The Four Biggest Wedding Planning Mistakes and How to Avoid Them - Part Two

This is Part Two in a series. To read Part One, click here.

Last week, we talked about how to handle it when family tries to have too much say. This week is more about when you try to put too much on your plate.

Mistake #2: Doing Too Much Yourself

Listen, I get it. Weddings are EXPENSIVE! Gorgeous florals? Expensive. Excellent photographer? Expensive. Dinner for 150 people? Expensive! Weddings are also a once-in-a-lifetime event, and taking on too much can make them so much more stressful than they need to be. 

My mother and I did the centerpieces for my wedding ourselves after getting the quote back from the florist and deciding that was way too much money. But you know what? We could have easily recovered that money from other parts of the day (We had FOUR different favors! FOR 200 GUESTS!) and had the expert do the flowers. And they would have been so much more beautiful than the hodgepodge of things we came up with.

When you leave the entirety of decorating up to you and your entourage, it makes for a VERY busy morning of. You should be relaxing and enjoying being pampered the morning of your wedding, not sweating your booty off trying to finish everything in time.

How To Avoid This Mistake

Hire the professionals. Start with a wedding planner. Trust me when I say that wedding planners are 100% WORTH IT. They save you so much headache and heartache, and they make your day flow like a dream. They also know what they are doing and how to keep you from making a huge mistake with your planning.  

Hire a florist for the centerpieces, bouquets, boutonnieres, corsages, and ceremony decor. Hire a calligrapher for the wedding invitations. Hire a DJ for the music. 

Need ideas of where to cut corners so you can hire the pros you need? Start with serving only wine and beer. People will still have a good time, I promise! Have your escort cards do double duty as favors, or forgo favors all together. Choose the cheaper dinner options. No one will really care that they didn't get filet mignon at your wedding. Just make sure they're fed!

Saving the money is usually not worth the added stress.

Next week we'll tackle Mistake #3, so be sure to come back!

Are you looking for an Orlando Wedding Photographer for your Central Florida wedding? Click here to contact us today.

The Four Biggest Wedding Planning Mistakes and How to Avoid Them - Part One

Recently I polled my married friends to ask them what their biggest regrets were when planning their wedding. If they could do it all over again, what would they do differently? I got a few surprising answers (one wished she hadn't worn a veil), but a lot of people put the same things. 

1) Letting family have too much say.

2) Doing too much themselves.

3) Not investing enough (or any at all) in their wedding photos.

4) Not hiring a videographer.

Notice that no one said they wished they'd spent more on their food, or that they'd had top shelf liquor, or that they'd hired a band instead of a DJ. Why is that? Because those things do not impact how you remember the day for the rest of your life. 

When the wedding day is over, when all is said and done, you will have your memories, your photographs, and your video. The flowers will die, the food will have been eaten, and the venue will move on to their next couple. 

Over the course of the next four weeks, I will break down these four biggest wedding mistakes and how to avoid them. First up: Letting Family Have Too Much Say.

Mistake #1: Letting Family Have Too Much Say

This is one a lot of people private messaged me about. Probably because they didn't want to hurt anyone's feelings if they saw the comment on my post. This is also mine and Miguel's biggest regret. When it comes time to plan your wedding, suddenly everyone has an opinion. My mom insisted we have the wedding 100% indoors (I always dreamed of an outdoor wedding in the Fall), my father wanted a top shelf liquor bar (Miguel and I were planning on beer and wine). Before I knew it, the wedding we had was the polar opposite of the wedding we wanted. This was a theme with my friends: they let their family take over. 

How to Avoid This Mistake

Give the people who are really important to you one specific task that is all theirs. Maybe your mother would really love to DIY the favors. Maybe your sister would have a ton of fun putting together a playlist for the DJ. Pick a relatively small task and make it theirs. This will help them to feel super involved with the planning while leaving you free to make the decisions on the things that really matter to you.

Stay tuned to read more about the number two mistake next week.

Are you looking for an Orlando Wedding Photographer for your Central Florida wedding? Click here to contact us today.

How To Get The Best Getting Ready Photos

Cypress Grove Estate House Wedding

My brides always request getting ready photos. And for good reason: they are an important part of the story of the day. There is so much buzz and excitement during getting ready time, and it is important to capture that. But how do you make sure your getting ready photos are as refined and polished as the rest of the day? It can be hard when you think about all the stuff lying around, how much everyone is running around, and the fact that people are getting hair and makeup done! Here are a few tips to make it easier on your photographer to capture the getting ready time in style.

