So many gorgeous things to say about this wedding, and the couple!!!! I can say that these families welcomed us all into their hearts and we were so honored to share this awesome day (and still get poked on facebook every once an a while lol.)
Now I am gonna get on my little soap box for a minute and then we can continue 
I am a HUGE believer in adding video to ALL weddings! I watch mine every year (and I have been blessed to have watched it SO many years with my amazing husband)… but enough about me! lol
Take a moment to look at this AWESOME photo of the wedding party! You are able to gather a sense of how much fun they are having while playing silly little games! With photos, we can capture a second in time. which we LOVE so very much (and I am sure every bride hangs one of these photos on their walls!)
Now it is time to watch the video. You will notice a small segment, in this preview, where the wedding party is actually moving! You get a glimpse of how much fun they are having and we can now see a scene in totality. Oh how I wanted to wear a purple dress and hop in the middle of this fun crowd!!!
Now if you are considering NOT having a video, let me give you a few things to think about:
1) Not everybody in your wedding will be around forever. I am not trying to be morbid but having my grandfather on video, at my wedding, is one of my greatest treasures EVER!!!
2) If you have kids, they will for SURE want to see Mom and Dad’s wedding!!! Imagine the grandkids too! Your wedding will be a legacy!
3) You will miss SO much of your wedding. Since you cant be in two places at once, it is impossible for you to know everything you missed! So the video will be so new and fun for you too!
So, if you can fit it in the budget, GET A VIDEOGRAPHER!!!!!! If you cant fit it in the budget, and are computer savvy, get a few flip cameras and have your wedding party pass them around throughout the night! JUST GET IT ON VIDEO! You will thank me in 10 years
Wedding Planner: The D-Tails: April Dorsey
Ceremony/Reception Venue/Cake: Rosen Shingle Creek Resort
Officiant: Rev Ferguson/ Rabbi Lefkowitz
Photographer: Kristen Weaver
DJ: Soundwave
Florist:Lee Forrest Design
Hair and Makeup: Luisa V
Chairs: A Chair Affair
The Reminisce Film Crew
Producer: Travis Hull
Camera Operator: Travis Hull
Camera Operator: Aren Bane
Editor: Kyle Carbajal
The time to start thinking about how you will thank your guests is NOW! Way before the wedding!!! So, think ahead. As you plan your wedding photography, remember to think about the specific pictures you want in your wedding album and to send to family and friend in your “thank you” notes. The Bride and Groom can express their gratitude or convey personal messages in their wedding photography by special arrangement with their photographer.
You can arrange to have this special photo shoot 2 to 3 months before the wedding with their engagement portraits or on the wedding day. You will want a few photos that can tell a story or a series of photos that tell a story. Have your photographer shoot some creative photos for you to include in your “thank you” notes after the wedding. The more creative you are the better, but be sure these photos are a reflection of you as a couple (now a married couple!) Be sure to order an 8 x 10 of your favorite. It’ will make a perfect keepsake to hang in your home. Lets look at a few examples of some fun Thank you cards!
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I have had so many questions lately about booking wedding vendors and the confusion many of the websites suggestions. The bottom line is, you want to book them as soon as possible! Don’t think that every vendor you want will be available on your wedding day! You want to hire the best, but so does every other bride! I am booking weddings for 2013 already….. So the early bird does catch the worm (although I am in NO WAY referring to wedding industry folks as worms lol!!!!)
I went to the a few planning websites to see what timelines they are suggesting to brides. Some of what I found made sense, but certain parts of each “wedding vendor checklist” didn’t seem to match reality. I’ve broken them down their advice by vendor type, and added my two cents as well.
