{Weekly Wedding Wisdom} An Educated Guess

One of the greatest things about working with our group of wedding vendors, is that I have access to a plethora of knowledge from experienced professionals who have, what I like to call, “Been baptized by fire” when it comes to knowing the ins and outs of a wedding.  Two of those vendors are our wedding planners, Daria of Circle of Love Weddings and Amy at A Flawless Event.  I asked them recently “Besides budget, what is the most important thing a bride and groom should know before they start planning a wedding ?” Both were in agreement, your guest count! How do you know that before you send out your invitations, you wonder? Begin first by sitting down with your fiancé (don’t you just love calling him that) and figure out who you would like to invite. If your parents are helping to pay for the wedding then we recommend asking if there are any key people (friends of theirs, co-workers, etc..) that they may want to include.

Once you have written down everyones’ list of invitees, take a look at that number and subtract 20% from the total.  20% is the best estimate of guests that won’t be able to make it for various reasons such as they are out of town, work schedules, child care challenges etc…. That percentage could be higher if a larger portion of your guest are from out of town. Once you have your number, do you feel  the number is reasonable for the type of wedding you want? If not, then go back through your list and discuss with your fiancé ways you can reduce your numbers.

Picture Perfect

“Photography is a way of feeling, of touching, of loving. What you have caught on film is captured forever…. it remembers little things, long after you have forgotten everything.” – Aaron Suskind

There are so many decisions to make when planning a wedding, but none as important as choosing your photographer. When the celebration is over, your photographs are all that you will take with you to preserve, protect and celebrate this milestone in your life.

To begin the selection process, we recommend beginning your search by asking friends, family and definitely your venue for referrals. There are tons of photographers out there, but no two photographers are alike so begin with trusted referrals. Have a look at the websites of each of the photographers and see who catches your eye and captures your heart!  You don’t have to analyze anything except how the images look and how they make you feel!  Next, it’s time to schedule meetings with your favorites!  Photography, like any art, is the creative work of the person behind it and you want to know that not only can they take pictures but they can also manage all the elements of a wedding day. Your wedding photographer will be with you 8 hours on average and being able to work together well is the key to getting great images!

Next, ask to see a few complete weddings they have photographed. Anyone can create a great portfolio but you want to know that your photographer is experienced enough to adjust to different lighting in various areas, can get the types of images you want whether it’s posed, details or candid.   Most importantly, did they capture the look, feel and emotion of the wedding from start to finish. Jenn Linke of The Decisive Moment suggest, “When choosing a photographer, it’s important that you choose with your eyes and not your ears.” This means that you want to focus on the work they have done and the examples they can show you – not on promises they make.

Here are a few tips for meeting with photographers…

• Have a budget in mind – research the photographers pricing in advance.
• Look at weddings similar to yours – if its outdoor, ask to see outdoor weddings.  If its a ballroom, make sure you look at a ballroom wedding.  Ask if the photographer has photographed your location before and if you can view the wedding.
• Think about albums – it does not make sense to invest in beautiful photography if you can’t present it just as beautifully!
• What type of photography speaks to you?  Do you like traditional posed photography, photojournalism and candids, quirky and avant guard?
• Remember – photography is an art.  You can not compare it like apples and apples… a photographers level of experience, portfolio and expertise will drastically effect the price.
• Ask for a referral or to speak to a recent client!  Research what people are saying about their experience with the company!

Looking Your Bridal Best

Feeling beautiful is worth a million dollars but feeling beautiful on your wedding day is priceless! To get that glow for your wedding day, there is no better time than now to start a bridal beauty regime. “No need to spend hours upon hours or even hundred to thousands of dollars on the latest skincare treatments when all it takes are just a few easy steps!” Shayzon Prince and Tymeka Junior of POSH Hair and Makeup told us. “Prior to your wedding day, the key factors to getting that glowing beautiful skin are drinking plenty of water, getting enough sleep and moisturizing!”

For your wedding day, we recommend hiring a professional hair & makeup team like POSH Hair & Makeup. Having a makeup and hair styling team to turn to eliminate stress and make you feel ultra pampered. Upon choosing your bridal beauty team, plan for a trial appointment with them so you can discuss what kind of look you want. Great hair stylist and makeup artist are going to listen to you and give you suggestions on styles and colors that will look best with your skin tone and dress.

Once you have your look selected, than all you have to do is sit back, relax and enjoy your beauty team pampering you.

