#weddingbelle

Lets tackle a bullet point on the get organized checklist; photo and videography shall we?!  

One of my biggest advice is absolutely go for the video, when we were wedding planning we approached very aspect with how we wanted the experience of that day to be for those we love our family and friends. for the most part the only ones we kept in mind were our guests. the time we put ourselves first was when we researched photo and video. these are the remnants of the day, small glimpses of the day you as the bride and groom will probably miss out on because pictures and saying thank you while trying to sneak in a bite of food before the next task. At the end of it a few months later you'll get a really nice package to bring back all those memories and live them again through images. You get the photos, and you get the video, and it’s your souvenir of the day so I say splurge, take your time, find the one you feel most comfortable with and the one with the portfolio you love the most. 

Here are some questions you should consider when you are looking for your potential photographer and videographer. Consider that when you meet with a photographer you may not particularly like the videographer provided in the company so, you could very well have different vendors, if you do decide to go that route there should be a time where you have them meet before the wedding and so they can get a dynamic started prior to the day.  

How much is the package and what is included

Can you see their portfolio

will you meet the actual photographer that will be the main shooter

different shooting styles

do they follow a shot list or do more candid moments

Is there anytime where you can have an engagement shoot with the main photographer so you can develop a relationship before the day

Do they offer boudoir sessions (this can be a private question the bride asks, just in case you were thinking of a day-of wedding present for the groom)

How many hours are offered 

how much is each additional hour

how many photographers

deposit and total fee

Have they shot at your location before

if not are they willing to go to the location before hand and scout photo locations

Will you get all raw footage

how many photos on average do they shoot

will you have access to all these images

will you be able to download these images

will they be put on a usb or cd for you 

will your guests have access to a digital album of photos

Is there a limit to amount of edits 

Are there options for parent albums

Are thank you cards included in the package 

Videography 

Is there a videography package included/extra pricing

videography style

journalistic

cinematic

traditional 

will there be microphones provided for the officiant and groom 

handheld videocamera/dolly or both? 

does the package include the rehearsal dinner or any other locations 

how many hours are included in the package

will there be a second shooter 

how long is the highlight reel

will you get raw footage 

will you have a say in the editing process 

Will the final video be in HD/Blu-Ray

All of the above are just a few questions you should be prepared to ask and the vendor you choose should also be prepared to provide answers. The answers should help you with the decision process keeping in mind of course your budget. 

When you decide on the photographer/videographer you should then give them a shot list of photos you absolutely must have, also a list of all immediate family and bridal party so that they are acquainted with them. Also for the videographer you can research other videos and send them links of videos you like and so they can get a sense of the couple you are, and how you would want your day captured. Also think of a few songs you would like to include in the video, they could be old songs, new songs, or more meaningful to you and your partner also send those links over to your videographer. This will help them significantly when it comes time to editing, and who knows it may expedite the editing process! 

Welcome to the newest installment of wedding wednesday!  Last time, I spoke about venue shopping, important questions to ask, and budgeting. At the end I mentioned how important it is to stay organized. The best thing I can suggest is getting a notebook, planner, and binder all dedicated to your special day. 

Having all of these things accessible with you can be of great use when you’re out on vendor meetings, also when you don’t want to carry around the binder as it tends to get big and heavy you can use the notebook and quickly jot down any idea or information you come across throughout your day. I am lucky enough to have a hubby that designed a binder for me and named it ‘orchid’ you can purchase these on amazon they come in different colors and they are extremely accessible having the accordion folder attached helps keep a lot of contracts in order. 

First things first, I suggest going to your local school supply store, target, cvs, Walgreens etc... to pick up some things to insert into your binder. Some folders, dividers, post its. Some important sections your binder should have depends on the type of wedding you're having for example a destination wedding entails a little more planning than a local one and entails other aspects like travel, hotels figuring out how to travel with your bridal gown etc. Within your wedding binder for the most part you should include the following sections to help keep you organized and on track to plan the best day ever.

 Budget: Have a excel spreadsheet accounting for all the expenses made this is a way to keep an eye on the budget helping you avoide going over. 

 Ceremony: How/ when/ where to apply for wedding license Officiant Pre-wedding classes 

 Venue: Here you will collect all the information from the venue, contracts, menus, any accommodations 

 Reception:  This section is to keep a working brainstorm of how you wish to have the reception decorated, quick magazine cut outs, 

DJ: have a checklist with all the music you need for each part of the day you'd be surprised how many songs need to be chosen before hand. 

Photography: Have a list of questions for your vendor, shots you want to have for the day of its good to have magazine cut outs or maybe share a pinterest board with your photographer before the wedding day

 Bridesmaids: Dress ideas, Store contracts, sizing, fitting dates, down payments, color swatches, bridal party gift ideas. 

 Bridal: Gown Contract, make a list with your budget, fabric preference, the style you like the most and the one you hate the most... you'll be surprised you may end up with the one you think you would dislike.  

