Wedding Tips and Advice Archives – Page 4 of 8

Realistic Shot List

December 25, 2011 By katrina Leave a Comment

The shot lists I have been seeing online and in magazines are quite extensive. Pages and PAGES in fact.

While photography is important on your wedding day, photography is not the ONLY important thing you’ll do on your wedding day and should not be taking up hours of your time…unless that is something you really want. There are so many shots on these “must have shot lists” that are not necessary at all, however, it can be daunting to sit down and create your own shot list.

We are big fans of not having a shot list. It kind of takes the creative flow away when you have to look down at a piece of paper every time you take a picture. But we ARE big fans of the “must have list” where our clients tell us the two or three images they HAVE to have.

For example, though we normally shoot the wedding dress in full length, the back of the dress isn’t the focus of most of our images. We had a client that loved the back of her dress so much and wanted it featured in the photography, so we made sure to take more images than normal showing the back of her gown. Another must have image tends to be a goofy cousins shot, or a picture of a keepsake the bride is carrying down the aisle. It is very important to tell your photographer about these shots, but try to keep the “musts” to a short list and trust your photographer to get the rest of the images.

When it comes to group formals, that is normally where the shot list gets ridiculously long. In reality, group formals are there to document what family attended the wedding and to get a nice smiley picture of the wedding party. Most members of a wedding dread the formals. They power through them, but it isn’t the highlight of the day. So why make them hours long? For family pictures you need:

bride, groom, groom’s extended family (grandparents and decendants…if you want to go bigger that is up to the couple)
bride, groom, groom’s immediate family (parents and siblings with spouses and kids)
groom and siblings
groom and parents
bride, groom, bride’s extended family
bride, groom, bride’s immediate family
bride and siblings
bride and parents

A few others, like the couple with grandparents or the couple with all the little cousins can be nice for documentation and memories as well.

For group pictures you need:

groom and groomsmen
bride and groomsmen (only if bride is good friends with them)
groom and bridesmaids (only if groom is good friends with them)
bride and bridesmaids
bride and groom with entire wedding party

Easy peasy lemon squeezy. All of this can be done in less than an hour if everyone is on time and listening. Which 1) leaves you more time for fun/creative pictures and 2) makes everyone participating very happy

Other pictures are also fine! I’m not saying they should be ignored. But they aren’t necessary, they are extras. Once you change the label, then you can view them more objectively.

Do you NEED a picture of yourself with each individual bridesmaid or would you rather have one with all the bridesmaids close together and smiling? Can you have both? sure! do you need to do one or the other? no. Do you NEED a picture of mom’s side of the family, then dad’s, then all the aunts and uncles, then the cousins, then the spouses, etc.? Do you NEED a picture with his parents and yours together (the in-law picture)? With the officiant? With Godparents or childhood friends? With every single table at your reception? Formals without the ushers and then the same formals with the ushers? NO! Can you ask for these pictures if you want? SURE!

The whole point is that you should get to take the pictures you want. Don’t let a magazine, or your photographer, or your aunt, or your friend that just got married, tell you your must have shot list. Take a few minutes to think about what you really want, pay attention to the length of time you’ll need and budget that time, and inform your photographer about your expectations. And even though I sound like a broken record, work with a photographer you trust, get along with, and is a professional to guarantee you’ll be enjoying your day rather than worrying about how your pictures will turn out.

An Atypical First Dance

December 9, 2011 By katrina Leave a Comment

Are you a couple that enjoys fun but don’t like to have everyone staring at you for too long? Does the idea of turning in a circle to a slow dance while everyone watches make you nervous?

There are many ways to have the special moment of a first dance without it taking three to seven minutes.

One of the easiest things to do is to have the DJ announce halfway through the first dance that it is time for the guests to join the couple on the dance floor. Be sure to prep your wedding party and family a head of time so they know they all better get out there and share the spotlight.

Another option would be to prep your parents that at a certain part of the song, they can come and do the father/daughter and mother/son dance.

You could always do a faster song that is upbeat and fun to take the pressure off of not stepping on each others’ feet.

My favorite option, though (yes, I tend towards the theatrical) is to have a spot in the sweet slow song where the DJ mixes in a loud dance anthem and the crowd flash mobs the dance floor. It doesn’t have to be just the wedding party, it could be a group of fun college mates or the crazy cousins…the trick is to keep it a surprise for the ultimate wow factor. And who knows? Maybe your wedding will be the next YouTube hit!

Rocket Science Weddings and Events

September 9, 2011 By katrina Leave a Comment

Every once and a while, I like to interview other wedding professionals. It is fun to see their perspective on weddings and share their insights with readers of this blog. This time around I asked Gretchen, owner of Rocket Science Weddings and Events to share her expertise.

