Lions and Tigers and Grooms Cake oh my!

Groom's cakes are often a moment a chance for the bride and groom to be a

little silly or fun. These cakes are no exception! Whether it's a reflection

of his work, hobbies or even dinning preference

 these cakes are just FUN!

This Chipotle Burrito cake just blew my mind! A local cake maker in Austin made

this for a brother's wedding and I insisted he send me a pic, WOW!! He only takes

referrals, so if you are as obsessed as me email me and i'll refer you.

 When I arrived to this wedding I saw the cake sitting from 50 feet away and literally thought 

it was a camera. The detail and perfect proportions were spot on! 

 I had to include both pics of this cake so you could see the red inside. A cake made

by his grandmother, Clint and Erin went straight to the most famous grooms

cake of all time! Inspired by Steel Magnolias this armadillo cake was

a perfect fit for their Southern and Texas inspired wedding.

Navigating the Wedding: Mom and Mom-In-Law

Whether she's your guardian angel or a nightmare from a JLo movie, your Mother and Mother-In-Law can have a major impact on your wedding day. Here are some tips to help you stay mom's sweet little girl after the wedding, and not have your mother-in-law see you as the girl who stole her little boy.

Your Mom: As you dream of the big day your mom is dreaming about it too. First thing to remember is this woman gave birth to you. That being said, you do not need to, nor should you try to micro manage her. Setting your expectations early on is one of the best ways to keep things pleasant. Talk to her early about what you would like them to pay for, what you would like her participation in, AND if you have the feeling she might get a little ornery, set the behavior expectations too. Again, remember that in most cases this woman raised you, and speaking to her like a child won't get you anywhere fast. 

Your Mom-In-Law: WOOSA..... Say it with me WOOOOOSAAAA! Now hopefully you are a bride blessed with a mother in law that adores you and treats you like the daughter she always wanted. Similar to your mom this is an adult woman who has raised children, so treat and speak to her as such. Setting clear expectations is again the key to your success. Remembering that no matter how you feel about her, she is a direct reflection of how and why your fiance treats you like he does. She will likely want to be a part of it all, but feel like she can't ask to because you already have a mom. Include her! Explain to your mom why and what you are asking her to participate in ahead of time, and grin and bare it. In the long run your fiance will see the two most important women in his life bonding, and that will mean ALOT! 

Moms to the Bride: It's her day.... NOT yours! This little girl and boy are the loves of your life, so treat them like the treasures they are. Guide and support them, but in the end... LET THEM CHOOSE!! Trust that you did a good job raising them and that they have picked the right one. Ask the bride, don't nag her, and never assume you know what she wants. Support her as best you can and when all else fails, be quiet :)  This is a highly emotional time and even the smallest joke or poke can be devastating. Just as I told the bride to be clear about her expectations, so should you. Don't over promise! Not only will that disappoint, but it will also stress you out. Then you are angsty and then you blow up over ribbon color for invitations. Figure out the realistic budgets and time you have to commit to this occasion and clearly relay that to the couple. 

I can't promise you'll have weekly pedicures and sleepovers after the wedding. BUT with clear communication, patience and a little understanding, you might just be a not so dis-functional family!

Cake of the Week: Krissy's Cakes

 This is a very gorgeous and tasty cake by Krissy's Cakes! I was very

honored to work with them on this great Glamor meets the Old West shoot

for Bliss Bridal Magazine. I had to include a couple extra pics, partially because I 

took them ;) but also so you could see the overall scape of the cake table

and the side cakes she made to really amp up the WOW.

Photos: Cari Wible Photography

Navigating the Wedding: Brides and their Bridemaids

As someone who has participated in a lot of weddings, not just as a photographer but also as a bridesmaid, maid of honor and general do it all girl, i've seen the good, bad and UGLY of the relationships between the bride and bridal party. Here are a few first hand lessons for navigating those relationships.

