wedding planning tips

this wedding wednesday I thought I share a few thoughts of what I've learnedas a wedding photographer these past few years...take them as tips, take them as opinions...they're just my thoughts. :)

invest in your images of your wedding day.

it would be the first one, no? :)okay, okay, OKAY...put aside that I'm the wedding photographer...if I could sit young bride's down JUST as a friend as they set about planning their wedding,THIS is the topic I would start with.you see, all those pin's you're pinning on pinterest, all those magazine clippings you're diligently cutting out of bride's magazine's to make your own "monica wedding book" (yes, I'm a total friend's addict.) :)all those family heirloom's of grandma in her wedding dress you've poured over and sighed over?all of those carefully thought out details and memories you're longing to have will FOREVER remain a just a memory unless you choose to hire a photographer that matches your eye for detail AND personality.I'm just going to flat out say it...I don't think that that photographer should be your "uncle bob".(UNLESS your "uncle bob" is jerry ghionis, then that's okay...), ;)while saying that out of one side of my mouth, on the other I ALSO think it shouldn't be someone outside of your budget and it shouldn't be someone you are not 100% comfortable with entrusting to photograph your memories of your special day.let me explain...I'm sure your "uncle bob" means well, he more-than-likely fits your budget, has a fancy camera and is more than willing...BUT what happens if the unexpected happens? does he know his fancy camera in and out? that backlit, sunlight shot? does he know how to control it so that your images ooze the romance and light you're looking for? does he pour over the magazines and blogs you read and have a clear understanding of what you're envisioning your detail images to look like? does he have the experience and drive of someone wanting to not just shoot weddings, but to EXCEL in the wedding industry?on the other-spectrum of "uncle bob", the alternative isn't always the seasoned professional costing tens of thousands dollars out of your price range either. if your price range IS ten's of thousands of dollars, HOORAY for you! :) I have full confidence in the bride who is fortunate enough to have that kind-of a budget and having the ability to pick and choose freely without a care to cost or question of skill!no, what I'm saying that there are plenty of other alternative's to hiring a professional photographer for your wedding day...do your research.maybe there is an outstanding photographer that would be willing to alter their package to suit your budget.or, maybe you don't need individual succulent favors for every one of your 400 guests...or, maybe you look a little harder for a wedding dress that is still "you" but doesn't have as large of a price tag attached to it...all I am saying (AS A FRIEND) is to remember...after the dress is boxed up and beginning to yellow with age, after the wedding cake crumbs are thrown away, after the flowers have wilted and been dried out...the ONLY thing that stands the test of time are your beautiful images of your wedding day.make sure they are memorable.my mom is a perfect example of having only one wedding image of her special day...granted they were young, and they eloped...in Florida on a Naval base...BUT ask her if she wishes she had a better, more-in-focus image of the day she said "I do."she won't pause in saying "yes!"the second part to investing in your wedding images isn't just in choosing the skilled photographer...it should ALSO be in choosing their personality.at a wedding I observed as an attendee a while back, I couldn't help but notice a photographer during the ceremony...the photographer stood in the back, clicking almost every twenty seconds on the dot, stayed in one spot, in the back, nearly the entire duration of the ceremony.occasionally the photographer would look in his pocket at his cell phone, but the overwhelming vibe was that he was disinterested and doing the time to receive a paycheck.let me reiterate, I'm all for understanding budget's, but this man did not in any way shape or form match the personalities of the two saying "I do." or give off ANY indication that he had the bride's photographic dreams in the fore-front of his mind.it genuinely made me sad for the bride+groom...personality matters.who you hire should make you smile naturally, should settle the tightness in your shoulder's from planning every detail of your wedding day, should respect and honor the person writing the check...NOT be someone punching a time-clock and detached from one of the most important days of your life.do the research, invest in finding the photographer who is a match...they should be the one first in line eager to invest in your day.the spectrum of photographer's is huge...choose wisely.one more thought on investing in the images of your wedding day...have you thought about an unplugged ceremony?I know, I know, I KNOW! :)before all you DSLR-card-carrying-members raise your camera's and iphones up in arms, let me explain... :)I AM a photographer.I see life in frames.I love instagram.I use facebook, twitter, flickr, vimeo + youtube.I get it...part of being a wedding is telling the world that you're at a wedding and you're proud of the memories you're making/taking.BUT.if I am invited to a wedding ceremony as a guest, I LEAVE MY CAMERA AT HOME. *gasp!*really, I do.my thinking is this...the bride and groom have invited me to their more-than-carefully thought out special day andhave asked for my attendance.my attendance, not my camera.they've hopefully done their research and found that photographer that they trust and it is that photographer's job to tell the story that that bride and groom have asked them to.by sticking my cell phone out (or worse, my giant iPad) into the aisle as the beautiful bride comes down the aisle, I've basically said one of two things to the bride and groom:1. "I've got THE best shot...they SO didn't need to hire that fancy photographer." never mind that the photographer they've carefully chosen to capture their day had to quickly move around me as I take my shot with my cellphone and get a slightly less straightforward shot of the bride happily walking down the aisle. also, wedding's aren't a time to build MY portfolio if I'm asked to be in attendance...it's time for me to make actual eye-contact smiling at the bride coming down the aisle, it's time for me to shed a tear as the groom see's his beautiful bride come down the aisle...eye-contact with my whole face happily participating in attendance - not through a view-finder.OR2. "I don't care that they've hired a photographer, I want MY memory, MY image to post to the above said social media...it IS after-all my memory and I feel more a part of their day if I take my own shots." there-by selfishly putting aside the bride and groom's request that I be in ATTENDANCE...I'm not in attendance in that moment...I'm attending my own moment, not theirs. like I said before, I love using social media...but I save using social media for other part's of the wedding day...for my own private moment later with the bride and groom or snapping a few on the dance floor later at the reception.I'm all for busting out camera's during the getting ready time, during the family picture's and definitely at the reception...those moments aren't necessarily "once-in-a-lifetime" moments that the bride+groom is going to cherish like the ceremony and should be enjoyed by those in attendance if the bride and groom are happy with that.

