Guest Photographers and Their Candid Shots

Here’s a cool idea to get those candid photos of your wedding. Set up a Shutterfly or some other photo site account for guests to upload all the pictures they take at your wedding . You just need to set up the account and then print the information on a blank business card and place them on the tables for the guests to take home with them.

Since so many guests now bring their digital cameras or camera phones with them to weddings, you should get tons of great shots that guests have taken. You can always encourage guests to bring their cameras if you think your crowd isn’t made up of a lot of shutterbugs. This so beats the idea of those disposable cameras brides have been putting on tables for years. These cameras are usually picked up by the kids at the weddings who have a great time taking pictures of walls and ceilings and each other. So you spend tons of money developing pictures of the walls, ceilings and close ups of your nephew’s nose. Save the money on the cameras and the developing and set up a Shutterfly account instead and let guests spend a few minutes uploading their great pictures for you to enjoy.

A Grand Opening Party for Outman Cigar and Martini Bar

Last night was the grand opening of the Outman Cigar and Martini Bar located at 26 Orchard Park Dr. Richard took pictures for the opening and I thought you might like to see a few. Besides cigars, there were appetizers for the guests that were delicious; there was a scotch tasting and a professional cigar roller. It was really quite a party.

The building itself is spacious with a downstairs lounge area and bar, complete with fireplace and big screen tv’s for watching the game. Upstairs is the private VIP membership area with more tv’s, bar and lots of leather couches.

Now you may be wondering why I’m talking about this on a wedding blog, but it is available for renting for bachelor parties, rehearsal dinners, meetings, etc. So if you’re planning that special bachelor party and you’re looking for upscale and different. This might be just what the groom ordered.

More Beautiful Pictures From a Beautiful Wedding

A few weeks ago, we wrote about the beautiful Gale wedding and reception that Willrich Bridal was lucky enough to be a part of.  At that time, I shared some of the pictures that my team took and I promised to share the professional ones as soon as Jason from Blue Mountain Photo put them online.  Well here they are http://bluemtnphoto.com/all/wedding-at-westminster-presbyterian-church-and-reception-at-zen-gale-wedding/  and they are just as great as we knew they would be.  Enjoy!

Cutting The Wedding Cake

Let’s talk about cutting your wedding cake. Cutting the cake is one of the highlight moments of your reception. Not only is it a great photo op, but it is based on years and years of tradition.

Brides will plan with great detail, the exact moment the cake is to be cut (tradition is near the end of the reception, but in recent years that has been moved to just after dinner). They plan the song to accompany the cutting. They spend hours picking out the perfect knife and server pieces. But when the time comes to actually cut the cake, they look at me in a panic. What do I do? How exactly do we cut this towering confection?

Well the normal practice is to cut the bottom layer (unless this layer happens to be fake). Pick a spot on the backside of the cake for the best picture positioning. If there is ribbon on the cake, find where the pin is and remove the ribbon from the area you plan to cut. Tradition states that the bride’s hand goes on the knife first and then the groom’s on top. Photographers prefer, as do most brides (and I) to have the groom’s hand on the bottom and bride’s on top, so that the bling of that engagement ring and wedding ring show in the pictures. Take the knife and go close to the edge of the next layer of cake, point the knife straight down and cut a small slit. Then lower the knife and cut the sides of your slice. Take the server and slip it under the cake slice and slide it out. Place the slice on a dessert plate or napkin. Remember you only need a slice big enough for two bites.

Tradition declares that the groom serve the first bite to his bride signifying his desire to provide for his bride. Then she feeds him. Hopefully, all this is done while avoiding the whole smashing in the face thing.

Your Reception Cocktail Hour

Let’s talk about the cocktail hour. I was asked recently if this hour was necessary. A bride had a friend tell her she had attended a reception that had no cocktail hour, the guests just went straight in and started eating and everything went just fine. She wanted to know my opinion.

Of course you can do a reception this way. Weddings in the South were done this way for generations. But is it necessarily the best plan for you or your guests. Pacing the reception is what makes the difference between just another reception and a great reception. The cocktail hour is part of that pacing. It allows for smooth transition from one part of your wedding to the next.

First of all when I say cocktail hour, I am talking about the hour before the reception starts where guests mingle, snack on appetizers and wait on the wedding couple to arrive. It does not necessarily have to involve any alcohol at all. We have done many non-alcohol cocktail hours. Flavored waters, tea, lemonade, punch can all be served either bar or butlered style. From a guest point of view not having a cocktail hour or half hour may appear fine. They go in, no waiting, they eat and then they wait on the bride and groom to arrive and the party to start or they leave. But let’s look at it from the bride’s and brides mother’s point of view.

