Gotta love a fun bride!!!

Danielle and Nathan

Worse Wedding Advice #10

10.) "YOU'LL WANT A SHORT ENGAGEMENT SO THAT THE GROOM DOESN'T CHANGE HIS MIND!"

Shorter engagements are exciting and spontaneous, and NOT for the faint of heart! Longer engagements leave you more time to plan, to find “the right” dress, to find vendors, etc. Most engagements are over a year long, and planning a wedding can be stressful… give yourself the time you need. Also… be sure to include your groom in the planning; this is an exciting time for BOTH of you!

So… If you are worried about your groom running away… you might want to re-think who you are marrying. And if he does run away during this time, he'd never last the entire marriage anyways

Worse Wedding Advice #9

9.) "MY MOTHER SAID I SHOULD HAVE THE COCKTAIL HOUR BEFORE THE CEREMONY SINCE GUESTS WILL BE WAITING AND THIRSTY."

Really?? What is mom thinking?? Do that and your guests will be sauced before you exchange your vows. Instead, open the bar during the reception as normal, and serve nonalcoholic beverages like lemonade iced tea, and water with lemon slices beforehand to take care of those thirsty guests. Besides... Alcohol doesn't quench thirst... it just makes you thirstier and wanting to drink more.

Worse Wedding Advice #8

8.) "YOU DON'T NEED A WEDDING PLANNER... LET YOUR MOM DO IT!"

Sometimes mom has really good ideas… but sometimes… not. Unless you want your wedding “mom-themed”… ask mom to handle some of the important details… but as for the rest… hire a pro, or at least consult with one. Many wedding planners will charge a very small fee for a short consultation. A wedding Planner can help outline many details for you… some of which you may not have thought about. At least a consultation will help you get organized and headed in the right direction.

Worse Wedding Advice #7

7.) "DON'T PAY FOR A PHOTOGRAPHER... THEY COST TOO MUCH! USE UNCLE JOE... HE HAS A NICE KODAK INSTAMATIC!"

Mmmm… No…. not a good idea. Do you really want to entrust your most valuable memories to Uncle Joe’s Instamatic? And what about all those beautiful poses you’ve seen in all the Bridal Mags and have dreamed of doing on your own wedding day? Is Uncle Joe going to be able to capture those? Will he remember to get the one of you tossing the bouquet?... or will he be going for a re-fill at that time?

Professional Wedding Photographers have years of experience in getting just the right shots at just the right time! They aren’t distracted by Aunt Sue needing a napkin, nor do they take breaks every 5 minutes to mingle with long lost relatives. Not to mention the professional prints, albums and other print products available that will last a lifetime! Read the article “Why Do Professional Wedding Photographers Charge So Much?” (http://www.facebook.com/topic.php?uid=114876416937&topic=16982 ) to see all that goes into producing THE best photography and portraits for your wedding day!

Worse Wedding Advice #6

6.) "DON'T WORRY ABOUT BOOKING A PHOTOGRAPHER EARLY... YOU HAVE PLENTY OF TIME!"

The truth is… many professional wedding photographers are already booking the following year’s weddings! Why scramble around at the last minute hoping there is an opening or that someone else canceled… Most brides book their photographer a year out… 6 months at the very least. And if you are getting married in the summer… you absolutely want to book a year ahead! Play it safe… book early and know that you have one of the very most important items on your wedding “to do” list checked off… not to mention a great photographer booked!

Booking in Portland Oregon Sept 1-12, 2011. http://ping.fm/QmsoI

I think I have "car-lag"... over 8 hours in the car coming home from Portland! :))

I LOVE PhotoBiz!!!

Want to love photobiz?

Tori and Keith

Worse Wedding Advice #5

5.) "HAVE A CASH BAR... YOU'LL SAVE LOT'S OF MONEY!!"

Really? Come-on… your family and friends just traveled from all four corners of the state… or the USA… just to see you get married and bought you that funky $200 bowl from Pottery Barn that you’ve been dying to get… and you’re going to charge them for a beer? Tacky, tacky, tacky. Nothing cheapens the look and feel of your wedding more than a good old cash bar. If you can’t afford it… then don’t have it. You are better off to serve Ice Tea, Lemonade and Water… all with wonderful floating lemon slices. They will look beautiful and classy… and they won’t break the bank!

Worse Wedding Advice #4

4.) "LET YOUR BRIDESMAIDS CHOOSE THEIR DRESSES... IT'LL BE FUN!!"

Not. That is a disaster waiting to happen. Unless you are looking for the unmatched, Ross “dress for less” look on your wedding day, you need to set the precedence and the guidelines. It’s one thing to let them each choose a different style… but in the same color range as each other. And naturally you want the dresses to compliment your wedding style and the style of your dress as well as be able to match the groomsmen. The only time this rule wouldn't truly apply is if your are having an eclectic vintage themed wedding, but you would still want a few guidelines for your bridesmaids to follow.

Worse Wedding Advice #3

3.) "It's YOUR wedding... This day is all about YOU!"

Yes... it is YOUR wedding day, but don't forget the little people. Least of all the Groom! So many times they are left to the side with no opinion or input. Treat your wedding party (and guests) with respect, as well as your service professionals. Remember, you hired service PROFESSIONALS, and they should be treated like such. I've seen way to many brides dismiss the photographer or caterer as if they were their maids or something, with complete disrespect. You do want them to do a good job, right? Be sure to pay attention to your Grooms family, wheether you like them or not... they are now going to be YOUR family as well. And seek out the wall flowers and make them feel as if they were the most important person you invited!

