Tips For Getting The Perfect Engagement Shot

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Tips For Getting The Perfect Engagement Shot

Oh hello again, lovebirds!

We are so happy to have you here, especially as engagement season ramps up!


Did you know that the most popular season throughout the country to get engaged is Fall? Usually October-February is when the vast majority of proposals happen!

SO! That means there is plenty of time to plan AND celebrate!

The best part of getting engaged is what comes after. Celebrating the fun and exciting news with all your friends and families.

Sure you can have parties to celebrate, but aren’t taking pictures the best way to really capture this amazing moment in time? We sure think so! 

So, today we thought we would help inspire you and let you know some tips on how to get the perfect engagement pictures.

Ready for our tips?

Tips For Getting The Perfect Engagement Shot

Picking the Perfect Photographer

There are so many photographers to choose from so when you are picking yours for your engagement pictures, think about their style. Aside from price point, a photographer’s style is so key. It depends if their shots are more light and airy or bold and moody. You want to be sure to pick someone who has pictures that look like how you hope your engagement photos will come out.

Picking the Perfect Spot

Location, location, location. Have you heard that before? Be sure to consider the time of year it is AND what time of day you are shooting in. Considering the sun and nature is a huge part of what can make pictures really pop. Your photographer will also be able to help with this. They have great ideas of where to shoot and when!

Considering a Theme

This is a particularly fun one for couples who have really significant details they want to incorporate into their shoot. Themes like puppy love (featuring your dog) or adventurers (because you love to travel) come to mind here. Engagement photos are a great way to truly express your love story. Don’t be afraid to get creative here!

Considering your attire

One of the best pieces of advice we can offer is to think about your attire. It might seem like a good idea to wear your most favorite outfit for the occasion — BUT — is this outfit going to translate well in the pictures and throughout time? Typically photographers suggest wearing solid colors rather than patterns and sticking to classic looks (while still maintaining your personality). We also think it is a great tip to think about complimenting your love’s attire rather than doing the matchy matchy game! We promise it will make for prettier shots.

Considering timing

This is a big one! Timing really is everything. If you are considering using your engagement pictures for your Save the Date it is very important you get these pictures done in plenty of time to design and print the save the dates. Make sure to think ahead here!

See how there are some really fun things to think about when it comes to picking elements of your engagement pictures?

We hope these tips helped and we cannot wait to see how your engagement pictures come out.

If you need any help finding a gorgeous wedding venue to work with for these shots, let us know. We will gladly help you find the perfect and available venue.

Until then lovebirds, have fun getting engaged and celebrating!
C+K

WDW Venue Showcase: Shiraz Garden

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WDW Venue Showcase: Shiraz Garden

 

Hello again, lovebirds!

Today we are shedding some light on an amazing venue that we love called, Shiraz Garden

This amazing venue is located in Bastrop, Texas and is certainly one of a kind. We love the amazing weddings that come out of this space and we love how it can truly cater to all kinds of couples and wedding day dreams.

The views from Shiraz are just incredible and their interior spaces match in the same level of beauty.

And we have to mention the amazing staff at the venue. Working with Kalli and co is like a dream. They are all so kind, so knowledgeable, and they really do make dreams come true.

Ready to learn more about the amazing Shiraz Garden?

 

WDW Venue Showcase: Shiraz Garden

Here is some history:

“Since purchasing this property in 2008, our family has shared this space with friends, family, and colleagues over the years, seeing numerous weddings, retreats, reunions, dinner parties, and fishing trips along the Colorado. More and more couples asked us about hosting their weddings at Shiraz Garden from Austin, Houston, and beyond. What an honor to be considered as the backdrop to someone’s wedding day. We are excited to open as an official event space for private events to share the magic of this property and be part of these meaningful days.” 

