Natural light is great, but it’s not always necessary. However, if you and your partner have opted for an indoor wedding, this adds another challenge for your photographer to capture all your special moments.
If you are concerned about the lack of sunlight and unexpected shadows, fear not. All you need is an expert photographer and a sharp eye. Here are some tips for you to follow to ensure your day is picture-perfect.
Voice your opinion
Don’t be afraid to speak out. If you want a specific photo, mention it to your photographer. It is also a good idea to take your photographer around the venue and give them a shot list before the big day, so they can prepare accordingly. Remember that things can be moved and rearranged to better capture the space, so don’t be afraid to change things up.
Focus on the guests
Candid moments of your guests are important to have because they serve as a memory and show the personality of your special occasion. Ideally, you have a key light source in the dining and reception area, and since your guests will already be gathered together the lighting should be mostly uniform.
Embrace indoor lighting
Indoor lighting creates a stunning moody vibe. Get your photographer to take a few shots of the venue before everyone arrives. Windows also create a stunning silhouette and the burst of natural light adds a unique moodiness to the images.
Stand out from the darkness
As a bride, you can use the darkness to your advantage. Indoor photos allow you the opportunity of having details, like your bouquet or train as the star of the photo, without the background or scenery stealing the show. Make sure to focus on detail shots of the getting ready process.
Go for black and white photography
A black and white image can turn a simple moment into a wow-worthy image. With this finish, you won’t have to worry as much about how lighting affects colours.
Symbolic of nature, green is often considered to represent tranquility and health. Of course, we cannot forget that it’s also a lucky colour.
Incorporating this hue into your wedding day decor is super easy and beautiful. We’re not talking about just locking down a plant and calling it a day. Be different and find fabrics and items in the various green shades like mint, emerald, seafoam, and jade.
Green pairs beautifully with gold for a more luxurious and rich finish. However, you can tone it down with white for a more classic look. Those wanting a unique finish should opt for various shades of green mixed together. Don’t forget to add tons of texture for dimension.
Here are some stunning tablescapes we are inspired by:
On your wedding day, everything is a big deal – including the shoes hiding beneath your gorgeous gown. Don’t sigh with relief after the arduous dress-choosing task is complete, you still have your feet to think about. Ahead lies a world of options…
There are a number of factors to consider before choosing your shoe, here are our key things to keep in mind:
Comfort:
You’re gonna wear these shoes all day, so make sure they’re actually comfortable. And by this, we mean you’re able to walk in them and stand for hours at a time without feeling like your toes are screaming for help. If you’re not used to wearing stilettos, a block heel is perfect to complete the look without the pressure on your heel.
Location and weather:
Having a beach wedding? Stilletto heels may sink into the sand. On the other hand, sneakers maybe a touch too informal for a grand ballroom. It’s important to keep your wedding venue in mind when picking your shoes, as it will go hand in hand with making sure you’re comfortable. Don’t neglect to consider the weather, as you don’t want your toes to freeze off in open shoes during your winter wedding.
Your dress:
The length and cut of your dress will greatly determine the style of your shoe and how visible you want it to be. A tea-length or short gown means your feet will be on display, so you have the option of going for a fun heel. Alternatively, a floor-sweeping gown will cover your feet, so the style of shoe is not as important. Make sure to take your shoes with you when going for a dress fitting to avoid a hemline that is too short.
Price:
Arguably one of the most important factors is sticking to your budget. You don’t want to break the bank on a shoe you might not wear again, so remember to set some boundaries before you go shoe shopping.
They say music can convey emotions we struggle to voice ourselves. If this is the case, your choice of song on your wedding day is crucial.
At some point in the evening, you’ll probably want to have a special slow dance with your new spouse. Hold them close and sway away to one of these romantic songs.
Bring the island vibe to your accessories with a tropical-inspired bridal bouquet. This theme exudes laid-back vibes, perfect for the chilled bride.
If you’re having a destination wedding, including flowers endemic to that region is a super sweet idea. If you’re not but just love the look, flowers like Birds of Paradise, Phalaenopsis Orchids, and Pin Cushion Proteas are popular choices. Opt for doses of colour to liven the lookup and stay on-trend.
Of course, you can’t forget to add in some leaves of greenery. Fleshy, large leaves like the Monstera, the Banana leaf and the Fiddleleaf are great additions.
