older child pull a decorated wagon with the smaller munchkins seated in the box.

Flower girls and ring bearers not only have to march down the aisle, but pose with the wedding party for pictures. Talk with your photographer about posing children and make sure that he is someone who has positive experiences and a good attitude with kids. Also make sure that you have lots of conversations with the parents of the little ones about schedules for that day. If you plan to have photographs taken before the ceremony, consider nap schedules and maybe try to do group poses last, increasing the likelihood that the dresses and suits will be in better condition and patience will still be possible.

Just as you might give your bridesmaids and groomsmen token gifts of appreciation, you can give your little assistants token gifts that can serve double duty as entertainment. New books and small toys can be both keepsakes and time fillers for busy bodies. You might want to consider having a portable DVD player and some cartoons or movies for quiet activities. Plan for snacks for the kids, too, but avoid messy juices and chocolates or things that can send them on a sugar high!

It’s a good idea to have some type of incentive for flower girls and ring bearers at the end of the aisle (aka bribery!). A special treat waiting in their seats, a parent waiting with their stuffed animals, or a mystery prize can help motivate shy or reluctant children.

Sometimes no matter how much planning and preparing you do, stage fright or lack of sleep can throw out the plans for your flower girl or ring bearer to walk down the aisle. Don’t worry about it – just go ahead with the ceremony as planned. Later in the celebration if your little ones feel up for it you can introduce them at the reception or share a special dance with them.

I would love to hear from you – please contact me.

To see more of my work - www.innesphotography.com.

While outdoors we hiked to the waterfall (unfortunately there was not much water) where Ian first asked Kimberly to be his girlfriend. I now want to go to Hawaii with with them so I can get a photograph where he proposed

Here are some images from the special session:

I would love to hear from you – please contact me.

To see more of my work - www.innesphotography.com.

I would love to hear from you – please contact me.

To see more of my work – www.innesphotography.com.

Here are some of my favorite photos.

I would love to hear from you – please contact me.

To see more of my work – www.innesphotography.com.

We photographed Bobbie and Ken’s wedding on St. Patrick’s day last month. Those of you in Southern California can remember how the weather was that weekend – wet and windy! Bobbie and Ken were married at the beautiful Vineyards Simi Valley and it was a last minute decision to hold the ceremony outside despite the howling wind gusts and rain. Guests were huddled together with umbrellas waiting for the ceremony to start. Now – Bobbie who is Irish (hence a St. Paddy’s day wedding) definitely had some of that “Irish Luck” on her wedding. Just as the Groom appeared to signal the start of the ceremony – the skies parted and the sun came out. Everyone there was totally amazed that the sun could shine. Bobbie and Ken got married and then the rains returned.

Here are some of my favorite images from the day.

Special thanks to the other vendors that helped with this special day:

Floral Design: Charmaine’s Bouquet Canyon Florist

Cake: Jill’s Cake Creations

Entertainment: Joyfull Noise Entertainment

I would love to hear from you – please contact me.

To see more of my work - www.innesphotography.com.

I would love to hear from you – please contact me.

To see more of my work - www.innesphotography.com.

I would love to hear from you – please contact me.

To see more of my work – www.innesphotography.com.

It might be the first public announcement you make about your big plans – your wedding invitations. Say good-bye to the days when an ivory tri-fold card edged in your wedding color announced your wedding day and time. Say hello to save-the-date cards, personalized invitations, and unique ways to let the recipients know you want them to be there to celebrate with you.

If you are planning a wedding for a busy season, such as summer or during the holidays, you might want to consider sending a save-the-date card to invitees. This is a simple way to let people know that you hope they will set aside that particular day to celebrate your wedding. It lets you get the word out but still have time to finalize the details that will be included on the invitations. It also lets you remind your family and friends about the celebration twice. These cards can be sent 6-9 months in advance of your wedding date, with a note to look for the invitations that will be coming later. It is not a time you need to worry about RSVP numbers.

Your wedding invitations can be almost any design you choose, from traditional folded cards, to uniquely shaped or delivered invites, to digital invitations. You can select a professional calligrapher ororder your invitations from a specialty shop.  There really is an option for virtually any budget and any theme.

No matter which option you choose, there are some important details to include in your invitation.

• Date, time, and location of both the ceremony and the reception for those guests who might only be able to attend one or the other
• Directions to both the ceremony and reception locations
• RSVP card or clear instructions for online responses (keep in mind that Grandma might not be internet savvy, so make alternate options available)
• Clear instructions on RSVP cards for date needed by (usually at least 3 weeks prior to wedding) and any vegetarian or vegan meals required for reception
• Indications for attire – casual, formal, semi-formal, or maybe flip-flops for a beach ceremony
• Indications for kids – just because you addressed the invite to only the adults in the household they might not be sure who is actually invited. If you prefer an adults only event, clearly state that in the invite (you can do this tactfully by indicating that childcare would be available for guests traveling with children).
• A card indicating where you are registered – limit your registrations to about 3 or 4 locations
• Special details such as transportation provided between ceremony and reception, parking available in ramp next to church, or gifts not necessary

Make sure you have your invitations ready to address about 3 months before the ceremony, and plan to send them out at least 6-8 weeks before the big day. Get ready for the RSVP cards to come in by having a basket or bin just for those, and keep a master list on hand of guests invited. Every day that RSVP cards come rolling in will be one more day closer to celebrating your new life together!

A big thank you to Celebrate Invitations for the awesome samples!

I would love to hear from you – please contact me.

To see more of my work – www.innesphotography.com.

Here are some of our images:

I would love to hear from you – please contact me.

To see more of my work – www.innesphotography.com.