Today I was perusing the "Every Last Detail" blog that provides inspiration, ideas and insight for brides and came upon a great article written by a past bride and her experience with her wedding photographer. Lauren gave some great advice what to consider when choosing your wedding photographer and I had to pass it along to all of you.
I Took The Cheap Photographer Route…
Hi, my name is Lauren, and I took the cheap photographer route. And I’m here to prevent you from doing the same!
Last week there was a blog post going around Twitter that caused quite a bit of hoopla among photographers and wedding professionals. If you haven’t seen it, in a nutshell, a new bride wrote a post on her personal blog regarding her search for a photographer and the cost associated with photography. Right now, there are over 100 comments on the post. I’m sure she wasn’t expecting such a response, but nonetheless, I highly recommend reading some of the responses. It’s incredibly educational, and says just about everything that I always try to say about photography.
An example of a GOOD photo, by Studio 222 Photography
One of the reasons why I’m always talking about the importance of quality photography is because I made a mistake that I hope to prevent other brides from making. I took the cheap photographer route. I attribute this to the fact that when I was planning my wedding, I had no clue. The only resources I used were The Knot and Brides.com, because that’s all I knew about. However, when using their budget recommendations (which was all I had to go off of), their recommended photography percentage was way below what I was realistically seeing for photographer pricing. I didn’t have anyone to tell me what the “norm” pricing was for a good photographer. I was counting on those resources to help me, and they didn’t. So, while we wait for these resources to catch up to 2010, this is my warning!
I’m in no way a photographer, but I want to pass along some tidbits that I wish I had known as a bride. One of the first things that I tell new brides is the normal cost for decent photography, because I myself had no idea. Here in Florida, photography packages usually start at $2000, and that’s that bare minimum. It varies everywhere, and of course it also varies with the photographers and their experience. Keep in mind that photographers are not just taking photos of you on your wedding day. They also have to edit the photos (which can take up to 30 hours), design the album, answer your emails and phone calls, and carry out all of the other administrative duties that owning a business entails. (There is so much more, but I’ll leave that to the photographers to explain!) Most of all, bottom line: you get what you pay for. It really can’t be said any differently.
And another example of a GOOD photo, by Ashley Brockinton Photography
Needless to say, I’m still pretty heartbroken about my lack of knowledge when I chose my photographer. I wish I had known about so many things when I was planning my wedding. Now that I look at amazing work from photographers every day, I know that my photos could have been so much better. But you live and you learn, right? There’s always our vow renewals to make up for it!
[Disclaimer: Don't get me wrong when I say "cheap photographer". I paid more than what would normally be considered "cheap". But when you consider what was included in the price (my 12 hour wedding day, engagement session, bridal session, album and prints), and then when you see the pretty much unedited images, then yes, it was indeed cheap.]
If you have any questions about choosing your photographer, please ask! I don’t want anyone else to feel the way that I do, and this is one of the many reasons why I write this blog and why I entered the wedding industry. I want to help everyone have the absolute best wedding possible!
Lauren
Here are a few examples from our Something Blue Collective Photographers who would be a great choice for your wedding:
Something Blue Collective is excited to bring to you a recent interview with the fabulous ladies Tera and Lauren that own the Couture Closet. The Couture Closet is a bridal boutique located just outside of Louisville in LaGrange, KY. After reading the interview please watch their SBC video were they give great tips and advice on how to choose the perfect dress for your special day.
SBC: What inspired you two to open a bridal boutique?
We met in college at SullivanUniversity while we were working on a Degree in Event Management. One of the classes we took included a week long trip to Mexico to see how a resort is run. One night at dinner in Mexico a bunch of us were talking about where we wanted to be after graduation. The two of pretty much had the same dream of being a Wedding Coordinator. Nearly a year after graduation there were some phone falls made, meetings, ideas, research, and then after thinking long and hard, we realized that both of us loved special events but we had backgrounds in retail. It just seemed natural that we would open a bridal boutique.
We are very fortunate to have found each other the way we did because we both have the same passion about customer service (which is definitely hard to find now a days). It took us nearly a year and half to get everything together before we opened our doors. Our mission is to provide an experience to the bride and her family that she won’t soon forget in an environment that is cozy and charming! Offering designers that are committed to quality workmanship and giving our brides that uniqueness that they are looking for on their wedding day.
We chose our La Grange location for a couple reasons. First being that we wanted our boutique to be a memorable experience, so we chose this quaint little town that actually has a train that comes down the middle of the street!! There are great shops, tasty cafes, and just a relaxing atmosphere for a fun memorable day of shopping. The second reason is we wanted stop to tiresome trek to Cincinnati that a lot of brides tend to make to look for their wedding gown. Here you will get service that is unparalleled to that of Cincinnati as well as the same designers at the same price (minus the gas money).
SBC: Tera your wedding is approaching, without giving away too many details of your dress, what designer did you choose?
Tera: I chose an Augusta Jones dress. We were at the New York Bridal Market in October 2009 and I watched it go down the runway and I looked at Lauren and Brooke (our intern at the time) and said “I think that is my dress!” Sure enough they let me try it on after the show and I loved it from what I could see….but there was no mirrors. Augusta Jones sent it in to me over Thanksgiving to try it on, and the rest is history!
SBC: Lauren, can you describe the dress you chose for your wedding?
Lauren: Oh my, I chose a beautiful ivory silk brocade gown that had a mocha colored charmeuse band at the waist that tied like a Kimono in the back. The dress had a low back and a sweetheart neckline and love it just as much now as I did 3 years ago!!
SBC: What are the current trends in wedding dress design?
