3 Reasons To Follow Wedding Traditions (And The One Reason You Shouldn’t)

bride and father walking down church wedding aisle for ceremony
As every bride knows, weddings are steeped in traditions. Even couples who don’t want a “traditional” wedding have good reason to follow age-old customs.

1. Wedding Traditions Are Helpful

Wedding traditions are a set of rituals that we’ve passed down over the years. These are ideas and practices that have worked in the past, so they have become “rules” we often copy today. Having a set of wedding traditions is helpful because when there is a plan to follow, it relieves stress. Are you worried about etiquette for inviting guests or the best order to walk into the church? No problem! Just follow the set traditions!

2. Wedding Traditions Strengthen Family History

Following traditions can strengthen your sense of history and belonging. They connect you to your families. Repeating traditions celebrates those traditions. When you do things your parents and grandparents did at their weddings, you become tied to their stories. You reinforce values and your place in the family, while creating shared memories.

3. Wedding Traditions Are Fun.

Some traditions are seen as a way to add fun into the day. Lighthearted rituals can add meaning to the day without feeling like a burden. For example, there is an old, often repeated, rhyme that many brides enjoy following, which goes like this:

Something old,
something new,
something borrowed,
something blue,
and a silver sixpence in her shoe.

The idea is that the bride should have something old to wear or carry, connecting her with her family’s past. The ‘something new’ that she wears or carries stands for optimism for future happiness. She should borrow something from someone happily married, with hope their good fortune will rub off. Something blue stands for fidelity, love and purity. And having a silver sixpence, a British coin (because this is an old English rhyme) in her shoe symbolizes prosperity.

bride wedding heels shoes for tradition blue

Why You Shouldn’t Follow Every Tradition

Having some solid traditions to follow can create an easier path to wedding planning. However, including ones that don’t feel right or following too many can prevent a couple from customizing their ceremony and really making it their own.

Feel free to use family traditions as a starting point to create a wedding that includes what’s important to you, while showcasing your personalities. Before committing to a ritual or custom, think about how it’ll fit into your day. Incorporating traditions should be meaningful to you and your loved ones.

Does it make sense for the entire bridal party to participate in the receiving line? Would you rather skip the wedding cake and just serve ice cream? Deciding whether to follow wedding traditions is a personal choice.

 
Whether you follow old ideas or blaze your own path, remember that celebrating your love and commitment to each other is the main reason you’re having a wedding. Everything else is just icing on the cake.

Cheeky Booth: Entertaining Guests At Wedding Receptions

Most brides and grooms say that one of their biggest priorities is planning a really fun reception for their guests. They want it to be a great party that everyone will remember as being a phenomenal event.

It makes sense that couples want their family and friends to have a good time while celebrating their marriage. We totally agree it’s important to make sure guests enjoy the whole evening.

But I will let you know that certainly does take some planning and work. It’s doesn’t just happen on it’s own. Chris talked over on Corridor Wedding Guide about how the Cheeky Booth photo booth can help keep guests happy and entertained. It’s a great article- check it out!

photo booth rental for wedding reception in cedar rapids iowa or in wisconsin

Brides and grooms are very busy on the wedding day. They are the guests-of-honor and usually the hosts, too. They may not even realize how fast the time is flying by for them because they have so much on their minds and have so many people to greet.

Unfortunately, they might not notice if some of their guests are getting bored. They might not see that people have finished dinner and are sitting, twiddling their thumbs (do people really do that?), waiting for the next “thing” to happen.

But it doesn’t have to be that way! With some advanced planning, couples can have entertainment ready for guests to fills that time between cocktails, dinner and dancing. It’s also nice to have that entertainment available in case not all your guests enjoy getting out on the dance floor, but still want something to do. (And trust me, as crazy as you might think it sounds, there has never been a wedding reception where every single person has gotten out on the dance floor!)

Photo booths are a popular way to entertain guests of all ages. They are perfect for getting a photograph of everyone who attends your reception, because even camera-shy folks seem to have no problem hopping in the booth for a silly photo-op!

Of course, there are other options, too. Craft tables filled with paper, crayons, and other art supplies will occupy young guests. Providing board games or trivia games can help the adults fill time in the evening. Outdoor weddings can easily incorporate yard games, like bean bag toss or yard-sized Jenga.

The point is, if you plan ahead of time, you can ensure that your wedding guests will have plenty of fun options and will enjoy the whole evening.

