“But then when Dana came around,” Joel said into the microphone during his best man speech. Joel paused. Collin looked over at Dana, “he was the coolest and most confident guy.”

Dana smiled up at Collin.

I don’t think there was a dry eye in the room.

Joel was right. Together Dana and Collin were two of the coolest, most confident, awesome individuals who go after their dreams and support each other no matter what.

As high school sweethearts, they have been through it all together. From attending art classes together to going to every high school dance together, to living hours apart during under grad and even farther away while Collin was in Medical School. No matter how far away they were from each other or where life has taken them, they stuck together. Dana and Collin bring out the best in each other and the word is a better, brighter place because of it.

Spring Lake Manor has never looked so good or partied so hard. With the stunning floral center pieces and delicious looking donut tower, it was the most beautiful way to start this next chapter in their lives together. As we danced the night away, I saw the way Collin and Dana looked at each other and I knew, after all this time and all the craziness that has happened in the past year and a half, these two lovely souls were finally exactly where they were supposed to be, married to one another, shining even brighter.

Dana and Collin, thank you for being the two of the coolest, most confident awesome individuals I could ever meet. My world is better because of you. Cheers to 120 more years of happiness.

xos,

Yael

The Creative Team

Hair and Make Up Artist: Spruce Salon | @sprucesalonnj

Reception Venue: Spring Lake Manor | @springlakemanor

Ceremony: St. Margaret’s Church

DJ: Frank Martinez of Theory NYC | @theorynyc

“Aunt Yael when are you getting married?” My eldest niece asked me for the third time of the weekend “I just can’t wait to be a flower girl!”

My nieces are more excited about my future wedding (whenever that may be) than I am. All they want is to wear pretty dresses and throw petals down the aisle. All they want is to get their hair done, wear flower crowns and walk down the aisle but being a flower girl is no small feat!

Here are some helpful tips to make the big moment seem a little less scary for our favorite little ones.

The Buddy System:

Never underestimate the buddy system. Sometimes, it can be a little overwhelming for anyone, not just for our cute little humans, to walk down the aisle with 200 people watching them, that’s why sending them down the aisle together makes everyone happy. Not only is it adorable, but it makes it less scary for them!

Talk to them Well in Advance!

Talk to them! If your flower girls are anything like my nieces they will absolutely love talking in detail about what their flower girl duties are. Tell them early and multiple times. They will feel important. They will take it seriously and will understand what is expected of them if you begin telling them well in advanced! Plus, you get to watch as their eyes light up as you talk about them being flower girls! It’s a win, win!

Invite her to the shower & other bridesmaid functions (like a brunch, not the bachelorette party😄😄😄)

The more comfortable your little flower girls are the better. Inviting her to your wedding shower or bridesmaids brunch will help her get to know the rest of the bridal party. This way, on the day of the wedding, your bridesmaids will be familiar faces and she will be WAYY more comfortable!

Strategically place her parents

If her parents are in the wedding party or even just guests, have them sit (or stand) towards the front of the ceremony, this way she can concentrate on her parents encouraging smile reassuring her all the way down the aisle.

With these few simple tips your flower girls will be set up for success! They will be ready, be excited and most importantly comfortable!

Let’s be real, weddings are expensive. I know that, you know that and your guests know that! I am here to tell you that not everyone you invite to your wedding needs a plus one. Yup! I said it! Not everyone needs a plus one. Here are the 

The Married Ones:

Many of your guests will actually be, in fact, married themselves. Whether or not you know their spouse or even like their spouse, if your guest is married, they should get the plus one! I mean, put yourself in their shoes, would you want to go to a wedding without your SO?

Those Guests who are in a serious relationship, engaged or live together!

These days, people tend to move in together, sign mortgages and adopt puppies together before they get married, some don’t even get married at all! So, inviting their Significant Other is the right thing to do. It shows them that you respect and acknowledge their commitment to one another. 

