Hiring a talented, creative and cooperative team of people is essential to planning a great wedding. From caterer to chauffeur, florist to photographer, all the vendors have their role in making your dream come together. Finding the right vendors is a critical part of your planning process.
The first step should be research. There’s a lot of talent out there! Traditional resources for wedding planning have been in print media. Wedding books and magazines are readily available at bookstores, libraries and newsstands. These can be a good place to start.
Wedding trade shows can be a way to meet a lot vendors quickly, but these events tend to feature the “mainstream” operators who pump out a standardized product. If you are looking for traditional, simple and easy wedding, a “show” may be a great start. These kinds of events are held in most major cities at least yearly. Look in your local bridal magazines for listings.
Wedding related websites have made the internet the biggest vendor resource. National sites offer lots of articles and advice, and user forums for brides-to-be share ideas and advice. Many offer lists of local vendors as well. Local or regional wedding websites can offer plenty of good info on what’s available in the areas they serve. Finding a good local site can really help in planning a destination wedding.
And don’t forget, we all know someone who’s just gotten married. The best possible recommendations can come directly from your friends and family who have first hand experiences with vendors through the whole process in the real world. They might also provide second-hand books and magazines, web links, etc. Many established wedding vendors get 50% or more of their new business from referrals!
From the initial contact to the interview, your goal is to decide if the fit is right for you. Do your personalities feel like a good match? Can you work together effectively and efficiently? Questions about price, contracts, and references should be addressed. Open and easy conversation about the details of the planning is part of an effective relationship. Discussion of issues like payment terms, tipping etiquette, or staff attire should never seem strained or uncomfortable. The intimate and personal nature of a wedding demands a sensitive approach. Good vendors understand this, so it’s good to keep your eye on it when you start your research and interviews. If there is tension or unease, move on.
Another route would be looking for a wedding planner or wedding consultant. The expertise of a talented, creative planner can be quite valuable. They can help in a variety of ways from suggesting overall style, scouting locations, researching vendors, booking interviews, even as much as hiring all the vendors for you. Depending on your style, budget, and personal schedule, this option may work wonderfully for you. Most people are not familiar with the wedding industry. It’s unfamiliar territory. Having a veteran lead the way may be the right strategy for you.
The typical, traditional American wedding has a basic structure. The reason for this is simple. For most vendors, success comes from following set routines that have worked in the past. Routines work. But don’t despair! A more personalized and uniquely stylized day can easily be created. If you plan to break the mold make sure you communicate all your special needs and expectations clearly. See how potential vendors react and assess their willingness and ability to accommodate you. Listen to your vendors’ suggestions, and work with them to customize their services to fulfill your wishes. Be sure before you hire a vendor that they understand exactly what special services you want. Be sure that your contract with them includes this part of your agreement. Clear communication in your collaboration with your vendors is the key and will prove to be successful in getting you those special details that will make your day your own.
Your relationship with your vendors should from the first contact be building the trust you need to relax, and let them do their thing while you enjoy your day. You hire them for the confidence they inspire in their professional expertise. Now that you’ve hired the best, let them do their best. Set them free to dazzle you. You’ll be too busy enjoying your wedding to micromanage all the details. No worrying about the cake-cutting knives or the groomsmen’s boutonnieres. No panicking over whether the bagpiper will ever show up or how your wedding cake will handle a hot July afternoon. You cannot get stressed over every detail on your wedding day. The right vendor choices can make or break your day.
Take your research and planning seriously, and all those months of planning will pay off with a relaxed, fun and wonderful wedding day.
Your wedding photography will be with you for all your years together. Selecting a photographer who understands how you want to remember your day will ensure that all your memories are picture-perfect. Just like the other details of the day, the photography can have a distinct style. From traditional to photojournalistic, your choice of photographer can make a huge difference in your experience. No two photographers work the same way, and their portfolios will show it.
Your wedding day will be the most photographed day of your life. As the bride and groom, you will be in almost all of the photographs. For most couples, this is a new experience. It doesn’t have to be a bad one. If the flash of the cameras makes you feel as though you were being hounded by the paparazzi, choose a photographer who has a less intrusive manner. If you’re looking for a high-production, fashion-styled day, then choose a photographer suited for that.
