Friends Don't Let Friends Photograph Their Wedding*

*Unless your friend is a professional and/or you really (really) trust them.

Last week I participated in the Twitter chat #bridalbabble, which I now do every Wednesday at 4pm (Eastern) —join us!— and one of the brides mentioned that she learned a valuable lesson when she and her fiancé had a friend shoot their engagement photos. The photos did not come out well and required a lot of editing before the couple could use them.

It reminded me of what happened 10 years ago when my husband and I got married. A very good friend offered to video tape our wedding as part of her gift to us. We accepted and were very excited. She taped the ceremony and the crucial parts of the reception (the cocktail hour entertainment, bridal party entrance, speeches, cutting the cake, etc).

We were married in early October and a few weeks before Christmas, I inquired about the videos. My friend told me she had actually borrowed the video camera from a friend of hers because she didn’t have her own, and she was waiting for the friend to burn the videos onto a CD. Long story short, for months her friends were too “busy” and then started dodging her calls.

Finally, about three weeks before our first anniversary, I told my friend I wanted to call these people directly and demand my videos. So I called up, reached the husband, and as politely as I could gave him the riot act. He told me that he didn’t think they had my wedding anymore because their computer crashed just days before I called.

Ultimately, they lost our entire ceremony (you know, the part you barely remember because of nerves, emotions, and excitement) but they were able to recover the reception video. We were grateful for that, but I really wanted our ceremony video for so many reasons: to see our faces when we first saw each other, to hear our vows and the duet our friends sang for us, and to see my friend, the priest who married us and has now since passed away.

All of this is to say that if a friend offers to photograph or videotape your wedding, or for financial reasons you need to rely on a friend, be sure you trust them. Based on my experience, here are some things you should consider:

• Make sure it’s someone who will take the task seriously.
• Ask them to show you the equipment they plan to use and see if they can bring a backup camera (and if they’re borrowing it, make sure they a.) know how to use the camera and b.) create the disc, thumb drive, or cloud folder for you before returning the camera – avoid the middleman).
• Ask if they’ve shot a wedding before and see if they can show you any pictures.
• Ask if they have any experience shooting in different lighting situations – even professionals can struggle with dark ballrooms and other lighting issues.
• Have a conversation with that friend about expectations and your desires.

Good quality professional photographers and videographers are absolutely worth the money, however, sometimes couples need to save money in this area. But know that unless the friend is a professional giving you the gift of free or discounted work, or is naturally a talented photographer, you may not get professional results. I just want you to end up with beautiful, clear photographs (and/or videos) because once the wedding day is over, the memories and the images are what remain.

Photo: webdesignhot.com

Fall 2011 Wedding Color Combinations

Want a wedding that "WOW"s and is unlike any of the others you have been to? Then stay hip to the changing trends in color combinations and detailing of your big day.

Purples made a big 'splash' into the wedding world this past year.  With the same color vibrancy as fuchsia, cerise and hot pink, which made their appearance at plenty of parties last year, we are seeing a trend with shades of purple to create distinct visions.   Antique violet mixed in with peacock blues and silvers create a romantic, vintage feel.

Clayton Opera House, Photo by Bert Pohl

  Eggplant lighting is a great way to add a contemporary and edgy feel.

Clayton Opera House, Photo by Bert Pohl

Green combinations have also made a lush and fresh comeback to the fashion industry. Popping muted olive greens with fresh and silky champagnes will make any event the sophisticated event of the year!

Whichever color combination fits your wedding, stop by a Design and Production House in your area, like The Events Company showroom in Syracuse, New York, to meet with an event designer and play with colors, linens and endless possibilities to make your vision perfection!

Here is to Wonderful Wedding Planning!

Shannon Marie Lach

Wedding & Social Event Director

The Events Company

Syracuse, New York

Creative Favors - we know how!

