My Bridal Portraits

I apologize in advance if you think I am going to let you see what my dress looks like three weeks before the wedding. :)

It was a total blessing to stumble upon our photographer, Billie Roche . She's relatively new to the business, but she's talented. It took some serious talent to make an overworked medical student and a tired computer programmer look like this in engagement photos!

We had blast taking bridal portraits, and they were everything I ever wanted - edgy, fun, sophisticated, even silly.

But they weren't "portraity". (If that is a real concept/word.)

I recently learned that displaying a bridal portrait at the wedding reception is actually only traditionally done in a few southern states like Florida, Texas and Georgia. A sorority sister from Detroit was like "why did you take pre-pictures two months before your wedding?". Apparently they are a regional thing.

But now that I've got my edgy, fun, sophisticated (regional) pictures, what in the world do I display at the reception?

I could crop one of the more scenic ones to make it "portraity"...



...or do something silly/sexy/edgy....

What would you do? "Portraity"? Silly? Sexy? Edgy?

The Big Send Off

So the reception comes to an end and its time to send off the bride and groom....

Sparklers? Nope. It's a daytime wedding.

Bubbles? *shrugs* They are fun for the young and young at heart, though.

Lavender? Mmm. Smells pretty.

Ribbon wands? Love, love, love the photos. Could totally DIY.

What do you think?

Sweetheart vs. Traditional Table (vs. Harvest Table)?

Our venue typically has the "sweetheart" setup - where the bride and groom sit at a table all to themselves, but I've been wondering if that's the best way to go for our reception.

Here is the good, the bad, and the ugly on sweetheart tables.

THE GOOD

It might encourage people to come talk to us, since they won't have to fight with a table of our bestest friends. (And with a ton of out-of-town guests, it will allow us to spend time with more of our guests!)

Our wedding party could sit with their dates. Because there is no way 7 guys, 7 gals, and 14 dates can sit at one head table. (Plus, the dateless attendants won't feel left out.)

Maybe a few moments of "alone time" on our big day.

THE BAD

We have to be separated from the people who we wanted to witness our wedding the most: the bridal party.

THE UGLY

What The Wedding Fairy at Don't Be That Bride calls the "Nutcracker Effect". Essentially, like Clara and the Prince in the Nutcracker, your guests shy away from talking to you and don't get to share in your new found joy.

So while researching, I came across the "harvest table". Apparently, this is a Midwest thing where you put an oval shaped (made up of two rectangular tables placed side by side, with semi-circular tables on either end) table in the center of the room. That way you are still "separate" from the rest of the room, but are also accessible to all of your friends and family.

So what's the verdict? Sweetheart, head or "harvest"?

photo from Erin Hession photography