Easy Guide to Making the Best Wedding Program by Lisa Englert

What to include in your wedding program: Constructing a wedding program sounds simple enough…until you actually have to sit down and do it. Remember this doesn’t have to be a daunting task and can actually be fun! The best part about wedding programs is that each one is unique. There is no right or wrong format to follow. You can opt to go for a single page or you can write a whole book, the choice is totally up to you. This is a great opportunity to showcase the bride and groom as a couple and let each of their personalities shine through. Your guests may even learn a few new things about the happy couple as they make their journey into wedded bliss! The opening generally starts with the names of the couple and the wedding date. “The wedding ceremony of Lisa Marie Muth and Jeffrey John Englert, September 3, 2011”. You may include the church and/or location of the ceremony if you like. You can include full names, skip the middle names, or just use first names, to achieve whatever level of formalness or casualness that you like. You may want to include a picture of the couple, maybe from your engagement photo shoot, a photo from a great vacation, pictures of the couple as children, whatever suits your needs. You can also choose to add a monogram or initials, colors to match your wedding party and theme, etc. etc. Keep in mind that your Grandma will probably save this and cherish it forever. Another common piece to include in the program is the names of your supporting cast, the wedding party! People that you may want to include are the Best Man, Groomsmen, Ring Bearer, Maid/Matron of Honor, Bridesmaids, Flower Girl, and don’t forget people like the Ushers, Readers, the Officiant, or anyone that may play a special role in your wedding. You can include how you know each of them, ex. Best Man: Daniel Englert, Brother of the Groom, or keep it simple and fun, ex. The Maids: Shauna, Chrissy, & Kim. And don’t forget your parents! This is a great place to give them a little shout out. If you are having a religious or long ceremony, you may want to mention the order of events, ex. Processional, Greeting, Readings, Prayers, Exchange of Vows, Ring Ceremony, and so on. You can also explain any religious traditions, list musical composers, or anything that may be unique to your wedding that people might not fully understand, ex. I know a couple that substituted a potting ceremony in place of the lighting of the unity candle. They planted a flower in a personalized flower pot in honor of the wedding ceremony. A very unique option and you might want to explain its importance to your guests. You can take this time to thank the guests for coming. Or maybe you want to thank your family and friends for all of their love and support leading up to the wedding. Now is the time to get mushy and heartfelt. It’s also very common to mention a love one that’s been lost, such as a deceased parent or close relative. You can specifically name that special person or persons, ex. “On this day we honor and remember, Marlene Englert, the Groom’s Mother.” Or you can do a more generalized, “Our thoughts are with those loved ones lost that could not be with us today but are here in spirit.” The wording is all up to you. Other things to include could be a poem, or quote about love. Maybe you want to include a funny story about how the Bride and Groom met. You can also include things like directions to the reception or where the receiving line will take place. How about something fun like a crossword puzzle or mad libs about the couple? The choices are all yours and remember to have fun with it. There are plenty of things to stress over in your wedding….this is not one of them. But remember there is only one hard and fast rule of wedding programs that you absolutely MUST abide by….be sure to spell check…twice! Liisa does a great job explaining how to make your wedding perfect. She has written many articles for us and you may see them on our main site at : The Portrait Gallery Niagara in our Wedding Planning section.

How to photograph birds in Florida by photographer, Gary Muth

You can easily get great bird pictures anywhere if you take the time to learn photography. By that I mean learn how to use your equipment to its maximum ability. People think they need big expensive photography equipment to get great pictures of wildlife. This is untrue. I took all these images with a $400 point and shoot camera. You will need a camera with a decent lens. I used the Canon PowerShot SX50 HS because this camera has a 50X zoom lens. That gave me the reach I needed to get up close to my subject. Basic photgraphy principles say keep the sun over your left or right shoulder for best results.This lights your subject at a slight angle and makes your image 3D. Use the lowest ISO you can to keep noise at a minimum. Finally learn good post processing techniques to finish off your image. I will be posting more bird images on my main site at The Portrait Gallery Niagara.

Road Trip in the Off Season

It's the off season for the Portrait Gallery team so we took a road trip. Wendy and I drove to Florida and had a great time along the way. One of our favorite stops was in Savannah. The first three pictures here were taken in Forsythe Park and the fourth was the entrance to Wormsloe Plantation. I will be adding more pictures from our trip in the next few weeks.

Majestic Winter Magic in Niagara Falls

Tis the season. Niagara Falls in the winter. This is the most beautifal time at the falls. The ice bridge forms in the gorge. Snow and ice cover everything. the State Park turns in to a majestic winter wonderland like no other place on earth. The winds swirl around the falls and coat everything nearby with frozen mist. The ice builds up and when the sun comes out everything glistens like diamonds. I took a few pictures on Goat Island and posted them here for our friends to enjoy. You can find more images at our main site, The Portrait Gallery Niagara.

