News Flash -- Raelyn and Laura shoot each other!

That's right! Raelyn and I shot each other this past weekend...with our cameras of course! We needed some new photos so everyone can see who is behind Helmutwalker Photography, so we hope everyone likes them! Although we prefer to be behind the camera this gave us a chance to see what it's like for our clients. We know how awkward it can be to be in front of the camera, but with a little coaching and a little silliness it turned out to be a lot fun!

Tips / Tricks : The Stay at Home Wedding

A lot of us grew up watching movies like Father of the Bride and dreaming about the perfect wedding. Tons of white, flowers everywhere, the big poofy dress! A lot has changed in wedding trends since that movie came out, but one thing is actually pretty popular right now: having the wedding at home. Instead of renting out a hall or venue, using your home or the home of a close family member or friend can be a great way to have a more personal and intimate wedding. It can present a whole different set of problems though, so here are some things to think about for your home-style wedding.

• Make sure that the home is large enough to comfortably accommodate all of your guests. This is especially important in case it rains and everyone has to stay inside. You might have to make some difficult decisions in cutting down your guest list, but on the bright side you don't have to feel so bad about not inviting the second cousin by marriage you haven't seen since you were 5.
  
• Provide adequate parking for your guests or hire a valet service. Remember the hilarious scene in Father of the Bride where the little kids have to park all the cars? Funny, but you don't want that to happen at your wedding!
• Does the home have enough restrooms? If not, consider renting porta-potties. www.eliterestrooms.com has restroom trailers that are a far cry from the stinky stalls you might find at outdoor events.
• If having the wedding outside rent a tent if your yard is large enough. This is a must for the unpredictable Texas weather. Also consider renting portable fans for those hot summer nights.
• Have your pets boarded for the day. Even if your animals are people friendly 100 people might provoke a different reaction than 4. And with doors constantly opening to let people in and out an animal slipping by might not be noticed.

Rachel & Gary were married at her parents' home. They rented a large tent to party the night away!

• Your home needs to look its best for your wedding day! Touch up paint, make sure plumbing and air conditioning/heating is in good working order, carpets cleaned and landscaping nice and neat. And remember that plants need time to grow so don't wait until the last minute!
• Invite your vendors over to check out the space. Make sure the caterers will have enough room in your kitchen and fridge, the ground is level enough for the dance floor, and that the DJ won't overload your electric circuits.
• Check to see if you'll need a permit for noise or parking.
• If you're not planning on inviting the neighbors, make sure they know about the wedding in advance so they don't throw a party on the same day. Competing music and even less parking does not make for a good time!
• Match your wedding to the decor of the house. If the home is sleek and contemporary a country theme might not be the best. After all one of the advantages of having a wedding at home is that the home is already decorated.
• Just because you're having a wedding at a home doesn't mean that your guests will have a place to stay. Don't let them pressure you into letting them crash at the house, even if they promise not to take up too much space and not get in the way! Your close family members and the wedding party are the only ones who should be around before the ceremony starts.
• If you're having the wedding at your own home make sure you designate someone else to play hostess for the day so you can concentrate on getting dressed and enjoying yourself. A wedding coordinator, even if just for the day of, might be an even more valuable asset for the home wedding then one at a wedding venue that has handled many other weddings.
  
• Expect a huge mess. When all the guests have partied and gone, cleaning up might be as big of a chore as getting ready! If your wedding was particularly big you might consider hiring a cleaning crew. After all the hard work you've put in, you will probably deserve it!
  

Cris & John had their wedding at a family member's cabin. The rustic decor set the tone for their simple but elegant affair.

Tameka & Steven Expecting!

Tameka and Steven are expecting their baby boy in less than a week and they wanted to make sure they got some pregger photos before the birth! We wish them the best of luck in their new endeavor as parents and hope they can cherish these photos for a long time to come! And a big thanks to Tameka for sticking with us during the photoshoot. We know it can be hard work being a model, especially when you're pregnant! :)

Brittany's Bridals

We had such a great time shooting Brittany's bridals this past weekend. I swear if we hadn't of run out of light we would have kept going and going! We shot in a variety of places but the most fun was outside of Cavendar's in Dallas. Brittany's fiance's last name is Cavendar so she thought it would be fun to get the Cavendar sign in the background :) We'll be seeing her and Kyle again very shortly, as their wedding is right around the corner in May. Here's a sneak peek of the photo shoot - no peeking Kyle!

Ryan's Spiderman Birthday!

My nephew, Ryan, turned 3 years old last week, and to celebrate our family had a big birthday blow-out with a bounce house, lots of energized toddlers and Spiderman cake! The younger kids were just a bit scared of the bounce house at first but they quickly got over that and were jumping everywhere (soooo much energy)! The funniest part was the opening of the presents. It was more like a wrapping paper frenzy with kids tearing apart presents left and right! Here are some of the photos I wanted to share with everyone, enjoy!

Tips / Tricks : Go Green! Part II

If you enjoyed my going green tips from last week then you're in luck because here are some more!

• Look for vintage items to add to your wedding decor. After all, things that are already made save raw materials and energy. Ask friends and family members for unique or treasured items, or peruse antique stores for some bargain finds.

