9 Months Before
With fiancé, visit clergymember or justice of the peace / Choose and order dress and accessories / Register for gifts / Begin guest list; have fiancé start his / Consult travel agent about honeymoon.

6 Months Before
Plan details with wedding professionals / Book calligrapher, portrait photographer, and limousines for wedding party / Order invitations and announcements / Complete honeymoon plans with fiancé / Set date to order attendants’ dresses / Discuss rehearsal dinner with fiancé.

3 Months Before
Finish guest list / Shop for lingerie and honeymoon clothes / Order wedding rings / Check state requirements for blood tests / make appointment with hairdresser / Talk to fiancé about reserving a block of rooms for out-of-town guests.

6-8 Weeks Before
Mail your invitations / Buy groom’s wedding gift / Choose gifts for your attendants / Have final dress and headpiece fitting / Have portrait taken / Pick up rings / Plan your bridesmaids’ party / Write thank you notes as you receive gifts / Send announcement to newspaper.

2 Weeks Before
Get marriage license with fiancé / Confirm honeymoon reservations / Submit ap.db list to photographer, videographer, and musicians / Address announcements to mail on wedding day / Arrange to move belongings to new home.

1 Week Before
Pack; get going-away outfit ready / Purchase traveler’s checks; inquire about ATMs near your honeymoon site / Give final guest count to caterer / Give and/or attend bridesmaids’ party / Check final details with wedding professionals / Keep up with gift acknowledgments / Remind attendants of rehearsal dinner details.

www.John-Michaels.com

Here are some tips that will make your experience both productive and enjoyable. So on your mark, get set, start planning!

Before the show:

If pre-registration is available, pre-register – consider it your RSVP.
Dress comfortably and wear comfortable shoes!
Arrive early to ensure you have enough time to visit each vendor’s booth and ask plenty of questions.
Don’t go alone…. Bring a friend or two along to act as a second opinion.
Bring material or ribbons in your party colors so exhibitors can provide useful suggestions catered to your needs.
Bring a tote bag . This will help you stay organized and gather as much information as possible.
Bring your appointment date book so you can organize your appointments.
Make the best of the day by having questions ready.
Take pen and paper for note taking.
Bring your checkbook. You may want to reserve a date or book a service. Great discounts will be offered the day of the show.
Bring adhesive peel-off labels with your name, address, phone number, e-mail, and event date printed on them. You can make them yourself on the computer. They will save you time because you will need to write your name and address to register for the various prizes and promotions
.Bring bottled water and some snacks to keep your energy up.

DURING THE SHOW:

If you did not pre-register, register as soon as you enter.
Give everything the once over. Visit each exhibitor at least once – you may see something you didn’t know you wanted. Then go around a second time to speak to specific vendors.
Make appointments with vendors for a later date to discuss your event in depth.
Sign up for every contest that you possible can. Some vendors give discounts for their services and others give everything from toasting glasses to a free cruise.
Collect as much information as you can from each of the exhibitors. You will have plenty of time after the show to look at the information at home in a quiet, relaxed atmosphere. You may think that you don’t need information on ice sculpting, but there is no such thing as being over-prepared.
Ask lots of questions. The exhibitors are there to answer your questions, no matter how many you have. They want to help you, and you should not feel pressured to buy from them.
If you don’t see something you like with at an exhibitors booth, they are likely to have photos of prior work where you may find just what you’re looking for.
When you book a service or purchase a product, be sure to check on refund policies and to read the contract carefully.
Enjoy the fashion show. It can get you started on your search for the perfect dress.
Have Fun!

AFTER THE SHOW:

Review at leisure all the materials collected during the show.
When additional concerns arise, feel free to contact vendors. They will be happy to hear form you and answer your questions.
Keep appointments made the day of the show.
Savor every moment of your planning time. This is a special moment in your like…. Enjoy!

http://www.John-Michaels.com

Balloons can be used in a variety of ways for a wedding ceremony. A standing heart arch, or a single arch of balloons can be the backdrop for the exchanging of vows. Balloon poufs tied to the ends of pews or chairs decorate the walkway or aisle At the doorway, clusters or balloon topiaries are a creative way to greet and welcome the guests. Decorating with balloons at your wedding ceremony will provide a subtle touch of celebration!
At your wedding reception, you may choose to create a spectacular first impression by framing the entranceway with a spiral balloon arch. For an incredible effect, transform the entry with a tunnel of arches! As your guests enter the reception, guide their eyes to the most important place in the room - The Bride and Groom’s table! This table should have special emphasis - frame it with an arch, columns, or the very popular free form heart. Other areas to decorate are the cake table, the gift table, and the dance floor. Imagine dancing under a canopy of balloons - or surprise the guest and put the focus on your first dance with a balloon drop!