1) Have all your details ready to go before your photographer arrives

Banyan Estate Wedding

It is a lot easier on your photographer if all of your details are in one place when they arrive. This way, no one is chasing around details while trying to get other things done. Here are some ideas of what you should have for your photographer when they arrive:

• Invitation Suite

• Rings

• Shoes

• Jewelry

• Veil

• Dress

• Beautiful hanger for dress

• Any hair/head pieces

• Bouquet

• Boutonnieres

• Garter

• Your something Old/New/Borrowed/Blue

• Vows if written down

• Anything else important you want captured

2) Clear the walls and floors of anything distracting if possible

Banyan Estate Wedding

Clear the walls of anything you don't want in your getting ready photos. Hideous photo of cherubs? Take it down. Tapestry of a potted plant? Take it down. Ficus in the corner? Move it. The bridesmaid's makeup bag, the bottles of water all around, and everyone's clothes they've changed out of? Move them.

The goal is to make the getting ready area as clean and distraction-free as possible. This will allow your wedding photographer to capture the important moments without having to worry about all the junk in the background. This will also make your getting ready photos appear more high-end.

3) Wear matching robes 

Cypress Grove Estate House Wedding

This helps to make everything more cohesive looking and less cluttered. When everyone is matching, it looks intentional instead of haphazard. This will elevate your getting ready photos to something you will WANT in your wedding album.

4) Get into your wedding dress by a window

This allows for beautiful natural light for your getting ready photos. Most artificial light is orange, and if you rely on the light from the room, you could end up looking like an oompa loompa. No one wants that! So use the natural light from the window for a much more flattering and natural complexion. 

I hope you found these tips for getting the best getting ready photos possible. If you're looking for an Orlando Wedding Photographer, click here to contact us today!

Cypress Grove Estate House - Venue Spotlight

I primarily photograph weddings in Orlando, Florida. We have A LOT of gorgeous venues here! Each of them has something different to offer, and it is important that you book the right one for you. One of my favorite venues to photograph at is Cypress Grove Estate House. It is the perfect mix of Southern Charm and Classic Florida. The grounds are stunning, and the light is always perfect. And the staff? Some of the best around :)

The estate house itself is a classic Florida plantation home that is beautiful inside and out. It makes the perfect backdrop for romantic portraits and family formals. 

The bridal suite at Cypress Grove Estate House is such a gorgeous area for getting ready photographs. 

The light in the bridal suite is great for your portraits with your girls.

The lakeside gazebo at Cypress Grove Estate House is a one-of-a-kind ceremony spot here in Orlando. It's it gorgeous!?

This is one of my favorite spots at Cypress Grove: the oak covered driveway. This spot makes for gorgeous photos.

This spot here is my absolute favorite for bridal portraits. How gorgeous does this bride look!?

And that reception area? Stunning.

Are you interested in having your wedding at Cypress Grove Estate House? Click here to check them out more.

Looking for an Orlando Wedding Photographer? Click here to contact us.

How To Pick Your Wedding Photographer

When it comes to planning a wedding, you have A LOT of decisions to make! What venue should we get married at? Who should we invite? Buffet or plated service? Indoor wedding or Outdoor wedding? I'm here to make one of those decisions easier: your wedding photographer.

Cypress Grove Estate House Wedding in Orlando, Florida.

1. What Style Do You Love For Your Wedding Photos?

Photographers come in many different styles. Are you drawn more toward a darker and moodier style or do you love light and bright? Do you love true to life photos or a more stylized and romantic feel? Do you want your photographer to document what they see in front of them, or do you want direction on the wedding day? These are all things to consider when deciding on what style you like best. 

Personally, I shoot for a true to life and timeless look. I want my photos to look as beautiful on your 25th anniversary as they look the day I deliver them.

Royal Crest Room Wedding in St. Cloud, Florida.

2. What Products Do You Want From Your Wedding?

Some photographers offer prints, albums, and canvases. Others do not. Some offer albums with all of their packages. Some offer them as an additional purchase. These are things that you need to take into consideration when you are selecting your photographer. 

I offer albums in all of my packages. I strongly believe that everyone deserves a beautiful album from their wedding day, and so I make that happen for my couples. 

3. What Is Your Photography Budget?

I will admit that I am biased when it comes to this topic. At the end of your wedding, your photos are the one thing that you will have to look back on forever. Therefore, I think you should invest as much as you possibly can toward getting the best photographer you can. That being said, there are amazing photographers at all price points. Photographers charge what they charge for a huge variety of reasons. Some cost $1000, some cost $10000. When choosing the one for you, take into consideration what they offer for that price and how they treat their clients. 

If beautiful images are a priority for you, I highly recommend spending $3000 or more on your photographer. Photographers in this price range typically have many years of experience and deliver a beautiful product consistently. Ask to see a full gallery or three from any photographer you reach out to. Remember, what's on their website is the highlights. You need to see what they deliver from a whole wedding day before making your decision.

My wedding day photography collections start at $3200 and include at least 8 hours of coverage with two photographers. I have found that this is the amount of time I need to be at a wedding to deliver my clients the best experience possible. 

Are you looking for your own Orlando wedding photographer? Click here to contact us today!