From our “I Wish I Knew…” series!

I wish I had hired a videographer.  It sounds cliche, and I hear videographers say it all the time, but there are some things that are great to see on video.

Since I work behind the scenes, I never like being in front of the camera, especially a video camera.  You’ll very rarely catch a glimpse of me in wedding photos or video.

But I can remember my wedding reception like it was yesterday, even though it has been seven years.  To see all of my family dancing together (a rare sight for a Southern Baptist family!) made me so happy.  Our reception ended well past its scheduled end time (or so I was told), and we danced so much that the dance floor actually started coming apart.

As great as my photos are from that day, I wish I had a video as well - I know the “video” in my head won’t last forever!

I received an email over the weekend about a great new service called Bridal Canvas.  I had a chance to check it out this morning, and I have to say, I could spend all day playing with it!  It is an easy way to create inspiration boards for your wedding using pre-loaded images or upload your own.

The great thing is that the pre-loaded images have the source listed - so if you want to post an inspiration board on you Knot profile or blog, you don’t have to label each picture; the program does it for you!

Plus it’s entirely web-based, so it’s super easy to share your creation with your mom, maid of honor, florist and wedding consultant!  And it’s free!

Check it out at www.bridalcanvas.com.

From our “I Wish I Knew…” series!

As soon as l got engaged, l was very excited to start planning for my special day. Even though l help to coordinate weddings, you really learn how easy it is to go over your wedding day budget when it is your own wedding. To keep within my budget l cut back on the things that l thought were not as important to me. However, looking back l now wish that l had really thought about it a little more. One of the biggest things that l wish l would have spent a little more money on was my photography package. Since l had a videographer l skimped a little on my photography package and did not get as many pictures as l had wanted. Nearly two years later l now know why people say to spend that little bit extra on your photographs, as a picture lasts a lifetime!

From our “I Wish I Knew…” series!

I wish I knew where we were planning to go for our honeymoon before we set our wedding date.  We had already booked our venues for December 1st before we had even thought about our honeymoon destination.  We eventually decided on St. Lucia in the Caribbean in January.  This happens to be the peak season for most of the Caribbean and the prices for hotels and air travel are at their highest.  Our honeymoon cost almost double what it would have if we had gone in April.  If the date or time of year for your wedding is not a priority, consider planning around your honeymoon destination’s off season.  You may find some great deals, and less crowded beaches or attractions.

Melanie and her husband, Eric
(photo by Kris Graham Photography)

From our “I Wish I Knew…” series!

Planning a wedding can be very stressful.  You probably have all the skills and knowledge to plan your own wedding, but in order for it to be successful, you need help. Hire a planner even for just the day of the wedding, so you can be relaxed and not too stressed about the arrangements. I wish I had known that.

I recently asked our team what they wish they had known as they were preparing for their own weddings, or what they learned looking back. In the next few weeks we will be sharing these little tidbits, starting today with our intern Melinda!

Snacks may not be one of your top priorities as you are planning your wedding day.  But guess what?  You’ll need them!

I had a meeting with one of my Spring ‘09 couples on Saturday that reminded me of this point.  As we discussed the bride’s love of sunflowers, the groom asked if they would still have seeds in them.  Then when we talked about using hypericum berries in the boutonnieres (I love berries, by the way!), he made another snack comment.

So, for all of those grooms-to-be out there that love to munch, here are some yummy recipes for Trail Mix that can fit nicely into a plastic bag on your wedding day!

SUGAR FROSTED TRAIL MIX

4 c. Sugar frosted corn flake cereal
2 c. dry roasted peanuts
2 c. plain chocolate candies
1 c. chopped dried apricots
1 c. raisins

In large bowl combine all ingredients. Store in tightly covered container or plastic bag. Yield 10 cups.

ULTIMATE TRAIL MIX

1 cup dried cranberries
1 cup dried blueberries
1 cup dried pineapple
1 cup dried apple pieces
1 cup peanuts
1 cup cashews
1 cup almonds
1 cup marshmallows (any kind)
1 1/2 cups puppy chow
1 cup chocolate chips
1 cup peanutbutter chips
1 cup butterscotch chips
1 cup white chocolate chips

Mix all ingredients together in a large bowl.

VANILLA CHIP TRAIL MIX

1 stick butter, melted
2 tbsp. cocoa
2 tbsp. sugar
4 c. Cheerios cereal
4 c. Wheat Squares cereal
1 c. slivered almonds
1 c. golden raisins
1 (10 oz.) pkg. Hershey vanilla milk chips

In 4-quart bowl, place butter. Microwave on High 1 minute or until melted; stir in cocoa and sugar. Add cereals and almonds; stir until evenly coated. Microwave at High 3 minutes, stirring every minute; stir in raisins.

Microwave on High additional 3 minutes, stirring every minute. Cool completely stir in vanilla chips. Store in tightly covered container in cool, dry place.

(I found these recipes on Cooks.com - check out the website for more!)