gold wedding accessories

By davidkhartfield |

Sunday, May 20, 2012

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The bridal jewelry happens to be one wedding item which always manages to drain out the maximum money than other wedding accessories. But, can we imagine an Indian wedding without bridal jewelry? The answer is definitely negative. According to a recent public release by the World Gold Council, the demand for gold jewelry is up 38% in the last 12 months, even with the gold prices at $ 789.50 an ounce. India is now the largest consumer of the precious metal in the world.

These facts do reveal that Indians spend a great percentage of their incomes on gold jewelry. Needless to say, it is on wedding valuables that they face the mammoth expenditure. Despite of their extravagant tastes, India's burgeoning urban middle class is only partly responsible for the phenomenal growth in the country's affinity for gold jewelry. Surprisingly, two-thirds of the 920 tones of gold sold in the past 12 months have been purchased by people living outside the big cities, in the villages and small semi-urban areas. This shows that even people from comparatively low income groups are ready to spend on marriage jewelry.

Indian bridal jewelry generally consists of a stunning variety of gold ornaments that are meant to make a bride look beautiful and gorgeous. The ornaments may consist of bangles which would reach up to the elbow, together with bracelets that would surround the wrists. The list would also contain ear rings dropping heavily from the ear lobes and rows of necklaces encircling the bride's neck. Sometimes, the bride adorns her mother's wedding jewelry which might have been passed on to various generations. Keeping pace with today's fashion, gold belts which clasp the saree to the bride's waist are being used extensively. These are also referred to as kamarbandh.

The Indian bridal jewelry does not consist of faux jewelry, and seldom consists of ornaments made of platinum or sterling silver. It is quite interesting to know that bulky ornaments are always considered to be the basic norm for the wedding girl, even though they might be difficult to carry. A large gold pendant called "pathakam" is a crucial ornament for South Indian weddings. Some of the famous bridal jewelry makers in India are:NakshatraAsmiKiahTanishqGitanjali

monogrammed wedding cakes pictures

By davidkhartfield |

Saturday, May 19, 2012

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If your wedding is taking place on Halloween, the big day is right around the corner! Along with the usual decorations, you will surely want to have spectacular centerpieces that fit with the theme of your wedding. From the classic to the unexpected, these are some great ideas for Halloween wedding centerpieces.

There are several different approaches that a couple can take towards a Halloween wedding. You can be very literal and really pay tribute to the holiday, or you can go for more of a Gothic inspired wedding plan. Whichever you choose, you will want to be sure to have decorations that reinforce your wedding theme.

The most classic way to design a Halloween wedding is to really take the theme of the holiday and run with it. This might mean the bride in a non-traditional red or black dress with custom bridal jewelry, rather than the traditional white gown and demure accessories. If this sounds like your style, then personalized jack o'lanterns would be ideal for your centerpieces. This is no time for the basic face on a pumpkin, however; your wedding decorations call for something intricate and spectacular. Carve each pumpkin with a different spooky scene, such as a graveyard, complete with the initials of the newlyweds on one of the tombstones!

Another idea for jack o'lantern centerpieces is to use three smallish pumpkins and place them on a tiered stand, like the sort typically used for pies. Designs to consider would be the newlyweds' monogram, Halloween motifs such as black cats and monsters, or even the faces of the bride and groom, if you have a talented enough pumpkin carver (rendering an accurate likeness is actually not as hard as it sounds). At the base of the three tiered stand, place clusters of fall flowers like mums and asters for more color.

You can also take a more elegant Gothic approach to a Halloween wedding. Picture the bride in a black ball gown with custom bridal jewelry in black or dark red crystals. For the decor, skip the orange pumpkins in favor of candles and flowers. But these are not your typical white or pink wedding flowers; think Gothic and dark.

Tall black candelabras with dark red taper candles would look magnificent on the dinner tables for a Halloween wedding. Dark red roses like Black Magic or flowers in a deep purple would be the perfect complement to the black candelabras. You can have the flowers dripping off of the candelabras or surrounding them in vases with a Gothic flair. Either way, the results will be impressive.

A Halloween wedding might not be for everyone, but if that is the wedding date that you have selected, then by all means play it up. Whether your style is spooky, Gothic, or rustic and playful, you can really enhance your wedding reception with Halloween themed centerpieces. You can be sure that your wedding will be one that no one will ever forget!

winter themed wedding cakes pictures

By davidkhartfield | 0 comments

Below are some ideas which will hopefully give you the inspiration to create your perfect wedding day. Remember to use the below ideas as a spring board to help you find your own wedding theme.

Spring - Think of fresh greens and yellows for your wedding theme. Keep things clean and contemporary by choosing wedding invitations with a lot of white space. You could give seeds as wedding favours, these will allow guests to remember your special day long after it is over. Perhaps create custom seed packets with your names and the date of your wedding.