From left to right: Aerin used a small table her mom had in her home as a stand for her programs at her outdoor wedding. Heather covered up with an heirloom fur wrap from her grandmother. Cris used vintage family cake toppers as table centerpieces at her reception.

Rachel found this chandelier at an antique shop and it made a cute addition to her wedding ceremony. Sarah's vintage purse was the perfect accessory. Miranda found little old-timey glass bottles to use as table decorations and favors.

• Give out eco-friendly favors like birdseed, organic fair-trade chocolate, packets of flower and herb seeds, soy candles, or natural soaps.

Bamboo coasters from www.beau-coup.com, birdseed favors from etsy.com, handmade soaps from etsy.com, mini potted herbs from www.favorcreative.com

• Incorporate recycled items into your wedding day. Use programs made from recycled paper, candle holders made from recycled glass, even your wedding rings can be recycled! Ask close family members and friends for gold or silver jewelry that they no longer wear and have them melted down and made into new rings!

More fabulous finds from etsy.com! Wine bottles transformed into glasses, custom ring made from recycled gold, and origami flowers folded from pages of romance novels

• Have an eco honeymoon! Ask your travel agent to help you find hotels and resorts that employ environmentally friendly practices like using clean energy and working with and supporting the local community. You can even devote a part of your honeymoon to a good cause by doing volunteer work. Check out organizations like WWOOF to spend your honeymoon learning about organic farming and a sustainable way of life.

So we hope we've inspired you take a little time to think of how you can make your wedding a little more environmentally friendly. You don't have to put being eco-friendly first on your list, just go with what you love and if it's the eco option then that's a bonus! Whether you do a little or a lot just keep those three little words in mind: reduce, reuse and recycle. And don't forget to continue your green ways after the wedding!

Tips / Tricks : Go Green!

Being environmentally friendly might not be your biggest concern for your wedding day, but with a little extra thought it's not only easy to green up your wedding, it might also save you some money! This is because the best ways to make your wedding more eco-friendly are to scale down as much waste as possible and to follow the main principles of environmentalism: reduce, reuse and recycle.

There are many resources on the internet to help you green up your wedding, and I found so many great ideas that I'm turning this into a 2 part post. So here is part 1 of some great ideas for your eco-friendly wedding:  

•  Consider using an evite or setting up a wedding website where guests can RSVP online instead of sending out traditional invitations.  Or if you do send out invitations, try to find ones made from recycled paper.  Invitations from Twisted Limb Paper can also include wildflower seeds embedded in the paper.  Your guests can plant your invite in their garden and have beautiful flowers!  

• Have your ceremony and reception at the same location so your guests can save gas.  (It also helps keep out of towners from getting lost!)

• Support locals!  The further away a product has to travel the bigger its carbon footprint will be so try to find as many elements for your wedding locally that you can.  Ask your caterer to use ingredients grown at local farms, fill your bouquet and centerpieces with seasonal local flowers, serve locally made wine and beer at your reception, and give out locally made specialties for your favors.  All things local can be found at farmers markets or check out my links at the end of the post for great online shopping.

Homemade pecan brittle, handmade soaps, and local wines will make wonderful additions to your wedding

• Think outside the traditional box.  There are lots of options for centerpieces instead of flowers, which typically get flown in from far away and really only serve to look pretty then don't get much use once the night is over.  Try something edible like a cupcake tower or bowls of fruit that look great and provide a snack for your guests.  Or maybe use favors that your guests can take home with them like candles, tins of organic tea, vintage glass bottles, or frames with photos of you and your new hubby.  If flowers are the way you want to go, maybe use potted flowers and plants, which you can then plant in your garden as a continuing reminder of your wedding day!

Jenn & Gary had yummy cakes and boxes of fortune cookies for centerpieces at their reception.

• You can even go green with your dress!  Can't find the perfect dress at a bridal boutique?  Consider buying a dress at a resale or vintage shop and having it altered to fit your personal style.  Not into having something previously owned?  Look for dresses made out of organic materials like cotton, silk and hemp instead of synthetic fabrics which can be petroleum based.  There are even some green options for what to do with your dress after the big day.  Donate your dress to the Making Memories organization to fight breast cancer and so a less fortunate bride can have a beautiful dress.  Have your dress redone, shortened and even dyed to become a cute cocktail dress you can wear again.  Or make it into something completely different by using the fabric to make a quilt that will become an heirloom treasure.  And don't forget about your bridesmaids.  Don't have them buy matching dresses that they will never wear again.  Give them a color and let them buy a dress that goes with their own style to ensure they will wear it often.

Like these tips?  Stay tuned next week for more and check out these links in the meantime:

- www.greatgreenwedding.com : more tips and links for green wedding ideas

- www.ewedding.com : free wedding websites you can custom design and upload photos to

- www.crosbycafe.com : vegetarian and organic catering and cakes from Crosby Catering & Cafe in Dallas

- www.texastreats.com : give your guests a little taste of Texas to take home with them

- www.wisemanhousechocolates.com - handmade chocolates from the Texas Hill Country  

- www.makingmemories.org - donate your dress for a good cause

From left to right: Recyled invitations from Twisted Limb, A cupcake tower from Cupcake Cottage, & a chocolate topiary from Chocolate Secrets.