The latest trend in wedding photography: after sessions!

An after session is an additional photo shoot, with you and your partner decked out in your wedding gear, that takes place anywhere from a few days to a few years after the big day.

Why would a couple want an after session? Consider these scenarios...

• You get your pictures back from your photographer, and you hate them.
• You ran out of time between your ceremony and reception to get all of the pictures you wanted.
• You want an excuse to wear your dress again, but you're not into the idea of a "trash the dress" session.
• You and/or your spouse dropped major pounds after the wedding and wish you had done it before the big day.

Caroline and Matt are the perfect example of scenario #4. The couple collectively lost 100 pounds during the three years after their wedding. With their anniversary approaching as they reached their weight loss goals, they decided to mark the occasion — and their accomplishments — with a wedding photo shoot. With the dress now several sizes too large, Caroline simply clamped the back so that it fit as perfectly as it did on the big day, without adding the extra cost of getting it fitted.

Photos from the actual wedding day:

Sherri's wedding special, Wedding Fabulous: Sherri Shepherd Gets Married, airs on September 13 at 9 p.m. EST on the Style Network. In this preview, we see Sherri trying on her Rivini gown, experiencing major sticker shock at the wedding bill (exclaiming "I've got to get another job!"), previewing the sleek, chic wedding décor, and having a scandalous bachelorette party!

Can you pinpoint the exact moment and location when you knew your fiancé was The One? Software engineer Ari Gilder can. He decided to pop the question by having his girlfriend, Faigy, re-live their entire love affair—literally. This tech guru constructed a 3.6 mile NYC route that covered everything from the memory of their first date at Magnolia Bakery to a new memory they were about to make on Roosevelt Island.

Watch what happens...

BG: How did you come up with the idea of proposing to Faigy through Google Maps? 
AG: "I wanted to do something really unique to both of us. A few months ago, I was trying to come up with a proposal idea and this one just intuitively popped into my head, since I work on Google Maps (they always say do what you know best, right?). I dismissed it at first, but while fleshing out the idea, I realized how much potential it had."

You've probably already heard of a "First Look"—the bride and groom sneak some time in alone before the ceremony and their photographer captures this private, magical moment on film. Modern couples love it because it leads to powerful, emotional photos and gives them a few precious minutes of solitude before wedding-day revelry begins. But what if you're traditionalists—like Jason and I are—and you don't want to spoil the surprise of seeing your fiancé's jaw drop to the ground when he sees you walk down the aisle in your big, white dress?

This creative take on the "First Look" trend is the ultimate compromise. Inspired by someone on a blog who took a similar shot, Julie and Ryan (the stunning couple pictured in these photos), came up with the idea of holding each other's hands behind a door (no peeking!) to calm their pre-wedding jitters. 

Here, Julie describes how she felt that day and the impact those few minutes had on her:

"At around 4:50 pm on our wedding day, I heard one of my bridesmaids call out 'He’s coming!' I could feel my whole body come alive with excitement. I stood on the other side of a big, white wooden door, waiting to hear his voice. When he said 'Hi Sweetie,' I felt my eye fill with tears. I reached out for his hand and felt his warm touch immediately...I started really crying. Happy tears. Tears of excitement and tears of sheer readiness. Ryan squeezed my hand and told me he couldn’t wait to become my husband."

The actualization of planning our wedding approximately 9530.99 miles away didn't really dawn on my fiancé Luke and I at first. That is, until we started to hit a few hurdles: You can’t meet up with your wedding coordinator next week if you're worried you’re not on the same page and you can’t call up your caterer during your lunch break to discuss canapé options because your lunchtime is their bedtime.

So today I thought I’d share a few experiences that The Boy and I have encountered and had to face head-on due to the lack of accessibility. (Emails are about the only way we contact our vendors and therefore these tips will apply to them as well!)

Photo courtesy of Christopher Robbins

After reading about a few  NYC-area couples getting married on the 10th anniversary of September 11 this weekend, we couldn't help but wonder: Would you choose an undesirable wedding date to save money?

One couple wanted a September wedding, but the only date available at their dream venue was September 11. "I've always considered it a day of mourning, of remembrace...We definitely had to think about it," said Alexis Kreimer, the bride.

The clincher was when the venue offered the couple a staggering $50 per head discount if they booked September 11.

It's no secret that you can save big by booking a less popular date. My husband and I saved at least $10,000 by holding our wedding in the winter. And an even bigger discount came from hosting it the Sunday of a holiday weekend — we got the feel of a Saturday wedding, since guests didn't have work or school the following day, at a Sunday price. 

Photo courtesy of Weddings by Chris Sherburne Photography

BG brides, can you relate to any of the following scenarios?

• Due to sheer excitement and joy, your parents and in-laws feel entitled to invite as many guests as they please; their little girl is getting married, after all.
• Your groom deems it necessary to invite the guys he used to play T-ball with—so what if he hasn’t seen them since he was four?
• You're unsure about which colleagues should be receiving invitations. 

Every engaged couple experiences The Great Guest List Debate; it's practically a rite of passage. Cut your drama in half by following my tips below.

Photo courtesy of Moran Harder Solar Photographers

1. Make a Rough Count ASAP: No matter how long your engagement is, deciding what your guest count will be should take place fairly early on when planning. This will allow you to determine your budget and select your venue; more importantly, it could help you avoid serious conflict that some brides and grooms-to-be face during their wedding-day preparations.