Ok, so everyone knows about the traditional bubbles, disposable cameras and candy as wedding favors, can we say boring? Think outside the box and give your guests something to remember your special day by!  Doing searches on the web on sites such as Favoraffair.com  and Elegantfavorideas.com are a great starting point.  We always tell our brides three points when selecting favors:

1: Reflect you and your fiance's relationship (your first date was apple picking - use potted apple cuttings in ornate and customized pots)

2: It is not something that only makes sense in pairs; candle and shot glasses have come and gone and unless you have a collection started, they look a little unfinished sitting on a shelf alone, if they make it that far...

3: You cannot please everyone. Don't stress out wondering if everyone is going to love it.  Even if you spent $490 a favor on a diamond shaving encrusted picture frame - there will be a handful of people who find it useless or will give it away.

You cannot make everyone happy but be sure to be proud of your choice!

In Lieu of donations are another great, simple way to give honor and meaning to your wedding while having your guests be part of a great cause.  Then each year you can continue donating and send cards to your guests annually thanking them for being part of your life and up-to-date status on the donations.

When your wedding has come and gone, your guests will be left with one thing and one thing alone, a memory. Help them to create the best one for years to come!

Here is to Wonderful Wedding Planning!

Shannon Marie Lach

Wedding & Social Event Director

The Events Company

Syracuse, New York

Chair Covers: What kind to choose?

There are three areas of décor most brides are concerned about when they walk into a raw venue: the color of the rug, walls and chairs. Walls and floors can be altered and muted with lighting and other décor designs, but chair covers are the element you can have the most fun with. There are hundreds of color combination ideas available, in various linen fabrics and styles, and dozens of design concepts - it is impossible to keep up sometimes!

Here are some chair cover options available at The Events Company in Syracuse, New York.

  

Celedon Lamour Chair Cover and Ivory Lamour Chair Tie
Photo by Lisa Walsh @ Hotel Syracuse

Maize Spandex Chair Cover with Maize Lamour Chair Tie
Photo by Meghan Thomas Photography @ Turning Stone

White Lamour Chair Wrap 
Photo by Genevieve Fridley Photogrpahy @ Traditions at the Links

No matter what your vision, chair covers for your wedding should be a fun decision.  If you are struggling with ideas, be sure to get in touch with an event designer in your area.

Here is to Wonderful Wedding Planning!

Shannon Marie Lach

Wedding & Social Event Director

The Events Company

Syracuse, New York

Entertainment – DJ and Band, can use both!

 

Is your personalized playlist better than a live band?  With so many different tastes in music these days, it can be hard to choose a sound that will be engaging for all of your guests.

 

Be sure to pick whatever musical style you think will ensure your guests have a great time!
Photo by Lisa Walsh Photography

Creating the perfect atmosphere for your big day is highly dependent on your choice in music. Will it be with Soft strings or a toe tapping big swing band?  Would your guests enjoy an evening of elegance or a "can't stay in your seat" dance party?  Here are some questions to consider before making the choice:

Budget: It is a common misconception that bands are ridiculously more expensive than a DJ - do not assume!  A respected DJ in the upstate New York area can range from $1500 - $2500 and live bands can range between $2000-$3000.  Making sure the price difference is enough to deter your decision is a personal preference.  Before you make a decision, find out how much each costs.

Interaction & Guest Enjoyment:  A live band is able to engage and entice the crowd to participate in songs, bring them on stage or wander out on the dance floor among guests.  DJs can interact via the microphone and dance out in the crowd but can have less involvement in the actual songs unless you have karaoke at your event.

Who will show up?: Regardless of live band or DJ be sure you know the entertainers who will be there the day of your wedding.  Some 'cost-saving' DJs hire out their talent so you don't know exactly who will show up at your wedding.  Always, ALWAYS preview the entertainer's work before you book them and be sure it is written in the contract who is going to show up.  If you go to a wedding and Tom is the DJ, and the day of your wedding Bob shows up, the experience could be quite different.  Ormond Entertainment is a DJ Entertainment Company who has two individual DJs who are the personalities you hire when you hire the company, no surprises.

