When you leave your wedding, the only memory you walk away with of the day are your photographs. Be Inspired is a wedding PR website that lists tons of vendors that are incredible at what they do and their blog posts have been a source of inspiration to me during this planning process.  I peruse their preferred vendor list and dream of being able to afford some of them.  I was so surprised to find out the first photographer I sent an e-mail to starts his packages at $8,000…. he is incredibly talented and his photographs are art, but since I’ve e-mailed him, I’ve been on the hunt for photographers with a similar style.  I don’t know if I’d pay $8,000 for photos, as important as they are to me.

Jose Villa is quite possibly one of my most favorite wedding photographers, he calls it Fine Art Photography, and it truly is.  Here are some of his photos:
So incredible… honestly, he does really natural shots and he doesn’t post enough to his website to really do his work justice.

Here’s another from one of his engagement shoots:
These people look like models, not real people!!

Anyway, he’s one of the photographers I ❤ right now.  Another is Ashley Rose, and I am going to schedule a meeting with this incredible photographer 🙂

Some wedding details above, and some more cute photos of her’s below:

Anyway, here are some shots from a photography company I am meeting with this Saturday, Harvard Photography. I like them because they’ve shot a ton of Indian weddings, and it truly gives them an edge.  Anyway,  I LOVE this photo of the bride!!

And then there is this one that I like a lot, and think is really cute that they did it with an Indian couple.  I love these kinds of photos in general:

Anyway, above is just a glimpse of the types of photographers I like and that I would love to have shooting my wedding.  🙂  I am finally starting to interview photographers, and am so excited to find one to shoot our day.

And a note to brides to be–photography is SO important! You cannot choose a crappy photographer to shoot your wedding day… it’ll be the only thing you have left after the wedding, so choose wisely!  You also have to have an idea of the type of photography you want…. I want natural photos and quirky photos… nothing posed!! I know too many photographers that do cheesy posed photos and they are ridiculously tacky.  My cousin’s photographer said… “ready, steady, say chees” (with a heavy accent).  No joke!! It’s important to be careful who to choose to capture your day!

A traditional Pakistani wedding consists of weeks of events coming up to the big day.  The bride’s family hosts three events, a maiyon party, which signifies the beginning of the bride’s beautification period (she is traditionally not supposed to work during this time) a henna party (a party where henna is applied and songs are sung and friends perform dances) and THE WEDDING.  A traditional wedding has the bride wearing a beautiful red dress… I decided months ago that I am not going to be wearing red at my wedding.  If I was going to be wearing red, this is how my wedding would look.  BTW This is my first inspiration board, be nice! 🙂

If I wore a red dress, I would not have just red details at the wedding.  I’d have hints of orange, pink, green, and gold.

This dress is one of my most favorites, and it’s by an incredible Pakistani bridal designer named Mehdi.  I am getting this dress made in dark blue for another event.:)

It’s officially 7 months and 5 days until my wedding, and my family is finally ready to make headway on putting down deposits on vendors and services.  Unfortunately, my grandmother had a stroke in October, and that put the planning process on hold.

I am excited to say that Nick and I will be married on Sunday, July 10, 2011 at the DoubleTree Hotel in Santa Ana, and I’m going to share a few photos with you!

This is the gorgeous Champagne Ballroom, I especially love the carpet, the high ceilings, and the chandeliers.

My ballroom

And this is the pre-function area, where h’ordeuvres and drinks (non-alcoholic, Muslims don’t drink) will be served for the evening.  I am so excited for this, it’s gorgeous!

I’m thinking about having cocktail rounds placed around here and a special surprise here as well 🙂

This is another portion of the pre-function area where we will likely have the appetizers and fruit platters placed:

I am beyond excited to have found this place, it is really beautiful and a perfect place to host my wedding. What I like about it most is it has sort of a French flair to it.  I’ll take photos of the lobby furniture next time I visit.  I hope they let my guests have use of it.  The entry way is breathtaking, and I want my guests to be wowed from the moment they step foot into my wedding.  Also, for my guests, my family is providing valet parking, so yay for that 🙂

Alright, since wedding planning is in full-swing, I will keep you posted on my every move and thought when it comes down to it.  I don’t want my family to spend a fortune on this day, but I want it to be incredibly beautiful.

Next on the list:
-finalizing my florist
-interviewing photographers
-bridesmaids dresses
-groomsmen tux discount deals
-makeup and hair
-save the dates
-invitations
…. and so many other things that I just cannot bare to list them here!

Bookmark me, I’m excited to share the planning process and you can be sure to see many, many posts from me about the planning process!

XOXO,
Future Mrs. Trajcevska