 

Pricing:

SATURDAY | 13-HOUR RENTAL

March, April, May, October + November $5060

June, July, August, September, December, January, + February $4500

VENUE ACCESS:

October-April — 10 am-11 pm (vendors out by midnight)

May-September — 11 am – 12 am (vendors out by 1 am)

FRIDAY| 13-HOUR RENTAL

March, April, May, October + November $4500

June, July, August, September, December, January, + February $3900

VENUE ACCESS:

October-April — 9 am-10 pm (vendors out by 11 pm)

May-September — 10 am – 11 am (vendors out by midnight)

PREPARATION DAY   5-HOUR RENTAL $1000

Add 5 hours the day before your rental to…

  • Rehearse when it fits your schedule. Otherwise, rehearsals are not guaranteed depending on other booked events.
  • Drop off and assemble décor for easy placement on wedding day.
  • Prep the Bridal Cottage with all your breakfast, lunch, and drinks! There is a full fridge and kitchen!
  • No reason the wedding party can’t drop off their belongings in the cabins too. The fewer items that can be forgotten on wedding day the better for everyone.
  • Avoid Saturday Rental drop-off fees or even cake, and other vendor drop-offs – all are welcome during your 5-hour window.
  • Use the hours on Friday to maximize your day on Saturday! You’ll be amazed at what a stress relief these hours are!

5-HOUR ACCESS OPTIONS

  • Starting as early as 9 am
  • All events over and all guests/vendors off property no later than 8 pm
  • Examples: 9 am – 2pm, or Noon- 5pm, or 3pm – 8 pm
  • At this time access to the Indoor Space is not included in the 5-hour window

 

 

Amenities included:

TABLES + CHAIRS

  • 245 chairs – These are high-quality resin garden chairs with a seat pad, dark brown in color. If more chairs are needed couples will need to rent additional chairs from a rental vendor.
  • Ceremony Setup & Teardown of Shiraz Chairs
  • Reception Setup & Teardown of Shiraz Tables + Chairs
  • Fifteen 8′ X 32” folding banquet tables for use at the Formal Garden
  • Nine 6′ x 30″ folding banquet tables for use at the Formal Garden
  • Four 30” Cocktail Tables
  • Décor to Borrow here and additional tables, chairs, rentals.

 

SPACES

 

SUPPORT + LOGISTICS

  • Shiraz Garden Day-Of Representative to provide logistical assistance and help the couple and wedding party move around the property via ATV for photos and more. Our couples are spoiled by our Team Leaders on the wedding day!
  • In addition, a 2nd Shiraz Representative will be on-site 30 minutes before the ceremony with a golf cart and or ATV to help move guests as needed until the end of the event. Shiraz Representative is on-site for the entire event.
  • One-hour rehearsal hour pending availability.
  • Access for Bridals or Engagement photos if working with a Shiraz Recommended Photographer
  • On-Site, paved parking for 82 vehicles, 8 handicapped parking spaces.

Things to note:

Full-service catering of your choosing (bust be licensed and insured and approved by Shiraz Garden)

A professional, insured event coordinator or planner

Independent liability insurance from Event Helper (~$100-300)

Two Security officer(s) are required

Flexibility to bring your own alcohol but must be served by TABC certified and insured bartenders (WeTndBar Co or through your catering).

To book a date at Shiraz, we require a 1) signed contract, the 2) first installment in your rental package (1/3 of package price), and 3) independent liability insurance from Event Helper.

Have you fallen in love yet, lovebirds? We bet so!

Shiraz Garden is always offering tours. Go there for yourself and fall in love. You will not be sorry! This venue truly is a special place and you will feel so magical getting married here.

If you would like us to connect you with this amazing venue, let us know too! We are here to help!

Until next time, lovebirds!

Cheers to amazing venues and cheers to LOVE,

C+K

**All information taken from Shiraz Garden’s website**

**All photos taken from Shiraz Garden website**

New Year, New Wedding Planning Strategies

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New Year, New Wedding Planning Strategies

Happy New Year, lovebirds!

Can you believe it is 2022? Sometimes it still feels like 2020 to us but we are so excited for a new year and we are certainly so excited for all of you finding love and celebrating love with all kinds of celebrations.

We wanted to talk about upcoming wedding seasons.

Raise your hand if you got engaged this past holiday season!


