How to Live Stream your Wedding in 2021 | The Invitations Maker

How to Live Stream your Wedding in 2021

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As much as we want all our friends and families to be able to attend our wedding, there are unavoidable circumstances that might hinder some of them to attend our wedding in person. We might have that grandmother who is not allowed to go out because of the pandemic or that close friend who lives in another state or country. Instead of being disappointed, why not plan how to live stream your wedding instead?

Live streaming is a great way to make your families and friends feel included and welcome. Here is a checklist of what you need to prepare for live streaming on your wedding day.

1. Create an Event Page or Group

Create an event page or a group where you can invite the guests who are unable to attend. Give them all the details and brief them that you will be sharing the link of the live stream on that particular group. You can even assist and give instructions to relatives who are not that techie. Assign someone to share the link with them on your wedding day.

Creating this group at least a week before the wedding is a great way to ensure that they’ll all be informed of what will happen and what they need to do on your wedding day.

2. Assign a Trustworthy Friend to Live Stream

Assign someone to live stream your wedding. It could be a friend or a relative, or you can ask your photographers to do the live streaming for you. 

A live streaming setup can be really simple. You can simply use a smartphone, tripod, and all the person needs to do is to click start, make sure that the audio is working, monitor it throughout the wedding, and click to end the live stream.

3. Make Sure you Have the Equipment

Depending on the setup you prefer, as I said, live streaming can be simple. You can use a smartphone and a tripod for stability. You can add in a microphone if you want to make sure that the audio is clear. Don’t forget to download a live streaming application. You can use applications such as EventLive,  LoveStream, or any other live streaming application you prefer.

 If you want to be fancier, you can have a two or three camera setup, but setting this might need some professional help.

4. Test the Venue’s Internet in Advance

Inform your venue that you need a strong Internet connection for your wedding as you will be live streaming. Check the Internet connection 30 minutes prior to your wedding and bring a backup Wi-Fi device in case something goes wrong.

Live streaming is a simple way to bring the people who love you together for your wedding. They might not be able to attend your wedding personally, but their hearts will surely be with you as they watch your wedding from afar.

 

The Best Wedding Favors in 2021 | The Invitation Maker

The Best Wedding Favors in 2021

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Changes happen every year. As we welcome 2021, there will surely be new trends that will set the standard in people’s lifestyles. The wedding scene is not an exception. This is especially true when it comes to the wedding theme, wedding dresses, or even colors. But one thing that most couples overlook when planning their wedding is the wedding favors. Since we’ve all gone through a tough time for the past year, people’s priorities also changed. For a wedding during this time of recovery, what could possibly be the best giveaway to your guests? 

In most weddings, big gatherings are not yet allowed. Hence, guests usually attend the ceremony virtually. Wedding favors play a big role in this set-up. This is how you can convey your gratitude to your (virtual) guests and also let them feel that they are part of your big day. With everything that has happened, here are some ideas on the best wedding giveaways for 2021.

1. Scented Candles

Bring warmth to your guests’ homes with a scented candle. This is a useful giveaway that can also serve as a nice decoration at home. If you are having a destination wedding, you can customize the scent or packaging of the candles based on your wedding location. This is like giving them a feel of the ambiance of your actual wedding.

2. Food or Drink Inspired Wedding Favors

You can never go wrong with food or drink-inspired wedding favors. Spread sweetness with a pack of candies or chocolates. This is perfect for DIY weddings. Just be creative on how you will pack those treats. If you want to be more playful, you can give away fortune cookies instead. You can put custom messages inside – it can be fortunes about love or a simple thank you message for your guests.

3. Coffee/Tea

Admit it, coffee or tea is what kept us going throughout the past year. This is a perfect giveaway to your adult guests. For rustic-themed weddings, you can put the coffee beans in a burlap wrap. You can also opt for loose leaf tea and put it in a nice jar and customize the decor based on your theme.

4. Customized Coaster

If you want to avoid the hassle of packing and the trouble of getting a supplier for great coffee and loose leaf tea, you can give out coasters instead. Personalize it with your names and the date of your wedding. Or you can opt for resin coasters that can be custom-made based on your wedding theme. If you are having a beach wedding, you can have resin coasters with a design that mimics the ocean and the sand.

5. Succulents

Succulents are an adorable giveaway for greenery-inspired weddings. We’ve all spent most of our time this year at home and we do not know how long this situation will last. So having a little succulent on your desk will surely brighten up your mood.

6. Tote bags

Tote bags can really come in handy during these times. Because it’s washable and can easily be sanitized, this will surely be useful for your guests as this can be their go-to bag for grocery runs or for going out to do errands during this pandemic. Add a personalized hand sanitizer keychain for a plus!