Your Wedding Party:

These are you people. The ones who has been through it all with you! Extend a plus one to your entire wedding party. This doesn’t mean every person in your wedding party MUST bring a date. Chances are, your wedding party will know a lot of the other guests, they don’t necessarily need to go out and find a plus one if they aren’t seeing anyone!  So, if they are single and ready to mingle, let them do their thing! Bottom line, let them decide whether or not they want to bring a plus one! They deserve it!

A Special Guest who doesn’t know anyone.

So, you have that one childhood best friend who lives thousands of miles away and only knows you, your fiancé and your parents. Instead of letting them stand alone as everyone else mingles, give them a plus one! This way, they won’t feel awkward, will have someone to sit with at the ceremony and won’t feel alone while everyone else is dancing on the dance floor! 

So now, who doesn’t need a plus one? Great question!

Guests who are casually dating:

For those friends and family members who tend to have a new girlfriend every other month, they don’t need a plus one! Chances are, they will be dating someone different from the time the invitations go out and the day you say “I do”

Coworkers: 

Now this one is tricky… Coworkers. You see them every day, you talk to them every day, but does that mean you want them all at your wedding and with a plus one? If you decide to invite your coworkers (and you don’t necessarily need to invite all of them, or even any of them), then it’s an all or nothing kinda deal. All of your coworkers get a plus one or none of them do. It’s as simple as that! 

Single Guests who know other guests 

If you haven’t seen your second cousin once removed in ten years and they aren’t in a serious relationship and will already know many of the other guests, they don’t need a plus one! They will be fine socializing with the family and friends they already know!

With all of these use your best judgement! There are always exception of the rules and people who you think deserve a plus one even if they don’t fall into the top three categories (married, in a serious relationship or in your wedding party).

BONUS: Make sure you know the name of your guests plus ones so you can have it written, and written correctly on any and all of the wedding things (example, save the dates, invitations, place cards etc…)

Imagine, it’s 11pm. Your wedding band has been killing it all night. The dance floor has been packed for hours. The drinks have been flowing. The photographer has been racing around the dance floor getting all of the best dance moves. Finally, you hear the band transition into a slow song, You see your guests take a breath, refill their drinks, now all they need is a snack.

Yes, I said snack.

One of my favorite wedding trends are the late night snacks! I mean what human doesn’t like a snack?! It is the perfect way for the bride and groom to showcase their personality even more and give your guests a little something to cure those late night drunk munchies!

Here are YPPs top ten favorite Wedding Night Snacks!

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Ice Cream Truck:

A classic on any hot summer day!

Cereal Bar

Who doesn’t love a big bowl of captain crunch or frosted flakes after a long night of dancing?! I don’t know about all of you, but cereal takes me back to some of my favorite nights in undergrad : )

Grilled Cheese bites and Tomato Soup Shots

Because sometimes you just need something cheesy and sweet all in one

Donut Wall

This is not only delicious but can add something special to your dessert decor! This is great for the couple who have a big donut difference of opinions! Can you say the classic Federal Donut or Beiler donuts debate anyone?!

S’mores

I am always in awe of the wedding venues that have a bonfire going with a nice s’more station set up right next to it! Not only delicious, but fun too!

Soft Pretzels

Philly Pretzel Factory is a staple at any Philadelphia gathering, weddings are no exception! Give the people what they want!!

Taco Station

Do I need to say more?!

Popcorn Stand!

Easy, fast and you don’t feel any kind of way after you eat enough popcorn to satisfy those drunk munchies!

Popsicles

Refreshing and tasty! The perfect snack to cool down after hours of dancing!

Mason Jarred Dessert with Fruit

Cheesecake jar, yogurt parfait Jar, Chocolate pudding jar, etc… Put any dessert in a jar with fresh fruit and it looks decadent and tastes delicious! What could go wrong!?

I know what you are thinking… don’t even say it. Don’t even utter the words “rain” and “wedding day” in the same sentence! I like to prepare for every scenario possible. Literally every scenario and that includes rain or shine on your big day and if you are anything like me, you will want to be prepared for anything too!