Also always make sure the contract has a section pertaining to smoking and drinking at the event.  This may seem logical, but is not a given.  I personally do not like to see the entertainment smoking outside or consuming alcoholic drinks during the event (you might not mind, but be sure to think about it). Ask the venue for a green room where the band can put their food and beverages out of the way of guests. Do provide water to the entertainers, particularly for musicians.

Song Selection:  Some bands will only play the set list they are accustomed to.  They will say when you hire "The Band" you hire "The Experience" of the band.  Great bands like DeSantis Band and Orchestra will work with you and plan a customized playlist, including and adding to their repertoire. DJs make it easier to pick modern, trendy exact songs you want to hear.

Highlighting a DJ on stage, like at the Clayton Opera House, is a great way to add "WOW" to your Wedding.
Photo by Bert Pohl

Remember - it is the entertainer's profession to understand the guests, so though you may select songs you want to hear, if the DJ or band is not getting a solid response from the crowd, they will take the liberty of trying different music until they engage the guests.

The choice doesn't have to be so difficult, maybe you'll have both live and a DJ.  The industry is seeing a new trend of live bands for dinner and beginning of dancing, then switching to a DJ throughout the night.



No matter what you choose, picking the music for your special day should always be fun!

Here is to Wonderful Wedding Planning!

Shannon Marie Lach

Wedding & Social Event Director

The Events Company

Syracuse, New York

Centerpieces beyond Floral

If you are a bride-to-be who likes to step outside of tradition, or wants to step ‘outside of the box,’ using non-floral centerpieces is a great place to start!  This doesn’t just mean using silk flowers.  There are fabulous structural pieces, containers, pedestals and creative ways to bring life to your table beyond only floral, or embellishing it.

Photography by Bert Pohl Photography, Design by The Events Company at The Clayton Opera House

One of my favorite new trends in non floral centerpieces are silver mosaic lamps paired with personalized frames and votive candles.  Some brides use the frame on each table to designate a table number, others use the display to tell an intimate story about the couple and some will display photos.

Centerpieces by The Events Company, Syracuse New York.  Photo by Bert Pohl Photography.

Working with an event designer, like The Events Company, you will have access hundreds of options for creative centerpiece options to customize your wedding.  Be sure as always to make it fit your personal style and overall vision.  Thinking 'outside of the box' does not mean the room will look like chaos - just a decision to do things a little differently than previously expected.

Best Wedding Wishes!

Shannon Lach 

2011 Summer Color Combinations

The color combinations available for your wedding are endless.  With over a dozen shades of purple and varying intensities of yellow, it can be easy to get lost in the color wheel.  Following the fashion trends this year, weddings are exploding with vibrant hues of purple, apple green, gunmetal gray and peacock blues.

Choosing unexpected color combinations will keep your guests in intrigued and entertained by your wedding! Photos by Kelly Stremmel

With a vibrant season ahead of us, be sure to  reflect your personality and style in your decor elements.  If you are going for the vintage feel, instead of going with white, gray and apple green, swap the white for ivory and incorporate a muted tone of eggplant to 'mellow' out the overall pallet.  Little touches such as customized menu cards and table numbers are another great and easy way to incorporate the vibrant colors without being overbearing.

Whatever your color vision is, talk to a designer about the latest fashions and trends in wedding décor.  From linens to chair covers to lighting, colors can enhance your space.  Explore the hundreds of possibilities and ways you can make your guests say “WOW” when they enter the room!

Adding color lighting is a great way to make your wedding vibrant and 'hip'.  .Photos by Lisa Walsh, Ed Guarente, Bert Phol

Bridal Show Bliss!

Newly engaged bride? Feeling the excitement you are getting married this year Bride? Any type of Bride is welcome to come see The Events Company and all other creative, talented wedding professionals of the Wedding Studio @ 224 at this year's Driver's Village Bridal Show January 16, 2011 12-5pm!


Premiering for the first time, all of the partners will be represented and ready to show you what it means to create your perfect wedding!