Summer - Choose hot colours such as vibrant pinks and oranges. Mix and match clashing colours to create a colour feast for the eyes. Think bold patterns and strong shapes. Gold complements pinks and oranges well whilst adding a touch of richness to the occasion. Maybe decorate your venue with pink, orange and yellow Gerberas. Tie a single flower to the back of each chair with an organza bow.

Autumn - Think burnt oranges, deep reds and chocolate browns. Again gold really compliments these colours. Maybe choose invites that use a leaf skeleton for decoration. Autumn berries can be added to the bride's bouquet to keep with the theme. Rich red flowers can decorate the tables along with scented candles.

Winter - Pale blues, white and silver should be your choice here. Think snowflakes, icicles and glitter. Decorate tables with scatter crystals or foil confetti. To add warmth to the occasion use simple white candles on each table. Use white name tags attached to serviettes with silver ribbon to help seat your guests. Wedding favours could be organza bags filled with silver or white sugar coated chocolates or almonds.

wedding cakes with ribbons pictures

By davidkhartfield | 0 comments

Cakes are always present in every occasion. These cakes make an occasion more special and beautiful. Hence, it would be nice to have a cake business especially if you are fond of baking and designing cakes.

If you have plans of establishing your own cake business, you need to invest in the materials that may be useful to your business. You should also have adequate knowledge about the latest designs in cakes for special occasions such as wedding anniversaries.

Although birthday cakes are more common, you should also research about wedding anniversary cakes because just like wedding cakes, these need to be elegant and more special. Usually, these are more sophisticated than those for birthdays and other occasions because it also serves as a main attraction.

For some, they would like to have a replica of the cake that they had during their wedding for their anniversary to reminisce that day because it is the most memorable day that they are celebrating. Creating replicas can be a challenge for you because you need to make it look exactly like that cake that the couple had during their wedding. You need to have the same toppers and the same design, so you should have advanced baking and decorating skills.

On the other hand, there are some who would like to have their cakes unique and elegant. In that case, you need to have your own research about various wedding anniversary cakes to give you ideas. Once you did your research, you should use your creativity and imagination in planning for a unique design.

While some would like their cakes to look elegant, some would prefer it to be more personalized. Nowadays, with the advancements in technology, it is possible to add a digital picture on the cake. Couples can have their pictures placed on the cake as the main design itself with some additional toppers and designs on the sides. Of course, in order for you to be able to create this you will need to invest in special equipment,t but it is worth the investment because you can also use this for birthdays and other special occasions as well.

Aside from that, you can also create edible toppers such as specially shaped chocolates. Depending on the customer's preferences, you can either have edible or non-edible toppers. For non-edible toppers, you can have jewelries, ribbons, or other decorations that will make the cake look more elegant.

atlanta wedding photographer

By davidkhartfield |

Friday, May 18, 2012

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Maternity Portraits have become very popular over the last ten years. The pregnancy of each child is looked on as a special event for the family that should be documented with professional photography - almost as significant as the wedding photographs in terms of the evolution of a family. For the professional photographer and client there are several key elements to consider when creating the maternity portraits.

The timing of the maternity session is very important. You do not want to do the session too early and not have an impressive belly, but you do not want to wait so late so that the woman is swollen in the feet and ankles and miserable. Given these parameters, 32 to 36 weeks is a good, happy medium that usually works well. Of course if the woman is having multiples, then adjust the time accordingly.

Another thing to consider is who will be at the maternity session and in the photos? Clearly the pregnant woman will be there, but should the partner and other children also be in the session? This is a great time for a family portrait before the family expands. But it can also be a nice session to do as a more private study of the woman and the curves and the new life inside of her.

Choosing the location for the maternity session is key. Things to think about are whether the woman would be comfortable showing some skin in public places like a beach, city scape or meadow - or would it be better to have more privacy and do the session at a photography studio or at home?

The desired style of the resulting images should also be carefully considered. Should they be more moody and shadowy, or light and airy, more traditional, or sexy, or fun and funky? Figuring out the style or styles of the pregnancy portraits can be done by looking on the internet for examples of other maternity photography that you like.

After having figured out the location and the styles, figuring out what to wear should be a bit easier now. For maternity sessions, the choice of what to wear includes; wearing clothes with the belly showing, doing semi-nudes with clothing, bathing suits or lingerie, doing semi-nudes with fabrics and sheers, or full nude maternity photography.

Once the decision has been made to do a professional maternity photography session, one thing to think about is what to do with the resulting images. Should they hang on the wall in the living room, the baby room, or will they be more private and be in the master bedroom? Or perhaps they will be put into a fine art maternity album so that can be seen by only the eyes they are intended for.

