Creating Your Dream Day: A Guide to Choosing Wedding Vendors
Congratulations, lovebirds! As you embark on the exciting journey of planning your special day, one of the key decisions you'll make is selecting the vendors who will bring your wedding vision to life. Rather than tiptoeing around budget concerns, let's dive into the art of expressing your expectations and defining your style.
Know Your Numbers
Start by embracing transparency. Rather than shying away from the budget conversation, consider stating your approximate budget upfront. This not only streamlines the vendor selection process but also ensures that you find professionals who align with your financial comfort zone. Let the experts know your ballpark figure, and watch as they work their magic within those parameters.
Set Expectations
Communicate your expectations clearly. Share your vision for the day, outlining what matters most to you. Whether it's capturing candid moments, creating a floral wonderland, or curating a culinary experience, express your desires openly. Vendors appreciate a couple who knows what they want, allowing them to tailor their services to your needs.
Define Your Style
Every couple has a unique love story, and your wedding should reflect that. Take the time to define your wedding style. Are you envisioning a classic and timeless affair, a modern and sleek celebration, or perhaps a bohemian-inspired gathering? Clearly articulating your style preferences helps vendors tailor their offerings to complement your aesthetic.
Do Your Research
Explore vendor portfolios and reviews to find professionals whose work resonates with you. Look beyond the price tag and focus on the value they bring to your wedding. Don't be afraid to ask for references or schedule consultations to get a feel for their personalities, workflow, and style.
Build Connections
Building a rapport with your vendors is crucial. Seek professionals who understand your vision, communicate effectively, and genuinely care about making your day extraordinary. A strong connection fosters a collaborative atmosphere, ensuring a smoother planning process and a more enjoyable wedding day.
Stay True to Your Vision
Throughout the planning process, stay true to your vision and values. Remember that your wedding is a celebration of your love story, and the right vendors will enhance that narrative. Choose professionals who align with your style, meet your expectations, and, most importantly, make you feel confident in entrusting them with the most special day of your lives.
In summary, be open about your budget, communicate your expectations clearly, define your wedding style, do thorough research, build connections, and stay true to your vision. By approaching vendor selection with style and savvy, you'll create a wedding day that reflects the essence of your love, without ever needing to utter the phrases "I'm on a budget" or "cost an arm and a leg." Cheers to a wedding journey filled with joy, authenticity, and the perfect team to bring your dreams to life!
Unveiling Wedding Photography Prices: Why $5000+ Is Standard
Why $5000+ Is the Standard for Quality in Knoxville
When it comes to planning your wedding, every detail matters, and photography is no exception. In the heart of Knoxville, couples are seeking the perfect photographer to capture their most cherished moments. But as you dive into the world of wedding photography pricing, you might wonder why some photographers charge significantly more than others. Is $2500 really the industry standard, or is there more to the story?
Understanding Wedding Photography Pricing
It's true that you can find wedding photographers in Knoxville offering their services for around $2500, and this price point may seem enticing. However, it's crucial to understand what's included in this price and why many couples opt for a different package starting closer to ~$5000+.
1. Experience and Expertise:
Higher-end photographers often bring years of experience and expertise to the table. They know how to navigate the unique challenges of wedding photography, from varying lighting conditions to capturing candid moments effortlessly. This level of skill is invaluable when preserving your precious memories. In addition, experienced photographers are flexible and proficient, and they can adjust to the timing restraints of a jam-packed wedding day.
2. Professional Gear and Backups:
Quality gear matters. Higher-priced wedding photographers invest in the best cameras, lenses, and lighting equipment to ensure your photos are of the highest quality. The result? Crisp, clear, and stunning images that will stand the test of time. They also have a tried and true backup system so your photos are safe and secure throughout the whole process.
3. Wedding Coverage:
Standard packages at the ~$2500 range might limit the hours of coverage or even 2nd shooters. High-end photographers often offer 6 hours to full-day coverage and a 2nd shooter, ensuring they're there to capture every significant moment, from the preparations, to the final dance, and exit after the reception.
4. Editing and Retouching:
After the wedding day, the work doesn't end. Professional editing and retouching are essential to make your photos truly exceptional. High-end photographers take the time to enhance and perfect each image, ensuring that you receive a collection of breathtaking photographs.
5. Album and Print Options:
Many higher-end photographers include wedding albums and print options in their packages. These tangible mementos are a beautiful way to relive your special day and share your memories with friends and family.
6. Dedication to You:
When you invest in a higher-priced photography package, you're not just paying for images; you're paying for a photographer's dedication to you. They take the time to understand your vision, get to know you as a couple, and tailor their services to your unique love story.
7. Peace of Mind:
Perhaps the most valuable aspect of investing in high-end photography is the peace of mind it brings. You can trust that your photographer will deliver exceptional results, allowing you to relax and fully enjoy your wedding day.