Without a cocktail hour, your photos will have to be VERY rushed. You will be looking at, at the least, 30 to 45 minutes that your guests will be in the reception area eating before you even get there. This means several things. 1) The bride will not get to see the reception she worked so hard to plan before the guests have littered it with dirty plates, moved chairs around, eaten most of the food, etc. 2) All the excitement of the guests first walking into the room, being awed by the flowers, etc and then the bride and groom being announced in, won’t be there. 3) Since the guests will have 45 minutes or more to eat, they will be finished or nearly finished eating by the time the bride arrives. If your buffet is not being replenished for at least two hours or more (and why you would chose a site that doesn’t do this is beyond me) you could run the risk of a lot of food being gone before the bridal party even shows up. If the bride and groom take time to eat, some of the guests will be bored and leave since they have long finished eating. The guests will be eager to talk to the bride and groom allowing them no time to eat. The cake will have to be cut almost immediately when the bride and groom enter the room, as the guests are ready for dessert. A lot of guests will leave as soon as the cake is cut. Family dances will need to be rushed so the dance floor can be opened, if you don't I promise your guests will leave.

This moves up the whole schedule for the reception, cutting it a lot shorter than it should be. As I mentioned before, the pacing is suddenly not smooth. Also, a big thing for a lot of couples is that there will be no blessing over the food, since the entire wedding party will be taking pictures at the time the dinner begins. Remember no cocktail hour allows no time for the photographer to get there and take pictures before the area is littered with plates and half eaten food. Also, guests don’t want pictures taken of them eating, so his chance of good candid shots is cut way down.

Unless you are having a huge crowd and there just is not room, for the small expense involved and the high visual and elegance impact, I can’t see any reason for not having a cocktail hour. Just something to think about.

Happy Father's Day - Beautiful Brides and Their Very Proud Fathers

Sometimes fathers are our hardest customers to convince that wedding planners are needed.  You know how men hate to part with their money.  But at the end of the reception, it is always these same dads that come to us and say what a great job we did and how much they appreciate everything.  Nothing is better than a proud happy father at the end of his daughter's perfect wedding.

To celebrate Father's Day, I thought we would look back at just some of the proud daddy's we have seen over the years.

 

The Limited Now Offers Wedding Dresses

One more company has recently jumped into the wedding dress pool. Did you know that The Limited now sells wedding gowns? That’s right, I said The Limited. This really pretty dress is just $298.00 and available online. This dress has crinkled chiffon ruffles that cascade from an Empire waistline. It is accented by an ivory satin sash and tapered hem. Gathers at the bust conceal hidden supports and it opens with a side zipper.

The line is small at this time but you can go online to see their other offerings in wedding dresses and bridesmaids’ dresses. Maybe wedding dress shopping isn’t so “Limited” anymore…lol.

Your Wedding Shoes - What You Should Know Before Making that Purchase

Pic by Blue Mountain Photo

Let’s talk about wedding shoes, yours, your bridesmaids and even your guests. The key word here is comfort. True story, I have helped a bride remove her shoes at the end of the reception and her feet were literally bleeding. Now, do you think that bride enjoyed her reception as much as she could have? No, of course not, her feet were killing her.

 

I know that sky high heels with tons of bling are calling your name. But before you lay down your hard earned money, there are a couple of things you need to make sure of. One can you actually walk in them? Can you walk in them on a slick floor? Will they sink in the ground when you are trying to do outdoor pictures? Two, how much noise do they make when you walk? We’ve done more than one wedding where you could hear the bride and bridesmaids clomping down the wooden or stone aisle like a herd of horses. Three and this is a biggie, will your wedding dress catch on your shoes? Bling tends to catch on the under netting of the wedding dresses making it not only hard to walk but also tearing the slips. It is notorious for catching and pulling delicate chiffons and silks of bridesmaids’ dresses and mother of the bride dresses. Since you don’t normally try the shoes on with the dress and walk, these are the things that aren’t discovered until the wedding day.

Same goes for bridesmaids, pick comfortable shoes for them to wear. Ones that won’t sink into the ground, that won’t slide on their feet and that won’t cause blisters. Provide comfortable shoes for them to change into at the reception. Cute comfortable shoes can be a part of their bridesmaids’ gift.

If you’re getting married outdoors, let guests know ahead of time, so they don’t wear heels that will sink into the ground, or if they will have a long walk to the wedding site be sure they know ahead of time. You can always offer flip-flops for guests to change into.

Remember no one is happy or having a great time when their feet are killing them. Don’t let sore feet ruin your wedding day.

Pic by Blue Mountain Photo

What You Should Know About Your Bridal Portrait

Pic by Photography by Dennis & Yvette

Let’s talk about your bridal portraits. Bridal portraits are not something that every bride has done. In some parts of the country they are basically unheard of. But here in the South, they are a wedding staple.

So what should you know if you are planning on taking a wedding portrait? The portrait is included in most wedding photography packages. They can be done outside in parks, gardens, on the lake, in a field, at the church, just about anywhere you choose. They can also be done inside in the photographer’s studio or at your wedding site. The choice is yours and really depends on the look you want. Both choices have their pros and cons. Outside you can get great scenery but you also get heat, possibility of rain, and bugs. Inside you can have beautiful professional lighting, no heat or bugs, but not nature’s scenery.