If you did, are you considering 2022 weddings or are you thinking 2023, 24…?

Depending on your dream wedding date and how long of an engagement you want, this can certainly help you narrow down the year you want to look into saying I do.

Here are some notes and tips from us on planning what year to get married in.

New Year, New Wedding Planning Strategies

If you want to get married in 2022:

  1. Your engagement season will be shorter. This means you will need to really focus on securing vendors quickly. 
  2. Be sure to pick and secure a venue first. Currently we are seeing very full Spring and Fall 2022 calendars from all our partners, so the options may be limited
  3. Don’t be afraid of Summer dates. A lot of couples are nervous about the heat, but if you secure a venue that has enclosed areas that are air conditioned, you can have a comfortable and beautiful event.
  4. Consider details that take longer to work on and secure. We are talking about your attire, your catering, etc. Ordering a dress can take up to 8-10 months, sometimes even longer. Check these crucially timed details off your list ASAP!
  5. Don’t forget seasonal availability. This is applicable to floral elements, food, etc. If you are really focused on something that is not available, be open to waiting until it is.

If you want to get married in 2023 and beyond:

  1. Your engagement season will be longer, meaning you have more time to get things done. However, this doesn’t mean forget about those details, You still have to stay on top of your planning needs.
  2. There is going to potentially be more flexibility when choosing your venue and vendors. This will give you time to really dive in and do your homework so you can know who you really want to work with.
  3. Be open minded to all kinds of seasons. When there are more options available to choose from for your date, you can really look and see what pricing is best during the year for all your vendors.

Now on to our area of expertise!

If you need help connecting with a venue or vendors, let us know!

We Do Weddings is all about date availability so we are here to help you find that perfect venue and vendor team who can be there for you on the wedding day of your dreams!

Cheers to all the upcoming weddings and cheers to amazing planning experiences!

C+K

 

*photo by Jessica Frey*

Happy Holidays from We Do Weddings

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Happy Holidays!

Hello lovebirds!

The We Do Weddings Team wanted to take a minute and wish you all a very Happy Holiday Season!

We hope this special time of year finds you well and full of love.

2021 has certainly been a year to remember and truly all of you are one of our greatest gifts. We are full of joy being able to help you with your wedding planning journey and it is truly an honor that each of you visit the website and are a part of the We Do Weddings family.

Thank you for your amazing support! We count ourselves so lucky to work with you and just want to know that you are appreciated!

We can’t wait to see what is in store for 2022 and we know so many amazing love stories are coming for you!

Happiest of holidays all and a very Happy New Year!

C+K

How to Choose Your Bridal Party

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How to Choose Your Bridal Party

Lovebirds —

Welcome back to the We Do Weddings Blog! We are so excited you are here!
How is wedding planning going? Are you having fun? Have you found your venue yet?

We are so eager to help you with all the fun details!

Have you ever heard the sentiment that it takes a village? It is one of our favorites and you have probably heard us harp on and on about it before…but today we are going to talk about the personal village that is standing beside you on your biggest day.

That’s right, today we are going to talk about your Bridal Party and How to Choose them!

We have a couple ideas when it comes to selecting the people who will support you most on your wedding day, so let’s get started!

How to Choose Your Bridal Party:

Size Matters

When it comes to selecting the amount of people you want for your bridal party, it is important to think about a couple things. First, do you want it to be even on both sides– do you want your partner to have the same amount of people as you do? If so, make sure each side has enough people to fit that number. Next, having a bridal party means expenses — thank you gifts. Make sure it is in the budget if you are planning on having a large bridal party!

Think Twice

Sometimes people think just because they have been asked to be someone’s bridal party participant before that they must choose that person in return. Absolutely not. You really want to be thoughtful in who you end up choosing. It can be friends, family members, children — whoever you really want to be a part of your day!

Think Responsibility 

Being a bridal party member is not all fun and fluff! It takes work and it is beyond stressful if your members are not helpful. When you are thinking about the people to include in your group, think about people who will ease your stress and actually make the day better! Those are the people you want surrounding you on such an important day.

