Archive for August 2011
From a Photographer’s Perspective – Why You Need a Wedding Planner
August 26, 2011 | 
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Our friend and esteemed collegue, Christy Whitehead, recently posted a great article on her blog as to Why You Need a Wedding Planner. We thoght it was a nice follow up to our post on why you need a second shooter. You can read Christy’s Entire Blog, but we thought you might like to read a few paragraphs:
And now my two cents as the photographer.
The majority of weddings I shoot do not have a planner. Some have a venue coordinator, but in many cases I find that the event coordinator is gone as soon as the food is done being served. Which is when the bride usually turns to me to ask what to do next.
A wedding planner not only helps make sure you arrive on time and gets you down the aisle but helps ensure that at the reception everything is done in a timely manner. Which can mean money saved to you, because many of your vendors are likely charging you by the hour.
Let me put it this way, say you have to pay 3-4 of your vendors to stay an extra hour (happens ALL the time) that is likely to run you $1,000+ easily (And some vendors may have other weddings to go to and can’t stay!). Many day of coordinators start in that range and could have not only helped the wedding stay on time but have been on site all day to ease the tension of stained dresses, vendors arriving on time, and other emergencies that happen at EVERY wedding.
I hope you will consider hiring a wedding planner/coordinator for your wedding day. Not only can they save you a lot of stress, but sometimes the amount of money they can save you could cover the cost of hiring them. And I don’t know a wedding vendor who doesn’t prefer a wedding that has a coordinator in charge, it makes our day go by sooo much more smoothly. I also have someone to go to, should I have any questions, so that I don’t have to bug the bride who likely won’t know the answer for sure anyway.
Posted in Christy Whitehead Photography, Uncategorized, Wedding Photography, wedding planner | 
Tags: Christy Whitehead Photography, Wedding Photographer, Wedding Planner | 
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Wedding Photography: Is a second shooter necessary?
The photographs taken at your wedding are the one thing that will last a lifetime. They tell the story of your wedding day. That may have been a blur to most brides, if you are anything like me. From the getting ready process, to walking down the aisle, to the reception and send off, your day is filled with so many unique moments and memorable events that you don’t want to miss one second of it.
Let’s walk through a wedding day as if we were fast forwarding through the day. You wake up and are enjoying a leisurely lunch with your bridesmaids, get your hair and make-up done, and enjoy some final moments with your closest friends before you walk down the aisle. Meanwhile, your future 
husband and his best friends are getting ready themselves, often having just as much fun as you and your girls are! But, there’s only one photographer, so which “getting ready” process is the photographer going to miss? The guys, or the girls?
Next you are at the church marrying your best friend. In between getting pictures of you walking down the aisle, photographing your entire wedding ceremony and getting all of those traditional “post wedding pictures,” of your family and friends, who is taking the photos of the details of your reception that is currently getting swamped by all of the guests that have arrived quite a while before you to the reception venue?
Did you get a picture of the cake before your nephew put his finger down the bottom tier to get a quick taste? Did you get a photo of the beautiful place setting you spent so long working on to make it perfect for your personal 
style? What about a photo of just the details of your reception venue that you don’t want obstructed by your Uncle Mike in the background?
So my question to you is, can one person really capture every aspect of a wedding successfully? My answer would be no, unless you have found a photographer that has developed a way to be in multiple places at once. Now with that being said, one photographer can be successful in taking great photos, there is no question of that, skill and artistry have nothing to do with the simple fact that two of anything will always be better than one.
So when you begin planning your big day, or if you have already started, consider hiring a photographer that that fits your wedding day best. If details and documentation of each part of your big day are important to you, you will want a photographer that uses a second shooter so that every aspect of your wedding day is captured in a memory to last a lifetime.
Wedding Wednesday: Using Friends as Your Vendors
It has been well over two months since Lucy’s wedding in June and she has yet to receive video footage of her wedding day. After several weeks of squabbling and bickering back and forth with the videographer, she has given up hope. She has concluded that it was a waste of time and energy and the best thing to do is simply rid herself of all the negativity.
