Jen and Brett selected an image from their engagement photo session at the 2011 San Diego County Fair.

Ferris wheels, photo booths, (and that spinning swing ride whose name I don’t know and have never had the courage to ride)…it’s obvious they had a fun photo session.

You can see more of their engagement photos on the Narrative Images blog.

Jen’s two top choices for her photo puzzle were the ferris wheel photo you see below and one with a swing spinning in the background.

The swing photo is my favorite of the series (What? You haven’t checked those you yet? Get over there!) but the busy nature of that photo didn’t leave a lot of space for adding any shaped puzzle pieces.

Jen and I both wanted those pieces to show up clearly, so together we decided to use the photo from the ferris wheel.

The blue space at the right of the photo was perfect for writing the wedding date vertically. The juicy red of the ferris wheel cab was ideal for a heart-shaped puzzle piece.

Rick Unis and Bernadette Johnston of San Diego’s Narrative Images Photography were recently voted one of the top 3 photography studios in San Diego. They are dedicated to a docu-narrative-journalism style of photography.

“It is our intention to provide authentic images that are derived from real moments, and in this light, we feel photography allows us to translate life into art. When you look at your photos, we want you to see nothing other than who you are, reflected back to you.”

Rick and Bernadette do a lot of wedding photography but they also do celebrity work (hello, Kevin Bacon!), commercial photography, and documentary projects. They seem to do work all around the country, so if you like what you see on their site and you’re shopping for a photographer keep them in mind.

They will be shooting Jen and Brett’s wedding next month.

Best wishes for a fun and beautiful wedding, Jen and Brett. It was a treat to work with you.

Lara

Learn more about photo puzzle personalization options here.

You can see more photos from their e-session with Matt Alberts Photography. This e-session was shot in downtown Denver, CO. Matt Alberts works out of Vail, CO and works destination weddings worldwide. Clients rave about his one week turnaround time.

Want a photo puzzle guest book of your own? Check out my selection in the BellaPuzzlesToo Etsy shop.

“We would like to order a custom made puzzle of a beach sunset with some palm trees and we would like to include two of the following options for our special pieces:
Two names: Olga & Carlos
Our Wedding Date:  20 Aug 2011

[This] would be truly personal and special for us.”

I drafted three versions of the idea for them.

Olga chose design #1 and asked for some refinements. We settled on this:

The finished puzzle has over 70 pieces and looks like this:

My best wishes to Olga and Carlos. I hope it’s a destination wedding!

I’ll create puzzles in the shape of cowboy boots, Alaska, a vehicle, a bird, oak trees, and more. Contact me if you’d like to talk about a uniquely shaped WOOD puzzle guest book. You’ll find them in the BellaPuzzlesToo shop on Etsy.

One of my favorite things about it is the logo in the lower right corner. It fits the image so well.

Michelle and Brant asked that this circle be the only shaped piece in the puzzle. The rest of the puzzle is my standard cutting style.

More of the photos from this e-session are posted on Erin’s blog. If you’re in Minneapolis, look up Erin Johnson Photography. She does great work and has been featured in The Knot bridal magazine and in Bridal Guide. She does terrific family photo sessions as well.

My best wishes to Michelle and Brant.

Lara Braithwaite / BELLA PUZZLES

While you’re here, take a look at another example of a Bella Puzzles PHOTO puzzle guest book or check out my very popular TREE puzzle guest books. All five types of puzzle guest books can be purchased in my BellaPuzzlesToo shop on Etsy.

If you like this post, please share it with your friends!

1. wedding
2. christening
3. bridal shower
4. baby shower
5. birthday party
6. bar mitzvah / bat mitzvah
7. anniversary party
8. family reunion
9. retirement party
10. sweet sixteen party

Can you think of any other places to use one? List them in the comments.

And speaking of special occasions, I’ve got a bag of firecrackers to use this weekend for the U.S. holiday. In honor of the occasion, I’m also giving subscribers to the Bella Puzzles email list a special discount, good only for July 2, 3, and 4. If you’re not already on that list and you’re thinking of ordering soon, sign up here.

Here are some tricks for assembling my five types of wedding puzzles. Follow these directions in sequence and I guarantee you’ll spend a lot less time solving your puzzle.

