My Uncle is going to take our wedding pictures...

If the topic of this post has not given you immediate heartburn, please - for your sake and my sanity - continue reading.

I can not tell you the number of times I've heard this.

... Along with:

• Photographers are expensive and won't fit our budget.
• We only want a couple of photos anyway.
• We're having a small ceremony with just our closest family and friends so it's not a big deal.
• My cousin took a photography class in school.
• My friend is a professional photographer for a magazine and does it for a living.

Let's start with the top and work our way right down this list.

Photographers are expensive and won't fit our budget.

It is all in how flexible you are. What kind of photographer are you looking for? Have you considered hiring a new photographer who has spent a lot of time interning under a professional wedding photographer? And what about the package you are looking at? Would you be willing to trade up that fancy album for a plain one filled with beautiful photos of your wedding day?

My favorite kind of photographer is one who takes hi-res photos and puts them onto a cd for her brides to use and print as they wish. This can not only save you thousands of dollars but it also gives you the freedom to share the love, so-to-speak, on popular social sites such as www.myspace.com and www.facebook.com.

Photographers are too hard to find. Most of them are booked on our day.

This can be a problem if you waited too long to find the photographer you want. Ask if they have a waiting list and, if you are not set on your date yet, ask if they can give suggestions on what days they are available to do your wedding.

I can take the same photos they can for a lot less money.

Are you sure about that? Have you ever taken a photo of a friend or family member and saw that they had "red eye"? Have you ever accidentally gotten your thumb in the way of a shot? Do you know how to reproduce and enlarge your photos with the same professional quality you'd get from a photographer? I bet you answered yes to the first two questions and no to the last one. If so - do yourself a huge favor and hire an experienced wedding photographer to handle this work for you.

I know a photographer who does magazines. They have agreed to do our wedding.

Woah! Hold on there for a moment. There is a huge difference between hiring any photographer and hiring a wedding photographer. Wedding photographers know exactly where to be in order to anticipate and capture those special moments. They know how to round up an energetic wedding party and they know how to frame the bride in the most flattering light. This kind of experience isn't earned by doing years of photography in general - it is learned by doing years of wedding photography.

Now get out there and find a real wedding photographer...

Please - take the camera away from your uncle, sit down with your fiance and start interviewing real wedding photographers. This is one of the biggest days of your life. Don't you want to trust these memories to the hands of a professional who can capture them forever?

Happy New Year! Do you make resolutions?

It's 2008 and we are off to a fresh start this wedding season. But before we get into those details, I have a few loose ends to tie up.

Last year I was not good at keeping up with my blogs. It's so easy to get knee deep into the details of every day business and forget to stop and talk about what we are doing here on the internet.

The truth is we often are not sure what to blog about! Do our brides really want to hear about how we met with our new vendors several times before agreeing on a new line of products for them? Or should we keep things focused on our customers at all times and not discuss what happens behind the scenes?

So this year we decided to take the same approach on our blog that we take with our customers: We'll just be forward and up front about everything - even the not so fun stuff that every business owner has to deal with. Our resolution to you is to continue to provide you with the best service possible. It is our hope to let this blog serve you even more by giving you our honest take on new wedding related products and services (including our own!). But in order to do that we will, of course, have to post a lot more often. That's my job and I promise to do it more often!

Here is to a fun 2008 filled with endless possibilities!

Merry Christmas to You and Yours!!!

The Holidays are upon us! This is usually my favorite time of year. Almost everything I do during this season reminds me of my childhood:

• The Christmas tree we decorate used to belong to my grandparents. When I was a little girl this tree looked sooo big! I smile every time I pull it out of storage because memories of playing hide and seek with my grandpa appear in my mind.


• The ornaments I decorate the tree with were passed to me from my grandma and my mother.


• The hot cocoa is plentiful in our house and I still melt those little marshmellows into it and stir it with a candy cane like my mom used to do.


• Although my husband and I do not yet have children, I leave a cookie and a small glass of milk out for Santa before I go to bed. My husband splits this snack with our 3 labs before he joins me upstairs.


• And the recipes I use for Christmas dinner have been in my family for so long that we no longer write them down. I was taught how to prepare these meals with love and bare hands when I was growing up. I know them so well that I only need my nose and ears to tell you that dinner will be ready in twenty minutes - and the ham needs more glaze.
  

Christmas is not about gifts. It is not about shopping. It is certainly not about being politically correct or worrying about offending others when we say "Merry Christmas". It has nothing to do with being obligated to go to the office holiday party and rubbing shoulders with the boss or throwing a bigger holiday party this year than the one your neighbors had last year.

This time of the year is for family: Be it the family you were born with your the family you've created through close friends. It is for belly laughter and playful banter. And it is for quiet evenings spent alone with your significant other. The memories that these moments create can never be purchased.

So - we would like to put our business talk aside for this post so that we can take a moment to remember why we chose the freedom of starting a business in the first place: More time to create the memories we have grown so fond of.

From bottom of our hearts we wish you a very Merry Christmas from our family to yours!!!

Dougherty's Masquerade - Not Just for Halloween?

My husband and I got invited to a Halloween party this year. This is the first time in our 7 year relationship that we found ourselves able to go! We always have weddings in October so I try to keep things low key. This time the party was being thrown by my husband's niece so we were thrilled to accept the invite.