Wedding Planner:
The Knot: 9-11 months
Wedding Wire: 9 months
Brides.com: 11 months
My suggestion: 12+ months
Notes: There is a general rule of thumb that you can follow when booking your wedding vendors, “If it requires a specific person, do it as soon as possible.” Certain wedding vendors provide products (like cake, flowers, and invitations) and can provide those products to multiple couples in a single day. Anything else needs to be secured as quickly as you can, because they are a scarce resource. Wait too long and the one you want will probably be booked. A wedding planner will have the greatest amount of utility to you and can help with the rest of your purchases, so start here. If you’re not sure if you need (or want) a wedding planner or coordinator you may want to schedule a consultation (ours are FREE) and find out more. I highly recommend hiring one — you’ll thank me later.
Wedding Venue (Reception Site):
The Knot: 9-11 months
Wedding Wire: 9 months
Brides.com: 11 months
My suggestion: 12+ months
Notes: ASAP. This is another scarce resource, and some reception venues will book up to two years in advance of a popular date. Contrary to popular belief, simply saying a date is your wedding date does not mean that is your wedding date — unless it doesn’t matter to you where you have your wedding. You do not have a wedding date until you put down a deposit on your ceremony and reception sites. Without a firm wedding date, you can’t hire any of your wedding-related services. Hence, this is the place to start.
Wedding Caterer:
The Knot: 9-11 months
Wedding Wire: 9 months
Brides.com: 6 months
My suggestion: 9-12 months
Notes: Catering may be included at your reception venue, so you may be able to skip this one, but if it isn’t , you will want to book a cater once you book the venue. Every caterer has a limited number of events they can do on any given date, and booking early ensures that you will be able to choose the one you want. I would also advise you not to wait for a tasting if it’s more than a month into the future — you should be able to get a clear picture of a caterer’s quality and their style of food from their website and reviews. This is another area where a wedding planner can help a lot. They have probably worked with every good caterer in your area and know who is good, who is not, and who will fit your budget.
Wedding Photographer:
The Knot: 6-8 months
Wedding Wire: 6 months
Brides.com: 6 months
My suggestion: 10-12 months
Notes: NO NO NO NO!!!!!!! I was actually surprised by the “expert” timelines on this one. Six months? Really? Most couples think the photographer is an important part of their wedding, and I can tell you that most of the top-tier wedding photographers are going to be long gone at 6 months to go. In my opinion, you should include the wedding photographer in the group of vendors you hire immediately after setting your wedding date. The top talent will book first, so hiring a wedding photographer close to a year before your wedding is a good idea.
Wedding Disc Jockey:
The Knot: 9-11 months
Wedding Wire: 9 months
Brides.com: 6 months
My suggestion: 10-12 months
Notes: This was one of the services that the timelines didn’t seem to agree on. The same rule from above applies to your wedding DJ as well — you are hiring a specific person to be your disc jockey and the top talent in your area will be the first to get booked. Waiting too long to book your wedding DJ will leave you with a limited number of available DJs to choose from.
Wedding Videographer:
The Knot: 6-8 months
Wedding Wire: 6 months
Brides.com: 6 months
My suggestion: It depends.
Notes: If you’re going to hire a wedding videographer (and I SERIOUSLY think a video is a cherished gift years down the road), you need to decide how important the wedding video is to you. If a fabulous, amazing wedding video is a high priority for you, then you need to treat the videographer the same as the photographer and book them as early as possible. If it’s a low priority and you’re just going to hire the cheapest person you can find, it can probably wait until later.
Ceremony Officiant:
The Knot: 9-11 months
Wedding Wire: 6 months
Brides.com: 11 months
My suggestion: 9-12 months
Notes: I personally think that finding the right ceremony officiant is crucial, assuming that your ceremony site doesn’t come with a pastor/priest/rabbi included. A really good officiant can make your ceremony magical and since you’re hiring a specific person, the same rule applies and I recommend booking them early in the process. This is yet another area where a wedding planner (as well as your photographer, videographer, and disc jockey) can really help – we’ve all seen great (and not-so-great) ceremonies and can offer suggestions based on what type of ceremony you want.