In Knoxville and in the world of wedding photography, you often get what you pay for. While $2500 might be an option, couples who choose to invest closer to ~$5000+ find that they receive a superior experience and an enduring collection of priceless memories.
Your wedding day is a once-in-a-lifetime event, and the memories captured by your photographer will be cherished for generations. So, when evaluating wedding photography pricing, remember that the investment is not just in images; it's in the value, expertise, and dedication that come with a high-end photographer.
Expert Elopement Planning Tips | Elopement Photographer
5 Tips from an Elopement Photographer on planning your Elopement
Thinking about Eloping?
Here's what you need to know... (5 Tips) from your future Elopement Photographer
First, what is Eloping?
Eloping is a marriage conducted without the knowledge of the couple's family and friends, particularly their parents. Typically, those who elope only have a ceremony and do not host a reception or celebration.
What's the reason behind most elopements?
Couples that elope have said that they want to save money on a traditional wedding. This is actually mostly false. Most couples actually want to elope because they want more privacy, dislike being the center of attention, they also want to break from tradition and do something unconventional, like take a trip to a beach or hike to a mountain top.
Here are some tips on planning your elopement:
1. Check the laws of the elopement location you choose.
A. Do you need a permit? (The Great Smoky Mountains National Park requires all couples to acquire a permit to have their wedding in the park) And guess what? We have a Commercial Use Authorization (CUA) for the Park
B. How much time do you have at that particular spot. Some of the more popular elopement locations may have a time limit for your ceremony.
C. If eloping out of the country, check marriage license laws in your state. You may have sign the marriage license in the states for it to be valid.
2. Book in advance
A. Although elopements can be quick and sometimes spur of the moment, it helps to book big trips or adventures in advance.
B. Hire your vendors ahead of time. An elopement wedding planner can be very helpful in finding certain locations and other vendors to help your elopement run smoothly. As a backup, your photographer can act as a wedding planner at times for you. When you hire us for your elopement, we can help you pick the perfect spots and help you pick other vendors as well. (Most elopement couples reach out 9-12 months in advance.)
3. Plan the Ceremony
A. Since an elopement is a break away from tradition, you can plan your elopement ceremony however you want. Pick out a non-traditional dress or tux. Go crazy with your color schemes.
B. Make sure you have enough time to capture the moment. This is all part of planning before, but if you need to hike 3 miles to get to the top of the mountain before sunset, make sure you have enough time to make it there and rest a bit before the sun goes down.
Elopements can be 1 hour or and all day event
4. Post-Elopement Party
A. This is becoming more common with eloping couples. Throwing a big party after sneaking away to get married. This could be just a few family or friends or a big bash with everyone you would have invited to a traditional wedding. It's up to you.
B. Having a nice dinner party is also a great way to celebrate.
(Brides.com TIP: When you’re phrasing invitations, swap out “invite you to the marriage of...” for “invite you to a celebration in honor of their marriage” so guests know you’ve already signed the marriage license and that they won’t be witnessing your vows.)
5. Announcements
A. Simple: Change Facebook status from In a relationship to Married
B. Let the world know by putting out an announcement in the local paper or sending formal announcement cards to friends and family.
Bonus: Just because you are eloping doesn't mean that you need to downplay the special moment between you two. Don't forget to indulge in all the aspects of your day.
Hire an experienced wedding photographer for their knowledge, location scouting, researching proper permits, creating timelines, etc. We've done 1-3 hour elopements and also all day coverage for those adventurous couples. Photography and Videography may be the biggest investment for couples that are eloping.
5 Ways Grooms Rock the Wedding with Style
We talk about Brides a lot, but what about the grooms?
Tailored suits! One of the great things about men's suits is they don't go out of style often. You can wear a suit for years. Getting fitted for a suit that is tailored to your body type can help you look your best on wedding and years to come.
A Watch: One thing the elevates the grooms look is a nice watch. It doesn't have to be an expensive BVLGARI or Breitling, but something that looks great and stylish for the occasion.
Tie or Bow tie: Honestly this is more preference on your personal style, but If you do go the bow tie option, a real bow tie is best!
Other accessories: Cuff links, suspenders, lapel pins, socks, and pocket squares. These are all great ways to customize and put your own spin on a suit.
Suit Colors: Traditional formal weddings usually call for a Black suit or tux, but depending on your wedding style adding some color helps mix up the style status quo. Don't be afraid to try other suit colors.
Strike a Pose: Engagement and Wedding Posing Made Simple
It’s one of the most common things we hear from our couples—“We are so awkward in photos.” Although we find very quickly that this is just not true, many couples feel intimidated by the thought of having to pose for photos for even an hour at an engagement or even longer on wedding day. You really shouldn’t worry though because we’ve got you. Posing just shouldn’t be something you even have to think about, and today, we are sharing our pro tips for looking your best in front of the camera so that you absolutely love your images.