Gretchen Culver is a fabulous person and a think outside the box type of creative. She is a go getter, a mom, fantasy football smack talker, walking taco eater, and a great date to networking parties. I love her passion for her brides, and her creative ideas. She knows how to work a budget and be the calm force on the wedding day that makes everything go smoothly. She is also a member of the Independent Wedding Association which makes her an all new level of awesome =)

Here is our interview, enjoy!

What is your experience as a wedding planner?
I have been planning weddings since 2002 in some fashion or another. I launched my own company is 2009, Rocket Science Weddings and Events.

What is the biggest logistical issue on a wedding day that most couples overlook?
Who is going to pick everything up at the end of the night. There are a million different pieces that need to come together, especially if there are any DIY projects involved. Thought is given to how everything is going to be set up, but not how they are coming down.

Another logistical issue involves cars. If the bridal party drives to the church, but then gets in a limo after the ceremony to go to the reception, all of the cars are going to be at the church and the wedding party will have to figure out how to get there at the end of the night or the next morning.

What is the benefit of hiring a wedding planner first before your other vendors?
There are many!!! First, the amount of stress taken off the bride and groom. Some of the biggest decisions about the wedding day come first (venue, budget, guest list, etc.) and many couples try and tackle them on their own. This can be very stressful. I see a lot of couples coming to me after they have found the venue because they are too stressed out and done with planning. Getting engaged changes family dynamics too, which can be stressful.

Second, expertise. You are only getting married once, I help people get married every weekend. My expertise is going to translate into time and money savings for you. Who wants to spend hours and hours researching vendors?! And how do you know you are getting the best price? We are going to help you find the perfect vendors for your budget and style.

Third, design. Some brides have lots of ideas about how they want their wedding to be, without having any way to translate those ideas into reality. Additionally, a good designer can create more out of your vision than you thought possible. Not all wedding planners are designers, but can direct you to a designer if need be.

Do you do destination weddings as well as local?
If you count Wisconsin, I do destinations! I would love to do more destination weddings, but currently I do most of my events in the greater Twin Cities.

How many hours does a typical day-of planner work?
I am sure it varies from planner to planner, but my day-of package entails 30-40 hours of work. The day of can be 10-15, plus all of the preplanning.

If you have to trim a budget, how do you go about doing that? What goes into the decision making?
I think about what the bride and groom value, and trim everything else. For example, if they really really want letterpress invitations and the budget is already maxed out, we may have to cut from decor or somewhere else to accommodate. However, a well planned budget from the get go should account for all those expenses.

What is your favorite hidden gem wedding business in the Twin Cities?
I love Gold’n Treasures, it is literally a hidden gem. They are a jewelry shop like no other. As you enter the shop in the basement of a brownstone, you are greeted with dum dum suckers and diamonds. It is great!

For vintage rentals, which I love, the up and coming Lime Canary Vintage Rentals is a great resource.

What is your favorite first dance song?
“Stay with You” by John Legend. It was my first dance song, that is probably why.

What colors do you see being big for 2012 and 2013? Any other trends we should be aware of?
Colors – metals, bright colors and mixing and matching. A pale blue with a neon turquoise or something like that. A big trend I am seeing is creating lounge areas in the reception space. Oh, and my favorite trend, pre-ceremony cocktails! I really like to plan non-traditional weddings so the rules go out the window, I like to think of my brides as trendsetters.

What wedding tradition do you wish would go away? What tradition do you love?
The tradition I wish would go away is definitely the dollar dance. It just isn’t right. One tradition I love is using a signature flower for the bride and groom. This flower is only n the bride’s bouquet and the groom’s boutonniere and nowhere else in the arrangements or decor.

So there you have it! I can’t tell you how through all the weddings we have photographed, we have realized how invaluable a wedding designer and planner can be. Gretchen immediately puts you at ease and really does have the talent to wow your guests. Go look up Rocket Science and follow her blog for fun ideas!

The Perfect Send Off

August 2, 2011 By katrina Leave a Comment

In past generations, the wedding tradition was to have the ceremony, treat guests to appetizers, cake and punch during picture-taking, and then mingle with guests for a while before changing into your honeymoon clothes and leaving in a big send off.

This timeline isn’t usually how we do weddings anymore, but the send off is still a fun tradition that isn’t too hard to do and can add a lot of excitement and memories to the day. However, it does require a little bit of planning and organization to go off without a hitch.

First, you need to decide what look you want for your send off.