We are seriously excited about being part of this monumental wedding moment in New York, and excited to meet all the bustling brides! So whether you need a wedding planner, limo, band, invitations, videographer, tents, DJ, photographer or flowers make sure you stop by the Wedding Studio lounge tomorrow 12-5pm.


ps: we will be 'announcing for the first time' our Wedding Studio booklet...be the first to see it!

Happy Planning!

Details Details

Wedding Planning is all about details, but more specifically YOUR details. Be sure to include character and flavor to your special day that reflects who you and your fiance are.

One of our Korean brides incorporated authentic Korean linens and Ukrainian food dishes to honor her and her fiances heritage.

Another bride went strawberry picking with her fiance the season before their wedding and froze the strawberries. For their reception, instead of the traditional cake, they had personal short bread cake for each person at the table and a bowl of the strawberries they picked together. A note was placed next to the bowl telling the story of their 'strawberry picking day' and guests loved the personal touch!

Whether it is grandmother's soup recipe, your aunts antique glass bottle collection or hand picked fruit, it is the little, personal touches guests appreciate and make your wedding unique!


Happy Wedding Planning!
(Photo by Maybn Ludke Photography)

Commandments for all Wedding Planners to Live by

Over the past 14 years of being in the event industry I've run into a number of prospective clients and vendors who cringe at the thought of an event planner or wedding planner. Based on past experience with a "planner" who didn't have a clue. The idea of being an 'event planner' seems fun and glamorous - but it's so much more than picking out pretty linens and centerpieces. 

Here's a great article from the National Conference Center blog  that every client looking for a great event professional should read. I couldn't agree more.

Heather Walrath, recent newlywed and featured blogger for Get Married, Weddzilla, WedAlert and The DC Ladies, as well as through her own blog, Bicoastal Bride describes what the ideal planner is for most brides.
She explains that choosing an ideal wedding planner will vary depending upon a bride’s vision for her day and what types of services she seeks. For example, does she seek a full-service designer to craft a specific look and feel for her event? Does she seek a day-of coordinator to manage the organizational and logistical aspects of her day? Here are the five commandments of an ideal planner from Heather’s perspective:

• Problem-Solver – Thou shall be a logical and practical thinker. The ideal wedding planner is a creative problem-solver, able to think and act quickly and rationally in the face of mishaps. She should assess risks and potential pitfalls well ahead of the big day, preparing backup plans and being well-prepared to confidently step in should anything go wrong, from weather snafus to snarky relatives.

• Firm Understanding – Thou shall get to know the client and handle the small details. The ideal wedding planner is detail-oriented yet also aware of the big picture. In addition to having a clear understanding of a couple’s theme and vibe for the day, she must be able to seamlessly track both large and small details, including vendor arrival times and setup needs, the placement of wedding items, seating arrangements, food allergies, VIP relatives, and so much more.

• Selfless Visions – Thou shall still allow the client to make their own decisions. The ideal wedding planner is patient and calm. She should listen and offer honest advice, while remembering that she is bringing the couple’s vision to life, rather than her own. Some brides come out of planning their weddings thinking they will also love planning weddings for others, often finding out after the fact that this is not the case. Advising another bride is very different than implementing your own desires.

• Are You “Connected?” – Thou shall already be active in the industry and community. The ideal wedding planner is well-connected and involved with the wedding community. She knows how to find the best resources and vendors, and is up to speed about the latest industry news and trends.
• Give It Your All – Thou shall remember to handle an event as you would want others to handle your own. The ideal wedding planner is positive and enthusiastic. A wedding day, and the months leading up it, often comprise the most exciting time of a couple’s life. A planner should share in their joy and truly go above and beyond, ensuring their day will be incredible from start to finish. 

 The Events Company team lives by all of these commandments.

Here Vendor Vendor!!

Getting the Most out of your Vendors

Choosing your vendors is a daunting task. How do you know they will fit your wedding vision? Consulting with your wedding planner first is the best way to find out which vendors will fit your personality and needs. Local wedding planners have access to endless providers and can recommend the best in the wedding biz. Vendors can make a wedding come alive- and we’ve got some tips for figuring out a way to get the most out of your selected vendors.