HIRE A WEDDING COORDINATOR or GET YOUR SUPER-ORGANIZED-THRIVES-ON-A-TIME-CLOCK FRIEND TO HELP THE WHOLE DAY.

again, you've planned every detail of your beautiful wedding to a "T"...it's time to enjoy the day.if you, as the bride, end up getting stuck having to be questioned about every detail of the day, I've seen too many bride's miss out on the simply joy of BEING a bride.hiring a wedding planner free's you up to ENJOY your day...I would also suggest that asking your mom or family member's to organize people isn't the best option either...those are YOUR people...they should be attentive to you, not necessarily running around wondering where the boutonniere's are, if grandma know's where she is supposed to sit, or if the caterer know's that there are supposed to be four gluten-free plates served to table 14 at the reception.at one of the last wedding's elizabeth and I photographed, we both were taken aback at how fluid and peaceful the wedding day was thanks the wedding planner they had hired for the day.ansley event design was flawless with her timeline spreadsheet's that she emailed out to each vendor prior to the wedding and again on the wedding day.she wasn't bossy in the slightest and made the wedding party at ease knowing exactly where they were supposed to be, how they were being announced and when the toast's were to happen.she worked seemingly effortlessly with the D.J. keeping the flow of not only the wedding seamless, but the reception as well!bottom line, hire a professional to obtain maximum enjoyment with minimal stressfor your once-in-a-lifetime day. :)which leads me to my final "thought" for this week's wedding wednesday...

HIRE A HIGHLY RECOMMENDED D.J. or timeless-highly-recommended BAND.

your friends mean well.they probably have good taste in music.they have ipod's and some of them might even have D.J. spin app's loaded up to their said iPod's.BUT.I have yet to see a well-meaning friend of the bride+groom keep a reception flowing seamlessly and rocking the duration of the entire reception.just saying.that's also not to say I haven't seen a professional D.J. clear a dance floor by the choice of music faster than you can blink your eye.that's why I said HIGHLY RECOMMENDED D.J.it matter's...you want your reception to be the one they talk about into next year...you want the laughter, the tears at the toast, the sigh's as the bride+groom have their first dance, and the fun of dancing the night away...that only really happens if you have a seasoned-not-cheesy D.J. helping you.who would I highly recommend?elite D.J.'s and entertainment (matt) and bolt entertainment (mike)two classy-non-cheesy-really-good-at-what-they-do D.J. companies...trust me, your wedding guests will thank you for the fun they had at the reception that YOU planned. :)please know, theses are only my thoughts...no matter what wedding you envision and plan...in the end it will be beautiful and special to you.and in the end, THAT is the goal and only thing that matter's as you spend the rest of your life living out your"happily ever after". :)