It was off to Dougherty's Masquerade in Syracuse, NY. They have every costume you could think of and you can either rent or purchase your costume so the opportunities are endless. My husband found a victorian style grave digger costume with a long black coat and a big top hat. We put some white face paint on him so that he looked all ghostly. It turned out great! I am very short (5 feet tall) so I choose one of their gothic fairy costumes. The dress fit perfectly and did not reveal more than I was comfortable with. I also purchased one of their better quality wigs (brown with light brown streaks). It looked so good and felt so real that people at the party asked me if I died my natural hair. Ha! That's cool. We looked fantastic. I will have pictures to post very soon.

In the meantime I discovered some things about Dougherty's Masquerade that I did not realize. They are not just open for the end of the year Holidays. They are open all year around. And they have some great wedding items, too! Check this out...

Wedding Items at Dougherty's Masquerade:

• They have a full line of costume make-up that goes on smoothly and does not cake or crack. (You'll still need to put on your facial moisturizer first, just in case). You can get shimmery silver, body glitter and even lipstick in all kinds of colors!

• The wigs are a LOT of fun. But don't go for the ones in the bags on the racks. Head straight for the back of the store and check out the wigs that are on display. They won't let you try these on but they are of a much better quality and it'll be easy to get a good idea of what they will look like on you. I mean it - I had to take off my wig at the end of the party just to prove to everyone that my hair was fake! It looked so real.

• The costume jewelry and party accessories are a riot! You can find traditional items such as sparkling tierras and glitter necklaces as well as "tongue-in-cheek" type items like kitten whiskers and long fake eyelashes.

Where would you use these items during the course of a wedding?

• Think night of costume fun with your maid of honor and bridesmaids!

• Or if you are having a winter wedding then a little silvery shimmer and glitter here and there will give you a beautiful effect for those wedding photos.

• And the tierras are a great way to highlight you as the bride during your bridal shower. You can have even more fun by giving your bridesmaids some of that costume jewelry to wear, too!

Get creative! The point is that you are under enough stress during this stage of your life. Planning a wedding is a roller coster of emotions (high and low). It's import to bring out the kid in you, too. So go ahead. It's time to have a little fun!

Dougherty's Masquerade, 3011 Erie Blvd, East Syracuse, NY 13224, 315-445-0076

p.s. A note to the Dougherty's Masquerade owners: Hey! Why don't you have a website yet? Or where can I find it?

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Realistic Budgets

I had the pleasure of meeting an adorable couple on Sunday. They are genuine, sweet and in way over their heads. The bride is already two steps ahead of herself, though, by taking the initiative to speak with a wedding coordinator. Smart girl. :-)

That said, I need speak a moment about realistic budgets. The conversation I had with this bride is one I have quite often with newly engaged folks. It starts off the same way almost every time:

Them: “We’re not sure what our budget is… “

Me: “Well… the average cost of a wedding in Central New York is $27,000”

Them: …. Blank stare.

Me (with a gentle smile): “I know how you feel. A budget wedding can be done in this area for $10k - $15k.”

Them: “That’s much better!”

Me: “Not so fast… we’re just getting started here. How many people do you want to invite to your wedding?”

Them: “Ohhhh we know so many people! We’re thinking at least 200… maybe 250 guests.”

Me: …. Blank stare.

Don’t get me wrong. I am not picking on my clients. I am, in fact, eager to educate every couple I meet about what a realistic budget is. So here are some things to keep in mind as you dive into the details of planning your big day.

- The tighter your budget is, the more flexible you have to be. Perhaps that SUV Limo can be left out in exchange for a more sensible town car with a driver?

- Just because it’s a wedding, does not automatically mean everything is more expensive. However it does mean that everything must be 100% perfect and that the margin for error is very, very low. A good vendor will charge according to experience, value and expertise they can offer you – especially since you only get one day… Just one day… to get it right the first time. That is a lot of pressure on a business owner, not to mention a bride.

- Smaller budget = smaller guest list. I am not kidding and there is no room for negotiation on this one. Your guest list controls how much you will spend in the long run. At $50.00 a plate, you may want to reconsider inviting the long lost acquaintance of Aunt Maggie. Ask yourself how well you know each guest you consider. Your day will be intimately special – therefore you should surround yourself with people you are the closest to.

- Sticking with a budget does not mean you can’t have a beautiful wedding. In fact some of the most beautiful weddings I have seen were designed on a dime. Again, flexibility is the key.

- Being a budget bride does not mean you shouldn’t hire a wedding coordinator. The exact opposite is true: If you are on a budget then you can’t afford NOT to hire a wedding coordinator! We know the ins and outs of planning a wedding. We’ve worked with almost every budget there is and we have the professional experience it takes to see to it that you get the absolute best return on your investment.

Vendor Kickbacks???

I had the opportunity to meet with my favorite area florist last night. We were there to discuss flower designs for my upcoming bridal show. I have to say that not only did I leave that meeting excited about seeing her completed designs - but my feeling of comfort also confirmed the fact that I have chosen the right vendor for the right job.

This got me thinking...

When you, as a couple, are recommended to a vendor by your wedding consultant you can be sure you are getting the best possible recommendation for your style, personality and event. Contrary to popular belief, a lot of consultants do not receive what is called a referral fee (or kickback) from their vendors. I am one of those consultants.

And here's why...

If I am receiving a kickback from my vendors, how can you be sure I am recommending the vendor for the right reasons? What if the best photographer around is not comfortable with paying a referral fee? Would I then be recommending a photographer with less skill and experience because he is willing to pay me for sending business his way?

I do a lot of research on the vendors I work with and those that make it to my preferred list are there because they have the ability to go above and beyond your expectations. You can rest easy knowing that your big day is being planned with the utmost care and professionalism by me - and by my vendor team.