So, if you check the forecast ten days before your big day and it says 50% chance of rain right during your outdoor ceremony, here are the YPP approved tips of what to do!

Take a deep breath, steady yourself and let’s prepare for the best day of your life!

Communicate with Your Venue

I love an outdoor ceremony just as much as the next girl but as I always say, “prepare for the worst, hope for the best!” In other words, come up with a Plan B! Talk to your venue. See what options you have in case of unfortunate weather. Do they have an indoor option? Is there another on-site protected space? Is a tent an option? These are all great questions and I am sure your venue will have a bunch of great alternative rainy day choices for you! Just ask!! Trust me, you will feel a lot better!

Proper Props

As a wedding photographer, I have half a dozen clear umbrellas that I bring to every wedding I photograph, just in case. It doesn’t have to stop there! You can go above and beyond and embrace the weather! How you may ask? Get a romantic rain cake topper or even embroidered rain boots and rain jackets. Turn the rain into a rememberable and remarkable theme!

Be practical with your Hair and Make-up

You can and still will look flawless and perfect on your wedding, even if it rains! Waterproof mascara was made for this exact reason! Your hair and make-up artists will know exactly what to do to make your wedding day style not fall apart from water and wind.

BONUS: Opting for a messy bun or a flower crown in your hair are great choices for rainy day weddings!

Towels in bulk…

Towels that match your wedding day decor and color palette is a great and useful addition to any rainy wedding day. Not only will your guests think you are thoughtful and sweet, but it will help you all dry off and stay party ready!! Plus, now, you will have enough towels to last you a life time!

Embrace it

No matter how hard you try, no matter what kind of rain dance you perform or prayers you say, the weather is unpredictable. This doesn’t change the fact that you are marrying your best friend! It doesn’t change the fact that it will be a magical day! Embrace the day and the weather! It will be beautiful and full of love no matter what!

If you don’t have a wedding website, are you really getting married?!

It’s 2019 my friends! This means we must go digital! Gone are the days were an invitation and a save-the-date is enough. Online, custom websites are here and they are here to stay!

There are so many website platforms out there it can get super overwhelming! I don’t know about all of you, but I feel like there is a new one every week! You should have seen me when I was researching website platforms for my own YPP website! Let’s just say, it wasn’t my finest moment : )

Now that I have researched, seen and visited countless of couples wedding websites, I am here to share the deets! Here are YPP’s Top 4 Favorite Wedding Website Platforms!

The Knot

If you ask me, The Knot Wedding website has it all! Completely free and user friendly! Is there anything else you could possibly want!?? Within minutes you can have your Wedding Website up, running and integrated with all of your favorite Knot wedding tools and The Knot App. Plus, you can also manage RSVP right through your Knot Website. I LOVE having everything in one place and The Knot’s Wedding websites are as close to everything in one as possible!

So what’s the downside?! The only L I’ve found with The Knot are the lack of guest RSVP customization, but let’s be real, if someone really wants to share their good wishes, they will reach out to you in a different way!

Wedding Wire

As always I am a huge fan of the WeddingWire! Although there is less integration with the WeddingWire, there is something so charming about keeping things just to the essentials. The WeddingWire websites are for the couples who like to keep things simple, easy and straight forward! No bells and whistles, no frills, just straight forward and to the point. The Wedding Wire websites are all about going back to the Basics. Free or you can purchase a custom domain for $12.99, plenty of options, themes and a handful of integrated planning tool options!

WeddingWire is a little less user-friendly than others and you can only edit your website via a computer, but besides that I give WeddingWire two thumbs up!

Zola

Who is almost as excited for their wedding registry as they are for their wedding party? I mean obviously nothing beats actually getting married to your best friend, but if putting together your registry with higher-end products gives you butterflies, Zola Wedding websites are the perfect option for you! Zola’s guest feature is one of the best! You can even make certain wedding events private and invite specific people from your guest lists via your Zola Website. How cool is that!? It is super user-friendly, free (custom domain for an additional $14.95), great set-up tips and tricks and has an awesome registry integration!

