Monday, May 18, 2015

10 Great Tips For Brides To Be

Here are 10 great tips for brides to be.


10 Great Tips For Brides To Be
10 Great Tips For Brides To Be
1.) Tanning:

Ladies, ladies, ladies... Stay out of the sun and by all means, avoid fake tanning 1 week before your wedding. Your skin will turn out looking very orange in pictures (a photographers nightmare). Just remember two words... Umpa-Lumpa! 

If you want your photos and your skin to look amazing (like this bride), skip the fake tanning and use makeup to bring a glow to your skin. Which... brings me to my next point.




10 Great Tips For Brides To Be
10 Great Tips For Brides To Be

2.)  Hair and Makeup:  

Many of my brides tackle doing their own makeup and hair. If that’s your decision, no problem, but one suggestions: I recommend using a setting spray staying power. My favorite is Urban Decay - All Nighter Makeup Setting Spray.  It rocks! Also, have lip-gloss and lip-liner handy for touch-up before photos!






10 Great Tips For Brides To Be
10 Great Tips For Brides To Be
Hire a professional makeup artist. Listen... it's your day, so splurge a little! Just make sure you get a trial run and that you are super happy with the result! 
It’s also convenient if your chosen artist is mobile.  It’s not only convenient, but you will be more relaxed in the comfort of your home or hotel!

10 Great Tips For Brides To Be
10 Great Tips For Brides To Be

I personally love artists that do both hair and makeup! It will save you time and money!

Check out of my favorite: Bryanna Casey - www.bryannacasey.com





4.)  Sleep: 
I can’t stress this enough girls… get some sleep!  Whatever it takes get some z's. You don’t want to run out of gas right in the middle of your wedding day. I don’t know about you, but if I don’t get much sleep and then have a drink or 2 (even a glass of wine or champagne), I’m ready to hit the sack within about 30 minutes! Get your ZZZ'S ladies!



10 Great Tips For Brides To Be
10 Great Tips For Brides To Be
5.) Alcohol: 
This is a interesting subject because I’m all for a glass of wine before you get married!  In my case I had a shot of tequila, which helped cut the jitters in a heartbeat!
 
Here’s the deal... Be smart! If you are having a glass of wine with your girls or while having your makeup done, that’s great! Just make sure you drink lots of water in between! Which leads me to the next point.




10 Great Tips For Brides To Be
10 Great Tips For Brides To Be
6.) Water/Food:

Drink lots of water before, during and after! That’s all I’m going to say about that.  


And... Don’t forget about food!  I’m not asking you to have a big lunch or breakfast (I know that's not possible). At least have some protein. A power bar, a piece of fruit, nuts… you gotta eat! You will feel so much better and you'll be nicer to your guests if you do. I promise!  

Tell you what... perfect job for the maid of honor! Make sure she gets you something to drink and eat!




10 Great Tips For Brides To Be
10 Great Tips For Brides To Be

On the day of your wedding, the best way to do this is to assign someone to handle any misc. items, especially taking phone calls! 

Leave a message on your phone to have any callers contact your assigned assistants for the day. For some reason, family & friends forget that you are busy on your wedding day... HELLO, you're getting married!!! But for some odd reason, they think you are the best person to answer their silly questions. (Where’s the ceremony again? I’m running late, I'm lost, Where do I go for the reception? Can I bring my friend).  Your phone will not stop ringing and this will add even more stress to your day. 

You don’t have time for it and who wants to deal with that craziness! Plus... believe me, you didn't pay a photographer to be there to takes photos of you on your phone! Release the electronics ladies!




A must do… under no circumstance should you skip you ceremony rehearsal! It helps everyone, plus it gives a chance for both families to become acquainted with each other. Most importantly, it's impossible for your bridal party and family to know what to do, know what you're thinking or how you envisioned it.  

When you hire a professional wedding coordinator they will help you with this. If not, you need to organized and make sure everyone knows their place. Make a dinner out of the occasion as well.




10 Great Tips For Brides To Be
10 Great Tips For Brides To Be
9.  Shoes: 

I love shoes! 


But when it comes to wedding shoes, by the end of the ceremony, (like clockwork) the bride wants to toss them in the garbage.  I don’t care if they are Jimmy Choo or Payless. The best thing I can recommend is to break in the shoes weeks before the ceremony, or get some truly comfortable shoes to put on when you are ready to scream!!  


