Laura & Matt: A Video Recap

A while back we posted a few amazing images from the beautiful wedding of Laura and Matt.  I have been talking a lot with clients about videography and motion picture wedding films in the last few weeks...so I thought posting this wedding video would be a great glimpse into the talented vendors you can work with locally in Hampton Roads.

This particular film is from our good friends at Digital Dreammakers:


Laura and Matthew from Digital Dreammakers on Vimeo.

Want Calligraphy and Think you can't afford it?

Part of our job as a wedding professional is to make sure our clients can receive everything they'd like for their dream wedding in their pre-established event budget (within reason, of course). That doesn't mean it is our job to haggle contract prices down from other vendors (because there is a definite worth in the services we offer), but rather find vendors to fit into your budget. Most wedding professionals won't recommend another vendor that is way out of our clients price range in an attempt to work within a given budget... For instance,  I will never recommend a photographer that starts at $5,000.00 if I know the clients budget is $2,500.00 or a dj that starts at $2,000.00 when I know our client needs to stay under $1200.00. This thought process helps with making sure our clients start off financially on the right foot along with emotionally.

There are definite ways to stay within your budget and still book vendors that you love. There are many tricks to the trade like getting married on a friday in the "off peak season" or choosing a venue that offers many of your event needs under one roof...or finally, finding a sale. (yes, there are sales in the event world).

Here is one such sale or contest: Great Stationer and Calligraphy Artist Jennifer Gillespie from Calligraphy by Jennifer  is offering 15% off calligraphy needs to one client each week, plus free return ground shipping and 25 free thank you notes designed by Jennifer and her team. The application process is simple and you have nothing to lose, right?

So here is what to do:
*Send an email to jennscalligraphy@aol.com with your wedding date, details pertaining to your order (services needed, quantity, etc) and when you need to receive your order back.
*Then each Monday Calligraphy by Jennifer will select one random person to receive this great offer.
*Once you are notified that you are the winner they will then ask you to fill out the online contact/order form to reserve their services.
*Please note that you do not have to have your order ready at the time that you apply to win the special package price.


Here are just a few great calligraphy samples of Jennifer's work:

How to pick your vendors: Part 2

Next Up, Your Photographer!

image copyright Keith cephus Photography

I explained earlier in the week why it’s important to educate our clients on everything weddings…in terms that non-wedding professionals can understand…just as we’d like your profession explained to us. On Monday we gave a few tips to help start the planning process through finding the perfect venue. Today, we thought we should enlighten you on a little vendor called your photographer.  We often say to clients that the two most important vendors on your wedding day are your caterer and your photographer because your guests will comment if your food is horrible, dry, bland, etc. and your photographer will give you all of those amazing images that will help you remember your fabulous event.

   

Here are 5 tips that you should live by when choosing your wedding photographer.

1.  Make a list of things that are important to you in terms of what product you would like from your photographer. A disc of images, engagement images, an album, reprints, etc. This way when you speak to prospective vendors you can give them a good idea of what you are looking for and they can show you packages that will best fit your needs.

2.      
      2.   Do your research and find types of images that draw your attention to them in bridal magazines, online and with friend’s wedding images. If you are more of a traditionalist don’t go with a crazy out of the box photographer….or if you are a bit more edgy don’t go with a traditional photographer that only shoots you in traditional poses with crazy flashes.

3.       
      3.  Always meet with a photographer (or any vendor) before signing a contract and booking their services. Just because you love a photographer’s image that doesn’t mean that you will mesh with their personality. Trust me, you don’t want a camera in your face for 8-10 hours if you don’t like who is standing behind it.

4.       
      4.  Don’t do your engagement sessions with someone other than your wedding photographer, if at all possible. You can learn a lot about your photographer and their style with how they shoot your engagement pictures…and they can learn a lot about how you like to be photographed, which angle you look best in and how to make you feel at ease in front of the camera. This person is going to be with you during the most intimate of moments on your wedding day, you’d feel much more comfortable if you have a relationship with them before they show up to shoot you getting ready.

5.      
      5.  Don’t settle. If you love a photographer that you feel is out of your price range…don’t settle for someone you feel is second best. Choose the smallest package possible and add on if money permits. Then at least you’ll know you will love your images and you can add albums, reprints, etc. at a later date. Many photographers in our area are even offering gift cards for their services…

How to pick your vendors: Part 1

How to pick your wedding vendors…

Here is something we can all relate to.... We all have our own professions whether it is waiting tables or planning weddings, being a surgeon or a tax preparer...we all have something that we are innately good at, that fills our need to succeed and helps make us who we are. With that said, with every profession we assume that every one we speak to know the basics on how our world turns, but this is definitely not the case. I always find myself explaining things in "kindergarten" terms when it comes to weddings...the same way I would want someone in the IT world to explain their profession to me. I know it sounds silly, but many of us assume that our clients will know the ins and outs of our professions...which are hardly the case. So this week I thought I would explain the ins and outs of picking your vendors...in a way that we can all understand.  

Today we will start with finding your venue. Here are a few tips that should help you make one of the harder decisions in the world of wedding planning. 

First up, Your Venue…

Top image courtesy of James Christianson, Bottom Image courtesy of Scott Hayne

Tip:

Have a preliminary guest count created before you meet or visit any wedding venues.

Why:

If you have a preliminary guest count of 250 friends and family members, why look at a venue that only holds up to 100 guests?

Tip:

Make sure to have a clear idea of the vibe you are envisioning for your big day.

Why:

Why look at an art museum if you your dream day consists of sea shells and water...

Tip:

Have a comprehensive list of what is important to you.

