Welcome to The Wedding Vendor Guide

So it’s time to find that wedding dress, the one you’ve been dreaming about wearing for years. You have some idea of what it should look like, but actually finding that dress is a different story. WVG offers a few tips and suggestions to help get you started:

RESEARCH: Find pictures, pictures, and more pictures. One of the best ways to find ideas is to start with magazines, Brides, Modern Bride, etc. Or if you’re tech savy and don’t want to lug around magazines, start with Google. Do an image search and see what comes up, you may be surprised.

KEEP AN OPEN MIND: One thing you will realize very quickly is that all wedding dresses are not created equal. You’re going to want a gown that complements YOUR best attributes, not some model’s best attributes

FACTOR IN THE WEDDING DETAILS: One big thing to keep in mind is the wedding itself. Is it a spring or fall wedding? Are you on a beach or in the great outdoors? What time of day is the wedding? Is it a formal or semi-formal wedding? These are details that will affect your choices so have these details set before you walk into any bridal salon.

LOOK AT YOUR SOCIAL CIRCLE:Talk to your friends and family that have been married in your area. Learn from their experiences with bridal salon’s so you don’t make any mistakes they made.
Schedule appointmentsSome salons allow walk-ins, but by booking an appointment you’ll be guaranteed that a consultant will have time to help you. But don’t overload: Limit your appointments to two a day. Cramming three salons into one afternoon will leave you tired and stressed.

$$$: What’s your budget? Avoid dissappoint later when you realize the dress you really want is way out of your price range. Figure out what you can spend and only look at dresses in that range. If you don’t know what you’re missing, you won’t be disappointed, trust me.

ACCESSORIZE: Don’t be afraid to put your best make-up face on when trying out dresses. Doing little things like make-up, hair and jewelry will help give you a better idea of how you will look in your dress on your wedding day.

YOUR ENTOURAGE: Don’t invite the world to try on dresses, you only need a couple conflicting opinions, not hundreds. Maybe mom and a best friend/maid of honor. Keep it small.

NO SNAP DECISIONS: It’s alright to walk out of a shop, even if you think you found the perfect dress. Sometimes when you take a step back and remove yourself from a situation, you may see things a bit more clear and realize it’s not the dress you thought it was. On the other hand, it may just reinforce that you are making the best decision. In which case, why are you still reading this, go get it!

The Blue Nile website has a great guide to buying wedding rings. I could copy it, but why when I can link to it?

Enjoy.

Blue Nile Ring Guide

One of the most important decisions a couple makes when planning their wedding is where to hold the reception. Although there are a variety of reception locations, deciding on one does not have to be difficult.
When shopping around for various reception locations, it is best that the bride and groom agree on exactly what they want for their wedding reception. “What is the most important thing to the couple? It’s important to prioritize,” says Judith Ann Graham, author of “My Bride Guide: A Wedding Planner for Your Personal Style.” She adds, “The reception sets the tone and it also gives your guests an idea of how you’re going to live together as a couple.” The couple has to decide and agree what will make the day more special for them, whether it is having a big wedding at a large banquet hall or a small wedding at an exclusive restaurant, Graham says.

Typically, couples take three factors into consideration when deciding on a reception location, according to Patty Sachs, celebration expert and author of “Pick A Party: The Big Book of Themes and Occasions”
“One is a favorite place. A place they’ve seen and know that maybe someone they know has been married in,” Sachs says. “The second is ambience and the third is price. Depending on the couple, it can be all three or one more than the other.”
Keeping that in mind, wedding receptions can take place almost anywhere: a hotel, a banquet hall, a restaurant or a friend’s home. Unique spaces such as mansions, galleries, boats and trains can also be the sight of the perfect reception if the couple wants it to be.
Another unique idea for a wedding reception location, the destination wedding, entails a wedding that takes place over a weekend at exotic locations such as Martha’s Vineyard, Hawaii or Spain. “The bride and groom plan a wedding in an area that neither of them are from and it becomes a weekend event,” says Cheryl Cox, a certified wedding consultant in Myrtle Beach, S.C. “There could be golf for the men and shopping for the ladies.” “It’s like a weekend wedding retreat. They can take place at very exotic locations,” Graham says, adding that most of the planning can be done online.
Some couples are taking advantage of another popular reception idea that is both simple and economical: an afternoon tea.
“They are serving a very simple cake and champagne after the ceremony and that’s it,” Graham says. “They’re doing tea, they’re doing little finger sandwiches, they’re serving a wonderful wedding cake and champagne or a sparkling punch.”
“They could do that almost anywhere that they’d have their evening reception. Often in the afternoon, even hotels and country clubs will be able to accommodate an afternoon wedding and still be able to have an evening event,” Sachs adds. Although prices for any type of reception depend upon the individual couple’s needs and wants and geographic location, prices also depend on the size and quality of the space and the menu options.
“The first variable is the size of the space. The larger the space, the more expensive it’ll be,” Sachs says. “Food prices depend on the type of food you want and the type of the food they specialize in.”
Price also depends on the size of the guest list, Cox says.