7. Disposable camera 

If you want to be a little extra, go with a very unique and creative wedding giveaway – a disposable camera. This is a great way of telling your guests how grateful you are to them. You can include a simple yet heartwarming note:  “Thanks for being part of one of the biggest moments in our lives. Use this camera to create and capture your own beautiful moments.” 

Or they can also use this to capture moments during your special day. Say goodbye to traditional photo booths. It can be a good time for the kids (or even the grown-ups) to play with disposable cameras.

Aside from the memory from your wedding, you should also give your guests something that can be beneficial to them.

Everyone’s becoming more practical after everything that has happened this year. Even with the wedding giveaways, it would be better to give out something useful or something that can lift your guests’ mood from all the happenings this 2020. Let’s be real. No one will care about that little decoration which will be left on your guests’ cupboards and will just eventually be covered by dust in the coming years. 

 

What To Wear For Engagement Photos | The Invitations Maker

What To Wear On Your Engagement Photos

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Of course, you want to look stunning in your engagement photos. Those photos will be used on your wedding invitations, save the date, wedding day, or even be displayed on your first home. So how can you get the best look in your engagement photos?

Aside from a great photographer, good location, and perfect lighting, one of the things that make a great photo is your outfit. You are the subject of the photo – the highlight of the scene. When they look at your engagement photos, all eyes will be on you. Any other element in your photo will just complement the whole picture. 

Your outfit is a crucial part of your engagement photos. By this time, you might already be stressing over what to wear on your engagement shoot. Here are some tips that can help you out:

1. Complement each other but don’t match.

Coordinate with your partner. Make sure that your outfits will complement each other. It doesn’t need to be color-coded or matching as it will not look natural in photos. Although we are aiming for a perfect look, we still want to keep a genuine mood. Pick outfits that will go well with each other, just like how each of you complements each other.

2. Follow a color scheme.

Although we mentioned not to be color-coded, it is still ideal to follow a color scheme. This doesn’t mean that you have to use a single color for both of your outfits. You can wear outfits under the same color family, or set a color palette that you will follow for the aesthetics of your photos. This will keep all elements on your photos look unified. When you view all your photos after your engagement shoot, it will all look complementing. You wouldn’t want the final look of your whole album to be like a collection of random photos.

3. Wear outfits that reflect your personality.

More than anything else, your outfits should be a reflection of your personality. Engagement photos are an essential part of your wedding journey. Keep it personalized. How can it be YOUR engagement photos if it doesn’t show your personalities? Also, if you choose outfits that are not your style, you might not feel comfortable wearing them.

4. Prioritize comfort.

Aside from the style and the overall look of your outfit, comfort should also be a priority. You’ll have trouble slaying an outfit that you’re not comfortable in. No matter how stunning it looks, if you feel uneasy wearing it, it will not look good in the photos. Also, comfort is important especially if you will be shooting in multiple locations or if you will be having a whole-day shoot session.

Don’t forget the best accessory – your smile.

Once you’ve already chosen your best outfit for your engagement shoot, don’t forget your most important accessory – your smile. Preparing for a wedding is stressful enough. Loosen up and remember that the most important part of your look that you need to have on your engagement photos is your beautiful smile – one that shows how happy you are to be with the love of your life.

 

Wedding Invitations

7 Ways to Make Your Wedding Invitations Stand Out

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You might be thinking that wedding invitations are only used to inform and formally invite your family and friends to your wedding day. However, wedding invitations are more than that! They are also the first peek at your wedding. Wedding invitations give your guests an idea of your theme, color palette, and what to expect and prepare for.

To make a great first impression, it is important to make your wedding invitations stand out. Here are some easy ways you can do to have a more distinct wedding invitation:

1. Clear Wedding Invitations

Clear wedding invitations are a great way to transform your invitations to a more elegant yet minimal and modern look. Design it with calligraphy, florals, or any style you want. You can even choose between a semi-opaque or transparent invitation design and a glossy or matte finish.

2. Hand Calligraphy

Personalize your wedding invitations by having it engraved with hand calligraphy. Hand calligraphy will give your wedding invitations a more traditional and classic look and will definitely give you a cut above the rest. You can opt to hire a professional calligrapher to make sure that the invitations will come out in their best quality. If you can’t afford to have hand lettering on your whole invitations, consider having your initials engraved.

