I am a huge fan of Jose Reyes Photography.  Jose Reyes Photography earns the ‘seal’ for fave vendor of Madison Affairs.  Jose Reyes Photography is located in Nyack, NY.

Following a sweet combination of traditional and photo journalistic style, Jose Reyes shoots wedding photographs that are romantic, spontaneous, and light, capturing the true sentiment of each moment.   He knows exactly how to work with your Bridal Party to ensure that all of the fun moments at your Groom and Bride Prep, and the Photo Session post Wedding Ceremony are so fun and simply unforgettable.  And when it’s just the Bride and Groom, guaranteed that you will love the edgy and sexy photographs that you will look back on and treasure. Jose Reyes has been a pleasure to work with each and every time.  Whatever it takes to get that special shot – you name it, he’s on it; he gets it done.   He is simply so comfortable with performing his work that each beautiful shot is captured effortlessly.  I am only surprised time and time again on how his work seems to just evolve artistically on so many different levels.  All of my clients tell me how working with him is such a charm, ease and relief. So cheers to you, Jose Reyes, on your excellent work in photography, and congratulations on receiving the 2010 Bride’s Choice Award^TM for Photography, as presented by WeddingWire.com.

Wedding Tip: Keep Sane 2 Weeks Prior to Wedding Day.  Twelve months seemed like more than plenty of time to get all of your Wedding Planning done.  And much, certainly, you have accomplished.  Yet it never fails – THERE IS ALWAYS SOMETHING TO DO JUST DAYS BEFORE WEDDING DAY!!  It is inevitable.  There will always be last minute ‘to do’s’ – a DIY project that has not been completed, pickup of escort cards from your stationery vendor, or the purchase of the ‘perfect’ necklace which you still have not found.  Never mind any impromptu events, such as a last-minute fix on your Wedding Gown or a broken toasting flute. …well, let’s hope not! So, do yourself a favor, take those last 2 weeks prior to wedding day off of your calendar! Simply forget that they exist; even if it means you get no sleep the days that lead to this ‘pre’ Pre-Wedding period!  Trust your Wedding Consultant (Wedding Planner) or Wedding Coordinator, if you have hired one, to lead you through your Wedding checklist months prior to wedding day so you avoid these last-minute must-do tasks.  You will enjoy completing these tasks that much more without any pressure or rush.  The only scheduling for those last weeks is your Wedding Ceremony Rehearsal, item deliveries to the Wedding Ceremony and Reception sites, and any beauty appointments, including the pickup of your Wedding Gown and Groom’s Tuxedo!  Remember, this is a special time; a time where you will want to share good times, all stress-free, with your loved ones.  And you will likely also have guests from out of town that will treasure your attention.  So get your checklist ready well ahead of time, turn yourself on ‘MUST DO’ mode, and enjoy the days leading up to your very-much anticipated Wedding Day, which are just as special.  And trust me, this will help you keep sane 2 weeks prior to Wedding Day.

The Wedding Ceremony Rehearsal – how should it flow exactly? So it’s getting close to that time. Wedding time! But before the big day you and your bridal party will need to rehearse exactly what to do on wedding day. Know what to do and look out for:

• Bride and Groom, Maid of Honor/Matron and Best Man chairs
• Proper alignment of bridal party for Wedding Ceremony Processional and Wedding Ceremony Recessional
• Wedding Ceremony Processional and Wedding Ceremony Recessional cue from music director
• Wedding Ceremony Receiving Line and its proper lineup
• Proper alignment of bridal party for Post Wedding Ceremony Celebration

And these are just a few points to go over.  There is still other information to gather and activities to rehearse.  Depending on what exact other special details are part of your Wedding Ceremony, your Wedding Consultant or Wedding Coordinator will double check on how exactly to place your reserved signs on the pews or chairs, where to keep copy of the ceremony readings, walk-through of specific responsibilities for honored guests, such as ushers, readers, and greeters, among others. Just as importantly, your Wedding Consultant or Wedding Coordinator will learn about specific regulations on ceremony site premises and share with all participating vendors on Wedding Day to create alignment behind all activities, checking off all necessary points to ensure your Wedding Ceremony Rehearsal is properly supervised.

How to enjoy your Wedding Day – You may ask yourself that same exact question.  Here it goes…

So you have spent a gazillion number of hours this last year planning your wedding.  And very rightly so, as it will be one of your most treasured memories in your lifetime.  From selecting your princess ballroom and wedding gown, to the very small details such as wedding favor ‘Thank You’ tags and near-exact replicas of you and your soon husband-to-be cake topper. In a twelve plus-hour day packed with activities, how do you enjoy it all?

Well it isn’t impossible.  The key is to stick to a strict wedding timeline. First, keep mindful of all key activities to take place during the day.  Have one of your Bridesmaids or a hired Wedding Consultant or Coordinator keep you on track – that means slip into your wedding gown by 1pm, wrap up photographs with Bridal Party by 3:15pm, and be perfectly-ready and lined up for the ceremony by 4:22pm.  Secondly, have your photographer ensure photographs start and finish as scheduled.  Remember, if you are running late, or if any photograph shots are still missing from your shot list, there will be time during Cocktail Hour or Reception to sneak them in.  Third, don’t miss your Cocktail Hour.  If you intend to attend your Cocktail Hour be sure to wrap up photographs ten minutes before it begins.  That will give you and your bridal party some time to freshen up and relax before you walk into a room filled with guests ready to congratulate you and your then-husband, and possibly overwhelm you with questions and starry compliments.  But be sure to sneak in 10 minutes to grab a delicious bite and capture in all of the décor of the room.  Oh and don’t forget to get a glimpse of your ready-to-go ballroom during your First Look, before all of your guests move in from the Cocktail Hour! Lastly, dance, dance, dance before the DJ stops the music.  Cocktail Hour gives you a chance to greet many of your guests, so do your share of greets during the serving of the night’s meals, and only after you have had a bite to eat yourself.  Then excuse yourself onto the dance floor, and dance the night away.  So hand over all of your responsibilities to your Wedding Consultant or Coordinator, and simply enjoy your Wedding Day!

Do I need a Wedding Coordinator? Here’s your answer…It’s a big day.  It’s a special day.  There has been so much planned up to date and so many details coordinated.  And there will be so many things going on that day; how do you know if you need the extra help of a Coordinator? Well here’s the scoop.  Coordinators are great in helping you stick to your event timeline.  They communicate consistently with all of your contracted vendors on wedding day to help ensure each special activity begins and wraps up by a specific time.  This is huge in helping your day flow nicely and helping you enjoy your special day to the fullest.  Remember, if you run very late from the beginning, that pattern will continue to run the same way throughout the rest of the day.  At some point the party must unfortunately end, and it only means a late schedule will cut into your dinner and dance time, and the time that you get to share with family and friends.  Coordinators also check in ahead of time on event day with key vendors such as transportation and all deliveries to ensure they make good timing.  More so, if you hire a really hands-on coordinator he or she will be in consistent communication with you months prior to your event.  And that means their checklists and regular follow-ups will help you keep sane during this ‘just as special’ time, giving you even more bang for your buck.  Now remember, the reason why you hired all of your vendors is because you trusted them to do their best job on event day.  But if you do not have or want any special friend or family member to check in with all vendors, ensure the correct amount of plate settings are placed, call the bakery when delivery for your cake seems to be delayed, and take care of any other mishap, then hiring a Wedding Coordinator will help in giving you that peace of mind…all so that you and your loved ones enjoy this special day into which you have put so much effort.