I personally love cowboy boots, but that's me... I would wear them to bed.  Do what's best, but be comfortable! You still have walking, dancing, posing and... more dancing to do!





10 Great Tips For Brides To Be
10 Great Tips For Brides To Be
10. Last but not least:

Prepare for photos! I hear this all the time... I’m not photogenic, I hate taking photos, are we almost done? Ladies and Gentlemen, this is all you are going to have left after the day is over.  If you are not cooperating, they simply won’t turn out.  If you are not one to be in front of the camera, check out our websites and social media pages like Pinterest & Facebook for great ideas on how to pose.

My best advise is: Relax, smile and laugh! Please don’t fidget... subtle soft movement work best. You also don’t want the fake smile and to be staring at the camera the whole time. When you work with our studio www.studio-616.com , I normally put the camera down for bridal shots and help the bride and groom flow, while my hubby takes the photos.  



10 Great Tips For Brides To Be
10 Great Tips For Brides To Be

Trust me when I tell you... You won’t regret just relaxing, enjoying and letting your photographer do her/his job.  It’s your time, don't waste it!  


AND PLEASE for heaven's sake don’t tell the photographer what to do on the day of your wedding! You hired them for a reason, so allow them to be creative and do what they do! 


Meet with your photographer before hand to give them some direction and ideas. Start a Pinterest board of shots you like and share it with your photographer. This will help give them some insight as to what you're looking for.








Tuesday, May 12, 2015

Should I Hire A Wedding Coordinator



How To Plan A Wedding: Part 2


Do I Really Need To Hire A Wedding Coordinator???

Wedding Coordinator, wedding planning, phoenix wedding planners, phoenix wedding coordinators, phoenix weddings
Should I Hire A Wedding Coordinator


Wedding Coordinator... Should you hire one or not? 


If it’s obvious that you are terrible at planning parties, you should at least considered hiring a wedding coordinator for your special day.



Some venues provide a wedding coordinator to help you plan and give you ideas that are best for that specific venue.


From a photographer's perspective, here are some reason why I think it’s a good idea to hire a  professional coordinator.


  1. Stress!  It will make your life a lot easier if you have someone taking care of the details!
  2. The Timeline -  Making sure each segment of your day starts on time.
  3. Putting Out Fires - A wedding planner or coordinator will have your back! They'll catch the little things before they turn into big things. Watching everything going on around you and making sure things are running as smooth as possible.
  4. A wedding needs to be “managed”! Simply because weddings and events do not just happen alone. Someone needs to be in charge... period!




Okay, listen... On the day of your wedding, you are “NOT” going to have time to: 


Get dressed, 

Have your makeup done, 

Get married, 

Take amazing photos, 

Enjoy the celebration 

- AND -

Coordinate, manage and plan all of that... 

plus everything else in between! 


I’ve been in the wedding industry for over 20 years and more often than not, those who attempted it alone, fail miserably.    



Wedding Coordinator, wedding planning, phoenix wedding planners, phoenix wedding coordinators, phoenix weddings
Should I Hire A Wedding Coordinator


Are There No Other Options?


Lets just say that after much thinking and budgeting, you just can’t afford a coordinator. Or maybe you're a type "A" personality and know you can do this on your own.  That’s fine, but keep in mind that you WILL need a little help, so don't be afraid to ask.  


Pick 2 or 3 people to help out on the wedding day. Do not ask people to help who are already in the wedding (IE: bridesmaids or parents). Pick a trusted friend or your aunt Betty... Someone you can count on, but someone who isn't already stressing about the big day. 


Weddings take lots of time to plan and need to run on time, so make sure your chosen helpers knows the schedule!




Wedding Coordinator, wedding planning, phoenix wedding planners, phoenix wedding coordinators, phoenix weddings
Should I Hire A Wedding Coordinator


Something else to think about... Even though "your helpers" are doing this for you out of love, you should somehow compensate them.  (A massage, dinner for two, a mani-pedi, just to name a few). And if you don't’ tell them, just surprise them, it's lots of fun too!


It can get pretty stressful trying to get everything done on your wedding day, so try to keep calm and be nice! NOBODY likes a bridezilla!

Most important to remember... No wedding goes off without a hitch, BUT EVERY WEDDING IS PERFECT! Don't let the little things get to you. 