And please do check out Chris’ interview on Corridor Wedding Guide. We are quite happy with how it turned out! We’d love to hear what you think!

Bridal Show Special – Limited Time

Thank you to those that came out to the bridal show on Sunday. It’s always fun to meet and chat with couples planning their weddings! And if you didn’t make it out, we still have you covered- the show special is included here!

If you know someone that’s wedding planning and would like to hear about us and the extra savings, we’d be honored if you passed this on!

2017 bridal show special

Your wedding plans are finally starting to fall into place, right?!?

So, what’s next on your wedding planning “to-do” list? We’d love to chat about how we’ll capture your wedding and create gorgeous photographs that you’re super excited to show off to everyone. And the Cheeky Booth photo booth will make your reception a lot of fun!!

For the next two weeks, until March 16th, you’ll save $200 off any Appleby Photography wedding collection and/or $100 off any Cheeky Booth photo booth rental!

SAVE: All Remaining 2017 Dates – An EXTRA $200 off photography packages!!

For a limited time, we’ll let you stack this savings with the bridal show special. Only until March 16th, get $400 off any photography collection!

Photography collections start at $1800. We offer collections with beautiful albums, and we also make it easy for couples that don’t need an album or engagement session to have the coverage that fits their budget. Digital files are always included with all collections.

Email me to see if your date is available! Let’s chat soon!!

Rome, Italy | Part 2

When in Rome, do as the Romans do.

Of course we drank wine every day of the trip. And, of course we ate a lot of good food. Every region of Italy has its own food specialties. Rome has spaghetti carbonara, which I ate every night for dinner. (And every restaurant served it differently!)

Our last guided tour on our trip was of the Vatican. I had booked at 7:30am tour so we could see the Sistine Chapel and get into St. Peter’s Basilica before the crowds. Just so you know, that is my illegal photo of the Sistine Chapel because photography is not allowed in the room (ask forgiveness, not permission…)

outside of st peter's church in vatican city in italy rome

the sistine chapel in the vatican museum in vatican city

The Pope was giving a speech that day, so our entrance to St. Peter’s was delayed, but it was worth the effort to see the church. I can’t even describe how magnificent and awe-inspring it is. Photographs do not do it justice to the vast greatness of the size, nor its beauty. Even when you’re there, it’s hard to comprehend that the altar structure alone is almost 100 feet tall.

inside St Peter's Basilica (basilica san pietro) in Vatican City

St Peter's Basilica where the pope says mass in vatican city italy

angel statue in vatican museum

Our last day and a half were spent wandering around Rome, taking in the sights. There certainly wasn’t enough time to visit or see everything. We visited the Villa Borghese gardens, the Spanish Steps, the Pantheon (Chris loved telling other tourists about the domed ceiling with the 30 foot opening at the top!), and many piazzas and fountains in Old Rome. Even as the cold rain soaked us, we took it all in.

And I vowed I HAD to back. There is still so much to discover in Italy!

bust statue in park above piazza del popolo

outside of the pantheon in roma italy

the roof ceiling of the pantheon in rome italy

piazza del popolo fountain of mermen

statue on outside of building in rome italy

roman statue in italy

rainy day in piazza del popolo rome italy

street in rome italy on a rainy day

piazza navona in roma rome italy

piazza del popolo on a rainy day in roma rome italy

fountain in piazza navona in rome italy

piazza navona in rome italy

We hope you enjoyed our photographs of Italy (and maybe learned a little of the area and its history)! I’m already dreaming about my next opportunity we will go….

All posts in the Italy series are here, arranged by city we visited:

Venice, Italy
Florence, Italy
San Gimignano, Italy
Volterra, Italy
Siena, Italy
Montepulciano, Italy
Positano, Italy
Pompeii, Italy
Rome, Italy: Part 1
Rome, Italy: Part 2

New, Easy Wedding Photography Collections

It was time for a “refresh!”

It had been a long time since we updated our wedding photography packages! I’m thinking maybe 6 years? Admittedly, I like to go with the idea that “if it’s not broken, don’t fix it.” I don’t want to tinker with things just for the sake of doing it- there needs to be a good reason.

And I had a good reason to update our Wedding Photography Collections.

People like to have options. That is why we used to always have an album credit, so brides and grooms could pick the album that they liked best. It was also very important to us that our couples had a beautiful album to show off their favorite photographs from their wedding.