PHOTO puzzles:

• Align your puzzle pieces image-side-up

• Separate straight-edged pieces from the rest
• Assemble these edge pieces
• Find pieces that “interact” with the letters/numbers/shapes – they will have unusually shaped knobs and edges
• Fill in the gaps with the remaining puzzle pieces

COLOR puzzles

• Align the puzzle pieces color-side-up
• Separate straight-edged pieces from the rest

• Assemble these edge pieces
• Find pieces that “interact” with the letters/numbers/shapes – they will have unusually shaped knobs and edges

• Fill in the rest

TREE puzzles

• Align all pieces with woodgrain running same direction
• Start with tree trunk pieces (they’ll be easy to find)
• Find the “mate” for one knob at a time

WOOD puzzles and LOVE puzzles

• Separate straight-edged pieces from the rest
• Assemble these edge pieces
• Find pieces that “interact” with the letters/numbers/shapes – they will have unusually shaped knobs and edges
• Align all remaining puzzle pieces with wood grain running same direction
• Find the “mate” for one knob at a time

One last tip: If you are getting a LOVE, WOOD, or TREE puzzle, the front and back sides of the puzzle pieces are identical. Tricky, right? I’ll gladly pencil an “X” on the back side of each piece for you. It will eliminate about half of your guesswork. Just ask for this free service when you place your order.

Questions? Shoot me an email, or leave a note in the comments below.

Here are three factors to consider when selecting your image:

1. Photo quality. Focus, exposure, color balance, depth of field, contrast. These things matter! If your photography skills aren’t top-notch, hiring the services of a skilled photographer is your best bet.

2. Subject matter. A simple, timeless, and classic photo is the way to go. With any luck, your photo guest book is going to be around in fifty years. Perhaps it will be in a frame on your wall. Select an image that will stand the test of time.

3. Color. A black and white photo can make a stunning puzzle, but for sheer enjoyment’s sake, I recommend a color photo. A color photo puzzle is also easier to assemble.

Consider all three factors when choosing your image. You’ll have a puzzle you’ll be proud to display at your event and for many years to come.

About the photographers:

1.  Engagement photo taken by Kate Headley Photography and used with client’s permission.

2. Engagement photo taken by Jamee Photography and used with client’s permission.

3. Engagement photo taken by Jenny Schartner and used with client’s permission.

“How many pieces should I order for my puzzle guest book?”

This is a question I hear almost every day.

Good news! You do not need to get a puzzle piece for every guest. If you did that, some of the puzzle pieces would be unsigned at the end of your event. This is because:

• many of your guests will attend as couples
• a lot of those couples will sign as couples (“jim and lindsay” on one puzzle piece), not as single guests (“keith” and “beth” on separate pieces)
• some of your guests will attend as families, in which case parents will sign for their children

Customers who get the number wrong say:

Argh! I should have listened to you! Now I have about thirty blank pieces. I’d have saved money if I followed your advice.

I should have ordered more pieces. What was I thinking?! People had to share puzzle pieces and some of them just didn’t bother to sign because they saw the puzzle pieces were all full.

Customers who get the number right say:

Thanks so much for your advice about the number of puzzle pieces. We had just enough with a couple blanks left over. I was so worried we’d be short, but it was perfect. I’d have spent a lot more on the puzzle if I’d just gone with my gut – thanks for talking me into getting the smaller number of pieces.

 

So, how do you figure out how many pieces to order? Easy!

• Multiply your number of guests by 0.70
• Round up or down to the nearest increment of 10
• That’s how many pieces you need

Example: Let’s say you expect 125 guests. 125 x 0.70 = 87.5. Round that up to 90. For 125 guests, a 90 piece puzzle is perfect.

The secret formula is: get enough puzzle pieces for 70% of your guest list.

Yes, you may choose to get a few more pieces – or a few less. The “safe” range is 60-80% of the guest list. Do what makes you comfortable – but you really don’t need enough pieces for 100% of the guests. Trust me on that.

Did this help you decide how many puzzle pieces you’ll need? I hope so. If you still have a question leave a comment for me below or get in touch with me directly.

This custom tree-shaped Tree Wedding Puzzle was a gift from bride to groom! So sweet!

I felt the image called for the names to be in a more delicate font than I usually use.