Frequently over the last many years I have attended weddings and their receptions. The use of photography in an effort to preserve this day is common to all weddings and receptions, and the obligatory photographer is always present.

Sometimes the couple will hire two photographers in an effort to get more candid shots of family and friends throughout the reception. Sometimes they will hire or designate a family member who’s a photography hobbyist to capture those numerous shots. And increasingly common is the placement of disposable cameras on each reception table to encourage family and friends to take photos throughout the event

There are numerous technical and practical problems with this approach. First off, the disposable cameras don’t generally take the best photos. Second, the cost of developing these numerous cameras is a significant consideration. And, third, there’s a strong possibility that the camera will prove to be a great toy for some young person – resulting in photos of the floor and ceiling (for which you’ll pay to have developed) – or even numerous photos where the user failed to activate the flash (usually a hold-down button on disposable cameras).

However, in today’s day and age, it is very likely that many or most of the guests brought their own digital camera. I know that I usually do, and that I’ll shoot around 50 to 100 pictures during any such event.

Digital cameras are usually of a much better quality than disposables – resulting in much better pictures. Also, digital photos are cheap and numerous – because the memory chips will usually hold several hundred photos (unlike the 27 or so available from the disposable camera), and the cost of each image is virtually nothing. It is also very unlikely that anyone is going to allow their child the use it as a plaything, and there won’t be too many pictures of the floor and ceiling – though you wouldn’t likely care as there is no cost involved.

The question becomes how do you collect all of these photos without clogging your email with numbers of large collections of image files. What you need is a single “big pot” where you can encourage all of your guests to dump their photos for sharing with the couple and the family-at-large.

Today there are online solutions called “photo exchange depots” (depositories). Just do an internet search and you’ll likely find one. Sometimes single-day events are free to setup. Generally, here is how they work;

The couple establishes their event on one of the photo exchange depots, and receives a designated private “EventCode.” This code uniquely identifies their event on the system, and will allow online users (anyone knowing the EventCode) to add their photos into a big pool of event photos.

The couple informs their guests of this website and EventCode in their program, or as part of the place settings and/or table-tents at the reception. The guests all access the site (no user login usually required) and uploads all of their event photos.

Then, after the honeymoon is over, the couple and/or their family can view all of the uploaded images, and select, download, and save the pictures they wish to keep. At some point the depot expires and fades away.

This is a simple, low-cost, low-risk, and very effective way to capture possibly hundreds of additional photos from your special event.

More pictures, more memories!! Enjoy!
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Today Norm Goldman, Editor of sketchandtravel.com and bookpleasures.com is pleased to have as a guest, Bethany Ericson author of New England Cabins & Cottages. Bethany is an expert on the New England States.

Welcome to Sketchandtravel.com and Bookpleasures.com Bethany and thanks for accepting our invitation to be interviewed.

NORM:

Please tell our readers something about yourself and your expertise pertaining to the New England States.

Bethany:

My pleasure, Norm. Thanks for the invitation. I grew up in New England, with family about the region, so I had travelled quite a bit of the area from early on. I lived near Thoreau’s Walden Pond cabin, summered in a cabin in the Lakes Region of New Hampshire, and have always been fond of exploring the rivers, ocean, mountains and woods in every season. However, while writing New England Cabins & Cottages I was constantly surprised and amazed by the beauty of the area I thought I knew so well, and I fell in love with it all over again.

NORM:

Where are the New England states?

Bethany:

New England is made up of the six most northeastern states in the United States: Maine, Vermont, New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Connecticut, and Rhode Island. It is bordered by Canada, New York, and the Atlantic Ocean.

NORM:

Why would you consider a stay in a cabin or cottage in the New England states a good choice for a romantic getaway or honeymoon destination?