1. Shift Your Weight
Women, in particular, have a tendency to want to do the tried and true hand on hip pose, but many naturally lean forward when doing so, putting their weight on the front leg. Instead, try shifting your weight to your back leg and bending the knee (no…not a Game of Thrones reference) in front slightly.
2. Hands!
Seriously, this is the number one concern from our clients—what to do with those pesky hands. First, whatever you would naturally do to engage with your significant other is always a good idea. For example, placing your hand on the face, around the waist, or on their arm is always natural posing. The key, though, is to keep those fingers loose and the hand soft to avoid what we call “The Claw” (definitely a Toy Story reference). Just wiggle those fingers and touch lightly or just touch with one or two fingers to keep things soft and romantic.
3. Wear that Chin Proudly
Think of a business man in a suit with a square jawline. He’s proud of his accomplishments, holding his head high and jutting his chin out just slightly. That little lean forward and slight outward thrust of the chin is incredibly flattering. Not only does it show confidence, but it can help eliminate the double chin many people also worry about appearing in their photos.
4. Forehead to Forehead
It’s romantic; it’s intimate, and the forehead to forehead pose is one of our favorites. The key, however, is to not go straight on with your heads. Since we want to still see some of your face in the photo, we actually want those heads to touch more on the middle, far side from the camera. To avoid going cross-eyed, just look downward instead of directly at each other.
5. Engage with Each Other
We don’t want your chatting, goofing off, and giggling to stop when the camera comes out. Keep on being yourselves and interacting like you always do. We frequently find ourselves encouraging our couples not to be quiet but to, instead, chat about where they want to go to dinner after the session, what they loved most about seeing each other for the first time, or even their plans for the future (for those super emotional moments). We all want authentic interactions in these shots, so keep up your normal conversations and flirting, please.
Bonus tip for men: A hand in the pocket (thumb in or out, whichever you prefer) is always a good, polished look.
Bonus tip for women: Create separation between your body and your arm for slimmer looking upper arms.
And guess what? If you hire professional photographers who know how to make you look and feel good when taking photos (wink…wink…nudge…nudge), then you can leave all of this to us.
4 of the Best Wedding Planning Tips for Every Couple
Every year when our wedding anniversary passes, and we start thinking about our big day and how it was really our wedding photos that helped inspire us to pursue a new direction with our own business, to begin photographing couples and weddings. Some of the things we think about when we look back at our day now, as wedding photographers, are the aspects of the day that impacted the overall energy and the flow of our day. We've decided to share a little bit of our insight with you today in hopes that it will help our current couples and prospective clients have a seamless and amazing experience with all vendors on their wedding days.
1. The Vendors
We have a ton of couples reach out to us immediately after they are engaged, and it is always great to be ahead of the curve when selecting vendors as many tend to book dates up to a year in advance. The single most important thing to have determined, however, prior to booking any of your vendors is a firm wedding date. Asking for a photographer or other vendor, for pricing information to get a feel for what is out there and doable for your budget is acceptable, but without a specific date, you won't be able to book with the company and may be disappointed to find out later that they are unavailable. Generally, most vendors will also want to know your venue as well as some may charge additional fees for travel if the site is outside of their normal coverage area. So, set your date as quickly as possible, and go ahead and book your venue to get the ball rolling for your other inquiries.
Any time I send an email, whether personal or business related, I am always impressed when the recipient responds quickly. This is something we really strive to excel at in our correspondence with clients, and it's one aspect of our communication that our couples really value. This is just as important when requesting information from a photographer, caterer, or venue, just as examples, from a client perspective. We always appreciate when a couple gets back to us, even if it's just to say that our pricing does not work in their budget. That's ok, and there are never hard feelings on our end. We are grateful for the response, and we both know that it's nothing personal or that they don't love our work. The other aspect of the pricing conversation is also being willing to ask what a particular vendor can do within your budget or requesting if there is a package or option that may suit your needs better. I always think, what's the worst that someone can say? No? I can handle that. If you really want to book a particular service or company, just ask, and the vendor will let you know if your vision is doable or not for them in your price range. Although pricing and budgets are, of course, important, many vendors want to get to know you a little better and build a relationship with you also. Sharing details and information about yourselves as a couple and being specific about your dreams for your wedding allow us to have some insight about who you are and if we are a good fit for capturing your big day. Quality work, goods, and services may cost more than you anticipate when starting your wedding planning, and although you should stick to a budget, make sure you are considering other aspects of what a vendor can offer including experience and the overall vibe you want to achieve for your wedding.
