Expert Wedding Photography Tips

Make your wedding pictures pop!  Wedding photographer Mark Parker gives an insider’s perspective on how you can look slimmer, sexier and ready for the cover of Bride Magazine with these easy tips for getting the most out of your wedding day photos.

• Having a pre-wedding photo shoot can improve your wedding pictures more than anything else you might do. Think about it, your photographer is VERY comfortable on his end of the camera. The time you spend with your photographer in front of the camera will help you become more comfortable being the subject. Try to get to know your photographer. Have fun. Be crazy.

• "Chin up, a little to the left, shoulders back, stand on one foot, hold your breath...hang on, don’t move. " Any photographer worth his salt should be able to pose you in an elegant and attractive position. Do you know the reason for all these the contortions? By lifting your chin you banish the double chin. Holding your elbows away from your body reduces the apparent width of your torso and accentuates the bosom. Shifting your weight to your rear foot cocks your hips into a position that gives you a sexy curviness.

• How should you hold a bouquet? In a single word.. DOWN!! Never hide your thousand dollar dress with a hundred dollar bouquet. If you’re a five foot bride, do not order a 3 foot cascading bouquet. It's going to be a long day. By the end of the day, you will be wishing that your bouquet was smaller, lighter, more durable, and maybe even artificial.

1000 Origami Cranes

You have the patience, but you probably don’t have the…time. A man and woman folding 1,000 cranes for their wedding is an ancient practice called sembazuru. The time and energy put into a thousand hand-folded origami cranes symbolized the patience and trust necessary to sustain a long, happy marriage. If you can endure making your own origami cranes, it will be a snap when your new mother-in-law starts rearranging all your kitchen cupboards. To purchase them pre-made to use as wedding decorations, favors and gifts, expect to pay $1.75 to $2.00 each.

Cranes...believed to mate for life.

Bridal Shower Trifle Recipes

Is there anyone alive who doesn't love these creamy, custardy concoctions? Who needs a bridal shower centerpiece when, with a little layering know-how you can take frozen pound cake, pudding, fruit, and whipped topping and turn them into a tasty fruit trifle ? Easy and quick, these trifle recipes serve 16 to 20.

Delicious Pumpkin Trifle

Ingredients

1 package (14-1/2 ounces) gingerbread cake mix

1-1/4 cups water

1 egg

4 cups cold fat-free milk

4 packages (1 ounce each) sugar-free instant butterscotch pudding mix

1 can (15 ounces) solid-pack pumpkin

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon each ground ginger, nutmeg and allspice

1 carton (12 ounces) frozen reduced-fat whipped topping, thawed

Preparation

In a large bowl, combine the cake mix, water and egg, beat on low speed for 30 seconds. Beat on medium for 2 minutes. Pour into an ungreased 8-in. square baking pan.Bake at 350° for 35-40 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Cool for 10 minutes before removing from pan to a wire rack. When completely cooled, crumble the cake. Set aside 1/4 cup crumbs for garnish.In a large bowl, whisk milk and pudding mixes for 2 minutes or until slightly thickened. Let stand for 2 minutes or until soft-set. Stir in pumpkin and spices until well blended.In a trifle bowl or 3-1/2-qt. glass serving bowl, layer a fourth of the cake crumbs, half of the pumpkin mixture, a fourth of the cake crumbs and half of the whipped topping. Repeat layers. Garnish with reserved cake crumbs. Serve immediately or refrigerate until serving

Heavenly Fruit Trifle

 

Ingredients

1 angel food cake

2 containers of raspberry yogurt (6 or 8 oz)

8 oz. container of Cool Whip

6 oz. can of sliced peaches in juice (not heavy syrup)

sliced fruit - strawberries, kiwi, peaches and blueberries in middle and on top

Directions

Cut angel food cake into 1-inch pieces. Reserve a couple slices of the peaches, and dice the rest. Combine the diced peaches, cool whip and yogurt in medium bowl. In a trifle bowl (or bowl that has a flat bottom), put one layer of the angel food cake down, then layer about 1/3 of the yogurt/cool whip/peach mixture, slightly pressing down on the angel food cake. Repeat: layer of angel food cake and yogurt mixture. Then put a layer of fruit - sliced strawberries and/or kiwis. Then layer with angel food cake followed by the remaining yogurt mixture. Decorate the top with sliced fruit, including the sliced peaches you saved. Refrigerate for a couple hours - it is best when it's had time to set.

 

Cappuccino Mousse Trifle

 

Ingredients

2-1/2 cups cold milk

1/3 cup instant coffee granules

2 packages (3.4 ounces each) instant vanilla pudding mix

1 carton (16 ounces) frozen whipped topping, thawed, divided

2 loaves (10-3/4 ounces each) frozen pound cake, thawed and cubed

1 ounce semisweet chocolate, grated

1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Directions

In a large bowl, stir milk and coffee granules until dissolved; remove 1 cup and set aside. Add pudding mixes to the remaining milk mixture; beat on low speed for 2 minutes. Let stand for 2 minutes or until soft-set. Fold in half of the whipped topping.Place a third of the cake cubes in a 4-qt. serving or trifle bowl. Layer with a third of the reserved milk mixture and pudding mixture and a fourth of the grated chocolate. Repeat layers twice. Garnish with remaining whipped topping and chocolate. Sprinkle with cinnamon. Cover and refrigerate until serving.

Homemade Fortune Cookie Favors

Adventure is worthwhile in itself.

That was the fortune I opened after doing too many laps around the deep-fried-everything buffet a few months ago at my favorite Chinese restaurant. How seriously do we take these little ancient words of wealth and wisdom? There are approximately three billion fortune cookies made each year, and the vast majority of them are used for consumption in the United States. We, and I think I can speak for all Americans, LOVE good news, especially if it sounds like “you will inherit a large sum of money.” Spread the wealth with fortune cookie wedding favors, and with only five ingredients (egg whites, all-purpose flour, vanilla, salt and sugar), and an easy recipe for homemade fortune cookies, you can make them yourself with a little luck.

Fortune Cookie Love Messages

A warm smile is testimony of a generous nature.

A secret admirer will soon send you a sign of affection.

Love asks me no questions, and gives me endless support. Shakespeare

In the end there are three things that last: faith, hope and love; and the greatest of these is love.

Love is for the lucky and the brave.

If you continually give, you will continually have.

If you want the rainbow, you must put up with the rain.

Dolly Parton

If you would be loved, love and be lovable.

The one you love is closer than you think.

Love always and deeply.

Your heart will always make itself known through your words.

Love begets love.

We cannot do great things, only small things with great love. Mother Teresa