Wedding Photography -- Don't Try This At Home, Folks!!

** photo courtesy of Melissa Miksch Photography  www.melissamiksch.com **

Budget, budget, budget...... MUST. STAY. ON. BUDGET.

Sound familiar?

This is often the first thing I hear when I meet with couples. The infamous budget. We all have one, or do we? Some are more detail oriented or are much more disciplined to follow one. Others find themselves overspending and left scrambling to find the means and resources to pay for expenses that come alongside a wedding. Where can corners be cut? Is it the guest list or will it be on a service? Often times it is one of the services being paid for and too often I see it in the areas of photography, planning, or music. Right now, I want to turn your attention to the subject matter of wedding photos. (More on the latter, later.)

There is a saying about good intentions. Often times, couples may be approached by a well-meaning family member or friend who offers to be the wedding photographer to help save the bridal couple money. Who doesn't think free or "just a few hundred bucks" sounds better than $1500 - $5000? I myself am a lover of a good deal but you must be careful because you always will get what you pay for.

I remember a story told to me by a bride I served several years ago. Her friend hired a "photographer" from Craiglist for "cheap". (In my modest opinion, cheap and wedding should NEVER be used in the same sentence.....) Upon arrival, the "photographer" had in hand his "equipment", which was a camera phone. This was at the height of the magical, mystical invention of the camera phone for the common folk. In absolute horror, the bride and her family were scrambling to locate someone with a camera just hours before the festivities were to begin. They were left out of pocket "a few hundred bucks" and had resorted to purchasing disposable cameras that they handed out to their guests to use.

Definately far from picture perfect memories.

During my eight year career as a wedding officiant, I have worked with many a photographer. Just like anything wedding related, there are many choices. Creativity and skill are important factors just as much as price. Remember, you are paying for the service and the person's time, equipment, second shooter (or assistant), too. What is the personality of the photographer? How is his or her customer service? What is their turn around time on average to get the final product back? Is there the option of owning the rights to your photos? Can the photographer use your wedding photos in their advertising, their portfolio, or enter your smiling faces into competitions? These are a few questions to keep in mind after you ask if they are available to shoot your nuptuals.

Often times, the photographer(s) will be the ones to work with the couple from the start to the end of the wedding day. After the ceremony is done, after your hair and makeup is on, and after the paperwork is signed, you can imagine there are still images you would like to have documented afterwards. How about that father/daughter dance? The cutting of the cake? How about a random shot of your bridesmaid dancing with her future husband? These are often highlights of the reception afterwards. Do you really want a stuffy, arrogant, or aloof person behind the camera?

Word of mouth is just as important as online reviews. Did a co-worker recently get married? Or do you have a friend who uses the same photographer to take her family photos as she did when she got her senior portraits done? Don't be afraid to ask around. Ask for referrals to photographers from your wedding venue, the catering company, or your wedding officiant. Regardless of how you find your photographer, remind yourself that this day with the person you marry will only come once. Your photographer will help you remember events of your special day that you may need a picture or two to jog your memory.

Marry Me At The Marysville Opera House!

 

                   Pictured above: Tiffani the wedding officiant with newlyweds Audrey & Adam

More Than Just Wedding Officiants

Isn't it nice when you can stretch your dollar?

I know I always appreciate more "bang for my buck" and when I'm looking for someone who is offering a services it's no different. I want someone who has experience, is a great resource, and who goes beyond what is expected to get the job done. We all like to walk away from a situation with a smile on our face and a feeling of fulfillment. So how does this apply to your wedding?

A wedding, no matter how big or small, comes with expenses. There's the much needed wedding paperwork (starting rate at $58 depending on county). The wedding rings, which can run a few hundred dollars to a few thousand dollars. What will you wear? Another expense. Do you have to take time off from work? Another expense. The list goes on and on and on. Who's going to do your wedding? Good question because otherwise it is just a big gathering of family and friends.

With over 12 years of combined experience, Debi and I offer our skills set to help alleviate your stress and free up your time. We can offer wedding coordinating and planning services in addition to our wedding officiant services. We know what needs to be done before the ceremony, before the reception, during and after. We have gained this experience hands on after serving over 500 couples.

Wedding planning can help you through the details. Wedding coordinating services can help you through along the way by meeting vendors to handling all of the events the day of. What best suits your needs?

Call Tiffani at 425-508-8090 to learn more! Rates start at $300 for planning services & $600 for wedding coordinating services.