Wedding Florist:
The Knot: 6-8 months
Wedding Wire: 6 months
Brides.com: 6 months
My suggestion: 6-9 months
Notes: Now we’re getting into the wedding vendors who can do multiple weddings in one day. Most florists can handle a few weddings at a time depending on the size, so booking one at a year before your wedding isn’t as crucial. That being said, I think that it also depends on how important the flowers are to you. If you have your heart set on a certain florist or a certain style, then I say pull the trigger and put down a deposit. The really good florists in our area still sell out during the busy season, so you can’t wait too long.
Wedding Cake:
The Knot: 6-8 months
Wedding Wire: 6 months
Brides.com: 6 months
My suggestion: 6-9 months
Notes: Most wedding cake bakeries can do multiple wedding cakes on any give date, so you’re safe waiting for a little while. I highly recommend visiting multiple cake shops and sampling their cakes. Note that some cakeries may charge for a tasting (that may or may not be applied to booking with them!) Plus, you’ll end up making a better decision if you shop around a little bit. Not everybody has the same palate so multiple tastings are a good idea!
Wedding Invitations:
The Knot: 6-8 months
Wedding Wire: 6 months
Brides.com: 5 months
My suggestion: 6 months
Notes: Since you’re not going to be mailing your invitations a year before your wedding, you don’t need to buy them that early either. However, I do recommend sending “save the date” cards to your guests as soon as you secure your reception site and wedding date. Find a good stationer in your area that carries the styles and brands you like, and use them for both. They will save you time, offer suggestions on confusing wording, send you a proof and take care of errors!
Wedding Transportation:
The Knot: 2-3 months
Wedding Wire: 2 months
Brides.com: 6 months
My suggestion: 5-6 months
Notes: Seriously? TWO months lol? If you are going to hire professional transportation (limos, shuttle buses, whatever), then you need to hire someone good and you need to do it more than 2 months before your wedding. Any wedding planner will tell you that the wedding vendors they have the most trouble with are limo drivers. The good ones will provide you with a clean, great looking ride and get you to the church on time. The bad ones will show up late (or not show up), get lost, and make you late for the wedding you’ve paid so much to plan. My advice is to do this about 6 months before your wedding, and pay a little extra to hire the best company you can find. Ask your wedding planner for advice on who to hire, chances are she’s had a bad experience with more than one of the limo companies in your area.
***Additional note: If you are getting married from late April through the beginning of June, you really need to jump on your limo situation. Most brides don’t think about it, but its prom season — most limo companies will completely sell out on Fridays and Saturdays.
As you can see, the “experts” don’t even agree on the wedding planning timeline. The best advice I can give is: a) hire a wedding planner, b) book your reception site and set your date immediately, c) book anything that requires a specific person as soon as possible, and d) do your homework when you hire your vendors!
These days it is much easier than ever to go green and photographers seem to be leading the way. With most photographers going digital, many could claim to be green, but it takes more than just going digital to make a truly green photographer. Are you looking for a way to stay SUPER GREEN?
When looking for a “eco friendly” photographer a few things to consider:
- Look for photographers that not only promote green but live it.
- Look for businesses that work within “green” business perimeters.
- Look for a photographer that takes advantage of energy saving technology and equipment.
- Look for one as passionate about preserving the environment as they are about their work.
Some common eco-friendly practices are:
-rechargeable batteries
-canvas and standout prints, less resources to mat and frame
-support local businesses
-print directly onto image dvd’s instead of using paper labels
- the photographer implements green practices – eats organic, local, free range, hormone free
-drink filtered water rather than bottled
-use eco friendly cleaning supplies in office
-recyle ink cartridges
-eco friendly recycled mailers for image delivery
-use recycled paper
-encourage only printing of images hung
-print locally
-online proofing
-client relations done online, contracts e-signed
-recycles everything possible in their office
-offers vegan albums to clients