I know what your thinking, this sounds great! And it is, it really is, if you are a a trendy millennial who likes the finer things in life! Zola is all about higher end products, so if you are a couple who feels pure joy walking into Target, I may check out a different option!

Minted Weddings

Minted is FAB for the kinda couples who like consistency! If you want your wedding website to coordinate with your actual wedding invitations, Minted Weddings websites are for you! That’s right, you can get matching invitations right through Minted! When I saw this, I was in awe! It is a great choice for stylish, quality conscious brides and grooms who want to keep it consistent! I know what you’re thinking, consistency comes with a price… Right?! Good news! Minted Weddings has a free, yet limited, option or you can pay a one time fee of $20 for their premium website! If you ask me, it is totally worth the $20 upgrade!

The platform is super user friendly and easy to use! It is perfect for the couple who cares more about quality and consistency than integration and customization!

If I was you, I would keep in mind the fact that Minted Weddings Websites are not as customizable as one may hope and does not have RSVP features or photo album and privacy controls. Just some food for thought!

So, now that you have all the details, go create your own wedding website! I swear, it is easier than it sounds! Give your wedding the online presence that it deserves and don’t forget, enjoy every moment of being engaged!!

You love your bridesmaid and groomsmen. I mean there is a reason why you chose these humans to stand up there next to you during one of the most important moments of your life! You want your bridesmaids and groomsmen to feel their best, look their best and have the best time celebrating your big day! YPP does too! And that is why, I am excited to share with you YPPs quick and easy tips to help keep your bridesmaid and groomsmen portraits looking everyones best! Keeping it classy and awesome, just like what you all deserve!

Ladies!!

Hair Ties

If you are anything like yours truly, you have three hair ties on your wrist at all time! There is nothing that bothers me more than not having a hair tie when this Jewfro gets in the way, but trust me on this one. Take the hair ties off. Make sure your bridesmaids leave them in the getting room or put them in their clutch, it makes your bridesmaid portraits look that much more put together and elegant!

Sleeveless Dresses

Most bridesmaid dresses are sleeveless, it’s a fact. As a woman, who does everything she can possibly do to tone my arms, I am still extremely self conscious of showing them off and I don’t think I am alone in this! Whenever I do wear sleeveless (probably once a year), I have the tendency of squeezing my arms to my body, as a way to make them smaller. I find other women do the same thing. But here’s the thing, in photos, the way to make your arms look your best is to put at least a little bit of space between your arms and your body. Think about it like this… if your arm is pressed to your body, you’re essentially flattening your arm against your body and it will look wider. If you put even just a little space between your arms and your body, gravity takes it’s role and creates a more toned look! So bridesmaid, when your photographer says “bend those elbows,” you know they are looking out for you!

For the men…

Phones

Your groomsmen are going to look sharp as anything in those suits. I know it. You know it. They know it. As a society, we are all VERY attached to our phones. I am no exception! But, to make your groomsmen look even sharper in those suits, have them leave the phones in the room, on the trolly or even just literally behind the photographer. It is truly amazing how much you can see the outline of a phone in a pants suit and your boys deserve to look as GQ as possible!

Keeping Hands Consistent!

Groomsmen are one of my favorite groups to photograph. I love seeing the camaraderie and bromances between the groom and groomsmen. The energy is incredible, the humor is fun and the love is a live! There is nothing thats screams friendship more, but as I remind all of my groomsmen, hands need to be consistent! If one persons hands are in their pocket, all hands go in the pocket. If one person has his left hand over the right, everyone has their left hand over their right. It gives the photo a little extra something that screams “If I was in a boy band, these would be be my band members” and honestly, what is better than that!?

BONUS: Keep the suit buttons consistent too! If the groom has his suit unbuttoned, everyone should have their suit unbuttoned!

These four quick and easy tips might sound like minute details, but they make such a difference when it comes to your bridesmaid and groomsmen portraits! So remember, hair ties off, phones down, arms out and hands consistent!!