Build a relationship with your vendor:

The greatest thing about vendors is most of them have been in the business a long time, and have built their own professional relationships. If you have already worked with your wedding planner to select an incredible caterer, ask them for referrals to a florist. The wedding business is a small, small world- and the pros can tell you who to rely on- and who to avoid.

Determine their scope of services:

Some people are surprised to know that The Events Company does Fun Photo services as well as full service wedding planning. Make sure to ask your vendor exactly what their scope of services are, so that you don’t miss out on any awesome perks. Wedding planners are able to tell you which venues will even help set up place cards for you- or do a variety of miscellaneous tasks.

Figure out where your money is going:

Remember that you are hiring the best because they know how to spend your budget correctly to execute your dream wedding. One place brides try to save money is on their DJ – some services consist of hiring the company, not a specific individual. If you saw a DJ you liked at a friend wedding, get their company name and individual name and be request that specific person. Be sure to know EXACTLY who and WHAT is going on at your wedding.

Your wedding planner should provide you with a list of the day’s events and expectations. If you notice something is not to your liking, approach your wedding planner first to diffuse the situation. Be strong in what you want – there are vendors out there who will give you exactly what you envisioned!

Some of the best vendors in the industry book 2 years out, so be sure to contact them as soon as you think you might be interested. Your wedding planner should set up a meet and greet and if you like them, go for it! It will be a sense of relief to know you have crossed off something on your “Wedding To Do!”

Look for a future post for an entire “Wedding To Do!” list.

Happy Holidays!

Shannon

How to Avoid Wedding Stress

Avoiding Day-Of Snafus

With any brilliant plan, there are some things that happen the day of at your wedding that are unavoidable – bridesmaids dress tears a seam, you get make up on your gloves; someone cuts their finger on a pin, headaches! But never fear, we are here to give you some tricks of the trade to avoid those little disasters on your wedding day:

-Bride Survive Kit – any great wedding planner should have one automatically onsite, but to calm your fears, be sure to bring one yourself so you can add items you might like, such as Excedrin vs. Advil, specific feminine products or a favorite lotion! A few must haves: Mints, Pain Reliever, Nail Polish Remover, Facial Tissues, Deodorant, Tampons, Adhesive Bandages, Sewing Kit, Bobby Pins, Scissors, Safety Pins, Stain Remover, Double-Sided Hem Tape and Earring Backs.

-Having a wedding planner will deter any stress you might have that you will forget an important item, but to ease your stress make a personal checklist of everything you need and want to have on the big day. Be sure to share this list with your wedding planner who should in-turn present to anyone it affects, such as photographer, dj or caterer. An important item to remember: have your signed marriage license at your rehearsal!

-Let go of unrealistic expectations. Just like with your future husband, you have to decide to accept the good with the bad on your wedding day. A perfect wedding is exactly what you are going to get, no matter if it is executed in the EXACT way you had planned. The most important point is that you enjoy yourself, and be sure your guests are entertained! Practice prior to your wedding dealing with situations that do not completely go your way, or as you planned. Learn how to manage your stress and really take on the attitude if something goes wrong, “well there is nothing we can do about it now, no need to stress.”

-Unmet expectations from vendors. Always have a list of your vendors on hand. Your florist promises you red roses and delivers you white roses. This is where the wedding planner has expertise and an understanding of how to communicate directly with that vendor to trouble shoot every issue as it arises day of. Do not try to handle this situation yourself. Designate a bridesmaid to contact the vendor and express your disappointment as soon as you recognize it. Insist that vendor make every effort to right the wrong before the beginning of the event – and that is what you are expecting. Now is the hard part: If a problem cannot be solved immediately, forget about it. Well at least until the next business day after your wedding. So do not stress the day of your wedding or let the first words out of your mouth to guests be “the florist messed up”. Don’t even mention it. Enjoy your day.

Remember you are beautiful and everyone in that single room has gathered with their loved ones to see the joining of someone they care about and the person they love.