How to Care For Your Diamond Ring

Clean your diamond regularly. An easy way to clean your diamond is to soak it overnight in an ammonia-based household cleaner (such as window cleaner). You can do this once or twice weekly. In the morning you can gently remove debris with a clean soft toothbrush. Brand name jewelry cleaner is another good option. Be sure your setting is secure. Check the integrity of the prongs that are holding your most precious jewel in place. If you have small diamonds in your ring style be sure to inspect on a regular basis to ensure they are all still in place. Be sure your ring is sized properly. Your ring should fit snug. Take it to your jeweler once a year to be examined by a professional. Some jewelers require this to maintain the warranty and some offer it as a free service to customers. As an added bonus they usually professionally clean your ring at this time and generally at no extra charge. Avoid wearing your ring while swimming when possible. Chlorine can erode some of the metals often used in diamond settings and may loosen the prongs or in some cases dissolve the metal completely. Avoid wearing while doing dishes and other household chores. The combination of soap and water can very easily result in a lost ring. The water makes your fingers shrink while the soap provides added lubrication. It’s also a good idea to store it during labor intensive activities. Take your ring off while cooking and baking. Speaking from experience I once grabbed a hunk of cookie dough to roll cut out cookies with a ring on (not my wedding ring thank goodness!). I can’t even begin to describe how long it took to get all of the cookie dough out of all the cracks and crevices. Do NOT try this at home! Beware of taking your ring off in the bathroom. It’s easy to set it on a sink ledge and lose track of it or accidentally knock it down the drain or toilet. Be sure to store in a safe location when you are not wearing. Consider a safe or at least a safe hiding spot. Be sure not to leave it within reach of pets or small children. A drawer, jewelry box, or someplace out of sight is a good idea. Try to leave it in the same safe place every time as to avoid misplacing it. Be wary when packing your diamonds or even putting them away in a jewelry box. Be sure they are not touching any other jewelry as diamonds can scratch other jewelry pieces. Be sure to insure your ring. This is something that will not only carry monetary value but also sentimental value so you will want to be sure that it’s properly protected. Typically you may be able to add an additional policy to your home owners or renters insurance. You can also take out a policy through a company that specializes in jewelry insurance such as Jewelers Mutual. Be sure to have your ring appraised and reappraised every 2 to 3 years. Its value will likely go up through the years. It’s helpful to take the ring to the same appraiser each time and they will usually keep your records on file. Another wonderful article by Lisa Englert. You can read all Lisa's helpful wedding tips on our main site at The Portrait Gallery Niagara.

Super Zoom in Niagara

More tests on the new Canon Powershot SX50 HS. This camera lens really excells with lots of light. I finally got a decent sunny day today so I took the camera to the falls for some practice. This set of images was shot at various zooms from 24mm ( 35 mm equivilant ) to 1200mm then pushed X2. I was standing on the American side by Prospect Point in Niagara Falls State Park, shooting towards Clifton Hill in Canada. You can easily follow a man in a black cap walking up the hill. I think these images are very impressive.

Will You Be My Bridesmaid?

Will You Be My Bridesmaid? Article by Lisa Englert He asked! You said yes! Now it’s your turn to pop the question! Round up your girls and ask, “Will you be my Bridesmaid?” How will you ask them? With a phone call, a text, an email…..boring! These girls will be your right-hand (wo)man on your big day. They will be your bustle tightening (and re-tightening) team. They will make sure you don’t have makeup on your teeth and hold your dress up while you pee! They will keep you calm during all those stressful moments throughout the day (who are we kidding, throughout the entire time leading up to your wedding). They will be there to laugh with you and cry with you. They will help plan your bridal shower and bachelorette party! Trust me, they are earning their spot on the roster!! Be sure to show them just how much you appreciate their very important role in your big day! Here are some of our favorite ways to pop the big question to your wing women. You can always go the traditional route and ask with a proper ring (no need to ask for their parents blessing). How sweet are these ring pop boxes courtesy of Preston Event Planning on Etsy

Spoil her with a necklace that can double as a wedding day accessory found at Briguys Gifts on Etsy. Isn’t this just lovely? And it will match up with just about any wedding color in case you change your mind a time or two!

She’ll never be able to resist this cookie invite which hints at just how “sweet” your wedding will be with her by your side! Found on Rhondassweetretreat on Etsy.

Show her that you are ready to get the party started with a personalized Will you be my Bridesmaid wine glass! Weddings are about having fun, right?!? Found at Waterfall Designs on Etsy

Be original with a Mad Libs card from Camispaperie on Etsy. This card has the flexibility to be as funny or as sappy as you want!

And last but not least, show her even though you’re getting married, you’ll always need her in your entourage. This card courtesy of Littleladycompany on Etsy is cute and to the point…you need your GIRLS!

Now that you have some inspiration…how will you propose??? P.S. Don’t forget the flower girl! Found on Decadentdesigns on Etsy. A personal invite AND a princess wand! Your littlest helper will love this!

We thank Lisa Englert for sharing all her wedding ideas with our readers. If you would like to read more, we have all of lisa's articles on our my site The Portrait Gallery Niagara in our Wedding Planning pages.