After having done the professional maternity session, adding an artistic newborn photography session would be an excellent idea. Framed body parts from the maternity session including close ups of hands and bellies can be combined into a modern wall collage with close-ups of baby feet, hands and face. Creating an album from the pregnancy portraits and newborn portraits is another wonderful way to celebrate the new life in your family.

wedding photographer tunbridge wells

By davidkhartfield | 0 comments

Ok first things first, the exposure of an image is dictated by 3 elements (the exposure triangle), shutter speed, aperture and the ISO setting. The process of a photo being taken is the shutter opening and closing, light coming in through the lens and shining on the sensor inside your camera.

With the above in mind lets talk about shutter speed and aperture first. Shutter speed is how fast the shutter opens and then closes again when you push the trigger, These shutter times can range anywhere between 1/8000th of a second and 30 seconds.

The aperture is is the size of the hole in the lens that will allow the light through the lens and onto the sensor, this is either changed manually or will be done automatically depending on the camera setting. Aperture settings typically range from 2.8 to 22, these values are shown as F numbers, i.e. F2.8 or F22, the smaller the number the larger the hole in the lens that lets light in.

If we assume the amount of water to fill a bucket to the brim is the amount of light we need for a correct exposure. We can also assume the size or diameter of the hosepipe is the aperture and the time to fill our bucket with water or light in the case of a photo is the exposure time.

What we have now is a lot of options as to how we fill the bucket or expose our image correctly. We could use a fire hose to fill the bucket (large aperture F2.8) for a very short period of time 1/8000th of a second or we could fill the bucket through a straw (small aperture f22) for a very long time say 30 seconds. So as you can see there is no magical number or setup, it really depends on what you are trying to photograph and in what conditions.

Here are some scenarios for you;

Sports Photography normally has to have a fast shutter speed to freeze action so based on the bucket analogy we would need a large hosepipe or aperture (f2.8) so we could fill the bucket quickly (fast shutter speed) this will ensure we get enough light on the sensor for a correct exposure. With an aperture of F2.8 we have a very shallow depth of field so the background to our subject will be blurry which for this application is preferred.

Landscape Photography tends to use a large f number say F22 (small hole) as everything needs to be in focus which is the opposite to our sports shot, we don't want anything blurry for our landscape image. So a small aperture or small hosepipe means the bucket will take longer to fill i.e. we need a longer shutter speed say 1/30th second.

The ISO value is how sensitive the sensor in your camera is to light, ISO 200 means it is not very sensitive to light where as ISO1600 means it is very sensitive. The downside to using high ISO settings is that you will start to see noise artifacts in the image, the plus is that it does allow you to shoot in conditions that you normally could not.

A good example of using a high ISO setting would be if we were hoping to do Wedding Photography in a church, there would normally be very little light in this situation. We would therefore need to have a small aperture F2.8 (large hole) to get the maximum light onto the sensor. We may find though that the camera still needs a slow shutter speed and maybe too slow to hand hold and not get a blurry picture. Increasing the ISO will make the sensor more sensitive to light and therefore allow you to use a faster shutter speed, meaning you can hand hold you camera and not get a blurry image whilst still correctly exposing the image.

I hope you enjoyed this article and if you have any questions at all I would be only happy to answer them for you, below are links to my website should you wish to look at my work.

wedding photographer seattle

By davidkhartfield | 0 comments

Wedding invitations are printed by a variety of manufacturing processes. With a wide range of invitations to choose from you will be able to find just the right one to fit your theme, formality and budget. It is wise though to know exactly what it is you are purchasing before making your final selection.

At one time all invitations were engraved using a hand tooled engraving plate etched by experienced craftsmen. Often copper plates were used to which ink was added with the paper actually pressed to the plate. This created a raised printing that you could feel. You will see an impression of the entire imprint area on the back side of the paper. By far the most traditional and formal printing method, it is also quite expensive and not used nearly as often today.

Letterpress is popular but is not the same process used in the past that involved lead slugs to make impressions. Today magnesium dies are used to give the impression of letterpress on which you can see the individual letters pressed into the paper from the back side.

The process of lithography or offset printing is the most widely used printing style today. Ink is applied to paper in a printing process that does not provide a raised or pressed appearance. Magazines and marketing materials are printed in this way. Less expensive than engraving, it looks fine but is not as elegant.

Digitally printed invitations are the least expensive to produce. The appearance is similar to that of lithography and much like the laser printing that you do yourself on your home printer. A relatively fast process, digitally printed invitations are fully customizable.

Thermography is a popular step in the printing process that looks very much like engraving but is far less costly. Thermal powders are spread on wet ink and heated so that the powder melts into a solid mass that fuses and sits on top of the paper surface. A fast process, you can feel the raised lettering on the front but not on the back of the paper. Less costly than engraving but almost as nice, thermography wedding invitations are a great choice for invitations you will be proud to send.

Before selecting your wedding invitation supplier, be sure and ask by what method your invitations will be produced. All will include your customized information but you will want that information to look as nice as it can within your established budget. When in doubt, ask that samples be provided for your review. Your wedding invitations set the tone for your special day and you deserve the best.