 Makeup and Hair, and  Accessories

 Decor: ideas, and themes, have pictures to show your florist and venue 

Cake: some venues have the cake included if so take advantage because you're paying for it regardless in your package, some places will only offer a buttercream cake so keep that in mind when you look at cake options. schedule tastings those are the best! 

Honeymoon: all travel info, make sure passports are up to date, if you have changed your last name on your license and not passport yet be sure to carry along your marriage certificate. 

I’ll elaborate more about each of these sue sections throughout the rest of the  wedding series. 

Linked below is a fantastic website that offers a multitude of checklists these were a great help to me when I planned, kept me organized and kept my wedding binder very detailed. http://www.russellandhazel.com/PDF/WeddingTemplate.pdf

As soon as you opened the binder I inserted a clear pocket folder that held business cards, pens, post its, color swatches that I had printed out with the wedding theme. Then I added different tabs for the different sections which I mentioned previously, I would add the print out corresponding to each section and had a pocket folder for any magazine cut outs or pertinent info. Along with your binder I recommend having an agenda just to keep important dates written, such as appointments,and payment deadlines. Of course you can also use social media, there are a multitude of wedding websites now much like the Knot, and wedding wire, where you can have a virtual planner where you can add pins from pinterest also see ratings of different vendors from previous customers. You can most definitely have these alongside your personal binder which is a more tangible thing which you can later save. 

that’s it for this week next week, we’ll tackle some vendors. if there are any specific questions you may have you can always drop me a line or email me [email protected]. I will live vicariously through you since I so greatly miss wedding planning. 

Welcome to the first installment of Wedding Wednesday. To answer the question above...Enjoy it! Getting engaged is an inexplicable feeling, like you’re in a bubble of pure joy and love. Soak it all in, before diving head first into the wedding planning process; a land where you live by deadlines. 

My fiancé and I spent about 3 months in the engagement bubble and it was glorious. We started planning in February 2014 and our first task on the checklist was establishing a budget. The second and task on the list was finding a venue. After deciding where the fete will be held, (North Jersey), purchasing bridal magazines with area venues is a good place to start. After bookmarking a few, start calling and asking all the important questions making sure the venue fulfills your criteria. This is important before scheduling an appointment.

*first of all find this for your fiancé, its a great read ;)*

Now the important stuff, what to ask: 

If your date is available 

Guest minimum/maximum

Price per person, is there a special price for children and your vendors (usually half price) 

Different pricing for peak/off season

Friday and Saturday

Sunday 

Afternoon vs Evening 

Is there a bar, extra fee for open bar?

If you are also having your ceremony at the same location, it is important to know if there is a ceremony space 

Ceremony fee?

Extra charge for using your own vendors?

Does the venue have vendor suggestions?

Deposit fee, when it is due? Is there a payment plan?

Is there a cancellation Policy

Weather contingency plan 

When can vendors begin to set up?

How do they feel about having a cake from an outside bakery? Is there a cake cutting fee?

Is there on site coordination Maitre’d? If so is there an extra fee?

Do they have liability insurance?

Do they need any insurance documents from your vendors?

Hotels near by for out of town guests

Is there a shuttle service to and from nearest hotel?

Do they offer a food tasting?

Are linens and tableware included?

 If you’re happy with the answers, schedule an appointment. This is a great time to view the space, meet the staff, see if it fits the style of how you envision your wedding. In my wedding planning process I think we saw about 8 different locations. What we learned from this experience is that website pictures can be deceiving. It’s also helpful to lookup ratings on different sites like The Knot, and Wedding Wire. It is best to see the space in person. You’d be surprised how a photo taken at a good angle changes the most dreadful space.  

 Another topic of discussion before choosing a venue is deciding what you don’t want to skirt costs around. In our case, our big three were food, alcohol, and music, which I believe to be the keys to a successful party. Out of all, our most favorite venue provided an absurd amount of food, top shelf open bar and quality service : Seasons in Washington Township. If you are planning a wedding in North Jersey I highly recommend Seasons, or The Venetian, which is owned by the same family.

We visited our venue mid March, and since we had a spring wedding in mind we had to envision how the space would look the following April. That winter was a rough one so there was still snow on the ground. Here are some quick pictures we took during the run through. 

The pictures above are just of the cocktail hour! We fell in love with how luxe and royal it all seemed with the gold ceiling and all the different rooms that would serve as different areas for the guests. This was important for us since both ceremony and reception were to be held at the same location. 

We luckily went on a day that they were setting up for a wedding and so we got to see the space set up for an indoor wedding ceremony and reception. 

The following picture is what sold Leo. Known as the ‘man cave’, this room came fully equipped with arcade games and a bartender so he and his groomsmen could cool down and let loose before the ceremony.

Here is where our imagination kicked in, the outdoor area for the ceremony that was still covered in snow but hopefully wouldn’t be, come wedding day. 

This is what sold me. You see those stairs? just at the top there are big french doors where I would make my entrance and walk down the isle.