A Wedding You Won't Forget!

Ah, the wedding. It is one of the most joyous, and torturous, events you will ever face. It absolutely amazes me what we humans put ourselves through just to create that perfect celebration of "love". The planning of a typical wedding is very difficult. I should know because I am planning my own right now! 

There is so much that needs to be done and there never seems to be enough time. I have talked with literally hundreds of people who have gone through the planning of a wedding and I have found that it's the little things that cause all the stress. It's easy to plan for the obvious, but the minute details can drive you insane! 

One of the most overlooked details of a wedding is what I think one of the most important details. It is making your wedding special for your guests. You see, it's easy to forget that the wedding is not just for you and your future spouse. It's also for everyone who attends your wedding. It's very important you don't forget about all the people who are special to you and who will be traveling from all over to be with you on your special day. 

Picture this....the lights dim. A hush falls over the crowd. A slideshow video starts playing on the screen at

the front of the room and it tells a story. What is this story, you ask? It's a love story! It is the story of you. It is the story of your future partner. It is the story of both of you. It is pictures of you both from birth to present, arranged with text, your special music, and just about anything you want to use to entertain your guests. It will leave your guests with a smile on their faces and tears in their eyes! 

Most engaged couples I have spoken with love the idea of having a slideshow video in their wedding. The problem is that they think it's either very difficult or incredibly expensive. Neither of those assumptions is correct. It's actually very easy to have one made. As matter of fact there are several companies online that will make a video for you. Obviously I'm biased because I think our company is the best but I will give you some things to look for when shopping for a slideshow video production company. 

Price. You have to be very careful here. Many companies advertise great prices, but they don't tell you about all the hidden costs. For example, Company "X" may say that they only charge $99.00 for a video. But if you read the fine print they charge an additional $2.00 per photo for scanning and another $1.00 for each picture enhancement. Once the video is complete, they will charge you another $50.00 just to preview it. So this $99.00 video just turned into a $500.00 video. 

Previewing. Most places will not let you preview the video or, if they do allow it, they will charge extra to preview it. It's absolutely critical that you preview any slideshow video before you buy it. Previewing the slideshow video allows you to make sure you like all the titling, screen transitions and photo arrangement. You want the video to be exactly the way you want it. 

Montage. Montage videos are what I refer to as "a tech heads video dream." They involve constant panning back and forth and zooming in and out. They also feature fancy looking screen transitions where the pictures will do flips and spins and all sorts of other "cool" things. Now, these montages may look "high tech" but they are completely inappropriate for a wedding. A wedding slideshow video needs to be classy and tasteful. It doesn't need spins and twist, flips and twirls. It needs to have clean, smooth transitions. They need to flow from one picture to the next with elegance and grace. 

Remember, you want your wedding to be special. You want your guests to remember your wedding with fondness. You want it to be an unforgettable experience. What better way than with a slideshow video that features your life up to that point! I hope your wedding is the best that has ever occurred. I hope you decide to engage your guests by showing a beautiful, romantic slideshow video at the beginning of your ceremony. May you have the best of weddings and don't forget to have fun!

A Picture Perfect Wedding

Weddings are definitely one of the happiest moments in a person's life. But, this momentous occasion does not always come as blissful as the event itself. Days and even months before the big day, couples usually cram up with the littlest details.

The process of listing down and cutting down everything into specific details the wedding date, the venue, the reception, the caterer, the designer of the gown and suit, all the way down to the wedding coverage are the areas where stress usually ushers in.

Due to hectic schedules, most couples usually do not pay much attention to one of the crucial things in any wedding the wedding coverage. Despite the overwhelming tension and excitement, couples do not have to be nonchalant when choosing their wedding photographers if they want their fun times and precious memories recorded very well.

WEDDING PHOTOGRAPHY PREFERENCES

To avoid making this slight neglect that usually leads disastrous results, couples have to decide first what kind of wedding photography they would want to have.

