Having a videographer or not?

To have or not to have a videographer….that is the question.  Initially I had said I didn’t need one, especially when so many relatives and friends offered to do the job.  Then the more I thought about it, the more I changed my mind.  Although it won’t be a typical movie I will pop in on a Friday night, it will be something nice to have.  I have had so many brides tell me that the day goes by so quickly that it is always nice to have the video to relive the experience and even see things that you missed.  Also, I didn’t want anyone missing out on the fun of the wedding while trying to videotape.

 

So I changed my mind and decided to go with a videographer.  I set a budget of $1000 and started my search.  Similar to photographers, the price range is very wide spread.  I began my search by posting on local forums and talking to past brides trying to get recommendations for an inexpensive videographer.  This is how I found Eric Nicholas with A & E productions.  Eric works as a camera man for a local TV station full time and does wedding videography on the side which is why he can keep the cost so much lower.  He didn’t have a website, which made me skeptical, but I received many referrals complimenting him on his good work.  When I contacted Eric, he said that he proffered to do in-home demonstrations so we could see what a finished copy of his work would look like on our home entertainment system.  I thought this was a great idea and convenient for us.  Eric came over on a Saturday afternoon and discussed his packages and then showed us the two most recent weddings that he had shot.  He did a very good job and the price was right, so we signed a contract and booked him for our wedding.  We chose his top package at only $900 which includes unlimited time from when I begin to get ready until the end of the reception and includes 4 copies of the DVD with highlights, the ceremony and reception and 2 copies of the DVD with a “full night of dancing”.  Eric had everything we were looking for in a videographer and were very happy with our choice.  You can contact Eric at aeproductions04@hotmail.com.  

Choosing a photographer

When I began looking for a photographer I was completely overwhelmed by the amount of choices that were out there.  The bad thing is anyone can buy a nice camera and say they are a photographer.  Make sure you always see many samples of their work before you make a decision.  I recommend checking out local forums and chatting with others in your area that have booked a wedding photographer in the past to get recommendations.  

 

Keep in mind that the photographers you meet with provide a service and what you’re mostly paying for is their time and skill of shooting pictures, so prices are always negotiable.  Most photographers will always present you with several package options to choose from, but don’t feel locked in to those options.  If there is an album you want or an extra service you need you can always custom make your package and negotiate a price.  

 

Don’t go with the first photographer that offers you a deal.  Check out several options, narrow it down and then schedule a few appointments so you have options to choose from.

 

Keep in mind that the photographer will be one of the few people that will be with you from the time you begin your hair, until you’re having your send off at the end of the night.  When you are interviewing photographers make sure it is someone that you get along with and like their personality, not just someone who takes good pictures.

 

I found that many large photography companies have several photographers that work for them.  Typically you always meet with the owner who is also the lead photographer.  Make sure you know who will be shooting your wedding because it may not be him or her.  If it is not the person you meet with initially, make sure you have a meeting with your photographer personally so you can make sure he is the one for you.  Same goes for when you are looking at sample albums.  When you are looking at pictures ask who shot them.  You could love the style of the pictures and that person’s might not be the same as whoever is actually shooting your wedding.

 

After my long search and several appointments we did decide on Morning Star Photography in Columbia.  We met with Alan (the owner) and his wife and loved them both!  They were very willing to negotiate and we decided on a package that was perfectly suited to our needs.  Not only were his pictures beautiful, but he was a wonderful person.  Since we signed our contract we have had our engagement shoot with Alan.  My fiancé and I had a great time working with him.  This was our first professional photo shoot (as I’m sure it will be most of yours) so we were a little nervous initially.  Alan did a great job of making us feel comfortable and the pictures turned out amazing!  We couldn’t be happier with our choice and can’t wait to see what he does for our wedding!

Finding the dress!