Bethany:

Well, the added privacy is obvious, but it’s also easier to feel part of the natural area you are in when you are in a cabin or cottage than when you’re in some anonymous hotel room. When your natural area could include crashing waves, blinking lighthouses, mountain top vistas, or the astounding fall foliage, this connection to your surroundings really adds to the exuberance of your visit. Imagine you are in a characterless hotel somewhere and the forecast is for pouring rain you may feel trapped or depressed. Imagine you are in a cabin, and you feel like you have a great excuse to stay under the blankets with your significant other!

When I married this summer, I rented an old summer camp. My guests played in the lake, ate, danced in the main lodge, and stayed over in the cabins. Everyone had a deliriously childlike and cozy experience. Cabins and cottages allow for that nice combination of carefree enthusiasm, us-against-the-elements adventuring spirit, and romance somehow. (And it doesn’t hurt that many of them have fireplaces, wood stoves, or hot tubs.)

NORM:

When is the best time to visit the New England states from the point of view of weather, costs, crowds, and the availability of flights from the USA, Canada and Europe and Australia, etc?

Bethany:

New England is extremely accessible its biggest airport is in Boston, Massachusetts, but there are also major airports in most of the states. Since the dollar is not at its best, it has made the US a less expensive trip for many visitors.

My favorite season here is fall and not just for the bright colors of the trees. There is that magical snap in the crisp air that adds excitement to bundling up and lessens your inhibitions about feasting in a season of roasts and apple pies. While the masses flock to Vermont, the Massachusetts Berkshire Hills, and the White Mountains of New Hampshire to “leaf peep” as we say, try heading to Maine. Fall is one of the least crowded and most beautiful times to visit Acadia National Park, for instance. (And let’s face it; you never were planning on swimming while on the Maine coast if you went during the summer anyway, brrr.) By the way, the seafood is great here year round, and some lobstermen in Maine do not even put their boats in the water until its cold out.

NORM:

If you had to choose 5 unequalled venues in the New England states for a romantic getaway, honeymoon or wedding destination, what would they be and why?

Bethany:

Tough question, Norm! There are so many. I’ll name some off the top of my head.

* The first one that comes to mind is the cottage at Three Mountain Inn in Vermont. They built that one with romance in mind. I think it is the only place I visited where I found myself blushing as the owner showed me its features: the ambient heating of the floor, the shower for two, the hot tub next to the bed, the stereo speakers built into the exposed beams, the stained glass window you can only see from a prone position and the whole thing, the music, the lighting, and the gas fireplace is operatable from bed with a remote control.

* Sebasco Harbor Resort in Maine is a wonderful spot for a wedding, with all of its activities and the giant field stone fireplaces and sea views in big natural wood cottages that could hold extended family.

* Sterling Ridge Inn and Cabins in Vermont would also be a fun wedding spot; the log cabins are beautiful, and in such a wonderful pastoral setting on the edge of the woods and a view of the Green Mountains.

* The Summer House Inns & Cottages off of Massachusetts would be a fancy, but ever-memorable island event or escape (think rose-covered seaside cottages), the Turning Point Inn in the Berkshires adds delicious food to the mix, and oh -

* The Inn at Sunrise Point on the coast of Maine has a cottage that literally sits right over the sea and is filled with the sounds of the waves. And there are so many more!

NORM:

What should people know about celebrating a wedding in the New England states from the point of view of requirements, etc?

Bethany:

Each state has its own requirements, and it’s best to get in touch with a city/town clerk in the state you’re considering getting married in. Typically you need to be 18 or have a court order. And usually you need to apply for your license at least a month ahead of your big day (and you’ll need to have decided on your married name at that time). Some states require blood tests; some have waiting periods, and more. In some states anyone can apply for a license allowing them to officiate a marriage on a particular date. I had my brother officiate my wedding in Massachusetts, for instance. Massachusetts is currently the only state that legally allows same sex marriage.

NORM:

How far in advance should a couple prepare themselves for their honeymoon, romantic getaway or wedding in the New England states?

