He asked the big question and you said YES!

But who should you ask to join you on your big day? Here are some things to consider before you choose your bridesmaids.

Numbers
Most wedding planners recommend a bridesmaid for every 50 guests in attendance. If you have a small wedding, it might look odd to have four or five bridesmaids next to you. On the other hand, for a big wedding, it might look less formal to only have one maid of honor. Either way, it’s always nice to have a matching number of bridesmaids and groomsmen, so take your fiancé’s expectations into consideration as well.

Etiquette
Once you have a number in mind, be sure you don’t ruffle any feathers. If you have sisters, they should always be included, even if you don’t get along that well. It’s perfectly okay to have your best friend as your maid of honor, but it’s rude to leave family members out of the bridal party.

Reliability
You probably have lots of dear friends that you would love to share your big day with, but keep in mind that you will rely on them for many things—least of all looking polished for pictures and the ceremony, and most of all—moral support. If you have friends that are chronically late, will insist on casual footwear or tend to get excessively tipsy, think twice about including them in your day. (You will regret it.)

The Proposal
You have chosen your special friends who will stand next to you on your big day, but it’s still appropriate to ask them to honor you in this way. After all, it is a big commitment of time and money for them, so a more formal request goes a long way. Consider inviting them all to a special night out, or giving them a personal gift like this one.

Something Turquoise.com – They’ll be sure to say yes!

Gifts
While it’s common for bridesmaids to buy their own dresses, it’s a thoughtful gesture to buy their jewelry for the wedding day. You can choose something that coordinates with the dresses, which will also make a great gift for them to remember the occasion.

Use a personalization option to use gemstones that coordinate with your wedding color.

Other Friends
If you couldn’t include everyone you wanted to, don’t forget that there are other ways for them to be involved in your big day. They could do a reading during the ceremony, perform a musical number during the reception, hand out programs, and of course still take part in the bridal shower and bachelorette party.

orlando FL family photographer | stephanie wind {he was there}

there was never just one bird in the sky while we were there.  they flew in large flocks.

while editing, i kept seeing him.  one bird by himself - watching over.

he was there robben.

he always will be there.

the viking family - florida family photographer

my session this past weekend was awesome.

lucky for me, one of the family members happens to be one of my very dearest friends.

they came to see walt disney world, and bought out norway in merchandise while visiting epcot.  :)

they are vikings!!!

and super fun.

to see other silly people, check out i heart faces.

Prepping for the SAT and ACT? Ace college entrance exams the first time with these easy tips and tricks!

PREPARATION

• Use Collegeboard.org’s SAT daily question email to get one sample test question in your inbox every day. It’s a simple, less overwhelming way to get your brain warmed up for the real thing. It’s also available as an iphone app! http://sat.collegeboard.org/practice...ion-of-the-day
• Take a test prep class. Kaplan offers courses that are tailored to the SAT or the ACT. Check out their website: http://www.kaptest.com/College/SAT/index.html
• Use a tutor to help you target your weakest subject.

TESTING

• Make sure you bring a watch, and don’t linger on one question longer than two or three minutes.
• Answer the easier questions first and go back to answer the hard ones last.
• Use the process of elimination to give yourself better odds on each question. If you know two answers aren’t right, that gives you a 50% chance of getting the right answer instead of only 25%.
• If you have to guess, the answer with the most information is usually correct.
• Never leave an answer blank. You should at least guess one of the options, because leaving it blank guarantees that you get it wrong.
• If you read the question and come up with the answer before reading the multiple choice options, this will help you avoid getting confused by “all of the above” or “none of the above” type of situations.
• Trust your first instinct—it’s usually correct!

Happy Testing!

Celebrate the year of the Dragon with these fun crafts and treats! Perfect to share with your little ones.

Thumbprint Dragons
All you need is a few colorful inkpads and blank paper. Embellish with a pen to add eyes, ears, legs and a pointy tail!

http://funhandprintart.blogspot.com/...nt-dragon.html

Egg Carton Dragon
Use egg cartons, paint, colored paper, tissue paper and shimmery foil to create a sensational Chinese New Year Dragon.

http://www.activityvillage.co.uk/egg...ese_dragon.htm

Colorful Fortune Cookies!
Yummy and fun to make your own fortunes too.

http://diyweddingplanning.blogspot.c...l#.TsbN4j3NmN4

Paper Lanterns
These look great with sequin, sticker and glitter embellishments. Use lots of colors and string them across a porch or window!

http://crafts.kaboose.com/lantern1.html

Happy Chinese New Year! Don’t forget to wear something RED for good luck!

watch me grow

The Popick family is one of my newest Watch Me Grow members. Check out their adorable portraits!

newborn

3 months

this month i will be capturing ryan at six months!  i can't wait to see what the little guy is up to!

let's get real - lifestyle photographer - stephanie wind photography

a couple of months ago, kate and i had a play date among the orange groves.

it was very exciting for me, because i pass by these groves 10 times a day, and hadn't once walked near them to photograph someone enjoying their beauty.

and then my lovely friend mary came along, and with her newly 5-year-old daughter kate, took the risk of trespassing (gasp!) into the groves to capture kind kate along side the green and orange.

we had the best time.

kate was so awesome at climbing through the trees, like an amazing acrobat, and she was greatly saddened when our time there was over.

i am here to apologize to kate, and any other lover of orange trees.

these amazing trees, stand no more.

look at this machine - standing so tall and proud of it's work.

see that brown mess to the left?  those are my beloved orange trees, yanked out of the warm ground, left to die, until they are taken away, considered garbage.

they are gone.  the orange trees that my sons and i loved to watch change over the past year and a half in the time we have lived near them.  we loved to watch them grow their oranges, and smell of their beautiful blossoms.  we enjoyed watching the farm hands pick them, knowing their juice would possibly be coming to our home in a bottle.

but not anymore.

and why not?  all because someone thought they'd turn a buck and build another new neighborhood in windermere.

i am here to tell you, that is something that we do not need.  so many homes in the area are family-less; lonely and waiting for new owners to come along and spruce them up.  but no, we do not need new neighborhoods.  we need our farms.  we need simple life surrounding us.

instead, as of now, we get this:

do you see that man?  he's wearing a mask.  it's not fun to breathe in loose dirt, blown around by large machines.

my apologies to anyone i have offended.  i realize that building homes is someone's job.

but that doesn't change how i feel.  i am saddened to think that my boys (ages 5, 3, and 7 months) will most likely not remember the times we counted the rows that still had oranges on the way to school, or waved hi to the cows on the way to the grocery store, or told stories about running in the groves and playing hide and seek, or yes, giggled at the cow flop.

so, i will quietly step down from my soapbox, with this left to read:

Now all that was left 'neath the bad-smelling sky
was my big empty factory...
the Lorax...
and I.
The Lorax said nothing
just gave me a glance.
Just gave me a very sad, sad backward glance.
He lifted himself by the seat of his pants
and I'll never forget the grim look on his face
as he hoisted himself and took leave of this place
through a hole in the smog without leaving a trace
and all that the Lorax left here in this mess was a small pile of rocks with one word.
UNLESS

- Dr. Seuss

the winter wonder sale is on NOW!

Our Winter White Sale is on NOW!

For a limited time receive 20% off 16×20 or larger prints.

and 10% off any 11×14 or smaller prints from any 2011 session

Call to place your order today. 407.850.8446.