Your bridal bouquet. You spent a lot of time and money picking out your bridal bouquet. You spent months dreaming about them. You walked down the aisle holding them. You said “I do” with them by your side. So, why wouldn’t you want to find a way to preserve them!? I mean how tragic would it be if you couldn’t keep them around! Here are YPPs favorite ways of keeping your bridal bouquet around long after your dress is hung up and the shoes are in the closet.

Press the Flowers

All you need is your flowers, parchment paper and a really heavy book, such as your old Chem Textbook or even a dictionary!

Take the flowers. Spread them out onto the parchment paper. Once the flowers are laid out, place the parchment and flowers into the heavy book. Sandwich the flowers with another piece of parchment paper, we wouldn’t want the ink leak onto your beautiful bouquet! Close it. Put something heavy on it. Leave it for 10 days and let them dry out baby!!

Hang the Flowers Upside Down

All you need is a string, your’ flowers and well, air! Gather up the stems, tie them together tightly and let them hang upside down. Place them in your hallway closet or any other dry, temperate area. Leave them there for a few weeks. Once you check on them again, they will be a full air dried bouquet of stunning flowers!

Preserve Your Flowers with Epoxy Resin

Want to go with a more fun, potentially usable method? Turn your bridal bouquet into a paperweight or some other decorative shape! You can use clear epoxy resin in a pinch! All you need to do is get a spherical mold from your local craft store. Fill it halfway with the epoxy resin and carefully arrange the flowers in the fluid. Once the flowers are in the exact right place, fill the rest of the mold with epoxy resin. Let it dry. Finally, when you take the mold off, your bridal bouquet has officially morphed into something that you can cherish and use forever!

Have your flowers painted

Not into dry flowers? That’s ok! Have them painted instead!

Although this isn’t exactly preserving your bridal bouquet, it is keeping the spirit alive! I know you will have plenty of photos of your bouquet from your amazing photographer, but having your flowers painted is a great and unique way of keeping your wedding day a live and hanging on your wall!

I love wedding flowers, I seriously do. I don’t think I have ever met a bridal bouquet that I didn’t like. I will never think a wedding day has too many flowers. If you ask me, your bridal bouquet deserve to be around for more than a day, they deserve to be preserved!

I know, without a doubt that you love your family. I also know that you are going to love your wedding photography and, of course, love your wedding day itself. Putting it all together can be a lot to handle, to say the least. Family photos can be overwhelming. So many different combinations, unique family dynamics and a ton of coordination. Even though it might feel like the longest part of your wedding day, the family portraits end up being some of the most cherished photos. Family comes first. Family is everything. Family photos are a must. Here is the best way to prepare for your wedding day family portraits!

First look or Cocktail Hour?

Having a first look or waiting to see each other as you walk down the aisle has a direct effect on when we will capture your family portraits! If you want to enjoy your cocktail hour as much as humanly possible, but also want to make sure you have plenty of time for family portraits, I suggest doing a first look! This way, you can have your family arrive before the ceremony and have all of the family portraits completed before you say “I do!” PLUS: No one has started crying yet, so everyone’s wedding day look will be on point!

Write a list… check it twice!

This is a game changer! Take an afternoon, sometime before your wedding day, and write down a list of all the family combinations you want to capture. Once you have your list, ask your mom take a look and make sure there are no other combinations she is dying to have! I know, it sounds strenuous but trust me on this one, when you see your photographer reading off the list and being 100% sure that they got every family combination you could possibly want, you will feel a whole lot better! PLUS: It takes the pressure off of you on your wedding day… who doesn’t want that?

Select a meeting time and place

If your family is anything like my family, they run 15 minutes late to everything, and I mean everything. This is the perfect time to pull the tell them it starts 20 minutes earlier than it actually does so they make it on time strategy. And don’t you dare feel guilty about it! This is your wedding day! You and your photographer have put a lot of time, energy and consideration into your wedding day photography timeline, as much as you love Aunt Margie, she must be on time!!