Most wedding photographers today categorize the types of wedding photography into two: the traditional or classic style and the wedding photojournalistic style.

The most common style used by wedding photographers today, the traditional or classic wedding photography is considered as a "timeless" and the "safest" style because you normally see in countless wedding albums. Characterized by classic poses of subjects aware of the camera, this style involves so much control from the photographer because he is in-charge in arranging individual and group shots before, during, and even after the wedding.

Having excellent portraiture skills, expect the photographer to focus more on the quality of the photograph by making the subject look great from the littlest details. Expect typical wedding photos like pre-ceremony pictures, formal shots of the bride and groom posing with brides maids and ushers, cake cutting, garter and bouquet toss, and the like when you choose a classic wedding photography. This style is ideal if the couple would want to keep portraits of family members for their wedding album.

If the couple is adventurous and unconventional, then you might want to consider the wedding photojournalistic style of photography on your big day. An increasingly popular style today, wedding photojournalism offers fresh and new style of taking photos in the occasion. Characterized by candid shots of the subjects unaware of the moving camera, the photojournalism style lets the attendees act freely to capture their pure and true emotion.

Sourcing style from his experience in journalism, the "photojournalist" pays more attention to minute details and candid shots rather than arranged ones. He's more into eyeing interesting moments and capturing those in his lens to produce a narrative collection of images that tell a story.

Although some traditional poses will be present, expect photos that show actual emotions of the bride and groom and of other participants throughout the duration of the wedding when you choose the photojournalism style.

In order to avoid ruining the documentation of your wedding, here are some tips in making your wedding a picture perfect one:

1. Weddings are one of the most exciting chapters of one's life. Make sure that you choose a wedding photographer that can meet all your standards. Meet with the photographer before hand the so you could discuss the details you want.

2. Inform the important participants about the schedule of photo sessions and make sure everyone attends the rehearsal to cut down the stress.

3. Have a reception area so guests can be informed about the itinerary. This will set the occasion in order.

3 Things to Pay Attention to for Your Budget Wedding

Getting married is one of your most important day of our lives.  Some people tend to have a budget wedding as to save their money for some practical reasons.  What important to know is that a budget wedding does not mean a cheap wedding. It all depends on how smart you plan your budget wedding.

There are many aspects that you can cut cost of your wedding expenditures.  However, you should pay attentions on some aspects so that you will not sacrifice the quality of it.

First, Wedding Photography and/or Videography.  A professional wedding photography can charge you anywhere between $1000-$3000. You might think that you can just ask your friend or relative to take your wedding pictures. It is a No No.  Wedding pictures and videos are the only things that you can see or view to re-live your wedding moments in future.  If you really need to cut your budget, try asking around from some photography clubs.  There are some members out there who really have a hobby of photography and would not mind to give you lower prices. One good practice is to pay them first to do your pre-wedding picture or video.  If you satisfy with the results, you can contract him/her again for you wedding day.

Wedding venue.  If you think that you could save money by having your wedding money in your house for free of charge, make sure that your house if conformable enough for guest to gather around.  We would like the guest to be comfortable so that they would stay longer.  In the end, how could the wedding party be nice when guests are leaving early?  Try to find good venue that match your theme.  You would find that in some days or time, the price could be lower.

Flowers. Have you asked around how much it will cost you for arranging wedding ceremony flowers?  You get shocked when it could cost you above $700 right?  Some of the flower vendor could charge you very cheap.  But the be careful of vendor that will show you a good sample of flowers, and when it is time for your wedding day, he/she will arrange the flowers with some "not fresh" ones.  Well, you can always cut your cost here buy ordering the flowers that are in season. Or, you can have a garden wedding without adding more budgets to flower decorations.

There are other aspects to consider for your budget wedding.  Overall, the important thing is to have proper planning for your budget wedding.  You can cut cost up to 50% of what you have budgeted.