Tons and tons of planning all lead up to one day. You definitely do not want to stress so much that you won't have fun and end up missing the most important day of your life.


Best of luck to you both!!



Tuesday, May 5, 2015

Planning a Small Wedding in Phoenix, AZ

Part 1 of Series: 


How To Plan Your Small Wedding in Phoenix, AZ


How To Plan A Small phoenix Wedding
How To Plan A Small Wedding



Someone once said... Weddings are for the everyone you invite. Marriage??? Well... that’s a whole other story!


So here’s the scenario... 

  • You invited 30 guest, trying to keeping things simple and cheap. 
    • Family, maybe some friends, no bridesmaids, or maybe just one. 
    • You decided you're either going to use your backyard or your parents. 
    • Or... another family member has the perfect little backyard and guess what??? no charge!!! Sweet!!!

  • You bought your dress for a great price, and decide that you're going to ask your brother’s friend to DJ the party. And... his girlfriend took some college classes and now, (according to her) she is a  pro photographer and can take some shots for free or almost free. Oh yes... the food! That’s easy because your favorite restaurant caters…  All details and decorations DIY, thanks Pinterest!!!

Ah yes, “you did it” and it’s going to turn out fantastic!!! 

Believe me when I tell you... I wish, wish it was that simple! 
  • Planning a wedding for 500 guest or 30 guest or even 10 guests, takes much planning and a budget! But more than anything else... an eye for details. 
If you want that day to be perfect, you are going to need help! Know when to save and when to splurge. I’ve been photographing weddings for over 15 years, a professional photographer in Phoenix for over 20 and one thing I learned is that weddings take serious work! Even the small ones!


I've seen weddings crash and burn faster than the Hindenburg. Sad… but true. I’m creating a series of blogs to cover all the details without overwhelming you. I will be explaining how to best plan for your small wedding and (since I live and work in Phoenix, AZ) I will help you plan for the 4 hot months of and the other 8 months in beautiful Arizona weather!  


Are you ready?

  • What month are you going to get married in Phoenix Arizona?
    1. October - May (Wedding season)
    2. June - September (Off Season)
  • Is it 6 months from now or a year? That’s the first thing you need to do. 

One reason... vendors and seasons!

  • Weddings have seasons, and if you are about to choose October, (at least in Phoenix, AZ) you may have a bit of a problem, unless you are booking a year ahead. Great vendors with great reviews will book rather fast.
Great website to find vendors with reviews in your area: www.weddingwire.com


Here’s ours:


What to do next?

  • Make the list of the people you want at your wedding. Now remember... if you are trying to keep cost low, (this part is truly important) we tend to invite people we don’t even want there or allow your parents to make the list and next thing you know... you have 200 people sitting at your ceremony that you don't even know!
  • My take is: invite those that you and your fiancĂ© will LOVE to see on your special day. Including your parents, siblings, friend. Remember, it's all about support and again... LOVE!
  • From our experience only, (I can’t speak for others) the next thing I did was to decide where I wanted to get married.

Here are inexpensive but great ideas for you!

  1. Your Home

Phoenix Wedding Photographers - Wedding Planning
Planning A Small Wedding - Backyard


2. Family Member's Home
Phoenix Wedding Photographers - Wedding Planning
Planning A Small Wedding - Backyard



3. A Park

Phoenix Wedding Photographers - Wedding Planning
Planning A Small Wedding - The Park


4. The Beach

Phoenix Wedding Photographers - Wedding Planning
Planning A Small Wedding - The Beach


5. By a Lake

Phoenix Wedding Photographers - Wedding Planning
Planning A Small Wedding - The Lake

  • You can literally get some of these places for free or at a very low cost! 
I got married right in front of The Del Coronado Resort (on the beach) for free. Just as long as you have less than 25 guest and they don’t’ mind standing up.  Just make sure to keep things simple and to the point. (Details I found from my officiant).

Okay, for the sake of this article/blog... Let’s say you decide on #2. A family member's backyard. Here’s the next thing you need to take into consideration. 

  • Is the area big enough for the amount of guest you are inviting?  
  • Avoid at all cost cramming guest into a house. It can be done but it’s definitively a risk!


<--------------->

Next  week - (Part 2 of Planning a Small Wedding in Phoenix, AZ):

Wedding planner? Is is worth  the money?