Join Us for April’s Wine, Cheese and Wedding Planning

Whether you are newly engaged or in your final stages of planning, our Wine, Cheese and Wedding Planning event has something for everyone. Join us on April 26th at 6:30pm – 8:30pm to discover insider secrets to making your wedding day flawless. From cost cutting tips to cutting edge trends, our expert panel will give advice on all things weddings. You won’t want to miss this!

This event is free, but we kindly ask that you RSVP through Eventbrite.

{Welcome Home} David Christensen Photography

Since January, our vendor family has been growing substaintially and we are ecstatic to have so many creative partners to help Atlanta’s brides and grooms create their dream weddings. Our vendor family is full of artistic, creative and talented people and David Christensen Photography is a wonderful addition!

David Christensen Photography is a husband and wife team who have mastered the art of capturing weddings. Through the fusing of photojournalism, editorial details and high fashion portraiture, their style reflects weddings in a contemporary and timeless manner. When I asked David to sum up for me, what it is that he looks for to make a great picture, he simply stated “Color! I imagine the image laid out in a magazine or in a frame and I look for color!”  Their work has been featured in numerous magazines and blogs such as The Atlantan, Atlanta Weddings, Occasions Magazine, Wedding Vow, Style Me Pretty, Atlanta Homes & Lifestyles, and more!

Not only does David Christensen Photography  have amazing photographers, they are a fun loving team which has made them a complete joy to work with. So we want to officially say, “Welcome home!”

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Capturing Your Story

Since video evolved, we have been using video for everything! From capturing funny snippets of our daily lives, to recording special occasions like a baby’s first steps & every other major milestone in our lives. Capturing those moments allows us to relive each memory exactly as they happened and  share them for years to come. So when it comes to your wedding day, what better way to capture the day than having it recorded by a wedding videographer.

Only video can capture the cracks in your voices as you say your vows to one another, or show the way his eyes lit up the moment he saw you in your dress and of course you don’t want to miss the funny and heart warming moments like the best man’s toast or a grandparent getting on the dance floor to dance the night away. Yes, photography can capture those moments but nothing combines the sights and sounds quite like a professionally captured wedding video.

Before you break out your camera and tripod, please allow me to offer a bit of advice about your wedding video. I also asked our resident professional videographers, Ella Szczupak and Robin Vogt of Blue Orchid Productions to also give their advice to brides and grooms on what they should look for.

1) Hire a professional! Trusting your wedding video to a less than professional videographer means you are leaving the quality of the video to chance. Videographers take into consideration proper lighting, sound and logistics of the event. They are prepared in advance for the day of shooting and are quicker to adapt to changes in the schedule.

2) Make sure your videographer is familiar with your venue, both the ceremony and reception locations and any restrictions that may limit them accessibility to certain areas. Example: Some churches/synagogues do not allow photographers or videographers past a certain point but may allow for stand alone camera to be placed in strategic areas. Your videographer will be able to set up a camera in front while manning another in the allotted areas.

3) Make sure you see full videos of your videographers’ works. Many people can capture a few great snippets of video but you want to know that they can cover the entire event professionally. Is the sound and lighting good quality? Was it edited well? Did they take out the “bloopers” or most importantly, did they capture the emotion of the day? The one regret we hear from former brides the most is they wished they had a video to look back upon to relive those amazing memories.

Blue Orchid Production has a motto, ”Your wedding is a marriage of lives, memories, of childhood grown up, of dreams for the future. It’s about the relationships that are important to you and the family and friends who love and support you. It’s about coming together and building a new family, new tradition and telling new stories. Your wedding is the story of your beginning.”  We couldn’t have said it better.

Hosting an Intimate Dinner

Recently, we gathered all of the Atlanta Wedding Loft vendors together for our quarterly dinner meeting. Similar to a bridal shower or rehearsal dinner, these quarterly dinner meetings are small and intimate, designed to create great conversation while enjoying a delicious meal. To create that feel, we called upon Peachtree Tents & Events for help and they suggested an estate table that would allow for everyone to be seated at one table. Additionally they recommended the mahogany folding chairs to accent the casually elegant look we were going for. The estate table was dressed in ivory linens,  a brown paper runner and simply adorable centerpieces put together by our in house creative guru, Melissa Roth.  

Nothing accents a great looking table more than an amazing meal and Zest Atlanta Catering did not disappoint us with the decadent dinner buffet they prepared for us. From beef tenderloin to salmon served upon a bed of cous cous, the wide variety of menu items satisfied even the most selective palette. As Hannah Harris mentioned, “It’s important to consider your guest in your menu selection and offering variety whenever possible.” To say we were spoiled, is putting it lightly.

Whether your event is big or small, having a great atmosphere and great food can make all the difference and we were lucky to experience just that!