#1 Choosing your Girls
  When we get ready to celebrate this day the tendency is to ask anyone and everyone to be a bridesmaid. Just remember with more girls, come more personalities and opinions. You should also talk to you groom about how many guys he wants to include. Often your groom has a smaller number of guys in mind. Blood is thicker than water, and when it comes to your bridal party, sisters and sister-in-laws are an important bridesmaid to consider. Even though your relationship might not be super close at the moment, 30 years from now when you remember this day you'll most definitely wish your sister was there with you. Bringing in your grooms sister is also important to show him and his family that you accept them as your own. Overall consider your long term dynamic with the ladies, who is going to truly be a calming force during this stressful time, and who truly represents you and your groom.

#2 Flexible Planning
  Many of us start planning this day when we are little girls, so by the time he proposes we have very specific ideas in mind. When planning it's important to be flexible too. Bring in general ideas or even create a Pinterest board of ideas and trends you'd like to incorporate. Now take a breathe and trust your vendors and bridesmaids. Most vendors want to please you! I know that might shock a few of you but they really do!! Not only are you paying them, but you are a review that could make or break their business and a potential resource for referrals. Ask them "can you do this" or "do you have an idea similar." Wedding vendors are typically a very dedicated and talented group of people, who love what they do, so if you do your do diligence finding the good ones TRUST THEM! And trust your GIRLS. You bridesmaids want the best for you and are ready to do whatever you need. Remember though, while this event probably absorbs your every waking moment... they have lives too ;) Communicate your needs and the timing you need them in and then back off. Don't micromanage them, they are your friends and family, not your employees.



#3 Being a Good Bridesmaid
  Here is the sticky part. Every bride has different expectations and needs of her girls. When you accept the job, you accept a lot of crazy. Let me say this again, a lot of CRAZY!! As I stated before every girl dreams of this day. Your job as a bridesmaid means doing everything within your own sanity to make it happen. That means wearing that color you think is atrocious, tying hundreds of ribbons to DIYed invitations and spending every free Saturday helping her plan. Now this doesn't mean you are suppose to be her punching bag, but if she needs you... you need to be there when possible. The wedding day is the most important example of this. Even if you are bored out of your mind watching other people's hair get curled, stay by her side. Also don't take it so personal! Very little of what goes on that day is about you... it's humbling to recognize that fact, but it will go a long way for helping her stress level. Remember the bride wants you there because you are important to her, so make her important to you!!

#4 Being Friends AFTER the Wedding
  Make an effort before the big day to talk about non wedding stuff! It will be VERY hard!! But after the big day life will have moved on and it's important to have a relationship based on more than just wedding chaos. Also don't be afraid to take a little break after the wedding. You and your girls have officially been to war and survived, and the emotions of that day need to be left there. Take a moment to breathe, get back to normal and move on as friends.

Pictures from : Cari Wible Photography

Thank You Mr. President

More and more Americans are taking the risk to invite celebrities and politicians to their wedding.

Don't expect them to come, but you may just end up with a congratulation letter from them. How

amazing would that be! Surprise your future hubby with a letter from his favorite athlete, or

even the President himself! Just make sure and send it with plenty of time for a response. 

How to address it!

The Honorable Barack Obama and Mrs. Obama
The White House
Greetings Office Rm. 39
1600 Pennsylvania Ave.
Washington, DC 20500

Ooh La La: Bridal Boudoirs

As a wedding photographer by trade I like to keep up to date on

the latest trends. Though not the newest trend on the block, Boudoirs have gone

 from that hush hush thing you talk about in private to parties to have with the girls.

 Here are a few images from a recent boudoir shoot I did. As a point of reference you 

should expect to spend $250-$500 for an individual session with hair and makeup, 

and around $250-$350 a person for parties.

 

Thanks Shana Cook and Sarah Emerson from The Paul Mitchell School, Missy Nyberg from Forbidden Makeup, TerrAdorna and my great models!!

TerrAdorna Open House

 

 I'll be there, will you?