Bride's Corner

Attention all brides... this section is dedicated especially for you. Below you will find some helpful hints, tips and tricks from the industries leading sources. We are confident that you will find this section helpful. Should you have questions or comments concerning any portion of this section, please feel free to contact a Victoria Wedding Link vendor for more details.

Photography

Tips for your Wedding Day Photographer   You've been looking forward to this day your whole life, and you'll be looking at the portraits and albums with your children and grandchildren.  So, how do you pick that perfect wedding photographer?

• Your photographer should be more than someone with whom you are comfortable, and they should be more than just a competent photographer - he should be both!   Being uncomfortable with your photographer will come through in the finished portrait as a tense feeling that will cloud the true emotions. 
• Meet photographers and visit their studio.  NEVER hire a photographer over the phone or on the internet unless you have personally met them. 
• Look at pictures the photographer shot at a previous wedding to see if he connected with the couple and captured the mood of their day. If possible, ask to see a proof book -- the shots the photographer took before the couple chose which ones they wanted. This is his work in the raw. Check out weddings that were shot in similar settings or at a similar time of day for the best comparison.
• Look through their albums.  Who designs their albums?  The photographer who shot your wedding should design your album, not some outsource company who has never met you.
• Make sure their fees fit within your budget.  Watch out for prices that are too good to be true, because they usually are.  Remember that good is never cheap and cheap is never good.

• Most professional photographers keep their own negatives or digital files -- you'll get the best-quality prints and negatives/files will be properly stored. Ensure that your photographer keeps your negatives/files according to her policy; you may be able to buy them after a certain period of time.
• Allow friends and family to order prints directly from your photographer: This is easy if your photographer has a website  to post your wedding photos. You can email guests a link to your online gallery, and they can order prints directly, without having to go through you.
• Don't let the weather ruin your wedding day -- use it to your advantage! If it rains, grab two big umbrellas, go outside, and shoot pictures in the rain. Black-and-white shots of a couple kissing under one umbrella with delicate raindrops creating puddles at their feet are very romantic. Plan ahead and have classic black oversized umbrellas on hand.
• Plain and simple, black-and-white photography is preferred for documenting emotional moments. The fewer colors your eyes have to process, the cleaner and easier an image is to absorb when viewing. The result? The subject shines through!
• Choose a photo pro who you feel extremely comfortable with and don't mind inviting backstage. Some of the most beautiful wedding moments happen while the bride is dressing, while the family is waiting for the ceremony to begin, or during the reception when the couple steals away for a kiss. Keep your photographer aware of your whereabouts at (almost) all times.
• Don't overwhelm your photographer with must-take shots. Instead, create a wish list of your top 10.  If you have to tell the photographer that you want a shot of the bride and groom kissing, or one of the bride and groom with the officient, you may have chosen the wrong photographer.
• Look at pictures the photographer shot at a previous wedding to see if he connected with the couple and captured the mood of their day. If possible, ask to see a proof book -- the shots the photographer took before the couple chose which ones they wanted. This is his work in the raw. Check out weddings that were shot in similar settings or at a similar time of day for the best comparison.

DJ Service

Some helpful tips for finding the right entertainment for your wedding day.

• Remember, the longest part of your wedding day is the entertainment. So many times people spend hundreds of hours planning the actual wedding, but only spend a few minutes picking the entertainment. Your wedding ceremony will last anywhere from 5 minutes to 1 hour, but your entertainment can last 3 to 6 hours - remember that when you are in the planning process.
• Price is important, but do not book entertainment (or any other vendor) based on price alone.
• Trying to save a few dollars on the entertainment can literally ruin your entire day. The entertainment you get for your wedding reception will be remembered by you and your guests for years and years to come. A simple way of proving this fact... ask some couple that has been married for 10 or 20 years... they will tell you what entertainment they had, and they will tell you if they were good or bad.

Tips for opening the lines of communication:

• Never assume what the DJ should already know. This is your big day and the DJ has no idea what you want. You will need to give the DJ as much information as possible. Tell him what kind of reception you are wanting. Some want elegant, classy wedding receptions, while others want to get down and party. Tell the DJ exactly what you want.
• Help the DJ dress! Some DJ's love to wear tuxedos, while others love to wear their DJ service name plastered all across their back. You may not want a DJ wearing a tuxedo if you feel that is inappropriate dress for your wedding. Some brides get offended when a DJ wears an unprofessional business shirt to your classy wedding. Discuss this in advance so there are no surprises.
• Music is the key. Before you book a DJ, talk in great detail about the type of music you want. If you do not know the type of music you are wanting, your DJ should be able to offer some great suggestions to help you out. If the DJ you are talking to does not seem to know his music forward and backward, you might consider looking into another DJ service.

Do research on your entertainment. If you spend time when hiring your entertainment, your wedding will run smoothly and you will have the time of your life.

Florist / Floral Arrangments

There are some decisions that need to be made before meeting with your florist. You must know the color of the bridesmaid's dresses or what color you plan to accent with. There are many different flowers in a variety of colors. It helps the florist to suggest certain ones if you know the color of the bridesmaid's dresses etc. You can also bring a swatch from the dresses for the florist to keep for matching ribbon to the dresses.

If you have pictures out of magazines or off the websites that you have saved, bring them! This helps the designer see what kind of flowers you are partial to. If you don't have any pictures, don't worry, the florist should have plenty! Ask your designer to see actual pictures of her work, not just fancy books of work done by a famous florist from who knows where.

Your family and friends are more than welcome to accompany you to the consultation. It helps to have the opinion of the ones who know you best. Sometimes it's nice to have people you trust help you make important decisions.

Be honest with your florist about what you like and don't like. She will be suggesting different ideas to simply give you all the options there are. If you don't like something, don't be afraid to tell her. She is there to design for you the flowers you've always dreamed of.

If the bouquet you like is more than you budgeted, ask how you can get the look for less money. This is always possible if you have a good designer that cares!

Nothing is written in stone. You should feel free to change your mind any time between the consultation and the wedding (as long as it's not too close to the wedding date.) Normally the florist will be making a special wedding flower order 2-3 weeks before the event to ensure the availability of the flowers.

Things to expect from your florist:

• You want to make sure your florist is someone you see more than once at your consultation. Ask if she will be the one setting up your flowers at the ceremony or some delivery driver.
• Ask the florist about delivery methods. Will the flowers be dropped off early in the morning long before the wedding event? The ideal time of delivery is about 1 hour before pictures begin. The longer the flower shop keeps the flowers in the cooler, the fresher they will be. You don't want them sitting in a hot church for hours on end. Make sure the flowers will be set up where they go (on the pews, the altar, in the bride's dressing room).
• The last thing you want to be doing when you arrive for pictures is playing wedding decorator.
• Have each corsage or bout labeled with actual names of the wedding party or at least with a description of who it goes to. For example, mother, father, groom, groomsman, etc.
• Be sure to have a designated person there early to pin all bouts and corsages on. 30 minutes before pictures is ideal. (If Polak Petals is your designer, you will not need this person.)

When you make an appointment with your florist, make sure she has a private room to meet in away from ringing phones and customers. You deserve her undivided attention!

Check back soon... more helpful advice from the experts will be available soon!