Lately our designers have been designing simpler dresses with one aspect that stands out or has a twist! Whether it is a simple A-line gown with a fabulous crystal embellished belt, or a beautiful mermaid silhouette with a big dramatic flower, it is the classic timeless look that has been the hot trend. This allows you to be more adventurous with the accessories and headpieces.
Tip: Don’t let a dress wear you, you need to be wearing the dress. You need to feel comfortable and beautiful in your wedding gown. Even if everyone agrees you look great in the dress, but your hips or your back or your bust still bother you than that is not the dress for you. And the best advice is: if you love it and it makes you feel like a bride and maybe everyone else does not agree, that is okay. There is no reason to not get the dress you love!
SBC: Can each of you suggest the perfect dress for a bride getting married this spring with an indoor evening ceremony?
Tera: There are so many options that the list is nearly endless. As far as a fabric the bride could wear; she could do organza which is very much associated with Spring and Summer time weddings. Taffeta which is great all year long and can be formal or informal. Lace is simply romantic. There are dainty laces and ones with more substance. Satin is a heavier material and lends itself to a more formal wedding, but you see the fabric options go on forever! If I had to pick a dress that is currently in the store that screams Spring I would say Eze by Reverie. For a bit more formal look I would suggest Verde by Junko Yoshioka or Maeve by Vineyard Collection (just shown on the cover of Louisville Bride)
Eze by Reverie
Verde by Junko Yoshioka
Maeve by Vineyard Collection
Lauren: For a Spring wedding with an evening indoor ceremony I would probably pick something with a fuller skirt. Not necessarily a ball own but something with a little bit of pouf. And maybe because it is an evening wedding I would spice it up a little bit with a little sparkle. In our shop right now would suggest the Connie dress by Augusta Jones, it is a beaded lace ball gown with a satin sash, and a little tulle at the neck line. Or I would go with Carter by Vineyard Collection, Carter is a strapless mermaid gown with buttons all the way down the back. Both gowns would be ideal for a Spring wedding.
Connie by Augusta Jones
Carter by Vineyard Collection
SBC: Can each of you please list your top three designers currently?
Our favorite designers are Vineyard Collection, Augusta Jones, and Robert Bullock Bride. Augusta Jones offers a look that is more traditional but adds a modern twist. She builds a lace up corset inside her dresses that is sure to make you feel nice and secure all night long! Vineyard Collection embodies the classic bride with a bit more of a statement! Robert Bullock Bride offers an amazingly constructed dress at a price point that brides LOVE!!!! If you are going to spends several hundred or a couple thousand, you need to be buying a dress that is well constructed and does not feel like plastic. We have search and searched and tried VERY hard to get designers in a price point that you can feel comfortable with and that give you the craftsmanship you deserve to be wearing on your big day! Come check them out!
SBC: What accessories can brides find at the Couture Closet?
We carry shoes, veils, hair pieces, jewelry and garters. As far as the undergarments we have Spanx, Cleavage Cupcakes (breast enhancers), and fashion tape. We also sell little gifty items such as wedding planner books, Bridesmaid Survival Kits, and Tank Tops that say Bride, The Maids, Newlywed, (and our favorite) Wifey.
SBC: Is an appt required or suggested for brides looking to visit you boutique?
Bridal Appointments are VERY highly recommended. When we opened our boutique we promised ourselves that we wanted to make our shop an experience unlike any other bridal boutique around. We don’t want to compromise that experience for anyone so when you come to a Couture Closet appointment you are sure to get one on one attention, yummy treats and drinks, and a quite atmosphere. If we had more than one bride at a time we wouldn’t be able to accomplish this experience. So you really need to call and schedule your time at The Couture Closet. If you walked in off the street with out an appointment we won’t turn you away, if we don’t have a bride already there we will be happy to accommodate you but if a bride is already there or both of us are occupied with customers we wont be able give you the assistance you deserve.
Also, the only two people that work at The Couture Closet are the two of us! Because we are the owners you are getting the best assistance there is because we care about your wedding gown just as much as you do! When you schedule your appointment you don’t just get an hour and a half of dresses, you get the owner of the shop as a personal assistant that will help you through the purchasing process, finding the perfect accessories, bridesmaid dresses, mother of the bride attire, and even dress steaming the week of you wedding!
SBC: If a bride’s choice of dress is not carried in your store, can that dress be ordered?
As long as the gown chosen is a designer we carry in the boutique, a bride can order it and/or we can get a sample dress sent in for the bride to try on. We are only legally aloud to sell dresses from the designers we are authorized to carry so if the dress is by a designer we don’t currently have in our shop we won’t be able to get the dress. However, if you love a dress from a certain designer we can probably find you a dress very similar from a designer we do carry!
SBC: What is the first word you think of when I say “lace”?
Today, Something Blue Collective promoted our great site and our elite vendors at the Whitehall Bridal Show. Brides were invited to tour the house and gardens while meeting wedding vendors. Whitehall is a Something Blue Collective venue and is the perfect setting for an indoor intimate wedding ceremony or a picturesque outdoor garden ceremony with a reception to follow under a grand tent. Merrill Simmons, the executive director of Whitehall, was the perfect host of the bridal event. Check out Whitehall's SBC video were Merrill gives you a personal tour and explains what you can expect from renting Whitehall House and Gardens for your special event.
SBC elite wedding vendor Highland Chamber Players were in the garden entertaining visitors with their beautiful music. Jane Halliday, a violinist with Highland, gives great advice in their SBC video on what to expect when hiring a live music ensemble for your wedding and gives suggestions on sound reinforcement.
Choosing the Highland Chamber Players for your wedding adds a touch of class and sophistication to your ceremony and reception. The Highland Chamber Players have been performing at weddings since 1982. Visit their website to hear samples of suggested music selections. Ray Weaver is available to schedule a consultation at your convenience.
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