Centerpieces for the tables can be very unique with balloons. Your choice of helium or air-filled balloons can depend on the reception room, whether it’s a ballroom, a restaurant banquet room, or a country club. The centerpieces can be combined with tulle, silks, chocolates, glitter, candy, or other creative accents.

The ideas and possibilities are endless for balloon decorating at a wedding. They will create a truly elegant and exciting atmosphere for a most important and special occasion - your wedding.

http://www.John-Michaels.com

Potted flowers or herbs are less expensive than cut flowers, and you can save even more by ordering seeds now and planting them so they are blooming in time for your wedding. Smaller plants can be grouped together for more impact. Unlike cut flowers, which will wither up and be thrown away, your guests can take the potted plants home and continue enjoying them in their own gardens all summer long.

If herbs aren’t showy enough for your taste, you can dress them up with colored ribbon, raffia, or decorative stones. Gerbera daisies are especially colorful and make excellent centerpieces.

Something old, something new, something borrowed, something Green!

http://www.John-Michaels.com

Fort Myers, Florida – January 20, 2010 - WeddingWire, the nation’s leading wedding technology company, just announced John Michael’s Photography has been selected to receive the 2010 Bride’s Choice Awards™ for Wedding Photography!

The annual Bride’s Choice Awards™ recognizes and celebrates excellence in quality and service within the wedding industry, as determined by recent reviews and extensive surveys from over 500,000 newlyweds.

John Michael’s Photography based in Fort Myers, Fl is among the top five percent of all vendors in the WeddingWire community, which includes over 100,000 wedding professionals across the US and Canada. Awards were given to winners across 19 different service categories, from wedding venues to wedding photographers.

“We are excited to recognize and honor the success of the top wedding professionals within the WeddingWire Community” said Timothy Chi, WeddingWire’s Chief Executive Officer. “The annual Bride’s Choice Awards™ program has given us the unique opportunity to highlight the best wedding professionals in each region as reviewed by brides and grooms who have utilized their services in the past year.”

We are happy to announce that John Michael’s Photography is among the very best Wedding Photographers within the WeddingWire Network, which includes WeddingWire and Martha Stewart Weddings. We would like to thank our past newlyweds for nominating us for the 2010 Bride’s Choice Awards™.

For more information, please visit our WeddingWire Storefront today at http://www.weddingwire.com/biz/john-michaels-photography-fort-myers/54f644ba41c6ab9e.html ~OR~ visit our web-site at http://www.John-Michaels.com

About WeddingWire, Inc.
WeddingWire is the only online wedding planning resource designed to empower both engaged couples and wedding vendors. WeddingWire enables engaged couples to search, compare and book over 100,000 reviewed wedding vendors nationwide, from wedding photographers to wedding cakes. WeddingWire also offers an online community and a suite of cutting-edge planning tools, including wedding websites and wedding checklists, all at no charge. For wedding vendors, WeddingWire provides free online management tools creating the only market opportunity that gives businesses control over their clients, reviews, leads and performance. In addition, WeddingWire has partnered with Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia, Inc. (NYSE: MSO) to provide its network of local vendors and online wedding-planning tools in the Weddings section of www.MarthaStewartWeddings.com. For additional information, please visit www.WeddingWire.com.

www.John-Michaels.com

A Family Portrait is a once-in-a-lifetime event for most of us. A beautifully created, tastefully framed Family Portrait of adequate size becomes an Heirloom you will treasure forever. It makes an eloquent statement. It is a lasting testament to you and others about your feelings toward your spouse, your children and your children’s children. It will bring you more enjoyment than any other possession, especially when the children are grown and gone from home. At John Michael’s Photography we take pride in providing these types of services to you at a substantially lower cost than our competitors.
At John Michael’s Photography nothing is more important to us than family. Our Fort Myers Florida location offers varying backgrounds, both indoors and out. We are experienced and knowledgeable in family portrait photography. Our goal at John Michael’s Photography is to create a relaxing, fun environment that facilitates beautiful photography for you and your family.