It's A Small World After All

Do you remember hearing about the "7 Degrees of Separation" theory? It is said that each of us can be traced back to each other with only seven people or less. In the 90s, there was a pop culture game called the "7 Degrees of Kevin Bacon". Am I dating myself? :)

Well, in the wedding industry this theory often times proves true!

In August, I had the pleasure of performing the wedding ceremony for Allison & Greg. They came to me via a co-worker, Miranda, who I served a few years ago as her wedding officiant. Allison & Greg had met at work and as fate would have it, would lead to a love connection of their own! They choose to celebrate their love and commitment in an intimate ceremony with their family and friends close by the beach to serve as their backdrop.

On my way to their Stanwood oasis, I happened to get a call from a friend of mine. She had asked if I happened to be doing a wedding for Allison & Greg, co-workers of her husband's. Amazingly enough I was! This isn't the first time that this has happened over the span of my seven year career. I have performed ceremonies for clients' cousins, co-workers (of course), classmates,, family members, and even ex-partners!

Ask me about my "friends & family" discount that is available.

Until next time,

Tiffani the upbeat wedding officiant

Dana Cakes!!

Wedding cakes are definately an important highlight of a wedding reception. There are many places who can provide you with your cake but do you really want to entrust just anyone to provide yours?

Let me tell you about a wonderful resource!! Dana Filer, of Dana Cakes (or sometimes referred to as "the Arlington cake lady" by her clients) has been creating masterpiece wedding cakes and grooms cakes for many years. She is personable and is fantastic at what she does. Pictured above is the four tier wedding cake that she made for my husband and I's wedding reception and let me tell you, it was the talk of our event!

As an officiant and planner, I have had the opportunity to taste many different wedding cakes -- from cakes made by bakeries, grocery stores, bride and groom's family members and friends and many are either run-of-the-mill in taste or look gorgeous but lack the flavor and the punch that I anticipated on tasting. Dana's cakes are moist, of high quality and just plain pretty to look at! (I actually have a photo of me wincing as my husband and I were preparing to cut into our masterpiece.) To be honest, after I had booked our wedding venue, Countryside Meadows in Arlington, I immediately contacted Dana to ask her to create our cake. I had my priorities set.

Even though I had tasted her cakes she offered to have us come to her home for our tasting. Waiting for us were flavors including a luscious lemon with lemon filling, a marble, traditional white and my personal favorite, chocolate. She also had binders and binders of photos that had different cakes she had created for us to look through. As we feasted on cake samples and sipped coffee with her, we discussed design, how many guests we would be feeding and even colors. Dana assisted us with coordinating colors and even upheld my husband's request to have no green on our cake (the Irishman was superstitious....). Dana came through with flying colors!

The day of our event, she arrived to set up her masterpiece. It wasn't like some cake companies who leave them to be assembled. Dana had requested that we have our cake topper left for her to add for us. With cake table ready, Dana carefully assembled our cake, added extra sugar flowers to match our wedding colors and voila! The proof is above. Dana also provides a cake topper box and instructions on how to preserve your cake until your anniversary.

You can see her other creations by visiting her link on facebook at http://www.facebook.com/pages/Danacakes/194221030626288. To make an appointment with her, you may contact her at 360 435 9583 or by email at dfiler64@gmail.com.

The End of Summer

What seemed to be a summer filled with fall-like weather is over. Can you believe it? The kids are back to school and the rest of the state seems to be trying to get back into a rhythm. But the fall is another wonderful time of the year for wedding bells!

There are some wonderful wedding themes and venues that are just waiting to be discovered! Some clients stage their wedding venue at a family or friend's home while others explore the options that await them. In the PNW, it's a must to have an indoor venue during the fall. Some great ideas to consider are your local Parks & Rec departments (if you're a resident of that city, ask about the reduced resident rate aka a discount!!), a restaurant that can accomodate a ceremony and a reception, or not to forget a hotel! My personal favorites include Floral Hall or Legion Hall in Everett; Tulalip Bay inside of The Tulalip Resort in Tulalip (Marysville); Countryside Meadows in Arlington; the Medallion Hotel in Arlington; and Hillcrest Lodge in Mt. Vernon.  

A Wedding At Camano Island Inn

Camano Island Inn was once rated "The Best Place To Kiss" and there's no secret as to why!

I have had the opportunity to perform several weddings at this retreat located on beautiful Camano Island. From an intimate gathering of a few guests to a reception dinner, Camano Island Inn can do it all!

They have an amazing view overlooking the beautiful Puget Sound. You can select from having your ceremony on the balcony off of your private suite, upon the upper deck, or down below near (or even on!) the beach. It's also a great location for a romantic getaway or honeymoon.