Picking the dress is a very important part of the wedding.  I love to watch that new show on TLC “Say yes to the dress!”  I was lucky enough to find my dress right here in Frederick at TLC boutique.  I met Terry, the owner at a local bridal show in November and decided to go and visit her shop.  I took along my mom, my sis and my MOH to help make the big decision.  As soon as I walked into the store Terry gave me an info sheet to fill out.  It had general information, name, address, phone number etc.  Then there was a space for style and budget.  After I finished filling out all required information, Terry asked me to stand up, take off my jacket and spin around for her so she could access my body type.  I was reluctant, but followed the rules.  She then asked me what kind of dress I had in mind.  Being a very well prepared b2b, and dreaming of this moment since I was a little girl, I whipped out my many pictures of dresses I had collected in my search and began to describe what kind of dress I wanted.  She took all this into consideration and pulled about 5-7 dresses off the racks.  The first one I tried on was beautiful and the second I fell in love with!  Was it the one or was I just excited to be trying on dresses for the first time?  It was the one!  How could it be the first shop and the second dress….I don’t know, but it was!  I continued to try on dresses, comparing everyone I tried on to the second dress.  I tried on all kinds of styles and colors and kept coming back.  At this point, I hadn’t pulled any dresses from the racks myself, Terry had chosen the best based on all the info I had given her.  I asked my mom and MOH to browse the racks and bring me back a few as well…talk about unsuccessful.  Every one of the dresses was beautiful…on the rack.  Now on me that was a different story.  All of them were awful and Terry knew it, but humored all of us and helped me in and out of all the dresses. 

 

So were there crazy tears and lots of screaming the moment I had put on that second dress?  No…but there were gasps at how beautiful I looked (and what girl doesn’t love to hear that) it was perfectly flattering on my body and I loved that it made me feel like a princess.  I ordered my dress in November and it is scheduled to come in sometime in March.  I have already been back in to the shop two more times to try the dress on again and to prance around a little.  I can’t wait until mine actually comes in!

 

Terry and the staff at TLC were great!  They have their appointments after hours in the evenings, so we had the whole shop to ourselves and full undivided attention.  No waiting for some other girl to take off the dress I wanted or waiting for a fitting room.  I can’t say enough positive things about the experience.  Highly recommended!!

How to make the most out of a bridal show

So this past weekend I attended a bridal show in Frederick and thought I would share some helpful hints on making the most out of every bridal show you attend.

 

 

First of all, make sure your ring is clean and sparkly, because almost every vendor asks to see it!  Bring along some key people to help you browse, but not an entourage.  I usually have my mom and MOH come along with me.  Next, don’t be afraid to go by yourself.  I attended this show solo and my fiancé was surprised that I went it alone.  No need to fear.  Everyone there is in a great mood, super excited about their upcoming nuptials and eager to talk and share their experiences thus far.  You’ll be sure to make insta-friends! 

 

 

You know all those annoying addresses labels that you get constantly in the mail for free… well don’t throw them out now!  Bring along a couple sheets to make filling out all those millions of forms a snap!  Stick on a label and just write in your email and wedding date and your done.  This makes for efficient browsing so you can spend time in the important areas, not filling out all your info over and over again.

 

 

Create a wedding only email account.  These days you can create a free email account just about anywhere.  I recommend www.gmail.com. Make up something cute like maryandjoeswedding@gmail.com and have your password be your wedding date.  I noticed when I attended my first bridal show that I got a serious influx of junk mail from every vendor at the show, who gain access to your info after you register.  This way you won’t clog up your personal email account and you can keep all the vendor info that you received together.  Delete the account after you’ve tied the knot.

 

 

Lastly, attend as many shows as you can.  The entry fees are typically low and often are donated to a charity.  Usually every vendor in attendance is required to donate something to be given away for door prizes and almost always there is a big grand prize at the end.  Paying a few bucks to get in is worth the chance of winning a big prize.  (I was super excited when I paid a $4 donation to attend the one this past weekend and won a $75 gift certificate!!)

 

There are always great giveaways, good food and fun excited people.  Hit up as many of these shows as you can to help plan your big day!

Wedding Related Abbreviations

One thing I have noticed from chatting on several different forums and checking out other wedding related blogs and sites is that there are so many abbreviations people use when typing online.  All of these can be confusing, so I thought I would be a helpful b2b and shine some light on this subject.  Here is a list I have composed of some of the most popular wedding related abbreviations.  Feel free to comment and add more!