Think About All The Roles

If you have people you want to include, but don’t necessarily want them in your bridal party — think about other roles they can do. They might be better as ushers, ceremony readers, toasters, etc. You can find a special something for them even if that means they are not in the bridal party.

Don’t Feel The Pressure

Like with everything else on a wedding day, everyone is going to have an opinion. The most important opinion is YOURS and your PARTNER’s. Make sure not to cave into what everyone else thinks and wants. If there is someone you do not want in the group, then that is ok! Follow your gut and your heart here.

We hope these little tips are helpful lovebirds. Again, there are so many ways and reasons wedding planning can be stressful but don’t let this fun piece of the puzzle become a problem! Pick the people you want and love and need and you cannot go wrong!

Have any questions?

Let us know!

We are here, always excited to help!

Otherwise, cheers to love and support!

C+K

Wedding Music Favorites

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Wedding Music Favorites

 

Hey lovebirds!

Thank you for joining us again here at the We Do Weddings Blog!

Both Kaitlyn and I are huge music lovers and for both of us, the music we selected for our wedding was a big deal!

So, it was about time we wrote about wedding music, don’t you think?

Today we are going to talk about some of the best and most popular song options for different events and dances throughout your wedding day!

Ready to get musically inspired?

Here we go!

Top 5 Bride Entrance Songs

  1. Canon in D, Pachelbel
  2. Bridal Chorus, Wagner
  3. Wedding March, Mendelssohn
  4. Marry Me, Train
  5. Somewhere Over The Rainbow, Israel Kamakawiwo’Ole

First dances are so special because this is the first time your guests really see you as a married couple and it is also one of the first moments you really get to celebrate being a newly minted married couple. Again, this song is just about you two. Use your favorite song that you have listened to together all along. Pick something that speaks to your love and your story. Here are some of our favorites:

 

Top 5 First Dance Songs

  1. Unchained Melody,” by The Righteous Brothers
  2. The Way You Look Tonight,” by Frank Sinatra
  3. At Last,” by Etta James
  4. Speechless,” by Dan + Shay
  5. Your Song,” by Elton John

We are big believers that the sentime, “he loved you first” is so true. If you want to do a dance with your father, this will be a special moment you two cherish forever. Pick something meaningful that tells Dad how you really feel about him and how much you love him! Here are some good choices if you need some inspiration:

Top 5 Bride + Dad Songs

  1. I Loved Her First, Heartland
  2. “How Sweet It Is,” by James Taylor
  3. “Father and Daughter,” by Paul Simon
  4. “Cinderella,” by Steven Curtis Chapman
  5. “My Little Girl,” by Tim McGraw

We can’t forget about the importance of dancing with mom on the big day. We are talking about the woman who has loved you most your whole life. This is a special nod to all she has done and will do for you and your new spouse. Anything will be a total tear jerker, so make sure to pick something that let’s her know how much you appreciate her.

                            

Top 5 Groom + Mom Songs

  1. “You Raise Me Up,” by Josh Groban
  2. “God Only Knows,” by The Beach Boys
  3. “Forever Young,” by Rod Stewart
  4. “Mother Like Mine,” by The Band Perry
  5. “Mama’s Song,” by Carrie Underwood

Now, it is time to talk about party time! Here is a list of the newest songs that will make all your guests want to dance according to, My Wedding Songs. Take a look at their picks! If you want a good dance party, try to mix it up with classics and newer songs. It will appeal to all!

 

NEW Top 5 Dance Party Reception Songs

  1. “Blinding Lights” by The Weeknd
  2. “Bang!” by AJR
  3. “Dynamite” by BTS
  4. “Body” by Megan Thee Stallion
  5. “You Say” by Lauren Daigle
Music will be something you remember about your big day for years to come. 

There are no right answers and anything you decide on will be so special because they will be songs that speak to you and your love!

If you have any other questions or need any more music tips, let our team know! We are happy to talk about any music/wedding inspiration anytime!

Cheers to music and love, lovebirds!

C+K

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