WVG Thanks:

www.helenair.com

There are several items to consider when choosing a Wedding photographer.

Experience Level - Has this person photographed other weddings? Does he/she do this for a living or for fun?

Photographic Style - Are the images that you are shown, what you would like to see? There are “buzz” words flying about everywhere about photojournalism, formal, classic candid, and so on. Do you want a mixture of black and white or only colour photos?

Truth in Advertising - Is this the photographer that will be photographing your wedding or will they send in whomever is available. Don’t be shocked, this happens more often than you can imagine. Be certain that you know which photographer is going to be there and that you see HIS/HER work and meet with that individually face to face.

Personality - Is the photographer that you meet someone that you can get along with? Is the “chemistry” there?

Appearance - Ask the photographer how he/she intends to dress. Is this person well groomed?

Price Range - Although, the last thing you want to do is shop by price, is this person within your budget? If not, is he or she worth the price difference? Make sure you understand what everything costs, including reprints and albums.

Delivery - How long does it take to get your proofs back, thank you cards, your finished album, your bridal portrait, etc.?

Offering - Whether it’s a la carte or a package, do you understand what you are getting? Is there any room for changes and will it cost to do so? Sometimes the packages are fixed, sometimes they can be customized, in any case, ask. How much time will he/she spend? What if you need more time? Make sure that you know what’s coming.

Contract - Do you understand the contract. Is it fair? Is everything spelled out? When it comes down going to court, only what is WRITTEN really counts, not what was promised. Make sure that you have no doubts before signing. Read it ALL.

What about deposits and payments? What does it say about cancellations and the photographer not being there? If the photographer protests, ask him why? This is one area NOT to take lightly. You could be disappointed for a long time.

References - A personal reference is always the best and people love to talk. Get a list of references from the photographer and check them out personally. A photographer who doesn’t have references or is afraid to give them to you may not be the person that you need to hire.

Other Questions: (some questions may be repeated from the list above)

• Have you shot a wedding at my location before?
• Do you have an assistant?
• Do you have backup equipment and is it the same quality as the primary equipment?
• What time will you begin and how long will you stay until?
• When will the proofs be ready?
• Do we get to keep the proofs?
• Do you mark your proofs?
• Where and how are your proofs marked?
• How much extra for unmarked proofs?
• Do we get to keep our negatives?
• How long do you keep the negatives and will you sell them to us?
• Do you use high speed film to expose natural light?
• Do you have tele-photo and wide-angle lenses?
• Do you work well with the other vendors? i.e.: coordinators, caterers, videographers.
• Can you work from a photo checklist that we create?
• How will you be dressed?
• Do you process and develop your own film and prints?

What goes on the all important contract?

• The name of your photographer
• The time that he/she arrives and leaves
• The number of proofs you will view in order to pick your enlargements and/or keep
• The description of the package you ordered
• A list of guaranteed prices for enlargements. If they have a brochure with prices then get the photographer to write down that the prices on the brochure they gave you are the prices that you will be charged.
• The cutoff date for these brochure prices.
• All additional charges, services, taxes, travel, etc… Get the exact cost on the contract.
• An explanation of what happens if your photographer doesn’t show up.
• The date and deposit amount and how much is still owing.
• Your name, address and phone number. The names and addresses of the ceremony and reception locations.

WVG Thanks:

Frugal Bride

Finding a baker to make your wedding cake is an easy task, but finding a baker who will create a “cake to remember” requires a little more thought. You deserve a cake that will not only dazzle the eye, but tempt the taste buds as