Why:

If you have a specific caterer that you’d like to use make sure to pick a venue that can accommodate your own caterer or if you most of your guests come from out of town don’t pick a venue that doesn’t have overnight accommodations nearby.

Tip:

Think about your guests.

Why:

If you have elderly guests or guests with disabilities it would be considered rude to pick a venue where getting to the reception room includes steps, sand or other hazards.

Tip:

Budget, Budget, Budget.

Why:

If you are working with limited funds you should pick a venue that does not charge an additional room rental fee…extra costs (or hidden fees) can really take away from your overall budget. 

Your Uncle is not a Stationer...

Your Uncle is not a Stationer…

I have heard from many different vendors and clients in the past weeks that the reason they enjoy my blog  posts so much are because I “keep it real”… So I thought, why stop now. We heard great feedback last week about our “your mom is not a…” series and have quite a few more topics that we’d like to shed light on, but first let me open up your mind to the topic of “Graphic Artist/Designer” vs. “Stationer”. We deal with both in the events world…but I thought it was important to tell you what you need to look out for when deciding who you would like to use for your wedding stationery, invitations, thank you notes, menu cards, table numbers, etc.

At Antonia Christianson Events we offer stationery design services with the help of two graphic designers… both well versed in invitations and what needs to be included… but we also act as a stationer through selling stationery out of a few select books and wholesale products.  But often times, we send our clients down the road to our good friends at a Local Stationery Store. Let me explain our thought process…

I hear often times from clients that their friend, brother, uncle, co-worker, etc. are graphic artists by profession…which always  excites me because I love the idea of completely customizing your event…and one of those easy ways is through your stationery. But more times than not your “graphic artist friend” goes to the local craft store, gets a printable stationery kit, puts your information into the already created template and calls it a customized invitation suite. LET”S GET REAL! You could do this yourself… Now, I do have a few clients whose “graphic artist friends” do get a bit more creative and order special papers to really “do it up”... which is awesome! Our only complaint is, we have had many experiences  where these “artists” don’t know what is wrong and what is right. They don’t know to put a line on the RSVP card so your  guests can respond with their name or they leave off the food options for a plated dinner. Some “artists”   event print off (and make you pay for )double the amount of stationery needed because they don’t create stationery often enough to know that for a wedding of 100 guests you only need about 50 invitations… remember, my husband and I are 2 people on your guest list, but we only receive 1 invitation. (Let me say this one thing…there are amazing graphic artists in the events world that do create beautifully fantastic invitations or stationery… but these are people that usually solely work in the events world, not your friend that creates print ads or websites for a living….there is a HUMUNGOUS difference).  

So how does this differ from a stationer?

A stationer is a bit different. A stationer usually offers many different options for your stationery needs. Many local stationers offer invitation suites from books, online and also through custom creation. This is different from a graphic artist because they specialize in event invitation etiquette… They can usually offer many different options depending on your particular price range and printing needs such as digital printing, thermography and letter press.

Locally we have a great option that mixes all of the above choices in one great store; RSVP Stationery in the Chambord Commons Area of Virginia Beach. I know…you are probably thinking why do you send clients to another store when you carry many of the same options? And here is the truth: RSVP offers everything under one roof… they have options for complete custom stationery (something many of our clients use them for), as well as options for letterpress, thermography, computer calligraphy and digital printing. Plus they are pros in anything etiquette… and they can answer all of the unique to you situations that will arise in your perfect stationery search.

Here are a few different stationery options:

all above images courtesy of Scott Hayne Photography 

Above Image Courtesy of Kelly Lee Photography 

Above Image Courtesy of Dee Akright Photographers

Your Dad is not a Wedding Photographer...

Your Dad Is Not A Wedding Photographer…

I’m sure by now you are far enough into the wedding planning process that you realize the “easy way” is not always the “best way”! But I’d like to teach you about how the “easy way” is really the “I’m going to spend more money fixing the mistakes of non-professionals way”.

I often have the same conversation with almost every one of my clients. It starts something like, when I got engaged the total wedding budget in my head was really low and now that I’m planning I am beginning to understand how much weddings truly cost….and then sometimes this conversation morphs into something that sounds like nails down a chalkboard to the professional planner…something like, I think I’ll just have my mom make my floral arrangements (you know she’s a great gardener) and then maybe have my dad or brother take our pictures (they take a really great snapshot).

Sounds amazing right? WRONG!

I tell each and every one of my clients the same thing… (and if I insult your profession, I apologize in advance). The most important things at a wedding are your food and your photography. Your food because your guests might not remember any other detail that you slaved over, but if your food is cold, dry, “gross”, ordinary, etc, they will remember, and complain (sad but true!)… And your photography because all you will have to remember those little details with when everything is said and done are those images that your photographer captures.

Now let’s get real…I’m going to explain just a few very important reasons why your Dad, best friend, 2^nd cousin, brother, etc, are not the best choice as your wedding photographer…unless of course, they are a professional.

1.   Let’s start with the obvious, your family is not insured. If they ruin your pictures or forget to put a memory card into their camera you are out of Luck!

2.They quite possibly could run out of memory and then the last picture they capture is you walking down the aisle. What about your vows, your first kiss, your cake cutting, toasts, exit, etc.

What if, what if, what if?  

3.They also will probably not have the event knowledge to know that all of those memory cards have to be backed up. Immediately.

4. Uncle Bobby, may take a great snapshot but probably won’t have the knowledge to shoot when that sunset ceremony turns into a sea of darkness because you got down the aisle 5 minutes late and all light is gone.

5. They will not have the professional resources to post-process, edit or even print those amazing snapshots they took of your day.

We could go on for days, literally on the positive points of hiring professionals to handle all of the “details” of your big day…If you still don’t understand, ask us and we’ll explain more.