My great find of the week is Simply Bridal. This online store offers 100% made to order gowns with 30 day risk free returns. With showrooms in NYC and LA you can view the gown in person. You can select the dress, fabric, veil, length, accessories as well as the those of your bridal party. Simply Bridal has eliminated the middle man bringing you quality merchandise at great savings. Finally, the site is a treasure trove of useful information about the wedding day, pre and post. Give them a call and tell them Yves sent you.
Archives for category: Yves Paris Photography
Secrets to a happy marriage
Every married person knows to be faithful, stay truthful and be there for her partner through good times and bad–they’re in the wedding vows, after all. But most seasoned couples would admit that some unspoken rules are vital for getting past rough patches and growing stronger as a couple. Here, experts share 10 of the less apparent (but just as important) marriage rules to live by.
1. Don’t criticize your partner’s parents or friends. You know how it is-your family can tick you off but no one else had dare speak ill of them. That’s why you should tread carefully with your in-laws and your husband’s dearest friends. “Even when he’s venting to you, your contributions can put him on the defensive,” explains LeslieBeth Wish, EdD, a Florida-based psychologist and licensed clinical social worker. “When you take position A, you prompt your partner to take position B.” Instead, says Dr. Wish, put yourself in his position so that you can empathize with him.
2. Tell your spouse about any ex encounters. Whether you get a Facebook friend request or run into an old flame at your kid’s soccer game, keeping the news to yourself could backfire, despite having zero feelings for the ex. “If there’s nothing to hide, why hide it?” says Deb Castaldo, PhD, a couples and family therapist and professor at Rutgers University School of Social Work in New Brunswick, NJ. “That leads to an air of secrecy and dishonesty,” she says. Just clue in your hubby matter-of-factly: Try, “I knew it was only a matter of time before old boyfriends came out of the woodwork on Facebook. I got a friend request from one and ignored it.” Or, “I saw my ex in the mall today. His kids are cute. Glad to see his life turned out nicely.”
3. Keep unsolicited advice to yourself. Offer your support, lend your ear, but avoid speaking in an “I know what’s best” tone. “We give advice because we’re trying to be helpful, but it’s seen as criticism when we offer too many corrections,” says Harriet Lerner, PhD, clinical psychologist and author of Marriage Rules: A Manual for the Married and the Coupled Up. This goes for everything from your husband’s outfit choices to how he deals with a work issue. Give your spouse space to make decisions and gain confidence through trial and error-and ask that he do the same for you, says Dr. Lerner. “What matters in a relationship is not that things get done ‘right,’ but that two people are dedicated to contributing to each other’s happiness.”
4. Don’t take charge all the time. Whether you fold all the laundry because you don’t like how your husband does it or you manage the finances because you don’t think he’s as careful, you may feel more at ease doing all the work. But stop! “The spouse who does the rescuing can become tired of that role,” says Dr. Wish–and resentful that everything is on her shoulders, even if she volunteered for that burden. Get in the habit of asking your partner, “What do you think works best here?” or telling him, “I could use a hand cleaning out the pantry.” These requests will foster the idea that you’re teammates.
5. Don’t bring up past arguments. Or at least put a statute of limitations on them. “People repeat ancient disagreements because they haven’t resolved the problem,” says Dr. Castaldo. Letting things fester often causes marriages to break down, she says. It’s important to address issues as they happen and come to some sort of resolution–agreeing to disagree counts. “Leave it there, and respect each other’s opinion,” she says.
6. Choose your battles, but don’t stifle your feelings. “There’s going to be toothpaste globs here and Post-it notes there; that’s human nature,” says Dr. Wish. “You have to be able to say, ‘this isn’t important.'” Or if it is, speak up. “Tell your partner why it bothers you and that you’d like to work on a solution,” suggests Dr. Wish. You’d be surprised what you could learn about each other. For instance, your husband may not leave dirty dishes in the sink anymore if you explain that your childhood home was piled high with plates and you were stuck washing them. It’s also important to understand that he’s not plotting to upset you every time he’s sloppy or forgetful. A simple request like: “Honey, it’d be great if you could pick up the dry cleaning while you’re out” beats getting mad that he didn’t offer to help with errands.
7. Don’t post private thoughts or photos publicly. You may not want to be tagged in a politically charged rant he starts or he may not want you to share photos of the kids. And you each deserve the other person’s respect for those wishes. “Discuss the ground rules regarding posting about yourself, as a couple and about the other person,” says Dr. Castaldo. And no matter what, don’t take your grievances with your husband to the masses for support. “It’s destructive to air conflicts on Facebook,” she warns.