The traditional activity is to have the guests throw rice (a sign of fertility and wealth) or birdseed at the couple, though most venues don’t allow it unless you hire someone to clean up. Other items like rose petals, silly string, bubbles, butterflies, doves, and balloons can be used to fill the air place with energy. These are all options, but each create their own level of pollution, so please make sure to think about clean up.

Another idea would involve objects you don’t throw. Having a traditional military exit with uniformed people holding their swords in an arch for the couple to walk under, or waving colorful streamers (this looks reallycool in pictures), or sticks with pennants on them are all options. Another exit idea involves sound. Ringing bells (and if you can get church bells chiming it is even better!), a bagpiper playing, a marching band, trumpets, heck…kazoos, can send you off with a blast. And yet another idea is for a night time exit. Sparklers rock, they look amazing in pictures and people love to play with them. Using sparklers, fireworks, floating lanterns, or anything glow-in-the-dark for your exit is a great end to the evening.

Whatever type of send off you do, there are a few constants that I would recommend following for everything to be a success. Getting wedding guests to do anything is like herding cats, so having a little bit of organization is important.

1) check your venue for any restrictions ahead of time and any clean up that needs to happen. Stick to environmentally friendly options.

2) have four people be your “send off crew”…two at the exterior doors to hand out the products and two where you’d like the line of guests to stop (so position them by the get away vehicle but not too close). This crew needs to be a bit vocal and energetic to get the crowd going (and to keep them waiting rather than wandering off), and the two by the vehicle should also have some product so they can hand them to people that might not have grabbed one as they left the ceremony venue.

3) have someone inside the ceremony site let the guests know when the couple is ready to exit. At this time, guests should start blowing bubbles or lighting their sparklers so the air is filled when the couple comes out. If doing sparkler lighting, I’d suggest at least 4 if not 6 or 8 people with lighters walking up and down the crowd at the same time. Since sparklers don’t last more than a few seconds, it is important to coordinate the lighting. For bubbles, consider having automatic bubble guns for some people to really fill the air.

4) be sure to smile, laugh, high five guests and enjoy your red carpet moment!

What I would personally love to see? A floating lantern release. This is an eastern tradition and is simply an amazing photo op ; ) Purchase lanterns either to release into the sky or into the water and hand one to each guest or couple. At the same time, everyone lights them and forms an aisle for the couple to walk down. The couple walks to the front of the group where another lantern is waiting for them. They light it together, and then at the same time, everyone releases them. Romantic, gorgeous, memorable.

A Photographer’s Photographer

August 1, 2011 By katrina Leave a Comment

There is a big gap between what is trendy, what is current, and what is traditional in weddings. Trendy sets the stage, traditional is tried and true, and current is somewhere in the middle (and you hope your current doesn’t become too dated…puffy sleeves in the 80’s, anyone?). This is true whether you are looking at floral, gown design, or entertainment for your wedding, but is especially true when it comes to photography.

When you choose your wedding photographer, it isn’t just about their portfolio. You want to make sure you hire someone that will deliver consistent results…the family photos at a wedding are definitely traditional, but certainly necessary. You want to make sure you hire someone that is easy to work with…when you are stressed out you want someone with a calming presence and you also want your portrait session to be fun. You also want to make sure that they will push the creative envelope a bit…not only does this mean your photographer loves what they do, but also wants to continue to become better. If you find a photographer or photography team that can do all three, I consider that a fantastic find. It comes with experience and enthusiasm and a genuine love of weddings.

To make sure that we belong in all of those categories, we are constantly educating ourselves and staying current in the wedding industry. Yes, I love the fact that I have to purchase wedding magazines as a business expense and I truly read them cover to cover. This helps me not only chat with brides about their wedding, but use my experience to help answer questions if need be. One of the education tools I’m very happy with is the Foundation Workshop. It is an online community of photographers from all over the world that share and grow together. Yep, it sounds cheesy, but it is true. The best of the best are still so passionate about photography and are eager to guide and teach and share with others like me. I find the people that are very active in the forum are positive and encouraging and I love being able to share experiences with them as well.

When I post blog entries of weddings we shot that day, I show our top 8 images. I want to show a balance of artsy images, pictures of the couple and their bridal party, and their details. It is a bit of a deliberation process (often at 1am) for me to find the perfect 8 that tell a story. I want to excite the bride, inspire future brides with ideas, and show other clients what we can do. After I pick those 8, I then submit 4 others to the Foundation Forum for my peers to critique. I do this for every wedding. It can be hard to hear critiques, but it only helps us get better! So I thought it would be fun to share this with you. If you look at Leslie and Matt’s wedding on July 30th, you can see what images I chose. Here, I will show the images I submit for other photographers to judge. I feel that is shows where we truly lie as artists. What really floats our boat, so to speak =) Let us know what you think!