Finally, referrals from friends and family are always meaningful, as personal experience is definitely valuable, and meeting with vendors in person to discuss options can always help you evaluate the connection you have with one another, which is another important factor to consider. Your wedding day should reflect your values and your style, and carefully choosing your vendors will ensure that you have the best, most memorable day possible.
2. The Coverage
We always aim to tell the story of our couple's day through our photography, and you want a full picture of the day to do so. Some couples want every moment captured, and others only want the highlights; however, booking your venue and photographer for a determined period of time is one of the most important decisions you will make. Budget generally comes into play with such decisions when a photographer offers a lower priced package for fewer hours of coverage, but it is important to consider other factors when determining the hours of coverage right for you. 1) How many family members will be included in photos? If you have a large family and plan on doing photos before or especially after the ceremony, you will need to account for that. We generally recommend that you only include immediate family for these posed photos (parents, grandparents, and siblings), but this is a personal decision. For example, I have a super small family, but Jason's is huge. We chose to do all of our family photos (aside from a couple quick shots with parents, grandparents, and siblings prior to the ceremony) at the rehearsal dinner. There are always options, but the bigger the families, the more time it takes to photograph individuals and smaller groups. 2) How big is your bridal party? We had 7 on each side, which is a pretty good sized bridal party. Throw in 2 ushers on top of that we wanted in photos, and you're talking 18 people. Although we work super quickly, we also like to get shots of the bridal party as smaller groups, as a whole, and individually with the bride and groom or couple. With that said, it's a good rule of thumb to include a little more coverage if you have 10 people on each side of the aisle than it is with just a maid of honor and best man or a couple of friends.
2. The Timeline
Although you may hire a coordinator for your wedding or the venue you book may include a day of coordinator, your photography timeline will be a pivotal part of keeping the day running smoothly and ensuring that you get all of the fabulous moments from your day captured. Your photographer should schedule a time with you-- usually a couple weeks before the wedding-- to plan out a specific timeline for all of the photos you want captured on your special day. This really helps keep the timing on track and allows for brides and grooms to allot enough time for various details of the day.
It's one of the most difficult parts of the wedding day, too. Hair and makeup take a little longer than planned, the ceremony site finishing touches may not be completed on schedule, or a groomsman from out of town could be running late. These things happen, and the important thing is not to stress when they do. One of the things I think about when I reflect on our wedding day is that we were about 30 minutes behind the prescribed schedule because we took a little longer than expected at the salon. It stressed me out because I'm a very punctual person, but our photographers didn't skip a beat. They quickly caught us up and still managed to get all the shots we wanted (and more) from our day. Experience plays an important role in this. As wedding photographers now, we learned very quickly that timelines can't always be followed to a tee, but it is important that you try to maintain some sense of the schedule. A strong photographer can generally still get all of the shots that you want and can easily make up the time lost, but being realistic about how long set up, hair and makeup, and all the important preparations take, is key in having a stress-free day. We have photographed enough weddings to know how to create a sensible timeline, so trusting your photographers to do so will help the day run as smoothly as possible.
4. The Photographer (or photographers for us)
A quick Google search can show that not all photographers are the same. We all have different specialties, areas of expertise, and stylistic choices. When selecting a photographer, definitely pay attention to the photos posted on social media, the photographer’s website portfolio, and blog posts that show a fuller picture of a wedding day. We suggest selecting a photographer who focuses predominantly on weddings, and you can clearly see that when checking out the photos from these sources. You can also ask to see a full gallery of images of the photographer’s work, particularly for a wedding. This can really help paint a picture of how a particular photographer will capture your day, and it will also help show how consistent their work is especially in relation to editing and proficiency in various (and challenging) lighting situations.
There are many different styles of photography and combinations of those styles, but two predominant categories have seemed to emerge over the past couple years—light and airy or a darker, moodier vibe. We have always considered ourselves light and airy photographers, but neither style is inherently better than the other; however, you’ll want to decide what you prefer and exactly how you want your photos to look now and 20 years from now. Consider as well that most photographers don’t change their overall styles for different clients because they want to keep their branding consistent, so asking a photographer that mainly shoots lighter, for example, to do darker photos may not work.
Choosing a photographer is a big decision and a financial investment for your wedding day. Most couples spend about 12% of their total wedding budget on a photographer according to Wedding Wire. Paying attention to what photographers offer as part of their collections and the quality of the goods and add-ons is also very important. We always encourage you to ask the photographer questions specific to your needs and budget as many just want to see how we can best accommodate you.
Although we could give advice on even more particulars, these are just a few tidbits that could have a tremendous impact on the flow of the day and the photos themselves. We hope you've gleaned a little knowledge from our personal wedding experience as both the bride and groom and now, as photographers, coming from a completely different perspective. Best wishes, and happy planning!