3. Personalized Stamp

Personalized stamps are a great way to make your invitation envelopes stand out. You can create your own design or have someone design it for you! Personalized stamps are convenient because you can also use them to put a mark on your giveaways, table decorations, program flow, and more! It’s basically like having your own logo and branding.

4. Seal it with Wax

Nothing says fancy more than an envelope sealed with wax. Your wedding invitations will instantly look more elegant and stylish with personalized wax seals. Wax seals, these days, are super easy to purchase online. With enough practice, you can easily seal your envelopes yourself.

5. Add a Brush of Watercolor

Watercolor brush strokes give a more mellow and romantic feel to your wedding invitations. You can have this designed digitally, or if you’re feeling artsy, draw watercolor brush strokes on your invitations one by one. The latter gives a more personalized feel as you can feel the texture of the brushstrokes.

6. Add a Belly Band

Wrap your wedding invitations the fancy way with a belly band. Wedding belly bands secure your invitation while adding an extra decorative layer. You can either have blank wedding bands or have them customized to include calligraphy of your names and to match your theme.

7. Have your Wedding Invitations Professionally Designed

Professional wedding invitation designers can do all of these and more! Choose a design and have it customized or have them create the design of your dreams. There are so many things to plan when you are getting married. So it’s ideal to hire professional designers if you don’t have that much time to spend on manually personalizing each invitation design. You can also hire professional designers if you simply want a perfect design without any hassle! 

Designing a unique wedding invitation isn’t that hard. There are so many cheap and easy ways to make your invitation stand out. All you need to is think outside the box, brainstorm unique ideas with your partner, or incorporate some of the ideas mentioned here into your invitation design.

Engagement Photos Guide: Everything You Need to Know

How to Get the Best Engagement Photos

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Congratulations on your engagement! So, what’s next? Of course, we want to immortalize this moment of your life as a couple. The best way to do this is by capturing engagement photos. This is a really exciting part of your pre-wedding preparation as you get to feel like celebrities for a day – elegant make-up, classy outfit, cameras on you.

But all these might be overwhelming especially if you haven’t spent a lot of time in front of cameras before (unless you’re a model who’s used to getting his/her photos taken). You might feel nervous and it might show in the photos. So the best thing to do is to relax and be comfortable in front of the camera. We know this is not easy so here are some tips that we wish could help you get the best engagement photos:

1. Plan your outfits ahead of time.

One of the key factors in getting a good photo is having a great outfit. This applies not only to engagement photos but to ordinary photos as well. We usually ensure that our outfits are Instagram-worthy, don’t we? So for your engagement photos, why not make it extra? 

Pick an outfit that will make you look stunning. It would be better to fit it before the actual shoot day so you can check if it fits well, if it looks good on you, and if you feel comfortable wearing it. The last one is very important! No matter how beautiful your outfit is, it should still be comfortable. If you are not confident enough to wear it, you will feel uneasy and it might show in the photos.

2.Choose the perfect location.

Aside from your outfits, the location also greatly affects the outcome of your engagement photos. Who would want to shoot in a bad location? Even on regular days, you wouldn’t get excited to take photos in unappealing places. 

Think about a place that is relevant to both of you. This can be a good starting point. Where did you two meet? What are your common interests? Are you both adventurous? You can have your photos taken near the mountains or by the beach. Do you love hanging out at home, having coffee, or chilling over your favorite movie? Then an at-home session would be perfect for you. You can utilize the location as part of your story as a couple.

3. Personalize your engagement shoot.

Your engagement photos should somehow tell your story as a couple. Think about personal elements that you can incorporate into your shoot. You can create scenes or poses based on your personality. Are you a playful couple? Try to reflect that on your photos. 

This is the perfect time to just be yourselves. We want to have good photos but it is also important that these reflect your story and personality as a couple. After all, you’re doing this to capture your moments as a couple.

4. Start the shoot session by writing letters to each other.

This doesn’t need to be another set of vows to each other. Just write anything you want to say to your partner. Tell them how much you love them and how excited you are to marry them. You can write the letter on the night before your engagement shoot and let them read it on the day of the shoot.

This helps both of you be “at the moment” and will make the session less awkward. Pour your heart out by telling how you feel about your partner. It will make the shoot more natural and emotional. It will remind you why you are doing this in the first place and will surely result in heartwarming photos afterward.

Just be in the moment.

As mentioned in our last point, be in the moment. Don’t feel too much pressure. Remember that you’re doing this for yourselves. You don’t have to be concerned about what other people will say about your engagement photos. You and your partner should be the one to feel satisfied and happy about the photos.

Most importantly, the main thing that we need to capture in these photos is not about how beautiful and scenic these are, but how madly in love you are with each other.