Author: Mary P Karnes

I am a wife, author, teacher, and MOTHER OF FOUR DAUGHTERS! Weddings are a large force in our lives these days. One daughter married in June of 2014, another will in July 2015. Please join me on my blog and enjoy the wedding ride! It's full of ups…and downs.

Wedding Pictures and New Apps

Posted on by Mary P Karnes

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Ahhh, the wedding pictures. A source of great joy, nostalgia, and stress. We live in a new age of technology – duh! – and some of your best pictures, or more natural ones at least, may just be caught by a guest with a smart phone.

Remember the days when your guests probably brought along a camera to your wedding, and MAYBE 6 to 12 months later you saw prints? And THEN, you had to beg, borrow, or steal the negative to make copies of those pictures you liked. No more. It’s now the age of instant gratification.

And yes, there IS an app for that! “Wedpics” wedpics.com is an app available for the iPhone and Android. The bride creates her free app, provides her guests with her wedding ID via text/email/FB to send her pictures and then the moments are “Captured”!

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You can enjoy your pictures or video in real-time photo feed! Your guests can include comments and good wishers. The bride can also choose to share with her guests, or have a private album. The guest invites are unlimited!

Another option is to give your guests a hashtag (# :-), and assign the photos to Instagram and Twitter. Also, if you post them on your Instagram story, there are apps and software similar to storiesig where you can download the posts, so this won’t be an issue as long as they don’t try to do it after 24 hours! Maggie used these options – not sure what Kk will do, but in six months when she gets married…who knows what the latest thing will be! I think that using a hashtag is a fantastic idea for couples to be able to see unseen pictures of their wedding all in one place. Some people may have even contacted socialfollow to gain more Instagram followers so their hashtag can be spread even further across the country. And it would mean that more people may get the chance to see photos of your special day, you could then engage with these people using Instagram messaging software such as ig dm and gain more congratulation messages. It’s a win-win!

And remember, as much as you would like it to be the case, in today’s day and age, you will not have control over what is posted on social media. By the time the reception rolls around, pictures of your wedding will be up on Facebook, instagram, snap chap, maybe even a video or two on YouTube… Maybe the celebs have the right idea… ban all smart phones from the festivities. Be a good sport…there really is little other choice.

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Images:

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Image #1 funnystack.com

Image #2 thechive.com

Image #3 wed-ding-gallery.blogspot.com

New Guestbook Ideas

Posted on by Mary P Karnes

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So you want to remember all the guests who attended your wedding?  Easier to do these days as everyone has a smart phone with a camera.  In fact, your wedding may make it’s debut on social media even before you do!  But that’s a whole other blog…check back tomorrow for that one.

When Kenny and I got married 31 years ago, we had the standard white guestbook.  Maggie and Rob had the same.  KK and Tyler, however, are going to have something more innovative.  I have been doing my research.  There are a lot of new guestbook ideas out there!  I have become quite the pininterest addict, www.pininterest.com, and ran across the CUTEST ideas for recording the attendance of your wedding guests, all from weddingchicks.com.  The photo above is my favorite.  I love the concept of having pictures, via poloroid photos – (you young ones may not know what they are!).  Down side… the photos of this type fade. Lovely idea, though.

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The wooden state of California above, serves three purposes.  Guests are invited to sign sections of wood on the state model, providing the wedding couple with a  lasting keepsake of their guests.  Secondly, it appears to tie in to a “Western” type theme.   Note the lovely succulents around it, and third, it can be a piece of art for the couple’s new home.

Another novel idea, and a practical one to boot, is the photo below.  A bride can purchases a desk calendar, then ask her guests to sign their name on their birthdate!  Not only is it innovative, but the new couple now has a complete record of friends and family’s birthdays.

 

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The idea below is interesting, but not as generic.  But hey, if you’re a music buff, I can’t think of anything much nicer than a lovely instrument with all your wedding guests’ autographs!

 

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All images: Pininterest.com

weddingchicks.com

KK’s Bachelorette Party

Posted on by Mary P Karnes

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The day finally arrived… KK’s Bachelorette a Party!! My parents’ home, in Ojai, California, is my girls’ happy place. We moved around a lot when they were younger, and Grammie and Gramps’ home was always their ‘constant’. That is one reason Maggie chose ‘The Ojai Valley Inn and Spa’ for KK’s bachelorette party.  Another was that over break, we could all be together in a stress free state of mind – well…as much as possible. And believe me, it’s not easy getting us all together in the same time and place!  I believe I posted about Maggie’s plans before, but today was ‘the day’! Above, is a photo of the spa pool – the resort sports three: the hotel pool, spa pool and the lap pool. Below is the spa compound on the resort  grounds, all photos courtesy of www.ojairesort.com

 

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I chose to have the “lavender” spa pedicure.  The third picture is not of me, but it IS of the pedicure room.  There are three chairs, but I have never had a treatment with another client.  There is a fire burning in the grate, a fluffy blanket to cover you, and then you’re reclined all the way back.  Between you and me… I think they run the air conditioning.  December in Southern Califirnia does not always necessitate a fire – and this year was one of them. The girls picked manicures and massages. If you choose to, as a spa guest, you can attend yoga, exercise classes, or walking tours of Ojai on their famous trail.

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For an extra fee, you can even develop your perfume in their apothecary cottage.

Not  only are the interior amenities exquisite, but Ojai’s outdoor nature is hard to beat.  Directly from their website:

 

“Pink Moment at Ojai Valley Inn & Spa

The city of Ojai is situated in a small east-west valley, north of Ventura and east of Santa Barbara. It is approximately 12 miles inland from the Pacific Ocean coast. Since Ojai is lined up with an east-west mountain range, it is one of few towns in the world to have a “Pink Moment” occur as the sun is setting. The fading sunlight creates a brilliant shade of pink for several minutes on the Topa Topa Bluffs, over 6,000 feet above sea level at the east end of the Ojai Valley. It is a rare and magical moment that thousands of visitors come to Ojai annually to see.”

www.ojairesport.com

(one doesn’t achieve the Forbes 4 star award for nothin’)

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Wedding Day Emergency Kit

Posted on by Mary P Karnes

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So when the big day FINALLY arrives, you want to be prepared for any minor problem, OR, Heaven forbid…major disaster.  You need a wedding day emergency kit!

I suggest assigning a trust-worthy female member of the wedding party to be in change of “the bag”.  Maggie is going to be in charge of “the kit” at KK’s wedding.  She is very organized and is good under pressure. She will doubtless be more composed than the “trusty female” who STARTED tending “the bag” at HER wedding. That was I. I packed so much, I couldn’t find a simple bobby pin.  So word of caution… Don’t overpack. KK took over from me when she observed my fumbling mess.. And things were smoother from them on out. If you do choose to have emergency provisions, the following is a list which  should include:

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Bride’s personal make-up items for touch-up

Fashion tape for last minute adjustments

Band-aides

Mini sewing kit

Advil, or other pain reliever

Tums

Immodium – please God—no!

Tampon –again- No!!

Tissues!!

Hairspray

Deodorant

Castile soap and or baking soda for MINOR spills

Static guard

Wrinkle releaser

Wisp/ mouth wash

Safety pins

Earring backs

Emery board

Encourage the “keeper of the bag” to familiarize herself with the provisions prior to the wedding.  In the event an item is needed, she can whip it out in seconds!

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