8. Log off. When your attention is focused elsewhere, your spouse is bound to feel unimportant. So make quality time a top priority and restrict tech gadget use if necessary, says Dr. Wish. “Pay attention to the concept of ratio: How much time am I spending doing this compared to how much time I’m spending with my family?” she says. Create a rule that works for your household and stick to it, whether it’s no devices at the dinner table, shutting down phones at 8 p.m. or going gadget-free on weekend afternoons.
9. Don’t use the “D” word (divorce, that is). Even in the heat of an argument, avoid threatening to pack your bags or head to the lawyer’s office. Besides the “D” word being downright hurtful, repeated warnings may result in a spouse calling the other’s bluff. “We act as if the intensity of our anger gives us license to say or do anything,” says Dr. Lerner. “But threatening divorce is never useful, and it only makes the probability of separation more likely.”
10. Be each other’s number one. In other words, be wary of outsider influence, like a friend putting relationship-threatening ideas in your head or work or hobbies competing for your attention. “Happy couples have just as much conflict as those who divorce, but they know ways to get through it,” says Dr. Castaldo. “A couple has to have a strong boundary around themselves and they can’t allow anybody to get in between.”
As a photographer, I know how stressful shooting a wedding can be. The schedule, the traffic, the lighting…sometimes “the heat is on” us to jump over the hurdles and produce a great selection of photos from the event. For photographer Jacki Bruniquel, what happened to her during one wedding is one of those stories that seems too good to be true until you see the actual video.
While photographing Murray and Emma’s wedding Ceremony at Netherwood Estate, Jacki Bruniquel’s hair caught alight after getting too close to a candle. One of Murray’s groomsmen attempted to help Jacki put the flames out. The moment when the groom meets his bride at the alter had some added entertainment.
Thankfully, Jacki was not hurt, and the bride, the groom, and the guests had a good laugh fromthe incident. As for Jacki, being the trooper and professional that she is, she carried on without skipping a beat.
J. Hilburn, Style Consultants
Trend alert…..Rather than settling for a re-cycled tux, stylish grooms-to-be are working with men’s style consultants to select wedding attire that is tailored to the individual personality as well as size. www.raoul.jhilburn.com offers affordable style consultation nationwide. Simply input your zip code and you will be matched with a consultant who will style you for single event or will help you rebuild your wardrobe.
Wedding Trends 2012
A super cool trend in weddings is Ice Luges. An ice luge is a large block of ice that contains a narrow opening; one large enough to channel beverage (usually alcohol) for drinking. The liquid is caught in a glass receptacle or into the mouth of a thirsty guest. Lots of fun and very original.
Planning your next wedding, special birthday or retirement party? Why not try a cupcake tower. Many people are opting to have cupcake towers instead of cake during their special events because they can offer lots of different cake and frosting choices for guests to choose from, rather than having one set flavor for everyone. Are you a red velvet gal while your plus one loves chocolate? You can both have the delicious dessert you want! This also allows for all sorts of creative alternatives with frosting color options as well as different flavored batters. Who doesn’t love cupcakes? so talk to your venue, or bakery today about creating a cupcake tree on your special day instead of a traditional cake.
Alex celebrated her 25th birthday party and used a dazzling cupcake tower instead of a cake
Photographer Yves Paris with Cameras
1. Your camera takes really nice pictures!
2. Can’t you just Photoshop that?
3. I wanted to invite you to my (birthday party, wedding, or other important event). You should bring your camera.
4. Why is the background all blurry like that?
5. Can you make it black & white but leave our eyes in color?
6. Geez! You charge that much? We only have to pay $19.99 for our sitting fee at Sears!
7. I’ll just print them at Wal-mart.
8. Gosh your job must be easy. You just click a button all day.
9. What’s the discount if I edit the picture by myself? There’s this great program called Picnik.
10. Can you take your watermark off the photos you posted on Facebook? My mom wants to print them.
Do It Yourself Bridal Flowers
You meticulously planned every bit of its detail, so why not protect your prized floral possession?
Make sure your flowers never lose their beauty with this guide to bouquet up-keep and preservation.
What It Is
You dry your bridal bouquet — by yourself or via a professional service — and hang onto it as a meaningful keepsake.
Why Do It
A preserved bouquet can be both a memento and decorative piece for the home.
How It Works
There are three methods: silica gel (quick-drying mode via immersion in a sand-like, silicon substance); pressing (press select blooms from the bouquet and flatten via a flower press and framed); and freeze-drying (pros spray the blooms with a starch to set the colors and then “bake” the bouquet in a freeze-dryer). All modes allow for beautiful presentation in frames, glass domes, etc. But freeze-drying is the only method that allows for “open arrangements” (they don’t have protective covering), and yields the most true-to-life results in terms of flower shapes and colors.
