Get an eyeful... brides hair styling

Do it Hollywood Style when you're wearing your hair up!

I don't agree with the "hair stylists" who insist to "soften" the face they leave a few strands or locks of hair to hang down a brides face. This is a pile of you know what..... if the hair is up; the hair should all be pinned up. If your hair isn't long enough - you can use extensions.

Sometimes, you'll see this kind of "styling" in the glossy fashion or bridal mags. It works for them because out of sight there are two stylists and a photographer shouting at them to the fix the hair every time it moves. I've done those shoots.

I think the problem is that the main styling is done in a chair in front of a mirror. The tragic moment only happens when the bride steps outside and on to the red carpet - if there are two locks or strands left hanging - they WILL move in the wind. And, when they move, they will naturally fall forward and in front of the brides eyes every time!

You've got to ask your stylist; if this approach is so effective in making a great look; why doesn't Hollywood use this?

The girls who really trade on their looks (in a good way!) like Catherine Zeta Jones, Charlize Theron or Paris Hilton - you never see them with two strands hanging over their faces... Because they know exactly what will happen - they don't want to spend the day or evening flicking or pulling the hair out of their eyes....

So, don't let your stylist do it to you either!!!!!

Sounds great....

Yo! Who's in da House? It isn't "DJ Dave and his Magic Sound Machine" playing non stop Cliff Richard; nor "Mobile MC Mickey Joe", getting down with the grooves with Ebony and Ivory, or even "DJ Shif D" rapping along live with Eminem.

Nor are they the recommended Hotel DJs who stop the night 10 minutes early in case they annoy the hotel manager... These guys are professionals, and on your side. John and Michael of Flashbackdiscos have been around for a few years and they specialise in the music people like: the classic sounds of the 60's, 70's 80's and 90's... making these guys ideal for any wedding with a cross section of generations as guests.

You can check them out at flashbackdiscos. To help you out: John is definitely the one with the hair...

They don't farm out bookings - so, like me and my team, if they say they'll turn up; they do.

It's worth contacting them about suggested tracks for your first dance together; they have a top ten list which they'll send you free at flashbackdiscos. Anyway don't forget to mention you heard about them from Roslyn! Word y'all! Respect!

Hearty Table stuff....

I thought these were great sweets to use on the tables - some hotels offer bowls of sweets, other people go for the boxes of chocolates - but I think these were great. They elegantly told the story of the whole day for Rachel and John in a way that everyone could understand, from the Ring Bearer and Flower Girl; all the way to Grand parents.

Affordable, fizzy and delish too!

Oh, and yes, the picture is SUPPOSED to be blurry, as its a detail from a much bigger picture..... as it's part of a very arty shot.... Hearty stuff indeed!

Inviting trouble....

I just got a phone call from a mother of a bride (MoB) , it appears the family was about to break up over invitations to a wedding.

The woman was wondering how many invites were needed and when to send them.

This is a simple problem. Briefly, do as your mother suggests; you'll need a few more invites than you think, and you should get them in the post before everyone books their holidays. After that it is all just complications.

The practicalities are that you need to decide on your design and layout for your invites as soon as your date, time and venues are booked and then order your invitations. This can be anything from a year, to three to six months before the ceremony. The more time you give yourself, the less rushed it will be.

If you're going for a professionally printed invitation; get a printers proof. There is usually a charge for each proof you order and it takes around a week to produce. If you don’t like what you see, you’ll need to make changes and order another proof.

To calculate the number of invitations you need, count one invitation for each couple (married/partnered or living together), and one each for families with younger children. Also you need an invitation for each single guest, (these singles may also be the grown up children of families already invited - the ones aged 18 years old or older and still living at home). For example, in a household with a set of parents and two children (one child 16 and and a 20 year old), two invitations would be sent. One sent to the parents with the name of the 16 year old on the line below the parents’ names, and one to the 20 year old.

Add approximately 25 invitations to your order: 10-12 reserves for misspellings etc, plus a dozen extras for last-minute guests (and, there WILL BE last-minute guests.) Don't forget to add at least 25 to 50 additional envelopes in case of mistakes in addresses (if you have too many,and since they're good quality, you can always use them for your Thank You notes later).

The key question leading to the family break up was: when to send the invitations.... I suggest you aim to post your invitations six weeks before the wedding.