• BF – Boyfriend or Best Friend
• BM – Bridesmaid or Best Man
• BP – Bridal Party
• B-pics – Boudoir Pictures
• BTW – By The Way
• C&P – Copy and Paste
• DF – Dear Fiancé
• DH – Darling Husband
• DW – Destination Wedding
• E-ring – Engagement Ring
• E-party – Engagement Party
• E-pics – Engagement Pictures
• FG – Flower Girl
• FI – Fiancé
• FIL – Father-In-Law
• FILs – Future In-Laws
• FBIL – Future Brother-In-Law
• FFIL – Future Father-In-Law
• FMIL – Future Mother-In-Law
• FSIL – Future Sister-In-Law
• GF – Girlfriend
• GM – Groomsmen
• GTG – Get Together
• HM – Honeymoon
• HTH – Hope This Helps
• IHO – In Honor Of
• ILS – In-Laws
• IMHO – In My Humble Opinion
• IMNSHO – In My Not So Humble Opinion
• JP – Justice of the Peace
• LTBM – Living Together Before Marriage
• MIA – Missing in Action 
• MIL – Mother-In-Law
• MOH – Maid/Matron of Honor
• MUD – Made-Up Drama
• NFT – No Further Text
• NH – New Husband
• NWR – Not Wedding Related
• OOT – Out of Town
• PIB – Pictures In Bio
• PM – Precious Moment
• PSA – Public Service Announcement
• RB – Ring Bearer
• RD – Rehearsal Dinner
• RP – Repost
• SAHM – Stay-At-Home Mom
• SAHW – Stay-At-Home Wife
• SAHD – Stay-At-Home Dad
• SFW – Safe For Work 
• STDs – Save-The-Date Cards
• TIA – Thanks In Advance
• TMI – Too Much Information
• TY – Thank You
• WP – Wedding Party 
• XP – Cross Post

 

Choosing a Wedding site

After our return from Cabo, I immediately jumped head first into planning.  First task: head to the store and pick up every bridal magazine on the shelf.  What can I say, I was an excited bride to be!  My fiancé came home from work that night and saw me sprawled out on the floor surrounded by the magazines and enthusiastically flipping through the pages.  He laughed and shook his head and said to me, “How long have you been waiting to do that!?”  I just laughed it off, but the honest answer was, “Since forever!!” 

           

Priority number one became finding a ceremony and reception site.  Sounds easy, right?  Wrong!  It was a year in advance of the date I had planned on and my eager phone inquires were getting shot down with, “Sorry, but all of our weekends in September are already booked.”  Or “Sorry, no Saturdays left, but you have your choice of any weekday.”  I couldn’t believe it!  We had planned on having our wedding on a Saturday, similar to every other bride’s desires, and it was proving hard to find an open venue.  Turns out, September is the most popular wedding month in Maryland.  So my advice to you, start searching as early as possible for that perfect place.

           

Living in Frederick for so many years, both my fiancé and I wanted to stay relatively close to the area.  We decided to extend our search no more then a 45-60 minute drive from here.  Luckily for us, that did give us several options in the surrounding area.  After realizing what a time crunch I was under following my first initial phone calls, I immediately starting scheduling appointments to go and visit my top sites I had found via internet browsing and referrals.  Venues included the Ceresville Mansion, Stone Manor Country Club, Turf Valley, The Antrim 1844 to name only a few.  My days were filled with researching on the internet and making phone calls and my evenings with driving to and from possible places to make a final decision.  I was looking for a “one-stop-shop” wedding site, so to speak.  A place where we could have our ceremony and reception, that included all the food, drinks and set up and clean up of all things necessary and of course it had to have beautiful scenery to provide the perfect backdrop for all of our wedding photos.

 

About half way through our long list of venues to visit, we arrived at the Antrim 1844 in Taneytown, MD.  We met with the wedding coordinator outside on the porch overlooking the gardens behind the mansion and began discussing details.  After our meeting we were free to wonder the 24 acre estate and take a look around.  We fell in love with the site!  The mansion had so much character, the gardens were beautiful and the ballroom was perfect.  They take care of everything right on site for you, which was very important to me.  An added bonus: several cottages, including the mansion provide our guests with on-site over night accommodations.  I thought it was a sign when the coordinator told me that the only Saturday they still had available in September was the very date that we had wanted to get married.  We agreed that the place was perfect for our dream wedding and we booked it.  If you’re interested in further exploring our chosen venue for our ceremony and reception, please visit the Antrim 1844’s site at www.Antrim1844.com.