Cost
$50-$300, depending on choice of preservation and presentation. Examples: A freeze-dried shadow box presentation might be $150, a dome presentation (preserved via silica gel) can cost around $300, while a partial bouquet pressed and framed against silk might price at $65-$200.
Transport
For best results, the bouquet should be dropped off at the preserving establishment as soon after the wedding as possible. Translation: the day after the wedding or the Monday following a Saturday reception. Many professional services will be unable to provide service if the blooms have been too badly dried out, bruised, or otherwise damaged. If you’re simply dropping off your bouquet at a local service, transport it in a Styrofoam cooler, with gel packs on the bottom. Loosely cover the packs with tissue paper or wax paper (so that the bouquet doesn’t touch them directly) and then place the bouquet on top. Then, pack tissue paper around the bouquet to prevent it from moving and bumping.
Tips
Think about preserving just a few select blooms instead of the full bouquet. This will cut down on the cost of preservation. Also, it’s important for preservationists to receive the bouquet in prime condition. So get a tossing bouquet, and, at the reception, leave your actual bouquet in a safe place where it won’t get bruised or crushed (maybe have a bridesmaid handle this) as a precaution. Sometimes brides will immediately have the caterer store the blooms in the refrigerator, or, if it’s a hand-tied bouquet, stick the stems in water.
Shelf Life
Receiving the finished, fully preserved product will take 8-12 weeks with freeze-drying; 6-8 weeks with silica gel; 6-8 weeks with pressing. Formally preserved flowers can last indefinitely, maybe even up to 100 years. If humidity is avoided, along with direct sunlight and bright halogen lamps, brides can expect their bouquets to last a lifetime.
Would You Pay Big Bucks
To Make The Perfect Match?
By Sierra Silverspoon
According to the National Enquirer, Oprah’s BFF, Gayle King is embroiled in a serious misunderstanding with one of the highest priced 
matchmakers in Beverly Hills. Beverly Hills Matchmaker Orly Hadida is out for revenge because she says Gayle reneged on a verbal promise. According to reports, Ms. Hadida filed a breach of contract lawsuit against Gayle King, after Gayle promised to get her on The Oprah Show, if Orly found her a man. Reportedly, Orly waived her usual $500,000 fee to help Gayle’s love life in exchange for an appearance on the popular show. The lawsuit was thrown out after the woman claimed that Gayle approached her because she was desperate to find “a man like Oprah’s boyfriend Stedman.” Gayle countersued, and the judge ruled that oral contracts involving dating services were not enforceable. The matchmaker claimed she set up at least five dates for Gayle with attractive wealthy men, which Gayle rejected.
This incident threw a serious spotlight on the many high-end matchmaking services and personal matchmakers that charge big bucks to find mates for affluent men and women. Research shows that the personal matchmakers are usually women who parlayed their natural talent for hooking up their friends into a very profitable business. The fees for personal matchmakers run from $5000 per match to $100,000 and more.
These prices are not related to actual matchups that succeed in getting married. These prices deal with introductions only. Do affluent black singles spend big bucks to meet Mr. or Ms. Right. They do. A 32 year old female attorney who wished to remain anonymous, told me how she spent over $10,000 last year with a very upscale personal matchmaker, who hooked her up with three matches. “All guys were professional and polished, but neither of them fit what I was looking for. I felt like I wasted my money, but I was in a frame of mind at that time that urged to explore and be more adventurous about finding Mr. Right. I was tired of all the mismatched encounters I’d been having, so I decided to do something different. I could afford it, so I did it.”
Carla, (not her real name), a corporate executive for a major company told me she spent $8,000.00 to meet “a man of stature and means,” but it didn’t happen. She met two guys who ended up being con men looking for a woman of means. She was very impressed with the third guy, but the feeling wasn’t mutual. She signed up for four matches, but the fourth one never materialized. In the end, she received a partial refund of $2000.00.
Studies show that affluent women and very rich men are more prone to pay a professional matchmaker to hook them up with that ideal person that they couldn’t meet otherwise. These types are usually too busy and far removed from the usual pick up a date scene. They rely on personalized introductions, either professionally or socially.
I did a short poll among some real upscale brothers to check if they could ever see themselves paying big bucks for a romantic introduction. They all answered no emphatically. However, when I polled the same number of women, they all answered yes if tey were able to look through a catalog first.
Yves Paris Photography 