One important thing to remember, if you are shooting in any of the Greenville, SC area parks, you do need a PERMIT. Make sure your photographer has purchased one for your date. If you don’t have a permit, you and your photographer can be removed from the park. Don’t let this happen to you.

I occasionally hire out as a stylist with different area photographers. Which means I’m on hand to help with the dress, posing, and basically making sure everything is picture perfect. From doing this I have learned quite a few things. Always bring water, especially in the summer. You are going to be thirsty. Make sure you will have a place to change close to where the pictures are being done. You would be surprised how many shops or restaurants will let you run in and change in their restrooms. Just call and check ahead of time. Photography by Dennis and Yvette even brings their own little pop up changing area for brides. Just be sure there is a plan for dressing.

You will also need a sheet to stand on to keep the dress from getting dirty. Your photographer or planner should provide one, if they don’t be sure to bring your own. The last thing you want is grass stains on your dress or shoes. And speaking of shoes make sure you bring a pair of shoes for walking (flip-flops) and just wear your wedding shoes for posing.

 Pic by Photography by Dennis & Yvette

Don’t forget your portrait bouquet. I know that sounds silly, but you would be surprised how many times brides do forget. Between getting hair and makeup done and getting dressed, flowers tend to be the last thing on a bride's mind.

You will need lipstick and powder for touch ups. Rice paper is great to pat on your face and absorb grease and sweat. If you are having a makeup artist do your makeup before your pictures, be sure you get samples for touch ups.

Choosing the time of day for your pictures is really important. Best time is early morning or late afternoon. Not only is the weather cooler at these times, but the sun is perfect for the best photos if you are doing your shoot outside.

Sessions will usually last about one to two hours. It all depends on your photographer. The most important thing to know for beautiful pictures is to relax and have fun. It shows in your face and body when you are enjoying yourself and that translates into beautiful pictures.

An International Wedding and Reception

I first meet Jenny and Nick in November of 2009. They were such an interesting and fun couple that you couldn’t help but love them. They were both big travel buffs, spending a lot of their time enjoying international travel. In fact this couple met in Bangkok while traveling.

It was easy to see that the theme of this wedding and reception needed to be travel and we accomplished that by naming the tables after places the couple had traveled to and enjoyed. Places that included Paris, Kailua-Kona, Beijing, San Felipe, Rome and lots more.

Creative Personalization

Along with the travel theme, there was lots of personalization in this wedding and reception. Guests had a specially designed seating chart to find which table was theirs. We had a monogram designed for the couple and it was used on the ribbon around the square flower vases and on the menus on the guests tables.

Entertainment was important to this couple and we had it. Along with the ultimate singing DJ, a young cousin of the groom sang. I feel sure we will see her on American Idol in a few years. This child could sing! The guests loved it.

The bride and groom even had a beautifully choreographed first dance.

The Details

The reception itself was held at Zen in downtown Greenville, SC. We brought in tables, silver chivari chairs, and silver cushions for the chairs. The couple wanted things sleek and minimum, so we did the room in ivory with silver accents. We used ivory under linens with ivory pin tuck overlays on every table except the cake table. The cake table was covered in a silver pin tuck overlay that matched back to the silver chairs and the bridesmaids pale silver/grey J.Crew dresses.

Flowers at the reception were squares of hot deep fuchsia red hydrangeas accented by black ribbon and monogram squares. Along with these were tall trumpet vases with 2 white floating calla lilies. In the water were pearls and crystals. These were topped by a floating candle. The bride carried a stunning bouquet of white calla lilies. The bridesmaids all carried white hydrangea.

The bride had one of the most beautiful wedding gowns I have seen. It was by Alfred Sung Bridals. It was lace, covered in sequins, beading and crystals. It was amazing. The girls wore graphite J Crew bridesmaid dresses.

Favors for the guests were beautiful silver tins of Wedding Tea.

One of the cutest elements of the evening was when the bride and groom left in a special wedding rickshaw pedi cab. Since the bride's father is in the bicycle business this was an especially appropriate way to leave.

Menu

Since many of the guests were from other parts of the country, the couple wanted them to see what Southern cooking was like. Guests were served heaping plates of mashed potatoes and gravy, pulled pork with three sauces, southern style green beans, macaroni and cheese, biscuits and yeast rolls. Big platters of fried chicken were served family style on each table.

It was a beautiful wedding and reception, one that Willrich Bridal and Special Events was very proud to be a part of.

(all pictures in article were done by Willrich Bridal Staff, I'll share the ones from the photographer when we get them.)

Vendors:

Reception Site :  Zen

Wedding Planner - Willrich Bridal and Special Events

Flowers - Just Weddings

Rentals - Professional Party Rentals

Video - Creative Video Services

Cake - Couture Cake of Greenville

Catering - Good Life Catering Co.

Photographery - Blue Mountain Photo

Rickshaw - Reedy River Rickshaw

DJ - Sam Brooks Life of the Party

Monogram Design - Sara Theisen Design