Bethany:

New England is such a beautiful region, and places tend to fill up early, especially those on the coast in the summer and those in the mountains in the winter. If you want to be beachside (lake or ocean), in the short summer season, reserve your accommodations as close to the beginning of the calendar year as you can. Some families reserve the same cabin for the same week every year, and make their next year’s reservation as they are checking out, so you have some serious competition. If you are looking for a romantic getaway during the rest of the year, or more inland, give it a few months if you can. If you are looking to book a wedding site, you may need one to two years of notice- especially if you’re reserving a weekend somewhere for a large party.

NORM:

What resources are available on the Internet pertaining to romantic getaways, weddings and honeymoon vacations in the New England states?

Bethany:

As the oldest colonized part of the country, New England is well developed, and that includes tourism facilities and their websites. There are endless websites about New England getaways. If you were planning a wedding, I’d recommend visiting some of the sites with regional message boards to get local resources for whatever you need for your event (like the Boston area online community on http://www.theknot.com.) Just remember, while doing web searches for cottages in New England that once upon a time the upper class of the Gilded Age built “cottages” in Rhode Island and Massachusetts that we would typically refer to as mansions today. Also, cabins referred to as “camps” in New England tend to be built more with fishing and hunting in mind than romance.

NORM:

Is there anything else you wish to tell our readers that we have not covered?

Bethany:

I would absolutely love to hear what you think of my book, and where else you feel I should have included. My email address is in the About the Author section. Now stop procrastinating; go make those Valentines Day reservations!

Thanks Bethany
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Wedding cake serving sets usually come with a cake knife and a cake server. The blades of both of these items are usually made from stainless steel, but some models can be silver or pewter plated for added visual effect. The handles of a cake serving set is where most of the stylizing is done. Handles come is crystal, silver, pewter, composite materials, plastic, and glass.

The cost of the average wedding cake serving set will be somewhere around $30 to $50. The actual price that you pay will depend on the materials that the cake knife and cake server are made from, the handle design that you select, as well as what vendor you buy it from. If you want to maximize the value of your cake serving set then you may want to consider registering for your serving set when you register for your wedding china. By doing this you will be selecting a cake serving set that will match your wedding china, which in turn will allow you to use it more than once.

In addition to matching cake serving sets to wedding china you also have the option to match the set’s design to the theme of your wedding. There are many different styles of themed wedding cake serving sets that you can choose from. A few of the more popular serving set themes include beach themes, contemporary themes, Baroque themes, and antique themes. To find a serving set that will match your wedding’s design, look for a handle design that elegantly reflects one element of your wedding’s design such as a color, a pattern, or an icon that relates to the theme of your wedding. For example if you have a beach theme for your wedding then you may want to look for a wedding cake serving set that has starfish on the handles.

If you prefer a more elegant style for your wedding cake serving set then you can always opt to buy a silver cake knife and cake server set. These sets will tend to cost more than the average wedding cake serving set, but their elegance, beauty, and heirloom quality make then well worth the added cost. Another advantage of buying a silver wedding cake serving set is that you can have it engraved with the names, initials, and the anticipated wedding date for the engaged couple. Engraved cake servers make a great bridal shower gift, and a great memento from the couple’s wedding.

After the wedding is over many couple’s don’t know what they should do with their serving sets. If they have matched their wedding cake serving set to their wedding china then they can store the wedding cake serving set as another piece of their silver and china set. On the other hand if they have a novelty or engraved wedding cake serving set that they don’t want to use again, then they may want to create a shadowbox display that includes the wedding cake serving set, their wedding cake accessories, and other small decorations from their wedding. This shadowbox display will allow the newlyweds to proudly display memorabilia from the best day of their lives.
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I am going to be a bridesmaid in my best friend’s wedding in July 2009. We have already purchased the dresses and my style in strapless. I definitely want to have a toned back and arms by then. Losing weight would be ideal as well. Does anyone have any suggestions?
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