It’s all fun and games until your hair starts paying for it. To help whip summer-stressed hair back into a healthier shape and prevent any further damage from occurring, we need to take a more gentle approach. Here’s how:
Recovery mode
One of the first, most effective treatments to repair sun-damaged hair, is with a hot oil treatment. And better yet, you can do it at home without spending a cent. Mix half a cup of olive oil with two vitamin E capsules and heat up in the microwave for no more than 10 seconds. Then, work the mixture through from the ends upward and leave for about an hour, then shampoo and condition as normal. However, if the damage is particularly bad, it might be time to schedule a trim to get rid of dead ends, prevent split ends from progressing, and stimulate new, healthy growth.
Repair damage
While a long dip on a hot day is total bliss, your hair won’t agree. Chlorinated water in swimming pools exposes your hair to harmful chemicals, sea water contributes to dryness, along with the sun being a constant, too. After a swim, always rinse hair thoroughly to keep damage to a minimum, then follow up with a replenishing hair routine. The Wella Fusion range offers exactly that – a hair recovery range that instantly helps to repair damaged hair and make it more resilient. Not only does it remove impurities, it also penetrates the hair follicle to leave it smoother and more elastic. Did we mention it’s suitable for colour-treated hair, too? Check.
Avoid overwashing and, with that, stripping precious oils from your hair by choosing your products carefully. We know that amped up heat means extra sweat, sunscreen and product build-up, which inevitably feeds the need for extra shampoos on top of your normal routine. When hair is already in a compromised state, focus on putting back, rather than stripping away. Opt for light moisture mists with UV and pollution filters, deep treatment masks once a week combined with lighter conditioners for in-between, and shampoos specifically for your hair type to avoid weighing your locks down or having to wash too often. Oh, and a hat too, for good measure!
Rethink styling
With extra humidity in the air, it’s pointless to try and boost volume or force hair into a perfect style if it’s just going to fall flat anyway. Instead, embrace your natural texture and work with that instead. Reach for a curl cream if you want to tone down frizz on naturally curly hair, a salt spray to add effortless texture to straighter styles, or a finishing oil to boost shine and add extra moisture. This will also avoid unnecessary heat and styling damage, preventing further wear and tear.
Your first dance as a married couple is a special moment, and you need to the perfect soundtrack. Music is highly personal, and the songs that are chosen to play at a wedding often speak to the unique couple.
There is a large amount of popular music that is gender-specific. For a couple not into pronouns, this may not be the right fit. Luckily, there are also just as many gender-neutral songs about love that will sum up your relationship.
The world breathed a collective sigh of relief when the clock struck midnight on New Year’s Eve and brought 2020 to an end. As the old year ends a new one begins, bringing with it new trends to try.
Pantone released its highly anticipated annual Pantone color of the year, coming out with not one but two shades that will dominate trends in 2021.
The two shades picked are PANTONE 17-5104 Ultimate Gray + PANTONE 13-0647 Illuminating, meant to convey a message of strength and hopefulness that is both enduring and uplifting, perfect for wedding season.
“PANTONE 17-5104 Ultimate Gray + PANTONE 13-0647 Illuminating, two independent colors that highlight how different elements come together to support one another, best express the mood for Pantone Color of the Year 2021,” the website explains.
“Practical and rock solid but at the same time warming and optimistic, the union of PANTONE 17-5104 Ultimate Gray + PANTONE 13-0647 Illuminating is one of strength and positivity. It is a story of color that encapsulates deeper feelings of thoughtfulness with the promise of something sunny and friendly.
“A message of happiness supported by fortitude, the combination of PANTONE 17-5104 Ultimate Gray + PANTONE 13-0647 Illuminating is aspirational and gives us hope. We need to feel that everything is going to get brighter – this is essential to the human spirit.
“As people look for ways to fortify themselves with energy, clarity, and hope to overcome the continuing uncertainty, spirited and emboldening shades satisfy our quest for vitality. PANTONE 13-0647 Illuminating is a bright and cheerful yellow sparkling with vivacity, a warming yellow shade imbued with solar power. PANTONE 17-5104 Ultimate Gray is emblematic of solid and dependable elements which are everlasting and provide a firm foundation.
“The colors of pebbles on the beach and natural elements whose weathered appearance highlights an ability to stand the test of time, Ultimate Gray quietly assures, encouraging feelings of composure, steadiness and resilience.”
While unusual shades at first glance, this yellow and grey pairing has such a sweet message that will be especially meaningful in 2021.
Yellow bridesmaid dresses, and sunny decor can be calmed down with modern grey touches. They work especially well with outdoor summer and spring weddings.