However, what I was finding was that couples trusted me to guide them with their album choose. They knew I was working to design an amazing layout to best show their day, so they didn’t need 6 different album sizes or styles. As long as I was picking the best quality album and I was designing their images into a beautiful story, they were thrilled. As a matter of fact, the easier I made it on them to decide, the happier they were.

bride and groom in background red flowers in front

We are still keeping the options, but now we have simplified the choices.

We have collections that include everything a bride or groom could want, but we have also added collections that give a little more wiggle room. For couples that don’t want an album or couples that don’t need an engagement session, we have full-service wedding day coverage that fits their needs and budget.

As always, all of our collections include the full-size digital files, so there is never a need to worry about printing additional photographs later.

Are you looking for a wedding photographer? Give us a call at 319-382-0744 or 608-280-8845 or drop us an email and we can chat!

All remaining 2017 dates are $200 off any Appleby Photography wedding collection! And if you need a photo booth rental for your wedding reception, it’s $100 off any Cheeky Booth photo booth rental package!

Rome, Italy | Part 1

All roads lead to Rome.

When you visit Italy, there’s no way you can go without a trip to Rome. The influence of the Roman Empire still has a hold over us today. I wanted so much to see the art, the architecture and soak up all that history, religious and otherwise, in person.

Twelve miles long and circling 5.3 square miles, the Aurelian walls were used to protect the city until the 19th century. Our 4-night, 3-day stay in Rome was all inside these old city walls. This walled area, Old Rome, was pretty safe and easy to walk–the only time we got a taxi was when we left for the airport at the end of our trip.

the city of Rome italy

roma rome city viewpoint overlook in italy

overlooking city in rome italy

We felt completely safe walking around, even at night. All of the tourist books had me so worried about pickpockets, but as long as you’re cautious, it’s not really a problem.

It was amazing how many people would be out late. Even at midnight, famous sites, like Trevi fountain were filled with locals and tourists. The city boasts that they have over 900 churches, most of them Catholic. The doors were unlocked, often propped open, and people would just wonder in to look around.

trevi fountain at night in rome italy

inside a church in rome italy

church in rome italy

I definitely recommend paying for a tour guide if you are visiting the Forum, which is known as Ancient Rome. I would not have gotten much out of walking through the area without a guide. This area is the original center of Rome, dating back to the 7th and 8th centuries B.C. Many of the oldest buildings are here, and knowledgable tour guides can bring that history to life as they explain what the ruins you’re looking used to be.

church ruins within the ancient rome italy

house of the vestal virgins ruins within the ancient rome italy

statue ruins within the ancient rome italy

one of three remaining arches in ancient roman forum in rome italy

ruins within the ancient roman forum in rome italy

Another tour I was happy that I pre-arranged and paid for was the Colosseum. Only limited tours that are arranged in advance are allowed to tour the lower level, where animals and slaves would have lived, or the top level with the best view. Again, having educated tour guides (ours had the equivalent of PhDs) made the tour insightful and entertaining.

colosseum in rome italy

basement level of the colosseum in rome italy

colosseum photo taken from the top level in italy rome

outside the colosseum in rome italy

before our tour outside the colosseum in rome italy

In Part 2, I will finish up the sights of Rome, including the Vatican and around town. To be continued….

All posts in the Italy series are here, arranged by city we visited:

Venice, Italy
Florence, Italy
San Gimignano, Italy
Volterra, Italy
Siena, Italy
Montepulciano, Italy
Positano, Italy
Pompeii, Italy
Rome, Italy: Part 1
Rome, Italy: Part 2

The 3 Biggest Regrets Brides Have After The Wedding–And How To Prevent Them!

wedding rings with shoes artistic details

Your wedding should be filled with happy moments and memories. You plan and shop and craft for a year ahead of your important day. And you’re going to marry the love of your life!

So what could you possibly regret afterwards? Well, it turns out that there are a lot of newly married couples who have after-wedding regrets. A few of the same big regrets tend to pop up over and over. Luckily, If you know what those disappointments are, you can plan your day a bit better and avoid them.

3. Skipping a videographer.

Maybe you cringe when someone asks if you’d like to see their wedding video, so you think this would be a good place to save money. Unfortunately, not having a wedding videographer is among the biggest wedding day regrets. The whole day passes by in a blur and a wedding video records things your brain doesn’t even have time to process!

As much as photography captures your whole wedding day with still images of all its events and details, there is still something to be said for capturing the action while it’s happening. A video of the entire ceremony, word for word, even if you stumbled over your vows, can be cherished long after the rings have been exchanged. And photographs can never do justice to the amazing music from the band you were super excited to book for the reception or your father’s toast, filled with awkward jokes and tears that you want to hear again. The whole day will fly by and it’s hard to remember everything, so having a video of special moments will be special for you.

