Real Wedding: Jon & Kelly

Ah, what a day. Will & Kate were married, and my oh my did she did she look stunning. I truly wish the best for them.

Appropriately, I have a British wedding to share with you all today. It doesn't have quite the pomp and circumstance of the Royal Wedding, but it does have all the charm. This wedding was sent to us from Matt Foden Photography, and I'm so happy to share it. Matt and Brenda Foden are wedding and portrait photographers based in Surrey, England. They cover Kent, Surrey, and the rest of the UK.

Here's what Matt had to say:

Jon and Kelly’s wedding had two wonderful settings– St.George’s Church in Wrotham, and Cooling Castle Barn, both of which are set in Kent in England. Cooling Castle Barn in particular is a wonderful venue, and exudes the kind of warmth and magic you would hope for in a winter wedding.

Jon and Kelly were great fun to work with and judging by the reaction from their guests, a very popular couple! The day was packed with many fantastic moments, details and features. We especially loved the traditional London Routemaster buses that they hired to ferry their guests around, and we couldn’t resist the chance to feature this iconic London Bus in their portraits! The barn itself looked really magical lit up at night, and was complemented with some great features and characters, including a magician, a traditional Master of Ceremonies (who has also worked at Charles and Camilla’s wedding) and a fun photo booth. A fun, entertaining, and above all emotional wedding day that we genuinely loved photographing!

Congratulations to Jon & Kelly! Thank you to Matt Foden Photography for sending these beautiful photos to us.

If you are a photographer, bride or groom and would like to share your wedding with us, please do!

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Thursday Tips: Consider Your Audience

Today's tip goes for all aspects of your wedding, although I've catered it specifically to the music on your day. Consider your audience.

Of course your wedding day is all about you and your hubby, and everything that has meaning and is important to the two of you, but you are also sharing it with your loved ones. I'm sure you want them to have a great time and have fond memories. As far as music goes, this issue really comes into play during the reception, when it's time to dance.

If you're having a DJ, and you don't give him a play list (or a no-play list) he pretty much has free reign, and will most likely play whatever is popular to dance to, as well as requests from the guests.

If you don't have a lot of older family members, and/or haven't invited children to your wedding, and you just want to have a wild dance party with your friends, then go for it! Or if the older members of your family are wild, same goes.

The main point of this tip is, consider who will be there, and try to blend create something that everyone can enjoy. Throw in some older songs with the current ones, and consider the song lyrics of the current pop songs that your DJ may use, before giving him free reign. If this isn't a concern for you, then don't worry about it, but I've known brides who let their DJ's played whatever they wanted, and then regretted some of the music that was played.

For brides and grooms to be, check out this list of great songs from the 1950's to today that will get people dancing. Just to make life easier for you, there are asterisks* next to the songs with questionable lyrics so that you can decide if they are appropriate for your wedding.

And if you do have song concerns, you may want to reconsider the Do-Not-Play list for your DJ.

For more great tips, check out these fantastic blogs: {Every Last Detail} {Bowties & Bliss} {Little Bit Heart} {The Oceanside Bride} {Shay Cochrane Photography} {Catie Ronquillo Photography} {Stremel Photography}

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Guest Post: A Sweet Proposal

I'm so excited to share this story with you today. Because it's super sweet, and also because it came from my good friend Jess, who is one of my favorite people ever, as is her husband Rene. Hope you enjoy their sweet proposal story as much as I do.

There is one thing you must know before hearing this story. And that is that in the months prior to this engagement, our relationship consisted of one girl anxious to start her life with the guy she fell for two years earlier, and one guy who had fooled her into thinking that wouldn’t happen for at least a few more years. He convinced her that he wasn’t ready yet, all the while knowing they were, so that she would be completely surprised when he gave her the ring he’d already bought.

This story actually begins with another. One we began writing ourselves one ordinary day back at home. René said to Jess that they ought to write their own fairy tale. So we began telling our own epic love story of a knight and a mermaid. Just after their first meeting, our valiant knight was kidnapped by a band of pirates and then brainwashed to believe he’d always been one of them, leaving the memory of his mermaid as only a distant dream. Years later, after a life of prodigal pillaging and plundering, a series of providential events reunited the mermaid with her knight-turned-pirate. The knight then faked his own death to escape his would be life of piracy so that he could spend the rest of his days with the love of his life.

This tale had been told over the span of a few weeks, and began a while before we left for a family trip to Maui, Hawaii. It was on this trip that René told Jess he wanted to finish the story, which seemed appropriate and inconspicuous enough to her considering their surroundings. So on a day trip down the road to Hana, we stopped at a turnoff that led to the most picturesque, fairy-tale-like cove you could ever imagine. We spent the day exploring underground swimming holes, climbing lava rocks, and getting our feet wet along the black sand beach, all the while expanding on this story you’ve just been told.

We snuck past a “trail closed” sign and walked along our own secluded path, with turquoise waves crashing against the black lava rock formations along side us. As we explored, René concluded that the knight and the mermaid built a house on a cliff like the one on which we stood, half on land and half on the water, where they met and fell more in love every day for two years. Jess stopped at the end of the path, surveyed the spot, and said “Yes, this will do. I can make a home out of this.” As they paused to take in the view, René set down his backpack and pulled out a little blue box…

Half expecting to see a ring and shaking like a leaf already, Jess opened the box only to find two pieces of paper. They were notes written to her from René. He told her to turn around and read their contents aloud. She opened the first and read a few lines he wrote, taken from Proverbs 31:10-12

“You are excellent.

You are more precious than jewels.

You earn my trust.

You do me good – forever."

With tears already filling her eyes, Jess reached into the box, took out the second note, and read…

“This is where his and her life ended, and how their life began together.

The knight knew he couldn’t lose his mermaid. He also knew that she was what defined love. So he found her and said…."

