Father of the Bride - Wedding Toasts - The Pressure is On, Are You Ready

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There may not be any more important event in your daughter's life than her wedding. As the father of the bride, wedding toasts are a key point where you can impact how she remembers that day. It's tricky though, because there are so many aspects that need to be crammed into a few short moments.

Of course you want to convey how you feel about your daughter. You want to let her know how much you care about her, how much she means to you, and how much you've enjoyed the years you had together. You want her to know that you are happy for her, but that you're also going to miss her.

You want to let everyone there know how pleased you are to have your daughter marrying her new husband. You want them all to know how grateful you are that they've come to enjoy this special occasion with you. You want your family to know that they are important.

You don't want to sound like you're rambling, which can happen even if you diligently planned out your speech. Sometimes emotions can get in the way, but often times the weight of trying to get so much into a compact format is just too much.

You don't want to sound like you didn't plan your speech. Of course you will have spent time going over it to try to make the toast as special for the bride as you can. But even with all the work you might still be left searching for words.

In perfect world, your speech would come off sounding professional and personal, practiced and natural all at once. It might seem that most of that is in the delivery, but even more it's about the writing of the speech in the first place. You can get the delivery part down through practice and repetition - use a mirror, and then a mini-audience if you can.

On the writing front, your best bet is to start with a pre-written speech from a professional and then customize from there. You'll be guaranteed something that's been carefully crafted to leave exactly the type of impression you'd like to make. It'll move along at a decent pace, but not skip any of the important things. And at the end of the day a professionally written speech will give you the peace of mind that you did the best for your daughter that you could. So do yourself and your loved ones a favor, check these out: Father of the Bride - Wedding Toasts

How to Pose a Bride and Groom

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Of all the pictures taken at a wedding, the one most important is the portrait of the bride and groom. Some wedding couples depend on a relative or a friend to take a few good photos for their album and others reserve a professional photographer to do the honors. This article is for both the real and wanna-be photographers at the wedding.

A good time to photograph the bride and groom is after the ceremony and before the reception. Ideal is an open lawn away from any building. Other photogenic locations are at the edge of a treed area, under an arcade or
at home in the backyard. Important is to choose an evenly lit background: one that does not contain light and dark areas. Place the couple in the shade at least thirty feet away from any background objects with their faces toward the main source of light.

Turn the bride thirty degrees away from the camera and fluff the train behind her so that only half of the train is visible from the camera position. Never pull the train around to the front of the bride since this is most unnatural and would never occur in real life. Pose the groom slightly facing the bride and have him offer his arm for her to pass her through. Make sure her ring is visible. The groom's outside hand can be in his pocket or touching the bride's hand. The bride should shift most of her weight to the foot furthest from the camera and the groom should have his weight evenly distributed on slightly spread feet. Never let his hand drop straight down at his side. The bride may hold her bouquet in her outside hand at a level below her waist with some daylight or background showing between her elbow and her waist. An alternate place for the bouquet is on the ground next to the groom's feet. Turn their faces toward the camera but not fully straight on, but at a slight angle toward each other. Their expressions should show their happiness, but not laughing.

Angles other than the view straight on without changing their positions often present another good composition for a portrait. Consider also a view from behind the couple, requesting them to turn their heads directly toward each other, giving the photographer a profile of their faces. A variety of shots are possible with this pose. A medium shot (at the knees) with their faces closer together and an even closer pose with the cheeks almost touching make wonderful portraits. Try having them look into each other's eyes with his arms around her. Natural light from the side is the most beautiful source as long as the reflector of some sort balances the light. Watch your cropping in the viewfinder carefully and leave some space over their heads. Pay attention to the position of the feet (no soles showing) and be sure only the sides of the bride's hands are presented to the camera. The groom's coat collar should fit snug to the neck.

A beautiful portrait of the bride and groom can be their most treasured reminder of the most important day in their lives. You can make it happen.

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DIY Wedding Makeup For Brides

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If you are looking for a way to cut costs, doing your own makeup can be a great way to can save you lots of money. Here are some tips for achieving a professional look on your own.

Go get a makeup consultation.

Most department stores have trained makeup artists who will give you a makeup lesson with a product purchase. This kills two birds with one stone. You can get the makeup you need and a professional demonstration of the product.

Here are some more tips on achieving a perfect look on your wedding day.

Start with clean, moisturized skin.

· Be sure your moisturizer and foundation have an SPF of at least 15 to protect you in the sun.

Use concealer and foundation to create flawless skin.

· Start with concealer (cream works best). Apply it under your eyes and to any red or dark spots to even your skin tone.

· Use a foundation that matches your skin tone exactly. Apply sparingly. Too much foundation can highlight skin imperfections. Apply to your forehead, cheeks, nose and chin, and then blend upward and outward.

Have perfectly groomed brows.

· Don't pluck or wax the day of your wedding. Do this a few days to a week before the wedding to avoid irritation and redness.

· Use a pencil the same shade as your brows to fill in gaps and to create a defined look. Use small, light strokes when applying brow liner.

· Tame wild brows with clear mascara.

Define your eyes

· Line your eyes along the lash line with a dark-colored liner. Black or charcoal smudged along the top lashes is a great look. Turn the point of your liner up at the corners to really open them up.

· For shadow, use three shades in coordinating colors: light, medium and deep. Use the light color on your brow bone and the inside corner of your eye. Put the medium color in the crease and along the lid. Use the darker color on the outside third of your lid to make eyes really pop.

· Use a thickening or lengthening mascara in a waterproof formula to really define lashes. Add fake lashes for real drama. Be sure to practice before your wedding day.

Create a soft glow.

· Gain that blushing bride look with a large blush brush. Smile a big, goofy smile to define the apples of your cheeks. Sweep blush upward into your hairline.

· Sweep a soft layer of bronzer across the spots where the sun naturally hits you: cheeks, forehead, bridge of your nose, and chin.

Create soft, luscious lips.

· Use a stay-put formula with a gloss for long-lasting lips.

· First define lips with a pencil that matches your lipstick shade exactly.

· Top with the lip color. Let set for time specified.

· Add gloss.

· For real staying power, purchase a lipstick sealant. This will make your lipstick last much longer.

· Don't go too extreme in color. Define your lips with a natural color like berry or nude that complements your skin tone.

Finish it off.

· Add some translucent powder to your entire face (excluding your lips and lashes) to lock in the look.

Touch up tips:

· Keep some shine control papers handy. Press them on your face to remove excess oil. Don't pile on powder. It will cake.

· Touch up gloss periodically through your reception to keep lips moist and pretty for pictures.

Ashley Rader is the owner of Moments of Elegance, an online wedding boutique specializing in wedding party favors and a huge collection of bridal jewelry that will truly make your event unforgettable. Event planners can receive 10% off their order with coupon code: saveonfavors10.