If you wish - send them sooner I've got one here beside me that I got in February for a wedding at the end of December this year (yes, I even go to weddings as a civilian - not just as the photographer or bridesmaid!)....

Is WWW for World Wide Wedding????

Lights! Camera! Action! Rolling.....

Webcast your wedding! This is ideal for the Aunt you would like to snub, the friends who can't stand each other, the brother or sister who couldn't get themselves a flight home for your big day....

It could be more serious like your Nan is in Hospital or just that your work mates can't leave their desks and shut the company for the day....

Whatever your reasons, for only $395 you can use the power of the internet to bring your wedding to PCs around the world through webcastmywedding.net

All you need to supply is:

• A video camera (digital with fire wire is best)
• A computer (a laptop with fire wire is best)
• A high speed Internet connection
• Also any necessary cables to connect all of your equipment

Certainly it could work in the Dublin area, especially with Clearwire offering a portable internet connection modem thingy. I suppose you could set up the lap top and internet connection in the Church grounds and wire up the camera to the PC and your big day really can be out there!!!!

Thinking too much...

I saw a great "Groom Gift" the other day... we all know about the tie pins, pens, watches and other expensive "personal gifts".

I was at a wedding where the bride sent him a pair of socks for the ceremony, with a little note "Please wear these today, they're guaranteed to stop cold feet".

HOW Much? Is it worth it?

As you plan your big day, you'll be hearing "HOW Much?" from one person or another. OK, it'll usually be from the same one person.

He'll probably have more than a passing involvement in the day, but still it is important to put things in context for him. He may not fully understand how important it is for you. How you've held back from some extravagances.

This means that if you want to put on underwear worth €1,500, or splash €600 on a carriage and a pair of horses - you'll now easily be able to put the costs in an international context.

To help you out here are some pointers:

Miss Carly O'Brien, from Gloucester in the UK, who recently went up the aisle in a modest little number, with 3,000 Swarovski crystals sown into a 30 layer dress.... (She was 16, and pretty strong by the sounds of things as the dress weighed a reported 160 kilos) and it only cost €37,500. She needed to remove some of the dress to get through the church door....

Of course she was a modest young girl with just big dreams because she really didn't try half as hard as the now Mrs Delaney, of Tolworth in the UK.

Miss Josephine Doherty went up the red carpet in a 180 kg dress, which only took her 2 hours to put on. She then had a 30 minute wait while everyone fitted the dress in to the Cinderella style carriage for the trip to the church. On arrival she needed a team of 8 best men and 5 bridesmaids to carry the 60 foot long train....

But then it was all definitely worth it, because she got to use the carriage again with her beloved for the FOUR hour journey to her reception, of course had she gone any quicker they may not have been ready with their modest little 40 teir wedding cake, which was waiting for the loving couples arrival....

On reflection it does appear odd that these are all recent UK weddings involving people with Irish surnames... or maybe not.

The Groom forgets...

The Grooms men get a kick out of a slip in the order of words - it's not often that the groomsmen feel relaxed enough to laugh during the Church ceremony - there are speeches still to be made later in Cabra Castle.... 

An Orthodox wedding...

Despite the crowns on their heads - they are indeed at a very Orthodox wedding. Recently, the team attended a Russian Orthodox wedding in the Orthodox Church in Harold's Cross. The ceremony was very unusual for Dublin, if only because it was held on a Sunday!

Tim and Ciara had a huge and enthusiastic turn out from the Irish Georgian community in Dublin. The Wedding began with a wonderful service lead by the celebrant Father Gregoriou, who sang throughout the ceremony accompanied by a trio of singers.

There were several stages to the ceremony; the lighting of the candles by the couple, the placing of crowns on their heads, then the priest leads them around the Gospel Books three times, before the couple hold Icons and then they receive Holy Communion. It was a very prayerful service.

After the ceremony finished, all the guests queued up inside the church to greet the bride and groom, who stood and received all their guests at the Altar. This is very unlike an Irish wedding, where everyone meets outside and around the door of the Church.

The Ceremony was followed by a great celebration, with everyone who attended invited along to a party in the community hall at the rear of the Church - complete with refreshments, traditional Georgian food, a wedding cake and traditional Georgian Dancing.... it was a wonderful ceremony, and for us, a culturally interesting afternoon too!