Chicago Wedding Photography

If you have ever attempted to make your own cake, you will know how difficult it is to set it up and we are talking about just a single cake. Now imagine that you have to bake two or three cakes and place them one on top of the other - impossible for most of us. This is where tiered wedding cake stands comes in handy - they are very sought after because of the options that they give when designing wedding cakes. Although professional cake makers do an excellent job in tiering one cake on top of another, these cake stands take the wedding cake setting to another level altogether.Most cake stands look good all by themselves, the added benefit is that you can use your decorating theme be it flowers or ribbons and arrange them beautifully around the cake stands, thereby enhancing the overall effect. The tiers or levels which are made of round, square or heart shaped plates are usually separated by pillars or stands. Usually there is one large pillar between each tier or three small stands separating each tier. The general rule is that the largest cake is placed at the lowest level and the smallest cake is placed on top. However, in cascading tiered cakes, the placement of cakes is a little different, with the largest cake on top. For a more ornate look, tiered Victorian scroll stands are the perfect piece to set up a grand wedding cake. Traditionally there are three tiers to a wedding cake, but those rules no longer apply and you can go with an 8 tiered cake if that's what makes you happy on your wedding day.Most of these stands can be rented out from shops and online retailers that deal with wedding cake supplies, but if you have very specific tastes, you might need to purchase your stands. Be sure to check your options online as there are a lot of cake stands that you can look at and decide as to which ones would best suit your needs. Three tiered cake stands are available online for around $30 and if you wish to purchase more elaborate designs they can cost you over $900.Take your time and look at all the options that you have before you make your decision. Once you know the kind of wedding you want and the kind of food and arrangements you would like, go with the cake stand that will be able to bring out the theme that you have in mind. If you are not able to find the perfect cake stand, do not be disheartened, go with a stand that is more flexible as it will work better with your overall theme.

A delightful wedding trend is recent years has been the Viennese hour. This event takes place at the reception following dinner and it is essentially a display of every delicious dessert that anyone could ever imagine. This is what you need to know to plan a fabulous Viennese hour for your wedding reception.Let's face it: everyone remembers a wedding which had really great food. My first encounter with a Viennese hour was at a Winter Wonderland wedding. The bride wore a beautiful beaded gown and dazzling crystal bridal jewelry. Her bouquet and centerpieces dripped with Swarovski crystals to match her bridal jewelry. The band was amazing. But what I really remember about that wedding was the moment after dinner when the doors were opened to an adjoining room to reveal the most spectacular display of desserts I had ever seen in one place: the Viennese hour.What should you feature at your Viennese hour? Everything! The whole point of it is to give your guests that kid in a candy shop feeling. Everywhere they look, they should discover another of their favorite sweets. The dessert hour should leave your guests a little awestruck, as they look around in wonder, thinking, "Where should I begin?".The basics of a wedding Viennese hour or dessert bar are cookies, bars like brownies and blondies, cakes, pies, and mini pastries. Regional specialties should certainly be on the menu; think New York cheesecake in Manhattan or beignets in New Orleans. Individual servings of favorite desserts like creme brule and chocolate pudding should also be on the menu. And this is only the beginning!Chocolate and candies are another part of a Viennese hour. The most impressive way to serve chocolate is a chocolate fountain. Guests find them irresistible, and love the chance to dip fresh fruit, pretzels, and gourmet marshmallows into the flowing chocolate. Another option is to present chocolate dipped fruits like strawberries instead of having the fountain. An array of white, milk, and dark chocolate dipped fruits would be especially nice. Be sure to order the chocolate dipped treats in large quantities, because your guests will go crazy for them!Once you have the basic elements of your wedding Viennese hour decided, it is time to choose your "wow" factor. Remember that a Viennese hour should be elaborate and indulgent, so this is the time to really pull out all the stops. Any number of specialized stations will work as your "wow" feature. Choose one, or if space allows, include them all to really blow your guests away. An ice cream sundae bar is one idea for the main feature. A custom crepe station with an attendant to make whatever your guests want is an elegant addition. Or go for a nostalgic carnival theme with cotton candy and funnel cake carts.Finally, plan to have a special beverage area. A coffee bar with an attendant to make cappuccinos and espressos is a must. For a wedding with children on the guest list, cocoa would be a good addition to the menu. It is also nice to have a mini-bar to serve liqueurs and cordials. If there is room in the budget, glasses of Champagne or sparkling wine would be the perfect complement to the chocolate dipped strawberries. With all of the elements in place, you can be certain that your guests will remember your wedding reception Viennese hour for years to come!

Firstly I'd like to say that I can't stress enough the importance of this information, especially with wedding photography, because you don't get a second chance!PreparationThe wedding is probably a good few weeks away now, ideally anyone who you want to be taking photos for you would probably benefit from previewing the location, so give them a call and arrange to all go together and check out the location, don't put it off, if you think you know a good spot to use then go there and take some friends along, take the bride, groom, bridesmaids & best man if you can, look around for good backgrounds, where is the sun? work out where the sun will be on the day when you are taking the group shots, now get your cameras out and take some photos!, use the people with you to pose as the bride and groom, and set up a group, try different backgrounds, different angles, different poses, also something to consider is the ground? It may be OK now, but what if it rains the day before, will the ground still be OK for the bride to stand on in her beautiful long white gown? Find a couple of locations, one with hard standing, like a pathway in front of the grass, or even on the edge of the car park, preferably with no lines, though these can be airbrushed out later.This is the perfect opportunity to get some practice in! once you've done the shots you then have the opportunity to get them down loaded on to your computer, and in to your editing suit to play with and get some editing done before the wedding day, but keep those shots, they could even be used in the album as a before and after comparison...What ever you decide to use in the background, look out for things that you don't want in the photo. Is there a car park near by? Look out for cars in the back of your shot, If there is a road near by, watch out for traffic running through the back of your shot, you really don't want a big orange Sainsbury's HGV in the wedding album, look out for path ways in the background, are you likely to get people walking by, kids on bikes, or dogs running in to the shot, the things you see in the background can really spoil a good shot. Though best to get it right first time on the camera, with a basic editing program, most things can simply be removed later.