Microsoft can help you plan The Big Day
It’s June, which means wedding season is upon us. If you’re tying the knot—whether in a few months or down the road–here’s how Microsoft can help you pull it off in style.
Tens of millions of weddings happen every year—in the U.S. alone, two million couples tie the knot annually—that’s more than 228 every hour!
While weddings may happen all the time, their abundance belies the tremendous amount of organization and coordination it takes to pull one off. After all, the average wedding is composed of 143 guests, 3,000 photos from the official wedding photographer, 25 bottles of champagne (to toast the bride and groom), and an average price tag of almost $30,000.
Not to worry: Microsoft devices such as the Lumia 640 and Surface Pro and services such as OneDrive and OneNote can help you look your best and make The Big Day perfect.
Here are some ways how. Oh, and we’re also throwing in mobile-phone imaging tips for your guests so they can capture you in the best light.
Let’s get started!
Get in shape for The Big Day
If you already have rock-hard abs, feel free to skip this section. But if you’re like most people, you may want to get in better shape to fit into that tux.
Start a six- or 12-week fitness challenge and use personal digital assistant Cortana (available in select markets with Windows Phone 8.1) to schedule workout sessions and remind you of your fitness goals.
Go to our previous stories here and here to learn about Windows Phone apps that can help you burn fat while building muscle and endurance. If you’re in the U.S. or UK, you can also strap on the Microsoft Band to get guided workouts and track health metrics such as heart rate, steps, and calories.
For extra motivation, Skype in one of your groomsmen to work out with you!
Create a digital wedding notebook and keep lists
Weddings involve lots and lots of decision-making and planning. Who should you invite? Where should you have the ceremony? Should you write your own wedding vows?
So start planning early and create a OneNote wedding notebook.
This digital notebook will hold everything from to-do lists to vendors’ contact information to photos of honeymoon venues (search via Bing Image Search). You can also capture audio of musicians who audition to provide entertainment (just tap the microphone icon within OneNote).
Don’t worry about misplacing this notebook in mad bustle of wedding planning: Of course, you can take it with you–from your Lumia phone to your Surface to your PC–wherever you go.
Take your best shot: Photo tips for the wedding
While you’ll likely have a wedding photographer, give these Lumia imaging tips to friends and family so they can take beautiful photos with their smartphones:
Hold it high: Whoever or whatever is closest to a camera lens will be the largest object in an image. So hold the camera high, pointing it downwards, for a universally flattering angle.
Let there be light: Unless you want to be in shadow, don’t stand underneath a bright overhead light and avoid being back lit.
From Dusk to Dawn: For great photos no matter the lighting conditions, use the Dynamic Flash setting on your Lumia Camera. It will allow you to adjust the light levels on your photos to perfection long after the click.
Keep it simple: Avoid messy or busy backgrounds and photo-bombers. Tip: Set up a Selfie Station with fun backgrounds for guests.
#NoFilter Filter: While you may want to amp up the color of a photo, don’t go overboard—use filters sparingly. Windows Phone apps we love include Afterlight as well as Lumia Creative Studio.
Tip: Create and include a hashtag for your wedding so your guests and other friends and family can find everyone’s photos of the event on social media.
Do you find these wedding-related tips helpful? If you have any wedding photos taken with a Lumia, please share—we’d love to see them!