Weekly Wedding Tip
brought to you by bridalguide.com
"Ask your photographer to visit your ceremony and reception sites in advance so she's familiar with the space and lighting needs."

I think this is a great tip and maybe your photographer has even been to your location site for a previous wedding. While at the NJ Wedding Salon recently - I was at a photographers booth and a newly engaged couple came up and asked if he was familiar with a particular reception site. He was and even starting suggesting the best places for some great shots. If your photographer has already been there, you might even be able to see some of those photos if they have them in their portfolio. Has your photographer been to your location site for a previous wedding? Or will you be asking them to visit the site to familiarize themselves with the location?

Image Credit: (isn't this one of the cutest ideas for a pic?)
Alter Image Studio (found via their flickr gallery)

Weekly Wedding Tip
brought to you by bridalguide.com
"Divide and conquer: Whenever possible, divvy up the wedding chores according to your interests and expertise. If your fiance is a gourmet cook, let him take over picking the caterer. If you're a crack negotiator, you take charge of vendor contracts."

For my own wedding nearly 6 years ago, my husband planned and booked our honeymoon. I knew where we were going and he would show me places where we could stay, but he did all the calling and making of reservations. For the wedding itself - I dealt with the florist and for the other vendors, we were both involved.

How is your wedding chore list being tackled?

Above Image Credit:
Karen's flickr gallery from French Kiss Pastries in the Philippines

Weekly Wedding Tip
brought to you by bridalguide.com
"Save money on costly floral centerpieces by using your bridesmaids' bouquets to decorate the head table or the cake table."

I think placing your bridesmaids bouquets around the cake table is a great idea. Not only will it add a nice touch to the cake display, but it will keep their bouquets in a safe place while they enjoy the party. If using the bridesmaids' bouquets at the head table, you might consider placing an empty vase with water at each bridesmaid's reception table setting. Not only will the presentation look nice, but it will keep their bouquets looking like they were just picked (especially perfect for outdoor summer receptions). And another option for the bridesmaids' bouquets could be as a colorful display on the buffet table. Will you be using your bridesmaids' bouquets to help decorate your reception location?

Image Credits:
Left: Pampered Bride Weddings
Right: Critsey Rowe Photography

Weekly Wedding Tip
brought to you by bridalguide.com
"We know it's a lot to ask, but do be sure to sample the work of at least three cake bakers before you book one. And don't skimp on price - a cheap cake often means inferior ingredients and taste."

For my own wedding, this is something that I did not do and as a result, we did not get the cake we expected. Although, I'm not quite sure we would have been able to find 3 cake bakers near our wedding reception site. We were married in a church, but had our reception on the grounds of a B&B a little over an hour away. There was only 1 caterer that worked nearby and he told us he worked with a bakery that would create our cake based on our design requests. If I could do it over again, never would I have just said "ok". I would have insisted on meeting with the baker myself to discuss our cake options. The design of the cake was basic and did match the picture I supplied, and it did taste good - but there was NO raspberry filling as we had been promised. I was so disappointed when the cake arrived in front of me and didn't see a stripe of reddish-pink down the middle. Knowing what I know now, I would definitely have called around to more bakeries to sample their cakes. Even if the baker is out of your area, many will provide delivery options to your reception site. I can honestly say that sampling a cake is a MUST!

Image Credits:
Top Left: mikeying88's flickr photo gallery
Top Right: from Hankins flickr photo gallery
Bottom Left and Right: Martha Stewart

Weekly Wedding Tip
brought to you by bridalguide.com
"Even if the first gown you try on screams "you," make yourself model a few more styles before deciding. If possible, sleep on it before you commit."

For my own wedding I was convinced I had to find a dress that would allow me to wear a bra with it. I had never worn a strapless before and didn't quite understand how the world of undergarments for a formal event worked. Thank goodness the dress consultant I was working with made me try on a wedding gown with spaghetti straps. She said they would simply sew cups into the dress . . . who knew it could be so easy? As soon as I tried on that dress I knew it was ”the one”.

Personally, I recommend trying on a few styles that you may not have even considered - you never know - you might just find your dream wedding dress unexpectedly. How did you find your dress? Did you try on many styles at one shop or visit a few places? Did you sleep on it and then make your decision? I'd love to hear about your wedding gown shopping experiences.

At the bridalguide.com's wedding dress gallery you can browse by designer to find the wedding dress of your dreams.

Wedding Dresses as shown (left to right)
Mori Lee from PerfectBridal.com
Chiffon Empire Dress from David's Bridal
Watters And Watters from PerfectBridal.com