Our Philosophy

Since 1998, John Michael’s Photography has been creating beautiful portraits of the most important aspects of life for families. Through the years we’ve had the pleasure of specializing in a distinct variety of photography. Our repertoire includes weddings, family portraits, childhood photography, senior portraits, school and sports league, individual and business photography. Through every stage of life we have been here, watching our clients grow and change. Helping our clients capture some of those amazing moments has been incredibly rewarding as photographers and incredibly humbling as a professional photography studio.

We’ve also grown and changed over the years as we continue to keep our photography creative and fresh while maintaining our commitment to quality, service, and to offering a great photography experience. John Michael’s Photography and our photographers are committed to establishing and maintaining relationships with our clients that last for years to come.

About Our Studio

Our studio is located in Fort Myers Florida. Fort Myers is a beautiful community that includes beaches, parks, commercial and residential properties. We have tree-lined streets, front porches, white picket fences, lush grassy lawns, golf courses, and of course some of the most impressive sunsets on our many beaches. Our unique location, offers us endless outdoor areas to photograph in, as well as several beautiful indoor locations capable of accommodating everything from family photography to newborn portraits. We have been professional portrait photographers for weddings, couples, families, high school seniors, and sports leagues all across Southwest Florida in Lee County including areas like Naples, Sanibel, Captiva, Fort Myers Beach, Bonita Springs, Port Charlotte, Charlotte Harbor and many other areas across this beautiful country. We are completely open to locations, whether it is at your home, the beach, a park, or out on the golf course. That is your choice. There are no limitations to size. It can be 1 single person or 50 people.

About Us

A family team, John, Deanna and Christopher are the heart and soul of John Michael’s Photography. John’s experience in photography, along with his graphic arts background gives him a unique approach to his photographic work, while Deanna’s hairdressing design skill, creative eye, and feminine sensibilities foster the “touchy feely” side of John Michael’s Photography. John’s son Christopher is “learning the business” at the young age of 14 and show’s his natural talent in the work he produces. As a family portrait photographer, John enjoys photographing families in a natural, relaxed way. John also enjoys exercising his talents as a professional photographer when it comes to weddings, events, senior portraits, portraits of children, school and sports teams, and couples portraits. The studio also has a wonderful, hard working support staff, dedicated to producing those amazing photographs and professional portraits in a timely and proficient manner. Together, they make a great team, and the best part is they have fun!

Call us today to book your session! 239-560-6901

Wedding planning entails looking over at least a thousand of details about the event. Because there are so many things to plan, one can easily miss out small important details. However, one aspect of the event that can never be overlooked is of course, the bride’s wedding gown.

Typical wedding gowns mean elaborate fabrics, intricate designs and a long train. But if you want to have a casual wedding like a beach wedding for example, it is all right to don a simpler wedding dress and surely, it will still make you look beautiful and elegant.

If you do not have any idea on casual wedding dresses, here are some ideas you can use for your beach wedding.

Sundress

A cotton or linen sundress is the perfect beach wedding gown as it speaks of comfort, ease, and freedom that the ambience of the beach exudes. The great thing about this dress is that it does not trap heat and moisture in the fabric, which is great especially because the atmosphere at the beach is humid. Moreover, the bride is also able to move freely with this kind of dress.

Suit

For most brides, they think this option is not so lady-like but still there are a growing number of women wanting to get married in a suit, whether it is a pantsuit or a Jackie O style suit. Comfort and confidence are the qualities that a suit spells.

Maxi-dress

Maxi-dresses are fun and whimsical just like the atmosphere at the beach. You can opt for a knee-length or floor-length maxi dress and choose between white and cream.

Strapless or spaghetti strapped dress

Strapless and spaghetti strapped dresses look flattering in almost every type of figure. They are also elegant, beautiful and comfortable. It is no wonder many brides getting married with a beach theme prefer this type of dress.

Bikini top and sarong

If you are on the conservative side, you probably will not go with this option. But if you are daring and you love to wear bikinis, you may want to consider this idea. Just be careful since there are some ceremonies that do not allow such attire.

Other options include halter dress, sleeveless v-neck dress, dress with sweetheart neckline, ankle length dress, tea length dress and knee-length dress.