She had hoped that the video would at least be completed before her
husband’s seven month deployment. But that hope was quickly flushed down the toilet shortly after his departure and still no sign of the video.
The videographer was actually a good friend of the family. It was the day before the wedding during the rehearsal that Lucy realized the need for a videographer. Since it was short notice and this friend of theirs specializes in such things, her sister suggested him right away. Making a quick phone call, the deal was made without a contract.
That was a big mistake. Days, weeks, and months later, there is still no video in hand, but instead ill feelings, empty promises, and an ended friendship remain. It really is disheartening to say that sometimes you learn who your true friends are and what they can be trusted with during the most important times of your life.
This leads us to our next tip:
Friends or not, make sure a written contract is provided for every deal that is agreed upon among all parties involved. This is to ensure that all legalities are handled in an appropriate and established manner and that all promises are met. This way, you’re not being hustled for your money and lead to believe in false promises. For some, this friend equation with business works out well, but for others, it can only lead to disaster.
Wedding Trends! A Means of Distraction
We all know the tradition, the one you don’t want to take part in with an audience of anyone of anyone that can be considered a grandparent or child… the garter toss. Going hand in hand with the bouquet toss, these pair of rituals has an unusual and downright dirty start.
Back in the day, after the bride and groom said, “I do,” they immediately went into a nearby room to “close the deal” and consummate the marriage. To make it official there would need to be witnesses. Hopeful (and somewhat greedy) guests would attempt to get their hands on a lucky remnant of the bride’s dress as it was ripped off her.
After some time people came to their senses and realized this was a bit inappropriate. As the tradition evolved (for modesty’s sake), the bride could toss her bouquet as a diversion when she made her getaway and the groom could remove a bridal undergarment and toss it back to the waiting throng of men.
We have come a long way but many shy brides (and single ladies) will agree the quest for the garter and broadcast of status of the single ladies in the house is uncomfortable at best. Worry no longer, I have got an alternative for you.
When the time comes to throw the bouquet, ask all married couples to stand. Slowly have couples sit down as their marriage year is called (In example, “If you have been married one year or less, sit down. Five years? Ten?”) The married couples trickle down until only the longest married couple is still standing. Present them with your bouquet and ask if you can have the next dance. Here’s a tip: Don’t present the garter to the old man; he might have a heart attack. Give him the groom’s boutonniere, the bride will be happy to save herself the embarrassing frisk and the image of her younger brother’s friend acquiring the lingerie.
Happy marriage!
Wedding Wednesday – Wedding Tips
Our staff wanted to create a series of blogs with tips for the wedding party and different family members involved with the Couple’s special day. This will be the first of many (I hope) informational tidbits for family and friends. Here is Lucy’s take on being the MOH!
This past June, my sister wed the love of her life, whom we gladly and quickly welcomed to the family. I was finally seeing firsthand how two different people came together to mesh in marital bliss. I was ecstatic for her just as any sister would be, but at the same time, I felt a huge sense of disappointment in myself.
Yes, some of those close to my sister may call me the maid of dishonor due to my lack of knowledge of responsibilities and duties that my title entailed. In addition, I was absent for most of the planning process as well, so the responsibilities were left for my sister and her wedding planner, Tanya. Thank goodness for Tanya because every little detail of the wedding was covered, which ultimately saved my butt. Otherwise my head would’ve been on a chopping block because nothing would’ve gotten done or would’ve turned out as gorgeous as they did.
Though, I cannot go back and change what happened, or in my case, what didn’t happen, here you will find tips on how you can save yourself from being dubbed “the maid of dishonor”. It’s a shame to revisit those memories and wish you had done everything differently.
♥ ♥ ♥ MOH Tip #1: It is ALWAYS about the bride.
This is one of the most special times of the bride’s life, so put your selfish needs to the side. Make sure you always make time for her when she needs you and make things feel special, such as bridal appointments, showers, etc. Act and do what you would expect in return or if the roles were reversed. At times, we all may get caught up in our own lives and busy schedules, but at least do your best and make the effort.”
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