Photographers develop a consistent, personal style as they get more experienced. They learn what works and what doesn’t. This really comes out in the final product, especially the wedding album. The photographs are the story of your wedding. How they are edited and sequenced can profoundly affect how your story is told. A simple set of wedding proofs can create many different stories. For example, lots of formals and a structured timeline or perhaps more candids and a conceptualized flow? Each photographer establishes a unique approach to creating an album with couples. Looking at sample albums can give you a sense of their techniques. By working together, the right choice should become apparent.
The glamour and classic elegance that black & white photography brings to a wedding is becoming more and more popular. Weddings and portraits will always be suited to the classic look of it. Color and black & white photography can be successfully mixed to capture the day. With the advances in digital photography, beautiful black & white photographs can be made out of any color image. It’s no longer necessary for a photographer to choose between color and black & white. Every photograph can be whatever you choose without sacrifice. Deciding on a final product, whether a wedding album or just prints for framing, will also help to narrow your choices and your budget. It may help to ask your family and friends for advice. Why give your parents an album, if they would prefer some enlargements? Save your money, and get them what they want. If you’re a crafty person, then making your own album may be the right path, but that’s another post! By clearly defining your photography goals, your search will be more productive. Use these goals as a shopping list to help make an “apples-to-apples” comparison between photographers. The differences in their pricing and products can sometimes make this difficult. The photography of your wedding offers a lot of possibilities. Putting a little effort into making the right choice will pay off on your wedding day and every time you look at your pictures. 
“Will you marry me?” The question may seem small, but the answer is huge. What exactly that “yes” implies is uncertain and yet exciting. How? When? Where? The list of details, questions, and issues seems endless. While the planning can be overwhelming, it should never be seen as a chore. Nowadays, with the wide availability of wedding resources (books, magazines, online), it is less daunting. This process should be a uniting experience for you as a couple, as well as your family and friends.
“We’re getting married!” It’s the outward declaration of your inner commitment to one another. This seemingly simple sentence can require 6 months to more than a year to realize. What will your wedding say about your commitment and the start of your future together? Symbols of your union, both as a couple and as a family, will help set the stage for the day. Stylistic choices reflect your priorities and values. The wedding celebration is the beginning of your marriage, your life, and your hopes for the future.
When I think back on my favorite weddings, they all had one thing in common. Once the day began, the couple let go of all the planning, the months of preparations, and their large binder full of notes and simply had a great time at their party. You have to trust that you’ve hired great vendors, and let them do their jobs. When the little glitches happen, just keep smiling and let it roll off. The bakery delivered someone else’s cake, the limo driver is 30 minutes late, and the ring bearer is in his terrible twos. No worries! Just concentrate on why we’re here: Your love for each other on this special day.
The advice and information provided in this journal are meant to help you attain this freedom on your wedding day. Knowing that the right preparations have been made will give you that. All of my clients say, “The day went by so fast!” Savor every minute of your time with friends and family. The sounds of the music, the tastes and toasts…every bit!
Over the last 20 years, I’ve photographed over 700 weddings. I’ve seen, from an intimate perspective, everything from wonderful weddings on a shoestring budget to “6 figure” affairs that were complete disasters. I’ve acquired a lot of insight from the practical knowledge gained from such experiences, even in areas other than photography. It’s been a great sociological study in the American wedding. So here we are. My journal is all about weddings from the photographer’s viewpoint, my perspective.
It’s my pleasure to share tons of photographs, great ideas for wedding details, locations, and plenty of awesome couples with all types of unique expressions of their love. I’ve been honored to photograph and be part of their special days.
When party entertainment comes to mind for most people, the music is the main consideration. However, this category contains a wider cast of characters than that. Sometimes, even this veteran wedding photographer can be surprised. Far beyond the typical bands and DJs, the availability of unusual entertainment is better than ever. Clowns, magicians, comedians, performance artists, dance performances, palm readers, costumes for a photo booth…if you want it, it’s out there.
As a photographer, I have always enjoyed the interesting entertainment choices at bar (bat) mitzvahs. Face painting, balloon artists, caricaturists, DJ led party games in a bewildering array…
Providing outlets for the distracted, high-energy craziness of thirteen year olds seems obvious, but at a wedding? Yeah! These special extras can help to reinforce a wedding theme and give your wedding a unique personality. Adults enjoy cutting loose, too. So, it’s not just for the kiddies. Looking for talent that falls outside the typical wedding genre may be the right path for you.