He turned her to face him, got down on one knee (on sharp lava rocks mind you), held up a second small box with a sparkling blue stone inside, and asked her to marry him.

She said Yes.

The ring is an original design by Topazery.

Jessica also happens to be an incredible wedding photographer, so go check out her site.

Want to share your proposal story? Or wedding story? We'd love to hear them.

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Detail Love

I'm head over heels with this detail. I'm pretty sure I have to use it at my own wedding. So sweet and fun, plus easy and inexpensive! Win win!

I found these framed lyrics via Lauren & Matt's wedding on Hi-Fi Weddings (where I find bucket loads of inspiration.)

Photos by Matt Miller & Amber Fouts @ Our Labor of Love

So... do you love them as much as I do?? The hard part for me will be narrowing down the song choices... what song lyrics would you use?

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Motown Hits

Just to add a little spice to your life, here are some great Motown hits that can't help but make you smile. Many upbeat Motown songs are great for the recessional (if you aren't going the classical route) or for the bridal party entrance to the reception. There are also some slow ones that could be used as a first dance song, or during dinner. And of course, there are a few Motown hits that people can't help but get up and dance to. Either way, you can't go wrong with these songs that everyone has heard and no one minds hearing again and again.

Upbeat And Fun:

I Can't Help Myself (Sugar Pie, Honey Bunch) - The Four Tops

For Once In My Life - Stevie Wonder

You Can't Hurry Love - The Supremes

Ain't No Mountain High Enough - Marvin Gaye & Tammi Terrell

I'll Be There - The Jackson Five

Isn't She Lovely - Stevie Wonder

Stop! In The Name Of Love - The Supremes

(Love Is Like A) Heatwave - Martha Reeves & The Vandellas

Ain't No Woman (Like The One I've Got) - The Four Tops

I Second That Emotion - Smokey Robinson & The Miracles

Too Busy Thinking About My Baby - Marvin Gaye

Someday We'll Be Together - Diana Ross & The Supremes

My Girl - The Temptations

Signed, Sealed, Delivered - Stevie Wonder

Ain't Nothing Like The Real Thing - Marvin Gaye & Tammi Terrell

The Way You Do The Things You Do - The Temptations

I'm Gonna Make You Love Me - Diana Ross, The Supremes, & The Temptations

I Just Called To Say I Love You - Stevie Wonder

Baby I Need Your Loving - The Four Tops

You're My Everything - The Temptations

Forever Came Today - Diana Ross & The Supremes

My Cherie Amour - Stevie Wonder

Pride & Joy - Marvin Gaye

I Was Made To Love Her - Stevie Wonder

I Could Never Love Another (After Loving You) - The Temptations

Do I Do - Stevie Wonder

Please Mr. Postman - The Marvelettes

All Night Long - Lionel Richie

I'm Coming Out - Diana Ross

As - Stevie Wonder

Baby Love - The Supremes

You're All I Need To Get By - Marvin Gaye & Tammi Terrell

You Are The Sunshine Of My Life - Stevie Wonder

Slow Grooves:

Endless Love - Lionel Richie & Diana Ross

I Believe In You And Me - The Four Tops

Let's Get It On - Marvin Gaye

You've Really Got A Hold On Me - Smokey Robinson & The Miracles

Say You, Say Me - Lionel Richie

Overjoyed - Stevie Wonder

Best Thing That Ever Happened To Me - Gladys Knight & The Pips

Three Times A Lady - The Commodores

Hello - Lionel Richie

Your Precious Love - Marvin Gaye & Tammi Terrell

Still Water (Love) - The Four Tops

My Love - Lionel Richie

How Sweet It Is (To Be Loved By You) - Marvin Gaye

Songs To Get People Dancing:

Do You Love Me - The Contours

Super Freak - Rick James

I Want You Back - The Jackson Five

Dancing In The Street - Martha Reeves & The Vandellas

Brick House - The Commodores

Give It To Me Baby - Rick James

ABC - The Jackson Five

Dancing On The Ceiling - Lionel Richie

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Real Wedding: Scott & Dani

I am thrilled to share this awesome wedding with you guys today, shot and submitted by Casie, of Rebel Belle Photography, who is pretty much just an amazing person all around. Plus, this fun couple are both radio DJ's, so they are a man and woman after my own heart. They were married at The Llambia's House in St. Augustine, Florida. Enjoy the gorgeous pictures, and share some love!

From Dani:

Considering we both work in radio, we are pretty passionate and particular about our music taste. For our ceremony, it was really important to us to make it personal and have live music – so we chose to have a friend of ours play acoustic guitar. He played the Israel Kamakawiwo’ole version of “Somewhere Over the Rainbow/What a Wonderful World”. Then of course we walked back down the aisle as husband and wife to the ever fitting “Tonight’s Gonna Be A Good Night” by the Black Eyed Peas!

As for the reception – we chose all the music and stuck to what we loved... classic rock hits, 80’s pop and hip hop, and just a good mixture of our favorites! Plus, we banned the electric slide and chicken dance! We probably played only 2 slow songs the whole night, and that was because we wanted everyone to just dance the night away!!

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My advice to other brides and grooms would be... do what you want! Don’t worry about traditions or what is expected. It’s your night and you can be as specific as you want to be on what music is played (we gave our DJ a detailed play list and do not play list). Remember what you loved or didn’t love about other people’s wedding music choices and make sure you make your choices based on what you want! The music you choose can really determine the vibe of your reception so keep that in mind.

Photos by Rebel Belle Photography

Congratulations Scott and Dani! I bet your guests had a blast at your wedding! Thanks again to Casie for sharing these great photos with us!

We are always looking for real wedding submissions - if you are a photographer or a bride/groom and want to share your wedding photos, please contact us.

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