2. Not getting a great photographer.

Weddings can get expensive and couples try to balance their budget where they can. So, if a dear friend offers to photograph the wedding, you may think that’s a good thing. Or maybe instead of that really great photographer you loved, you settle on the one that is a lot cheaper, but whose images are just “okay.” And then after the wedding, you have no photographs that you like enough to show off to family and friends. Skimping on photography is another huge regret.

An experienced photographer will be a huge blessing on your wedding day. They know how to schedule your photograph sessions to make sure you get to the reception on time. They’ll also know how to best use your locations to get fabulous images and make sure all those important family photographs are taken care of. Professional photographers knows how to pose you at the most flattering angles, how to light portraits even in dim locations, and how to get the whole wedding party to cooperate, smile for group photographs and stay on schedule.

You only have one chance to get beautiful photographs. If you don’t have gorgeous photographs that you love from your wedding, it doesn’t matter if the cheaper photographer threw in free prints or albums. If you can’t afford the package of your dreams, ask your photographer if they’ll do a custom package for you. You may be able to save money now and have the option to add an album later. At Appleby Photography, we are always willing to customize a package for our brides and grooms.

wedding party on location trendy posed grouping
1. Forgetting to slow down to enjoy the day.

You think you’ll have time. After all, you planned everything out. But, weddings are always busy and chaotic and rarely run on schedule. This is especially true if you are doing a lot of DIY with decorating, which requires both set-up and clean-up at the end of the night. Not having enough time to really enjoy the whole experience of the wedding is probably most couples’ biggest after-wedding regret.

You want to be able to relax and spend time with your family and friends and all your wedding guests. The best way to do that is by having a wedding day schedule. Ask an experienced wedding professional to help you with your timeline before the big day to avoid any scheduling snafus.

If you don’t have a wedding coordinator, ask for help from your other wedding professionals, such as your photographer, wedding DJ and reception coordinator. They’ve worked many events and can give you an accurate estimate on how long everything will take. Once you have your schedule planned out, let all your vendors know. Also, it may be helpful to ask a friend or family member (preferably someone not in the bridal party, perhaps your personal attendant or an organized aunt) to help keep you–and your event–running on time.

Weddings should never be filled with regret. Consider getting a videographer, choose the best photographer you can afford and plan time in your wedding day to really enjoy being with your family and friends. Some thoughtful planning before your wedding will ensure you avoid disappointment and have tons of happy memories!

artistic black and white wedding photo of bride and groom on stairs

Pompeii, Italy

The story of Pompeii holds the imagination of so many, from school children to adults. I remember, even as a child, being fascinated with the city that was destroyed by a volcano, so it was no surprise to me when my youngest son learned about it in kindergarten and it was all he could talk about.

Pompeii was still rebuilding from an earthquake that occurred in A.D. 62 when Mount Vesuvius erupted in A.D. 79. That eruption buried the city under 30 feet of hot volcanic ash. Over the following centuries, the city was forgotten until a chance rediscovery in 1599. Excavations began in 1748, giving us preserved examples of typical middle-class Roman life.

A tour guide would have been useful here (next time!) because the self-guided tour provided with our tickets was lacking. I became the substitute guide, reading aloud to our group from a travel book I had brought, so we got a lot of history nuggets there. It was interesting to see how this city once looked and imagine what life was like for the citizens of Pompeii. And it’s surprising how similar their lifestyle was to ours today.

The public bath houses even had an outdoor gymnasium for working out before they took a relaxing hot bath! Pompeii had over 130 bars, restaurants and hotels, 40 bakeries and 30 brothels. It had been a busy place in it’s prime!

rebuilding after earthquake in pompeii italy

building in pompeii italy

statues in pompeii government building

gymnasium outside bath house in pompeii italy

statue inside bath house in pompeii italy

hot water tub of pompeii italy bath house

excavated ruins of pompeii italy

pictures in brothel of pompeii italy

ruins of pompeii italy

ruins of pompeii italy

All posts in the Italy series are here, arranged by city we visited:

Venice, Italy
Florence, Italy
San Gimignano, Italy
Volterra, Italy
Siena, Italy
Montepulciano, Italy
Positano, Italy
Pompeii, Italy
Rome, Italy: Part 1
Rome, Italy: Part 2