Designate a Family Portrait Captain

Every family has a busy bee, someone who likes to take charge and who can actually get Uncle Harry to stop telling his jokes and pay attention. Do you have someone in mind? Great! Give them a call! Ask them to be the Family Wrangler and they will not only feel important, but kick some major ass doing it!

Consider Ages

I have nine nieces and nephews. The oldest is twelve years old, the youngest is not even two months old. There is a big difference between how much time you can have a twelve year old and a two month old stand there and smile. Be mindful when you consider which combinations go first! The same thing goes for the older generations! If Bubbe has a hard time standing, make sure there is a chair nearby to use, if Grandpa is recovering from hip surgery, make sure he gets in and out of his photos as quickly as possible. Your family is going to be grateful that you thought of it all!

Keep your Photographer Informed!

It is your family and you know it best! Your family deserve to have it captured in whichever way best represents who you all are, that means, keep your photographer in the loop! As a photographer, I assure you, that we want your wedding day experience to be as pleasant as possible and if that means keeping Mom and Dad away from each other, we will do it!

These are the photos that are shared and loved by all generations. These are the photos that get framed and hung up on all of your walls. These are the photos that matter because the people in them matter. Make sure you are prepared to get everything you possibly can from your wedding day family portraits. No one loves your family as much as you do!

You have spent months, maybe even years choosing every last detail of your bridal look. From the shoes and flowers, to the beautiful earrings your Mom picked out and all the way to the necklace that every woman in your family wore on her wedding day. Every detail counts. Every detail is important. And every detail deserves to be photographed in the best way possible.

This week, I want to share with all of you the “YPP top 5 tips for your wedding day detail photos!” When you go to check out your bridal suite, or talk to your venue florist and Maid of Honor, these are the top things to consider!

Windows, Windows and more Windows

Whenever I walk into a bridal suite and see natural light flowing in and big, beautiful windows all around, my heart does a happy dance! Windows are a photographers best friend, especially in the Bride and Groom getting ready rooms! The natural light is the best light! It will make your rings shine like no other, your flowers pop and your dress look stunning and elegant all in one. Before your big day, take some time and talk to your venue or hotel to make sure there are plenty of windows in both the Bride and Groom getting ready rooms! We want to photograph your details with the best like as possible!

Put it all together!

You have a million and ten things going on the morning of your wedding, getting all the bridal details together shouldn’t be one of them! Sometime the week before your wedding day, put all of your bridal details together in a box (besides the dress of course)! This should include everything you want photographed! Here is the YPP List of Details to consider:

• Invitation
• Perfume
• Rings
• Shoes
• Earrings
• Bracelets
• Necklaces
• Other Jewelry
• Veil (maybe not actually in the box, but near it)
• Hair pieces
• Keepsakes
• Gifts

Bridesmaid Dress

If you are anything like me, you absolutely love color and tones, that is why your wedding colors are essential in telling your bridal story! Ask one of your bridesmaids to volunteer her dress while we photograph your details! It will add that little extra something to tie it all together!

Bouquets and Extra Petals

You can never have enough flowers on your wedding day! They are elegant, fresh and beautiful! Have your florist deliver your bouquet to your getting ready location! This will give us plenty of time to photograph the incredible bouquet you will be holding as you say “I do!” When you chat with your florist the week of your wedding, ask them if they can include some extra petals or the flowers that they clipped off when finishing your bouquet! The petals and extra flowers will be an incredible accent for your detail photos!

Enough Time

I always suggest at least 45 minutes for the bridal detail photo portion of the morning! I know, you might think it sounds like too much time, but those 45 minutes fly by and your bridal details deserve to be captured and forever remembered! You carefully selected each and every bridal detail, let’s make sure we have plenty of time to feature them!

There is something so special about capturing a woman’s bridal details. It is so personal, intimate and incredibly touching. Your details deserve the best light, the best care and the best love we can offer and if you ask me, these five tips will let you love your details in the best way possible!