Worse Wedding Advice #2

2.) "MY GRANDMA TOLD ME THAT I MUST WEAR WHITE OR EVERYONE WILL THINK I'M NOT A VIRGIN."

Although a white dress is sooo classic, this "rule" is completely antiquated. In fact, there are probably quite a few engaged virgins out there who will choose to wear ivory (gasp!) on their wedding day. Wear whichever color you love that looks best with your skin tone. In fact, white works best on darker skin tones, and ivory shades flatter lighter skin. And look at Reese Witherspoon… She wore PINK!!

Worse Wedding Advice #1

Ok... so here is the list of worse wedding advice, beginning with #1:

1.) ORDER YOUR WEDDING DRESS THE SIZE YOU'D LIKE TO BE ON YOUR WEDDING DAY.

NOT a good idea!

We all want to weigh less and look the best for our special day… but lets get real… some goals cannot be accomplished overnight, and as hard as we may try… what if you only reach a size 9 and not a size 7??

It’s harder to let the dress out than it is to take it in!! Order your dress the size that you are… and then, if you lose the weight… SWEET! Have it altered and taken in, in, in!!!

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Be sure to check out my Wedding Photography Services on Thumbtack! Thumbtack is a wonderful new website that connects service professionals to their customers in the most convenient way possible!

Wedding Photographer serving Portland and Beyond!!

Blair and Cody

Haley and Cole.... engaged

Why Does Wedding Photography Cost So Much??

Why Do Professional Wedding Photographers Charge So Much??

All too often, I hear, “Why do Wedding Photographers charge so much?” Brides and their families get discouraged by the prices, choose a family member to take the photos, and then regret their decision after they receive the results.

Other still, will use a low cost photographer who may do a fair job, put the photos online, and then rather than purchasing the photos from the photographer, they’ll save the pictures to their computer and print them out; only to end up with poor quality, pixilated photographs.

When you choose a Professional Wedding Photographer, you are choosing someone who is experience in their field and who’s main purpose and goal is to award you with beautiful documentation of your most special day. And when you pay for your Wedding Photography, you are not just paying for someone to click the camera a few times and print your pictures… you are paying for experience and the great amount of time involved in provided you with quality professional prints.

Let’s look at just what goes into your Wedding Photography…

1^st… There is at least 30 minutes of preparation before the photographer even leaves their home or studio… charging battery packs, packing their vehicle with equipment, etc.

2^nd… There is the travel to the venue, and depending where the Wedding is booked, the photographer could be traveling anywhere from 30 minutes to 3 hours or even longer... many times out of state.

3^rd… You have at least 30-60 minutes preparation, talking to the bride and wedding party members, setting up and so forth.

4^th… Depending on the size and length of the wedding, there is anywhere from 2 to 8 hours of non-stop photography. Not to mention the cost of an additional photographer if required.

5^th… At least 30-60 minutes to upload between 2 to 10 GB of photos to the computer, backing it up, making back-up discs, etc.

6^th… Anywhere from 2 to 12 hours of computer work, which can include making additional copies of photos, editing each and every photo consisting of cropping, contrasting... photo effects such as enhancing, coloring, sharpening, etc. If the wedding is large… you are looking at many, many more hours of work…

7^th… 30 minutes to 2 hours of uploading edited photographs to an online photo gallery.

8^th… anywhere from 2 to 10 hours of interaction with the bride and groom, discussing and taking their order and payment for their photos, designing photo albums, placing the photo order, receiving it and making sure everything is perfect and then delivering it to the customer.

Additionally, any number of circumstances can come up during the entire process, ie: additional meetings, change of venues, etc… which require extra time.

So, as you can see, there is an extreme amount of work involved in assuring the bride and groom a beautiful documentation of their very special moment. When you break it down you can see why the photography costs are a little more involved than most folks think.

Although Uncle Joe can take pretty good photos… It is a big risk to trust your most valued moments to a family member or friend. Uncle Joe wants to be a part of all the fun and excitement, and he no doubt will miss many wonderful shots. A professional photographer has years of training and experience. They know what works and what doesn’t. They know how to pose people and how to get the right shot for the right moment.

There is one more thing to consider in choosing your professional photographer. There are many chain studios or quite large photography groups. When you book your wedding with one of these groups, you may not know who you are getting. Often they send out who is available... and do you want to risk your wedding photos to the new kid on the block??

A professional photographer should take the time to meet and consult with you at least twice before the wedding… and one of those meetings should be at the wedding venue and the reception venue. It’s ok to deal over the internet via emails, etc... But be sure that you are dealing with a reputable photographer and don’t be afraid to ask for references! Your photographer should get to know you… your likes… your style, etc. in order to give you a personal and individualized photography experience for your wedding day.

Finally, when choosing your wedding photographer, be sure that it is someone you can interact well with. If your photographer is only doing the job for the money… then they are not a true professional photographer. A true professional photographer takes great joy in their work, and it is evidenced in their disposition, outlook and professionalism.

Please feel free to contact me if you have any additional questions!

Debi… Deborah Marie Photography ~ www.deborahmariephotography.com ~ copyright 2011

Blair and Cody