Tips on Choosing A Beach Wedding Dress:

1.Go for colors that complement the beach. Yes, you can have a white dress for your wedding to have that traditional feel. But you also add touches of other colors such as blue, cream, tan, or brown that also complement the beach scene.
2.Leave those shoes behind. Instead of fussing at which pair of shoes to wear in your beach wedding, consider the idea of going barefooted. You would love the feel of cool sand squishing between your toes while you make the momentous walk down the aisle, plus you save money from skipping an expensive pair of shoes. Not to mention, being shoe-less also means comfort and freedom.
3.Check the temperature of the area. If the wedding location is humid, go for fabrics that can let you breathe. If the area is a little windy, get something to wrap you up.
Getting married on the beach can be both fun and challenging. So is choosing a beach wedding dress. With the line-up of ideas in this article, you will have a less difficult time choosing the right dress for your memorable beach wedding event.

~~~~~~~

Source: This article has been submitted by Angela White, an EzineArticle.com expert who wrote these tips for Wedding-Favours.ca, the premier Canadian e-commerce store and blog when it comes to wedding place card holders and wedding party favour ideas.

So your wedding is over, and you get your photos back after the honeymoon (but hopefully before the honeymoon’s worn off) and you are amazed. How did your photographer get all of these great shots when you didn’t even notice he or she was there? Even your anti paparazzi groom was able to let his guard down! Your invisible photographer seemed to know exactly how and what was going to happen and when. But is it really “just the photographer”?

No, I’m not implying we’re secret agents; I mean to say that we often do the job of a wedding coordinator. Let me explain my first point. I can’t tell you how many times a bride will ask us which leg the garter goes on or someone will seek advice while pinning on the boutonniere or ask how to cut the cake. We photographers familiarize ourselves with customs such as the father putting a penny in the shoe and wearing something old, new, borrowed, and blue. Not only can it help you as a bride out when you’re stumped, but having those photos will help you remember those details you might have put a lot of thought into that you might have otherwise forgotten. Maybe a used handkerchief isn’t something you’d normally pay any heed, but when it’s something borrowed from your great grandmother, it suddenly becomes a big deal. Knowledge of this is crucial for a professional to capture the significance of a custom, and believe me; we’re all about catching details.

Going hand in hand with this is that photographers are constantly aware of aesthetics. You are concerned with the visual outcome and are looking to us as experts to get you in your most photogenic state. It would really be poor service on our part if we failed to notify you of a really large piece of lettuce between your teeth. You as a bride expect us to make sure you look your best. This extends to the surroundings as well. During your consultation (yes, you should have one) you might want to discuss how to beautify the surroundings while you get ready such as hanging your dress on an elegant hanger instead of leaving it in the dry cleaning bag. Also discuss any potential lighting challenges that could be changed such as choosing the indoor reception hall with the beige walls instead of the facility with black walls. Following your photographer’s advice in the planning stages now can make for more ideal photos later.

Many circumstances involve depending on us for direction and here’s where we get into the timing issues. Look at this scenario: We have a DJ/emcee who never announced the first dance when he was supposed to. In fact, he was 45 minutes late and the bride and groom had a schedule they wanted to follow because they only had limited time at the reception. I finally took it upon myself to tell the DJ to go ahead and make the announcement and play their song because I was aware of the bride’s plans. It was much appreciated by the happy couple who were too busy mingling to notice the time. It turns out the DJ didn’t even know they expected him to announce this (rather, he forgot) because of failure to plan. True story. In many cases, other vendors look to us for instruction. We are often asked if it is OK to turn down lighting, announce the bridal party, etc. It is often up to us to help your day flow well and all without you even noticing! After all, we’re probably the only vendor that sticks around the entire day. We make sure we know when and where to be so as not to miss out on crucial photo opportunities (donning the dress, bride’s entrance to ceremony, garter toss, toasts, need I say more?). A good photographer will go over with you an approximate time for group shots, intimate shots, etc. and give you an idea on how long it should take. No one wants to wait on the photographers for an hour of pictures; unless of course, you already knew how long it would take thanks to your conscientious photographer and you prepared to have hor’deuvres served during an official cocktail hour to keep your guests happy.

So you thought photographers just show up and take pictures all day, huh? I won’t even get started on what we do after the wedding is over! That’s the start of an entirely different article.

John Michael has been a Fort Myers, Florida Professional Photographer since 1999. His work has been published in local newspapers, commercial brochures and national magazines. With numerous weddings to his credit, John has established himself as one of the leading wedding photographers in Southwest Florida. Visit www.John-Michaels.com for more information.