On your wedding day, it’s important to feel comfortable and stay true to yourself. Many brides may opt to up the sexy factor but if that does not feel authentic to you, don’t worry about it.
Dressing modestly does not have to be boring. You can still make a stylish statement while covering your cleavage, legs and arms if that is what makes you feel most comfortable. The important aspect then comes in the design of your wedding dress.
Lace, embellishments and beadwork do wonders for bringing life to an otherwise simple silhouette. If you’re not one for sparkle, opt for a more modern cut like a cape that will still cover your arms while giving you a fashionable edge at the same time. A super-long train and subtle corset detailing are also subtle ways to add a unique touch to your look.
Here are some stunning brides who rocked modest bridal fashion on their big day:
We live in a culture that values “experiences”. These are often promoted in the media, and by those selling them, as vital to enhancing our well-being.
We all know big life events like marriage, parenthood, job loss and the death of loved one can affect our well-being. But by how much and for how long?
We set out to measure the effect of major life events – 18 in total – on well-being. To do so we used a sample of about 14,000 Australian adults tracked over 16 years. Some of our results were expected. Others were surprising.
Overall, our results show good events like marriage improved some aspects of well-being, but bad events like health shocks had larger negative effects. For good and bad events, changes in well-being were temporary, usually disappearing by 3-4 years.
Here are some of our most interesting findings.
Happiness versus life satisfaction
Our study distinguished two different aspects of well-being: “happiness” and “life satisfaction”. Researchers often treat these as the same thing, but they are different.
Happiness is the positive aspect of our emotions. People’s self-reported happiness tends to be fairly stable in adulthood. It follows what psychologists call “set point theory” – people have a “normal” level of happiness to which they usually return over the long run.
Life satisfaction is driven more by one’s sense of accomplishment in life. A person can be satisfied, for example, because they have a good job and healthy family but still be unhappy.
Life events often affect happiness and life satisfaction in the same direction: things that make you happier tend to also improve your life satisfaction. But not always, and the size of the effects frequently differ.
In the case of having a child, the contrast is stark. Right after the birth, parents are more satisfied but less happy, possibly reflecting the demands of caring for a newborn (eg. sleep deprivation).
Changes are temporary
After almost all events (both good and bad), well-being tends to return to a personal set point. This process is known as the hedonic treadmill – as people adapt to their new circumstances, well-being returns to baseline. This has been found in other studies as well.
The good news is that even after very bad events, most people seem to eventually return to their set-point well-being level. Even after an extremely bad event such as the death of a spouse, people’s well-being generally recovers in two to three years. This doesn’t mean they don’t carry pain from the experience, but it does mean they can feel happy again.
Bad events affect us more
The detrimental effects of bad events on well-being outweigh the positive effect of good events. Negative effects also last longer. This is partly because most people are happy and satisfied in general, so there is more “room” to feel worse than better. In fact, we can’t confidently say there is any positive cumulative effect of good events on happiness at all. However, marriage, retirement, childbirth and financial gains all temporarily improve overall life satisfaction.
Our finding that “losses” hurt more than “gains” mirrors decades of behavioural economics research showing people are generally “loss averse” – going to more effort to avoid losses than to chase gains.
The bad events that have the largest total effects are death of a spouse or child, financial loss, injury, illness and separation.
Small, fleeting effects
Starting a new job, getting promoted, being fired and moving house are events that people often fixate on as either stressful or to be celebrated. But, on average, these don’t seem to affect well-being that much. Their effects are comparatively very small and generally fleeting.
This could be because of differences in the nature of these events for different people, or that they frequently occur. For example, being fired can be devastating. But for someone close to retirement who receives a large redundancy payment and moves to the coast, it might be a positive experience.
An important caveat to our study is that it reflects the average experiences of people. There are likely to be some people who experience long-lasting improvements in well-being after good events. There will also be people who experience sustained decreased well-being after bad events. In future work we hope to identify these different people and isolate the characteristics that predict what responses to different events will look like.
The things that matter
Our results caution against chasing happiness through positive experiences alone. The impact, if any, seems small and fleeting, as the hedonic treadmill drags us back to our own well-being set point.
Instead, we might do better by focusing on the things that protect us against feeling devastated by bad events. The most important factors are strong relationships, good health and managing exposure to financial losses.
In 2020 we might also take consolation from the fact that, although it will take time, our well-being can recover from even the worst circumstances.
